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☆ UN calls for 'irreversible' move toward two-state solution to Israel crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The comments coincide with the United Nations' International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, which it observes annually. Calls for a two-state solution have grown in the wake of attacks on Israel on Oct. 7 in which Hamas gunmen killed 1,200 people and took 240 hostages. A two-state agreement would create a state for the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip alongside Israel. Israel has said a Palestinian state must be demilitarized so as not to threaten its security. "The two-state solution is difficult after the (Israeli) settlement and shrinking (of territory), but still possible if there is a will," he said.

Persons: Mohammed Salem, Tatiana Valovaya, U.N, General Antonio Guterres, Assembly's, Ibrahim Khraishi, Gabrielle Tétrault, Farber, Cécile, William Maclean Organizations: Hamas, REUTERS, Rights, United Nations, of Solidarity, Palestinian, West Bank, Israel, Thomson Locations: Israel, Palestinian, Khan, Gaza, Jerusalem, Geneva, Palestine, East Jerusalem

NEW YORK (AP) — If another pandemic happens, the world will again be unprepared. That’s the bleak assessment of former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark, who co-chaired the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response, after the U.N. General Assembly held a high-level summit aimed at heading off another pandemic. Other pandemic experts who tracked months of negotiations on the 13-page declaration adopted by the assembly’s 193 member nations were disappointed, too. “I think it’s fair to say that the declaration is a missed opportunity,” Clark said in an interview with The Associated Press on the sidelines of the General Assembly's high-level leaders' meeting. Clark also ticked off the catastrophic economic impacts of the pandemic: a $25 trillion loss to the global economy, and debt and default enveloping many developing countries.

Persons: Helen Clark, ” Clark, Nelson Mandela, Clark, “, Adhanom Ghebreyesus, wasn't, Antonio Guterres, ” Guterres, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, ”, “ We’ve, Edith M, Lederer Organizations: New, Pandemic Preparedness, General Assembly, Associated Press, Health Organization, Pandemic, Liberian, General, The Associated Press Locations: New Zealand

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Just a few years ago, artificial intelligence got barely a mention at the U.N. General Assembly's convocation of world leaders. Presidents, premiers, monarchs and cabinet ministers convened as governments at various levels are mulling or have already passed AI regulation. And many eyes are on the United Nations as perhaps the only place to tackle the issue at scale. LOTS OF PEOPLE TALKING, BUT PERHAPS A SLOW PROCESSBut if the United Nations has advantages, it also has the challenges of a big-tent, consensus-seeking ethos that often moves slowly. Ideas differ about what a potential global AI body should be: perhaps an expert assessment and fact-establishing panel, akin to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or a watchdog like the International Atomic Energy Agency?

Persons: Assembly's, it's, Amandeep Gill, António Guterres, Sam Matekane, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Thórdís Kolbrún, Joe Biden, Washington, —, ” Omar Al, “ What’s, James Manyika, ”, Ian Bremmer, Gill, ” “ It’s, it’s, There's, OpenAI, Olatunbosun Tijani, “, Minister Aisén Etcheverry, ” Etcheverry, Rose, Nakasi Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, diplomacy's, Industry, Outsiders, United Nations, Safety, Israel, Assembly, United Arab Emirates, Tech, Google, Eurasia Group, European Union, International Atomic Energy Agency, . Security, New York Public Library, Chilean, Minister, General, Makerere, General Assembly Locations: Namibia, North Macedonia, Argentina, East Timor, ”, Spain, New York, Nigeria, who's, India, Ugandan

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Inside, with speeches and machinations and carefully deployed elbows, those who administer the world persist in their search for the elusive path to peace. “Bring lasting peace,” said Pravind Jugnauth, prime minister of Mauritius. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim spoke of “the imperative to make peace." In July, visiting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi used the North Lawn, adjacent to the wooded area, to perform yoga poses as part of his visit. But for one tranquil moment, for one brief respite from the world's most high-stakes conversations, that's more than sufficient.

Persons: ”, Said, Pravind Jugnauth, Anwar Ibrahim, Pendarovski, Siaosi Sovaleni, “, Narendra Modi, Ukraine —, It's, Ted Anthony, General Assembly's Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, United Nations, Hall, New, Malaysian, Indian, —, Associated Press Locations: Manhattan, New York City, Queens, United, Mauritius, North Macedonia, Tonga, India, Pakistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Ukraine, East

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — It's Day 2 of the U.N. General Assembly high-level meeting that brings world leaders together at U.N. headquarters in New York. Political Cartoons View All 1169 Images— Speech count: 37, including opening speeches from the secretary-general and General Assembly presidentWHAT TO EXPECT AT THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON DAY 2— The U.N. Security Council will also meet. On the agenda: “maintenance of peace and security in Ukraine.” That country's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is expected to attend. Climate Ambition Summit, where only leaders from nations that bring ideas for new and meaningful action will be allowed to speak. ___For more coverage of this year's U.N. General Assembly, visit https://apnews.com/hub/united-nations-general-assembly

Persons: —, António Guterres, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, QUOTABLE, ”, Gustavo Petro Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, General Assembly, UN GENERAL, General, . Security, Ambition, Israeli Locations: U.N, New York, Manhattan, Libya, Nagorno, Karabakh, Ukraine

☆ Zelenskyy: Russia is weaponizing food, energy and abducted children in its war against Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy addresses the 78th Session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York City, U.S., September 19, 2023. Mike Segar | ReutersUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that Russia is "weaponizing" everything from food and energy to abducted children in its war against Ukraine — and he warned world leaders that the same could happen to them. "Those children in Russia are taught to hate Ukraine, and all ties with their families are broken. Russia gets its chance to address the General Assembly on Saturday, when Foreign Minister Minister Sergey Lavrov is expected on the rostrum. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, speaks at the General Debate of the UN General Assembly.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Mike Segar, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine —, Zelenskyy, Vladimir Putin, Sergey Lavrov, U.N, Dmitry Polyansky, Michael Kappeler, Joe Biden, haven't, Anatolii Stepanov Organizations: General Assembly, Reuters, Ukraine, Foreign, UN, Assembly, Getty, Moscow, U.S, AFP Locations: New York City, U.S, Russia, Ukraine, Russia's, Moscow, Ukraine's, China, India, Caribbean, Africa, Kramatorsk, Donetsk region

Section 2 of that law says voting district lines can’t result in discriminatory effects against minority voters. The plaintiffs acknowledged that Black voters in Georgia have seen some success, but say the maps drawn by the Republican-controlled General Assembly still illegally suppress Black voting power. Courts in Alabama and Florida ruled recently that Republican-led legislatures had unfairly diluted the voting power of Black residents. Legal challenges to congressional districts are also ongoing in Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Mexico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah. But Tyson pointed to the election of Democrat Raphael Warnock to the U.S. Senate as proof that candidates favored by Black voters can win.

Persons: Steve Jones, plaintifss, Abha Khanna, Bryan Tyson, “, ” Jones, Jones, Khanna, Tyson, Raphael Warnock, Assembly's, Ari Savitzky, Savitzky Organizations: ATLANTA, U.S, District, Republicans, Republican, Assembly, Supreme, Georgia, U.S . Senate, Black Locations: Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Arkansas , Kentucky, Louisiana, New Mexico, South Carolina , Tennessee , Texas, Utah, “

☆ A North Carolina gerrymandering effort could oust a Democratic lawmaker who wrote a bill to make it illegal for lawmakers to gerrymander
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

US Rep. Jeff Jackson, a Democrat, predicted he would be targeted by gerrymandering Republicans. Jackson earlier filed a bill to curtail gerrymandering when he was a North Carolina state lawmaker. First-term US Rep. Jeff Jackson, a Democrat from North Carolina, issued a warning to his constituents in a video last week, saying the redistricting process would be "brutal." In 2015, when he was a member of the state's senate, Jackson filed a bill to establish an independent redistricting commission in North Carolina to draw voting districts instead of the state's lawmakers. Reached for comment via email, the leader of the North Carolina General Assembly's Republican caucus, Rep. Jason Saine, only said that Jackson should "elaborate" on his claims.

Persons: Jeff Jackson, Jackson, he'd, hasn't, Jason Saine Organizations: Republicans, GOP, Service, Democrats, Brennan Center for Justice, Michigan —, Black, North, North Carolina General, Republican Locations: North Carolina, Wall, Silicon, Arizona, California , Colorado, Michigan, Alabama

☆ Georgia's GOP state legislative leaders said that calls to defund Fani Willis are 'theatrics' and impossible to accomplish
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A handful of GOP Georgia lawmakers are trying to impeach or defund District Attorney Fani Willis. The state's House and Senate leaders, however, said the push is 'theatrics' and unlikely to succeed. The impeachment calls come after a grand jury indicted Trump in relation to the 2020 election. "We simply do not have those votes" for a special session, Gooch said, adding that it would require Democratic support. And in the event that a special session does happen, he noted that there would never be enough votes in the state Senate to impeach her.

Persons: Fani Willis, Trump, Jon Burns, Willis, Donald Trump, Burns, impeaching Willis, Steve Gooch, Gooch, Colton Moore, Moore, Jim Jordan, Andy Biggs Organizations: GOP, Service, Republican, Assembly, Atlanta Journal, Trump, Democratic, House, NBC Locations: GOP Georgia, Wall, Silicon, Georgia's, Georgia, Georgia , Florida, Washington, New York

The 6-3 decision, authored by conservative Chief Justice John Roberts, upheld a 2022 ruling by the North Carolina Supreme Court against the Republican legislators. Another state court replaced that map with one drawn by a bipartisan group of experts, and that one was in effect for the November 2022 elections. They contended that the state court usurped the North Carolina General Assembly's authority under that provision to regulate federal elections. The plaintiffs argued that the map violated the North Carolina state constitution's provisions concerning free elections and freedom of assembly, among others. Democratic President Joe Biden's administration argued against the Republican position when the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in the case in December.

Persons: John Roberts, Roberts, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, Donald Trump's, Joe Biden's, Andrew Chung Organizations: U.S, Supreme, Republican, North Carolina Supreme Court, Conservative, . House, North Carolina Supreme, Democratic, North Carolina's Republican, North, North Carolina Republicans, North Carolina General, Thomson Locations: North Carolina, Legislative, U.S, American, North Carolina's

☆ Harris visits Tennessee after lawmakers expelled over gun protests
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( Cheney Orr | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/7] U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during an address after the Tennessee House of Representatives voted to expel two Democratic members, representatives Justin Pearson and Justin Jones, for their roles in a gun control demonstration at the Tennessee State Capitol, in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S., April 7, 2023. Just two state lawmakers had previously been expelled since the U.S. Civil War. Tennessee Representative Yusuf Hakeem, a Democrat, said Harris' visit showed "the White House is very interested and concerned in a meaningful way," adding that he does not expect protests to fade. Nearly 50 organizations, led by gun safety advocacy group the Newtown Action Alliance, called for nationwide student walkouts in solidarity with those in Tennessee. Members of the Tennessee General Assembly's Black Caucus at a news conference on Friday said Republicans had sunk to new lows.

[1/2] People exit the building after a vote on to expel two of three Democratic members for their role in a gun control demonstration at the statehouse last week, in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S., April 6, 2023. On Thursday, the Tennessee House of Representatives' Republican supermajority voted to remove Democratic Representatives Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, two young Black legislators, over demonstrations pushing for stricter gun laws. On Thursday, President Joe Biden decried the expulsions of the state lawmakers on Twitter, calling them "shocking, undemocratic, and without precedent." The White House, which announced the trip, did not provide other details about the meeting, scheduled for Friday evening. Nearly 50 organizations, led by the gun safety advocacy group the Newtown Action Alliance, called for nationwide student walkouts in solidarity with those in Tennessee.

☆ Ukraine says allies' concerns hamper talks on war compensation
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Pavel Polityuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Ukraine says receiving compensation from Russia is vital for its future. If it doesn't do it voluntarily, (let's) fill a (compensation) fund with Russian money, foreign exchange reserves, Russian assets," Mudra told Reuters in an interview this week. She did not identify the countries that had expressed such concerns but said Ukraine was trying to allay their fears. Despite the obstacles ahead, Mudra said Ukraine hoped that an international mechanism for compensating Ukraine would be established within a year. "This is the first - and an extremely important - step in the creation of this compensation mechanism," Mudra said.

The state Supreme Court blocked the Republican map as unlawfully biased against Democratic voters. The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the dispute in December but has not issued a ruling in the high-profile case. The justices' order on Thursday cited a federal law giving it jurisdiction over final judgments issued by state supreme courts. Members of the state Supreme Court are elected by voters in North Carolina. In their appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, the North Carolina Republicans contended that the state court usurped the state General Assembly's authority under that provision to regulate federal elections.

Another state court then replaced that map with one drawn by a bipartisan group of experts. Conservative Chief Justice John Roberts wondered whether such broadly worded provisions provide proper "standards and guidelines" for state courts to apply. The Republican lawmakers argued that the state court usurped the North Carolina General Assembly's authority under that provision to regulate federal elections. Justice Brett Kavanaugh emphasized the "historical practice" that "nearly all state constitutions regulate federal elections in some way." David Thompson, arguing for the North Carolina lawmakers, said the Constitution "requires state legislatures specifically to perform the federal function of prescribing regulations for federal elections.

The position of others including Chief Justice John Roberts was harder to read, raising the possibility of a ruling less broad than the Republican state lawmakers pursuing the appeal seek. The Republican lawmakers are asking the Supreme Court to embrace a once-marginal legal theory that has gained favor among some conservatives called the "independent state legislature" doctrine. The Republican lawmakers have argued that the state court unconstitutionally usurped the North Carolina General Assembly's authority to regulate federal elections. Thompson also argued that state constitutions cannot impose substantive limits on the actions of legislatures on federal elections. A lower state court subsequently rejected the legislature's redrawn map and adopted one drawn by a bipartisan group of experts.

The Supreme Court's eventual decision, due by the end of June, could apply to 2024 elections including the U.S. presidential race. The Republican lawmakers have argued that the state court unconstitutionally usurped the North Carolina General Assembly's authority to regulate federal elections. Kagan noted that in a series of cases over the years the Supreme Court expressed that state courts had a role to play in this area. A lower state court subsequently rejected the legislature's redrawn map and adopted a new map drawn by a bipartisan group of experts. The Supreme Court in March declined a Republican request to put those lower court actions on hold.

The Republicans are asking the Supreme Court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, to embrace a once-marginal legal theory that has gained favor among some conservatives called the "independent state legislature" doctrine. The Supreme Court's eventual decision, due by the end of June, could apply to 2024 elections including the U.S. presidential race. The Republican lawmakers have argued that the state court unconstitutionally usurped the North Carolina General Assembly's authority to regulate federal elections. A lower state court subsequently rejected the legislature's redrawn map and adopted a new map drawn by a bipartisan group of experts. The Supreme Court in March declined a Republican request to put those lower court actions on hold.

Under this doctrine, they contend that the U.S. Constitution gives state legislatures, and not other entities such as state courts, power over election rules and electoral district maps. The Republican lawmakers have argued that the state court unconstitutionally usurped the North Carolina General Assembly's authority to regulate federal elections. 'CONFUSION AND CHAOS'Jason Snead, a conservative elections expert who embraces the doctrine, said the North Carolina case gives the Supreme Court an opportunity to "shut down a lot of the confusion and chaos" occurring around elections. The North Carolina Supreme Court struck down the map on Feb. 4, finding the districts were crafted to dilute the "fundamental right to equal voting power" of Democrats. A lower state court then rejected a redrawn map by Republican lawmakers and adopted one devised by a bipartisan group of experts.

☆ 143 countries voted to condemn Russia's illegal Ukraine annexations in key UN vote. Here are the 5 that didn't.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The UN General Assembly on Wednesday overwhelmingly voted to condemn Russia's annexations in Ukraine. Of the 193-member body, 143 countries supported Ukraine, while 35 abstained from the vote. The vote was sparked by Russia's recent annexation of partially-occupied territories in Ukraine, including the Kherson, Luhansk, Donetsk, and Zaporizhzhia regions. The 193-member body issued its most staunch support for Ukraine yet during Wednesday's vote, which saw 143 nations condemn Russia's actions and 35 countries abstain from voting. Only five countries voted against the resolution, one of which was Russia itself.

☆ Ukraine's UN rep trolls Russia after UN vote it badly lost, using binoculars to spot its 4 allies among 183 nations
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Only four countries against condemning Russia's annexation of Ukrainian regions at the UN. Ukraine's UN representative mocked Russia, sharing a photo of himself at the UN with binoculars. …"Reuters reported that the photo of Kyslytsya using the binoculars was taken in the room shortly before the vote on Wednesday. 143 countries voted in support of the resolution at the at the UN General Assembly to condemn Russia's annexation and demand that it return the territory to Ukraine. Four countries joined Russia in opposing the resolution: North Korea, Belarus, Syria, and Nicaragua.

☆ Some of Russia's closest allies abstained at the UN rather than support its claim to have annexed parts of Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

UN members voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to condemn Russia's annexation of Ukrainian regions. 143 nations voted in support, agreeing to condemn Russia's annexation, while 35 abstained. Experts say Russia's invasion of Ukraine has pushed them further from Russia. Russia tried to make Wednesday's vote a secret ballot, which would have obscured which nations voted with Russia. It did so after conducting referendums in the four regions — Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia — which Ukraine and Western nations dismissed as a sham.

BRUSSELS, Oct 13 (Reuters) - The United States reaffirmed its commitment to defend "every inch" of NATO territory ahead of talks among defense ministers from the alliance on Thursday that will include closed-door discussions by its nuclear planning group. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterAustin spoke shortly before attending a meeting by NATO's Nuclear Planning Group, which is NATO's senior body on nuclear matters and handles policy issues associated with its nuclear forces. NATO's website says its nuclear policy is under "constant review, and is modified and adapted in light of new developments." "We're going to stay with our efforts to support Ukraine for as long as it takes," Austin said alongside NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. NATO told Moscow on Tuesday it would meet attacks on allies' critical infrastructure with a "united and determined response."

☆ I was a line cook working up to 80 hours a week. A coding bootcamp and online courses helped me land a 6-figure software engineering job with real work-life balance.
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-14 | by ( Julia Pugachevsky | Read More | Read Less | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

He used the time to complete a General Assembly bootcamp and take online courses from Udemy. After some research, I decided to go all in on a four-month software engineering bootcamp from General Assembly — before I even knew if I'd like software engineering. After I signed up, I had about three weeks before the program started. General Assembly Online Coding Bootcamp - Become a Software Engineer Designed to help you launch your career in software engineering, this immersive bootcamp is available online, in-person in NYC, or in a part-time format. I reached out and he actually remembered me, so I was able to land a three-month unpaid internship to get started in software engineering.

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