President Zelenskyy's telephonic conversation with Prime Minister Modi came hours after India abstained on a UN Security Council resolution by the United States that 'deplores in the strongest terms' Russia's 'aggression' against Ukraine.
'He may respect others, but he is unlikely to admire them'
Top Pentagon officials have shown an understanding of India abstaining at the UN on resolutions against the Russian aggression against Ukraine but had a hard time pacifying many US lawmakers during a Congressional hearing on the Indo-Pacific on New Delhi's repeated abstention at the world body in New York.
'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.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says China 'protects' violent Islamic terror groups from UN sanctions.
Iran was ousted from the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women on Wednesday evening in the wake of the Mahsa Amini protest.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres had also made an impassioned plea for the UN to reflect today's world.
"The US will not be told by any country where we can put our embassy... Today, for the simple act of deciding where to put our embassy, the United States was forced to defend its sovereignty. The record will reflect that we did so proudly," said the US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley.
With India under pressure from Dravidian parties in Tamil Nadu to support a United States-sponsored resolution in the United Nations Human Rights Commission against Sri Lanka for alleged war crimes, United Progressive Alliance's key constituent Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam on Saturday announced the convening of its high-level committee on March 20 to discuss the issue. Party chief M Karunanidhi will chair the meeting on Tuesday morning at its headquarters in Chennai.
The 15-member Council held a formal vote here to elect Guterres, the former UN High Commissioner for refugees had emerged as the "clear favourite" to succeed Ban Ki-moon, 72, as the 9th Secretary General.
Indian diplomatic sources said that India abstained from voting on the resolution in line with its traditional approach that it does not mix humanitarian issues with political issues.
In a strong reaction, external affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said such statements only expose the OIC as an organization devoted to a "communal agenda being pursued through terrorism".
CNN quoted a South Korean defence official as saying that the missile launch was carried out from North Korea's Sinpo region in South Hamgyong Province.
"We call on Pakistan to stop cleansing their own minorities including Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and others," Bhat said.
Times have changed, situations have changed, but the basic nature of superpower geo-politics remains the same and so also India's diplomacy -- call it non-alignment, strategic autonomy or neutrality; it all depends on the time scale, notes Rup Narayan Das.
Sonia aid the Congress has been consistent over the years in its strong belief that both the Palestinians and Israelis have the right to live in a just peace.
Raising the Kashmir issue at the UN, China has told the General Assembly that the "dispute" should be peacefully and properly addressed in accordance with the UN Charter, Security Council resolutions and the bilateral agreement. China, a close ally of Pakistan, also stressed that no actions should be taken that would unilaterally change the "status quo".
In retrospect, it appeared that the bitterness of the war was still strong and the Ukrainian success in occupying Russian territory just a few days ago had added to the complexity of the situation. The positive US response to the visit, however, remains a silver lining in the dark clouds, notes Ambassador T P Sreenivasan.
FIFA's disciplinary committee will be asked to look into allegations of discrimination raised by the Palestinian Football Association (PFA) after it submitted a proposal to suspend Israel in May, world soccer's governing body said on Thursday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is deeply concerned by the war in Ukraine and his meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in New York demonstrates his commitment to finding a way forward and contributing in any way possible to a resolution of the conflict, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said.
Sadhguru said even though the idea of commemorating the International Yoga Day was mooted by PM Modi, it was "almost like the world was waiting for it".
In a statement later, the White House said Biden and Netanyahu discussed Israel's military campaign in Gaza, including its "objectives and phasing".
Numerous members of Hezbollah in Beirut and various areas of Lebanon were injured when their communication devices exploded, according to the Arab media reports. ANI posted on X quoting AP that Iran's ambassador in Lebanon was among those injured in the blasts.
The United Nations Security Council has called for urgent humanitarian pauses and corridors throughout Gaza to allow unhindered humanitarian access in the strip, finally overcoming deadlock and adopting a resolution in the month-long Israel-Hamas conflict.
Amidst stepped up pressure by southern parties to vote against Sri Lanka at the United Nation, the government said the "call" will be taken after studying the final draft of the United States-backed resolution even as India's Representative to the UN in Geneva will be in New Delhi on Tuesday for consultations on it.
India has for the first time abstained from voting on a resolution on Palestine adopted at the UN rights body that calls for accountability by parties involved in last year's conflict in Gaza.
Pakistan on Wednesday once again raked up the Kashmir issue in the United Nations when its President Asif Ali Zardari sought a solution to the issue under an UN resolution. He said Kashmir remains a symbol of the failure of the UN system and Pakistan's principled position on territorial disputes remains the bedrock of its foreign policy.
Ahead of his much-anticipated visit to conflict-torn Ukraine, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said India firmly believes that no problem can be solved on the battlefield and it is ready to extend all possible cooperation for the restoration of peace and stability in the region.
Dossiers about Indian involvement in subversive activities in Pakistan will be presented before the UN, Aziz said.
The resolution failed to be adopted on Thursday as it could not garner two-thirds support in the General Assembly.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri arrived in Dhaka on Monday on a day-long visit to hold talks with his Bangladeshi counterpart, amid strained bilateral ties since August following the ouster of prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
'Don't worry, will sort it out son'
India has been stoutly defending its "special and privileged strategic partnership" with Russia and maintained the momentum in the ties notwithstanding the Ukraine conflict.
The White House readout of the call had no reference to Bangladesh, which was mentioned in an 'X' post by PM Modi.
"We reaffirm that Jammu & Kashmir is an integral part of India and is a matter strictly internal to India," spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs Raveesh Kumar said.
The resolution, drafted by France and Tunisia, 'demands a general and immediate cessation of hostilities in all situations on its agenda and supports the efforts undertaken by the Secretary-General and his Special Representatives and Special Envoys'.
Opposition leaders said India should speak for what is right and should not be afraid of its neighbour.
Emphasising the importance of sustaining food and energy security, the G20 leaders called for the "cessation of military destruction or other attacks on relevant infrastructure".
Pakistan has been sharply critical of India with its leaders slamming Modi's recent remarks in Bangladesh that Pakistan was creating disturbance and instigating terrorism in India.
India along with BRICS countries on Wednesday voted in support of a UN Human Rights Council resolution to launch a probe into Israel's offensive on Gaza. India joined Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa to vote for a Palestinian-drafted resolution on "Ensuring Respect for international law in The Occupied Palestinian Territories, including East Jersusalem".
