‘The world must wake up’: Tasks daunting as UN meeting opens

By EDITH M. LEDERER
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — The United Nations chief is warning global leaders at the opening of the U.N.’s foremost gathering  that the world has never been more threatened and divided and “we face the greatest cascade of crises in our lifetime.” Secretary-General Antonio Guterres rang the alarm in his annual state of the world speech. In his most dire assessment yet of the dangers the world faces, Guterres said, “We are on the edge of an abyss — and moving in the wrong direction.” And he said: “I’m here to sound the alarm. The world must wake up.”