Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: At least 20 people, including three children, have been killed during anti-government protests across Iran, according to the United Nations and international human rights groups, as demonstrations over soaring prices and economic stagnation spread nationwide. Death toll and casualties Several international human rights organizations, including the UN, have documented multiple casualties during the protests. Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO), a Norway-based organization, confirmed at least 19 protesters&#39; deaths from gunfire and violence by security forces across seven provinces during the first week of unrest. The group reported that authorities deployed military-grade weapons, including AK-47 rifles, to suppress demonstrators, with one particularly deadly incident occurring on January 3 in Malekshahi County, Ilam Province, where five protesters were killed by live ammunition. Meanwhile, the UN reported at least 20 deaths, including three children, with hundreds detained. Protests spread across the country While a UN spokesperson reported that demonstrations had occurred in a &quot;large majority of Iranian provinces,&quot; AFP documented demonstrations in at least 45 cities spanning 23 provinces. Meanwhile, other international media outlets reported broader participation, with protests reaching approximately 250 separate locations across the country. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), through its Iranian service Radio Farda, provided the most comprehensive tally as of January 6, reporting that protests had extended to at least 78 cities and 222 locations across 26 of Iran&#39;s 31 provinces. Iranian state-affiliated media outlets, including Fars News Agency and Mizan News Agency, have also reported on the protests. Describing the protests as &quot;limited&quot; or &quot;sporadic,&quot; these outlets reported demonstrations in several Tehran districts, including Narmak, Tehransar, and Naziabad, as well as in other cities such as Lordegan, Azna, and Qom. UN chief urges caution Earlier, on Monday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged Iranian authorities to respect demonstrators&rsquo; right to protest peacefully. The UN chief &quot;underscores the need to prevent any further casualties,&quot; his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. &quot;He also calls on the authorities to uphold the right of freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly,&quot; and that &quot;all individuals must be allowed to protest peacefully and express their grievances.&quot;

Middle East

At least 20 people, including children, have been killed in nationwide protests over high prices, rights groups say, as demonstrations spread across the country.

Iran: Protests spread to over 26 provinces as rights groups report rising death toll

UNITED NATIONS: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called for respect of nations&#39; political independence following a US military operation in Venezuela that Washington defended as a police action against Caracas&#39;s &quot;fugitive&quot; leader.&nbsp;US forces&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/explosions-heard-in-venezuelas-capital-afp-journalist" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">seized Nicolas Maduro and his wife</a>&nbsp;over the weekend, ending 12 years of increasingly authoritarian rule by the left-wing leader, whom Washington accused of running a cartel and targeted with a $50 million bounty.&nbsp;Guterres urges &quot;respect for the principles of sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity of states,&quot; according to remarks read on his behalf by Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo during an emergency UN Security Council meeting on the crisis.&nbsp;&quot;I am deeply concerned about the possible intensification (of) instability in the country, the potential impact on the region, and the precedent it may set for how relations between and among states are conducted,&quot; the UN chief&#39;s remarks said.&nbsp;Colombia &mdash; a new member of the Security Council that formally requested the meeting, and whose leader, Gustavo Petro, has clashed with Donald Trump &mdash; also expressed concerns about US intentions.&nbsp;The UN Charter permits &quot;the use of force only under exceptional circumstances &mdash; in legitimate defense, in the face of an armed attack or when there is an express authorization by this Council,&quot; said Colombian ambassador Leonor Zalabata Torres.&nbsp;Even then, &quot;this does not amount to assuming political control of another state,&quot; she added.&nbsp;&#39;Era of lawlessness&#39;US Ambassador Mike Waltz defended what he described as a &quot;surgical law enforcement operation facilitated by the US military against two indicted fugitives of American justice, narco-terrorist Nicolas Maduro and Cilia Flores,&quot; his wife.&nbsp;&quot;As Secretary (of State Marco) Rubio has said, there is no war against Venezuela or its people. We are not occupying a country,&quot; Waltz said.&nbsp;He added, nonetheless, that &quot;you cannot continue to have the largest energy reserves in the world under the control of adversaries of the United States.&quot;&nbsp;US ally Britain called during the meeting for a &quot;safe and peaceful transition to a legitimate government,&quot; with its acting UN representative, James Kariuki, saying Venezuelans &quot;deserve a government which reflects their vote at the ballot box.&quot;&nbsp;Some Security Council members criticized Washington&#39;s actions, including Venezuelan allies&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/china-calls-on-us-to-immediately-release-venezuelas-maduro" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Russia and China</a>, which demanded Maduro&#39;s release.&nbsp;Russian ambassador Vassily Nebenzia slammed the US operation that seized Maduro as a &quot;harbinger of a turn back to the era of lawlessness and US domination by force.&quot;&nbsp;&quot;We hope that you will abandon double standards and that you will not attempt to justify such an egregious act of aggression,&quot; Nebenzia said.&nbsp;Venezuela&#39;s representative, Samuel Moncada, requested the Security Council&#39;s support in demanding that the United States &quot;fully respect the immunities of President Nicolas Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores.&quot;&nbsp;Maduro and his wife both appeared at a New York court on Monday, entering pleas of not guilty.

Americas

Some Security Council members, including Venezuelan allies Russia and China, demand Maduro's release.

UN chief urges 'respect' for sovereignty at Venezuela emergency meeting

ISLAMABAD: Bangladesh and the United Nations secretary general on Saturday &ldquo;strongly condemned&rdquo; a deadly attack on Bangladeshi peacekeepers serving in Sudan. According to a press release issued by the&nbsp;Bangladesh ministry of foreign affairs&nbsp;in Dhaka, six Bangladeshi peacekeepers were killed and eight others were injured when a drone attack targeted a United Nations base in Abyei, Sudan.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1999905988657418474&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fsections%2F&sessionId=1a920b3eecaa03a1554f725ecd546fde0ab1584d&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 873px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>The government expressed deep condolences to the families of those killed and said the nation mourns the loss of the fallen peacekeepers.&nbsp;It also conveyed prayers for the healing and early recovery of those who were wounded in the attack. The press release said the government, through its Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York, has requested the UN to ensure the best possible medical treatment for the injured peacekeepers. It further noted that the Bangladesh Mission in New York is maintaining close contact with the United Nations and working with it to provide all support to the Bangladeshi peacekeeping contingent in Sudan. &lsquo;Horrific drone attacks&rsquo;Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Ant&oacute;nio Guterres, in a statement issued on Saturday, strongly condemned the &ldquo;horrific drone attacks that targeted the United Nations peacekeeping logistics base in Kadugli, Sudan, on 13 December 2025, resulting in six fatalities and eight injuries &ndash; all members of the Bangladeshi peacekeeping contingent serving in the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA).&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1999932379360637017&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fsections%2F&sessionId=1a920b3eecaa03a1554f725ecd546fde0ab1584d&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 368px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>In his message, Guterres expressed his &ldquo;deepest and heartfelt condolences to the Government and people of Bangladesh, to the families of the fallen peacekeepers, and wishes a swift recovery to the injured.&rdquo;&nbsp;&lsquo;Unjustifiable&rsquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;Support is being provided to the wounded peacekeepers ahead of their evacuation,&rdquo; he added.&nbsp;Terming the attack in South Kordofan against the peacekeepers as &ldquo;unjustifiable&rdquo;, Guterres said, &ldquo;There will need to be accountability.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;He reiterated his call on the warring parties to &ldquo;agree on an immediate cessation of hostilities and to resume talks to reach a lasting ceasefire and a comprehensive, inclusive and Sudanese-owned political process.&rdquo;

Bangladesh

Six Bangladeshi peacekeepers were killed and eight others were injured when a drone attack targeted a United Nations base in Abyei, Sudan; UN secretary general says ‘support is being provided to the wounded peacekeepers ahead of their evacuation.’

Dhaka, UN ‘strongly condemn’ attack on Bangladeshi peacekeepers in Sudan

UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations will begin slashing its peacekeeping force and operations, forcing thousands of soldiers in the next several months to evacuate far-flung global hotspots as a result of the latest US funding cuts to the world body, a senior UN official said. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a private meeting, briefed reporters Wednesday on the 25% reduction in peacekeepers worldwide as the United States, the largest UN donor, makes changes to align with President Donald Trump&#39;s &ldquo;America First&rdquo; vision. Roughly 13,000 to 14,000 military and police personnel out of more than 50,000 peacekeepers deployed across nine global missions will be sent back to their home countries. The UN support office in Somalia will also be affected. The UN plans to reduce the peacekeeping force&rsquo;s budget by approximately 15% for this year. The countries where the UN has peacekeeping missions include Congo, the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Lebanon, Cyprus and Kosovo. Legally obliged&nbsp;Each of the UN&rsquo;s 193 member countries is legally obliged to pay its share toward peacekeeping. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has argued that with a budget &ldquo;representing a tiny fraction of global military spending &mdash; around one half of one percent &mdash; UN peacekeeping remains one of the most effective and cost-effective tools to build international peace and security.&rdquo; The decision to institute a major overhaul of the peacekeeping force &mdash; known globally for their distinctive blue berets or helmets &mdash; followed a meeting Tuesday between Guterres and representatives from major donor countries, including Mike Waltz, the new US ambassador to the United Nations. &lsquo;Bloated and redundant&rsquo;Waltz and other Trump administration officials have argued that the UN&#39;s budget and agencies are bloated and redundant, pledging not to make any further contributions until the State Department has assessed the effectiveness of every single UN agency or program.&nbsp; Upon entering his second term in January, Trump ordered a review of the UN and other multilateral institutions, which has already resulted in cutting US ties from the UN cultural agency UNESCO, the World Health Organization and the top UN human rights body, while reassessing its funding for others. At the UN, more than 60 offices, agencies and operations are facing 20% job cuts, part of Guterres&rsquo; reform effort and reaction to already announced Trump funding cuts. &lsquo;Back to basics&rsquo;In a television interview last week, Waltz said the US is focused on getting &ldquo;the UN back to basics of promoting peace, enforcing peace, preventing wars.&rdquo; He added, &ldquo;We have to cut out all of this other nonsense.&rdquo; UN peacekeeping operations have grown dramatically. At the end of the Cold War in the early 1990s, there were 11,000 UN peacekeepers.&nbsp; By 2014, there were 130,000 in 16 peacekeeping operations. Today, around 52,000 men and women serve in 11 conflict areas in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. $680 million commitment&nbsp;The US outlined that it would commit $680 million to nine of those peacekeeping efforts, a significant reduction from the $1 billion payment the US had made this time last year, the UN official said.&nbsp; That funding will be accessible for all active missions, especially those the US has taken special interest in, such as peacekeepers in Lebanon and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Contributions from the US and China make up half of the UN&#39;s peacekeeping budget. Another senior UN official, who also requested anonymity to discuss private talks, said China has indicated it will be paying its full contribution by the end of the year.

Roughly 13,000 to 14,000 military and police personnel out of more than 50,000 peacekeepers deployed across nine global missions will be sent back. The US has outlined that it would commit $680 million to nine missions. 

Articles tagged with "UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres"

Iran: Protests spread to over 26 provinces as rights groups report rising death toll

UN chief urges 'respect' for sovereignty at Venezuela emergency meeting

Dhaka, UN ‘strongly condemn’ attack on Bangladeshi peacekeepers in Sudan

UN to cut 25% of its peacekeeping force amid budget strains