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Power of Humanity’ can Overcome COVID-19, Climate Challenges – UNGA President

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The President of the UN General Assembly, Abdulla Shahid, on Tuesday opened  the 2021 annual General Debate as a hybrid in-person and virtual event, reflecting the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Assembly reflected on the darkest days of the pandemic, “when cities were shuttered and vaccines still a dream” and how the world’s peoples “came together as never before”.

Abdulla Shahid of the Maldives said that after a year and a half of suffering “in silence and in anxiety”, it was hope and a sense of shared humanity that enabled this coming together, adding: “Let us give them hope now”.

He recalled that “in record time”, scientists globally collaborated to develop multiple COVID-19 vaccines and “the largest vaccine roll-out in the history of humankind”, calling it a “monumental” undertaking to “be proud” of.

The Assembly President said that over the next 12-months, the world wants solutions to the collective challenges of “fragility, conflict, COVID-19, [and] climate change”.

“These issues…keep our citizens awake at night, they fuel a collective anxiety and a worry that things are progressively getting worse,” he said.

“They are not wrong. We can do more”, Shahid added.

On COVID-19, the UN official outlined that the world has vaccines, know-how and distribution capacity, but “we lack only the political support”.

And despite incredible innovations in renewable energy, adaptive technologies, and transitioning away from fossil fuels, he noted, “political support and the related financing” is in short supply on the changing climate.

While highlighting a near-universal desire for nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, the Assembly President said, “yet we falter at the finish line, leaving treaties unratified”.

Finally, on the humanitarian front, he pointed out that despite a more-than-sufficient supply of food and water in the world, famine and drought hang in the balance.

“Hundreds of millions will require humanitarian assistance by year’s end,” Shahid warned.

Pointing out that we are living through a “turning point” moment in time, he said: “We can choose a path of isolationism…mutual destruction…slow retreat of the human experiment, or we can forge together a new path, a sustainable and resilient path that changes the future of our planet”.

While describing the COVID-19 pandemic as “a tragedy of the grandest scale”, he also referred to it as a “canary in the coal mine”, warning of the perils that lie ahead if hard, but necessary, choices were not made.

Shahid cited the power of humanity to overcome challenges and was hopeful “that we can bypass protocols and obstacles to transform our societies”.

The UN General Assembly President shared his intention to pursue five “rays of hope” to direct the Assembly’s 76th session, beginning with vaccine equity.

To this end, he will host a high-level meeting focusing on practical obstacles around supply, storage, and distribution. And on longer-term COVID-19 recovery, he vowed to push to build back “better, stronger, greener, and bluer”, the UN correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quotes him as saying.

“By following the paths laid out by Agenda 2030 [on sustainable development for all] we can pivot away from destructive practices and embrace a better future,” Shahid said.

The Assembly President spelled out the importance of refocusing attention on the climate crisis, “which has taken a backseat to COVID-19”.

Citing the report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), he said: “We are no longer on the wrong path… we are on the edge of the cliff”.

To address this, Shahid will host a series of climate action events, beginning with helping to bridge gaps to deliver on climate promises – in the lead-up to November’s UN climate conference (COP26), and later, a “super session on the environment” that encompasses the interlocking issues of the ocean, desertification and biodiversity.

The Assembly President also underscored the importance of continued UN reform and revitalisation, saying “this is not about a balance of power, this is about efficiency”.

“We have never been so technologically advanced…so connected…[or] had the wealth, the resources, or the know-how that we have now.

“There is nothing in our path to stop us but ourselves. Let us be the UN that people want us to be,” he said. (NAN) 

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No talk of Ceasefire Deal Between Turkey, US-backed SDF in Northern Syria – Turkish Official

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There is no talk of a ceasefire deal between Turkey and the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northern Syria, contrary to a U.S. announcement on the issue, a Turkish defence ministry official said on Thursday.

The official was responding to comments from State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller, who said a ceasefire between Turkey and the SDF around the northern Syrian city of Manbij has been extended until the end of this week.

“As Turkey, it is out of the question for us to have talks with any terrorist organisation.

“The (U.S.) statement must be a slip of the tongue,” the defence ministry official, who was speaking on condition of anonymity, told reporters.

Washington brokered an initial ceasefire between Turkey-backed Syrian rebels and the SDF forces last week after fighting that broke out earlier this month as rebel groups advanced on Damascus and overthrew Bashar al-Assad.

The SDF is an ally in the U.S. coalition against Islamic State militants.

It is spearheaded by the YPG, a group that Ankara sees as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants who have fought the Turkish state for 40 years.

Turkey regards the PKK, YPG and SDF as terrorist groups. The U.S. and Turkey’s Western allies list the PKK as terrorist, but not the YPG and the SDF.

When asked if Ankara was considering another ground operation into northern Syria, the official said that Turkey still sees a threat to its borders from north Syria.

“Our preparations and precautions as part of the fight against terrorism will continue until the PKK/YPG lays down its arms and its foreign fighters leave Syria,” the official said.

Since 2016, Turkey has mounted four military operations in northern Syria, citing national security threats.

Turkey believes that forces of the Syrian National Army paramilitary group which it backs will “liberate” YPG-controlled areas in northern Syria, the official said, signalling that Turkey does not plan an imminent operation into the region by its military.

The SDF have close ties with Western countries including the U.S. and France. Recently, France said the political transition in Syria needed to ensure that the SDF was represented. (Reuters/NAN)

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President Yoon Banned from Leaving South Korea

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The South Korean Government ordered an overseas travel ban on President Yoon Suk Yeol.The South Korean news agency Yonhap reported on Monday that the travel ban is due to the ongoing investigation into Yoon, which involves suspicion of high treason.Yoon unexpectedly imposed martial law on his country last Tuesday night, but hours later, after massive political resistance, he repealed the order.

On Saturday evening, a motion by the opposition to impeach the president in parliament failed.
However, public pressure against the 63-year-old continues. (dpa/NAN)

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Israel Threatens to Expand War if Hezbollah Truce Collapses

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Israel threatened on Tuesday to return to war in Lebanon if its truce with Hezbollah collapses and said this time its attacks would go deeper and target the Lebanese state itself, after the deadliest day since the ceasefire was agreed last week.

In its strongest threat since the truce was agreed to end 14 months of war with Hezbollah, Israel said it would hold Lebanon responsible for failing to disarm militants who violated the truce.

“If we return to war we will act strongly, we will go deeper, and the most important thing they need to know: that there will be no longer be an exemption for the state of Lebanon,” Defence Minister Israel Katz said.

“If until now we separated the state of Lebanon from Hezbollah… it will no longer be (like this),” he said during a visit to the northern border area.

Despite last week’s truce, Israeli forces have continued strikes in southern Lebanon against what they say are Hezbollah fighters ignoring the agreement to halt attacks and withdraw beyond the Litani River, about 30 km (18 miles) from the frontier.

On Monday, Hezbollah shelled an Israeli military post, while Lebanese authorities said at least 12 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon.

Katz called the Hezbollah attack “the first test” and described Israel’s strikes as a strong response.

The Beirut government must “authorise the Lebanese army to enforce their part, to keep Hezbollah away beyond the Litani, and to dismantle all the infrastructure,” Katz said.

“If they don’t do it and this whole agreement collapses then the reality will be very clear.”

Top Lebanese officials urged Washington and Paris to press Israel to uphold the ceasefire, after dozens of military operations on Lebanese soil that Beirut has deemed violations, two senior Lebanese political sources told Reuters on Tuesday.

The sources said caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, a close Hezbollah ally who negotiated the deal on behalf of Lebanon, spoke to officials at the White House and French presidency late on Monday.

Mikati, quoted by the Lebanese news agency, said that diplomatic communications had intensified since Monday to stop Israeli violations of the ceasefire.

He also said a recruitment drive was under way by the Lebanese army to strengthen its presence in the south.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Matt Miller told reporters on Monday that the ceasefire “is holding” and that the U.S. had “anticipated that there might be violations”.

Neither the French presidency nor the foreign ministry were immediately available to comment.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot spoke to his Israeli counterpart Gideon Saar on Monday, saying both sides should adhere to the ceasefire.

The truce came into effect on Nov. 27 and prohibits Israel from conducting offensive military operations in Lebanon, while requiring Lebanon to prevent armed groups including Hezbollah from launching attacks on Israel.

It gives Israeli troops 60 days to withdraw from south Lebanon.

A mission chaired by the United States is tasked with monitoring, verifying, and helping enforce the truce, but it has yet to begin work.

Berri on Monday called on the mission to “urgently” ensure Israel halts its breaches, saying Beirut had logged at least 54 Israeli violations of the ceasefire so far.

Israel has said its continued activity in Lebanon is aimed at enforcing the ceasefire.

Lebanon’s Mikati met in Beirut on Monday with U.S. General Jasper Jeffers, who will chair the monitoring committee.

Two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that France’s representative to the committee, General Guillaume Ponchin, would arrive in Beirut on Wednesday and that the committee would hold its first meeting on Thursday.

“There is an urgency to finalise the mechanism, otherwise it will be too late,” the source said, referring to Israel’s gradual intensification of strikes even with the truce in place. (Reuters/NAN)

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