Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced a high-level task force led by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani to recommend reforms for India's examination system. The panel will submit recommendations aimed at strengthening transparency and efficiency in national exams.

Meanwhile, global tensions continue to rise. An oil tanker reportedly exploded in the Strait of Hormuz after hitting a sea mine, while Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed to have downed a Saudi drone. Lebanon accused Israel of obstructing troop deployment in the south, and the UN chief called for the immediate removal of sanctions on Syria. Ukraine and Russia exchanged fresh attacks, Romania summoned Russia's ambassador after shooting down another drone, China witnessed deadly flash floods, and Australia vowed to challenge proposed US tariffs.

PM Modi Announces Exam Reform Task Force | Iran Tanker Blast | Ukraine War | Houthi Attack

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Thursday (Sept. 7) that “systematic repression” was dashing hopes of a return to democracy in junta-ruled Myanmar. His remarks came at a summit in Indonesia where ASEAN leaders met with the leaders of the US, China and India, among regional players.

"Brutal violence, worsening poverty, and systematic repression are crushing hopes for a return to democracy," he was quoted as saying by AFP. 
 
He also took the opportunity to call on the international community to seek a unified strategy to end the worsening crisis in Myanmar.

<h2>‘Funding of UN should be boosted’</h2>

The UN chief also called on member nations to restore UN funding to previous record levels to help the world body tackle global crises in a more efficient and effective manner. Referring to the Myanmar crisis, he said the situation has further deteriorated since he last met with the ASEAN leaders back in 2022.

Watch:&nbsp;Myanmar: Election Commission yet to announce new election dates

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The chief also urged Myanmar junta leaders to free political leaders and restore democracy in the country.

<h2>Origin of Myanmar crisis</h2>

Myanmar's military had seized control of the government on February 1, 2021, ousting the elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi and detaining her along with key members of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party. The NLD had secured a significant victory in the November 2020 general election.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmars-junta-will-likely-hold-elections-in-2025-report-632606">Also read:&nbsp;Myanmar`s junta will likely hold elections in 2025: Report</a>

In response to the military takeover, security forces employed brutal tactics to quell widespread opposition, resulting in the deaths of thousands of civilians and the arrest of many peaceful protesters. This harsh crackdown also incited armed resistance in various parts of the impoverished nation.

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<h2>Rohingya crisis</h2>

Due to the persistent crisis in Myanmar, 700,000 Rohingya refugees have so far sought shelter in Bangladesh due to allegations of mass rapes, killings, and the destruction of countless homes by Myanmar troops. In January 2020, the International Court of Justice, the UN's highest judicial body, ordered Myanmar to take all necessary measures to prevent genocide against the Rohingya population.

"I remain deeply concerned about the worsening political, humanitarian, and human rights situation in Myanmar, including Rakhine State and the plight of the massive number of refugees living in desperate conditions," the UN chief said Thursday.

ASEAN leaders have also acknowledged that their strategy to make progress in Myanmar has so far failed to yield any positive results.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Thursday (Sept. 7) that “systematic repression” was dashing hopes of a return to democracy in junta-ruled Myanmar.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Thursday (Sept. 7) that “systematic repression” was dashing hopes of a return to democracy in junta-ruled Myanmar. His remarks came at a summit in Indonesia where ASEAN leaders met with the leaders of the US, China and India, among regional players. "Brutal violence, worsening poverty, and systematic repression are crushing hopes for a return to democracy," he was quoted as saying by AFP. He also took the opportunity to call on the international community to seek a unified strategy to end the worsening crisis in Myanmar. ‘Funding of UN should be boosted’ The UN chief also called on member nations to restore UN funding to previous record levels to help the world body tackle global crises in a more efficient and effective manner. Referring to the Myanmar crisis, he said the situation has further deteriorated since he last met with the ASEAN leaders back in 2022. Watch: Myanmar: Election Commission yet to announce new election dates × The chief also urged Myanmar junta leaders to free political leaders and restore democracy in the country. Origin of Myanmar crisis Myanmar's military had seized control of the government on February 1, 2021, ousting the elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi and detaining her along with key members of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party. The NLD had secured a significant victory in the November 2020 general election. Also read: Myanmar`s junta will likely hold elections in 2025: Report In response to the military takeover, security forces employed brutal tactics to quell widespread opposition, resulting in the deaths of thousands of civilians and the arrest of many peaceful protesters. This harsh crackdown also incited armed resistance in various parts of the impoverished nation. WATCH WION LIVE HERE × Rohingya crisis Due to the persistent crisis in Myanmar, 700,000 Rohingya refugees have so far sought shelter in Bangladesh due to allegations of mass rapes, killings, and the destruction of countless homes by Myanmar troops. In January 2020, the International Court of Justice, the UN's highest judicial body, ordered Myanmar to take all necessary measures to prevent genocide against the Rohingya population. "I remain deeply concerned about the worsening political, humanitarian, and human rights situation in Myanmar, including Rakhine State and the plight of the massive number of refugees living in desperate conditions," the UN chief said Thursday. ASEAN leaders have also acknowledged that their strategy to make progress in Myanmar has so far failed to yield any positive results.

UN chief Guterres says ‘systematic repression’ by junta exacerbating Myanmar crisis

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres was "shocked" by a letter he received on Friday from Sudan's military ruler General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan demanding the removal of his ambassador to Sudan, according to his spokesperson.

"The Secretary-General is proud of the work done by (UN Special Representative to Sudan) Volker Perthes and reaffirms his full confidence in his Special Representative," said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric in a written statement on Friday.

Burhan had written to Guterres, requesting that Perthes be removed from his position, according to Reuters, citing officials in Sudan's presidency.

Weeks of intense combat in Sudan between Burhan's Sudanese Armed Forces and the country's Rapid Support Forces commanded by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo have shattered expectations for a peaceful transition to civilian government, reported CNN.

Perthes, who was nominated to his position in 2021, has expressed deep worry about the dispute. He criticised both leaders of Sudan's warring groups in a presentation to the UN Security Council earlier this week, warning of "a growing ethnicisation of the conflict."

Despite a seven-day truce that is set to expire this weekend, combat between both sides has persisted. According to the US embassy in Khartoum, media have lately witnessed the use of artillery and military aircraft and drones, airstrikes, prolonged combat in the heart of the Khartoum Industrial Area, and battles in Zalingei, Darfur.

Perthes told the Security Council that blame for the violence "rests with those who are waging it daily: the leadership of the two sides who share accountability for choosing to settle their unresolved conflict on the battlefield rather than at the table."

According to UNICEF, the Sudanese violence has taken a devastating toll on civilians, with over 700 people killed, including 190 children, and 6,000 others&nbsp;injured.

Over a million people have been displaced, seeking refuge in rural regions, neighbouring Sudanese states, or crossing Sudanese borders.

<h2>Over one million displaced</h2>

According to the United Nations refugee agency, five weeks of violence in Sudan has&nbsp;displaced more than one million people, including a quarter-million refugees.

Sudan has been at war since April 15, when differences between army leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the head of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Mohamed Hamdan "Hemedti" Dagalo, erupted into an armed confrontation. Hundreds of people have been slain in the conflict&nbsp;that has&nbsp;transformed Khartoum's streets and other parts of the country into battlegrounds.

Speaking to reporters in Geneva on Friday, Matthew Saltmarsh, a spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), said 843,000 people have been internally displaced as a result of the violence, reported Al Jazeera.

Around 250,000 people have left Sudan's borders, largely into Egypt, Chad, Ethiopia, and South Sudan, according to Saltmarsh, who said that Egypt has accepted the greatest number of Sudanese refugees so far, at around 110,000. 
&nbsp;

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UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres was "shocked" by a letter he received on Friday from Sudan's military ruler General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan demanding the removal of his ambassador to Sudan, according to his spokesperson.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres was "shocked" by a letter he received on Friday from Sudan's military ruler General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan demanding the removal of his ambassador to Sudan, according to his spokesperson. "The Secretary-General is proud of the work done by (UN Special Representative to Sudan) Volker Perthes and reaffirms his full confidence in his Special Representative," said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric in a written statement on Friday. Burhan had written to Guterres, requesting that Perthes be removed from his position, according to Reuters, citing officials in Sudan's presidency. Weeks of intense combat in Sudan between Burhan's Sudanese Armed Forces and the country's Rapid Support Forces commanded by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo have shattered expectations for a peaceful transition to civilian government, reported CNN. Perthes, who was nominated to his position in 2021, has expressed deep worry about the dispute. He criticised both leaders of Sudan's warring groups in a presentation to the UN Security Council earlier this week, warning of "a growing ethnicisation of the conflict." Despite a seven-day truce that is set to expire this weekend, combat between both sides has persisted. According to the US embassy in Khartoum, media have lately witnessed the use of artillery and military aircraft and drones, airstrikes, prolonged combat in the heart of the Khartoum Industrial Area, and battles in Zalingei, Darfur. Perthes told the Security Council that blame for the violence "rests with those who are waging it daily: the leadership of the two sides who share accountability for choosing to settle their unresolved conflict on the battlefield rather than at the table." According to UNICEF, the Sudanese violence has taken a devastating toll on civilians, with over 700 people killed, including 190 children, and 6,000 others injured. Over a million people have been displaced, seeking refuge in rural regions, neighbouring Sudanese states, or crossing Sudanese borders. Over one million displaced According to the United Nations refugee agency, five weeks of violence in Sudan has displaced more than one million people, including a quarter-million refugees. Sudan has been at war since April 15, when differences between army leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the head of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Mohamed Hamdan "Hemedti" Dagalo, erupted into an armed confrontation. Hundreds of people have been slain in the conflict that has transformed Khartoum's streets and other parts of the country into battlegrounds. Speaking to reporters in Geneva on Friday, Matthew Saltmarsh, a spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), said 843,000 people have been internally displaced as a result of the violence, reported Al Jazeera. Around 250,000 people have left Sudan's borders, largely into Egypt, Chad, Ethiopia, and South Sudan, according to Saltmarsh, who said that Egypt has accepted the greatest number of Sudanese refugees so far, at around 110,000. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

UN chief ‘shocked’ by letter from Sudan’s military ruler urging removal of special envoy

The Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant has been at the center of a lot of discussion in the past few weeks due to the threat it poses amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. A number of world leaders have already expressed their concern regarding the possible radiation leak that can happen due to the constant shelling from both sides and on Tuesday, UN secretary general, Antonio Guterres, joined the list.&nbsp;

During a UN security council session, Guterres called for a demilitarised zone around the power plant to ensure no accident can take place. It will mean withdrawal of the Russian troops from the premises of the plant and also an understanding with Ukraine that the resistance forces will not move forward.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-decides-against-designating-russia-as-state-sponsor-of-terror-kremlin-praises-biden-513594" hreflang="en">US decides against designating Russia as state sponsor of terror</a>

The idea was first proposed by Rafael Mariano Grossi, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the UN secretary general showed his full support for the proposal.&nbsp;

“As a second step, an agreement on a demilitarised perimeter should be secured,” he added.&nbsp;

&nbsp;“Specifically, that will include the commitment by Russian forces to withdraw military personnel and equipment from that perimeter and the commitment by Ukrainian forces not to move in.”&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/liz-trusss-cabinet-is-uks-first-with-no-white-man-in-top-jobs-513597">Liz Truss's Cabinet is UK’s first with no white man in top jobs</a>

The power plant shut down its last reactor this week with the IAEA report claiming that the infrastructure has been damaged due to the constant shelling. While both sides continue to blame one another, the IAEA observed that any more damage can lead to “massive catastrophes”. &nbsp;

The Russian military took over the plant in early March and although Ukraine has been trying to win it back, the occupying forces were able to defend it despite facing heavy shelling.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

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The Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant has been at the center of a lot of discussion in the past few weeks due to the threat it poses amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant has been at the center of a lot of discussion in the past few weeks due to the threat it poses amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. A number of world leaders have already expressed their concern regarding the possible radiation leak that can happen due to the constant shelling from both sides and on Tuesday, UN secretary general, Antonio Guterres, joined the list. During a UN security council session, Guterres called for a demilitarised zone around the power plant to ensure no accident can take place. It will mean withdrawal of the Russian troops from the premises of the plant and also an understanding with Ukraine that the resistance forces will not move forward. Also read | US decides against designating Russia as state sponsor of terror The idea was first proposed by Rafael Mariano Grossi, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the UN secretary general showed his full support for the proposal. “As a second step, an agreement on a demilitarised perimeter should be secured,” he added. “Specifically, that will include the commitment by Russian forces to withdraw military personnel and equipment from that perimeter and the commitment by Ukrainian forces not to move in.” Also read | Liz Truss's Cabinet is UK’s first with no white man in top jobs The power plant shut down its last reactor this week with the IAEA report claiming that the infrastructure has been damaged due to the constant shelling. While both sides continue to blame one another, the IAEA observed that any more damage can lead to “massive catastrophes”. The Russian military took over the plant in early March and although Ukraine has been trying to win it back, the occupying forces were able to defend it despite facing heavy shelling. (With inputs from agencies)

UN secretary general calls for demilitarisation zone around Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant

Leaders have started arriving in Stockholm for the United Nations climate conference. The two-day conference starts today to mark 50 years since the UN held its first environment meeting

Stockholm hosts UN climate summit

Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar held a comprehensive personal meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday and discussed the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and effective global vaccine solutions.

S. Jaishankar discusses 'effective global vaccine solutions' with UN Secretary-General

S. Jaishankar meets Antonio Guterres in New York, discusses global vaccine solutions

UNITED NATIONS — Never mind that Arora Akanksha has worked at the United Nations for only about four years, as an auditor recruited from an accounting firm. Put aside that at age 34, she has no diplomatic experience.

And forget that she is less than half as old as the incumbent she wants to replace, Secretary-General António Guterres, 71, the veteran Portuguese statesman and former U.N. High Commissioner for refugees.

Arora — she uses her family name first and prefers to be called Arora — said that as a grandchild of people who were once refugees, she was acutely aware of difficult odds.

But with a $30,000 campaign budget drawn largely from her savings, a website and a social media promotion that begins with, “People in my profession aren’t supposed to stand up to the ones in charge,” Arora has declared herself a candidate to be the next leader of the United Nations.

On Feb. 17, Arora, a native of India and citizen of Canada, submitted a formal letter of application for the 2022-27 term. “We are not living up to our purpose or our promise,” the letter stated. “We are failing those we are here to serve.”

No country has yet formally endorsed her unlikely candidacy. But if nothing else, Arora’s boldness has touched a nerve at the 193-member organization and thrown attention on the historically opaque way that its leader is picked. While the process has been made more transparent compared with the backroom bargaining that prevailed years ago, it is nonetheless widely expected that Guterres will win a second term when the selection is made in October.

Arora’s message, she said, is that the United Nations is sclerotic, wasteful, adrift, paternalistic and patronizing toward many of the younger members of its staff of 44,000 people around the world.

According to one of her campaign videos on YouTube, only about 29 cents of every dollar, from the U.N.’s total annual revenue of roughly $56 billion, goes to actual causes.

“We spend our resources on holding conferences, writing reports,” Arora, an audit coordinator for the U.N. Development Program, said in an interview. “All these frivolous activities that are advertising. We have lost course on why we exist, what we’re supposed to do.”

If the United Nations were a private company, she said, “it would have been, like, out of business.”

Far from dismissing her ambition as foolish or quixotic, friends and supporters admire her nerve and penchant for speaking her mind.

“She’s fearless,” said Pauline Pamela Pratt, a colleague at the U.N. Population Fund who worked with Arora in 2019. “She’s not afraid to be who she is, even among people who have authority over her.”

When Pratt learned of Arora’s plans to seek the secretary-general job, she recalled having expressed surprise “but then thought, ‘Why not go for it?’”

Some see Arora as naive about the geopolitical forces that have shaped the United Nations over more than 75 years. Others have wondered how, precisely, she would reduce expenses for travel and other costs of running its far-flung operations.

While the secretary-general may have a bully pulpit, the position holds little real power, and its occupant is basically beholden to the five veto-wielding permanent members of the Security Council — Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States — which play a decisive role in who is ultimately chosen.

“I’m sure she has no chance and equally sure that she knows that,” said Edward Mortimer, a former U.N. official who was the chief speechwriter for Kofi Annan, the secretary-general from 1997 to 2006. “It’s a brave way of demonstrating unhappiness, which I’ve no doubt is quite widely shared by her colleagues.”

Asked recently about Arora, Guterres’ spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, told reporters, “Let me put it this way. I speak for the incumbent candidate, but we have no comment on anyone else who may wish to put their hat in the proverbial ring.”

Arora, who has taken a leave of absence from work for her campaign, said she had received many positive messages from co-workers and more than 2,600 votes on her website, and she is hoping to make her case to U.N. ambassadors in the next few months.

“This is not even a place that challenges, because they go through countries politically and negotiate,” Arora said. “So yeah, this is a straight-on challenge, and I don’t want to play games or anything; I just want to run an honest campaign.”

Not widely known outside her workplace, Arora has committed a number of head-turning firsts.

She is the first person known to officially challenge an incumbent seeking a second term and the first millennial-generation candidate. And if she prevailed, Arora would be the first woman to lead the United Nations — a precedent nearly achieved in 2016 when seven prominent women were in the running with Guterres.

Arora talked about her life and ambition recently in an interview at the U.N. headquarters, a few blocks from her studio apartment on Manhattan’s East Side.

She lives frugally; speaks daily with her parents, who are “very supportive,” Arora said; and reads Harry Potter books to relax. Her wardrobe of brightly colored dresses, including six acquired from Uganda and Kenya in 2017 while on a field assignment, stands out among the suits in her workplace.

As for why she aspired to lead the United Nations, Arora traced the reasons partly to her own refugee family background, to a Manhattan taxi accident that sent her to the hospital, and to her memory of a malnourished child in Uganda.

Like many Hindus, her grandparents fled from Pakistan to India after the 1947 partition, a fact that colors her outlook on the world. Asked about the possibility of losing to Guterres, she said, “Refugees have no plan B, hence I have no plan B.”

Arora was born in Haryana, a northern Indian state, and spent her youngest years in Saudi Arabia, where her parents, both doctors, had relocated. From age 9 to 18 she was back in India attending boarding school, she said, and then decided to move to Canada, where she graduated from York University with honors and worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers Canada as an auditing manager.

Hired in December 2016 by the United Nations to help improve its internal financial controls, Arora said her admiration for the organization soon turned to shock.

“The system is so amazing on the outside, but there’s no coherence for getting things done,” she said.

Just weeks into the job, she was struck by a taxi after work, and as she lay on a hospital bed with a fractured left knee, she thought, “If I died, what would my legacy be?”

That, she said, was “my big awakening moment.”

That summer while working in Uganda, Arora said, she encountered a child eating mud. “That image stuck in my head,” she said, recalling how she told a senior U.N. official back in New York about it. His seemingly callous response stunned her.

“He said, ‘Mud has iron,’” she said. “That was the first time I was speechless in my life.”

The exchange, she said, “was one of the big triggers for me.”

She plunged into learning more about U.N. history and went back to school while she kept working. She attended Columbia University’s graduate program in public administration, where she befriended a fellow student, Anne-Carine Frederique, a Haitian American who had once interned at the United Nations and whose extended family in Haiti had suffered from a cholera epidemic that medical experts traced to U.N. peacekeepers — an enduring stain on the organization’s legacy.

With their shared criticisms of the United Nations, one thing led to another, Arora said, and Frederique, who works at Columbia’s business school, now helps manage her secretary-general campaign.

While Arora has not received explicit endorsements from powerful U.N. figures, neither has she been discouraged. Mary Robinson, a former High Commissioner for Human Rights and former president of Ireland who was once considered a contender for secretary-general, said, in an emailed statement, that she welcomed Arora’s candidacy as “entirely healthy.”

“I share many of the concerns raised by Arora Akanksha about the need to promote more women and younger staff members into management and leadership roles,” her statement said.

Lyric Thompson, senior director of policy and advocacy at the International Center for Research on Women — a group that has been grading Guterres’ record on gender issues and last year gave him a B — said Arora’s candidacy should not be underestimated.

“There has been increasing demand for feminist leadership for some time,” Thompson said. “From A.O.C. to Jacinda Ardern, we know better than to count out young female voices.”

UNITED NATIONS — Never mind that Arora Akanksha has worked at the United Nations for only about four years, as an auditor recruited from an accounting firm. Put aside that at age 34, she has no diplomatic experience.

UNITED NATIONS — Never mind that Arora Akanksha has worked at the United Nations for only about four years, as an auditor recruited from an accounting firm. Put aside that at age 34, she has no diplomatic experience. And forget that she is less than half as old as the incumbent she wants to replace, Secretary-General António Guterres, 71, the veteran Portuguese statesman and former U.N. High Commissioner for refugees. Arora — she uses her family name first and prefers to be called Arora — said that as a grandchild of people who were once refugees, she was acutely aware of difficult odds. But with a $30,000 campaign budget drawn largely from her savings, a website and a social media promotion that begins with, “People in my profession aren’t supposed to stand up to the ones in charge,” Arora has declared herself a candidate to be the next leader of the United Nations. On Feb. 17, Arora, a native of India and citizen of Canada, submitted a formal letter of application for the 2022-27 term. “We are not living up to our purpose or our promise,” the letter stated. “We are failing those we are here to serve.” No country has yet formally endorsed her unlikely candidacy. But if nothing else, Arora’s boldness has touched a nerve at the 193-member organization and thrown attention on the historically opaque way that its leader is picked. While the process has been made more transparent compared with the backroom bargaining that prevailed years ago, it is nonetheless widely expected that Guterres will win a second term when the selection is made in October. Arora’s message, she said, is that the United Nations is sclerotic, wasteful, adrift, paternalistic and patronizing toward many of the younger members of its staff of 44,000 people around the world. According to one of her campaign videos on YouTube, only about 29 cents of every dollar, from the U.N.’s total annual revenue of roughly $56 billion, goes to actual causes. “We spend our resources on holding conferences, writing reports,” Arora, an audit coordinator for the U.N. Development Program, said in an interview. “All these frivolous activities that are advertising. We have lost course on why we exist, what we’re supposed to do.” If the United Nations were a private company, she said, “it would have been, like, out of business.” Far from dismissing her ambition as foolish or quixotic, friends and supporters admire her nerve and penchant for speaking her mind. “She’s fearless,” said Pauline Pamela Pratt, a colleague at the U.N. Population Fund who worked with Arora in 2019. “She’s not afraid to be who she is, even among people who have authority over her.” When Pratt learned of Arora’s plans to seek the secretary-general job, she recalled having expressed surprise “but then thought, ‘Why not go for it?’” Some see Arora as naive about the geopolitical forces that have shaped the United Nations over more than 75 years. Others have wondered how, precisely, she would reduce expenses for travel and other costs of running its far-flung operations. While the secretary-general may have a bully pulpit, the position holds little real power, and its occupant is basically beholden to the five veto-wielding permanent members of the Security Council — Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States — which play a decisive role in who is ultimately chosen. “I’m sure she has no chance and equally sure that she knows that,” said Edward Mortimer, a former U.N. official who was the chief speechwriter for Kofi Annan, the secretary-general from 1997 to 2006. “It’s a brave way of demonstrating unhappiness, which I’ve no doubt is quite widely shared by her colleagues.” Asked recently about Arora, Guterres’ spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, told reporters, “Let me put it this way. I speak for the incumbent candidate, but we have no comment on anyone else who may wish to put their hat in the proverbial ring.” Arora, who has taken a leave of absence from work for her campaign, said she had received many positive messages from co-workers and more than 2,600 votes on her website, and she is hoping to make her case to U.N. ambassadors in the next few months. “This is not even a place that challenges, because they go through countries politically and negotiate,” Arora said. “So yeah, this is a straight-on challenge, and I don’t want to play games or anything; I just want to run an honest campaign.” Not widely known outside her workplace, Arora has committed a number of head-turning firsts. She is the first person known to officially challenge an incumbent seeking a second term and the first millennial-generation candidate. And if she prevailed, Arora would be the first woman to lead the United Nations — a precedent nearly achieved in 2016 when seven prominent women were in the running with Guterres. Arora talked about her life and ambition recently in an interview at the U.N. headquarters, a few blocks from her studio apartment on Manhattan’s East Side. She lives frugally; speaks daily with her parents, who are “very supportive,” Arora said; and reads Harry Potter books to relax. Her wardrobe of brightly colored dresses, including six acquired from Uganda and Kenya in 2017 while on a field assignment, stands out among the suits in her workplace. As for why she aspired to lead the United Nations, Arora traced the reasons partly to her own refugee family background, to a Manhattan taxi accident that sent her to the hospital, and to her memory of a malnourished child in Uganda. Like many Hindus, her grandparents fled from Pakistan to India after the 1947 partition, a fact that colors her outlook on the world. Asked about the possibility of losing to Guterres, she said, “Refugees have no plan B, hence I have no plan B.” Arora was born in Haryana, a northern Indian state, and spent her youngest years in Saudi Arabia, where her parents, both doctors, had relocated. From age 9 to 18 she was back in India attending boarding school, she said, and then decided to move to Canada, where she graduated from York University with honors and worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers Canada as an auditing manager. Hired in December 2016 by the United Nations to help improve its internal financial controls, Arora said her admiration for the organization soon turned to shock. “The system is so amazing on the outside, but there’s no coherence for getting things done,” she said. Just weeks into the job, she was struck by a taxi after work, and as she lay on a hospital bed with a fractured left knee, she thought, “If I died, what would my legacy be?” That, she said, was “my big awakening moment.” That summer while working in Uganda, Arora said, she encountered a child eating mud. “That image stuck in my head,” she said, recalling how she told a senior U.N. official back in New York about it. His seemingly callous response stunned her. “He said, ‘Mud has iron,’” she said. “That was the first time I was speechless in my life.” The exchange, she said, “was one of the big triggers for me.” She plunged into learning more about U.N. history and went back to school while she kept working. She attended Columbia University’s graduate program in public administration, where she befriended a fellow student, Anne-Carine Frederique, a Haitian American who had once interned at the United Nations and whose extended family in Haiti had suffered from a cholera epidemic that medical experts traced to U.N. peacekeepers — an enduring stain on the organization’s legacy. With their shared criticisms of the United Nations, one thing led to another, Arora said, and Frederique, who works at Columbia’s business school, now helps manage her secretary-general campaign. While Arora has not received explicit endorsements from powerful U.N. figures, neither has she been discouraged. Mary Robinson, a former High Commissioner for Human Rights and former president of Ireland who was once considered a contender for secretary-general, said, in an emailed statement, that she welcomed Arora’s candidacy as “entirely healthy.” “I share many of the concerns raised by Arora Akanksha about the need to promote more women and younger staff members into management and leadership roles,” her statement said. Lyric Thompson, senior director of policy and advocacy at the International Center for Research on Women — a group that has been grading Guterres’ record on gender issues and last year gave him a B — said Arora’s candidacy should not be underestimated. “There has been increasing demand for feminist leadership for some time,” Thompson said. “From A.O.C. to Jacinda Ardern, we know better than to count out young female voices.”

Who is Arora Akanksha, the 34-year-old running for UN Secretary-General?

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday condemned the recent events in Myanmar that saw security forces opening fire at protesters and killing two people. The secretary-general said that that "use of lethal force" against peaceful demonstrators was "unacceptable". The shooting took place on Saturday in Mandalay, second largest city of Myanmar.

"I condemn the use of deadly violence in Myanmar. The use of lethal force, intimidation &amp; harassment against peaceful demonstrators is unacceptable. Everyone has a right to peaceful assembly. I call on all parties to respect election results and return to civilian rule," Guterres tweeted.

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I condemn the use of deadly violence in Myanmar. 
 
The use of lethal force, intimidation &amp; harassment against peaceful demonstrators is unacceptable. 
 
Everyone has a right to peaceful assembly. I call on all parties to respect election results and return to civilian rule.
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) <a href="https://twitter.com/antonioguterres/status/1363280311233167361?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/two-people-killed-in-myanmar-anti-coup-protest-shooting-365074">Two people were shot and killed</a> and 20 were wounded, said Ko Aung, a leader of the Parahita Darhi volunteer emergency service.

The more than two weeks of protests had been largely peaceful, unlike previous episodes of opposition during nearly half a century of direct military rule, which ended in 2011.

A woman protester, Mya&nbsp;Thwate Thwate Khaing, succumbed to her injuries on Friday after being shot in head last week. The rounds were fired as police tried to disperse crowd in capital&nbsp;Naypyitaw. This was the first death among anti-coup demonstrators.

The army says one policeman has died of injuries sustained in a protest.

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&nbsp;

US&nbsp;State Department spokesman Ned Price said the United States was "deeply concerned" by reports that security forces had fired on protesters and continued to detain and harass demonstrators and others.

"We stand with the people of Burma," Price wrote on Twitter. Myanmar is also known as Burma.

Britain has warned of further action against those who committed acts of violence against the protesters. French foreign ministry has called the violence "unacceptable"

"The shooting of peaceful protesters in Myanmar is beyond the pale," British foreign minister Dominic Raab said on Twitter. "We will consider further action, with our international partners, against those crushing democracy &amp; choking dissent."

The United States, Britain, Canada and New Zealand have announced limited sanctions since the coup, with a focus on military leaders.

(With agency inputs)

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday condemned the recent events in Myanmar that saw security forces opening fire at protesters and killing two people.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday condemned the recent events in Myanmar that saw security forces opening fire at protesters and killing two people. The secretary-general said that that "use of lethal force" against peaceful demonstrators was "unacceptable". The shooting took place on Saturday in Mandalay, second largest city of Myanmar. "I condemn the use of deadly violence in Myanmar. The use of lethal force, intimidation & harassment against peaceful demonstrators is unacceptable. Everyone has a right to peaceful assembly. I call on all parties to respect election results and return to civilian rule," Guterres tweeted. I condemn the use of deadly violence in Myanmar. The use of lethal force, intimidation & harassment against peaceful demonstrators is unacceptable. Everyone has a right to peaceful assembly. I call on all parties to respect election results and return to civilian rule. — António Guterres (@antonioguterres) February 21, 2021 × Two people were shot and killed and 20 were wounded, said Ko Aung, a leader of the Parahita Darhi volunteer emergency service. The more than two weeks of protests had been largely peaceful, unlike previous episodes of opposition during nearly half a century of direct military rule, which ended in 2011. A woman protester, Mya Thwate Thwate Khaing, succumbed to her injuries on Friday after being shot in head last week. The rounds were fired as police tried to disperse crowd in capital Naypyitaw. This was the first death among anti-coup demonstrators. The army says one policeman has died of injuries sustained in a protest. × US State Department spokesman Ned Price said the United States was "deeply concerned" by reports that security forces had fired on protesters and continued to detain and harass demonstrators and others. "We stand with the people of Burma," Price wrote on Twitter. Myanmar is also known as Burma. Britain has warned of further action against those who committed acts of violence against the protesters. French foreign ministry has called the violence "unacceptable" "The shooting of peaceful protesters in Myanmar is beyond the pale," British foreign minister Dominic Raab said on Twitter. "We will consider further action, with our international partners, against those crushing democracy & choking dissent." The United States, Britain, Canada and New Zealand have announced limited sanctions since the coup, with a focus on military leaders. (With agency inputs)

UN condemns use of 'lethal force' in Myanmar

The rise in domestic violence amid lockdown due to COVID-19 has been reported in different countries. United Nations' Secretary General Antonio Guterres urged all the nations across the globe to end gender violence rises amid the lockdown due to COVID-19 outbreak.

Surge in domestic violence cases during coronavirus crisis

United Nations' Secretary General Antonio Guterres urges all the nations across the globe to end gender violence rises amid the lockdown due to COVID-19 outbreak.

U.N Secretary General urge nations to end domestic violence rises amid lockdown

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that the ongoing Wuhuna Coronavirus pandemic could be the most challenging phase since World War II.

Your Story: UN Secretary General on Novel Coronavirus

In Pakistan, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres made an offer to mediate a peace agreement between India and Pakistan. From another corner of the world, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar had a message for Guterres.

Gravitas: India rebuffs UN Chief on Kashmir

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th birth anniversary and said that his vision continues to resonate across the world, including through the work of the U.N.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/mahatma-gandhi-150th-anniversary-of-satyagrahas-heirloom-253166#birth-of-a-new-leader-168880">Mahatma Gandhi</a>'s birth anniversary is observed as International Day of Non-Violence by the global community.

"Mahatma Gandhi pioneered successive non-violent movements that changed history. 150 years since his birth, Gandhi's philosophy is at the core of our work at the U.N. May his courage and conviction continue to inspire us on Wednesday's International Day of Non-Violence and every day, " tweeted <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/dialogue-between-india-pakistan-is-an-essential-element-united-nations-secretary-general-antonio-guterres-250473">Guterres</a>.

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Mahatma Gandhi pioneered successive non-violent movements that changed history. 
 
150 years since his birth, Gandhi’s philosophy is at the core of our work at the <a href="https://twitter.com/UN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UN</a>. May his courage &amp; conviction continue to inspire us on Wednesday’s International Day of Non-Violence &amp; every day.
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) <a href="https://twitter.com/antonioguterres/status/1179245999543476227?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2019</a></blockquote>
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"His vision continues to resonate across the world, including through the work of the United Nations for mutual understanding, equality, sustainable development, the empowerment of young people, and the peaceful resolution of disputes", Guterres said in a statement commemorating the day.

Born on October 2, 1869, in Porbandar town of Gujarat, Mahatma Gandhi or Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi adopted a non-violent resistance and was at the forefront of the freedom struggle against the colonial British rule with utmost patience.

This led to India finally achieving its independence in 1947.

Fondly known as Bapu, his unwavering belief in 'swaraj'&nbsp;(self-governance) and 'ahimsa'&nbsp;(violence) won him accolades across the world.

Guterres recalled that before <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/celebrating-the-mahatma-150th-birth-anniversary-of-mahatma-gandhi-253174">Mahatma Gandhi</a>'s assassination on January 1948, after the partition of India the previous year, Gandhi constantly highlighted "the gap between what we do, and what we are capable of doing".

"On this International Day, I urge each and every one of us to do everything in our power to bridge this divide as we strive to build a better future for all", concluded the U.N. Secretary-General.&nbsp;

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th birth anniversary and said that his vision continues to resonate across the world, including through the work of the U.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th birth anniversary and said that his vision continues to resonate across the world, including through the work of the U.N. Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary is observed as International Day of Non-Violence by the global community. "Mahatma Gandhi pioneered successive non-violent movements that changed history. 150 years since his birth, Gandhi's philosophy is at the core of our work at the U.N. May his courage and conviction continue to inspire us on Wednesday's International Day of Non-Violence and every day, " tweeted Guterres. Mahatma Gandhi pioneered successive non-violent movements that changed history. 150 years since his birth, Gandhi’s philosophy is at the core of our work at the @UN. May his courage & conviction continue to inspire us on Wednesday’s International Day of Non-Violence & every day. — António Guterres (@antonioguterres) October 2, 2019 × "His vision continues to resonate across the world, including through the work of the United Nations for mutual understanding, equality, sustainable development, the empowerment of young people, and the peaceful resolution of disputes", Guterres said in a statement commemorating the day. Born on October 2, 1869, in Porbandar town of Gujarat, Mahatma Gandhi or Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi adopted a non-violent resistance and was at the forefront of the freedom struggle against the colonial British rule with utmost patience. This led to India finally achieving its independence in 1947. Fondly known as Bapu, his unwavering belief in 'swaraj' (self-governance) and 'ahimsa' (violence) won him accolades across the world. Guterres recalled that before Mahatma Gandhi's assassination on January 1948, after the partition of India the previous year, Gandhi constantly highlighted "the gap between what we do, and what we are capable of doing". "On this International Day, I urge each and every one of us to do everything in our power to bridge this divide as we strive to build a better future for all", concluded the U.N. Secretary-General.

Gandhi pioneered non-violent movements that changed history: U.N. Secretary-General on Gandhi's 150th anniversary

Prime Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pm-modi-meets-president-trump-at-g7-summit-245727">Narendra Modi</a> told UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during their meeting on Sunday that repeal of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/fulfilled-sardar-patels-dream-by-making-jammu-and-kashmir-inseparable-part-of-india-amit-shah-on-abrogation-of-article-370-245290">Article 370 </a>was India's internal matter and no step has been taken by New Delhi that in any manner threatens regional peace.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/wion-edit-india-at-g7-summit-fighting-inequality-245809">WION Edit: India at G7 Summit - 'Fighting Inequality'</a>

The Prime Minister also told Guterres during their meeting on the sidelines of the G-7 summit that terrorism was the primary threat and concern and in keeping with that certain restrictions will remain in place in Jammu and Kashmir to ensure law and order is maintained.

He said the restrictions will be progressively lifted.

Foreign Secretary Vijay K Gokhale, who briefed reporters here on Monday about Modi's three-nation visit and his participation in G-7 summit, said that UN Secretary General's primary aim of calling on the Prime Minister was climate change summit. Modi conveyed that India stood with him on this.

Answering a query if there was some discussion on Kashmir, he said there was "some discussion there."

Watch: Abrogation of Article 370, bifurcation is India's internal matter, says S Jaishankar

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"The Prime Minister essentially laid out our basic position on the internal matter that Article 370 is under the Constitution, that on international front no step has been taken by India in any way or form to threaten regional peace and stability, that normalcy is returning to the state of Jammu and Kashmir, that in many areas restricts substantially eased or entirely removed and underlining that people and the state have faced terrorism for 30 or more years and that this is the primary threat, this is our concern and therefore, in keeping with that certain restrictions will remain in place to ensure law and order is maintained and will be progressively lifted," he said.

The PMO had said in a tweet after Modi's meeting with Guterres that the two leaders had "fruitful discussions on a wide range of subjects."

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PM <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@narendramodi</a> met <a href="https://twitter.com/UN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UN</a> Secretary General Mr. <a href="https://twitter.com/antonioguterres?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@antonioguterres</a> on the sidelines of the <a href="https://twitter.com/G7?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@G7</a> Summit. The two leaders had fruitful discussions on a wide range of subjects. <a href="https://t.co/JuGsftQKRT">pic.twitter.com/JuGsftQKRT</a>
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/PMOIndia/status/1165670577685876740?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 25, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Answering a query about the discussion on Kashmir during the meeting between Modi and US President Donald Trump, Gokhale said: "You have heard publicly what Prime Minister and President Trump have said."

Asked about their conversation last night with Trump, he said Prime Minister Modi has made India's position clear and "there was no further discussion at this (Monday's) meeting."

Answering another query, he said there was also no discussion on Kashmir issue in Prime Minister's meetings with Trump and UK Prime Minister Borris Johnson.

The Indian government had earlier this month repealed Article 370, which gave special powers to Jammu and Kashmir and also reorganised Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories.

During his three-nation visit, Modi also visited the UAE and Bahrain apart from France.

"We go back with a sense of satisfaction both at the multilateral aspect of the visit and the bilateral aspects," he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi told UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during their meeting on Sunday that repeal of Article 370 was India's internal matter and no step has been taken by New Delhi that in any manner threatens regional peace.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi told UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during their meeting on Sunday that repeal of Article 370 was India's internal matter and no step has been taken by New Delhi that in any manner threatens regional peace. WION Edit: India at G7 Summit - 'Fighting Inequality' The Prime Minister also told Guterres during their meeting on the sidelines of the G-7 summit that terrorism was the primary threat and concern and in keeping with that certain restrictions will remain in place in Jammu and Kashmir to ensure law and order is maintained. He said the restrictions will be progressively lifted. Foreign Secretary Vijay K Gokhale, who briefed reporters here on Monday about Modi's three-nation visit and his participation in G-7 summit, said that UN Secretary General's primary aim of calling on the Prime Minister was climate change summit. Modi conveyed that India stood with him on this. Answering a query if there was some discussion on Kashmir, he said there was "some discussion there." Watch: Abrogation of Article 370, bifurcation is India's internal matter, says S Jaishankar × "The Prime Minister essentially laid out our basic position on the internal matter that Article 370 is under the Constitution, that on international front no step has been taken by India in any way or form to threaten regional peace and stability, that normalcy is returning to the state of Jammu and Kashmir, that in many areas restricts substantially eased or entirely removed and underlining that people and the state have faced terrorism for 30 or more years and that this is the primary threat, this is our concern and therefore, in keeping with that certain restrictions will remain in place to ensure law and order is maintained and will be progressively lifted," he said. The PMO had said in a tweet after Modi's meeting with Guterres that the two leaders had "fruitful discussions on a wide range of subjects." PM @narendramodi met @UN Secretary General Mr. @antonioguterres on the sidelines of the @G7 Summit. The two leaders had fruitful discussions on a wide range of subjects. pic.twitter.com/JuGsftQKRT — PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 25, 2019 × Answering a query about the discussion on Kashmir during the meeting between Modi and US President Donald Trump, Gokhale said: "You have heard publicly what Prime Minister and President Trump have said." Asked about their conversation last night with Trump, he said Prime Minister Modi has made India's position clear and "there was no further discussion at this (Monday's) meeting." Answering another query, he said there was also no discussion on Kashmir issue in Prime Minister's meetings with Trump and UK Prime Minister Borris Johnson. The Indian government had earlier this month repealed Article 370, which gave special powers to Jammu and Kashmir and also reorganised Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories. During his three-nation visit, Modi also visited the UAE and Bahrain apart from France. "We go back with a sense of satisfaction both at the multilateral aspect of the visit and the bilateral aspects," he said.

Repealing Article 370 is India's internal matter, PM Modi tells UN Secretary General

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the issue of global climate change in his meeting with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale informed.

Gokhale said that the UN Secretary-General specifically acknowledged the fact that India played a very major role in climate change negotiations.

He also acknowledged that the Indian Prime Minister had taken a number of concrete steps towards addressing climate change in his own country.

Apart from mentioning the International Solar Alliance (ISA) as one of the major initiatives of India towards climate change, Guterres also recalled the environmental impacts of the Swachh Bharat Mission and other campaigns that he witnessed during his recent visit to India last month.

The UN Secretary-General also sincerely hoped and expected that in the forthcoming meeting on COP24 (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change), scheduled next week in Poland, India will be playing the role of a good Samaritan and urge various countries to come up with certain solutions which would eventually feed into the climate change summit that Guterres is planning in 2019.

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Foreign Secy Vijay Gokhale in Buenos Aires, Argentina: The main subject of discussion in Prime Minister's meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was the forthcoming climate change meeting in Katowice, Poland, the so-called 'COP 24' <a href="https://t.co/zmrMtv6O8D">pic.twitter.com/zmrMtv6O8D</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1068302100923203584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 30, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Prime Minister Modi also assured the UN Secretary-General that India would play a positive role in the climate change negotiations as it is a part of the Indian culture and civilisation to preserve the environment.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the issue of global climate change in his meeting with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale informed.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the issue of global climate change in his meeting with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale informed. Gokhale said that the UN Secretary-General specifically acknowledged the fact that India played a very major role in climate change negotiations. He also acknowledged that the Indian Prime Minister had taken a number of concrete steps towards addressing climate change in his own country. Apart from mentioning the International Solar Alliance (ISA) as one of the major initiatives of India towards climate change, Guterres also recalled the environmental impacts of the Swachh Bharat Mission and other campaigns that he witnessed during his recent visit to India last month. The UN Secretary-General also sincerely hoped and expected that in the forthcoming meeting on COP24 (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change), scheduled next week in Poland, India will be playing the role of a good Samaritan and urge various countries to come up with certain solutions which would eventually feed into the climate change summit that Guterres is planning in 2019. Foreign Secy Vijay Gokhale in Buenos Aires, Argentina: The main subject of discussion in Prime Minister's meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was the forthcoming climate change meeting in Katowice, Poland, the so-called 'COP 24' pic.twitter.com/zmrMtv6O8D — ANI (@ANI) November 30, 2018 × Prime Minister Modi also assured the UN Secretary-General that India would play a positive role in the climate change negotiations as it is a part of the Indian culture and civilisation to preserve the environment.

G20 Summit: PM Modi discusses global climate change with UN Secretary General

Outgoing UN chief Ban ki-Moon expressed alarm over the humanitarian situation in the Syrian city of Aleppo on Monday, news agency AFP reported.&nbsp;

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&ldquo;The secretary-general is alarmed over reports of atrocities against a large number of civilians, including women and children, in recent hours in Aleppo,&quot; a spokesperson for Ban ki-Moon said. &nbsp;

&quot;While stressing that the United Nations is not able to independently verify these reports, the secretary-general is conveying his grave concern to the relevant parties,&quot; AFP quoted Stephane Dujarric as saying.

Ban has urged all sides, particularly Syria&#39;s government and its allies, to protect civilians, the BBC reported.

AFP reported that the rebels have now lost more than 90 per cent of eastern Aleppo, territory that they used to hold.

&ldquo;The battle in eastern Aleppo should end quickly. They (rebels) don&rsquo;t have much time. They either have to surrender or die,&rdquo; said Lieutenant General Zaid al-Saleh, head of the Syrian government&rsquo;s local security committee, according to the Guardian.

Tens of thousands of civilians are also believed to be in the rebel enclave, according to the BBC.

An AFP correspondent in government-held west Aleppo said celebratory gunfire could be heard late Monday.

The fall of Aleppo would be a massive blow to the rebels, and leave the government in control of the country&#39;s five major cities.

Ban will step down as secretary-general at the end of the year, completing a 10-year tenure, and will be replaced by Antonio Guterres, who was sworn in Monday.

(WION with inputs from agencies)

Outgoing UN chief Ban Ki-moon urged all sides, particularly Syria's government and its allies, to protect civilians

Outgoing UN chief Ban ki-Moon expressed alarm over the humanitarian situation in the Syrian city of Aleppo on Monday, news agency AFP reported. “The secretary-general is alarmed over reports of atrocities against a large number of civilians, including women and children, in recent hours in Aleppo," a spokesperson for Ban ki-Moon said. "While stressing that the United Nations is not able to independently verify these reports, the secretary-general is conveying his grave concern to the relevant parties," AFP quoted Stephane Dujarric as saying. Ban has urged all sides, particularly Syria's government and its allies, to protect civilians, the BBC reported. AFP reported that the rebels have now lost more than 90 per cent of eastern Aleppo, territory that they used to hold. “The battle in eastern Aleppo should end quickly. They (rebels) don’t have much time. They either have to surrender or die,” said Lieutenant General Zaid al-Saleh, head of the Syrian government’s local security committee, according to the Guardian. Tens of thousands of civilians are also believed to be in the rebel enclave, according to the BBC. An AFP correspondent in government-held west Aleppo said celebratory gunfire could be heard late Monday. The fall of Aleppo would be a massive blow to the rebels, and leave the government in control of the country's five major cities. Ban will step down as secretary-general at the end of the year, completing a 10-year tenure, and will be replaced by Antonio Guterres, who was sworn in Monday. (WION with inputs from agencies)

UN chief alarmed by reports of atrocities against civilians in Aleppo

Antonio Guterres, a former Portuguese prime minister, will be sworn in tomorrow as the next UN Secretary General, succeeding Ban Ki-moon as the ninth chief of the 71-year old world body.

President of the UN General Assembly, Peter Thomson, will administer the oath of office to Guterres, 67, at a special plenary meeting of the 193-member General Assembly here. The Secretary-General-designate will then address the General Assembly.

Guterres was unanimously appointed by the General Assembly as the successor to Ban, after the 15-nation Security Council had in October decided by acclamation to send his name to the Assembly for final approval.

Ban&#39;s second five-year term as the world&#39;s top diplomat ends on December 31 and Guterres will assume his new role for a five-year term beginning January 1, 2017. The former Portuguese prime minister and UN High Commissioner for Refugees had remained the front-runner in the election to choose Ban&#39;s successor amid growing calls by civil society and several UN member states to elect a woman Secretary General.

During the special plenary meeting, speakers will pay tribute to Ban and after being administered the oath of office the Secretary-General-designate will also address the General Assembly.

Among those paying tributes to Ban will be Thomson and representatives from Burkina Faso who will speak on behalf of the African states, Lao People&#39;s Democratic Republic who will speak on behalf of the Asia-Pacific States, Latvia who will speak on behalf of the eastern European States, Costa Rica who will speak on behalf of the Latin American and Caribbean states, Sweden who will speak on behalf of the western European and other States and the United States of America who will speak in its capacity as the host country.

Following his election, Guterres had vowed to work as a &quot;convener&quot; and &quot;bridge-builder&quot; to help find solutions to the world&#39;s pressing challenges.

He had underscored that human dignity, gender equality and fighting the alliance of violent extremists and expressions of xenophobia will be among his priorities as the world&#39;s top diplomat.

&quot;I am fully aware of the challenges the UN faces and the limitations surrounding the Secretary-General,&quot; Guterres had said in his first address to the General Assembly following his appointment as the 9th Secretary General of the UN.

He had said the dramatic problems of today&#39;s complex world can only inspire a &quot;humble approach - one in which the Secretary-General alone neither has all the answers, nor seeks to impose his views; one in which the Secretary-General makes his good offices available, working as a convener, a mediator, a bridge-builder and an honest broker to help find solutions that benefit everyone involved&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
(PTI)

Ban Ki-moon's term ends on December 31, then Guterres will immediately assume his new role for a five-year term

Antonio Guterres, a former Portuguese prime minister, will be sworn in tomorrow as the next UN Secretary General, succeeding Ban Ki-moon as the ninth chief of the 71-year old world body. President of the UN General Assembly, Peter Thomson, will administer the oath of office to Guterres, 67, at a special plenary meeting of the 193-member General Assembly here. The Secretary-General-designate will then address the General Assembly. Guterres was unanimously appointed by the General Assembly as the successor to Ban, after the 15-nation Security Council had in October decided by acclamation to send his name to the Assembly for final approval. Ban's second five-year term as the world's top diplomat ends on December 31 and Guterres will assume his new role for a five-year term beginning January 1, 2017. The former Portuguese prime minister and UN High Commissioner for Refugees had remained the front-runner in the election to choose Ban's successor amid growing calls by civil society and several UN member states to elect a woman Secretary General. During the special plenary meeting, speakers will pay tribute to Ban and after being administered the oath of office the Secretary-General-designate will also address the General Assembly. Among those paying tributes to Ban will be Thomson and representatives from Burkina Faso who will speak on behalf of the African states, Lao People's Democratic Republic who will speak on behalf of the Asia-Pacific States, Latvia who will speak on behalf of the eastern European States, Costa Rica who will speak on behalf of the Latin American and Caribbean states, Sweden who will speak on behalf of the western European and other States and the United States of America who will speak in its capacity as the host country. Following his election, Guterres had vowed to work as a "convener" and "bridge-builder" to help find solutions to the world's pressing challenges. He had underscored that human dignity, gender equality and fighting the alliance of violent extremists and expressions of xenophobia will be among his priorities as the world's top diplomat. "I am fully aware of the challenges the UN faces and the limitations surrounding the Secretary-General," Guterres had said in his first address to the General Assembly following his appointment as the 9th Secretary General of the UN. He had said the dramatic problems of today's complex world can only inspire a "humble approach - one in which the Secretary-General alone neither has all the answers, nor seeks to impose his views; one in which the Secretary-General makes his good offices available, working as a convener, a mediator, a bridge-builder and an honest broker to help find solutions that benefit everyone involved". (PTI)

Antonio Guterres to be sworn-in as UN Secretary General tomorrow

Antonio Guterres, the former Prime Minister of Portugal, is poised to become the next Secretary General of the United Nations (UN),&nbsp;after none of the five UN Security Council veto-powers&nbsp;voted against him in a secret ballot on Wednesday, according to diplomats.

There were 10 candidates running for the position. Each of the 15 members of the Security Council casts a secret ballot for each one, with three choices: encourage, discourage, or no opinion.

The Security Council still needs to adopt a resolution behind closed doors before Guterrers can be formally recommended to the 193-member General Assembly for election. At this stage, to pass&nbsp;he would need at least nine votes in favour, and no vetoes against.

According to the Russian Ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, Guterres was the &quot;clear favourite&quot;. There will be a formal vote by the council on Thursday to confirm the choice of nominee.

(WION with inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

There is still a formal vote to come, but it seems like Antonio Guterres will replace Ban Ki-moon

Antonio Guterres, the former Prime Minister of Portugal, is poised to become the next Secretary General of the United Nations (UN), after none of the five UN Security Council veto-powers voted against him in a secret ballot on Wednesday, according to diplomats. There were 10 candidates running for the position. Each of the 15 members of the Security Council casts a secret ballot for each one, with three choices: encourage, discourage, or no opinion. The Security Council still needs to adopt a resolution behind closed doors before Guterrers can be formally recommended to the 193-member General Assembly for election. At this stage, to pass he would need at least nine votes in favour, and no vetoes against. According to the Russian Ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, Guterres was the "clear favourite". There will be a formal vote by the council on Thursday to confirm the choice of nominee. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Former Portugal PM set to become next UN Secretary-General

Former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres is poised to be the ninth United Nations Secretary-General and is expected to be formally recommended to the 193-member General Assembly for election by the Security Council on Thursday, diplomats said.

Russia&#39;s UN&nbsp;Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, president of the 15-member council for October, said he hoped the council would unanimously recommend Guterres, who was also the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees from June 2005 to December 2015.

Guterres, 67, would replace Ban Ki-moon, 72, of South Korea, who will step down at the end of 2016 after serving two terms. Guterres was prime minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002.

&quot;Today after our sixth straw poll we have a clear favorite and his name is Antonio Guterres,&quot; Churkin told reporters with his 14 council colleagues standing behind him on Wednesday.

&quot;We wish Mr&nbsp;Guterres well in discharging his duties as the Secretary-General of the United Nations for the next five years,&quot; Churkin said.

The council has been holding informal secret ballots since July in a bid to reach consensus on a candidate. Members had the choices encourage, discourage or no opinion. Guterres has come out on top of all the polls and on Wednesday received 13 encourage votes and two no opinion votes.

&quot;In the end, there was just a candidate whose experience, vision, and versatility across a range of areas proved compelling,&quot; U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power told reporters.

&quot;If we have these trans-national threats and we don&#39;t have somebody at the helm of the United Nations that can mobilize coalitions, that can make the tools of this institution ... work better for people, that&#39;s going to be more pain and more suffering and more dysfunction than we can afford,&quot; she said.

Diplomats said one of the no opinion votes was cast by one of the five veto wielding powers, which are Russia, China, the United States, France and Britain.

The Security Council will adopt a resolution, traditionally behind closed doors, recommending that the General Assembly appoint Guterres for a five-year term from Jan. 1, 2017. The resolution needs nine votes in favor and no vetoes to pass.

&quot;We hope it can be done by acclamation,&quot; Churkin said.

Thirteen people were nominated in the race to become the next U.N. chief, but three had already withdrawn before Wednesday&#39;s secret ballot.

Seven of the candidates were women amid a push by civil society groups and a third of the 193 U.N. member states for the first female U.N. chief in the 71-year history of the world body, which has had eight male leaders.

The WomanSG lobby group described the win by Guterres as &quot;a disaster for equal rights and gender equality.&quot;

&quot;There were seven outstanding female candidates and in the end it appears they were never seriously considered. This is an outrage,&quot; the group said in a statement posted on Twitter.

Britain&#39;s UN&nbsp;Ambassador Matthew Rycroft paid tribute to all the candidates and in particular the women.

&quot;Although it&#39;s high time for a woman ... the most important thing for the UK was the qualities of leadership of this position,&quot; he told reporters.

He said Guterres was the person to &quot;provide a convening power and a moral authority at a time when the world is divided on issues, above all like Syria.&quot;

The UN&nbsp;Director at Human Rights Watch, Louis Charbonneau, said: &quot;Ultimately, the next U.N. secretary-general will be judged on his ability to stand up to the very powers that just selected him, whether on Syria, Yemen, South Sudan, the refugee crisis, climate change or any other problem that comes his way.&quot;

(Reuters)

He is expected to be formally recommended to the 193-member General Assembly for election by the Security Council on Thursday

Former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres is poised to be the ninth United Nations Secretary-General and is expected to be formally recommended to the 193-member General Assembly for election by the Security Council on Thursday, diplomats said. Russia's UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, president of the 15-member council for October, said he hoped the council would unanimously recommend Guterres, who was also the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees from June 2005 to December 2015. Guterres, 67, would replace Ban Ki-moon, 72, of South Korea, who will step down at the end of 2016 after serving two terms. Guterres was prime minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002. "Today after our sixth straw poll we have a clear favorite and his name is Antonio Guterres," Churkin told reporters with his 14 council colleagues standing behind him on Wednesday. "We wish Mr Guterres well in discharging his duties as the Secretary-General of the United Nations for the next five years," Churkin said. The council has been holding informal secret ballots since July in a bid to reach consensus on a candidate. Members had the choices encourage, discourage or no opinion. Guterres has come out on top of all the polls and on Wednesday received 13 encourage votes and two no opinion votes. "In the end, there was just a candidate whose experience, vision, and versatility across a range of areas proved compelling," U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power told reporters. "If we have these trans-national threats and we don't have somebody at the helm of the United Nations that can mobilize coalitions, that can make the tools of this institution ... work better for people, that's going to be more pain and more suffering and more dysfunction than we can afford," she said. Diplomats said one of the no opinion votes was cast by one of the five veto wielding powers, which are Russia, China, the United States, France and Britain. The Security Council will adopt a resolution, traditionally behind closed doors, recommending that the General Assembly appoint Guterres for a five-year term from Jan. 1, 2017. The resolution needs nine votes in favor and no vetoes to pass. "We hope it can be done by acclamation," Churkin said. Thirteen people were nominated in the race to become the next U.N. chief, but three had already withdrawn before Wednesday's secret ballot. Seven of the candidates were women amid a push by civil society groups and a third of the 193 U.N. member states for the first female U.N. chief in the 71-year history of the world body, which has had eight male leaders. The WomanSG lobby group described the win by Guterres as "a disaster for equal rights and gender equality." "There were seven outstanding female candidates and in the end it appears they were never seriously considered. This is an outrage," the group said in a statement posted on Twitter. Britain's UN Ambassador Matthew Rycroft paid tribute to all the candidates and in particular the women. "Although it's high time for a woman ... the most important thing for the UK was the qualities of leadership of this position," he told reporters. He said Guterres was the person to "provide a convening power and a moral authority at a time when the world is divided on issues, above all like Syria." The UN Director at Human Rights Watch, Louis Charbonneau, said: "Ultimately, the next U.N. secretary-general will be judged on his ability to stand up to the very powers that just selected him, whether on Syria, Yemen, South Sudan, the refugee crisis, climate change or any other problem that comes his way." (Reuters)

Former Portuguese prime minister Guterres set to be next United Nations Secretary-General

The European Union&#39;s budget commissioner and the last-minute candidate for the United Nations secretary-general Kristalina Georgieva&nbsp;said she has strong credentials to lead the UN and is as ready as any other candidate who has been in the race for months.&nbsp;

Gerogieva was a last-minute entrant in the race to succeed Ban Ki-moon, who steps down at the end of the year after serving two five-year terms.&nbsp;

Bulgaria&nbsp;on Wednesday switched its support from UNESCO chief Irina Bokova to Kristalina Georgieva as its candidate for UN secretary-general, potentially shaking up the race.&nbsp;

&quot;I hope to be judged on merits, not on the duration on the campaign trail,&quot; Georgieva told AFP in an interview on Friday.

&quot;I&#39;m a latecomer not by choice, but by necessity. The Bulgarian government has invited me to join the race now,&quot; said Georgieva.&nbsp;

Georgieva will go before the UN General Assembly for a two-hour question-and-answer session on Monday.

Giorgieva emphasised on the importance of having a woman security general for a job that has been represented by eight men.&nbsp;

Georgieva rose to the ranks of vice-president and corporate secretary in 2008 in the World Bank. She also held the position of European Commissioner for humanitarian aid from 2010 to 2014. A media-savvy person, she even mobilised Europeans to respond to world humanitarian crises including in Syria and Yemen.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP)

Bulgaria?on Wednesday switched its support from UNESCO chief Irina Bokova to Kristalina Georgieva as its candidate for UN secretary-general

The European Union's budget commissioner and the last-minute candidate for the United Nations secretary-general Kristalina Georgieva said she has strong credentials to lead the UN and is as ready as any other candidate who has been in the race for months. Gerogieva was a last-minute entrant in the race to succeed Ban Ki-moon, who steps down at the end of the year after serving two five-year terms. Bulgaria on Wednesday switched its support from UNESCO chief Irina Bokova to Kristalina Georgieva as its candidate for UN secretary-general, potentially shaking up the race. "I hope to be judged on merits, not on the duration on the campaign trail," Georgieva told AFP in an interview on Friday. "I'm a latecomer not by choice, but by necessity. The Bulgarian government has invited me to join the race now," said Georgieva. Georgieva will go before the UN General Assembly for a two-hour question-and-answer session on Monday. Giorgieva emphasised on the importance of having a woman security general for a job that has been represented by eight men. Georgieva rose to the ranks of vice-president and corporate secretary in 2008 in the World Bank. She also held the position of European Commissioner for humanitarian aid from 2010 to 2014. A media-savvy person, she even mobilised Europeans to respond to world humanitarian crises including in Syria and Yemen. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Bulgaria's Georgieva shakes up United Nations general-secretary race

Condemning the terror attack at Istanbul&#39;s Ataturk International airport that killed 36 people and injured many others, the US and UN has called for stepped-up cooperation in fighting terrorism and has vowed &quot;steadfast&quot; support for Turkey. 
 
&quot;Ataturk international airport, like Brussels airport which was attacked earlier this year, is a symbol of international connections and the ties that bind us together,&quot; White House press secretary Josh Earnest said yesterday. 
 
US President Barack Obama was briefed on the explosions by his assistant for homeland security and counterterrorism Lisa Monaco. 
 
&quot;Our deepest condolences go out to the families and loved ones of those killed, and we wish a speedy recovery to those injured. We remain steadfast in our support for Turkey, our NATO ally and partner, along with all of our friends and allies around the world, as we continue to confront the threat of terrorism,&quot; he said. 
 
Condemning the terrorist attack at Istanbul&#39;s Ataturk International airport, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, expressed his deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims and to the government and people of Turkey. 
 
&quot;The Secretary-General hopes that the perpetrators of this crime will be identified and brought to justice. He stands firmly by Turkey as it confronts this threat and stresses the need to intensify regional and international efforts to combat terrorism and violent extremism,&quot; his spokesman said in a statement. 
 
US officials are in close touch with Turkish authorities throughout the investigation, state department deputy spokesman Mark Toner said. 
 
&quot;We stand in solidarity with our NATO ally Turkey in combating the threat of terrorism. Sadly, this murderous attack is only the latest in a series of attacks aimed at killing and maiming innocent civilians,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;Such attacks will only reinforce our determination to work with the government of Turkey to counter the scourge of terrorism and support all those across the region who are working to promote peace and reconciliation,&quot; Toner said in a statement. 
 
&quot;Today, we have another horrific event - senseless violence against innocent civilians. Freedom-loving people around the world must not waver in our commitment to defeat violent extremism,&quot; said senator James Lankford. He serves on the homeland security and intelligence committees. 
 
&quot;We continue to monitor reports of the horrific terror attack in Turkey. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and all affected,&quot; tweeted Senator Bob Corker, chairman of the powerful senate foreign relations committee. 
 
&quot;Terrorism will not prevail. We stand with our ally Turkey in the face of this heinous attack,&quot; tweeted Paul Ryan, speaker of the US house of representatives. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m horrified by the attacks in Istanbul, and my heart is with the victims and their families. I stand with the people of Turkey against terrorism,&quot; tweeted congresswoman Susan Brooks. 
 
(PTI)

Ban Ki-moon condemned the attack and stressed on the need to intensify regional and international efforts to combat terrorism

Condemning the terror attack at Istanbul's Ataturk International airport that killed 36 people and injured many others, the US and UN has called for stepped-up cooperation in fighting terrorism and has vowed "steadfast" support for Turkey. "Ataturk international airport, like Brussels airport which was attacked earlier this year, is a symbol of international connections and the ties that bind us together," White House press secretary Josh Earnest said yesterday. US President Barack Obama was briefed on the explosions by his assistant for homeland security and counterterrorism Lisa Monaco. "Our deepest condolences go out to the families and loved ones of those killed, and we wish a speedy recovery to those injured. We remain steadfast in our support for Turkey, our NATO ally and partner, along with all of our friends and allies around the world, as we continue to confront the threat of terrorism," he said. Condemning the terrorist attack at Istanbul's Ataturk International airport, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, expressed his deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims and to the government and people of Turkey. "The Secretary-General hopes that the perpetrators of this crime will be identified and brought to justice. He stands firmly by Turkey as it confronts this threat and stresses the need to intensify regional and international efforts to combat terrorism and violent extremism," his spokesman said in a statement. US officials are in close touch with Turkish authorities throughout the investigation, state department deputy spokesman Mark Toner said. "We stand in solidarity with our NATO ally Turkey in combating the threat of terrorism. Sadly, this murderous attack is only the latest in a series of attacks aimed at killing and maiming innocent civilians," he said. "Such attacks will only reinforce our determination to work with the government of Turkey to counter the scourge of terrorism and support all those across the region who are working to promote peace and reconciliation," Toner said in a statement. "Today, we have another horrific event - senseless violence against innocent civilians. Freedom-loving people around the world must not waver in our commitment to defeat violent extremism," said senator James Lankford. He serves on the homeland security and intelligence committees. "We continue to monitor reports of the horrific terror attack in Turkey. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and all affected," tweeted Senator Bob Corker, chairman of the powerful senate foreign relations committee. "Terrorism will not prevail. We stand with our ally Turkey in the face of this heinous attack," tweeted Paul Ryan, speaker of the US house of representatives. "I'm horrified by the attacks in Istanbul, and my heart is with the victims and their families. I stand with the people of Turkey against terrorism," tweeted congresswoman Susan Brooks. (PTI)

US, UN condemn terror attack on Turkey international airport

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