UN General Assembly Weighs ‘Interconnected Crises’ |
World leaders begin their annual addresses (NYT) to the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York today amid what the United Nations has described (Al Jazeera) as time of “complex and interconnected crises.” This year’s session will focus on the war in Ukraine and climate change. In addition, Western governments are expected to urge Iran to commit to rejoining the 2015 nuclear deal. The leaders of China, India, Ethiopia, and Russia will not attend. U.S. President Joe Biden will speak tomorrow.
The United States, African Union, and European Union (EU) will hold a conference today to discuss food insecurity and rising prices. On Thursday, the UN Security Council is due to hold a session on the topic of Ukraine and impunity. UN Secretary-General António Guterres said last week that he doesn’t expect dialogue (NPR) between Russian and Ukrainian delegations.
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“More than two hundred days into the war [in Ukraine], the circumstances beckon a strong voice at the United Nations rather than impunity for Russia, which has inflicted wanton destruction on Ukraine’s infrastructure and civilian homes, death and injury upon tens of thousands of civilians, and havoc on Ukraine’s economy,” CFR’s David J. Scheffer writes.
“[Western leaders] will face some pushback from leaders of the developing world in Africa, Asia and the Middle East who have grown weary of how the conflict [in Ukraine] has taken away attention from some of the major crises these regions are facing, from climate to food insecurity and humanitarian suffering,” the New York Times’ Farnaz Fassihi writes. This Backgrounder explains the role of the UN General Assembly. |
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U.S. Auditors Arrive in Hong Kong to Inspect Companies |
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Waterborne Diseases Cause Deaths in Wake of Pakistan Flooding |
Twelve people across two districts of Sindh Province died of malaria and gastroenteritis within a day, Dawn reported.
Myanmar/Russia: To decrease dependence (Bloomberg) on the dollar, Myanmar will use the barter system and rubles to buy Russian fertilizer and oil, a spokesperson for Myanmar’s military government said. |
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Middle East and North Africa |
Iranian Protests Grow Over Woman’s Death in Police Custody |
Demonstrators and police clashed in Iran’s largest cities (FT) yesterday following the death of a Kurdish Iranian woman who had been accused of dressing immodestly.
Palestinian territories: A bystander was killed (Haaretz) and seven people were wounded after Palestinian authorities conducted a raid in the West Bank to arrest operatives of Hamas, the militant group that governs the Gaza Strip. |
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Uganda Declares Ebola Outbreak |
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EU Court Rules Against Indiscriminate Data Retention |
An EU court ruled (Reuters) that governments can only hold citizens’ personal data if there is a genuine threat to national security, as opposed to collecting data indiscriminately.
Ukraine: Ukrainian troops recaptured (The Guardian) the town of Bilohorivka from Russian forces, meaning Russia no longer holds total control of the Luhansk region, a local official said.
For Foreign Affairs, Liana Fix and Michael Kimmage discuss Vladimir Putin’s next move in Ukraine. |
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Ecuador Reaches Deal to Restructure $4.4 Billion in Chinese Debt |
Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso said the deal will save his country (WSJ) $1 billion between 2022 and 2025.
Mexico: An earthquake hit Mexico’s western coast, killing one person (BBC). It occurred on the anniversary of two other deadly quakes, one in 2017 and one in 1985.
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| Texas Authorities Open Criminal Investigation Over Transfer of Migrants |
A Texas sheriff said the forty-eight asylum seekers that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis sent (NBC) to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, last week were in the country legally (NPR) and lured to the island on false pretenses. |
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Council on Foreign Relations |
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