A day after India proposed that UN member states should seek new ways to further the Security Council reform process, Pakistan criticised the suggestion, saying the "quest by some" nations to gain permanent seats for themselves remains the "primary stumbling block" in achieving progress.

Frustrated by the slow pace of the UN Security Council's reform process, India had called on the member states to seek new ways to engage to achieve credible progress on the issue by building on the past negotiations and not supplanting the past.

India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin, speaking Tuesday at the informal meeting of the plenary on Intergovernmental Negotiations on increase in Security Council membership, lamented that the length of the Security Council reform process is unparalleled and in terms of inertia too, it has no peer.

He also stressed that an insurmountable 'No' should not be a response to every suggestion and there is need to look at creative pathways to forge ahead in the reform process.

"However, if despite our best efforts, credible progress evades us once again, then we should not shy away from reviewing how we engage on this very important issue," he said.&nbsp;

Making an intervention after India's speech, Lodhi said Wednesday that "we heard an assertion that given the perceived lack of progress in the IGN (Intergovernmental Negotiations), it may be time to review the entire process with a view to pronounce on its fate. This appears to us, to be an attempt by some to blame the 'storm' on the 'ship'."

Without naming India, Lodhi said that the "quest by some"&nbsp;to gain permanent seats for themselves "remains the primary stumbling block. This was clearly evident from our discussions, yesterday. Those calling for a review of the IGN process should instead review their own positions. Despite persistent differences on fundamental aspects of reform, the stubborn insistence on text-based negotiations is another attempt to artificially paper-over differences."

India has been at the forefront of efforts to call for a reform of the Security Council, saying it rightly deserves a permanent seat at the high-table.

Pakistan also blamed India and the other countries in the G4 bloc for holding up progress of the UN Security Council reform, saying the "individual ambitions" of a few member states should not stall progress in the Inter-Governmental Negotiations.

According to a press release by the Pakistan Mission to the UN, Islamabad has called for a "spirit of flexibility and compromise" in the long-running negotiations to reform the UN Security Council as "progress is held up by the insistence for permanent seats on the 15-member body by India, Brazil, Germany and Japan, known as the Group of four."

The long-pending reform process has been ongoing for several years with little concrete progress.&nbsp;

Akbaruddin had noted that it has been more than 10 years since the start of the Intergovernmental Negotiations process in 2008 and more than 25 years since a resolution was passed to establish an open-ended working group on Security Council reform.

"While the world is not what it was when we began the process, the objections to moving forward remain the same. While the global challenges of the 21st century have multiplied, we remain divided even about the process to adopt in order to move forward,"&nbsp;he said.

Lodhi added that nations should not risk undermining the painstaking progress made within the IGN, "just to advance the narrow interests of a few member states."

"After all, the reform process is not merely an end in itself; for us, it is also an expression of our abiding commitment to rules-based multilateralism.

Akbaruddin had also voiced India's support for the call to reflect the Common African Position in any document under consideration, stressing that Africa's voice cannot be excluded and the desire of Small Island Developing States for a non-permanent seat on account of their situation should not be ignored.

"Everyone has a right to put forth an option and lend their name to a model of their choice. This enhances transparency, adds specificity and engenders respect for every position. No voices should be muffled,"&nbsp;he said.

Lodhi said that there have been calls to attribute proposals to their proponents, ostensibly in the interest of transparency.&nbsp;

"Tellingly, some of these calls have been made by those whose own identity remains in the realm of the unknown. Apparently, they consider themselves excluded from the same standards of transparency that they expect of others,"&nbsp;she said.&nbsp;

A day after India proposed that UN member states should seek new ways to further the Security Council reform process, Pakistan criticised the suggestion, saying the "quest by some" nations to gain permanent seats for themselves remains the "primary stumbling block" in achieving progress.

A day after India proposed that UN member states should seek new ways to further the Security Council reform process, Pakistan criticised the suggestion, saying the "quest by some" nations to gain permanent seats for themselves remains the "primary stumbling block" in achieving progress. Frustrated by the slow pace of the UN Security Council's reform process, India had called on the member states to seek new ways to engage to achieve credible progress on the issue by building on the past negotiations and not supplanting the past. India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin, speaking Tuesday at the informal meeting of the plenary on Intergovernmental Negotiations on increase in Security Council membership, lamented that the length of the Security Council reform process is unparalleled and in terms of inertia too, it has no peer. He also stressed that an insurmountable 'No' should not be a response to every suggestion and there is need to look at creative pathways to forge ahead in the reform process. "However, if despite our best efforts, credible progress evades us once again, then we should not shy away from reviewing how we engage on this very important issue," he said. Making an intervention after India's speech, Lodhi said Wednesday that "we heard an assertion that given the perceived lack of progress in the IGN (Intergovernmental Negotiations), it may be time to review the entire process with a view to pronounce on its fate. This appears to us, to be an attempt by some to blame the 'storm' on the 'ship'." Without naming India, Lodhi said that the "quest by some" to gain permanent seats for themselves "remains the primary stumbling block. This was clearly evident from our discussions, yesterday. Those calling for a review of the IGN process should instead review their own positions. Despite persistent differences on fundamental aspects of reform, the stubborn insistence on text-based negotiations is another attempt to artificially paper-over differences." India has been at the forefront of efforts to call for a reform of the Security Council, saying it rightly deserves a permanent seat at the high-table. Pakistan also blamed India and the other countries in the G4 bloc for holding up progress of the UN Security Council reform, saying the "individual ambitions" of a few member states should not stall progress in the Inter-Governmental Negotiations. According to a press release by the Pakistan Mission to the UN, Islamabad has called for a "spirit of flexibility and compromise" in the long-running negotiations to reform the UN Security Council as "progress is held up by the insistence for permanent seats on the 15-member body by India, Brazil, Germany and Japan, known as the Group of four." The long-pending reform process has been ongoing for several years with little concrete progress. Akbaruddin had noted that it has been more than 10 years since the start of the Intergovernmental Negotiations process in 2008 and more than 25 years since a resolution was passed to establish an open-ended working group on Security Council reform. "While the world is not what it was when we began the process, the objections to moving forward remain the same. While the global challenges of the 21st century have multiplied, we remain divided even about the process to adopt in order to move forward," he said. Lodhi added that nations should not risk undermining the painstaking progress made within the IGN, "just to advance the narrow interests of a few member states." "After all, the reform process is not merely an end in itself; for us, it is also an expression of our abiding commitment to rules-based multilateralism. Akbaruddin had also voiced India's support for the call to reflect the Common African Position in any document under consideration, stressing that Africa's voice cannot be excluded and the desire of Small Island Developing States for a non-permanent seat on account of their situation should not be ignored. "Everyone has a right to put forth an option and lend their name to a model of their choice. This enhances transparency, adds specificity and engenders respect for every position. No voices should be muffled," he said. Lodhi said that there have been calls to attribute proposals to their proponents, ostensibly in the interest of transparency. "Tellingly, some of these calls have been made by those whose own identity remains in the realm of the unknown. Apparently, they consider themselves excluded from the same standards of transparency that they expect of others," she said.

Pakistan criticises India's bid for UNSC permanent seat

He has chaired board meetings, cabinet meetings and starred in a reality television show, but on Wednesday US President Donald Trump will wield the gavel in the United Nations Security Council to denounce Iran for what it sees as its malign regional behaviour.

Trump is able to preside over the 15-member council as the United States holds the monthly rotating presidency, which coincides with the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations in New York this week.

"I am sure that's going to be the most watched Security Council meeting ever," US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley told reporters.

But despite the unpredictable nature of Trump, some diplomats aren't expecting a reality television performance in the Security Council, where nearly every member is likely to be represented by their prime minister or president except Russia and China, which are expected to send ministers.

"I don't think it will be that entertaining at all," said one senior UN diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"Even those who don't like him, the attitude of all other heads of state and government in a public meeting when faced with any president of the United States of America is to be on their best behaviour," the diplomat said.

It is rare for the council - formed in 1945 to maintain international peace and security - to meet at the head-of-state and government level. This will be the third time the body is chaired by a US president. It has the ability to impose sanctions or authorize the use of military force.

Trump's predecessor Barack Obama presided over meetings in 2009 and 2014 on nuclear nonproliferation and foreign terrorist fighters. In both cases the council adopted resolutions on the topics under discussion.&nbsp;

US Ambassador Nikki Haley said there are no plans to adopt a resolution at Wednesday's meeting.

"We want to make sure (Iran) understands the world is watching. That's the biggest reason for this meeting," she said earlier this month.

'THRILLED'

The topic of the meeting will be nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction, a broad issue that allows leaders around the horseshoe table to raise a variety of subjects from North Korea to chemical weapons attacks in Syria and Britain.

However, Trump signalled on Twitter he will zero in on Iran, when he posted: "I will chair a United Nations Security Council meeting on Iran." Tehran has accused the United States of abusing the power of the Security Council president.

The US concept note on the meeting circulated to Security Council members does not specifically mention any countries.

"The purpose of this meeting is to discuss ways the Security Council can better enforce the resolutions it has adopted ... to counter the spread and use of the world's most dangerous weapons," it reads.

The role of the Security Council president is typically administrative and neutral. The president is in charge of scheduling and presiding over council meetings and briefing other members states and the press on the council's work.

Trump will have a binder in front of him to read from in order to run Wednesday's meeting. He will make a statement first in his national capacity and then it is likely to take about two hours for all council members to speak.&nbsp;

Haley has twice taken council envoys to Washington, where they have met with Trump.

Russia has shielded Iran from US attempts to get the Security Council to call out Tehran over accusations it supplied weapons to Yemen's Houthi group, a charge that Iran denies.

When asked what he thought about Trump chairing a Security Council meeting, Russia's UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said with a smile: "I felt thrilled." He added: "I don't think we will see any major intrigue in what he will say."

He has chaired board meetings, cabinet meetings and starred in a reality television show, but on Wednesday US President Donald Trump will wield the gavel in the United Nations Security Council to denounce Iran for what it sees as its malign regional behaviour.

He has chaired board meetings, cabinet meetings and starred in a reality television show, but on Wednesday US President Donald Trump will wield the gavel in the United Nations Security Council to denounce Iran for what it sees as its malign regional behaviour. Trump is able to preside over the 15-member council as the United States holds the monthly rotating presidency, which coincides with the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations in New York this week. "I am sure that's going to be the most watched Security Council meeting ever," US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley told reporters. But despite the unpredictable nature of Trump, some diplomats aren't expecting a reality television performance in the Security Council, where nearly every member is likely to be represented by their prime minister or president except Russia and China, which are expected to send ministers. "I don't think it will be that entertaining at all," said one senior UN diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity. "Even those who don't like him, the attitude of all other heads of state and government in a public meeting when faced with any president of the United States of America is to be on their best behaviour," the diplomat said. It is rare for the council - formed in 1945 to maintain international peace and security - to meet at the head-of-state and government level. This will be the third time the body is chaired by a US president. It has the ability to impose sanctions or authorize the use of military force. Trump's predecessor Barack Obama presided over meetings in 2009 and 2014 on nuclear nonproliferation and foreign terrorist fighters. In both cases the council adopted resolutions on the topics under discussion. US Ambassador Nikki Haley said there are no plans to adopt a resolution at Wednesday's meeting. "We want to make sure (Iran) understands the world is watching. That's the biggest reason for this meeting," she said earlier this month. 'THRILLED' The topic of the meeting will be nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction, a broad issue that allows leaders around the horseshoe table to raise a variety of subjects from North Korea to chemical weapons attacks in Syria and Britain. However, Trump signalled on Twitter he will zero in on Iran, when he posted: "I will chair a United Nations Security Council meeting on Iran." Tehran has accused the United States of abusing the power of the Security Council president. The US concept note on the meeting circulated to Security Council members does not specifically mention any countries. "The purpose of this meeting is to discuss ways the Security Council can better enforce the resolutions it has adopted ... to counter the spread and use of the world's most dangerous weapons," it reads. The role of the Security Council president is typically administrative and neutral. The president is in charge of scheduling and presiding over council meetings and briefing other members states and the press on the council's work. Trump will have a binder in front of him to read from in order to run Wednesday's meeting. He will make a statement first in his national capacity and then it is likely to take about two hours for all council members to speak. Haley has twice taken council envoys to Washington, where they have met with Trump. Russia has shielded Iran from US attempts to get the Security Council to call out Tehran over accusations it supplied weapons to Yemen's Houthi group, a charge that Iran denies. When asked what he thought about Trump chairing a Security Council meeting, Russia's UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said with a smile: "I felt thrilled." He added: "I don't think we will see any major intrigue in what he will say."

From reality TV to UN, Trump to wield Security Council gavel

A day after Maldives failed to secure a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council, losing to&nbsp;Indonesia, the government of Maldives thanked the Indian government for supporting its candidature in the UNSC.

Ambassador of Maldives to India, Ahmed Mohamed, appreciated India's support for Maldives' UNSC candidature.&nbsp;

He tweeted, "The #Maldives highly appreciates the support by #India for our #UNSC candidature. We received reassurances in writing on 7 June 2018 as well. @MDVForeign @MDVinIND".

Maldives had contested against Indonesia for a seat in the UNSC where it lost in the plenary session held at the UN headquarters in New York on Friday. Indonesia won the seat after securing 144 votes against 46 for the Maldives.

The Ministry of External Affairs has, however, not clarified on whether India voted for Maldives or Indonesia. Quoting the MEA a media reported that the ministry never reveals such vote to the public.

The UNSC is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations majorly responsible for maintaining international peace and security.&nbsp;

Ambassador of Maldives to India, Ahmed Mohamed, has appreciated India's support for Maldives' UNSC candidature. He tweeted, "The #Maldives highly appreciates the support by #India for our #UNSC candidature. We received reassurances in writing on 7 June 2018 as well. @MDVForeign @MDVinIND"

A day after Maldives failed to secure a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council, losing to Indonesia, the government of Maldives thanked the Indian government for supporting its candidature in the UNSC. Ambassador of Maldives to India, Ahmed Mohamed, appreciated India's support for Maldives' UNSC candidature. He tweeted, "The #Maldives highly appreciates the support by #India for our #UNSC candidature. We received reassurances in writing on 7 June 2018 as well. @MDVForeign @MDVinIND". Maldives had contested against Indonesia for a seat in the UNSC where it lost in the plenary session held at the UN headquarters in New York on Friday. Indonesia won the seat after securing 144 votes against 46 for the Maldives. The Ministry of External Affairs has, however, not clarified on whether India voted for Maldives or Indonesia. Quoting the MEA a media reported that the ministry never reveals such vote to the public. The UNSC is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations majorly responsible for maintaining international peace and security.

Despite losing UNSC bid, Maldives govt thanks India for support

Despite losing UNSC seat, Maldives govt thanks India for support

Pope Francis on Sunday deplored 'rivers of blood and tears' in Ukraine and rejected Russia's assertion that it was just "a special military operation"

"In Ukraine rivers of blood and tears are flowing. This is not only a military operation but a war which sows death, destruction and misery," the pope said in his weekly address to crowds gathered in St. Peter's Square.

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However, as has been the case throughout the 11-day conflict, Francis did not publicly condemn Russia by name for its invasion.

Instead, he repeated his appeal for peace, the creation of humanitarian corridors and a return to negotiations.

"In that martyred country the need for humanitarian assistance is growing by the hour," the pope said, speaking from a window overlooking the square. "Let common sense prevail, let us return to the respect of international law."

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There were many more people than normal gathered infront of St. Peter's Basilica for the pope's Sunday appearance, with some holding aloft multi-coloured peace flags as well as the blue and yellow flag of Ukraine.

"The Holy See is willing to do all everything to put itself at the service of peace," the pope said, adding that two Roman Catholic cardinals had gone to Ukraine to help those in need.

"War is madness, please stop," the pope said.

(With inputs from agencies)

Pakistan's ambassador to UN said, 'The Council needs to be more consistent and unbiased in its actions. Selectivity in the implementation of its resolutions and decisions, especially on long-standing disputes, notably Jammu and Kashmir and Palestine must end. There can, after all, be no peace without justice'

Pope Francis on Sunday deplored 'rivers of blood and tears' in Ukraine and rejected Russia's assertion that it was just "a special military operation" "In Ukraine rivers of blood and tears are flowing. This is not only a military operation but a war which sows death, destruction and misery," the pope said in his weekly address to crowds gathered in St. Peter's Square. Also Read | 3,000 Americans volunteer to fight invading Russian forces in Ukraine, says report However, as has been the case throughout the 11-day conflict, Francis did not publicly condemn Russia by name for its invasion. Instead, he repeated his appeal for peace, the creation of humanitarian corridors and a return to negotiations. "In that martyred country the need for humanitarian assistance is growing by the hour," the pope said, speaking from a window overlooking the square. "Let common sense prevail, let us return to the respect of international law." Also Read | 'This will be a war crime': Ukraine warns Russia preparing to shell port city Odessa There were many more people than normal gathered infront of St. Peter's Basilica for the pope's Sunday appearance, with some holding aloft multi-coloured peace flags as well as the blue and yellow flag of Ukraine. "The Holy See is willing to do all everything to put itself at the service of peace," the pope said, adding that two Roman Catholic cardinals had gone to Ukraine to help those in need. "War is madness, please stop," the pope said. (With inputs from agencies)

Long-standing disputes like Kashmir should be resolved: Pakistan's Ambassador to UN

Rohingya refugees at a camp in Bangladesh said on Saturday they were eagerly awaiting the visit by a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) delegation which is studying the crisis, according to reports by Reuters.

A 15-member UNSC panel is visiting them refugees which, they hope,&nbsp;would help them get Myanmar citizenship as well as regain property and assets they left behind when they fled to Bangladesh

They are also seeking justice for the violence they suffered at the hands of the Myanmar military and said would only return to their homes across the border if their demands were guaranteed by an international body, a Reuters report said.

The UNSC group will visit refugee camps and meet Bangladeshi officials before heading to Myanmar where they are scheduled to visit areas in Rakhine state where the refugees are from.

Myanmar has faced international criticism over its actions towards Rohingya Muslims that have sent nearly 700,000 members of the minority community fleeing to Bangladesh. The United Nations, United States, Britain and others have described the operation as ethnic cleansing, which Myanmar has denied.

(With inputs from Reuters)&nbsp;

The refugees said they hoped that the 15-member UNSC panel would help them get Myanmar citizenship as well as regain property and assets they left behind when they fled to Bangladesh.

Rohingya refugees at a camp in Bangladesh said on Saturday they were eagerly awaiting the visit by a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) delegation which is studying the crisis, according to reports by Reuters. A 15-member UNSC panel is visiting them refugees which, they hope, would help them get Myanmar citizenship as well as regain property and assets they left behind when they fled to Bangladesh They are also seeking justice for the violence they suffered at the hands of the Myanmar military and said would only return to their homes across the border if their demands were guaranteed by an international body, a Reuters report said. The UNSC group will visit refugee camps and meet Bangladeshi officials before heading to Myanmar where they are scheduled to visit areas in Rakhine state where the refugees are from. Myanmar has faced international criticism over its actions towards Rohingya Muslims that have sent nearly 700,000 members of the minority community fleeing to Bangladesh. The United Nations, United States, Britain and others have described the operation as ethnic cleansing, which Myanmar has denied. (With inputs from Reuters)

Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh wait for UNSC visit

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A Russian bid for the United Nations Security Council to condemn US, British and French air strikes on Syria over a suspected chemical weapons attack failed on Saturday (April 14). Only China and Bolivia joined Russia to vote in favor of a draft resolution.

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Hyderabad won its third consecutive match on Saturday at Eden Garden Stadium against Kolkata by five wickets.

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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Saturday the nerve agent used to poison former Russian spy Sergei Skripal in Britain could have been the BZ substance - which was never produced in the Soviet Union or Russia.

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CWG 2018: Saina Nehwal beats PV Sindhu to win Women's Singles title Saina Nehwal's aggression and intensity quite literally wilted P V Sindhu as she picked up the women's singles Commonwealth Games gold medal with exhilarating triumph in the final here today. Russia fails in UNSC bid to condemn US-led strikes on Syria A Russian bid for the United Nations Security Council to condemn US, British and French air strikes on Syria over a suspected chemical weapons attack failed on Saturday (April 14). Only China and Bolivia joined Russia to vote in favor of a draft resolution. IPL 2018: Williamson-led Hyderabad beat Kolkata to mark 3rd consecutive win Hyderabad won its third consecutive match on Saturday at Eden Garden Stadium against Kolkata by five wickets. Russia's Lavrov says Skripals may have been poisoned by substance Russia never made Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Saturday the nerve agent used to poison former Russian spy Sergei Skripal in Britain could have been the BZ substance - which was never produced in the Soviet Union or Russia. Syrian army declares eastern Ghouta free of rebel fighters After the departure of the last rebel fighters from the city of Douma towards the north of the country, Syria's army command on Saturday (April 14) announced that the eastern Ghouta region was free of militants, state media reported, citing a statement by the Syrian army general command.

News brief: Big stories of the day

A Russian bid for the United Nations Security Council to condemn US, British and French air strikes on Syria over a suspected chemical weapons attack failed on Saturday (April 14). Only China and Bolivia joined Russia to vote in favor of a draft resolution.

The United States, France and Britain defended their military action as legal during the Security Council meeting.

At Russia's request, the 15-member council met on Saturday, the fifth time it has met on Syria since a suspected deadly toxic gas attack in the Syrian town of Douma a week ago.&nbsp;

The United States, France and Britain fired over 100 missiles overnight in retaliation, targeting Syria's facilities and chemical weapons program.

Russia and Syria have said there was no evidence of a chemical weapons attack.

International investigators from the global chemical weapons watchdog are in Syria and were due to start their inquiry on Saturday into the suspected toxic gas attack.&nbsp;

The United States, France and Britain defended their military action as legal during the Security Council meeting

A Russian bid for the United Nations Security Council to condemn US, British and French air strikes on Syria over a suspected chemical weapons attack failed on Saturday (April 14). Only China and Bolivia joined Russia to vote in favor of a draft resolution. The United States, France and Britain defended their military action as legal during the Security Council meeting. At Russia's request, the 15-member council met on Saturday, the fifth time it has met on Syria since a suspected deadly toxic gas attack in the Syrian town of Douma a week ago. The United States, France and Britain fired over 100 missiles overnight in retaliation, targeting Syria's facilities and chemical weapons program. Russia and Syria have said there was no evidence of a chemical weapons attack. International investigators from the global chemical weapons watchdog are in Syria and were due to start their inquiry on Saturday into the suspected toxic gas attack.

Russia fails in UNSC bid to condemn US-led strikes on Syria

Russia and the United States have reportedly agreed to disagree over a probe into the use of chemical weapons in Syria.

According to several media reports, representatives of both nations in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) blocked each other over a move to allow international investigations into chemical attacks in Syria, where a civil war has been on since 2011.

The media reports said that three draft resolutions on the chemical weapons attacks in Syria failed to get passed in a UNSC meeting.

Russia vetoed a US&nbsptext, while two Russian-drafted resolutions failed to get the minimum nine votes required for approval.

Moscow opposes any Western strike on Syria.

It vetoed UNSC action on Syria on twelve previous occasions.

United States Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley told the UNSC that adopting her country's resolution was the least member nations could do.

"History will record that, on this day, Russia chose protecting a monster over the lives of the Syrian people," Haley was quoted, as saying, while referring to Syrian President Assad.

Russia's UN&nbspAmbassador Vassily Nebenzia said Washington's decision to put forward its resolution could be a prelude to a Western strike on Syria.

Meanwhile, international chemical weapons experts are expected to go to Douma to investigate a suspected poison gas attack.

The Hague-based Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said Syria had been asked to make the necessary arrangements for the deployment of an investigation team.

"The team is preparing to deploy to Syria shortly," it said in a statement.

The mission will aim to determine whether banned munitions were used but will not assign blame.

European governments said they will wait for the results of the OPCW investigation and for more solid forensic evidence before taking the next step on the matter.&nbsp

Representatives of both nations in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) blocked each other over a move to allow international investigations into chemical attacks in Syria, where a civil war has been on since 2011

Russia and the United States have reportedly agreed to disagree over a probe into the use of chemical weapons in Syria. According to several media reports, representatives of both nations in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) blocked each other over a move to allow international investigations into chemical attacks in Syria, where a civil war has been on since 2011. The media reports said that three draft resolutions on the chemical weapons attacks in Syria failed to get passed in a UNSC meeting. Russia vetoed a US&nbsptext, while two Russian-drafted resolutions failed to get the minimum nine votes required for approval. Moscow opposes any Western strike on Syria. It vetoed UNSC action on Syria on twelve previous occasions. United States Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley told the UNSC that adopting her country's resolution was the least member nations could do. "History will record that, on this day, Russia chose protecting a monster over the lives of the Syrian people," Haley was quoted, as saying, while referring to Syrian President Assad. Russia's UN&nbspAmbassador Vassily Nebenzia said Washington's decision to put forward its resolution could be a prelude to a Western strike on Syria. Meanwhile, international chemical weapons experts are expected to go to Douma to investigate a suspected poison gas attack. The Hague-based Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said Syria had been asked to make the necessary arrangements for the deployment of an investigation team. "The team is preparing to deploy to Syria shortly," it said in a statement. The mission will aim to determine whether banned munitions were used but will not assign blame. European governments said they will wait for the results of the OPCW investigation and for more solid forensic evidence before taking the next step on the matter.

US, Russia clash at UNSC over probing chemical attacks in Syria

Russia told Britain at the United Nations Security Council on Thursday that "you're playing with fire and you'll be sorry" over its accusations that Moscow was to blame for poisoning a former Russian spy and his daughter.

It was the second showdown between Russia and Britain at the world body since the March 4 nerve agent attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in an English town. Russia, which requested Thursday's council meeting, denies any involvement.

The attack has had major diplomatic ramifications, with mass expulsions of Russian and Western diplomats. The 15-member Security Council first met over the issue on March 14 at Britain's request.

"We have told our British colleagues that 'you're playing with fire and you'll be sorry'," Russian UN&nbsp;Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said during a more than 30-minute speech that attempted to poke holes in Britain's allegations against Moscow.

He suggested that anyone who watched television crime shows like Britain's 'Midsomer Murders' would know "hundreds of clever ways to kill someone" to illustrate the "risky and dangerous" nature of the method Britain says was used to target Skripal.

British police believe a nerve agent was left on the front door of the Salisbury home where Skripal lived after he was freed in a spy swap. He was a military intelligence colonel who betrayed dozens of Russian agents to Britain's MI6 spy service.

"We believe that the UK's actions stand up to any scrutiny," British UN&nbsp;Ambassador Karen Pierce told the Security Council. "We have nothing to hide ... but I do fear that Russia might have something to fear."

At the global chemical weapons watchdog Wednesday, Russia called for a joint inquiry into the poisoning of the Skripals, but lost a vote on the measure.

"Allowing Russian scientists into an investigation where they are the most likely perpetrators of the crime in Salisbury would be like Scotland Yard inviting in Professor Moriarty," Pierce told reporters earlier on Thursday, citing a character from "Sherlock Holmes."

At the end of the council meeting, Nebenzia read a passage from the novel "Alice in Wonderland" about a trial where the Queen demands the sentence first and the verdict afterward. "Does that remind you of anything?" he added.

Pierce responded: "There is another very good quote from Alice in Wonderland which is: 'sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast' so I think that's the quote the suits my Russian colleague best."

Russia told Britain at the United Nations Security Council on Thursday that "you're playing with fire and you'll be sorry" over its accusations that Moscow was to blame for poisoning a former Russian spy and his daughter

Russia told Britain at the United Nations Security Council on Thursday that "you're playing with fire and you'll be sorry" over its accusations that Moscow was to blame for poisoning a former Russian spy and his daughter. It was the second showdown between Russia and Britain at the world body since the March 4 nerve agent attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in an English town. Russia, which requested Thursday's council meeting, denies any involvement. The attack has had major diplomatic ramifications, with mass expulsions of Russian and Western diplomats. The 15-member Security Council first met over the issue on March 14 at Britain's request. "We have told our British colleagues that 'you're playing with fire and you'll be sorry'," Russian UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said during a more than 30-minute speech that attempted to poke holes in Britain's allegations against Moscow. He suggested that anyone who watched television crime shows like Britain's 'Midsomer Murders' would know "hundreds of clever ways to kill someone" to illustrate the "risky and dangerous" nature of the method Britain says was used to target Skripal. British police believe a nerve agent was left on the front door of the Salisbury home where Skripal lived after he was freed in a spy swap. He was a military intelligence colonel who betrayed dozens of Russian agents to Britain's MI6 spy service. "We believe that the UK's actions stand up to any scrutiny," British UN Ambassador Karen Pierce told the Security Council. "We have nothing to hide ... but I do fear that Russia might have something to fear." At the global chemical weapons watchdog Wednesday, Russia called for a joint inquiry into the poisoning of the Skripals, but lost a vote on the measure. "Allowing Russian scientists into an investigation where they are the most likely perpetrators of the crime in Salisbury would be like Scotland Yard inviting in Professor Moriarty," Pierce told reporters earlier on Thursday, citing a character from "Sherlock Holmes." At the end of the council meeting, Nebenzia read a passage from the novel "Alice in Wonderland" about a trial where the Queen demands the sentence first and the verdict afterward. "Does that remind you of anything?" he added. Pierce responded: "There is another very good quote from Alice in Wonderland which is: 'sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast' so I think that's the quote the suits my Russian colleague best."

'You're playing with fire,' Russia tells Britain at UN nerve agent attack meeting

The UN Security Council has urged the Taliban to go ahead with the peace process with the Afghan government without any preconditions and threat of violence, as it welcomed Kabul&#39;s offer to the terror group to engage in direct talks.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on February 28 unveiled a plan to open peace talks with the Taliban, including eventually recognising them as a political party, days after the militants called for direct negotiations with the US.

Welcoming the offer for the peace talks, Security Council President Karel Jan Gustaaf van Oosterom of Netherlands, in a statement said the UNSC members commended the convening of the second meeting of the Kabul Process for Peace and Security Cooperation in Afghanistan last month and the declaration agreed to by its participants.

&quot;The members of the Security Council also welcomed the offer made by the Afghan Government to the Taliban to engage in direct peace talks, and called upon the Taliban to accept this offer without any preconditions and without the threat of violence, with the aim of an ultimate political settlement that leads to sustainable peace for the people of Afghanistan, the statement said yesterday.

The 15-nation Council underlined the importance of an inclusive Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process for the long-term prosperity and stability of Afghanistan and expressed their full support for the Afghan government&#39;s commitment to developing a practical plan for reconciliation.

They welcomed that the participants of the meeting recognised the Kabul Process as a forum and vehicle under the leadership of the Afghan government to lead peace efforts to end violence in Afghanistan.

&quot;The Kabul Process must lead to the renunciation of violence and breaking of all ties to international terrorism, as well as the respect for the equal rights of all Afghans, including women, under the Afghan Constitution, the Council said in the statement.

The members of the Security Council also welcomed ongoing international efforts to advance peace and stability in Afghanistan.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on February 28 unveiled a plan to open peace talks with the Taliban, including eventually recognising them as a political party, days after the militants called for direct negotiations with the US

The UN Security Council has urged the Taliban to go ahead with the peace process with the Afghan government without any preconditions and threat of violence, as it welcomed Kabul's offer to the terror group to engage in direct talks. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on February 28 unveiled a plan to open peace talks with the Taliban, including eventually recognising them as a political party, days after the militants called for direct negotiations with the US. Welcoming the offer for the peace talks, Security Council President Karel Jan Gustaaf van Oosterom of Netherlands, in a statement said the UNSC members commended the convening of the second meeting of the Kabul Process for Peace and Security Cooperation in Afghanistan last month and the declaration agreed to by its participants. "The members of the Security Council also welcomed the offer made by the Afghan Government to the Taliban to engage in direct peace talks, and called upon the Taliban to accept this offer without any preconditions and without the threat of violence, with the aim of an ultimate political settlement that leads to sustainable peace for the people of Afghanistan, the statement said yesterday. The 15-nation Council underlined the importance of an inclusive Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process for the long-term prosperity and stability of Afghanistan and expressed their full support for the Afghan government's commitment to developing a practical plan for reconciliation. They welcomed that the participants of the meeting recognised the Kabul Process as a forum and vehicle under the leadership of the Afghan government to lead peace efforts to end violence in Afghanistan. "The Kabul Process must lead to the renunciation of violence and breaking of all ties to international terrorism, as well as the respect for the equal rights of all Afghans, including women, under the Afghan Constitution, the Council said in the statement. The members of the Security Council also welcomed ongoing international efforts to advance peace and stability in Afghanistan.

UNSC calls upon Taliban to go ahead with peace talks without any preconditions

The United States on Monday presented a new draft resolution to the UN Security Council (UNSC) demanding a 30-day ceasefire in Syria&#39;s rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta.

US Ambassador Nikki Haley told the UNSC that the ceasefire resolution would provide &quot;no room for evasion&quot; and that the resolution adopted by the council two weeks ago had failed as the Syrian government backed by Russia stepped up its offensive in Eastern Ghouta.

&quot;We have drafted a new ceasefire resolution that provides no room for evasion,&quot; Nikki Haley said.

While addressing the Security Council, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said air strikes, shelling and ground offensives have intensified in Eastern Ghouta and claimed hundreds of lives ever since a UN ceasefire resolution was adopted two weeks ago.

The UN Secretary-General called for aid convoys to be allowed into the besieged Syrian enclave and for the sick and wounded to be evacuated.

Meanwhile, Syrian government forces continued to pound rebel towns in Eastern Ghouta with air strikes as troops edged closer to retaking the battered opposition enclave outside Damascus. Syria&#39;s civil conflict enters its eighth year this week with fighting on several fronts, but the assault on Eastern Ghouta has been one of the most ferocious of the war.

Hundreds of people also fled a Turkish-led advance in the northern area of Afrin, where a Kurdish-majority city is also under threat of being besieged.

Since February 18, forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad have retaken nearly 60 percent of Eastern Ghouta, whittling down rebel territory to three isolated pockets.

Backed by Russia, the advance has battered Eastern Ghouta with air strikes, artillery and rocket fire, raising widespread international concern and prompting urgent calls for a ceasefire.

The advances come even as the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that&nbsp;about <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/syria-war-has-killed-more-than-500000-people-in-7-years-monitor-35515">511,000 people had been killed</a> in the Syrian war since it began seven years ago.

US Ambassador Nikki Haley told the United Nations Security Council that the ceasefire resolution adopted by the council two weeks ago had failed as the Syrian government backed by Russia stepped up its offensive in Eastern Ghouta

The United States on Monday presented a new draft resolution to the UN Security Council (UNSC) demanding a 30-day ceasefire in Syria's rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta. US Ambassador Nikki Haley told the UNSC that the ceasefire resolution would provide "no room for evasion" and that the resolution adopted by the council two weeks ago had failed as the Syrian government backed by Russia stepped up its offensive in Eastern Ghouta. "We have drafted a new ceasefire resolution that provides no room for evasion," Nikki Haley said. While addressing the Security Council, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said air strikes, shelling and ground offensives have intensified in Eastern Ghouta and claimed hundreds of lives ever since a UN ceasefire resolution was adopted two weeks ago. The UN Secretary-General called for aid convoys to be allowed into the besieged Syrian enclave and for the sick and wounded to be evacuated. Meanwhile, Syrian government forces continued to pound rebel towns in Eastern Ghouta with air strikes as troops edged closer to retaking the battered opposition enclave outside Damascus. Syria's civil conflict enters its eighth year this week with fighting on several fronts, but the assault on Eastern Ghouta has been one of the most ferocious of the war. Hundreds of people also fled a Turkish-led advance in the northern area of Afrin, where a Kurdish-majority city is also under threat of being besieged. Since February 18, forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad have retaken nearly 60 percent of Eastern Ghouta, whittling down rebel territory to three isolated pockets. Backed by Russia, the advance has battered Eastern Ghouta with air strikes, artillery and rocket fire, raising widespread international concern and prompting urgent calls for a ceasefire. The advances come even as the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that about 511,000 people had been killed in the Syrian war since it began seven years ago.

US presents new UN draft resolution on Syria ceasefire, says 'no room for evasion'

Beijing has protested against Washington&#39;s decision to impose sanctions against Chinese companies accused of conducting illicit economic deals with North Korea, the foreign ministry said.&nbsp;

US President Donald Trump on Friday announced measures targeting more than 50 North Korea-linked shipping companies, vessels and trade businesses, hailing the package as the &quot;heaviest sanctions ever&quot; levied on the nuclear-armed regime.&nbsp;

The measures, which the US says are aimed at forcing Pyongyang to roll back its banned nuclear and weapons programmes, apply to companies located or registered in North Korea, China, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Marshall Islands, Tanzania, Panama and Comoros.

Washington has been locked in a nuclear standoff with Pyongyang, which is trying to develop missiles that could deliver an atomic weapon to major US cities, and the sanctions are designed to put the squeeze on North Korea&#39;s already precarious economy and fuel supply.

&quot;China is strongly opposed to the United States&#39; long-arm jurisdiction and unilateral sanctions on Chinese entities and individuals,&quot; foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Saturday.

&quot;We have lodged solemn representations to the United States and asked the US&nbsp;to immediately cease the wrong practice so as to avoid undermining relevant cooperation between the two sides,&quot; he added.

China, North Korea&#39;s only major ally, has steadfastly rebuffed Washington&#39;s calls for a full oil embargo -- fearing the chaotic collapse of the Pyongyang regime -- but has accepted caps agreed at the United Nations.

&quot;We will never allow Chinese citizens or companies to be engaged in activities that violate resolutions from the United Nations Security Council,&quot; Geng said.

But Washington says its latest measures target entities that have helped Pyongyang evade UN sanctions.

The North Korean military and broader economy depend heavily on imports of coal and oil from Russia and China, with the latter accounting for some 90 percent of the country&#39;s trade.

Last year, the Security Council adopted a series of resolutions to ban North Korean exports of commodities, including coal, iron and steel.

US President Donald Trump on Friday announced measures targeting more than 50 North Korea-linked shipping companies, vessels and trade businesses

Beijing has protested against Washington's decision to impose sanctions against Chinese companies accused of conducting illicit economic deals with North Korea, the foreign ministry said. US President Donald Trump on Friday announced measures targeting more than 50 North Korea-linked shipping companies, vessels and trade businesses, hailing the package as the "heaviest sanctions ever" levied on the nuclear-armed regime. The measures, which the US says are aimed at forcing Pyongyang to roll back its banned nuclear and weapons programmes, apply to companies located or registered in North Korea, China, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Marshall Islands, Tanzania, Panama and Comoros. Washington has been locked in a nuclear standoff with Pyongyang, which is trying to develop missiles that could deliver an atomic weapon to major US cities, and the sanctions are designed to put the squeeze on North Korea's already precarious economy and fuel supply. "China is strongly opposed to the United States' long-arm jurisdiction and unilateral sanctions on Chinese entities and individuals," foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Saturday. "We have lodged solemn representations to the United States and asked the US to immediately cease the wrong practice so as to avoid undermining relevant cooperation between the two sides," he added. China, North Korea's only major ally, has steadfastly rebuffed Washington's calls for a full oil embargo -- fearing the chaotic collapse of the Pyongyang regime -- but has accepted caps agreed at the United Nations. "We will never allow Chinese citizens or companies to be engaged in activities that violate resolutions from the United Nations Security Council," Geng said. But Washington says its latest measures target entities that have helped Pyongyang evade UN sanctions. The North Korean military and broader economy depend heavily on imports of coal and oil from Russia and China, with the latter accounting for some 90 percent of the country's trade. Last year, the Security Council adopted a series of resolutions to ban North Korean exports of commodities, including coal, iron and steel.

Beijing protests US sanctions on Chinese firms over North Korea ties

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Saturday unanimously backed a 30-day ceasefire resolution in Syria to allow for humanitarian aid deliveries and medical evacuations.

The vote comes in response to the seven-day airstrikes and bombings in the war-torn country that has claimed over 500 lives so far.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed on Wednesday for an immediate end to &quot;war activities&quot; there and had referred to the Syrians living in the Eastern Ghouta enclave near Damascus as &quot;Hell on Earth&quot;, according to media reports.

Earlier, the UNSC was supposed to vote on the ceasefire in Syria on Thursday, which is seeing a bloody six-year-old civil war.

Negotiations stumbled over Russian demands that the rebel groups fighting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s forces should comply with the resolution.

Russia, which is also a permanent member of the Security Council vetoed 11 times to protect the Syrian government.

The draft resolution put forward by Kuwait and Sweden, earlier called for a nationwide resolution to go into effect within 72 hours after the resolution is passed. Medical evacuations and aid deliveries would start 48 hours after adopting the resolution. However, the plan did not materialise.

The Bashar-led Syrian government and its close ally Russia have repeatedly said that the motive of airstrikes is to target militants.

They have said that they seek to stop mortar attacks injuring dozens in Damascus, and have accused the militants in Eastern Ghouta of capturing and holding people as &quot;human shields&quot;.

Moscow, which intervened militarily in support of its Damascus ally in 2015, has denied any direct involvement in the Eastern Ghouta bombardment.

The Syrian military forces have not commented on the resolution so far.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday called on the Russian President Vladimir Putin to back the ceasefire resolution.

In November last year, Russia used its veto power to end a UN-led investigation of chemical weapons attacks in Syria.

Nearly 500 people, including 100 children, have died and hundreds more injured in the last seven days, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).

At least 35 civilians were killed in Saturday&#39;s strikes, including eight children. A night of heavy bombardment sparked fires in residential districts, the SOHR said in a statement.

Eastern Ghouta, which houses around 400,000 residents, has remained under a crippling regime siege for the last five years.

In May last year, Russia, Iran and Turkey signed an agreement to set up de-escalation zones, in order to prevent airstrike-related incidents in some parts of Syria.

The de-escalation zones include- Idlib province, some parts of Latakia province, Hama and Aleppo provinces, Homs, Eastern Ghouta, Daraa and al-Quneitra provinces in southern Syria.

Syria has been embroiled in a civil war since 2011. Protesters have been long demanding the resignation of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad over his autocratic rule.

The UN Security Council has unanimously approved a resolution demanding a 30-day ceasefire in Syria to allow aid deliveries and medical evacuations

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Saturday unanimously backed a 30-day ceasefire resolution in Syria to allow for humanitarian aid deliveries and medical evacuations. The vote comes in response to the seven-day airstrikes and bombings in the war-torn country that has claimed over 500 lives so far. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed on Wednesday for an immediate end to "war activities" there and had referred to the Syrians living in the Eastern Ghouta enclave near Damascus as "Hell on Earth", according to media reports. Earlier, the UNSC was supposed to vote on the ceasefire in Syria on Thursday, which is seeing a bloody six-year-old civil war. Negotiations stumbled over Russian demands that the rebel groups fighting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces should comply with the resolution. Russia, which is also a permanent member of the Security Council vetoed 11 times to protect the Syrian government. The draft resolution put forward by Kuwait and Sweden, earlier called for a nationwide resolution to go into effect within 72 hours after the resolution is passed. Medical evacuations and aid deliveries would start 48 hours after adopting the resolution. However, the plan did not materialise. The Bashar-led Syrian government and its close ally Russia have repeatedly said that the motive of airstrikes is to target militants. They have said that they seek to stop mortar attacks injuring dozens in Damascus, and have accused the militants in Eastern Ghouta of capturing and holding people as "human shields". Moscow, which intervened militarily in support of its Damascus ally in 2015, has denied any direct involvement in the Eastern Ghouta bombardment. The Syrian military forces have not commented on the resolution so far. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday called on the Russian President Vladimir Putin to back the ceasefire resolution. In November last year, Russia used its veto power to end a UN-led investigation of chemical weapons attacks in Syria. Nearly 500 people, including 100 children, have died and hundreds more injured in the last seven days, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). At least 35 civilians were killed in Saturday's strikes, including eight children. A night of heavy bombardment sparked fires in residential districts, the SOHR said in a statement. Eastern Ghouta, which houses around 400,000 residents, has remained under a crippling regime siege for the last five years. In May last year, Russia, Iran and Turkey signed an agreement to set up de-escalation zones, in order to prevent airstrike-related incidents in some parts of Syria. The de-escalation zones include- Idlib province, some parts of Latakia province, Hama and Aleppo provinces, Homs, Eastern Ghouta, Daraa and al-Quneitra provinces in southern Syria. Syria has been embroiled in a civil war since 2011. Protesters have been long demanding the resignation of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad over his autocratic rule.

Syria war: UN Security Council approves 30-day ceasefire as death toll in rebel enclave tops 500

The United States on Tuesday described Myanmar denials of ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims as &quot;preposterous&quot; as it called on the UN&nbsp;Security Council to hold the military accountable and pressure leader Aung San Suu Kyi &quot;to acknowledge these horrific acts that are taking place in her country.&quot;

&quot;Powerful forces in the Burmese government have denied the ethnic cleansing in Rakhine State,&quot; US&nbsp;Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley told the Security Council.

&quot;To make sure no one contradicts their preposterous denials, they are preventing access to Rakhine to anyone or any organization that might bear witness to their atrocities, including the UN&nbsp;Security Council,&quot; Haley said.

Haley also called for the release of Reuters news agency reporters arrested for reporting on the massacre of Rohingya Muslims.

&quot;We strongly call for their immediate and unconditional release,&quot; she said. In a reference to Myanmar`s reason for detaining the journalists, Haley added, &quot;On top of it all, they have the gall to blame the media.&quot;

The Reuters special report, published last week, lays out events leading up to the killing of 10 Rohingya men from Inn Din village in Rakhine state who were buried in a mass grave after being hacked to death or shot by Buddhist neighbours and soldiers.

French UN&nbsp;Ambassador Francois Delattre also told the Security Council that a massacre of Rohingya Muslims reported by Reuters could &quot;constitute crimes against humanity.&quot; 
Myanmar has denied that ethnic cleansing has taken place.

Any push for UN&nbsp;Security Council action is likely to face resistance from council veto powers Russia and China, who both said on Tuesday the situation in Rakhine state was stable and under control.

&quot;Using labels and attempts to use contradictory and subjective reports of the media ... to find out who`s guilty and condemn them only move us farther away from a solution,&quot; Russia`s Deputy UN&nbsp;Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy warned.&nbsp;

Nearly 690,000 Rohingya have fled Rakhine state and crossed into southern Bangladesh since last August when attacks on security posts by insurgents triggered a military crackdown that the United Nations has said may amount to genocide.

&quot;Conditions are not yet conducive to the voluntary repatriation of Rohingya refugees,&quot; UN&nbsp;refugee chief Filippo Grandi told the Security Council.

Calls for journalists release

While Myanmar UN&nbsp;Ambassador Hau Do Suan said that some diplomats had been able to travel to Rakhine state but also told the UN&nbsp;Security Council not to visit during February because it was &quot;not the right time,&quot; Kuwait`s UN&nbsp;Ambassador Mansour Ayyad Al-Otaibi said this month.&nbsp;

Myanmar`s Hau Do Suan said that an inquiry by the Myanmar military, known as the Tatmadaw, had found that 10 Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army militants had been arrested in Inn Din and executed and buried a day later.

&quot;Actions are being taken against 16 individuals, including army and police officers and some villagers who had acted in violation of standard operating procedures and the rules of engagement. This action of the Tatmadaw is positive step forward in taking responsibility and deserves encouragement,&quot; he said.

With reference to Reuters journalists arrested for reporting on the Rohingya, Hau Do Suan said Myanmar recognises freedom of the press and the journalists were not arrested in December for reporting a story, but were accused of &quot;illegally possessing confidential government documents.&quot;

&quot;Every citizen is bound by the existing law of the land. It is important that the actions of the journalists must also within the bound of the law,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

Britain, France, the United States, the Netherlands and Kazakhstan all called for the release of the Reuters journalists during the Security Council meeting on Tuesday.&nbsp;

'Powerful forces in the Burmese government have denied the ethnic cleansing in Rakhine State,' US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley told the Security Council

The United States on Tuesday described Myanmar denials of ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims as "preposterous" as it called on the UN Security Council to hold the military accountable and pressure leader Aung San Suu Kyi "to acknowledge these horrific acts that are taking place in her country." "Powerful forces in the Burmese government have denied the ethnic cleansing in Rakhine State," US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley told the Security Council. "To make sure no one contradicts their preposterous denials, they are preventing access to Rakhine to anyone or any organization that might bear witness to their atrocities, including the UN Security Council," Haley said. Haley also called for the release of Reuters news agency reporters arrested for reporting on the massacre of Rohingya Muslims. "We strongly call for their immediate and unconditional release," she said. In a reference to Myanmar`s reason for detaining the journalists, Haley added, "On top of it all, they have the gall to blame the media." The Reuters special report, published last week, lays out events leading up to the killing of 10 Rohingya men from Inn Din village in Rakhine state who were buried in a mass grave after being hacked to death or shot by Buddhist neighbours and soldiers. French UN Ambassador Francois Delattre also told the Security Council that a massacre of Rohingya Muslims reported by Reuters could "constitute crimes against humanity." Myanmar has denied that ethnic cleansing has taken place. Any push for UN Security Council action is likely to face resistance from council veto powers Russia and China, who both said on Tuesday the situation in Rakhine state was stable and under control. "Using labels and attempts to use contradictory and subjective reports of the media ... to find out who`s guilty and condemn them only move us farther away from a solution," Russia`s Deputy UN Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy warned. Nearly 690,000 Rohingya have fled Rakhine state and crossed into southern Bangladesh since last August when attacks on security posts by insurgents triggered a military crackdown that the United Nations has said may amount to genocide. "Conditions are not yet conducive to the voluntary repatriation of Rohingya refugees," UN refugee chief Filippo Grandi told the Security Council. Calls for journalists release While Myanmar UN Ambassador Hau Do Suan said that some diplomats had been able to travel to Rakhine state but also told the UN Security Council not to visit during February because it was "not the right time," Kuwait`s UN Ambassador Mansour Ayyad Al-Otaibi said this month. Myanmar`s Hau Do Suan said that an inquiry by the Myanmar military, known as the Tatmadaw, had found that 10 Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army militants had been arrested in Inn Din and executed and buried a day later. "Actions are being taken against 16 individuals, including army and police officers and some villagers who had acted in violation of standard operating procedures and the rules of engagement. This action of the Tatmadaw is positive step forward in taking responsibility and deserves encouragement," he said. With reference to Reuters journalists arrested for reporting on the Rohingya, Hau Do Suan said Myanmar recognises freedom of the press and the journalists were not arrested in December for reporting a story, but were accused of "illegally possessing confidential government documents." "Every citizen is bound by the existing law of the land. It is important that the actions of the journalists must also within the bound of the law," he said. Britain, France, the United States, the Netherlands and Kazakhstan all called for the release of the Reuters journalists during the Security Council meeting on Tuesday.

US urges UN to hold Myanmar military accountable for 'ethnic cleansing'

Amid mounting global pressure on Pakistan to act against Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed and entities linked to him, a UN Security Council team will visit the country next week for an assessment of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/no-action-can-be-taken-against-hafiz-saeed-pakistan-pm-29908">Islamabad&#39;s compliance</a> with the world body&#39;s sanctions regime.

The two-day visit of the UN Security Council&#39;s sanctions monitoring team will begin on Thursday.

&quot;The monitoring team of the UNSC 1267 Sanctions Committee will be here on January 25 and 26,&quot; a senior Pakistani official was quoted as saying by Dawn.

The UN monitoring team&#39;s visit is taking place amid increasing pressure on Pakistan from the US and India with respect to the inadequate implementation of the sanctions on Saeed and entities linked to him.

However, Pakistani officials, insist that the trip is a routine visit.

Saeed was listed under UN Security Council Resolution 1267 in December 2008.

On Friday, the US State Department said it has told clearly to Islamabad that Saeed is a &quot;terrorist&quot; and should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, reacting strongly to Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi&#39;s remarks that there was no case against the Mumbai attack mastermind.

State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said: &quot;He is listed by the UNSC 1267, the Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee for targeted sanctions due to his affiliation with Lashkar-e-Taiba, which is a designated foreign terror organisation.&quot;

&quot;We believe that he should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,&quot; Nauert had said.

Saeed, the chief of the Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD), was released from house arrest in Pakistan in November.

The JuD is believed to be the front organisation for the LeT which is responsible for carrying out the Mumbai attack that killed 166 people. It has been declared as a foreign terrorist organisation by the US in June 2014.

&quot;The terms of reference of the monitoring team for the Pakistan visit are not publicly known, but as per its general mandate it assists the 1267 Committee in keeping an eye on the freezing of the financial assets of listed persons and entities and checking provision of training and other material to them and their travel,&quot; the paper said.

The UNSC monitoring team intimates instances of non- compliance to the committee through its reports. At the same time it also advises and assists member states on implementation of the regime.

Pakistan has remained under the Financial Action Task Force scanner over allegations by the US and India about the UNSC sanctions not being fully implemented, the paper said.

The US Department of the Treasury has designated Saeed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, and the US, since 2012, has offered a USD 10 million reward for information that brings Saeed to justice.&nbsp;

Amid mounting global pressure on Pakistan to act against Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed and entities linked to him, a UN Security Council team will visit the country next week for an assessment of Islamabad's compliance with the world body's sanctions regime

Amid mounting global pressure on Pakistan to act against Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed and entities linked to him, a UN Security Council team will visit the country next week for an assessment of Islamabad's compliance with the world body's sanctions regime. The two-day visit of the UN Security Council's sanctions monitoring team will begin on Thursday. "The monitoring team of the UNSC 1267 Sanctions Committee will be here on January 25 and 26," a senior Pakistani official was quoted as saying by Dawn. The UN monitoring team's visit is taking place amid increasing pressure on Pakistan from the US and India with respect to the inadequate implementation of the sanctions on Saeed and entities linked to him. However, Pakistani officials, insist that the trip is a routine visit. Saeed was listed under UN Security Council Resolution 1267 in December 2008. On Friday, the US State Department said it has told clearly to Islamabad that Saeed is a "terrorist" and should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, reacting strongly to Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi's remarks that there was no case against the Mumbai attack mastermind. State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said: "He is listed by the UNSC 1267, the Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee for targeted sanctions due to his affiliation with Lashkar-e-Taiba, which is a designated foreign terror organisation." "We believe that he should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," Nauert had said. Saeed, the chief of the Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD), was released from house arrest in Pakistan in November. The JuD is believed to be the front organisation for the LeT which is responsible for carrying out the Mumbai attack that killed 166 people. It has been declared as a foreign terrorist organisation by the US in June 2014. "The terms of reference of the monitoring team for the Pakistan visit are not publicly known, but as per its general mandate it assists the 1267 Committee in keeping an eye on the freezing of the financial assets of listed persons and entities and checking provision of training and other material to them and their travel," the paper said. The UNSC monitoring team intimates instances of non- compliance to the committee through its reports. At the same time it also advises and assists member states on implementation of the regime. Pakistan has remained under the Financial Action Task Force scanner over allegations by the US and India about the UNSC sanctions not being fully implemented, the paper said. The US Department of the Treasury has designated Saeed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, and the US, since 2012, has offered a USD 10 million reward for information that brings Saeed to justice.

UNSC sanctions team to visit Pakistan next week

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas visits Russia on Monday in a bid to secure Russian President Vladimir Putin&#39;s support following Washington&#39;s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital.

The Palestinian leader was set to visit Moscow two weeks after a visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Abbas has refused any contact with US President Donald Trump&#39;s administration since Washington&#39;s recognition of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital at the end of last year. Abbas is due to speak at the United Nations Security Council on February 20.

Palestinians see the US decision, which broke with years of international diplomacy, as a denial of their claim to East Jerusalem as the capital of an eventual Palestinian state.

Israel took control of East Jerusalem in the 1967 Six-Day War, annexed it and later declared it the indivisible capital of Israel.

The US Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, has accused Abbas of lacking the courage needed to forge a peace deal with Israel.&nbsp;

Abbas in turn has rejected any mediation by Washington in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and has promised his people to work towards full recognition of a Palestinian state by the United Nations.

Alexander Shumilin, a Middle East scholar at the Institute for US and Canadian Studies, called Abbas&#39;s visit &quot;an attempt to cosy up to Russia, a consistent ally, and to stop Netanyahu leading Moscow astray during an improvement in Russia-Israeli ties&quot;.

Netanyahu visited Russia on January 29 and along with Putin attended a memorial ceremony at the Jewish museum in Moscow for the victims of Nazi camps. He took the opportunity to accuse Iran of wanting to &quot;destroy&quot; the Jewish state.

In turn, the Russian president likened antisemitism to &quot;Russophobia&quot; and said Russia and Israel were &quot;cooperating closely&quot;, particularly against &quot;attempts to falsify history&quot;.

Chances &#39;close to zero

For Shumilin, Monday&#39;s visit &quot;is a necessary political gesture for Abbas but can do little in the practical sense&quot;.

&quot;It is also definitely not worth expecting a breakthrough from this visit,&quot; he added.

In 2016 Russia offered to host one-on-one talks without preconditions between Abbas and Netanyahu but these never materialised.

In January, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov estimated that chances of resuming direct talks between the two sides in the current situation were &quot;close to zero&quot;.

Lavrov also said &quot;we understand the emotions&quot; Palestinians feel towards Trump.

&quot;We keep hearing in recent months that the US is about to publish some &#39;major deal&#39; that... will satisfy everyone,&quot; he said. But he added that Russia &quot;has not seen or heard of such a document or even any statement&quot;.

With relations between Washington and Moscow at a record low for the post-Cold War era, Abbas may be expecting that &quot;Russia-US relations will get even worse and then Russia could do something to spite the US&quot;, Shumilin said.

On November 29, 2012, the United Nations designated Palestine as a non-member observer state after a vote by the General Assembly.

That enabled the Palestinians to join international organisations and the International Criminal Court, though they did not become a full UN member state.

Palestinian statehood is recognised by more than 130 countries.

Abbas has refused any contact with US President Donald Trump's administration since Washington's recognition of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital at the end of last year

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas visits Russia on Monday in a bid to secure Russian President Vladimir Putin's support following Washington's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. The Palestinian leader was set to visit Moscow two weeks after a visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Abbas has refused any contact with US President Donald Trump's administration since Washington's recognition of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital at the end of last year. Abbas is due to speak at the United Nations Security Council on February 20. Palestinians see the US decision, which broke with years of international diplomacy, as a denial of their claim to East Jerusalem as the capital of an eventual Palestinian state. Israel took control of East Jerusalem in the 1967 Six-Day War, annexed it and later declared it the indivisible capital of Israel. The US Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, has accused Abbas of lacking the courage needed to forge a peace deal with Israel. Abbas in turn has rejected any mediation by Washington in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and has promised his people to work towards full recognition of a Palestinian state by the United Nations. Alexander Shumilin, a Middle East scholar at the Institute for US and Canadian Studies, called Abbas's visit "an attempt to cosy up to Russia, a consistent ally, and to stop Netanyahu leading Moscow astray during an improvement in Russia-Israeli ties". Netanyahu visited Russia on January 29 and along with Putin attended a memorial ceremony at the Jewish museum in Moscow for the victims of Nazi camps. He took the opportunity to accuse Iran of wanting to "destroy" the Jewish state. In turn, the Russian president likened antisemitism to "Russophobia" and said Russia and Israel were "cooperating closely", particularly against "attempts to falsify history". Chances 'close to zero For Shumilin, Monday's visit "is a necessary political gesture for Abbas but can do little in the practical sense". "It is also definitely not worth expecting a breakthrough from this visit," he added. In 2016 Russia offered to host one-on-one talks without preconditions between Abbas and Netanyahu but these never materialised. In January, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov estimated that chances of resuming direct talks between the two sides in the current situation were "close to zero". Lavrov also said "we understand the emotions" Palestinians feel towards Trump. "We keep hearing in recent months that the US is about to publish some 'major deal' that... will satisfy everyone," he said. But he added that Russia "has not seen or heard of such a document or even any statement". With relations between Washington and Moscow at a record low for the post-Cold War era, Abbas may be expecting that "Russia-US relations will get even worse and then Russia could do something to spite the US", Shumilin said. On November 29, 2012, the United Nations designated Palestine as a non-member observer state after a vote by the General Assembly. That enabled the Palestinians to join international organisations and the International Criminal Court, though they did not become a full UN member state. Palestinian statehood is recognised by more than 130 countries.

Jerusalem row: After Netanyahu's meeting, Mahmud Abbas to also meet Putin seeking Russia's support

The Maldives&#39; top judge received death threats before his arrest in a regime crackdown, his lawyer said today ahead of a United Nations Security Council hearing on the island nation&#39;s political crisis.

Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed was warned he would be &quot;cut into pieces&quot; if he did not overturn a court order quashing convictions against high-profile political dissidents, his lawyer Hisaan Hussain said.

Saeed was arrested as President Abdulla Yameen declared a state of emergency in the honeymoon islands after refusing to obey the court order.

The top judge was accused of accepting bribes to impeach the regime leader, who has jailed most of his political opponents.

&quot;The Chief Justice was forcefully dragged on the floor from his chambers by uniformed security personnel in riot gear after he told them they were in contempt of court,&quot; Hussain said. He did not say who issued the threats.

Saeed is among two top justices detained in a sweeping crackdown by Yameen, who has doubled down since the Supreme Court cleared his political rival Mohamed Nasheed, among other regime critics, of terrorism charges.

The remaining three judges restored the conviction Tuesday &quot;in light of the concerns raised by the President&quot; after Yameen declared the state of emergency and accused the justices of trying to overthrow him.

The international community has censured the president for imposing special emergency provisions that allow the military to detain suspects for long periods without charge.

The UN has urged Yameen to lift the state of emergency and will discuss the crisis gripping the Indian Ocean archipelago in a closed-door meeting at the Security Council today.

&quot;The Maldives has seen in recent years attacks on political opponents, on journalists, on civil society and human right defenders, and what is happening now is tantamount to an all-out assault on democracy,&quot; UN rights chief Zeid Ra&#39;ad Al Hussein said in a statement yesterday.​​​​​​​

The top judge was accused of accepting bribes to impeach the regime leader, who has jailed most of his political opponents.

The Maldives' top judge received death threats before his arrest in a regime crackdown, his lawyer said today ahead of a United Nations Security Council hearing on the island nation's political crisis. Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed was warned he would be "cut into pieces" if he did not overturn a court order quashing convictions against high-profile political dissidents, his lawyer Hisaan Hussain said. Saeed was arrested as President Abdulla Yameen declared a state of emergency in the honeymoon islands after refusing to obey the court order. The top judge was accused of accepting bribes to impeach the regime leader, who has jailed most of his political opponents. "The Chief Justice was forcefully dragged on the floor from his chambers by uniformed security personnel in riot gear after he told them they were in contempt of court," Hussain said. He did not say who issued the threats. Saeed is among two top justices detained in a sweeping crackdown by Yameen, who has doubled down since the Supreme Court cleared his political rival Mohamed Nasheed, among other regime critics, of terrorism charges. The remaining three judges restored the conviction Tuesday "in light of the concerns raised by the President" after Yameen declared the state of emergency and accused the justices of trying to overthrow him. The international community has censured the president for imposing special emergency provisions that allow the military to detain suspects for long periods without charge. The UN has urged Yameen to lift the state of emergency and will discuss the crisis gripping the Indian Ocean archipelago in a closed-door meeting at the Security Council today. "The Maldives has seen in recent years attacks on political opponents, on journalists, on civil society and human right defenders, and what is happening now is tantamount to an all-out assault on democracy," UN rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said in a statement yesterday.

Maldives top judge threatened with death: Lawyer

Local authorities in Syria`s Afrin called on Sunday for world powers to intervene to halt a Turkish-led assault on their region, accusing Russia of complicity in civilian deaths there.

Ankara and allied rebels launched operation &quot;Olive Branch&quot; on January 20 against the Kurdish People`s Protection Units (YPG), which Turkey has blacklisted as &quot;terrorists&quot;.

Afrin`s local administration -- the semi-autonomous government in place since 2013 -- shot back the accusation on Sunday and urged Moscow to take a firm stand.

&quot;We ask the Russian federation in particular to rescind its support for the Turkish state`s terrorism against the people of Afrin,&quot; it said in a statement.

&quot;It bears responsibility for the massacres the fascist Turkish state is carrying out against innocent civilians.&quot;

Russia, which intervened militarily in Syria`s war in 2015, had troops positioned in Afrin but withdrew them as Turkey launched the assault.

The YPG and Afrin officials say that withdrawal amounted to tacit approval of the Turkish offensive.

Officials on Sunday also called for the United States, European Union, United Nations Security Council and the US-led coalition fighting jihadists to &quot;immediately intervene to stop Turkey`s aggression&quot;.

Ankara says it launched the operation to protect its southern border and insists that it is doing everything it can to avoid civilian casualties.

But the campaign has sparked mass protests, including in Afrin on Sunday.

Thousands of people marched in downtown Afrin with YPG flags and posters of Abdullah Ocalan, the jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers` Party (PKK).

Turkey is vehemently opposed to the YPG because of its ties to the PKK, which has waged a three-decade insurgency against Turkish forces.

&quot;We`re holding the whole world responsible because we fought terrorism on behalf of everyone, but today the world agreed to kill Syrians,&quot; said Ali Mahmoud, 45.

Other demonstrators clutched olive branches, a symbol of Afrin which is known for its abundant olive groves but also now associated with the name Turkey gave its offensive.

&quot;They named their attack `Olive Branch`. It`s a thorn in their hand, but in our hands, it`s a gun,&quot; said Fikrat Afdal, 33.

At least 68 civilians, including 21 children, have died in Turkish shelling as part of the assault, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

More than 100 pro-Ankara rebels and a similar number of YPG fighters have also died, the British-based monitor says. 
&nbsp;

Ankara and allied rebels launched operation 'Olive Branch' on January 20 against the Kurdish People`s Protection Units (YPG), which Turkey has blacklisted as 'terrorists'

Local authorities in Syria`s Afrin called on Sunday for world powers to intervene to halt a Turkish-led assault on their region, accusing Russia of complicity in civilian deaths there. Ankara and allied rebels launched operation "Olive Branch" on January 20 against the Kurdish People`s Protection Units (YPG), which Turkey has blacklisted as "terrorists". Afrin`s local administration -- the semi-autonomous government in place since 2013 -- shot back the accusation on Sunday and urged Moscow to take a firm stand. "We ask the Russian federation in particular to rescind its support for the Turkish state`s terrorism against the people of Afrin," it said in a statement. "It bears responsibility for the massacres the fascist Turkish state is carrying out against innocent civilians." Russia, which intervened militarily in Syria`s war in 2015, had troops positioned in Afrin but withdrew them as Turkey launched the assault. The YPG and Afrin officials say that withdrawal amounted to tacit approval of the Turkish offensive. Officials on Sunday also called for the United States, European Union, United Nations Security Council and the US-led coalition fighting jihadists to "immediately intervene to stop Turkey`s aggression". Ankara says it launched the operation to protect its southern border and insists that it is doing everything it can to avoid civilian casualties. But the campaign has sparked mass protests, including in Afrin on Sunday. Thousands of people marched in downtown Afrin with YPG flags and posters of Abdullah Ocalan, the jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers` Party (PKK). Turkey is vehemently opposed to the YPG because of its ties to the PKK, which has waged a three-decade insurgency against Turkish forces. "We`re holding the whole world responsible because we fought terrorism on behalf of everyone, but today the world agreed to kill Syrians," said Ali Mahmoud, 45. Other demonstrators clutched olive branches, a symbol of Afrin which is known for its abundant olive groves but also now associated with the name Turkey gave its offensive. "They named their attack `Olive Branch`. It`s a thorn in their hand, but in our hands, it`s a gun," said Fikrat Afdal, 33. At least 68 civilians, including 21 children, have died in Turkish shelling as part of the assault, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. More than 100 pro-Ankara rebels and a similar number of YPG fighters have also died, the British-based monitor says.

Syria's Afrin urges Russia to oppose Turkish-led assault

The United Nations Security Council will meet on Friday at the request of eight states on the 15-member body over U.S. President Donald Trump&#39;s decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, diplomats said on Wednesday.

The request for UN&nbsp;Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to publicly brief the Security Council meeting was made by France, Bolivia, Egypt, Italy, Senegal, Sweden, Britain and Uruguay, said diplomats.

Trump abruptly reversed decades of U.S. policy on Wednesday, generating outrage from Palestinians and defying warnings of Middle East unrest. Trump also plans to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv.

Israel considers the city its eternal and indivisible capital and wants all embassies based there. Palestinians want the capital of an independent Palestinian state to be in the city&#39;s eastern sector, which Israel captured in a 1967 war and annexed in a move never recognised internationally.

&quot;The UN&nbsp;has given Jerusalem a special legal and political status, which the Security Council has called upon the international community to respect. That is why we believe the Council needs to address this issue with urgency,&quot; Deputy Swedish U.N. Ambassador Carl Skau said on Wednesday.

A UN&nbsp;Security Council resolution adopted in December last year &quot;underlines that it will not recognise any changes to the 4 June 1967 lines, including with regard to Jerusalem, other than those agreed by the parties through negotiations.&quot;

That resolution was approved with 14 votes in favour and an abstention by former U.S. President Barack Obama&#39;s administration, which defied heavy pressure from long-time ally Israel and Trump for Washington to wield its veto.

After Trump spoke on Wednesday, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters: &quot;I have consistently spoken out against any unilateral measures that would jeopardize the prospect of peace for Israelis and Palestinians.&quot;

&quot;In this moment of great anxiety, I want to make it clear: There is no alternative to the two-state solution. There is no Plan B,&quot; he said. &quot;I will do everything in my power to support the Israeli and Palestinian leaders to return to meaningful negotiations.&quot;

US&nbsp;Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley praised Trump&#39;s decision as &quot;the just and right thing to do.&quot;

The request for U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to publicly brief the Security Council meeting was made by France, Bolivia, Egypt, Italy, Senegal, Sweden, Britain and Uruguay, said diplomats.

The United Nations Security Council will meet on Friday at the request of eight states on the 15-member body over U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, diplomats said on Wednesday. The request for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to publicly brief the Security Council meeting was made by France, Bolivia, Egypt, Italy, Senegal, Sweden, Britain and Uruguay, said diplomats. Trump abruptly reversed decades of U.S. policy on Wednesday, generating outrage from Palestinians and defying warnings of Middle East unrest. Trump also plans to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv. Israel considers the city its eternal and indivisible capital and wants all embassies based there. Palestinians want the capital of an independent Palestinian state to be in the city's eastern sector, which Israel captured in a 1967 war and annexed in a move never recognised internationally. "The UN has given Jerusalem a special legal and political status, which the Security Council has called upon the international community to respect. That is why we believe the Council needs to address this issue with urgency," Deputy Swedish U.N. Ambassador Carl Skau said on Wednesday. A UN Security Council resolution adopted in December last year "underlines that it will not recognise any changes to the 4 June 1967 lines, including with regard to Jerusalem, other than those agreed by the parties through negotiations." That resolution was approved with 14 votes in favour and an abstention by former U.S. President Barack Obama's administration, which defied heavy pressure from long-time ally Israel and Trump for Washington to wield its veto. After Trump spoke on Wednesday, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters: "I have consistently spoken out against any unilateral measures that would jeopardize the prospect of peace for Israelis and Palestinians." "In this moment of great anxiety, I want to make it clear: There is no alternative to the two-state solution. There is no Plan B," he said. "I will do everything in my power to support the Israeli and Palestinian leaders to return to meaningful negotiations." US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley praised Trump's decision as "the just and right thing to do."

UN Security Council to meet Friday on Jerusalem: Diplomats

Can China be a trusted ally in the global war against terrorism? The question assumes significance as China continues&nbsp;giving steadfast protection to the chief of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad Masood Azhar. The country has gone so far as to prevent&nbsp;the United Nations Security Council from declaring Masood Azhar as a global terrorist.

India has accused the JeM and its top leader, Masood Azhar, of masterminding several attacks, including a deadly assault on an Indian air base in January last year. Six Indian soldiers, as well as five gunmen who stormed the Pathankot airbase, were killed.

China&rsquo;s opposition to proscribing Azhar is perplexing given that Jaish-e-Mohammad has already been blacklisted by the 15-nation Security Council of which China is one of the five permanent members. If China is party to the decision to outlaw JeM, then its decision not to let its leader bracket in the same category is beyond any logic.

It is high time the United Nations reconsider its original charter which gives veto power to five permanent members under which any one permanent nation can prevent the adoption of any substantive resolution. The rule of the majority of the five permanent members should follow. Otherwise, the international community will always be found wanting in its fight against terrorism due to double standards by some countries.

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This is the second time in as many years that China has blocked a combined bid by the United States, France and the United Kingdom to declare Azhar a global terrorist saying &ldquo;there is no consensus&rdquo; in the 1267 Committee of the UN Security Council. &nbsp;Where is the question of consensus if one country (read China) continues with its unwavering support for a dreaded terrorist like Azhar just only to please its ally Pakistan? Evidently, China is the lone wolf in the Security Council.

Last year also, it was the odd nation out in the 15-member Security Council to thwart India&rsquo;s bid to place Azhar on the 1267 sanctions list that would have entailed his travel ban and freezing of assets. India&rsquo;s application had the approval of all the other 14 members of the Security Council. Needless to say, China is misusing its veto power.

China&rsquo;s support for Azhar, therefore, raises suspicion about its commitment to fight terrorism. Barely a few months ago, it was a signatory to the Xiamen Declaration which had called upon the international community to establish a &quot;genuinely broad&quot; international counter-terrorism coalition. Not only that, it was also a party to a decision of the five-member BRICS nations summit which called for decisive action against militant groups based in Pakistan terming them as a security concern in the region.

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<h5>Both Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad are anti-India groups based in Pakistan and have routinely carried out militant attacks in Kashmir and elsewhere in the country.</h5>
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The groups named in the declaration included Taliban, (Islamic State), Al-Qaeda and its affiliates, including Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement, Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, the Haqqani network, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e Mohammad, TTP and Hizb ut-Tahrir. Both Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad are anti-India groups based in Pakistan and have routinely carried out militant attacks in Kashmir and elsewhere in the country.

India has accused LeT of carrying out the deadly terror attacks in Mumbai in 2008 in which at least 166 people were killed. JeM is also accused of masterminding the audacious attack on Indian Parliament in 2001. Masood Azhar is undoubtedly the prized asset for Pakistan. Not only has he meticulously planned several terrorist attacks against India, he has succeeded in creating an army of jihadis who are ready to lay down their lives at his command.

His importance lies in the fact that&nbsp;Pakistan government along with its army and notorious Inter-Services Intelligence had made several attempts to get him released from a jail after he was arrested in Kashmir in 1994. Five years later, the Indian government was forced to release him and two others - Mushtaq Ahmed Zargar and Omar Sheikh -&nbsp;in exchange for the safe release of passengers of the Indian Airlines flight -814 which was hijacked and taken to Kandahar in Afghanistan.

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If Azhar is declared a global terrorist, the government of Pakistan will be forced to arrest him and seize his assets. This is something the government does not want for two main reasons. Azhar has in the past threatened the government of violence if it made any such misadventure. Secondly, he enjoys the support of the Pakistani army.

Therefore, the Pakistani establishment is cagey while taking any action against him, because it does not have the spine to challenge its own army. China, too, understands the predicament of its all-weather ally. &nbsp;Therefore, it has been repeatedly blocking any attempt to outlaw Azhar even at the expense of its own image. For, China has in the past made several statements that there should be no double standards on counter-terrorism. China&rsquo;s action belies its alleged commitment against terrorism.

It should be understood that China has its own compulsions as far as protecting Azhar is concerned. It is more to do with returning favours to Pakistan. Pakistan has in the past come to the rescue of China in the powerful Organisation of Islamic Cooperation which was critical of the latter&rsquo;s repression of the Muslim Uighur community in Xinjiang province.

In the last two years, hundreds have died in unrest in Xinjiang. Activists have accused China of curtailing commercial as well as cultural activities of Uighur. In fact, a 2013 report of the Amnesty International was highly critical of China&rsquo;s handling of the situation in Xinjiang. It said authorities criminalised &ldquo;what they labelled &lsquo;illegal religious&rsquo; and &lsquo;separatist&rsquo; activities&rdquo; and clamped down on &ldquo;peaceful expressions of cultural identity.&rdquo;

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<h5>China does not want to walk along with the rest of the world in the fight against terrorism.</h5>
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As far as terrorism is concerned, China&rsquo;s definition is completely at variant with the world. While the world recognises the exiled Dalai Lama as the Tibetan spiritual leader, China considers him as a &ldquo;dangerous separatist&rdquo;. The Nobel Peace Prize recipient, who fled into exile in India in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule, has repeatedly said that he is simply seeking genuine autonomy for his homeland.

China is accused of turning a blind eye to more than 150 Tibetans who have publicly immolated themselves over the years. Beijing is miffed with New Delhi for allowing Dalai Lama live in India. And that is also one of the reasons why it has been stonewalling New Delhi&rsquo;s attempts to sanction Azhar to get even with it.

It is amply clear that China does not want to walk along with the rest of the world in the fight against terrorism. It chooses to define terrorists according to its own understanding as has been the case with Pakistan. It is high time China realises the perils of differentiating between terrorists. Otherwise, it risks global isolation.

(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

China risks global isolation if it does not realises the perils of differentiating between the terrorists

Can China be a trusted ally in the global war against terrorism? The question assumes significance as China continues giving steadfast protection to the chief of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad Masood Azhar. The country has gone so far as to prevent the United Nations Security Council from declaring Masood Azhar as a global terrorist. India has accused the JeM and its top leader, Masood Azhar, of masterminding several attacks, including a deadly assault on an Indian air base in January last year. Six Indian soldiers, as well as five gunmen who stormed the Pathankot airbase, were killed. China’s opposition to proscribing Azhar is perplexing given that Jaish-e-Mohammad has already been blacklisted by the 15-nation Security Council of which China is one of the five permanent members. If China is party to the decision to outlaw JeM, then its decision not to let its leader bracket in the same category is beyond any logic. It is high time the United Nations reconsider its original charter which gives veto power to five permanent members under which any one permanent nation can prevent the adoption of any substantive resolution. The rule of the majority of the five permanent members should follow. Otherwise, the international community will always be found wanting in its fight against terrorism due to double standards by some countries. China is the lone wolf in the Security Council. × This is the second time in as many years that China has blocked a combined bid by the United States, France and the United Kingdom to declare Azhar a global terrorist saying “there is no consensus” in the 1267 Committee of the UN Security Council. Where is the question of consensus if one country (read China) continues with its unwavering support for a dreaded terrorist like Azhar just only to please its ally Pakistan? Evidently, China is the lone wolf in the Security Council. Last year also, it was the odd nation out in the 15-member Security Council to thwart India’s bid to place Azhar on the 1267 sanctions list that would have entailed his travel ban and freezing of assets. India’s application had the approval of all the other 14 members of the Security Council. Needless to say, China is misusing its veto power. China’s support for Azhar, therefore, raises suspicion about its commitment to fight terrorism. Barely a few months ago, it was a signatory to the Xiamen Declaration which had called upon the international community to establish a "genuinely broad" international counter-terrorism coalition. Not only that, it was also a party to a decision of the five-member BRICS nations summit which called for decisive action against militant groups based in Pakistan terming them as a security concern in the region. Both Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad are anti-India groups based in Pakistan and have routinely carried out militant attacks in Kashmir and elsewhere in the country. × The groups named in the declaration included Taliban, (Islamic State), Al-Qaeda and its affiliates, including Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement, Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, the Haqqani network, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e Mohammad, TTP and Hizb ut-Tahrir. Both Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad are anti-India groups based in Pakistan and have routinely carried out militant attacks in Kashmir and elsewhere in the country. India has accused LeT of carrying out the deadly terror attacks in Mumbai in 2008 in which at least 166 people were killed. JeM is also accused of masterminding the audacious attack on Indian Parliament in 2001. Masood Azhar is undoubtedly the prized asset for Pakistan. Not only has he meticulously planned several terrorist attacks against India, he has succeeded in creating an army of jihadis who are ready to lay down their lives at his command. His importance lies in the fact that Pakistan government along with its army and notorious Inter-Services Intelligence had made several attempts to get him released from a jail after he was arrested in Kashmir in 1994. Five years later, the Indian government was forced to release him and two others - Mushtaq Ahmed Zargar and Omar Sheikh - in exchange for the safe release of passengers of the Indian Airlines flight -814 which was hijacked and taken to Kandahar in Afghanistan. If Azhar is declared a global terrorist, the government of Pakistan will be forced to arrest him and seize his assets. × If Azhar is declared a global terrorist, the government of Pakistan will be forced to arrest him and seize his assets. This is something the government does not want for two main reasons. Azhar has in the past threatened the government of violence if it made any such misadventure. Secondly, he enjoys the support of the Pakistani army. Therefore, the Pakistani establishment is cagey while taking any action against him, because it does not have the spine to challenge its own army. China, too, understands the predicament of its all-weather ally. Therefore, it has been repeatedly blocking any attempt to outlaw Azhar even at the expense of its own image. For, China has in the past made several statements that there should be no double standards on counter-terrorism. China’s action belies its alleged commitment against terrorism. It should be understood that China has its own compulsions as far as protecting Azhar is concerned. It is more to do with returning favours to Pakistan. Pakistan has in the past come to the rescue of China in the powerful Organisation of Islamic Cooperation which was critical of the latter’s repression of the Muslim Uighur community in Xinjiang province. In the last two years, hundreds have died in unrest in Xinjiang. Activists have accused China of curtailing commercial as well as cultural activities of Uighur. In fact, a 2013 report of the Amnesty International was highly critical of China’s handling of the situation in Xinjiang. It said authorities criminalised “what they labelled ‘illegal religious’ and ‘separatist’ activities” and clamped down on “peaceful expressions of cultural identity.” China does not want to walk along with the rest of the world in the fight against terrorism. × As far as terrorism is concerned, China’s definition is completely at variant with the world. While the world recognises the exiled Dalai Lama as the Tibetan spiritual leader, China considers him as a “dangerous separatist”. The Nobel Peace Prize recipient, who fled into exile in India in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule, has repeatedly said that he is simply seeking genuine autonomy for his homeland. China is accused of turning a blind eye to more than 150 Tibetans who have publicly immolated themselves over the years. Beijing is miffed with New Delhi for allowing Dalai Lama live in India. And that is also one of the reasons why it has been stonewalling New Delhi’s attempts to sanction Azhar to get even with it. It is amply clear that China does not want to walk along with the rest of the world in the fight against terrorism. It chooses to define terrorists according to its own understanding as has been the case with Pakistan. It is high time China realises the perils of differentiating between terrorists. Otherwise, it risks global isolation. (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Opinion: China drags its feet on fight against terror

Defence experts on Friday slammed China for blocking India&#39;s request at the United Nations Security Council to declare Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist.&nbsp;

Defence expert P K&nbsp;Sehgal said that China&#39;s move will weaken its relationship with India. &quot;This shows that the attitude of China is same as it was earlier and there is no change in it. This will weaken India and China relationship.

China will never let down its client state Pakistan. China is misusing its veto power and overlooking the views of all the other countries which are supporting India,&quot; he said. Defence expert Rahul Jalali said that China is adopting the double standard on terrorism.

&quot;China had already said this that they will block this proposal. Earlier also they did this. On one hand China talks about curbing terrorism on other hand they block the proposal to declare Masood Azhar a global terrorist,&quot; he said.

China on Thursday exercised the veto against the United States-backed proposal at the UN Security Council to declare Masood Azhar as a global terrorist, citing a lack of consensus.China had earlier indicated it would block India`s request at the Security Council.

Hua Chunying, the spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a recent press conference, &quot;As for the listing application by the relevant country [India], there are disagreements. China put the technical hold so as to allow for more time to deliberate on this matter. To our regret, the committee so far has yet to reach consensus. China always maintains that on the listing matter, the 1267 Committee [Security Council Committee] shall uphold the principle of objectivity, impartiality, and professionalism, and make its decisions by consensus among its members on the basis of solid evidence.&quot;

The &quot;technical hold&quot; could not be extended as it expired on Thursday, and hence, China was being expected to block the request permanently.The Jaish-e-Muhammad is designated as a terrorist organization by the US&nbsp;State Department, while India accuses its leader of launching several terrorist attacks on its soil, including the 2016 Pathankot airbase attack.Following the attack, India had initiated the move to include Azhar on the UN&nbsp;terrorist list.

All 15 members of the Security Council, except China, supported India`s bid.China is one of the five veto-holding members of the United Nations other than United States, United Kingdom, Russia, and France.

Defence experts on Friday slammed China for blocking India`s request at the United Nations Security Council to declare Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist.?

Defence experts on Friday slammed China for blocking India's request at the United Nations Security Council to declare Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist. Defence expert P K Sehgal said that China's move will weaken its relationship with India. "This shows that the attitude of China is same as it was earlier and there is no change in it. This will weaken India and China relationship. China will never let down its client state Pakistan. China is misusing its veto power and overlooking the views of all the other countries which are supporting India," he said. Defence expert Rahul Jalali said that China is adopting the double standard on terrorism. "China had already said this that they will block this proposal. Earlier also they did this. On one hand China talks about curbing terrorism on other hand they block the proposal to declare Masood Azhar a global terrorist," he said. China on Thursday exercised the veto against the United States-backed proposal at the UN Security Council to declare Masood Azhar as a global terrorist, citing a lack of consensus.China had earlier indicated it would block India`s request at the Security Council. Hua Chunying, the spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a recent press conference, "As for the listing application by the relevant country [India], there are disagreements. China put the technical hold so as to allow for more time to deliberate on this matter. To our regret, the committee so far has yet to reach consensus. China always maintains that on the listing matter, the 1267 Committee [Security Council Committee] shall uphold the principle of objectivity, impartiality, and professionalism, and make its decisions by consensus among its members on the basis of solid evidence." The "technical hold" could not be extended as it expired on Thursday, and hence, China was being expected to block the request permanently.The Jaish-e-Muhammad is designated as a terrorist organization by the US State Department, while India accuses its leader of launching several terrorist attacks on its soil, including the 2016 Pathankot airbase attack.Following the attack, India had initiated the move to include Azhar on the UN terrorist list. All 15 members of the Security Council, except China, supported India`s bid.China is one of the five veto-holding members of the United Nations other than United States, United Kingdom, Russia, and France.

China's stand on Masood Azhar will weaken its ties with India: Defence experts

North Korea has slammed the latest round of sanctions imposed by the United Nations saying it would not put its nuclear weapons program on the negotiating table.

&quot;We will not put our self-defensive nuclear deterrent on the negotiating table&quot; while it faced threats from Washington, it said, &quot;and will never take a single step back from strengthening our nuclear might&quot;, AFP reported.

Pyongyang termed the UN sanctions as a &quot;violent violation of our sovereignty&quot;, reported the official Korea Central News Agency (KCNA).

The US-drafted resolution was unanimously approved by the UN Security Council. The sanctions aim to severely crimp North Korea&#39;s exports.

Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the United Nations, said that the sanctions have put Kim Jong Un &quot;on notice&quot;. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Pyongyang termed the UN sanctions as a "violent violation of our sovereignty", reported the official Korea Central News Agency (KCNA)

North Korea has slammed the latest round of sanctions imposed by the United Nations saying it would not put its nuclear weapons program on the negotiating table. "We will not put our self-defensive nuclear deterrent on the negotiating table" while it faced threats from Washington, it said, "and will never take a single step back from strengthening our nuclear might", AFP reported. Pyongyang termed the UN sanctions as a "violent violation of our sovereignty", reported the official Korea Central News Agency (KCNA). The US-drafted resolution was unanimously approved by the UN Security Council. The sanctions aim to severely crimp North Korea's exports. Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the United Nations, said that the sanctions have put Kim Jong Un "on notice".

North Korea stays defiant in face of fresh UN sanctions

The UN Security Council on Friday expanded targeted sanctions against North Korea after its repeated missile tests, adopting the first such resolution agreed by the United States and Pyongyang&#39;s only major ally China since President Donald Trump took office.

The Trump administration has been pressing China aggressively to rein in its reclusive neighbor, warning that all options are on the table if Pyongyang persists with its nuclear and missile development programs.

The United States has struggled to slow those programs, which have become a security priority given Pyongyang&#39;s vow to develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the US mainland.

&quot;The United States will continue to seek a peaceful, diplomatic resolution to this situation,&quot; US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley told the council after the vote.

But she added: &quot;Beyond diplomatic and financial consequences, the United States remains prepared to counteract North Korean aggression through other means, if necessary.&quot;

Adding names to the UN blacklist - a global travel ban and asset freeze - was the minimum sanctions measures the Security Council could have taken and comes after five weeks of negotiations between Washington and Beijing.

&quot;The Security Council is sending a clear message to North Korea today - stop firing ballistic missiles or face the consequences,&quot; Haley said.

The resolution, adopted unanimously by the 15-member council, sanctions four entities, including the Koryo Bank and Strategic Rocket Force of the Korean People&#39;s Army, and 14 people, including the head of Pyongyang&#39;s overseas spying operations.

North Korea&#39;s Koryo Bank handles overseas transactions for Office 38, a shadowy body that manages the private slush funds of the North Korean leadership, according to a South Korean government database.

&#39;Critical window&#39;

The measures adopted on Friday could have been agreed by the council&#39;s North Korea sanctions committee behind closed doors, but Washington convinced China to back a public vote on the blacklist, amplifying the council&#39;s unhappiness with Pyongyang&#39;s defiance of a UN ban on ballistic missile launches.

The UN Security Council first imposed sanctions on Pyongyang in 2006 over its ballistic missile and nuclear programs and has ratcheted up the measures in response to five nuclear tests and two long-range missile launches. North Korea is threatening a sixth nuclear test.

&quot;There is a critical window of opportunity for the nuclear issue of the peninsula to come back to the right track of seeking a settlement through dialogue and negotiations,&quot; Chinese UN&nbsp;Ambassador Liu Jieyi told the council.

&quot;It is incumbent on all parties concerned to exercise restraint and to do more to help ease the tension and build mutual trust.&quot;

He again proposed a simultaneous freeze of North Korea&#39;s nuclear and missile programs and South Korea and the United States&#39; joint military exercises. Russia said the suggestion merits &quot;serious consideration.&quot;

Haley said: &quot;We want a negotiated solution, but North Korea must fulfill its basic obligations by first stopping all ballistic missile launches and nuclear weapons testing and taking concrete steps towards getting rid of its nuclear weapons program.&quot;

US secretary of state Rex Tillerson told the Security Council on April 28 that it needed to act before North Korea does. Just hours after the meeting - chaired by Tillerson during his first visit to the United Nations as the top US&nbsp;diplomat - Pyongyang launched yet another ballistic missile.

&#39;Unfriendlky steps&#39;

Within days the United States proposed to China that the Security Council strengthen sanctions on North Korea over its repeated missile launches. Traditionally, the United States and China have negotiated new sanctions before involving the other council members.

Pyongyang has launched several more ballistic missiles since then, including a short-range missile on Monday that landed in the sea off its east coast.

Diplomats said it appeared China was still only likely to consider additional strong new UN&nbsp;sanctions measures, such as an oil embargo, a ban on Pyongyang&#39;s airline or tougher economic sanctions, if North Korea conducted a long-range missile launch or another nuclear test.

The last round of complex sanctions imposed by the Security Council took three months to negotiate following Pyongyang&#39;s fifth nuclear test in September. Those measures aimed to cut North Korea&#39;s annual export revenue by a quarter.

China has also been infuriated by the US deployment of an advanced Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system in South Korea, saying it was a threat to its security and would do nothing to ease tension with Pyongyang.

Security Council veto power Russia backed the UN measures on Friday. Moscow&#39;s support had been unclear after the United States imposed its own sanctions on Thursday on Russian firms for their support of North Korea&#39;s weapons programs.

&quot;This step is something that is very puzzling and deeply disappointing,&quot; Deputy Russian UN&nbsp;Ambassador Vladimir Safronkov said of the US sanctions amid battered US-Russia relations.

&quot;Instead of trying to work through the bilateral backlog in our work, Washington is doing exactly the opposite and undertaking unfriendly steps, which make it more difficult to normalize our dialogue and make it more difficult to cooperate in international affairs,&quot; he told the Security Council.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Saturday voiced support for the unanimous UN decision and called on North Korea to refrain from repeated nuclear tests and missile launches.

The United States is encouraged by China&#39;s efforts to restrain North Korea, US&nbsp;defence secretary Jim Mattis said in Singapore on Saturday, adding the threat from North Korea was &quot;clear and present&quot;.

(Reuters)

The UN Security Council expanded targeted sanctions against North Korea after its repeated missile tests

The UN Security Council on Friday expanded targeted sanctions against North Korea after its repeated missile tests, adopting the first such resolution agreed by the United States and Pyongyang's only major ally China since President Donald Trump took office. The Trump administration has been pressing China aggressively to rein in its reclusive neighbor, warning that all options are on the table if Pyongyang persists with its nuclear and missile development programs. The United States has struggled to slow those programs, which have become a security priority given Pyongyang's vow to develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the US mainland. "The United States will continue to seek a peaceful, diplomatic resolution to this situation," US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley told the council after the vote. But she added: "Beyond diplomatic and financial consequences, the United States remains prepared to counteract North Korean aggression through other means, if necessary." Adding names to the UN blacklist - a global travel ban and asset freeze - was the minimum sanctions measures the Security Council could have taken and comes after five weeks of negotiations between Washington and Beijing. "The Security Council is sending a clear message to North Korea today - stop firing ballistic missiles or face the consequences," Haley said. The resolution, adopted unanimously by the 15-member council, sanctions four entities, including the Koryo Bank and Strategic Rocket Force of the Korean People's Army, and 14 people, including the head of Pyongyang's overseas spying operations. North Korea's Koryo Bank handles overseas transactions for Office 38, a shadowy body that manages the private slush funds of the North Korean leadership, according to a South Korean government database. 'Critical window' The measures adopted on Friday could have been agreed by the council's North Korea sanctions committee behind closed doors, but Washington convinced China to back a public vote on the blacklist, amplifying the council's unhappiness with Pyongyang's defiance of a UN ban on ballistic missile launches. The UN Security Council first imposed sanctions on Pyongyang in 2006 over its ballistic missile and nuclear programs and has ratcheted up the measures in response to five nuclear tests and two long-range missile launches. North Korea is threatening a sixth nuclear test. "There is a critical window of opportunity for the nuclear issue of the peninsula to come back to the right track of seeking a settlement through dialogue and negotiations," Chinese UN Ambassador Liu Jieyi told the council. "It is incumbent on all parties concerned to exercise restraint and to do more to help ease the tension and build mutual trust." He again proposed a simultaneous freeze of North Korea's nuclear and missile programs and South Korea and the United States' joint military exercises. Russia said the suggestion merits "serious consideration." Haley said: "We want a negotiated solution, but North Korea must fulfill its basic obligations by first stopping all ballistic missile launches and nuclear weapons testing and taking concrete steps towards getting rid of its nuclear weapons program." US secretary of state Rex Tillerson told the Security Council on April 28 that it needed to act before North Korea does. Just hours after the meeting - chaired by Tillerson during his first visit to the United Nations as the top US diplomat - Pyongyang launched yet another ballistic missile. 'Unfriendlky steps' Within days the United States proposed to China that the Security Council strengthen sanctions on North Korea over its repeated missile launches. Traditionally, the United States and China have negotiated new sanctions before involving the other council members. Pyongyang has launched several more ballistic missiles since then, including a short-range missile on Monday that landed in the sea off its east coast. Diplomats said it appeared China was still only likely to consider additional strong new UN sanctions measures, such as an oil embargo, a ban on Pyongyang's airline or tougher economic sanctions, if North Korea conducted a long-range missile launch or another nuclear test. The last round of complex sanctions imposed by the Security Council took three months to negotiate following Pyongyang's fifth nuclear test in September. Those measures aimed to cut North Korea's annual export revenue by a quarter. China has also been infuriated by the US deployment of an advanced Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system in South Korea, saying it was a threat to its security and would do nothing to ease tension with Pyongyang. Security Council veto power Russia backed the UN measures on Friday. Moscow's support had been unclear after the United States imposed its own sanctions on Thursday on Russian firms for their support of North Korea's weapons programs. "This step is something that is very puzzling and deeply disappointing," Deputy Russian UN Ambassador Vladimir Safronkov said of the US sanctions amid battered US-Russia relations. "Instead of trying to work through the bilateral backlog in our work, Washington is doing exactly the opposite and undertaking unfriendly steps, which make it more difficult to normalize our dialogue and make it more difficult to cooperate in international affairs," he told the Security Council. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Saturday voiced support for the unanimous UN decision and called on North Korea to refrain from repeated nuclear tests and missile launches. The United States is encouraged by China's efforts to restrain North Korea, US defence secretary Jim Mattis said in Singapore on Saturday, adding the threat from North Korea was "clear and present". (Reuters)

UN expands North Korea blacklist in first US, China sanctions deal under Trump