UN Security Council veto blocks all seven secretary-general candidates

All seven candidates for the UN secretary-general post each faced a veto from a permanent Security Council member in Friday's indicative vote.

• The seven candidates, four women and three men, are competing to succeed António Guterres, whose second term ends December 31, 2026.
• Costa Rica's Rebeca Grynspan retained the lead in the sixth round of voting despite two rejections from permanent members.
• US ambassador Mike Waltz declined to comment on reports that Washington opposes all seven candidates, saying it "simply wants the best candidate."
• Waltz said states have the sovereign right to present additional candidates, as diplomats named Nikolay Mladenov, Lana Nusseibeh, and Feridun Sinirlioğlu as possible newcomers.