Kuleba’s visit comes at the invitation of his Indian counterpart, S Jaishankar, after a telephone call between the leaders of the two nations at the beginning of the year, said one of the officials

After more than five months of war, the UN Security Council for the first time Monday demanded an immediate ceasefire after the United States, Israel’s ally which vetoed previous drafts, abstained.

Drawing unusual applause in the often staid Security Council, all 14 other members voted in favor of the resolution which “demands an immediate ceasefire” for the ongoing Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

The resolution calls for the truce to lead to a “lasting, sustainable ceasefire” and demands that Hamas and other militants free hostages seized on October 7.

Russia at the last minute objected to the removal of the word “permanent” ceasefire and called a vote, which failed to gain passage.

The successful resolution was drafted in part by Algeria, the Arab bloc’s current member on the Security Council, with a diverse array of countries including Slovenia and Switzerland.

The United States has vetoed previous bids for a ceasefire but has shown growing frustration with Israel, including its stated plans to expand its military operation to the packed southern city of Rafah.

A change in tone toward its Middle Eastern ally was seen Friday, when the United States put forward a resolution to recognize “the imperative” of an “immediate and sustained ceasefire.”

But that text was blocked by Russia and China, which along with Arab states criticized it for stopping short of explicitly demanding Israel halt its campaign in Gaza.

The United States had repeatedly blocked ceasefire resolutions as it attempts to walk a line between supporting Israel with military aid and voicing frustration with leader Benjamin Netanyahu as the civilian death count in the Gaza Strip mounts.

Unlike Friday’s text, the call for a ceasefire in the new resolution is not directly linked to ongoing talks, led by Qatar with support from the United States and Egypt, to halt fighting in return for Hamas releasing hostages.

Israel has criticized the Security Council for previous resolutions that have not specifically condemned Hamas.

The October 7 attack by the Palestinian militant group on Israel resulted in the deaths of about 1,160 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli figures.

The militants also seized 250 hostages, of whom Israel believes around 130 remain in Gaza, including 33 presumed dead.

Israel’s military campaign in response to eliminate Hamas has killed more than 32,000 people, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.

The Security Council has been divided over the Israel-Hamas war since the October 7 attacks, only approving two of eight resolutions, which both mainly dealt with humanitarian aid.

And those resolutions seem to have had little effect on the ground, where UN personnel say Israel continues to block aid convoys as experts warn of looming famine.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

In Maharashtra’s Thane, a 9-year-old boy finished his evening prayers at his local mosque, stepped out of the building, but was kidnapped by the local tailor before being killed, put in a sack and hid in the latter’s backyard.

The chilling sequence of events unfolded in Goregaon village in Thane’s Badlapur Sunday evening. According to the police, the prime accused, Salman Maulvi, wanted money to build a new house. Salman, a tailor residing in the same neighbourhood, hatched a plan to kidnap Ibad in a bid to extort a ransom of Rs 23 lakh. The motive behind this heinous act was reportedly to finance the construction of a house.

When Ibad failed to return home after evening prayers, his concerned family, upon realising his absence, initiated a frantic search. Their worst fears were confirmed when Ibad’s father, Muddasir, received a chilling call demanding the exorbitant ransom for his son’s safe return. However, the call abruptly ended, without divulging any details.

When the villagers found out about Ibad’s disappearance, a dual search operation ensued. While the police launched a comprehensive search, combing through every lead, the villagers themselves rallied to find the missing boy. The kidnapper, sensing the mounting pressure, attempted to evade capture by changing SIM cards in his mobile phone.

On Monday afternoon, the police tracked the location of Salman’s residence. What they uncovered sent shockwaves through the community – the body of Ibad stuffed in a sack, callously concealed behind the house.

“After the kidnap, there was a ransom call made. The accused is in our custody. Investigation is being done behind the motive for murdering the child,” said Thane Superintendent of Police (SP) Dr DS Swami.

Alongside Salman, his brother Safuan Maulvi was also arrested in connection with the kidnapping and murder. An FIR has been registered and while Salman has been identified as the prime suspect, investigations are underway to ascertain the involvement of other individuals, including family members, in this barbaric crime, senior Badlapur police officer Govind Patil said.