UN chief condemns killing of UN peacekeeper in Lebanon

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday condemned the killing of a UN peacekeeper in southern Lebanon and urged all parties to respect the cessation of hostilities agreement.

Sgt. Milovan Jovanovic, a Serbian peacekeeper serving with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), was killed on Wednesday when a mortar struck a UN position near Marjayoun in southern Lebanon, according to a statement by UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

Meanwhile, two other peacekeepers were wounded in the incident and are receiving treatment at a UNIFIL medical facility. An investigation is underway, the statement said.

A total of seven UNIFIL peacekeepers have been killed since hostilities escalated in Lebanon on March 2 following the Israeli-U.S. war on Iran.

"Attacks on peacekeepers must stop. They are grave violations of international humanitarian law and of Security Council Resolution 1701 (2006) and may amount to war crimes," the statement said.

Guterres called on all parties to uphold their obligations under international law, ensure the safety and security of UN personnel, and respect the inviolability of UN property and assets. He also stressed that all attacks on peacekeepers must be promptly investigated and that those responsible must be held accountable.

"The secretary general again urges all actors to respect the cessation of hostilities that was announced on April 16. The UN is committed to supporting the diplomatic efforts towards an extension of the cessation of hostilities and the full implementation of Resolution 1701," said Dujarric.

UN chief condemns killing of UN peacekeeper in Lebanon

Hong Kong's stock market closed lower on Friday as investors' sentiment was dampened by the lower-than-expected revenue of the U.S. chipmaker Broadcom, said Timothy Pope, a market analyst.

Hong Kong's stock market ended lower on Friday, with the benchmark Hang Seng Index down 1.15 percent to close at 24,961.95 points.

The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index fell 0.77 percent to settle at 8,436.63 points, and the Hang Seng Tech Index fell 1.75 percent to end at 4,888.39 points.

"Around the region there was more of a direct reaction to Wall Street's Broadcom-sparked dip. The Hang Seng lost more than 1 percent and the Hang Seng Tech Index was down 1.8 percent. China's two biggest chip firms, SMIC and Hua Hong Grace were the biggest losers on the tech index today, each with 7-plus percent declines. Chinese EV makers also lost ground. That dragged the tech index lower as well. Insurers and global banking shares were slipping in Hong Kong as well. There was some worry there that their profits might be hit a little bit by changes to Chinese capital control rules last month. So, we saw the likes of AIA, the insurance firm, down 3.5 percent and losses for HSBC and Standard Chartered as well," said Pope.

Broadcom-sparked tech selloff affects Hong Kong market: analyst