Live blog: Tuesday at the U.N. General Assembly

The world's leaders are in New York for the 68th annual U.N. General Assembly
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon kicks off assembly: We have power to "wipe poverty from the face of the Earth"
President Obama calls for U.N. resolution to back agreement that Syria should hand over chemical weapons stockpile
Iran's newly elected President Hassan Rouhani says his country willing to "time-bound" talks over nuclear program
Rouhani and Obama won't meet at the U.N. General Assembly, U.S. sources say
Updates below; also, check out our full story

3rd & 7 37yd

by joe.sterling 9/24/2013 4:34:24 PM
After he spoke at the U.N. General Assembly, President Obama declined to answer questions on whether he had asked the Iranian president for a meeting or whether they would meet and shake hands. "Thanks" was all he said.
by joe.sterling 9/24/2013 4:36:12 PM
François Hollande, France's president, is next up at the U.N. General Assembly speaker's podium. He follows the leaders of Chile, Bulgaria and Mozambique.
by UN Spokesperson via twitter 9/24/2013 4:37:13 PM
by joe.sterling 9/24/2013 4:43:34 PM
The family of former U.S. Marine Amir Hekmati has a message for Iran's new president: Their American son is not a spy, has never been one, and he should be released immediately from prison in Iran. Read the report by Scott Bronstein and Drew Griffin. www.cnn.com
by Jason.Hanna 9/24/2013 4:45:09 PM
French President Francois Hollande is now at the podium -- and he's starting with Syria. "The honor of the United Nations is to act for peace, and in Syria it is urgent," he said.
by Jason.Hanna 9/24/2013 4:47:21 PM
French President Francois Hollande credits pressure from France and other nations, including the United States, for leading to the current negotiations "under way to ensure the verification and destruction of chemical weapons" in Syria.
by joe.sterling 9/24/2013 4:50:32 PM
Hollande said a Geneva peace conference on Syria must be devoted to establishing peace and a political transition with elections. All countries that accept this goal, he said, would be welcome to the negotiating table.
by Jason.Hanna 9/24/2013 4:54:33 PM
One of the glimmers of hope in the Middle East, Hollande says, is found "in the statements of the new Iranian president, because this shows there has been development." He is referring to new Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's calls for greater international cooperation on tough issues, including Iran's nuclear program. The question to pose now, Hollande says, is whether words will be put into action, specifically on the nuclear issue.
by joe.sterling 9/24/2013 4:54:36 PM
Hollande made reference to Africa and noted the "barbaric attack" in Nairobi as an example of terrorism. He said victories are indeed possible against terrorism, citing the French intervention in Mali.
by joe.sterling 9/24/2013 4:56:33 PM
The "international community," Hollande said, "must assist African states to protect themselves."
by Jason.Hanna 9/24/2013 4:57:44 PM
Backing up a little bit: While Hollande was talking about Syria minutes ago, he called on the U.N. Security Council to take up a resolution that would hold accountable those who carried out a chemical weapons attack on August 21 on the outskirts of Damascus. A resolution backing up a Russia-U.S. agreement on getting rid of chemical weapons in Syria has been in the works -- but it's been unclear whether the resolution would call for perpetrators to be held accountable.
by UN Spokesperson via twitter 9/24/2013 4:59:52 PM
Details on #UNSG 's meeting with King Abdullah of #Jordan bit.ly/1b9CcC5 @ForeignMinistry
by joe.sterling 9/24/2013 5:02:53 PM
Hollande finished his speech. Next up is Jordan's King Abdullah II.
by joe.sterling 9/24/2013 5:05:11 PM
Video: President Obama tells the U.N. General Assembly the U.S. is determined to block Iran from making nuclear weapons.
by joe.sterling 9/24/2013 5:08:33 PM
Jordan's King Abdullah II started his speech on the subject of neighboring Syria: "The Syrian crisis is a global, humanitarian and security disaster." Syrians have fled to Jordan for safety during the civil war.
by joe.sterling 9/24/2013 5:11:30 PM
Christians in Middle Eastern and Muslim nations have endured their share of persecution. Jordan's King Abdullah II said his country has been a "historic model" for Muslim-Christian relations. He said Jordan will continue "to do" its "utmost to protect" Arab Christian communities and people.
by Jason.Hanna 9/24/2013 5:17:36 PM
As part of an argument that the world needs to work for an end to violence in Syria, Jordan's King Abdullah II warns that the number of Syrian refugees coming into neighboring Jordan is becoming too much for his nation to sustain. He said the number already represents 10% of Jordan's population -- and it could be 20% by next year. "These are not just numbers -- they are people" who need food, health care and more, Abdullah said. "Not even the strongest economies can absorb this demand on infrastructure and resources, let alone (a small country) and the fourth water-poorest country" in the world.
by joe.sterling 9/24/2013 5:18:30 PM
Jordan's Abdullah commended Israel's prime minister and the Palestinian president for pursuing peace talks and urged that there "be no actions to derail" the negotiations. He cited settlement construction and "unilateral actions that threaten the status quo" as obstacles that would scuttle peace talks.
by United Nations via twitter 9/24/2013 5:19:22 PM
Photo from inside the #UNGA media centre -- 1500+ journalists are at UNHQ this week covering the events j.mp/18nnfGI
by Jason.Hanna 9/24/2013 5:20:12 PM
Abdullah has finished. Seven speakers are left in what was supposed to be the "morning session." Once again, here is the full list of today's 34 speakers: http://gadebate.un.org/. We're on No. 13. New Iranian President Hassan Rouhani -- scheduled for the afternoon session -- is speaker No. 24.
by JoEmbassyUS via twitter 9/24/2013 5:35:21 PM
We must also work together for a speedy resolution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict - King Abdullah II #UNGA #JordanUNGA
by Jason.Hanna 9/24/2013 6:31:17 PM
We were speculating earlier about whether Obama and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani would run into and perhaps shake hands at the United Nations today. If it does happen, they won't do it at lunch. Rouhani skipped the lunch -- forgoing a chance to cross paths with Obama -- because alcohol was being served, Iranian state-run Press TV reported, according to CNN's Reza Sayah in Tehran.
by UN Spokesperson via twitter 9/24/2013 6:57:28 PM
#UNSG Ban Ki-moon's toast at lunch with world leaders gathering for #UNGA bit.ly/1b2Rbu8
by Jason.Hanna 9/24/2013 7:13:31 PM
And now we know: Obama and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani won't meet informally at the United Nations this week, even on the margins for a handshake, two senior U.S. administration officials told reporters. The officials said such an encounter proved too complicated for Iran back home. Earlier Tuesday, a senior administration official said the White House had "left the door open" to some kind of face-to-face interaction between the presidents.
by CNN's Steve Almasy 9/24/2013 8:44:14 PM
Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf has begun speaking to the U.N. General Assembly. She will be followed by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.
by CNN's Steve Almasy 9/24/2013 9:03:40 PM
Deputy ambassador Rosemary Di Carlo is sitting in hall for Rouhani's speech, the highest level U.S. official to sit in for an Iranian president's speech in years, a senior U.S. administration official says.
by CNN's Steve Almasy 9/24/2013 9:33:43 PM
Rouhani finished speaking about 5:30 p.m. ET, after speaking for 28 minutes
by CNN's Steve Almasy 9/24/2013 9:42:56 PM
Rouhani also says his country "does not seek to increase tensions with the United States." He says he listened carefully to U.S. President Barack Obama's earlier speech and hoped that the United States "will refrain from following the short-sighted interests of warmongering pressure groups" so that the two nations "can arrive at a framework to manage our differences."
by CNN's Steve Almasy 9/24/2013 10:17:49 PM
Israel's Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz told reporters at the United Nations: "Today ... we heard nothing really new from Tehran."
by CNN's Steve Almasy 9/24/2013 10:21:11 PM
"We heard a lot of new rhetoric, but zero new steps or even zero new commitments to meet the U.N. and Security Council resolutions (on Iran's nuclear program," Steinitz told reporters.
by CNN's Steve Almasy 9/24/2013 10:34:27 PM
Video: Rouhani says nukes contradict Iran's convictions

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