News for 'UN News Centre'

US-orchestrated UN report on Uygur Muslims illegal, null and void: China

US-orchestrated UN report on Uygur Muslims illegal, null and void: China

Rediff.com1 Sep 2022

The UN report stated that China has committed to "other predominantly Muslim communities" in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region

40 Years Ago This Day, A PM Was Killed

40 Years Ago This Day, A PM Was Killed

Rediff.com31 Oct 2024

Indira Gandhi was murdered by her bodyguards on the morning of October 31, 1984. Her death sparked off horrific anti-Sikh riots, killing over 3,000 innocent Indians.

US Proposal For Expansion of UNSC Is An Empty Gesture

US Proposal For Expansion of UNSC Is An Empty Gesture

Rediff.com16 Sep 2024

By proposing the addition of six permanent members this year, it may appear that it was a major concession, but in actual fact, it will make no difference to the privilege of the permanent five as the new six will have no veto, ever! points out Ambassador T P Sreenivasan.

The Amazing Riflewomen Making History

The Amazing Riflewomen Making History

Rediff.com22 Jan 2025

22 Assam Rifles women personnel are in the Republic Day marching band contingent. Dressed in crisp uniforms, playing bagpipes, drums and side drums, the year-old band has already built an admirable reputation.

My Favourite Oscar Moment

My Favourite Oscar Moment

Rediff.com4 Mar 2025

The balance was so perfect in that moment, the irony so rich. Those who cheered on Elia Kazan were cheering on the one quality that made him such a singular artist: He was his own man and not susceptible to groupthink. Those who protested Kazan's presence were protesting that very quality: They were saying that he was too much of an outlier, a wolf in a radical's clothing. Sreehari Nair captures his Kodak moment at the Oscars.

Will Nirmalaji Target Fiscal Deficit?

Will Nirmalaji Target Fiscal Deficit?

Rediff.com28 Jan 2025

The Budget should undertake further reductions in import tariffs and seriously consider an announcement of India's intention to join one or both of the two Asian mega-regional free trade agreements, suggests Shankar Acharya, former chief economic adviser to the Government of India.

No response to 26/11, but it won't be the case anymore: Jaishankar

No response to 26/11, but it won't be the case anymore: Jaishankar

Rediff.com27 Oct 2024

"We should not have a repeat of what happened in Mumbai. That there was a terror attack and there was no response," Jaishankar told reporters in Mumbai.

Al Qaeda helping regional proxy to spread to J-K, says UN report

Al Qaeda helping regional proxy to spread to J-K, says UN report

Rediff.com27 Jul 2023

Terror group Al Qaeda is "shaping" its regional affiliate in the Indian subcontinent to spread its operations into Jammu and Kashmir, Bangladesh and Myanmar, according to a UN report.

Jyoti Punwani: December 6, 1992, All Over Again?

Jyoti Punwani: December 6, 1992, All Over Again?

Rediff.com6 Dec 2024

Can ordinary citizens counter this backward march? Can peace activists ensure that the two communities retain their bonds? Do they have a choice, asks Jyoti Punwani.

States add 1.1 million families to un-electrified list

States add 1.1 million families to un-electrified list

Rediff.com29 Jun 2022

Two years after the Centre's flagship village electrification scheme Saubhagya concluded with the government claiming 99.9 per cent success, several states have added close to 1.1 million rural households that remain to be connected to the electricity grid. This new list includes earlier unwilling households that have now agreed to have a metered connection and also those built or discovered in the states' surveys since 2019. Assam and Uttar Pradesh are the states that have the majority of such new additions.

Why Latin America Loves India And Vice Versa

Why Latin America Loves India And Vice Versa

Rediff.com25 Dec 2024

The warmth and respect for India were evident wherever I went and noticed how most Latin Americans have Indian gurus either directly or online and yoga was very much in vogue, observes Ambassador T P Sreenivasan.

Why do Bengal parties clash over attacks on Bangladesh Hindus?

Why do Bengal parties clash over attacks on Bangladesh Hindus?

Rediff.com5 Dec 2024

Recent attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh have ignited political debate in West Bengal, with the ruling TMC and opposition BJP utilizing the issue to advance their respective agendas. While the TMC emphasizes communal harmony and calls for international intervention, the BJP criticizes the TMC's inaction and links the situation to its push for the Citizenship Amendment Act. The issue has also brought other opposition parties into the fray, with all sides highlighting the interconnectedness of the region's socio-political fabric.

Matter of foreign policy: SC rejects plea for halting arms export to Israel

Matter of foreign policy: SC rejects plea for halting arms export to Israel

Rediff.com9 Sep 2024

A bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said Indian firms, involved in the export of arms and equipment to Israel, may be sued for breach of contractual obligations if they are stopped by it from supplying.

'When innocent children die...': Modi to Putin on Ukraine war

'When innocent children die...': Modi to Putin on Ukraine war

Rediff.com9 Jul 2024

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday told Russian President Vladimir Putin that a solution to the Ukraine conflict is not possible on the battlefield and peace efforts do not succeed in the midst of bombs and bullets even as he flagged concerns over a missile strike on a children's hospital in Kyiv.

When Dr Singh Took On Congress Bosses

When Dr Singh Took On Congress Bosses

Rediff.com6 Jan 2025

Many were hoping that with Vajpayee's NDA gone, there would be a return to the Congress normal. Nobody was prepared for the opposite. Sonia Gandhi was sceptical. This became the only issue over which Manmohan Singh took on his party bosses and risked his government. Politically, it was riskier than the 1991 reform, recalls Shekhar Gupta.

Taliban govt is anything but inclusive: Afghan Amb to UN

Taliban govt is anything but inclusive: Afghan Amb to UN

Rediff.com8 Sep 2021

'Afghan people will not accept a governing structure that excludes women and minorities'

Ajmer dargah row as politicians, community leaders weigh in

Ajmer dargah row as politicians, community leaders weigh in

Rediff.com28 Nov 2024

A local court in Ajmer has issued notices to the dargah committee, the Ministry of Minority Affairs, and the Archaeological Survey of India on a plea seeking to declare the shrine of Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti a temple. The petition, filed in September, has sparked a heated debate, with politicians and community leaders weighing in on the potentially volatile issue. The dargah committee has declined to comment, but the Anjuman Syed Zadgan, a body representing the caretakers of the dargah, described the petition as a deliberate attempt to fracture society along communal lines. The petition comes just days after four people were killed in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, following a local court ordering survey of a Mughal-era shrine. The Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, which fixed August 15, 1947, as the cut-off date for status quo on the character of religious places, is at the centre of much of the debate. Several politicians, including Union minister Giriraj Singh and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, have weighed in on the issue. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has called the civil court's decision to entertain the petition unwarranted and has asked the Supreme Court to immediately intervene.

The Olympics, From A Spectator's Lens

The Olympics, From A Spectator's Lens

Rediff.com14 Aug 2024

What is it like watching all the Olympian action and drama unfold from the spectators' galleries at the Stade de France?

Travelling to Pak for multilateral event, not...: Jaishankar

Travelling to Pak for multilateral event, not...: Jaishankar

Rediff.com5 Oct 2024

It will be for the first time in nearly nine years India's external affairs minister will travel to Pakistan even as the ties between the two neighbours remained frosty over the Kashmir issue and cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan.

Nearly 5mn Indians forced to flee their homes due to disasters in 2021: UN

Nearly 5mn Indians forced to flee their homes due to disasters in 2021: UN

Rediff.com17 Jun 2022

"The largest displacements in the context of disasters in 2021 occurred in China (6.0 million), the Philippines (5.7 million) and India (4.9 million). Most disaster displacements during the year were temporary," it said.

Modi to lead International Yoga Day celebrations from Srinagar

Modi to lead International Yoga Day celebrations from Srinagar

Rediff.com18 Jun 2024

The United Nations General Assembly, heeding to a call by Prime Minister Modi, had made a declaration in December 2014 to observe June 21 every year as IDY.

UNGA: India abstains on Pak's resolution against 'Islamophobia'

UNGA: India abstains on Pak's resolution against 'Islamophobia'

Rediff.com16 Mar 2024

India abstained in the United Nations General Assembly on a draft resolution introduced by Pakistan and co-sponsored by China on Islamophobia, asserting that the prevalence of 'religiophobia' against Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and other faiths facing violence and discrimination must also be acknowledged rather than singling out just one religion.

If good neighbourliness is missing...: Jaishankar's dig at China, Pak

If good neighbourliness is missing...: Jaishankar's dig at China, Pak

Rediff.com16 Oct 2024

Delivering a thinly veiled message to Pakistan from its soil, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday said activities across borders characterised by the 'three evils' of terrorism, extremism and separatism are unlikely to encourage trade, energy flows and connectivity.

PHOTOS: World turns blue for UN's 70th anniversary

PHOTOS: World turns blue for UN's 70th anniversary

Rediff.com24 Oct 2015

More than 300 monuments, landscapes, museums, bridges and other landmarks across more than 75 countries were lit up in the official colour of the United Nations.

Where Would India Be Without Dr Singh?

Where Would India Be Without Dr Singh?

Rediff.com27 Dec 2024

What stood out in his 15-year journey as a member of the political executive at the Centre was his glowing record as India's most successful and effective finance minister. Both as prime minister and finance minister, he understood the importance of gradualism, except when the economy or the polity was in a crisis.

Modi was right, this is not time for war: French Prez at UN

Modi was right, this is not time for war: French Prez at UN

Rediff.com21 Sep 2022

Modi, who met Putin last week on the sidelines of the 22nd meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Uzbekistan's Samarkand, had told the Russian leader that "today's era is not of war".

A Neat Tragedy Called NEET

A Neat Tragedy Called NEET

Rediff.com25 Jul 2024

NEET is a court-ordered examination, supposedly aimed at meritocracy. However, over the past years when the incumbent Narendra Modi government at the Centre began implementing it, it took on political and casteist colours, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.

An earnest and upright diplomat to battle for UN reform

An earnest and upright diplomat to battle for UN reform

Rediff.com1 May 2020

At a critical time in the history of the United Nations, when the global order itself may be reshaped, following a devastating pandemic, India has chosen an experienced, charming and upright diplomat to lead the Indian delegation to the UN in New York.

UN report names India among countries where rights activists intimidated

UN report names India among countries where rights activists intimidated

Rediff.com13 Sep 2018

The report documents allegations of reprisals and intimidation in 38 countries, some of which are members of the Human Rights Council.

Purge the UN!

Purge the UN!

Rediff.com26 Jul 2004

How yoga came to the UN

How yoga came to the UN

Rediff.com24 Jun 2015

It was almost 10 years ago that the idea of a Yoga Day was mooted by some NGOs, but it had no takers till Prime Minister Narendra Modi realised its potential, probably at the instance of Sri Sri Ravishankar, says Ambassador T P Sreenivasan.

Modi, WHO chief lay the ground for traditional medicine centre in Jamnagar

Modi, WHO chief lay the ground for traditional medicine centre in Jamnagar

Rediff.com19 Apr 2022

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the establishment of the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (WHO GCTM) in Jamnagar will usher in a new era of traditional medicine globally.

Kofi Annan: The 'teflon' UN secretary-general

Kofi Annan: The 'teflon' UN secretary-general

Rediff.com21 Aug 2018

'Kofi Annan will be remembered more for his Nobel Prize and related glory rather than Rwanda and Volcker,' notes Ambassador T P Sreenivasan with whom he worked in the UN.

In US Congress, Modi makes strong push for UN reform

In US Congress, Modi makes strong push for UN reform

Rediff.com23 Jun 2023

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday made a strong push for reforming multilateral institutions, including the United Nations, and spoke glowingly of India's ties with the United States, saying the two countries stand at a new dawn in their relationship that will not only shape their destiny but also that of the world.

Ek Hasina Thi: End Of An Era In Bangladesh

Ek Hasina Thi: End Of An Era In Bangladesh

Rediff.com5 Aug 2024

As news of Hasina's departure spread, hundreds broke into Hasina's residence, vandalising and looting the interiors, providing dramatic expression to the anti-government protests that have killed more than 100 people in the last two days. At the centre of people anger is the Hasina government's controversial quota system reserving 30 per cent jobs for families of veterans who fought the 1971 liberation war. With volatile crowds taking to the streets -- some clambering on Hasina's father and Bangladesh founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's statue and smashing it with hammers in a lasting image underscoring the fickleness of history -- Army chief General Waqar-uz-Zaman announced that the 76-year-old prime minister has resigned.

Modi visits mother Heeraben in Ahmedabad hospital

Modi visits mother Heeraben in Ahmedabad hospital

Rediff.com28 Dec 2022

As per the hospital, her health condition is stable.

Modi Knows How To Deal With Dissanayake

Modi Knows How To Deal With Dissanayake

Rediff.com23 Sep 2024

For India to view the new Sri Lankan leadership only through the prism of the past or through their narrow view on China, is fraught with possibilities that should be avoided, asserts N Sathiya Moorthy.

In a first, yoga practice goes inside UN General Assembly

In a first, yoga practice goes inside UN General Assembly

Rediff.com21 Jun 2019

The General Assembly hall, where world leaders come together every year for the high-level UN session, was packed with UN diplomats, officials, yoga gurus and practitioners, children and people from various backgrounds as India's Permanent Mission to the UN organised the commemoration of the 5th International Day of Yoga Thursday.

16 kilograms of cocaine seized at UN HQ

16 kilograms of cocaine seized at UN HQ

Rediff.com27 Jan 2012

The suspicious bags were "intercepted by the Security and Safety Service" last week, UN spokesperson Martin Nesirky said. The white bags had no name or address but had a poor image of the blue UN logo stamped on them.

China to help Pak build space centre, launch more satellites

China to help Pak build space centre, launch more satellites

Rediff.com28 Jan 2022

China on Friday announced plans to boost space cooperation with Pakistan, including the development of a space centre and launching of more satellites for its all-weather ally.