Operation Sindoor conveyed to the world with great clarity that India will act against terrorism, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said in a statement in line with the UN Security Council calling for those responsible for the Pahalgam attacks to be brought to justice. "What is important for us in the Quad statement, as also the statement that the Security Council had issued on April 25, is that the perpetrators of terrorism must be held accountable. They must be brought to justice, Jaishankar said during a press conference in Washington on Wednesday. And that's important because we then have to communicate to the world what we did. On May 7, the objective of Operation Sindoor is that if there are terrorist attacks, we will act against the perpetrators, the supporters, the financiers, and the enablers. So that message, I think, was conveyed with great clarity, he said. A joint statement issued by Quad Foreign Ministers -- Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Foreign .
Pakistan is set to assume on Tuesday the presidency of the United Nations Security Council for the month of July 2025, the state media said here. The presidency of the Security Council - the world body's power centre - is part of Pakistan's two-year term as a non-permanent member of the UNSC, which began in January 2025. Pakistan was elected as a non-permanent member with overwhelming support of the UN membership, securing 182 votes out of 193. The presidency rotates monthly among its 15 members, in alphabetical order. Pakistan's Presidency will be transparent, inclusive and responsive, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad told the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) correspondent at the UN, as he prepared to face the challenges ahead. Ambassador Iftikhar, who will preside over the Council meetings on key global issues in July, said he was fully aware of the complex geo-political scenario, growing instability and threats to international peace and security, marked by rising ...
Rajeeva Karandikar says disparate normalisation practices are causing student distress and legal disputes, calls for standard formula across recruitment exams
UN nuclear chief Rafael Grossi told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council that Israeli strikes destroyed the above-ground section of Iran's main nuclear facility at Natanz. He said all the electrical infrastructure and emergency power generators were destroyed as well as a section of the facility where uranium was enriched up to 60 per cent. The main centrifuge facility underground did not appear to have been hit, but the loss of power could have damaged the infrastructure there, he said. Israel launched blistering attacks on the heart of Iran's nuclear and military structure on Friday, deploying warplanes and drones previously smuggled into the country to attack key facilities and kill top generals and scientists -- a barrage it said was necessary before its adversary got any closer to building an atomic weapon. Iran retaliated late on Friday by unleashing scores of ballistic missiles on Israel, where explosions flared in the skies over Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and shook th
Iran's UN ambassador said on Friday that 78 people have been killed and over 320 injured in Israeli attacks. Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council that Israel's "barbaric and criminal attack" and assassinations were against senior military officials and nuclear scientists. But he said "the overwhelming majority" of victims were civilians, women and children. He said Israel again on Friday is conducting "acts of aggression" targeting multiple civilian and military sites across several Iranian cities. Israel launched blistering attacks on the heart of Iran's nuclear and military structure on Friday, deploying warplanes and drones previously smuggled into the country to assault key facilities and kill top generals and scientists -- a barrage it said was necessary before its adversary got any closer to building an atomic weapon. Iran retaliated late on Friday by unleashing scores of ballistic missiles on Israel, where explosions flared in th
Panama's foreign minister in his address to the visiting Shashi Tharoor-led parliamentary delegation noted that India-Panama relations are rooted in mutual respect
India on Friday slammed Pakistan at the UN Security Council, saying it has experienced decades of Pakistani sponsored terrorist attacks ranging from the 26/11 Mumbai attacks to barbaric mass murder of innocent tourists in Pahalgam last month. India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish made these comments while delivering a statement at the UN Security Council Open Debate. I am constrained to respond to the baseless allegations of the representative of Pakistan on a number of issues, Harish said in his statement at the debate on the theme 'Addressing emerging threats, ensuring safety of civilians, humanitarian and UN Personnel, journalists and media professionals and enhancing accountability mechanisms' under the agenda item Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict. India has experienced decades of Pakistani sponsored terrorist attacks across our borders. This has ranged from the horrific 26/11 attack on the city of Mumbai to the barbaric mass murder o
India told the UN Security Council that it views maritime security and countering terrorism as central to its national security and economic interests as it continues to evolve its strategy in response to new threats and geopolitical shifts in the Indo-Pacific region. India, having a long coastline, extensive seafarer community, and capable maritime forces, is actively pursuing its role as a responsible maritime power to safeguard its interests and address emerging threats, India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish said Tuesday. He was addressing the UNSC high-level open debate on Maintenance of international peace and security: Strengthening Maritime Security through International Cooperation for Global Stability' presided over by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis under Greece's Presidency of the Council for the month of May. "India views maritime security and countering terrorism as central to its national security and economic interests. Its
Foreign Secretary Misri briefs MPs on India's global outreach post-Pahalgam attack; Rafale cited as symbol of India-France ties in meet with French lawmakers
The UN Security Council discussed rising tensions between India and Pakistan at closed-door consultations, where envoys called for de-escalation and also asked Pakistan tough questions. Greece, president of the UNSC for the month of May, had scheduled the meeting on Monday following a request by Pakistan, which is currently a non-permanent member. The meeting comes days after terrorists killed 26 people, mostly tourists, in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, triggering outrage in India. The 15-member UNSC did not issue a statement after the meeting, but Pakistan claimed that its own objectives were "largely served". Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations Khaled Mohamed Khiari of Tunisia briefed the Council on behalf of both departments (DPPA and DPO). Coming out of the meeting, Khiari said there was a call for dialogue and peaceful resolution of the conflict. He noted that the .
Tensions between India and Pakistan have escalated following the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed at least 26 lives, most of them tourists
Amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan, the UN Security Council will be seized of the matter and could discuss the situation if such a request is made, President of the Council for the month of May Ambassador Evangelos Sekeris said on Thursday. "This is an issue which is now ongoing, evolving," Sekeris said at a press briefing. Sekeris, who is the Permanent Representative of Greece to the UN, said that the Council had recently issued a press statement condemning the heinous terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, and called for the perpetrators to be brought to justice. "We are listening, of course, we are monitoring closely the situation and will be seized on the matter, of course. This is certain that will happen," he said. He added that any act of terrorism is strongly condemned. "We express our deepest condolences to the Government of India and Nepal and the families of the victims. At the same time, I have to tell you that we are also seriously concerned wit
The UN Security Council has condemned the deadly Pahalgam attack, describing it as 'reprehensible', and called for bringing those responsible, including their sponsors, to justice
If a decision is made on expanding the UN Security Council, "then surely" India will be a contender, Chair of Intergovernmental Negotiations on UNSC reforms on Thursday said. "The goal of this reformed Council must be representative. Obviously, India is a main player on the world stage today. But it (UN) is a membership of 193 countries. The consideration is representative for everybody and the whole membership of the United Nations," Ambassador Tareq AlBanai said at a press briefing here. "So surely, if the decision is made that expansion of the Council goes to from anywhere from 21 to 27 members, then surely India will be a contender in that and will be subject to the decision of the wider membership," AlBanai said in response to a question by PTI. AlBanai, who is Kuwait's Permanent Representative to the UN, recalled that last year he and co-Chair Ambassador Alexander Marschik of Austria had visited India and had a conversation there "at the highest level" on the issue of UNSC ...
Portugal has reiterated its support for India's bid for permanent membership in a reformed UN Security Council, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Tuesday. Briefing the media on the conclusion of President Droupadi Murmu's two-day State Visit to Portugal, Secretary (West) Tanmaya Lal said that both countries are cooperating at various multilateral fora, including the United Nations. "During the visit, Portuguese leadership reiterated its support for permanent membership of India at the United Nations Security Council," he said. India has been at the forefront of efforts at the UN to push for urgent long-pending reform of the Security Council, emphasising that it rightly deserves a place at the UN high table as a permanent member. India argues that the 15-nation council founded in 1945 is not fit for purpose in the 21st Century and does not reflect contemporary geo-political realities. Lal said Portugal contributes very strongly to the India-EU strategic Partnership and ...
President Droupadi Murmu Thursday emphasised the need for early and comprehensive reform of key multilateral bodies, including the United Nations Security Council, to make them reflective of contemporary global realities. Welcoming Philemon Yang, the President of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), who had called on President Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here, she said 2025 will see important UN conferences like the Fourth Conference on Financing for Development, and the Third UN Ocean Conference, among others. Murmu assured Yang of India's active and constructive participation in these platforms. President Murmu emphasised the need for early and comprehensive reform of key multilateral bodies, including the UN Security Council, to make them reflective of contemporary global realities, according to an official statement. Murmu appreciated Yang's emphasis on science and data-driven approach to sustainable development and his inclusive vision. She also
Pakistan began its two-year tenure as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on January 1, with Ambassador Munir Akram saying that the Pakistani delegation will play an active and constructive role in addressing key challenges facing the world. Our presence will be felt in the Security Council, Ambassador Akram, Pakistan's top diplomat at the UN, told state-run APP (Associated Press of Pakistan) news agency. From Wednesday, Pakistan will sit in the Security Council for the 2025-26 term as a non-permanent member the eighth time that the country has had a seat on the 15-member body's horseshoe table. In June, Pakistan was elected to the council with a massive majority as a non-permanent member, polling 182 votes in the 193-member General Assembly far more than the required 124 votes representing a two-thirds majority. We enter the council at a time of great geopolitical turbulence, intense competition between the two largest powers, raging wars in Euro
The United States on Wednesday vetoed a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire in the war in Gaza because it was not linked to an immediate release of hostages taken captive by Hamas militants in Israel in October 2023. The council voted overwhelmingly in favour of the resolution 14 of its 15 members voted yes including US allies Britain and France but it was doomed by the veto. US deputy ambassador Robert Wood said the United States worked for weeks to avoid a veto of the resolution sponsored by the council's 10 elected members, and expressed regret that compromise language was not accepted. We made clear throughout negotiations we could not support an unconditional cease-fire that failed to release the hostages, he said. Hamas would have seen it as a vindication of its cynical strategy to hope and pray the international community forgets about the fate of more than 100 hostages from more than 20 member states who have been held for 410 days. The ...
India is unsatisfied with the pace of progress on Security Council reform, the country's envoy at the UN said, noting that there are countries who prefer the status quo and those that oppose expansion in the permanent category at all costs as they feel their neighbours may have a chance to become a member. The Security Council structure, as it stands today, is a reflection of 1945. It does not reflect today's realities, India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish said during a conversation here on Tuesday. Harish delivered the keynote address on Responding to Key Global Challenges: The India Way' at an event at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA). Harish gave an expansive overview of the India way on key global issues ranging from reformed multilateralism, terrorism, demography, India's digital revolution to the country's youth, climate change, democracy, healthcare and vaccines. The event was co-sponsored by the MPA
Harish pointed to three key factors hindering it: the ineffective intergovernmental negotiation process, the insistence on consensus by some countries, and lack of representation for the Global South