The Latest: Philippines president defends drug crackdown

UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The Latest from the U.N. General Assembly (all times EDT):

4:30 p.m.

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has defended his drug crackdown and dismissed criticism from human rights advocates as he addressed the U.N.'s annual gathering of world leaders for the first time.

With the coronavirus taking a toll on the Philippines, the often brash Duterte struck a somewhat conciliatory tone about the organization he's often criticized and at times threatened to leave.

Duterte said in a prerecorded video Tuesday for the U.N. General Assembly that 'œthe Philippines values the role that the United Nations plays in its fight against the pandemic.'ť

He welcomed the U.N.'s launch of a relief fund and called on the international community to ensure potential vaccines are accessible to all.

He also expressed openness to 'œconstructive engagement'ť with the U.N.

Duterte often lashes out at what he decries as international meddling in Philippine domestic affairs. Western governments and human rights groups call it justifiable alarm about an anti-drug crusade that's left over 5,700 mostly poor suspects dead.

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4:05 p.m.

Colombian President Iván Duque is calling on the international community to reject Venezuela's plans to hold a legislative election in December.

In a prerecorded speech for the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday, Duque called the vote a 'œmanufactured orchestra'ť that 'œlooks to legitimize the dictatorship.'ť

He also highlighted a recent U.N. Human Rights Council report accusing Nicolás Maduro's government of committing crimes against humanity, including torture and killings blamed on security forces.

U.S.-backed opposition leader Juan Guaidó has called on Venezuelans not to participate in the planned election to replace National Assembly lawmakers.

Maduro's government has taken over several prominent opposition parties and barred numerous anti-government leaders from running.

The socialist Venezuelan leader is expected to address the U.N. gathering Wednesday. He is calling on the U.N. to send a mission to observe the vote.

Though about 60 U.N. members back Guaidó, the majority recognize Maduro.

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3:45 p.m.

France's president says the coronavirus pandemic should shock nations into working together - and resisting a world order dominated by the U.S. and China.

Speaking Tuesday to the annual U.N. General Assembly, French President Emmanuel Macron decried the United Nations' failure to vanquish the virus.

In a video recording from Paris, he said, 'œNo country will come out of this ordeal on its own."

He says the pandemic should be an 'œan electric shock'ť to encourage more multilateral action. Otherwise the world will be 'œcollectively condemned to a pas de deux'ť by the U.S. and China in which everyone else is 'œreduced to being nothing but the sorry spectators of a collective impotence.'ť

Macron also warned Russia to reveal what happened to opposition leader Alexey Navalny and called for a U.N. mission to the Chinese region of Xinjiang, where Uighur Muslims have been held in camps.

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11:50 a.m.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is the first world leader at the United Nations'' annual gathering to mention the Black Lives Matter movement.

'œAs a country that has known too well the anguish of institutional racism, South Africa supports the demands for swift actions against racism'ť whether it be perpetrated by companies, states or others, he said in his pre-recorded message to the U.N. General Assembly.

South Africa last year marked a quarter-century since the end of the racist system of apartheid, and Ramaphosa worked closely with Nelson Mandela, the country's first Black president.

South Africa remains one of the most unequal countries in the world. Like many African nations, it has not escaped the problem of police brutality.

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10 a.m.

President Donald Trump says the United Nations must hold China 'œaccountable'ť for failing to contain the coronavirus, which has killed about 200,000 Americans and nearly 1 million around the world.

Trump is accusing China of not sharing timely information with the world on the new disease in a taped address to the virtually gathered United Nations General Assembly.

Trump says: 'œThe United Nations must hold China accountable for their actions.'ť

Trump is also using his address to tout a pair of recent international accords he helped to broker- one between Kosovo and Serbia and the other between the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Israel - as the United States 'œfulfilling our destiny as peacemaker.'ť

Trump has repeatedly used his appearances at the international gathering to oppose 'œglobalization'ť and promote his 'œAmerica First'ť foreign policy. His 2020 address is not different, as he admonished other nations that 'œonly when you take care of your own citizens, will you find a true basis for cooperation."

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9 a.m.

The U.N.'s first virtual meeting of world leaders started Tuesday with pre-recorded speeches from some of the planet's biggest powers.

They've been kept at home by the coronavirus pandemic that will likely be a dominant theme at their video gathering this year. The pandemic has killed over 960,000 people worldwide.

In the opening speech, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the world is facing an 'œepochal'ť health crisis. He also noted the biggest economic calamity and job losses since the Great Depression, dangerous threats to human rights -- and the threat of a new Cold War between the U.S. and China.

Those who spoke Tuesday included U.S. President Donald Trump and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, whose countries have reported the highest and second-highest coronavirus death tolls, respectively. China, where the virus was first reported, also was set to speak.

Also on deck are China, where the virus originated, and Russia, which has raised international eyebrows with its rapid vaccine development.