In a statement on behalf of the EU, Britain offered new negotiations meant to defuse tensions over Iran's insistence that it must be in full control of uranium enrichment-- a possible pathway to nuclear arms.
A United Nations human rights investigator has recommended that international pressure be put on North Korea as part of a multi-pronged strategy to know the fate of hundreds of foreign nationals allegedly abducted by it.
Even as New Delhi consolidates its global standing this year with a non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council, Jyoti Malhotra feels it will be the countries in its immediate neighbourhood that will be top priority for India's foreign office.
UN Security Council is witnessing an acrimonious wrangling over the action it should take on the Georgian conflict, after a fresh draft resolution introduced by Russia on the issue was promptly opposed by the United States.
Antonio Guterres, who had served as UN High Commissioner for Refugees for 10 years, has emerged as the front-runner in the first two rounds of informal voting.
Pitching for a greater role for India globally, former US President George W Bush favoured its entry into the expanded UN Security Council, which he acknowledged had got caught into political complications over questions like size and criteria.
India and China held their fourth round of strategic dialogue to discuss a host of issues such as New Delhi's concerns relating to issuance of stapled visas by Beijing for Kashmiris and its bid for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.
Eyebrows went north in India, especially in New Delhi where in the confusion some people criticized the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) which is based in New York. Chitra Subramaniam offers some perspective.
Member of parliament from Thiruvananthapuram and former Union Minister of state for external affairs Dr Shashi Tharoor has said that getting an entry into the UN Security Council is a significant achievement for India.
He feared elections planned for January would not go ahead in Iraq unless security improved.
Raking up the Kashmir issue at the United Nations, Pakistan repeated its call for Security Council resolutions to be implemented in the state and said fulfilling promise of self-determination to the Kashmiri people is "indispensable" to establishing lasting peace and stability in South Asia.
India will sit in the 15-nation United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the 2021-22 term as a non-permanent member - the eighth time that the country has had a seat on the powerful horseshoe table.
The Jamaat-ud-Dawah has established an extensive network in Punjab province to collect funds and relief materials in the name of flood victims despite Pakistan government's contention that hardline groups will not be allowed to operate in garb of charitable organisations.
A CPI-M member in the Lok Sabha,on Wednesday asked the government to condemn a United States State Department statement that India tell Iran to 'meet the requirements of the UN Security Council' on its nuclear programme during Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejads upcoming visit.
Pakistan on Friday said it has briefed the envoys of the P5 -- the US, China, Russia, the UK and France -- over "unprovoked firing" by India on the LoC and asked the countries to play their role in ensuring the maintenance of peace and security in the region.
Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the UN Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya told the UN Security Council briefing on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine on Monday that "Ukraine deeply regrets that more than 2,000 citizens of India, China, Turkey, Pakistan and other countries suffer today along with Ukrainians from Russian aggression."
The UN Security Council is scheduled to vote on Friday evening on a draft resolution on Russia's military operation in Ukraine as well as the escalating situation in the eastern European country.
The Quad summit to be hosted by India in 2024 is likely to enhance New Delhi's strategic intent.
Amid the US-led moves to impose fresh sanctions on Iran, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has made it clear to President Barack Obama that India was opposed to any sanctions that would target common people of that country.
French President Nicholas Sarkozy made a strong pitch for India's inclusion as a permanent member of the UN Security Council on Tuesday, which he said needs to be expanded to make it more inclusive."Did you know that India... in 30 years time... the world's most populous nation, doesn't have a permanent seat on the Security Council?" said the French president, hosted by Columbia University as part of the World Leaders Forum.
Pakistan in a letter to UN Security Council 1267 Committee has contended that Hafiz Saeed supports a family of four members, as a sole supporter, he is responsible for food, drink and clothes expenses for all family members.
The Pakistan government today banned Jamaat-ud-Dawa, the front organisation for the outlawed LeT blamed for the Mumbai attacks, after the UN Security Council declared it a terrorist outfit and sealed its nine offices in Sindh apart from rounding up over 20 of its activists.
"The 21st century world cannot be governed with the institutions of the 20th century," French President Nicolas Sarkozy told the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday. "Let today's major powers and the powers of tomorrow unite to shoulder together the responsibilities their influence give them in world affairs," Sarkozy, who is the current president of the EU, said.
The warning came despite assertion by visiting Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon on Tuesday that India's dealings with Iran were not in any way a contravention of the UN Security Council resolutions.
The crisis in Georgia is brewing to a major showdown between the United States and Russia.
However, there would be some exceptions such as equipment meant for light water reactors and low-enriched uranium when it is incorporated in assembled nuclear fuel elements for such reactors.
"The Australian government fully appreciates how central India is to our future," Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said in a speech at the University of Western Australia, his alma mater, while making a strong push for closer ties in social, economic and defence sectors.
India on Thursday abstained in the UN General Assembly on a vote moved by the US to suspend Russia from the UN Human Rights Council over allegations that Russian soldiers killed civilians while retreating from towns near the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.
In a secret-ballot voting in the 193-member UN General Assembly on that race, Pakistan secured 169 votes.
Putin said the residents in the four annexed regions will now be Russia's "citizens forever".
India hit out at China for its remarks that there was no consensus over the United States' proposal to ban Pathankot attack mastermind and Jaish-e-Mohammed is chief Masood Azhar at the United Nations
Growth of food consumption in rapidly developing India and China is named as the primary reason for the crisis, which some have dubbed as 'silent tsunami,' the former Soviet President wrote in the official Rossiskaya Gazeta daily. "This is an objective reason: we need to rejoice that millions of people are coming out of poverty and can afford normal diet. Our planet is capable of feeding them," he said.
On March 15, France imposed financial sanctions on Azhar.
A news report had claimed that Bush had threatened Dr Singh with regard to voting for Venezuela in the elections for non-permanent members of UN Security Council.
President Pratibha Patil on Wednesday indicated that she will seek China's support for India's bid for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council during her six-day visit to the country, the first by an Indian head of state in a decade.
David Cameron, the man most likely to take over as the next Prime Minister of Britain, has promised to forge a "new special relationship" with India and support India's bid for a seat in the UN Security council.
North Korea is unlikely to strike first, but its response in retaliation, if attacked, could be massive even at the expense of its own destruction, says Rajaram Panda.
Taking a tough line, Israel has indicated that it will continue to ignore the UN Security Council resolution seeking ceasefire in Gaza, until it has achieved its objectives of weakening Hamas and stopping the smuggling of arms in the region from Egypt.
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