UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- World leaders on Monday reaffirmed their commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the SDG summit, which is being held on the sidelines of this year's general debate of the General Assembly.

In a political declaration adopted at the summit, the leaders reaffirmed their commitment to "effectively implement the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs and uphold all principles enshrined in it."

DHAKA, Sept 19 (NNN-BSS) – Bangladesh reported 3,084 new dengue cases and 17 new deaths yesterday, taking the tally to 170,768, and the death toll to over 800, so far, this year, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) under the Ministry of Health, said.

According to DGHS data, 46,960 dengue cases were recorded so far this month, after 71,976 in Aug, and 43,854 in July. The total 839 deaths included 246 in Sept, 342 in Aug, and 204 in July.

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany (AP) — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin urged allied defense leaders Tuesday to “dig deep” and provide more air defense systems for Ukraine, to help the country block increasing barrages of Russian missiles.

But while the allies said they will discuss how they can best help Ukraine’s counteroffensive, they appeared no closer to commitments on the longer-range missiles that Kyiv’s leaders insist they need.

DAMASCUS, Sept 19 (Reuters) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will travel to China this week for a bilateral summit with his Chinese counterpart, the presidency in Damascus said in a statement on Tuesday.

Assad, Syrian first lady Asmaa al-Assad and a senior delegation will travel to China on Thursday for a string of meetings in Beijing and Changzhou. Presidents Assad and Xi would hold a Syrian-Chinese summit, the statement said.

MORGANTOWN, Pa (AP) — Nine juveniles who escaped from a detention center in Pennsylvania have been captured, state police said Monday.

“We’re going to interview all nine of them,” “I know there’s stuff in the works right now to decide where they are going to go after that takes place,” Pennsylvania State Police Trooper David Beohm.

All will be charged with escape.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

CANBERRA, Sept 18 (NNN-AAP) – Three people have been hospitalised with injuries, following an alleged stabbing at the Australian National University (ANU), in the country’s capital today, state media reported.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported that, police and ambulance personnel were called to the ANU campus in Canberra at approximately 2:45 p.m. local time today, to respond to reports of a stabbing.

BEIJING (AP) — China’s top diplomat is heading to Russia for security talks after two days of meetings with U.S. President Joe Biden’s national security adviser over the weekend in Malta.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who simultaneously holds the ruling Communist Party’s top foreign policy post, will be in Russia from Monday to Thursday for China-Russia strategic security consultations, the Foreign Ministry said in a brief statement.

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Russia on Monday called a Ukrainian case alleging that Moscow abused the Genocide Convention to justify its invasion last year an “abuse of process,” as lawyers for Moscow sought to have judges at the United Nation’s highest court throw it out.

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Two pilots were killed Sunday in a collision during an air racing show in the western U.S. state of Nevada, organizers of the event said.

Two planes collided at the T-6 Gold race as they were landing at around 2:15 p.m. local time during the National Championship Air Races in Reno, a city in northwest Nevada, according to the Reno Air Racing Association.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran and the United States will exchange prisoners on Monday after nearly $6 billion in once-frozen Iranian assets reached Qatar, a key element of the planned swap, officials said.

Despite the deal, tensions are almost certain to remain high between the U.S. and Iran, which are locked in various disputes, including over Tehran’s nuclear program. Iran says the program is peaceful, but it now enriches uranium closer than ever to weapons-grade levels.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s national security adviser met with China’s foreign minister over the past two days on the Mediterranean island nation of Malta in an effort that the White House said Sunday was intended to “responsibly maintain the relationship” at a time of strained ties and mutual suspicion between the rival powers.

WASHINGTON, Sept 18 (Reuters) - U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is facing the biggest challenge of his eight months as the top Republican in the U.S. Congress, as he tries to muster his fractured caucus to avoid a government shutdown in less than two weeks without losing his speakership.

The Republican-controlled House of Representatives and the Democratic-led Senate have until Sept. 30 to avoid the U.S.' fourth partial government shutdown in a decade by passing spending legislation that President Joe Biden can sign into law to keep federal agencies afloat.