China condemns Islamabad mosque attack, pledges support for Pakistan

Security officials examine the site of a bomb explosion at a Shiite mosque Islamabad, Pakistan on Feb. 6, 2026. (AP)
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Updated 08 February 2026
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China condemns Islamabad mosque attack, pledges support for Pakistan

  • China is ‘deeply shocked’ by Friday’s attack, the foreign ministry said in a ⁠statement

BEIJING: China condemned an attack on a Shiite mosque in Islamabad, pledging support on Sunday for the Pakistan ‌government’s ‌efforts ‌to “maintain ⁠national security and ‌stability.”
China is “deeply shocked” by Friday’s attack, the foreign ministry said in a ⁠statement.
An attacker ‌opened fire at ‍the ‍gates of ‍the mosque before setting off a suicide bomb and killing at least 31 people ⁠in the deadliest attack of its kind in Pakistan’s capital in more than a decade.


UN chief calls Ukraine war ‘a stain on our collective conscience’

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UN chief calls Ukraine war ‘a stain on our collective conscience’

  • Guterres warned that the fighting posed direct risks to the safe and secure operation of Ukraine’s nuclear sites

WASHINGTON: Four years ‌after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the war there remained “as a ​stain on our collective conscience” and reiterated calls for an immediate ceasefire. In remarks for a session of the United Nations Security Council to mark the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion, Guterres commended the efforts of the United States and others to end ‌the war, but ‌said concrete measures were ​needed ‌to ⁠de-escalate ​and create space ⁠for diplomacy.
Referring to Russia’s invasion, Guterres said: “We have witnessed the cascading consequences of this blatant violation of international law.”
He said more than 15,000 civilians had been killed in Ukraine since the start of the war ⁠and over 41,000 hurt. Among those killed ‌or hurt were ‌3,200 children.
Guterres’ remarks were ​read on his ‌behalf by Rosemary DiCarlo, the UN under-secretary-general for ‌peacebuilding.
Guterres warned that the fighting posed direct risks to the safe and secure operation of Ukraine’s nuclear sites, and added: “This unconscionable game of ‌nuclear roulette must cease immediately.”
He urged UN member states to fully fund ⁠humanitarian assistance ⁠and said that any settlement to the war must uphold the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders.
“Enough with the death. Enough with the destruction. Enough with the broken lives and shattered futures,” he added.
“It is time for an immediate, full and unconditional ceasefire – the first step toward a just ​peace that ​saves lives and ends the endless suffering.