International news brief: Quad members commit themselves towards expanding UNSC and more

Washington, Sep 24: Days after US President Joe Biden stressed reforming the UN Security Council, Quad countries have committed themselves towards expanding the 15-member world body in both permanent and non-permanent categories.

A joint statement issued following a meeting of Quad foreign ministers in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly also called for respecting the territorial integrity. It was apparently aimed at China.

''We are committed to advancing a comprehensive UN reform agenda, including through expansion in permanent and non-permanent seats of the UN Security Council so that it reflects the current global realities and incorporates more geographically diverse perspectives,'' said the foreign ministers of Quad that comprise India, Japan, Australia and the United States.

The meeting was attended by foreign ministers - Penny Wong of Australia, S Jaishankar of India, Hayashi Yoshimasa of Japan and US Secretary of State Tony Blinken. ''We underscored the need to address attempts to unilaterally subvert the international and multilateral system, including in the UN,'' they said.

Country that claims to seek peace with neighbours will never shelter planners of 26/11 attack: India on Pak PM Sharif's remarks at UNGA

In a strong response to Pakistan, India has said in the UN General Assembly that a country that claims to seek peace with its neighbours would never sponsor cross-border terrorism nor would it shelter planners of the horrific Mumbai terrorist attack, disclosing their existence only under pressure from the global community.

India exercised the Right of Reply in the UN General Assembly on Friday to respond sharply to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who had raked up the issue of Jammu and Kashmir during his address to the high-level General Debate earlier in the day.

"It is regrettable that the Prime Minister of Pakistan has chosen the platform of this august assembly to make false accusations against India," First Secretary in the Permanent Mission of India to the UN Mijito Vinito said in the Right of Reply.

Powerful quake shakes Indonesia, but no casualties reported

A strong undersea earthquake shook Indonesia's northernmost province of Aceh on Saturday, but there were no immediate reports of serious damage or casualties and officials said there was no threat of a tsunami.

Witnesses said many people ran out of their homes to higher ground when the pre-dawn earthquake struck, but they later received text messages saying there was no danger of a tsunami. A massive quake off the coast of Aceh in 2004 triggered a powerful tsunami that killed around 230,000 people in a dozen countries.

Saturday's magnitude 6.2 quake was centered 40 kilometers (24.8 miles) south-southwest of Meulaboh, a coastal city in Aceh province at a depth of 49 kilometers, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

Fight to end virus pandemic takes place on UN's sidelines

In four days of fiery speeches over war, climate change and the threat of nuclear weapons, one issue felt like an afterthought during this year's UN General Assembly: the coronavirus pandemic.

Masks were often pulled below chins - or not worn at all - and any mention of COVID-19 by world leaders typically came at the tail-end of a long list of grievances.

But on the sidelines of the annual meeting, the pandemic was still very much part of the conversation.

On Thursday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres gathered with World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell and others to discuss equitable access to COVID vaccines, tests and treatments.