UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an immediate de-escalation between Israel and Lebanon during a press conference in Beirut on Saturday, warning that escalating violence risks devastating large parts of the country.
"The south [of Lebanon] risks being turned into a wasteland. Southern Beirut, which is under sweeping evacuation orders by Israel, risks being bombed to oblivion. The Beqaa and Baalbek and other areas are scenes of destruction and panic. It is tragic to see all this happening in a country that has contributed so much to world civilization," the UN chief said.
Guterres said the UN is working intensively through diplomatic channels to halt the fighting and bring the parties back to dialogue.
Guterres stressed that there is "no military solution" to the conflict and urged the parties to stop the fighting and return to diplomacy and dialogue in line with the UN Charter and Security Council resolutions, including Resolution 1701.
"My message to the warring partners is clear. Stop the fighting. Stop the bombing. There is no military solution. Only diplomacy, dialogue and full implementation of the UN Charter and Security Council resolutions," he said.
Guterres also reiterated calls for the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure and stressed the need to respect Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Meanwhile, Lebanon's Public Health Ministry said the death toll from Israeli attacks in the country since March 2 has risen to 826, with 2,009 people wounded, and over 820,000 people displaced.
According to the ministry's Emergency Operations Center, the number of health workers killed rose to 31 after missing personnel were found under the rubble of a primary healthcare center in southern Lebanon, which was hit in an Israeli strike early Saturday.
Hezbollah announced the launch of rockets from Lebanon toward Israel on March 2 for the first time since a ceasefire took effect on Nov. 27, 2024. Israel subsequently launched an offensive military campaign against the group, carrying out intensive airstrikes on multiple areas in southern and eastern Lebanon, as well as Beirut's southern suburbs.
UN chief urges de-escalation during Lebanon visit as death toll rises
UN chief urges de-escalation during Lebanon visit as death toll rises
UN chief urges de-escalation during Lebanon visit as death toll rises
China's first 500-kV cross-border alternating-current power interconnection project entered service Monday, creating the highest voltage grid tie between the two countries and advancing Belt and Road energy cooperation.
The project raises two-way power transfer capacity between the two countries from 50,000 kW to 1.5 million kW, enabling the annual transmission of about 3 billion kWh of clean electricity, roughly 30 times the capacity of previous lines, according to China Southern Power Grid.
As the largest cross-border grid project and the highest-voltage power link between China and Laos, it connects southwest China's Yunnan Province with Oudomxay and Luang Namtha provinces in northern Laos.
Cross-border electricity trading began as the project entered operation. About 4.81 million kWh of power from clean energy bases in northern Laos was transmitted to Yunnan through the new line, marking a more regular and institutionalized phase of power connectivity between the two countries.
It is also the first time an overseas new energy project has participated in China's electricity market, the company said. The power involved in the transaction came from a large mountain photovoltaic project in Laos, one of the core supporting power sources for the interconnection line.
"This project is the cross-border power grid project with the highest voltage level between China and Laos. Leveraging the China-Laos power grid interconnection and the power markets in southern China, surplus hydropower from Laos can be transmitted to China during the rainy season, while China can supply supplemental power to northern Laos during the dry season. This project represents yet another landmark achievement between China and Laos in deepening power cooperation and jointly advancing the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative," said Li Jingru, general manager of Electricite du Laos Transmission Company Limited (EDL-T), a joint venture of China Southern Power Grid and Lao state-run Electricite du Laos.
The solar project has an average annual power generation capacity of about 1.65 billion kWh. In 2026, it is expected to transmit about 1.1 billion kWh of solar power across the border, supporting energy complementarity between the two countries.
"In the future, efforts will be made to further promote normalized cross-border electricity trading, meet the trading needs such as electricity transmission from Laos to China's Yunnan, from China's Yunnan to Laos, and from Laos to China's Guangdong, and facilitate the optimal allocation of energy resources in the Lancang-Mekong region," said Li Minhong, marketing director of China Southern Power Grid.
Construction of the interconnection project began in late February last year. Spanning a total length of 177.5 km, the transmission line includes a 145-km Chinese section and a 32.5-km Lao section.
New China-Laos power link expands transfer capacity 30-fold, boosts electricity trading
