USA

UNITED NATIONS, Sept 24 (NNN-PSM) – Maldives Foreign Minister, Abdulla Shahid, yesterday, called for climate action and reform of the multilateral system, to address global challenges.

The raging climate crisis remains an existential threat, especially to small island developing states, Shahid told the General Debate of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly.

He said, the country is pursuing a national plan to reach net-zero emissions by 2030, a goal it can only meet with international support.

NEW YORK, Sept 23 (NNN-Bernama) — Malaysia has called for the veto power of the United Nations (UN) Security Council to be abolished in line with the principle of one country one vote.

Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said as an organisation that brings the spirit and symbol of democracy to the world, the UN needs to return to its foundation.

UNITED NATIONS, Sept 24 (Reuters) - China supports all efforts conducive to the peaceful resolution of the "crisis" in Ukraine, its foreign minister Wang Yi told the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday, adding that the pressing priority was to facilitate peace talks.

"The fundamental solution is to address the legitimate security concerns of all parties and build a balanced, effective and sustainable security architecture," Wang said in his address.

UNITED NATIONS, Sept 24 (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused the United States of "playing with fire" around Taiwan on Saturday in a speech sharply critical of Washington at the annual gathering at the United Nations.

The United States was now trying to "subjugate" Asian areas, Lavrov said in an address to the United Nations General Assembly, criticizing Washington's formation of "closed format" country groupings in the Indo-Pacific.

"They're playing with fire around Taiwan. On top of that, they're promising military support to Taiwan," Lavrov said.

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- The COVID-19 pandemic and an unequal recovery have cost the world three years of development progress, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Friday at the 46th Annual Meeting of Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the Group of 77 and China.

Guterres said that advancing the Sustainable Development Goals "has been his focus during high-level week" when world leaders converge in New York to discuss solutions to the pressing challenges facing the global community.

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Friday that Israel has decided not to be a partner of Palestine in the peace process and that it will be treated as such.

"It is clear that Israel, which is ignoring the resolutions of international legitimacy, has decided not to be our partner in the peace process," said Abbas in his speech to the General Debate of the UN General Assembly.

NEW YORK, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday told U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken that China-U.S. relations have been severely impacted currently, and the lessons from which should be learned by the U.S. side.

Wang made the remarks during their talks at the site of the Permanent Mission of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations. The two diplomats were attending the ongoing 77th session of the UN General Assembly.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency for 24 counties as Tropical Storm Ian gathers strength over the Caribbean and is expected to bring heavy rain and hurricane-force winds to the state next week.

DeSantis issued the order Friday encouraging residents and local governments to make preparations as the storm moves toward the state. He has also requested a federal pre-landfall emergency declaration.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA is skipping next week’s launch attempt of its new moon rocket because of a tropical storm that’s expected to become a major hurricane.

It’s the third delay in the past month for the lunar-orbiting test flight featuring mannequins but no astronauts, a follow-up to NASA’s Apollo moon-landing program of a half-century ago. Hydrogen fuel leaks and other technical issues caused the previous scrubs.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem was returning from an official appearance in Rapid City in 2019 when she faced a decision: Overnight in the capital of Pierre, where another trip would start the next day, or head home and see her son attend his high school prom?

The Republican governor chose the latter, a decision that eventually cost taxpayers some $3,700 when the state airplane dropped her off near her home and then returned the next day to pick her up.