Islamabad (Sabahuddin Qazi): Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, ten years ago on December 25, 2015, made global headlines by paying a surprise visit to Pakistan, a gesture that defied years of tension between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. Landing in Lahore to wish his Pakistani counterpart, Mian Nawaz Sharif, a happy birthday and to attend a…
Appointed by the Secretary-General in early February following Israeli allegations that 12 UNRWA employees were involved in the Hamas-led terror attacks in Israel in October, the group also aims to meet Palestinian Authority officials and may request a visit to Gaza, said its chair, former French former minister Catherine Colonna, who spoke outside the Security Council after…
Pramila Patten, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, will also visit the occupied West Bank, where she will meet with the Palestinian Authority, civil society organizations, recently released detainees and other relevant actors. The visit is set to start on Monday and will conclude in early February. Giving voice to…
António Guterres is in Antarctica this week, where he saw first-hand how climate change is impacting the world’s southernmost continent, which is mostly covered in ice. The heat is on “Fossil fuel pollution is heating our planet, unleashing climate anarchy in Antarctica,” said Mr. Guterres, adding that the Southern Ocean has taken the majority of…
Together with her grandson, Ike Howard, the 109-year-old Ms. Fletcher came to UN Headquarters this week to commemorate the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organizations (UNESCO) International Day of Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition. Standing in front of the Ark of Return monument, Ms. Fletcher and Mr. Howard spoke with UN News to discuss…
Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo will make a 3-day visit to China next week. According to the statement issued by the US Department of Commerce, the Secretary of Commerce will visit Beijing and Shanghai from August 27 to 30. Gina Raimondo will meet with top Chinese officials during her visit to…
Climate change crisis Speaking at the end of his four-day visit on Wednesday, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk provided a first-hand account of the impact of climate change in Basra, in the country’s south. “In 50-degree-Celsius heat, in the midst of drought-ridden and barren fields, local community leaders and representatives showed me…
During the visit, Ms. Triggs mentioned that one of the worst shipwrecks in the Mediterranean happened just over a month ago. Protecting refugee rights “The Pylos tragedy and the other devastating tragedies in the Mediterranean underscore the primacy of saving lives and protecting the rights of people forced to flee. This was my message to…
The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah says that Saudi citizens can invite friends for Umrah. According to Arab media, Saudi authorities say that Saudi citizens can invite friends for Umrah on a ‘personal visit visa’. This visa will be issued for single or multiple trips. According to the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah,…
Right, King Mohammed VI of Morocco, left Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu King Mohammed VI of Morocco has invited Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu for an official visit to Morocco. A few days ago, Israel recognized the sovereignty of Morocco in the Western Sahara region. A statement issued by Netanyahu’s office said that the date for the…
