Foreign News
UNGA 76: Biden Pledges New Era of ‘Relentless Diplomacy’ to Tackle Global Challenges

U.S. President, Joe Biden on Tuesday, called for a new era of global unity against the compounding crises of COVID-19, climate change and insecurity.
Biden made the call in his inaugural address to the annual gathering of world leaders at the UN General Debate of the 76th session of the General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York.
“Simply put, we stand at an inflection point in history.
We must work together as never before,” he said.Biden assured the leaders that the U.S. intended to partner with allies to help lead the world toward a more peaceful, prosperous future for all people.
Noting that governments must continue to work together to build on international law to “deliver equitable prosperity, peace and security for everyone”, he described the endeavour as being “as vital and important today as it was 76 years ago”.
President Biden defended his decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan, driving home a message that this had opened a new chapter of intensive American diplomacy.
The use of force should be “our tool of last resort, not our first”, he said, arguing in favour of recalibrating priorities away from two decades of wars toward newly emerging threats.
He underscored that the world must choose between democracy and autocracy, indicating the stark difference since the Taliban again, took control of Kabul and reversed 20 years of democratic gains.
“Today, many of our greatest concerns cannot be solved or even addressed by the force of arms”, he stated, reminding that “bombs and bullets cannot defend against COVID-19 or its future variants”.
Lamenting some 4.5 million COVID-19 related deaths worldwide, the President referred to each as “an individual heartbreak” and upheld the need to “act now to get shots in arms as fast as possible and expand access to oxygen, tests, treatments to save lives around the world.”
He noted that U.S. planes carrying vaccines, landed in more than 100 countries, offering a “dose of hope”, and said that he would be announcing additional vaccine commitments soon.
Biden also called for a new global health mechanism to finance global health security and a global health threat council to stay ahead of emerging pandemics.
Without criticising his predecessor, the President stressed that the Biden administration had shifted away from an ‘America first’ style of diplomacy toward one of multilateralism.
“We’re back at the table in international forums, especially the United Nations, to focus attention and to spur global action on shared challenges,” he said.
He pointed to the U.S. re-engagement with the UN World Health Organisation (WHO); participation in the COVAX vaccine initiative “to deliver life-saving vaccines around the world”; re-joining the Paris climate agreement; and preparing to run for a seat on the Human Rights Council in 2022.
Zeroing-in on the “borderless” climate crisis, Biden said that all nations needed to bring “their highest possible ambitions” to the UN climate conference (COP26) in November.
He also elaborated on a new U.S. goal under the Paris Agreement to reduce greenhouse gases to 50 per cent, below 2005 levels by 2030 and talked about investments under discussion with Congress, including for “green infrastructure and electric vehicles”.
The U.S. President said that the world faced a choice between the democratic values espoused by the West and the disregard for them by authoritarian governments.
He upheld that the U.S. was moving into a “new era of relentless diplomacy” as it tackled emerging technological threats and the expansion of autocratic nations.
While vowing not to pursue “a new Cold War, or a world divided into rigid blocks”, Biden maintained that the U.S would oppose attempts by “stronger countries to dominate weaker ones”.
The U.S would “lead with our values and our strength to stand up for our allies and our friends,” he said.
And as the U.S. sought to rally the world to action, Biden assured, “we will lead not just with the example of our power, but God willing, the power of our example”. (NAN)
Foreign News
Israel Vows to Build Jewish Settlements, Rejects Macron’s Call for Palestinian State

“Do not threaten Israel with sanctions” as it will continue to build a “Jewish state” on the ground,” Israeli Defense Minister, Israel Katz, warned on Friday.He also rebuffed a call by French President Emmanuel Macron for establishing a Palestinian State.In open defiance of international law, Katz claimed that world powers may recognize a Palestinian state “on paper.
”Katz made the remarks during a visit to Sa-Nur, an illegal outpost in the northern West Bank that the Tel Aviv government recently decided to officially designate as a settlement for illegal Israeli settlers. In a direct message, Defense Minister Israel Katz targets French President Macron and European allies.He also dismissed the potential international consequences.He said: “They will recognise a Palestinian state on paper, while we will build the Jewish Israeli state on the ground.“Don’t threaten us with sanctions. You will not make us bow.“The State of Israel will not kneel before threats.”His comments came hours after President Macron stated that recognising the State of Palestine was a “moral duty”.Macron also reiterated that France may move toward official recognition during an upcoming international conference focused on the two-state solution.Earlier this week, Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that the Israeli Security Cabinet had secretly approved the establishment of 22 new illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank.In response, the Israeli anti-settlement group Peace Now issued a statement Thursday, revealing that 12 of the newly approved settlements were previously unauthorised outposts and farming sites established in recent years.According to Peace Now, there are currently 156 illegal settlements and 224 outposts across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, with over 736,000 illegal Israeli settlers living on occupied Palestinian land.The international community, including the UN, considers the Israeli settlements illegal under international law.The UN has repeatedly warned that continued settlement expansion threatens the viability of a two-state solution, a framework seen as key to resolving the decades-long Palestinian-Israeli conflict.In July 2024, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s decades-long occupation of Palestinian land illegal and demanded the evacuation of all existing settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.(AA/NAN)Foreign News
Comedian Russell Brand Pleads not Guilty to Rape, Sexual Assault

British comedian and actor Russell Brand has pleaded not guilty to charges of rape and sexual assault.
The 49-year-old appeared in the dock at London’s Southwark Crown Court on Friday flanked by two officers, where he stood stock-still and looked straight ahead as he delivered his pleas.
He is accused of raping a woman in a hotel room while she attended a Labour Party conference in Bournemouth, and grabbing a TV worker’s breasts and orally raping her after dragging her into a male toilet.
Brand is also alleged to have grabbed a radio station worker’s face, pushing her against a wall and kissing her before groping her breasts and buttocks.
The final charge alleges the actor indecently assaulted another woman after grabbing her forearm and attempting to drag her into a male toilet.
The allegations against Brand are said to have taken place against four women between 1999 and 2005.
The defendant, of Hambleden, Buckinghamshire, who faces one count each of rape, indecent assault and oral rape, as well as two counts of sexual assault, is due to stand trial on June 3 next year at the same court.
As Friday’s hearing finished, the comedian replaced his sunglasses before exiting the dock and calmly walked past reporters.
He was charged following an investigation by Channel 4 and the Sunday Times newspaper in which several women made allegations against him.
Brand previously told his 11.2 million followers on X that he welcomed the opportunity to prove his innocence.(dpa/NAN)
Foreign News
Man Sentenced for Blackmailing German Priest With Nude Photos

A 50-year-old man was on Friday given a 20-month suspended sentence for blackmailing a German priest with nude photos.
During the trial at Augsburg District Court in the southern state of Bavaria, the defendant, who had no previous convictions, admitted to all charges.
According to the indictment, he sent nude photos downloaded from an internet platform hosting homosexual content, as well as a photo showing the priest, to the theologian at the end of 2022.
He threatened to give the photos to television stations and publish them in the priest’s parish, and demanded the priest send him 50,000 euros (56,600 U.S. dollars).
Later, the defendant also sent an email with the nude photos to the priest’s parish office.
The priest did not respond to either attempt or contact but reported the matter to the police.
The defendant was charged with attempted extortion and sentenced to one year and eight months in prison.
The sentence was suspended on probation.
The man must also pay 800 euros.
The verdict is not yet final. (dpa/NAN)