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UNITED NATIONS, March 22. /TASS/: Elements of diplomatic progress can be seen on several key issues in the situation around Ukraine, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Tuesday.

"From my outreach with various actors, elements of diplomatic progress are coming into view on several key issues," Antonio Guterres said. According to him, "there is enough on the table to cease hostilities - now… and seriously negotiate - now".

(AP) --- Stocks edged lower in morning trading on Wall Street Monday as major indexes come off their best week since November 2020.

The S&P 500 fell 0.2% as of 10:21 a.m. Eastern. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 166 points, or 0.5%, to 34,585 and the Nasdaq fell 1%.

Energy stocks made solid gains as oil prices gained ground. U.S. benchmark crude oil rose 5.8% and Exxon Mobil gained 3.5%.

Technology and communications stocks slipped and countered gains elsewhere in the market. Microsoft fell 1.5% and Facebook parent, Meta Platforms, fell 3.8%.

UNITED NATIONS, Mar 20 (APP): Healthy forests are “essential” for people and the planet, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in his message marking the International Day of Forests.

“They act as natural filters, providing clean air and water, and they are havens of biological diversity…[and] help to regulate our climate by influencing rainfall patterns, cooling urban areas and absorbing one-third of greenhouse gas emissions,” the UN chief said.

NEW-YORK, March 20. /TASS/: Moscow’s case must be heard as part of a new security architecture established between Russia and the Western bloc, Ibrahim Kalin, a chief adviser and spokesman for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, said in an interview with New York Times published on Saturday.

According to him, "the Russian case must be heard, because after this war, there will have to be a new security architecture established between Russia and the Western bloc"

UNITED NATIONS, March 19 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Friday refuted U.S. attacks on China's human rights record and urged it to face up to its own human rights violations.

Dai Bing, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, accused U.S. Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield of abusing a commemorative meeting of the General Assembly on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

19 March 2022; MEMO: India, France, and European Union (EU) have objected to the decision to declare 15 March the International Day to Combat Islamophobia, adopted by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly.

UNITED NATIONS, Mar 19 (APP): Making a strong case against creating new permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council, Pakistan had said an increase in the number of non-permanent members would make the 15-member body more representative and democratic.

UNITED NATIONS, March 18 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Friday asked relevant parties to the biological security issue in Ukraine to respond to newly discovered documents and offer clarifications to remove the doubts of the international community.

China was once a victim of chemical and biological weapons. China believes that any information and lead on biological military activities should trigger heightened concern and attention of the international community to avoid irreparable harm, said Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations.

UNITED NATIONS, Mar 18 (APP): Racism continues to poison institutions, social structures, and everyday life across all societies, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Friday at a dedicated meeting against what he referred to as a catalyst that “normalizes hate, denies dignity, and spurs violence”.

“It continues to be a driver of persistent inequality…to deny people their fundamental human rights”, he said in an address to the General Assembly, marking the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

UNITED NATIONS, March 18 (Reuters) - The United States and Western allies slammed Russia on Friday for spreading propaganda, disinformation and "nonsense" at the United Nations Security Council by alleging that parts of biological weapons were being made in Ukraine.

Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia sent a lengthy document, seen by Reuters, to the council and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday on Moscow's accusation that there are "military biological programs" in Ukraine.