UNITED NATIONS -- Representatives from United Nations (UN) member states, including some 150 heads of state and government, will take turns at the podium of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) to deliver an address on global issues during the UNGA general debate that kicked off on Tuesday.
In his address to the UNGA, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the world has "entered an age of reckless disruption and relentless human suffering," with the principles of the United Nations "under siege" and the pillars of peace and progress "buckling under the weight of impunity, inequality, and indifference." (UN-General Assembly)
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JERUSALEM/GAZA -- The Israel Airports Authority said Tuesday that Israel will indefinitely close the Allenby Bridge, known to Palestinians as the Karama Bridge, the only land crossing between the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Jordan.
The crossing, jointly operated by Israel and Jordan, will be closed to passengers and goods starting Wednesday morning, in line with the directive of the "Israeli political echelon," the authority said. (Israel-West Bank-Crossing)
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JAKARTA -- Indonesia and the European Union on Tuesday formally signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in Bali.
"From the first round of negotiations in Brussels in 2016, to today in Bali, this nine-year journey has brought us to a historic milestone that reflects our joint commitment to an open, fair, and sustainable economy through CEPA," said Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, in a joint statement with European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maros Sefcovic. (Indonesia-EU-Partnership)
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TEHRAN -- Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Tuesday warned against nuclear negotiations with the United States under the present circumstances, saying it will not serve Iran's national interests.
"Under the present circumstances, negotiation with the U.S. government is, firstly, of no help to our national interests, fails to have any benefit for us and will not prevent any loss," Khamenei said in a televised address.
He added that it would even lead to "major" losses for Iran, some of which could be "irreparable." (Iran-US-Negotiation) ■
