UN chief calls for immediate cessation of hostilities between Afghanistan, Pakistan

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

United Nations, Feb 28 (IANS) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for an immediate cessation of hostilities between Afghanistan and Pakistan, his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said.

“I can tell you that the Secretary-General is deeply concerned by the escalation of violence between Afghanistan and Pakistan and the impact that violence is having on civilian populations,” Dujarric told a daily briefing on Friday (local time).

The UN chief reiterated his call on the parties to resolve any differences through diplomacy, the spokesperson added.

On the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, Dujarric said, according to UN humanitarians, years of conflict, poverty and natural disasters, such as drought and earthquakes, have left nearly half the country’s population in need of humanitarian aid, reports Xinhua news agency.

“This number will only increase if the fighting goes on or escalates,” he said.

“We continue to call on all parties to the conflict to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law; in particular, to ensure that civilians are protected at all times, as well as civilian infrastructure,” Dujarric said.

At least 19 people were killed and 26 others injured in the eastern provinces of Khost and Paktika in Afghanistan following border clashes with Pakistan, Hamdullah Fitrat, deputy spokesman for the Afghan government, said.

The majority of the casualties are women and children, Fitrat added.

Meanwhile, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid has claimed that a “special circle” in Pakistan has started a mission to destabilise the region after tensions escalated between Kabul and Islamabad, local media reported on Friday.

While addressing a press conference in Kandahar on Friday, Mujahid urged regional nations to stop the “troublemakers.” He stated that Afghanistan’s air forces had precisely targeted military centres of Pakistan, Afghanistan’s Ariana News reported.

When asked about the Taliban’s stance on whether regional nations call for a halt to the conflict, he said that Afghanistan seeks a peaceful resolution of issues and has engaged in several rounds of negotiations with Pakistan; however, Islamabad was not prepared to resolve the issues through dialogue.

–IANS

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CEC Gyanesh Kumar to take charge as head of International IDEA today

New Delhi, Dec 3 (IANS) Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar is all set to assume the Chairship of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) on Wednesday.

The CEC will take over the Chairship of IIDEA in the meeting of the Council of Member States of International IDEA to be held in Stockholm, Sweden. As Chair, he will be presiding over all council meetings during the year 2026.

The ECI in a statement said, “As a global acknowledgement of free, fair and transparent elections held by the Election Commission of India and all the election staff of the country, CEC Gyanesh Kumar is set to assume the Chairship of International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) on December 3, 2025 at Stockholm, Sweden, on behalf of India.”

International IDEA, established in 1995, is an intergovernmental organisation committed to strengthening democratic institutions and processes across the world. With a current membership of 35 countries and the United States and Japan as Observers, the organisation promotes inclusive, resilient, and accountable democracies.

International IDEA has also held an observer status in the UN General Assembly since 2003.

“The Chairship marks a significant milestone, reflecting global recognition of the Election Commission of India as one of the world’s most credible and innovative Election Management Bodies (EMBs),” the ECI said in its press note.

India, a founding member of IIDEA, has consistently contributed to the organisation’s governance, democratic discourse and institutional initiatives.

“As Chair, CEC will leverage the country’s unmatched experience of conducting the world’s largest elections to shape IIDEA’s global agenda. The collaboration will strengthen knowledge-sharing, reinforce professional networks among EMBs, and support evidence-based global electoral reforms,” the ECI said.

Being the world’s largest electorate of nearly a billion electors and with well-laid-out and documented transparent electoral processes, India will endeavour to share its best practices with the EMBs across the world during the year.

“Joint programmes, workshops, and research collaborations between ECI’s training institute – India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM) and IIDEA will further enhance global readiness to respond to challenges such as disinformation, electoral violence, and erosion of voter trust,” it added.

Since its inception, IIIDEM has been training election officials not only within the country but also across the world. To date, IIIDEM has signed MoUs with 28 countries and has also trained 3169 officials from nearly 142 countries.

Under CEC’s leadership, IIDEA and ECI will work closely to document and disseminate ECI’s technological and administrative innovations and best practices internationally.

Notably, CEC, along with Election Commissioners, held a meeting with a delegation from IDEA led by Secretary General Kevin Casas Zamora, Chief of Staff, Jessica Kehayes and Secretary (West), Sibi George, at the poll panel’s headquarters in New Delhi in October.

This comes months after CEC delivered the keynote address at the Stockholm International Conference on Electoral Integrity in June.

–IANS

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Integrity must guide financial decision-making, says VP Radhakrishnan

New Delhi, Dec 22 (IANS) Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan on Monday reminded defence accounts officers of the need to maintain the highest standards of integrity and vigilance since public money represents the hard-earned contributions of taxpayers.

Addressing the Officer Trainees of the Indian Defence Accounts Service (IDAS) of the 2023 and 2024 batches at the Vice President’s Enclave, Radhakrishnan said, “Prudent financial management is essential to ensure the operational readiness of the Armed Forces.”

The Vice President stressed the need to maintain the highest standards of integrity, transparency, vigilance, and accountability, especially since public money represents the hard-earned contributions of taxpayers.

“As the accounting and financial authority of the Defence Services, officers must understand and assimilate the challenges faced by the Armed Forces while discharging their duties,” he said.

He also stressed the importance of continuous capacity building in an era marked by rapid technological and scientific advancements. He encouraged officers to make effective use of platforms such as iGOT Karmayogi for lifelong learning.

Speaking on values in public service, the Vice President said that while knowledge is essential, character is paramount.

He reminded the officers that among India’s 140 crore citizens, they have been entrusted with a rare opportunity to bring about positive change in society and must exercise this responsibility with humility and dedication.

Responding to a question from an officer trainee on expectations from civil servants in the journey towards Viksit Bharat, the Vice President urged them to remain innovative, adaptive to modern technologies, enthusiastic in their work, empathetic in approach, and ethical in administration.

Underscoring the significance of the Indian Defence Accounts Service, the Vice President said that the Service plays a critical role in managing the financial resources of the Indian Armed Forces and allied organisations.

He said that the Defence Accounts Department has a rich legacy of over 275 years, making it one of the oldest departments of the Government of India.

–IANS

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Telangana’s first intestine transplant performed at Osmania Hospital

Hyderabad, April 27 (IANS) The first successful intestine transplant in Telangana has been done by doctors at state government-run Osmania General Hospital here.

A 40-year-old male patient with short gut syndrome and on Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) support was admitted to Osmania Hospital, and found to have repeated central line infections and major central vein thrombosis. According to doctors, he underwent massive small bowel and right colon resection for massive gangrene due to acute Superior Mesenteric Artery (SMA) occlusion. Only 30 cm of the proximal jejunum, starting from the duodenojejunal (DJ) flexure, had remained intact.

Doctors at Osmania Hospital performed a cadaver small intestine transplant on April 19. Doctors said that the patient is now tolerating a soft diet orally, and his ileostomy is functioning well.

A protocol endoscopy performed on the seventh postoperative day revealed a healthy, pink mucosa in the transplanted bowel. Biopsy results confirmed there were no signs of rejection, doctors said.

This came a few days after doctors at Osmania Hospital achieved a breakthrough by successfully performing a liver transplantation on a 14-year-old patient suffering from Marfan’s syndrome and very severe hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS).

Marfan’s syndrome is a genetic disorder that makes body tissues fragile and increases the risk of heart problems, while HPS is a rare and serious condition where liver disease leads to low oxygen levels and widening of blood vessels in the lungs, making it hard to breathe.

A team of hepatologists, pulmonologists, cardiologists, and transplant surgeons at the hospital spent months evaluating the patient’s condition before taking a decision to perform the transplantation despite the risks involved.

A team of 30 doctors performed the surgery that lasted for 20 hours. Doctors had termed it a global milestone.

Osmania Hospital is the oldest and one of the major government-run healthcare facilities in the state.

Conceived after the devastating Musi floods of 1908, the Osmania Hospital was built by Mir Osman Ali Khan, the last Nizam of the princely state of Hyderabad, and named after him.

Built in the Indo-Saracenic style, it was completed in 1919 and has been host to many prominent medical conferences and research initiatives over the last 100 years.

–IANS

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