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World cannot afford military confrontation between India & Pakistan: Guterres
United Nations, May 7 (IANS) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres remains “very
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May 2025 - Vol 2 Issue 3
concerned” about India’s military operation against Pakistan, saying “the world cannot afford a confrontation between the two countries”, according to his Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric. “He calls for maximum military restraint from both countries”, Dujarric said shortly after India announced missile strikes into Pakistan and territory it occupies in Kashmir. “The Secretary-General is very concerned about the Indian military operations across the
Line of Control and international border”, he said. “The world cannot afford a military confrontation between India and Pakistan”, he added. India's Ministry of Defence said on Wednesday that it launched “Operation Sindoor” hitting nine places in Pakistan and the part of Kashmir it occupies. “Focused strikes were carried out on nine #terrorist infrastructure continued on pg. 3
UN monitors in Kashmir safe: Spokesperson
United Nations, May 8 (IANS) UN ceasefire monitors in Kashmir and in the Pakistan-occupied area are safe and accounted for after the Indian missile strikes
on "terror infrastructure" and the Pakistan shelling, according to a UN spokesperson. "We checked with our colleagues in peacekeeping, and they said everybody was accounted for, and everybody was safe," Stephanie Tremblay, the UN Secretary-General's associate spokesperson said on Wednesday. Formally known as the UN continued on pg. 3
UNESCO renews call for enhanced India-Pakistan conflict is protection of Africa’s heritage sites ‘none of our business’, says US Vice-President Vance
Washington, May 9 (IANS) US Vice-President J.D. Vance has said that the conflict between India and Pakistan is "fundamentally none of our business," though he and President Donald Trump are encouraging both the countries to de-escalate. "What we can do is try to
encourage these folks to de-escalate a little bit, but we're not going to get involved in the middle of war that's fundamentally none of our business and has nothing to do with America's ability to control it. You know, America can't tell the Indians to lay down their arms. We can't tell the Pakistanis to lay down their arms. And so, we're going to continue to pursue this thing through diplomatic channels," Vance, who has been a proponent continued on pg. 3
Nairobi, May 7 (IANS) The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has renewed its call for enhanced protection and recognition of Africa's heritage sites, given their contribution to cultural pride and tourism. Louise Haxthausen, UNESCO Regional Director for Eastern Africa, told an international
New Zealand lawmaker proposes social media ban for under-16s
Wellington, May 6 (IANS) A New Zealand lawmaker is pushing
for legislation that would ban children under 16 from accessing social media in a move that could see the country follow Australia's lead in tightening regulations on digital platforms. New Zealand National Party MP Catherine Wedd has introduced a member's bill that would require social media companies to verify users' ages and block minors from creating accounts, according to Xinhua news agency. Platforms could face financial
penalties for non-compliance and would be obligated to take "all reasonable steps" to ensure users are at least 16 years old, Radio New Zealand (RNZ) reported on Tuesday. "My Social Media AgeAppropriate Users Bill is about protecting young people from bullying, inappropriate content and social media addiction by restricting access for under continued on pg. 3
Australian govt to make case that US tariffs on foreign films ‘unjustified’
Canberra, May 6 (IANS) Australia's re-elected Labor Party government will make the case that US tariffs on foreign-made films are "unjustified," a senior minister has said. Amanda Rishworth, the minister for social services, said on Tuesday that the government's "whole team," including Prime www.mccq.org.au
Minister Anthony Albanese, would present a "very strong case" to the United States against the new tariffs following Labor's landslide victory in Saturday's election for the 48th parliament. "These are just unjustified tariffs," Rishworth, who is also a member of Albanese's cabinet in the 47th parliament but whose role in the 48th has not yet been announced, told Nine Network television. US President Donald Trump announced a 100 per cent tariff on films produced outside the United States on Monday, reports Xinhua news agency.
Addressing reporters in Canberra on Monday local time, Albanese said that he had spoken to Trump following the election and that they had discussed tariffs. Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong said on Tuesday that the US administration would be made aware of the re-elected government's opposition to the film tariffs. "We obviously will be pressing views about this to the US administration," Wong, who is set to continue in the foreign affairs portfolio, told Nine.
continued on pg. 2
conference on cultural heritage in Africa, taking place in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, that the continent is a repository of world-famous archeological sites and priceless artifacts that should be preserved for future generations. Haxthausen said that a sound policy and legal framework is required to boost the protection of Africa's heritage sites amid threats posed by climate change and human activities. A more inclusive approach involving policymakers, local communities and multilateral partners is required to enrich discourse related to the conservation of heritage sites
on the continent, Haxthausen said, noting that the Africa Union Agenda 2063 champions for safeguarding the health of historic sites and monuments in the continent, given their intrinsic value to indigenous communities. According to UNESCO, Africa accounts for 12.26 per cent of World Heritage Sites globally, but the sites' future is uncertain given the threat of rapid urbanization, weak protection laws and climatic stresses. Attendees at the May 6-9 conference, convened by UNESCO, the Kenyan government, and the continued on pg. 3
Iran, EU voice readiness to hold political talks on mutual concerns
Tehran, May 6 (IANS) Iran and the European Union (EU) have voiced their readiness to hold political talks over their differences and mutual concerns, according to a statement released by the Iranian Foreign Ministry. In a phone call on Monday, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas discussed the latest regional and international developments, as well as the progress of indirect nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington, said the statement. Araghchi emphasised Iran's "responsible" approach of choosing diplomacy to resolve what he described as "fabricated concerns" about its "peaceful nuclear program," stressing that advancing the path requires the other side's serious determination and realism, reports Xinhua news agency. He noted that if the US concern
was solely about the likelihood of Iran acquiring nuclear weapons, reaching an agreement on that issue would be entirely feasible. However, he added, this would require avoiding "unreal and illogical" positions. Araghchi pointed to the talks between Iran and the E3 group of Germany, France and Britain over the past months, expressing Iran's readiness to continue interactions with the European sides either within the framework of the EU or through the E3. He also voiced Iran's readiness to have political talks with the EU on mutual security concerns. Kallas, for her part, expressed the EU's readiness to hold political talks with Iran and welcomed the exchange of views on existing concerns with Tehran. She expressed hope that the two sides deputies would discuss ways to start bilateral talks and prepare the ground to that end. In September last year, Iran and the E3 initiated their talks on a number of issues, including Tehran's nuclear program and the removal of sanctions, on the sidelines of the annual session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Since then, they have held four additional rounds of talks, the most recent of which took place in Geneva in late March.
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