UN General Assembly to hold secret ballot to elect next president
Former German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock faces a secret vote to decide on her election as president of the UN General Assembly.
A UN spokeswoman confirmed the development to dpa in New York.
Baerbock is running unopposed for the one-year top position, which is primarily of ceremonial significance and should not be confused with the role of UN Secretary General António Guterres.
The election in the plenary session before 193 UN member countries was considered a formality, but diplomatic sources told dpa that Russia likely called for the secret vote.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
40 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Taiwan's Lai, Rubio vow to 'never forget' Tiananmen victims
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te vowed Wednesday to preserve the memory of China's Tiananmen Square crackdown 36 years ago, echoing rhetoric by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Chinese troops and tanks forcibly cleared peaceful protesters from Beijing's Tiananmen Square on June 4, 1989, after weeks-long demonstrations demanding greater political freedoms. The exact toll is unknown but hundreds died, with some estimates exceeding 1,000 people. China's communist rulers have since sought to erase any public mention of the crackdown. "Authoritarian governments often choose to be silent and forget history; democratic societies choose to preserve the truth and refuse to forget those who have contributed to the ideal of human rights and their dreams," Lai said in a post on Facebook ahead of an annual vigil in Taipei's Liberty Square. "We remember the sacrifice of our predecessors, and we know the value of freedom, and we cannot ignore the erosion of global democracy and the rule of law by authoritarian expansion." China claims Taiwan is part of its territory and has threatened to seize the democratic island by force. In a rare return to human rights rhetoric, Rubio said Tuesday the "world will never forget" what happened on June 4 even as Beijing "actively tries to censor the facts". "Today we commemorate the bravery of the Chinese people who were killed as they tried to exercise their fundamental freedoms, as well as those who continue to suffer persecution as they seek accountability and justice for the events of June 4, 1989," Rubio said in a statement. Despite a long Senate career as an outspoken advocate for human rights, Rubio has been more selective as Donald Trump's top diplomat, focusing his rights criticism on US adversaries including China and Cuba. Rubio's predecessors issued statements each year to mark the anniversary of the bloody crackdown. But Rubio's statement had subtle differences -- his Democratic predecessor Antony Blinken last year urged China to accept recommendations in a UN-backed rights review and to respect freedoms enshrined in the post-World War II Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Rubio did not reference the United Nations, a frequent target of criticism by the Trump administration. - 'Reaffirm our commitment' - In Hong Kong, a jailed activist began a 36-hour hunger strike on Wednesday, a dogged attempt to individually commemorate the anniversary in a city that once hosted huge public remembrances. Former lawyer Chow Hang-tung used to help organise an annual vigil that drew tens of thousands to the city's Victoria Park. Hong Kong had been the only place under Chinese rule where commemoration of the crackdown was tolerated. Slogans at the candlelight vigil sometimes called for democracy in China and an end to one-party rule. But after huge and sometimes violent protests roiled the city in 2019, Beijing brought in a wide-ranging national security law that has quashed political dissent. The public memorial has effectively been banned and Chow imprisoned, facing a potential life sentence on subversion charges. On Wednesday, AFP journalists saw dozens of police patrolling the district around the park. Over the last few years, activists have been detained for "offences in connection with seditious intention" around the anniversary. In a social media post, Chow said her hunger strike would "commemorate this day and reaffirm our commitment". She called the city's national security officers "real 'criminals'" and urged authorities to apologise to her over her "wrongful" imprisonment. "History tells us that (the apology) will likely take a very long time –- the Tiananmen Mothers have been waiting for 36 years and still have not received an apology," she said, referring to an activist group made up of families of victims of the crackdown. A video featuring 87-year-old Zhang Xianling, whose 19-year-old son was killed in 1989, circulated online last week. China's authorities have never addressed the group's plea for dialogue around the issue -- instead, they have used all means to monitor and wiretap members of the Tiananmen Mothers, Zhang said. "The lights in Victoria Park may have been blown out by the gales, but the sparks of justice will glow in the hearts of every conscientious person," she added. burs/reb/je/lb
CNBC
an hour ago
- CNBC
CCTV Script 03/06/25
President Donald Trump has announced that, starting this Wednesday local time, the U.S. will double its tariffs on steel and aluminum—from 25% to 50%. Following the announcement, U.S. steel and aluminum prices surged on Monday. Let's start with aluminum. Globally, aluminum prices are typically benchmarked against those on the London Metal Exchange (LME), with regional premiums or discounts added to reflect local market conditions. For U.S. buyers in the spot market, this means paying an additional premium on top of the LME price. This premium covers extra costs such as freight, tariffs, and storage required to deliver aluminum to the U.S. Midwest. As of overnight trading, the U.S. Midwest duty-paid aluminum premium spiked to 58 cents per pound—around $1,280 per metric ton. That marks a 54% increase from last Friday and the highest level since 2013. Analysts say this could push the final cost of aluminum for U.S. buyers nearly 50% above what international counterparts are paying. Steel futures also jumped more than 8% intraday before giving back some of those gains. The U.S. remains heavily reliant on imported steel and aluminum. Experts warn the new tariff hikes could put pressure on American consumers. Nearly half of the aluminum used in the U.S. is imported, and the country is a net importer of steel. Analysts tell CNBC that U.S. steel prices are already among the highest globally, and these tariffs are likely to drive them even higher. Experts warn the steel tariffs could result in price hikes for cars, housing, and major appliances. Since both metals are widely used in canned food packaging, grocery prices could also be impacted. The impact extends beyond U.S. borders. Long-time U.S. allies in Europe are also feeling the heat. Germany's steel association says the U.S. accounts for about 20% of Europe's steel exports—roughly 4 million metric tons. Overnight, U.S. and European steelmakers saw diverging stock performances in reaction to the tariff news. Shares of major U.S. steel producers surged—Cleveland-Cliffs rose over 20%, while Nucor and Steel Dynamics each gained more than 10%. In contrast, European steel giants came under pressure. ArcelorMittal and Thyssenkrupp closed lower. Meanwhile, the CEO of Germany's second-largest steelmaker, Salzgitter, warned on Monday that raising steel tariffs to 50% could deliver a severe blow to the European—and especially German—economy. The European Union is preparing retaliatory measures. An EU spokesperson said that unless a resolution is reached with Washington, current and additional countermeasures will automatically take effect on July 14—and could be implemented sooner if necessary. CNBC will continue to monitor this closely.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
US-backed Gaza aid centres to close temporarily after 27 killed
Aid centres in hunger-wracked Gaza will temporarily close on Wednesday, a controversial US-backed agency said, with the Israeli army warning roads leading to distribution stations "are considered combat zones". Twenty-seven people were killed in southern Gaza on Tuesday when Israeli troops opened fire near one of the centres operated by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). Israel recently eased its blockade of the Palestinian enclave, but the UN has said the entire population remains at risk of famine. The UN Security Council will vote Wednesday on a resolution calling for a ceasefire and humanitarian access to Gaza, a measure expected to be vetoed by the United States. The GHF said its "distribution centres will be closed for renovation, reorganisation and efficiency improvement work" on Wednesday and would resume operations on Thursday. The Israeli army, which confirmed the temporary closure, warned against travelling "on roads leading to the distribution centres, which are considered combat zones". The GHF, officially a private effort with opaque funding, began operations a week ago but the UN and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with it over concerns it was designed to cater to Israeli military objectives. Following Tuesday's deadly incident near one of GHF's centres, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres decried the killing of Palestinians seeking food aid as "unacceptable". Israeli authorities and the GHF -- which uses contracted US security -- have denied allegations that the Israeli army shot at civilians rushing to pick up aid packages at GHF sites. The Israeli army has said the incident is under investigation. - 'A trap' - At a hospital in southern Gaza, the family of Reem al-Akhras, who was killed in the shooting at Rafah's Al-Alam roundabout near GHF's facility, were beside themselves with grief. "She went to bring us some food, and this is what happened to her," her son Zain Zidan said, his face streaked with tears. Akhras's husband, Mohamed Zidan, said "every day unarmed people" were being killed. "This is not humanitarian aid -- it's a trap." The Israeli military maintains that its forces do not prevent Gazans from collecting aid. Army spokesperson Effie Defrin said the Israeli soldiers had fired towards suspects who "were approaching in a way that endangered" the troops, adding that the "incident is being investigated". UN human rights chief Volker Turk called such attacks against civilians "unconscionable" and said they "constitute a grave breach of international law and a war crime". The International Committee of the Red Cross meanwhile said "Gazans face an "unprecedented scale and frequency of recent mass casualty incidents". - Relief boat - The United States said Tuesday that a US-backed relief effort in Gaza was succeeding in distributing meals but acknowledged the potential for improvement after the reports of shootings near the GHF centre. A boat organised by an international activist coalition was meanwhile sailing toward Gaza, aiming to deliver aid. The boat from the Freedom Flotilla Coalition departed Sicily Sunday carrying a dozen people, including environmental activist Greta Thunberg, along with fruit juices, milk, tinned food and protein bars. "Together, we can open a people's sea corridor to Gaza," the coalition said. But Israel's military said Tuesday it was ready to "protect" the country's maritime space. When asked about the Freedom Flotilla vessel, army spokesman Defrin said "for this case as well, we are prepared", declining to go into detail. Israel has stepped up its offensive in what it says is a renewed push to defeat the Palestinian group Hamas, whose October 2023 attack sparked the war. The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said at least 4,240 people have been killed since Israel resumed its offensive on March 18, taking the war's overall toll to 54,510, mostly civilians. Hamas's 2023 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, also mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Apart from the aid centre incident, the civil defence agency reported 19 killed on Tuesday. The army said three of its soldiers had been killed in northern Gaza, bringing the number of Israeli troops killed in the territory since the start of the war to 424. bur-dhw/tym
