2 min readApr 23, 2026 06:40 AM IST
First published on: Apr 23, 2026 at 06:40 AM IST
In a rare triple veto, the US, Britain, and France joined together to kill a non-aligned resolution in the Security Council condemning last week’s American air attack on Libya. The resolution secured nine affirmative votes, just the number required for its adoption, but the three Western permanent members used their vetoes to nullify it. Two other Western non-permanent members — Australia and Denmark — also voted against the non-aligned draft, which in its final form had been slightly toned down.
US carries out N-test
A major nuclear weapons test was conducted in the Nevada desert as the Soviet Union indicated that it would continue to refrain from testing nuclear weapons. The blast had an explosive yield of up to 150 thousand tonnes of TNT — nearly 12 times the explosive punch of the atomic bomb that destroyed Hiroshima.
Pak Speaker backs Benazir
In a dramatic statement, the acting Speaker of the National Assembly endorsed Benazir Bhutto’s call for mid-term elections in Pakistan even as the government replenished its armoury to gag massive popular dissent. Wazir Ahmad Jogazai said he had been supporting the call for mid-term elections in Pakistan. “Democracy is a valuable thing, and we must be prepared to offer any sacrifice for the promotion of democracy,” he said.
Saudi petroleum products deal
India agreed to lift substantial quantities of petrochemical products from Saudi Arabia under long-term agreements, while Saudi Arabia said it would finance a major health project in Madhya Pradesh and recruit more Indian workers, particularly doctors and paramedical staff. The Indian Finance Minister, V P Singh, and his counterpart, Aba Al Khail, signed the “agreed minutes” of the Indo-Saudi Joint Commission after three days of deliberations, stipulating these and several other steps to boost bilateral trade and industrial and scientific cooperation.
