New York

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The head of the U.N.’s nuclear test ban treaty organization says that in his “wild dreams,” very young children around the world will be taught that nuclear testing isn’t good — and that the world should be free of nuclear weapons.

In an interview on the sidelines of the annual gathering of world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly, Lassina Zerbo said he started a nine-member youth group three years ago with that aim. It has grown to 780 today, and they come from all over.

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The Middle East. Trade tensions. Iran’s nuclear program. Venezuela’s power struggle. Civil wars in Syria and Yemen. Familiar flash points such as these got plenty of airtime at the U.N. General Assembly’s big annual gathering this week.

But some leaders used their time on the world stage to highlight international conflicts and disputes that don’t usually command the same global attention.

A look at some of the less-discussed controversies trying to be heard:

___

NAGORNO-KARABAKH

NEW YORK, Sep 28 (APP): Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad has, from the podium of United Nations General Assembly, called for settling the Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan through “peaceful means”.

In his address to the 193-member Assembly on Friday evening, he regretted that despite the UN resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir, it has been invaded and occupied, saying there may be reasons for this action but it is still wrong.

UNITED NATIONS, September 28. /TASS/: UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen will announce the date of the first Syrian Constitutional Committee’s meeting after talks with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem, the UN official told TASS on Saturday.

According to earlier reports, the event is likely to take place in Geneva, on October 29 or 30. When asked to comment on the possible date, Pedersen said the committee would most likely convene on one of these two days.

UNITED NATIONS, September 28. /TASS/: During the meeting with US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo on the sidelines of the UN Genreral Assembly, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told him about Victor Bout, Konstantin Yaroshenko, Maria Butina and other Russians serving jail sentences in the United States.

UNITED NATIONS, September 28. /TASS/: Rules imposed by the West and aimed to replace the norms of the World Trade Organization contain the growth of the global economy, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said during the General Debate of the 74th UN General Assembly on Friday.

NEW YORK, September 27. /TASS/: US Congress House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Democrat from California) suspects that Russia is somehow involved in the current row over the July conversation between US President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Vladimir Zelensky.

28 September 2019; AFP: China's foreign minister warned Friday that protectionism could trigger a world recession as he vowed to stand firm in a trade row with the United States.

"The lessons of the Great Depression should not be forgotten," Wang Yi told the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Russia’s foreign minister took aim at the West on Friday, saying its philosophies are out of step with the times and that it is struggling to accept what he called its diminishing dominance in world affairs.

In his speech before the U.N. General Assembly, Sergei Lavrov blamed the countries that declared themselves winners of the Cold War between the U.S. and the former Soviet Union for the current challenges facing the world, and for the increasing fragmentation of the international community.

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — He spoke of Islam — his religion — but he used references like Charles Bronson’s “Death Wish” movie, Monty Python and Japanese kamikaze pilots during World War II. He built linguistic and pop-culture bridges as he carefully made his points.