US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a high level meeting of the United Nations Security Council on the situation amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, at the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. Headquarters in New York City. Picture: Brendan McDermid/Reuters
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Blinken demands action on Putin at UN showdown on Ukraine
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday demanded that President Vladimir Putin be held to account as he faced Russia in a Security Council session in which the United Nations catalogued abuses in Ukraine.
"The very international order we've gathered here to uphold is being shredded before our eyes," Blinken told the Security Council in a special session as leaders met at the United Nations.
"We cannot - we will not - let President Putin get away with it," he said.- AFP
"Since the signing of the #BlackSea Grain Initiative, global food prices have dropped sharply, although they are still almost 8 percent higher than a year ago.
— UN News (@UN_News_Centre) September 22, 2022
It is vital that these food shipments continue and increase, so commodity markets further stabilize"@antonioguterres pic.twitter.com/k4lvPdYHiV
"Any damage to nuclear infrastructure, whether deliberate or not, could have terrible consequences for people around the plant and far beyond.
— UN News (@UN_News_Centre) September 22, 2022
The world cannot afford a nuclear catastrophe"@antonioguterres pic.twitter.com/PoUPodgHu3
Happy #WorldRhinoDay!
— UN Environment Programme (@UNEP) September 22, 2022
Did you know that the word "rhinoceros" comes from the combination of two Greek words - 'rhino' meaning nose and 'ceros' meaning horn?
However, some rhino species are among the world’s most endangered animals, threatened by both habitat loss and poaching. pic.twitter.com/hZZ9OyvEJi
UN rights envoy warns that Myanmar's election will be a 'fraud'
The United Nations human rights expert on Myanmar said on Thursday that an election planned by the country's junta will be a "fraud" and warned other countries against offering assistance that would help legitimise it.
The junta declared a state of emergency after seizing power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in a coup in February last year, and has tentatively planned for elections by August 2023.
"What is very important is that countries in the world don't fall into the trap of trying to provide technical assistance or support for what is going to clearly be a fraud. If you do that, you are actually making things worse," said Andrews, saying this would give the polls a "mirage of legitimacy".
Asked to elaborate on his views on the election, he said that repression of the opposition had made a free and fair election impossible. State media in Myanmar have said India was cooperating with the electoral process. - Reuters
WATCH: #NalediPandor urges leaders to uphold #international law. #TheAfrican
— The African (@TheAfrican_coza) September 22, 2022
🎥 by @FootballFaan
#UNGA2022 #UnitedNations #UnitedNationsGeneralAssembly pic.twitter.com/OEoA4y7fqY
WATCH: #NalediPandor calls on leaders at #UNGA to assist in addressing South Africa's issues with #Poverty and underdevelopment. #TheAfrican
— The African (@TheAfrican_coza) September 22, 2022
🎥 by @FootballFaan #UnitedNations pic.twitter.com/ZDFuctGDmL
Truss at UN vows UK military aid 'until Ukraine prevails'
British Prime Minister Liz Truss vowed Wednesday before the United Nations to keep up military aid to war-ravaged Ukraine until it triumphs against Russia.
Truss became the latest Western leader at the UN General Assembly in New York to rail against Russian President Vladimir Putin, who hours earlier mobilized reservists in a clear sign he is in no rush to end the conflict.
Putin's move only highlights the "catastrophic failure" of Russia's invasion of its neighbor, and reinforced the resolve of Western allies to back Kyiv, she said.
"We will not rest until Ukraine prevails," Truss told the UN General Assembly on her first trip since taking office, noting that "new UK weapons are arriving in Ukraine as I speak."
"At this crucial moment in the conflict, I pledge that we will sustain or increase our military support to Ukraine for as long as it takes."
The Conservative leader also said that the United Kingdom was committed to spending three percent of its GDP on defense by 2030, considerably higher than the two percent commitment to defense spending by NATO members.
Her comments came amid growing resentment in some quarters of the developing world over the West's massive spending on weapons for Ukraine.
Truss also called for economic unity as a powerful tool against aggression.
"The G7 and our like-minded partners should act as an economic Nato, collectively defending our prosperity," she said in her address.
"If the economy of a partner is being targeted by an aggressive regime, we should act to support them - all for one, and one for all."
Western powers such as Germany have increasingly sought to decrease their dependence on oil and gas from Russia, seen as key leverage for Putin. - AFP