UN welcomes Lebanon-Israel talks

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UN welcomes Lebanon-Israel talks

2026-04-16 10:29 Last Updated At：12:11

The United Nations welcomes the talks between Lebanese and Israeli representatives held on Tuesday, describing the dialog as an "important first step" toward breaking the cycle of violence and ending hostilities.

Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said at a press briefing on Wednesday that the UN considers continued dialog essential for resolving outstanding issues and restoring stability in the region. He reaffirmed the UN's readiness to provide support and reiterated the call for full implementation of Security Council Resolution 1701.

Haq also expressed concern over threats to the safety and freedom of movement of UN peacekeepers in Lebanon, urging the Israeli military to fulfill its obligations to protect them.

Meanwhile, the humanitarian crisis in Lebanon continues to worsen. The UN issued an urgent appeal to all parties to immediately de-escalate hostilities, respect international humanitarian law, protect civilians, ensure unimpeded access to humanitarian aid, and called on the international community to rapidly increase emergency funding.

Sales from trade-in goods top 73 bln dollars

Sales from the consumer goods trade-in program in 2026 totaled 502.94 billion yuan (about 73.76 billion U.S. dollars) by Sunday, benefiting 69.777 million people, according to the latest data released by the Ministry of Commerce.

By category, the automobile trade-in program involved over 1.67 million vehicles, driving new car sales of over 269.44 billion yuan (about 39.52 billion U.S. dollars).

Among them, over 472,000 vehicles were scrapped and replaced, generating sales of over 60.69 billion yuan (about 8.9 billion U.S. dollars), and over 1.198 million vehicles were traded in for new models, generating sales of over 208.75 billion yuan (about 30.62 billion U.S. dollars).

The home appliance trade-in program involved 27.023 million units, with sales reaching 111.09 billion yuan (about 16.29 billion U.S. dollars).

The purchase of new digital and smart products totaled 41.084 million units, with sales amounting to 122.41 billion yuan (about 17.95 billion U.S. dollars).