"Russia wants war": Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy calls for peace and war crimes tribunal in speech to United Nations
CBSN
United Nations — Speaking in English to the 193-nation United Nations General Assembly, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivered a pre-recorded message to a standing ovation, with the exception of the Russian delegation and a handful of other countries, in the Hall filled with world leaders and his own wife, first lady Olena Zelenska.
Zelenskyy was unable to travel to U.N. Headquarters in New York City because of the escalation in attacks by Russia. Just hours earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a large mobilization of Russian forces for the attacks against Ukraine, and began preparations for a referendum to formalize its occupation of parts of Ukraine. The referendum is considered a sham by the U.S. and European Union.
Earlier this year, the U.N. decided that a leader must be in the headquarters in order to speak this year. But, the General Assembly voted 101-7 for an exception for Zelenskyy. The members that voted against him speaking were Belarus, Cuba, North Korea, Eritrea, Nicaragua, Russia and Syria.
Tokyo — In North Korea, the release of Taylor Swift's new double album was completely eclipsed by the surprise drop of another brand-new song, complete with an elaborately produced music video. There were no tortured poets in sight for the release of "Friendly Father," an energetic pop-style piece of state propaganda praising North Korea's dictatorial leader Kim Jong Un.
Berlin — German authorities say they have arrested two people suspected of spying for Russia. The suspects, identified as German-Russian nationals, are accused of scouting targets for potential attacks, including U.S. military facilities in Germany, the Federal Public Prosecutor General for Karlsruhe said in a statement released Thursday.
Dubai, United Arab Emirates — Heavy rains lashed the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, flooding portions of major highways, leaving vehicles abandoned on roadways across Dubai and grinding traffic at the city-state's huge international airport briefly to a complete halt. Meanwhile, the death toll from separate heavy flooding in neighboring Oman rose to 18, with others still missing as the sultanate prepared for the storm.
Paris — Five years have passed since Notre Dame cathedral in Paris was engulfed in flames. The iconic spire and timber roof were destroyed in the blaze. People around the world were shocked at the scale of the fire and the damage it caused, but work to restore the iconic landmark to its former glory continues.