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-Top News Afghanistan Asia News

UN wants Afghan schools to open ‘in practice’

Alakbarov also said that the Afghan humanitarian crisis will never end unless steps are taken to create a sustainable situation in the country…reports Asian Lite News

Ramiz Alakbarov, officer-in-charge of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), said that he wants to see the promises of the Taliban’s Islamic Emirate regime over schooling implemented “in practice”.

Speaking to TOLO News, Alakbarov said: “All the time I am hearing is while I am having this dialogue. What they (Taliban) are telling us is that in 12 provinces the schools are opened and other provinces will be reopened soon. There is some technicalities, there is no policy against it.

“I keep hearing that education for all is something that they are offering to stand for. I want to see this in practice because I want to see girls back to school.”

Alakbarov also said that the Afghan humanitarian crisis will never end unless steps are taken to create a sustainable situation in the country.

“Honestly, as I look at the situation in Afghanistan, this humanitarian crisis will never be over unless we start creating a more sustainable situation for people to go back to work, earn money and start addressing the problems,” he told TOLO News.

Schools for girls beyond class 6 have remained closed since the Taliban took control of the country last August.

Growing protests

A group of women activists under the name of ‘Kabul School of Critics’ staged a protest demanding the Taliban to reopen schools for women without further delay, local media reported.

The women protestors said that instead of addressing the status of the people who are in dire need of food, the Taliban is engaged in issuing warnings, killing people and taking revenge.

A member of KSC, Ramzia Saeedi said, “Afghan women and girls have been deprived of their basic rights in different periods,” adding that the closure of girls’ schools above the sixth grade and the exclusion of women from society show that their rights have been dealt with politically.

She stressed that the Taliban must not use the education of girls as a political abuse, an Afghanistani radio publication Salam Watandar reported.

“The continuation of this situation will put female students in a dark future and harm the development of society,” said another protestor Aaey Noor.

She asked the Taliban to provide a convincing reason to restrict women’s rights in the state, including education and said that it should reopen schools for girls immediately if it fails to give a valid reason.

In Herat city, a group of girl artists has started a campaign against the Taliban’s restrictions on women.

Demanding the Taliban government to ease the restriction on women, they said that they will not allow the voices of women and girls to be silenced.

These artists depict the capabilities and challenges of women and girls in their paintings.

A local media reported that an Afghan women social worker, Huda Khamosh, who is in exile in Norway said that the Taliban remain an illegitimate ruler.

“The statements of loyalty to the Taliban are not acceptable at any gathering without the presence of women. Despite thousands of Ulema announcing their support for their hardline government, the Taliban remain an illegitimate ruler,” she said.

“After a three-day meeting, the Ulema pledged allegiance to the Taliban and its prominent leader. The meeting failed to address thorny issues such as the right of teenage girls to attend school,” she added.

This comes after the Taliban debarred women from attending the first-ever ‘Loya Jirga’ or grand assembly of religious scholars and elders. (IANS/ANI)

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-Top News USA World News

UN human rights chief blasts US abortion ruling

According to the UN, more than 50 countries with previously restrictive laws have liberalized their abortion legislation over the past 25 years…reports Asian Lite News

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet has denounced the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade that established a constitutional right to abortion, saying that it was a huge blow to women’s human rights and gender equality.

“Access to safe, legal and effective abortion is firmly rooted in international human right law and is at the core of women and girls’ autonomy and ability to make their own choices about their bodies and lives, free of discrimination, violence and coercion,” Bachelet said in a statement late Friday night.

“This decision strips such autonomy from millions of women in the US, in particular those with low incomes and those belonging to racial and ethnic minorities, to the detriment of their fundamental rights,” she added.

According to the UN, more than 50 countries with previously restrictive laws have liberalized their abortion legislation over the past 25 years.

“With today’s ruling, the US is regrettably moving away from this progressive trend,” the UN rights chief stressed.

A group of UN human rights experts on Friday also issued a joint statement, describing the decision as a shocking and dangerous rollback of human rights that will jeopardize women’s health and lives.

“What has happened in the United States today is a monumental setback for the rule of law and for gender equality,” the experts, including members of the UN Working Group on discrimination against women and girls and a number of UN Special Rapporteurs, said in the joint statement.

“The intimidation and stigma that will be faced by pregnant women and girls in need of safe abortion services and abortion providers will create a nightmare scenario for those dealing with the uncertainty and trauma of an unplanned pregnancy,” they stated.

Friday’s ruling came after the Supreme Court had considered an appeal case involving a Mississippi law banning all abortions over 15 weeks gestational age except in certain circumstances.

With the ruling, more than two dozen states in the US, primarily in the south and midwest, are expected to tighten abortion access.

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-Top News India News Technology

Ex-Indian diplomat appointed UN chief’s Envoy on Technology

Amandeep Singh Gill was India’s permanent representative to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, reports Arul Louis

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday appointed former Indian diplomat Amandeep Singh Gill as his envoy on technology to coordinate programmes for international digital cooperation.

Guterres’ spokesperson Stephane Dujarric announced the appointment calling Gill a “thought leader on digital technology”.

In other high-level appointments from South Asia at the UN, Pakistani diplomat Navid Hanif was named the assistant secretary-general for economic development, while Bangladesh’s permanent representative to UN, Rabab Fatima, was appointed as the high representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS).

Gill, who joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1992, has been India’s permanent representative to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva.

He is now the chief executive officer of the International Digital Health and Artificial Intelligence Research Collaborative (I-DAIR) project at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva.

He has also served at the UN as the executive director and co-lead of the Secretary-General’s high-level panel on digital cooperation.

Dujarric said that Gill “helped secure high-impact international consensus recommendations on regulating artificial intelligence (Al) in lethal autonomous weapon systems in 2017 and 2018, the draft Al ethics recommendation of UNESCO in 2020, and a new international platform on digital health and Al”.

“He brings to the position a deep knowledge of digital technologies coupled with a solid understanding of how to leverage the digital transformation responsibly and inclusively for progress on the Sustainable Development Goals,” Dujarric added.

Gill, who graduated from the Panjab University in Chandigarh in BTech in electronics, has a doctorate in nuclear learning in multilateral forums from the King’s College in London.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres

According to the UN, the envoy on technology “coordinates the implementation of the Secretary-General’s roadmap on digital cooperation and will advance work towards the global digital compact proposed in the common agenda, in close consultation with the member states, technology industry, private companies, civil society, and other stakeholders”.

Hanif, who has served at Pakistan’s UN mission, is a veteran official of the UN. He is now the director of the Financing for Sustainable Development Office.

He has worked as the director of the Office of ECOSOC Support and Coordination and as the head of the Strategic Planning Unit and did a stint in the executive office of the Secretary-General as a member of the team for the 2005 World Summit.

He succeeds Elliot Harris of Trinidad and Tobago.

A former director-general of the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry, Fatima has been the ambassador to Japan and served in diplomatic missions in Kolkata, Geneva, New York and Beijing.

She has been the head of human rights at the Commonwealth Secretariat in London and the regional advisor for climate change and migration at the International Organisation for Migration.

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-Top News World News

UN warning on single men hosting Ukrainian refugee women

That report and others came as James Jamieson, the chairman of the Local Government Association (LGA), warned of the possibility that Ukrainian refugees could become homeless…reports Asian Lite News

The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) has called on the United Kingdom to review its Homes for Ukraine scheme, following reports that some refugee women felt at risk from their sponsors.

The initiative allows anyone in the country with a spare room to open their homes to Ukrainians as long as they can offer accommodation for at least six months.

But there are growing concerns that women are being put at risk via the programme, which more than 150,000 people signed up to as hosts in the days leading up to its launch on March 18.

Last week, an undercover investigation by The Times newspaper revealed how some single British men were proposing sharing beds and sending inappropriate and sexually suggestive messages to women fleeing war.

That report and others came as James Jamieson, the chairman of the Local Government Association (LGA), warned of the possibility that Ukrainian refugees could become homeless.

He told the PA Media news agency that there had been a “concerning increase” in the number of Ukrainian refugees leaving hosts after the relationship broke down, including in instances where refugees had arrived via a separate family scheme and “the families’ accommodation is not suitable”.

In a statement on Wednesday, the UNHCR said the British government needed to develop a “more appropriate matching process” to ensure women, including those with children, are put in touch with families or couples, rather than single men.

“Matching done without the appropriate oversight may lead to increasing the risks women may face, in addition to the trauma of displacement, family separation and violence already experienced,” it said.

As it stands, the government does not match hosts with refugees under the scheme.

Instead, potential sponsors directly contact Ukrainians, with many using unregulated Facebook groups and other social media platforms, a process experts warned was unsafe.

“We are terrified the free-for-all matching process is wide open to be exploited by people traffickers and other people happy to prey on vulnerable refugees,” Louise Calvey, head of services and safeguarding at UK charity Refugee Action, told Al Jazeera.

“Ministers must step in and properly regulate sponsor matching to make sure that vulnerable people who have come here for protection are safe.”

But they defended the scheme’s existing safeguards as “robust”, saying the Home Office was carrying out security and background checks on all sponsors.

“Councils must make at least one in-person visit to a sponsor’s property and they have a duty to make sure the guest is safe and well once they’ve arrived,” the spokesperson said.

By Wednesday, 25,100 visas had been granted under the Homes for Ukraine scheme.

But by Monday, only 3,200 Ukrainians had actually arrived in the UK via the programme, which has seen refugees face lengthy waits for their visa approval and been criticised as overly bureaucratic.

A further 13,200 Ukrainians had meanwhile arrived under the separate visa scheme for those with a family member in the UK.

In total, more than 4.7 million people have fled Ukraine since Russia launched its offensive on February 24, according to the UNHCR.

The majority – about 2.7 million – have sought refuge in neighbouring Poland. Romania, Hungary, Moldova and Slovakia have also welcomed hundreds of thousands each.

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-Top News World

Nepali peacekeeper killed in Congo

The Nepali’s death came during an attack on peacekeepers by a local militia on Tuesday in Congo, which hosts one of the deadliest UN peacekeeping operations….reports Arul Louis

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the Security Council have condemned the killing of a Nepali UN peacekeeper in Congo a week after six Pakistani peacekeepers in the UN force died there.

The Nepali’s death came during an attack on peacekeepers by a local militia on Tuesday in Congo, which hosts one of the deadliest UN peacekeeping operations.

“The Secretary-General strongly condemns today’s attack against peacekeepers serving in the United Nations Organisation Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo,” Guterres’s Spokesperson Farhan Haq said.

The mission is known by its French acronym MONUSCO has 963 peacekeepers from Nepal.

Just after an acrimonious meeting on Ukraine, the 15 members of the Security Council spoke in one voice issuing a joint statement condemning “in the strongest terms all attacks and provocations against MONUSCO” and “called on the Congolese authorities to swiftly investigate this attack and bring the perpetrators to justice”.

The Security Council said it was important to strengthen MONUSCO by giving it “the necessary capacities to fulfil its mandate and promote, including by taking additional measures as appropriate, the safety and security of the United Nations peacekeepers and its operations”.

Haq added that the attack was carried out in Bali in the Djugu territory of Ituri province by “suspected members” of the Cooperative pour le developpement du Congo (CODECO) militia when the peacekeepers were carrying out operations in the area.

The peacekeeper, who is the eighth to die in the UN’s Congo operations, has not been identified.

“The Secretary-General recalls that attacks against United Nations peacekeepers may constitute a war crime. He calls on the Congolese authorities to investigate this incident and swiftly bring those responsible to justice,” UN Secretary General Spokesperson said.

On Tuesday last week, the helicopter operated by Pakistani peacekeepers crashed down.

In addition to the Pakistanis, a Russian and a Serbian in the helicopter also died.

The UN said the crash of the helicopter that was on a reconnaissance mission in the area of Tshanzu, south-east of Rutshuru in North Kivu was under investigation.

The area has witnessed clashes there between the M23 rebel group and Congolese, according to the UN, which did not assign blame for the attack.

Media reports have quoted the Congolese armed forces as saying that the helicopter was shot down.

The CODECO, which is suspected in the killing of the Nepali peacekeeper, was originally an agricultural cooperative that turned into an armed group fighting Congo and the MONUSCO.

It is made up of the Lendu ethnic group and is sometimes described as a cult.

South Asian peacekeepers dominate the 14,000-strong military segment of the MONUSCO operation with 1,974 from Pakistan, 1,888 from India and 1,634 from Bangladesh in addition to the Nepalis.

The peacekeeping operations in Congo — the current MONUSCO and its previous version known as MONUC — have had at least 400 deaths.

Thirty Indian peacekeepers have died in the operations, as have 33 from Pakistan and 31 from Bangladesh in addition to the eight from Nepal.

ALSO READ: Nepal PM Deuba visits Varanasi

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Lite Blogs Music UK News

UN Forums Support Thyagaraja Festival

The festival was on a virtual form in this year as well, which brought artists, professionals and young music aspirants together from across the globe…reports Asian Lite News

The Birmingham Thyagaraja Festival is a very popular festival of Indian Classical Music and Dance held in the West Midlands which is being celebrated to honour the great South Indian Saint and Composer. Thyagaraja since 2015. ShruthiUK, a South Asian arts organisation, established in Leeds in 2005 and now based in Solihull. This is a non-profit organisation promoting South Indian classical music and dance in the Midlands and elsewhere in the country is delighted and proud to receive patronage for the BTF from both UNESCO and the United Kingdom National Commission for UNESCO.

“The UK National Commission for UNESCO is delighted to be able to support the Birmingham Thyagaraja Festival, (BTF), now in its 8th year! The festival brings together musicians and dancers from all over the country in celebration, providing a vital and inspiring exchange of cultural knowledge and tradition.  The Commission wishes the festival a very success this year, and in the years to come.”

Odissi performance by Pritika Kalra Gandhi
Disha Shetty- Bharatanatyam
Bharatanatyam by Nivedha Harish
BHARATANATYAM by students of Pavitra Krishna Bhat

The 8th annual festival is also a celebration of Indian classical music and dance to commemorate the 175th birthday of the South Indian Singing Saint & Composer Thyagaraja.  The festival is vibrant and colourful and reminds us of our rich cultural heritage and our respect towards the legendary composer for his contribution to Carnatic Music.

Also known as the BTF, the festival was in a virtual form this year as well, which brought artists, professionals and young music aspirants together from across the globe.

We look forward to the Birmingham Thyagaraja Festival – the annual festival of Indian classical music and dance in honour of Saint Thyagaraja – taking place virtually in March 2022. The festival has received patronage from UNESCO-UK and is being supported by several local institutions as well as businesses from right across the UK and indeed around the world. This cultural collaboration brings together the British Indian community from around the Midlands and the wider UK as well as supports the strengthening of the longstanding links between Britain and India. I am pleased to take this opportunity to send my best wishes to Shruthi UK and the BTF Team for a successful Thyagaraja festival’’, Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, opened up.

The festival had an overwhelming response which turned out to be a two-day festival featuring over 150 performances of Indian Classical/ Folk music by professionals and young people from across continents showcasing their brilliant talents with great enthusiasm, to honour and pay homage to the great Singing Saint Thyagaraja. 

The BTF 2022 was hosted in partnership with the Consul General of India, Birmingham; The Nehru Centre, London; Mr Andy Street CBE, Combined Mayor of the West Midlands; Mayor of Solihull; University College Birmingham; Touchwood in Solihull; St James Clinic, Birmingham; Solihull Chamber of Commerce; Solihull Bid; Asian Business Chamber of Commerce; The Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, along with a host of other premier national and international partners.

UNESCO letter of patronage

“The festival showcases local talents and young people performing Indian classical music and dance, as well as including panel discussions exploring the various forms of music and dances of India. This celebratory event supports inclusive social development, fosters intercultural dialogue, protects, promotes, and transmits heritage, and fosters creativity and the diversity of cultural expressions.

The festival commenced with the welcome address from Cllr Ken Meeson, Mayor of Solihull; Andy Street, CBE, Combined Mayor of West Midlands; Mr John Crabtree, OBE, Her Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant of West Midlands, His Excellency Dr Shashank Vikram IFS, Consul General of India in Birmingham and Dir. Paul Sabapathy, CVO CBE, Her majesty’s Former Lord Lieutenant of West Midlands and Patron of ShruthiUK.

Celebrating Women and honouring women achievers -2022

Every year, at the BTF, in lieu of International Women’s Day honours women achievers at the awards ceremony, recognizes outstanding women,who have made a positive impact and contribution to society through their skills and passion. 

 The inspiring women honoured during the BTF 2022 were: 

  • Dame Yve Buckland, Chair of Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care System, Pro Chancellor, Aston University
  • Samantha Frampton, Head of Solihull Chamber of Commerce
  • Romanah Malcolm, Creative entrepreneur, author and artistic director,
  • Mathangi Asokan, Former District Judge, Birmingham
  • Balbir Seimar, BEM, Chief WASUP Community Engagement Ambassador

The Patron and the governing members of ShruthiUK expressed their heartiest congratulations to all three inspiring women who were honoured this year.  

Every year, the festival supports a charity and helps to raise funds for a noble cause.  This year, the BTF is proud to support an international charity, Holy Cross Services, in Trichy, India, which aims to provide a high level of professional support to all persons with disabilities situated in both rural and urban locations. “Festivals such as the BTF, further strengthens the cultural and economic links between India and the UK, defining and celebrating India’s unique cultural heritage and its national identity and help preserve them in the years to come; and share it to wider communities, making it culturally diverse and distinct.

For the first time in the history of the festival, the BTF is live-streamed for two days due to the overwhelming participation of artists from across the globe. Curating the festival required a lot of coordination and planning and much emphasis was given to providing an opportunity for the youth to showcase their talents. The virtual festival format has enabled successful partnerships and to connect with key professionals and organisations from across the globe. This cultural festival has evolved and have been passed on for many generations and are still practised with great respect and fervour globally.

SRINI AND DHRUV VADHIRAJ- VIOLIN RENDITION
Srihari Vittal and sannath Paremshwaran on mridangam
Carnatic performance by Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society 
Bhavapriya Muralikrishnan- Carnatic rendition
Anirudh Nair- Carnatic rendition

Dr Chithra Ramakrishnan FRSA, Founder & Artistic Director, ShruthiUK, Curator, Birmingham Thyagaraja Festival, expressed her gratitude to all the people behind the programme.

‘’As an artist of Indian origin, I take great pride in my Indian culture, traditions and heritage. It helps them give the rich experience to learn, enjoy and to unite all of us through the Indian classical art forms. A huge thanks to all our esteemed Sponsors, Global Patrons, Ambassadors/Youth ambassadors and our esteemed participants involved in putting together this amazing event at such challenging times.The festival would not be possible without the wonderful support of the participants from across the globe.’’

The festival was supported by Shankar Mahadevan Academy as the technical partner and The Singapore Fine Arts Society (SIFAS) as the Creative Partner, under the leadership of Mr.K.V. Rao, President (SIFAS). The BTF launched its theme track composed by the renowned South Indian violinist, Maestro Vittel Ramamurthy. Several young people took great pride in showcasing their talents in representing various forms of Indian classical and folk music and dance. Mr Tony Elvin, Patron, Birmingham Thyagaraja Festival, President, Solihull Chamber of Commerce delivered the vote of thanks. 

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-Top News India News

India abstains again on UN Ukraine resolution

Unlike during the past abstentions relating to Ukraine, India kept silent on this vote, the first time it sided with the West, even if only through an abstention, reports Arul Louis

India has abstained for the fifth time on a UN resolution on Ukraine, but this time it was on a Russia-sponsored resolution in the Security Council and New Delhi was on the side of Washington and its allies.

The resolution on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine co-sponsored by Belarus, North Korea and Syria failed on Wednesday even without a veto as it got only the votes of Russia and China, while all the other 13 Council members abstained depriving it of the minimum of nine votes needed to pass.

Unlike during the past abstentions relating to Ukraine, India kept silent on this vote, the first time it sided with the West, even if only through an abstention.

India’s Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, who was in New York and had spoken at the Council on Wednesday morning on relations with the Arab League, was noticeably absent when the Russian resolution was taken up.

Deputy Permanent Representative R. Ravindra was in India’s chair at the Council where he raised his hand to record the abstention but did not speak either on the resolution or explain the decision to abstain as India had done before.

India had earlier abstained in the Council on two procedural votes related to Ukraine and on a resolution condemning Moscow’s invasion that was vetoed by Russia.

At the Assembly, it was one of 35 countries abstaining on a resolution condemning the Russian invasion, although the measure was carried by an overwhelming majority of 141 in the 193-member body.

Wednesday’s Council vote took place amid a flurry of diplomatic activity across the UN and a tangle of resolutions and had all the makings of a diplomatic chess game — only to see Russia checkmated.

In a Moscow manoeuvre, the vote on the resolution took place while the General Assembly was discussing a resolution from Ukraine with the backing of about 90 countries condemning Russia’s invasion.

The resolution is almost certain to pass in the Assembly and, therefore, Russia wanted to pre-empt it by asking for a vote on its version in the Council ahead of the Ukraine resolution, even though it had cancelled a request for a vote on it on Friday.

France and Mexico had proposed a Council resolution calling for humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, but it had languished under the threat of a Russian veto and two countries wanted it taken up in the Assembly, where no one has veto power.

South Africa, which like India is trying to stay neutral, had also suggested a resolution on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine which would not condemn Russia, but did not introduce it when the Assembly met on Wednesday.

The South African resolution was opposed by the Western countries which want an express condemnation of the Russian invasion as the cause of the humanitarian crisis.

The meeting on Ukraine was not on the Council’s original agenda, but was added Wednesday morning at Moscow’s request for 3 p.m. and then pushed to 5 p.m. amid Russia’s desperate diplomacy.

Russia’s Permanent Representative Vasily Nebenzia asserted that Moscow’s resolution was on the lines of the France-Mexico resolution, “but free from any politicising and in that analogous to other humanitarian resolutions of the Council”.

It called for a ceasefire, unhindered evacuation, access to humanitarian aid, prohibition of attacks on infrastructure and a call not to place heavy military equipment in civil areas, he said.

He asked the US, “Why did you abstain? You could have vetoed it?”

The US, France and the UK did not want to veto it because it could be used out of context by the Moscow propaganda machine, and they knew it would fail because it could not muster the needed nine votes.

The US and its allies called the Russian manoeuvre a cynical attempt to evade responsibility for its invasion and to divert attention away from the continuing catastrophe it is causing.

US Permanent Representative Linda Thomas-Greenfield called Russia’s move “unconscionable”.

“Russia does not care about the deteriorating humanitarian conditions, or the millions of lives and dreams the war has shattered. If they cared, they would stop fighting.”

China, which like India had abstained on the two substantive resolutions on Ukraine, voted this time with Russia.

Although it may be interpreted as signalling a slight shift in its position of not directly backing Russia at the UN, Beijing’s Permanent Representative Zhang Jun also said: “On Ukraine, China has always insisted that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be respected.”

He said that China was voting for it because the top priority is to prevent large scale humanitarian crisis.

The Mexico-France draft resolution failed to “transcend political differences” and seek a consensus, he said.

India will again be made to take a stand on the Russian invasion when the Ukraine resolutions come to a vote in the Assembly.

New Delhi has faced pressure from the US and its allies to side with them against Russia, but has also met with a measure of understanding over its extreme reliance on Moscow for defence needs on which depend India’s role in the Indo-Pacific to counter China’s aggressiveness.

While US President Joe Biden called India’s stand on Russia “somewhat shaky”, State Department Spokesperson Ned Price has explained that New Delhi’s reliance on Moscow came about when the West was not prepared for deep defence ties with it.

Despite that, “we are a partner of choice for India now, as are many of our partners and allies around the world”, he said.

Biden’s Spokesperson Jen Psaki also said that the US recognised that India had “different economic reasoning” for buying Russian oil.

ALSO READ-UN predicts another crisis in NE Africa

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-Top News Afghanistan Asia News

Taliban welcome extension of UN mission in Afghanistan

Russian Ambassador Vassily A. Nebenzia said he was compelled to abstain because attempts to secure consent from the host country for a UN presence were ignored…reports Asian Lite News

The Taliban-led government in Afghanistan on Saturday welcomed the extension of UN mission in the war-torn nation for another year.

“The extension of the UN mission in Afghanistan is in Afghanistan’s interest, which we welcome,” Xinhua news agency quoted Zabihullah Mujahid, the chief government spokesperson, as saying in a statement.

On Thursday, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution to extend the mandate of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) till March 17, 2023.

“We hope that through UN, the international community will strengthen and formalize relations with the Islamic Emirate, as well as support and assist the people of Afghanistan in the humanitarian, medical and construction sectors,” Mujahid said.

Since the Taliban takeover in August last year, the economic situation has worsened in the country with a higher unemployment rate and rising poverty, while sporadic attacks also continue.

Pakistan on Taliban recognition

Pakistan will recognise the Taliban regime in Afghanistan when there is a consensus, particularly of regional countries, on the issue, Dawn news quoted Munir Akram, Islamabads UN envoy, as saying.

The question of recognition resurfaced on Thursday when the UN Security Council voted to establish formal ties with the Taliban-led Afghan government without extending diplomatic recognition to the regime.

Fourteen of the Council’s 15 members voted for the resolution, while Russia abstained.

Russian Ambassador Vassily A. Nebenzia said he was compelled to abstain because attempts to secure consent from the host country for a UN presence were ignored.

Chinese Ambassador Zhang Jun said that since August 2021 when the Taliban captured Kabul, Afghanistan had entered a new phase and more flexibility was needed to deal with the situation.

Although Pakistan was the first nation to call for more flexibility in dealing with Kabul’s new rulers, Islamabad too has not recognised the Taliban regime, Dawn reported.

Asked if the UN vote would influence Pakistan’s position on this issue, Ambassador Akram said: “We will do it (recognition) when there’s a consensus, especially among regional countries.”

Six of Afghanistan’s immediate neighbours are meeting in China next month and this would be one of the top issues on their agenda.

China, Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan will attend the meeting.

A Taliban delegation will also participate.

ALSO READ-‘Pakistan to recognise Taliban govt after regional consensus

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Economy

‘Sword of Damocles’ hangs over global economy’

The index that measures changes in the international prices of a basket of food commodities hit 140.7 in February, an all-time high in real terms since 1961…reports Asian Lite News

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that “a sword of Damocles hangs over the global economy” because of the ongoing war in Ukraine, adding that developing countries were most at risk.

Calling the war “an assault on the world’s most vulnerable people and countries”, Guterres on Monday drew a dismal picture of the global situation.

“Food, fuel and fertilizer prices are skyrocketing. Supply chains are being disrupted. And the costs and delays of transportation of imported goods e when available e are at record levels.

“The FAO’s (Food and Agriculture Organisation’s) global food prices index is at its highest level ever,” the UN chief said,adding that and all these could portend political instability and unrest around the world.

The index that measures changes in the international prices of a basket of food commodities hit 140.7 in February, an all-time high in real terms since 1961.

Gutteres also announced the formation of a Global Crisis Response Group on Food, Energy and Finance in the UN Secretariat to deal with these threats.

“We will be consulting with Member States willing to champion the actions needed to carry forward the global emergency response that will be required for these looming crises.

“This war goes far beyond Ukraine” hitting the recovery from the two-year onslaught of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Even before the conflict, developing countries were struggling to recover from the pandemic e with record inflation, rising interest rates and looming debt burdens (and) their ability to respond has been erased by exponential increases in the cost of financing.

“Now their breadbasket is being bombed. Russia and Ukraine represent more than half of the world’s supply of sunflower oil and about 30 per cent of the world’s wheat,” he added.

ALSO READ-India’s semiconductor hub dream looms over Ukraine crisis

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-Top News UAE News

UN warns of impending famine in Yemen

The UN is trying to end the civil war that has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced 4 million people, and brought the country to the brink of famine…reports Asian Lite News

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned on Friday that millions of Yemeni people are at risk of famine as a result of the country’s years-long military conflict and sharp deterioration of its economy, calling for urgent action.

“Children in Yemen are starving not because of a lack of food, but because their families cannot afford food,” the UNICEF said in a statement posted on Twitter, Xinhua news agency reported.

The UN organization said that “the impact of the economic collapse on the humanitarian crisis in Yemen cannot be understated.”

“Without urgent action, millions could be plunged into famine,” it warned.

According to the UNICEF mission in Yemen, nearly 400,000 children under the age of five are slipping from acute malnutrition to severe acute malnutrition.

Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi militia seized control of several northern provinces and forced the Saudi-backed Yemeni government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi out of the capital Sanaa.

The UN is trying to end the civil war that has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced 4 million people, and brought the country to the brink of famine.

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