UNITED NATIONS, Sep 24 (APP): A Pakistani diplomat has categorically rejected India’s allegations about Pakistan’s involvement in terrorist acts, citing instances of the Indian sponsorship of terrorism and aggression against all its neighbours that makes New Delhi the “principle perpetrator, sponsor, financier and abettor” of terrorism in South Asia.

TEHRAN, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanani on Saturday expressed regret for the decision of the Ukrainian government to downgrade diplomatic relations with the Islamic republic.

On Friday, Ukraine announced to downgrade ties with Iran and remove the Iranian ambassador's accreditation over what it called Tehran's "unfriendly" decision to supply Russia with drones "used against its forces and citizens," the Iranian Foreign Ministry website reported.

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.

LONDON, Sept 24 (Reuters) - The Duma, Russia's lower house of parliament, may debate bills incorporating Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine into Russia on Sept. 29, the state-run TASS news agency said on Saturday, citing an unnamed source.

Moscow launched referendums on joining Russia in the four occupied regions of Ukraine on Friday, drawing condemnation from Kyiv and Western nations, who dismissed the votes as a sham and pledged not to recognise their results. 

Pro-Moscow authorities have made clear they consider the votes to be a foregone conclusion.

BANGKOK (AP) — A Chinese scientific ship bristling with surveillance equipment docked in a Sri Lankan port. Hundreds of fishing boats anchored for months at a time among disputed islands in the South China Sea. And ocean-going ferries, built to be capable of carrying heavy vehicles and large loads of people.

All are ostensibly civilian ships, but experts and uneasy regional governments say they are part of a Chinese civil-military fusion strategy, little concealed by Beijing, that enhances its maritime capabilities.

24 Sep 2022; MEMO: Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi warned against the UK moving its embassy to the occupied city of Jerusalem.

Late on Thursday, in response to journalists' questions regarding the announcement by British Prime Minister Liz Truss's office that it was considering moving the location of its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, Safadi announced: "No official decision has been issued yet in this regard."

ATLANTA (AP) — The tale of breached voting equipment in one of the country’s most important political battleground states involves a bail bondsman, a prominent attorney tied to former President Donald Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and a cast of characters from a rural county that rarely draws notice from outsiders.

How they all came together and what it could mean for the security of voting in the upcoming midterm elections are questions tangled up in a lawsuit and state investigations that have prompted calls to ditch the machines altogether.

DUBAI, Sept 24 (Reuters) - Iran must deal decisively with protests which have swept the country after the death in custody of a woman detained by the Islamic Republic's morality police, President Ebrahim Raisi said on Saturday.

At least 35 people have been killed in the weeklong demonstrations, according to Iran's state television, with protest spreading to most of the country's 31 provinces.

On Friday, state-organised rallies took place in several Iranian cities to counter the anti-government protests, and the army promised to confront "the enemies" behind the unrest.

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.

Sept 24 (Reuters) - Iran is planning "proportional action" in response to Ukraine's decision to downgrade diplomatic ties over the reported supply of Iranian drones to Russia, the Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson said on Saturday.

Nasser Kanaani said Ukraine should "refrain from being influenced by third parties who seek to destroy relations between the two countries", a ministry statement said.

23 Sep 2022; MEMO: Turkiye will send more than 3,000 riot police to Qatar to help secure World Cup stadiums and hotels in a security operation paid for by the competition hosts but under Turkish command, a Turkish Interior Ministry source said, Reuters reports.

With a population of less than 3 million – of which just 380,000 are Qatari nationals – Qatar faces a shortage of personnel as it gears up for the month-long FIFA soccer tournament.

Sept 23 (Reuters) - Ukraine said on Friday it would downgrade diplomatic ties with Iran over Tehran's decision to supply Russian forces with drones, a move President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called "a collaboration with evil".

Zelenskiy said a total of eight Iranian-made unmanned aerial vehicles had been shot down so far in the conflict.

Ukraine and the United States accused Iran of supplying drones to Russia, a charge Tehran denies.