Scorching heat grips southwest China's Chongqing

Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality issued a red alert for high temperatures on Thursday, forecasting a prolonged heatwave over the next eight days.

According to local weather station, temperatures in Chongqing could soar to 43 degrees Celsius on Sunday, potentially marking the most intense heatwave since the start of summer this year.

The red alert remains on Friday. In most areas of the city with altitudes below 400 meters, daily highs are set to rise above 40 degrees Celsius.

Due to the wide reach and intensity of the heatwave, Chongqing authorities have activated the high-temperature response mechanism, enhancing power grid dispatch, ensuring transportation stability and stepping up emergency rescue preparations.

The multilateral system is "under attack" amid global turmoil, President of the 80th UN General Assembly Annalena Baerbock warned in her remarks on Wednesday.

In her briefing on the priorities for the resumed 80th Session of the General Assembly, the UNGA president noted that the current multilateral system does not collapse all in a sudden, but "crumbles piece by piece" in divisions, compromises, and lack of political commitment.

The president called all the UN member states to defend the UN Charter and international law and promote cross-regional cooperation.

She also urged to push forward the work of the UNGA on certain critical issues with a strong majority, rather than an absolute consensus among all member states. Such act is not a failure of multilateralism, but "an affirmation of it," she said.

The foundational principles of the institution should not be eroded by appeasement, she said, calling the member states to show courage, leadership, and responsibility at the UN's "critical make-or-break moment."

"The UN needs you. Your support, your leadership, your principle, stand, your cross-regional cooperation, if we are to preserve and modernize this institution, if we are to make it, rather than break it," she said.