Regional fights take stage at UN where Ukraine has dominated

Two of world's most persistent conflicts punctuated debate at United Nations on Friday, as annual garing of world leers deviated from dominating issue of war in Ukraine.

dressing hostilities thousands of miles apart and sharing little more than ir deces of longevity, Palestinian and Pakistani leers noneless delivered similar messages, accusing a neighbour of brutality and urging world leers to do more.

"Our confidence in achieving a peace based on justice and international law is waning," Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said. "Do you want to kill what remains of hope in our souls?" With Israel's military occupation of West Bank in its 55th year and no substantial peace talks in 13 years, it was a stark if perhaps unsurprisingly pessimistic assessment. Israel's prime minister backed a two-state solution to conflict at his own speech a day earlier — but re is almost no prospect for one in near term.

Speaking to UN General Assembly after Palestinian leer, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif of Pakistan similarly dressed a generations-old fight, accusing India of a "relentless campaign of repression" in Jammu and Kashmir. Those mountainous lands have been claimed by both sides since British rule of subcontinent ended 75 years ago and India and Pakistan were born.

Sharif urged world leers and UN to "play ir rightful role" in resolving fight and said India "must take credible steps" too.

India's external affairs minister, S Jaishankar, might provide a rebuttal to Sharif when he gets his turn at rostrum on Saturday. India has called region an integral part of its nation.

After days of world leers returning again and again to Ukraine, Sharif and Abbas provided a reminder of or problems facing international community.

Throughout first three days and 104 leers' speeches, many criticized how Russia h managed to block U.N. action on Ukraine because of veto it wields as a permanent member of Security Council. Abbas shifted attention to power of Israel and its allies, which he said meant no matter how many hundreds of resolutions pass, none would be implemented.

"Do you know who is protecting Israel from being held accountable? United Nations," he said in a speech more than three times 15-minute limit leers are asked to respect.

Israel, in turn, has complained that it has been treated unfairly by world body and has been held to a different standard from or member states, as when it comes to complaints about human rights violations.

Even as or issues bubbled up, many leers continued to call for action against Russian President Vlimir Putin for his invasion of Ukraine.

"He won't stop at Ukraine if we don't stop him now," Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said Friday.

Major battlefield developments in Ukraine cast a show over week – nuclear threats by Putin, activation of some military reservists and votes in Russian-held territories derided by many world leers and seen as a prelude to annexation.

Russia and Ukraine faced off Thursday at a Security Council meeting — an extraordinary if brief encounter during which top diplomats from nations at war were in same room exchanging barbs and accusations, albeit not directly to each or.

Meanwhile, on Friday, a team of experts commissioned by UN's top human rights body, said its initial investigation turned up evidence of war crimes committed in Ukraine since Russia's invasion.

Besides Ukraine, familiar refrains have resounded in UN speeches, with repeated mentions of climate change, economic crises and inequality. garing is a rare moment for many leers to grab spotlight on a global stage dominated by biggest, richest and most militarily mighty countries and issue calls for action.

" obligation of each leer before history is not to overlook failings and shortcomings in favor of wishful thinking or flattery," President Nicos Anastasies of Cyprus said Friday in his final General Assembly speech as leer of Mediterranean island nation.