In world beset by turbulence, nations’ leaders gather at UN
World leaders are gathering at the United Nations this week under the shadow of Europe’s first major conflict since World War II. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the fighting it produced has sparked a global food crisis and a division among major powers not seen since the Cold War at a time of increasing international turbulence. The many facets of the war in Ukraine are expected to dominate the annual General Assembly meeting. It is taking place as many countries across the globe are also confronting inequality, an escalating climate crisis, the threat of multiple famines and increasing misinformation and hate speech.
Biden calls Trump ‘totally irresponsible’ over Mar-a-Lago documents
President Joe Biden said in an interview that aired Sunday evening that former President Donald Trump had been “totally irresponsible” for keeping top-secret documents at Mar-a-Lago, his residence and private club in Florida, but he said he had not asked for specifics about the documents in order to stay out of the Justice Department’s potential decision to charge Trump criminally. Speaking to Scott Pelley of CBS’ “60 Minutes,” in interviews taped from Washington and from Biden’s trip last week to the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the president also declared the COVID-19 pandemic “over” and said the country seemed to be in good shape.
Hurricane Fiona knocks out power in Puerto Rico, governor says
Five years after Hurricane Maria battered Puerto Rico and knocked out power to the island, residents of the territory faced another collapse of their energy grid as Hurricane Fiona — which forecasters warned could bring more than 2 1/2 feet of rain and cause life-threatening floods and landslides — made landfall. Nearly 1.5 million customers were without electricity Sunday afternoon, according to poweroutage.us, which tracks power interruptions. Pedro Pierluisi, governor of Puerto Rico, said Sunday afternoon that authorities were assessing damage and working to stave off a growing disaster. He said officials were rescuing people in isolated areas and deploying personnel to evacuate low-lying areas where rivers were expected to flood.
New South Korean president tries to make his mark on foreign policy
Four months into his new administration, President Yoon Suk-yeol of South Korea has found himself in trouble. His national approval rating has plummeted, his governing People Power Party does not control parliament, and five of his Cabinet-level appointees have been forced to step down. Yet despite myriad domestic challenges, Yoon is hoping to boost his popularity at home and raise his profile on the world stage by pursuing a new foreign policy agenda, one that would deepen his country’s alliance with Washington in everything from missile defense to global supply chains while seeking to avoid antagonizing China or provoking North Korea into war.
Typhoon thrashes Japan, millions told to evacuate
Typhoon Nanmadol brought torrential rain and the risk of destructive landslides to Japan’s southernmost main island Sunday, and more than 8 million people were ordered to evacuate and seek shelter from the powerful storm, which was expected to traverse virtually the entire length of the country. Some areas of the southern island, Kyushu, were expected to receive 20 inches of rain or more, an amount not seen in the area in decades, officials said. While the heavy rain was viewed as the primary threat to residents’ safety, winds exceeding 110 mph were also recorded, causing heavy waves.
Zelenskyy promises no ‘lull’ in taking back Ukrainian towns
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy promised his country Sunday there would be no letup after a series of Ukrainian victories taking cities and towns back from Russian troops. He said there would be no lull until all of Ukraine is freed. Russian shelling hit cities and towns across a wide stretch of Ukraine over the weekend. The British defense ministry warned that Russia is likely to increase attacks on civilian targets as it suffers battlefield defeats. A Vatican envoy distributing humanitarian aid was among those who came under fire. There were no injuries. And prosecutors in Kharkiv are accusing Russia of torturing civilians in one village that was recently freed.
First public global database of fossil fuels launches
On Monday, the world’s first public database of fossil fuel production, reserves and emissions launches. Called The Global Registry of Fossil Fuels, it was developed by the groups Carbon Tracker and the Global Energy Monitor, and contains data on over 50,000 oil, gas and coal fields in 89 countries, covering 75% of global production. It shows that the United States and Russia have enough fossil fuel reserves to exhaust the world’s remaining carbon budget to stay under 1.5 degrees Celsius warming. And it shows that if burned, the world’s reserves would generate 3.5 trillion tons of greenhouse gas emissions, which is more than all that’s been produced since the Industrial Revolution.
By wire sources
