Raja faisal, University in Hofuf, Saudi Arabia

In his address at the inauguration of the high-level meeting of the 74th session of the General Assembly, he said without naming the countries: "Tensions are elevated in South Asia, where differences need to be addressed through dialogue."Guterres also said: "We have bolstered our counter-terrorism architecture and defined new strategies to tackle violent extremism and address root causes while respecting human rights."In his speech that took a tour of world's hot spots, he warned of a "Great Fracture" of the world with China and the West creating two rival systems as they drift towards self-contained economic and technology ecologies."I fear the possibility of a Great Fracture: the world splitting in two, with the two largest economies on earth creating two separate and competing worlds, each with their own dominant currency, trade and financial rules, their own internet and artificial intelligence capacities, and their own zero sum geopolitical and military strategies," he said, but avoided naming the two systems.He said: "We must do everything possible to avert the Great Fracture and maintain a universal system - a universal economy with universal respect for international law; a multipolar world with strong multilateral institutions."Turning to the Gulf region, Guterres spoke of the risks of war there from a "minor miscalculation," referring to the attacks on Saudi oil facilities."We face the alarming possibility of armed conflict in the Gulf, the consequences of, which the world cannot afford. The recent attack on Saudi Arabia's oil facilities was totally unacceptable," he said."In a context where a minor miscalculation can lead to a major confrontation, we must do everything possible to push for reason and restraint," he said.The US and Saudi Arabia have blamed Iran for the attacks on the oil facilities.But Guterres also made the case for reinstating the multilateral Iran nuclear deal from which President Donald Trump withdrew the US."I hope equally that it will still be possible to preserve the progress on nuclear non-proliferation represented by the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action," he said referring to the Iran deal.Guterres also pointed out the positive developments, in particular the emergence of democracies.He said: "Against the expectations of many, elections unfolded peacefully in Madagascar, the Maldives, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to name just a few.Greece and the Republic of North Macedonia resolved their decades-long dispute while political dialogue in Sudan and the peace process in the Central African Republic "have brought renewed hope," he said.(Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@.in and followed on Twitter @arulouis)( With inputs from IANS )

Raja FaisalFOLLOW

Raja faisal, Latest News

The US has decided to deploy 200 troops and missile defence equipment in Saudi Arabia in the wake of the September 14 drone attacks on a major oil field and a petroleum processing facility in the Kingdom, Chief Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman ha ...

Saudi Arabia on Friday will announce new visa schemes for 49 countries across the globe as part of its efforts to boost the Kingdom's tourism sector. ...

Breaking his silence for the first time over the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman has said that he bears responsibility for the killing because it "happened under his watch". ...

Amid reports that Saudi Aramco is set to announce its IPO next month, which would be the world's largest ever listing, India would be looking to expedite the $44 billion West Coast refinery project in Maharashtra, in which Saudi Aramco is to hold con ...

The United States on Wednesday announced a fresh round of sanctions targetting some Chinese entities and its officials for "knowingly" transporting oil from Iran. ...

Asserting that conditions are now in place for US President Donald Trump and his Iran counterpart Hassan Rouh to meet at the United Nations, French President Emmanuel Macron said that it still remains their decision whether to move forward. ...

Asserting that conditions are now in place for US President Donald Trump and his Iran counterpart Hassan Rouh to meet at the United Nations, French President Emmanuel Macron said that it still remains their decision whether to move forward. ...

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said on Tuesday that India and Pakistan should hold dialogue to lessen the tensions there. ...