UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Developments as the United Nations General Assembly marks its 70th year and world leaders debate issues gripping the global community and governments.

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10:55

President Barack Obama says the United States is willing to work with any nation, including Russia and Iran, to solve the Syrian conflict.

But he says bringing about an end to the four-year civil war means Syrian President Bashar Assad cannot stay in office.

Obama says Assad responded to peaceful protests with repression and killing and wouldn’t be able to satisfactorily bring peace to the nation.

Obama calls the situation in Syria “an assault on all our humanity.”

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10:45 a.m.

President Barack Obama says the world cannot stand by while Russia violates Ukraine’s integrity and sovereignty.

He says if there are no consequences for Russia’s annexation of Crimea, it could happen to any other country in the United Nations.

Obama is speaking at the U.N. General Assembly. He’s criticizing Russia just hours before he’s set to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Obama says Russia’s state-controlled media depict recent events as an example of a resurgent Russia. He says that view is shared by many U.S. politicians who think the world is in a new Cold War.

But Obama says that’s not true. He says Ukrainians are more interested than ever in aligning with the West.

Obama says the U.S. doesn’t want to isolate Russia. He says he wants Russia to engage diplomatically and resolve the crisis in a way that lets Ukraine determine its own future.

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10:35 a.m.

President Barack Obama is warning U.N member nations of the risks of failing to work together to solve world problems.

He says the work of the United Nations remains incomplete seven decades after its founding and warns that “dangerous currents risk pulling us back into a darker, more disordered world.”

Addressing the U.N. General Assembly gathering of world leaders, Obama spoke of leaders who believe power is a “zero sum game,” or that stronger states must impose their will on weaker ones, or that individual rights don’t matter and order must be imposed by force.

Obama says the world’s nations cannot go back to the “old ways of conflict and coercion” and that “we will all suffer the consequences” for failing to work together more effectively.

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10:20 a.m.

Brazil’s president says her country’s deeply troubled economy is in a “moment of transition to another cycle of economic expansion,” one that is more profound, solid and long-lasting.

President Dilma Rousseff spoke to a packed chamber Monday at the annual U.N. General Assembly of world leaders. President Barack Obama was set to speak after her.

This is a time of extreme volatility for Brazil’s economy, with inflation hovering around 10 percent and unemployment the highest in decades.

But Rouseff told world leaders that the economy is “stronger, more solid and resilient than some years ago.”

Credit agency Standard & Poor’s downgraded the country’s sovereign debt to “junk” status earlier this month.

Rousseff has submitted a budget to Congress with a built-in deficit of about $10 billion.

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9:05 a.m.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon for the first time is calling for the situation in Syria to be referred to the International Criminal Court.

In his state of the world address to leaders from the U.N.’s 193 member states, Ban says “innocent Syrians pay the price of more barrel bombs and terrorism” and there must be no impunity for “atrocious” crimes.

His call opened the annual General Assembly gathering of world leaders that includes addresses from President Barack Obama, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday morning alone.

Ban says five countries “hold the key” to a political solution to Syria: Russia, the U.S., Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Iran.

The U.N. chief says the Syrian conflict is “driven by regional powers and rivalries.”

The abrupt decision comes after he faced heavy pressure from conservatives to take a harder line on their causes, most recently over defunding Planned Parenthood.

Boehner, who has presided over the House since 2011, explained during a closed-door meeting with Republicans Friday morning that he had only planned to serve two terms as speaker but decided to hold onto his post after then-House Majority Leader Eric Cantor lost his seat during a primary last year, a Republican lawmaker in the room told CNN.

Boehner, who didn’t speak to reporters on Friday, also told the lawmakers that Pope Francis’ visit to Congress the day before was a crystallizing moment, according to the lawmaker. Boehner then read the prayer of St. Francis to the conference after announcing his decision.

“After yesterday with the Pope, he decided to leave on this high note,” a top Boehner aide told CNN. “Literally did not make the decision til last night.”

The Ohio Republican’s tenure as speaker has been marked by clashes with conservatives — especially when it comes to fiscal policy. He’s struggled to push through legislation to increase the debt ceiling and was facing another showdown next week to keep the government open. The speaker has often relied on Democratic votes during these moments — a strategy that has infuriated conservatives.

Ohio GOP Rep. Steve Chabot ‎called the mood in the room “somber” during Boehner’s announcement and said there were tears from Speaker and other lawmakers.

“I got choked up,” Chabot said.

Boehner’s decision came as a shock to many, with his top deputy House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy finding out moments before his announcement. McCarthy, a California Republican, is a top candidate to succeed Boehner. Rep. Paul Ryan, the House Ways and Means Committee chairman who was the party’s vice presidential nominee in 2012, isn’t planning to run for the seat at this time, according to an aide.

Rep. Greg Walden, a member of Boehner’s House leadership, said he had no idea Boehner would announce his resignation this morning and called it a “terrible loss for the party.”

Walden said he wondered what the Pope told Boehner that may have affected his decision: “I don’t know if this was a message from God but I wish he sent a different message.”

The Speaker has survived many challenges to his position. He was facing another threat after Rep. Mark Meadows, a conservative North Carolina Republican, offered a resolution before the August recess to “vacate the chair,” a rarely invoked move that would have stripped Boehner of the Speaker’s gavel if it passed.

Meadows told reporters on Friday he would not run to succeed Boehner.

Still, some conservatives applauded Boehner’s resignation.

“Yesterday John Boehner was Speaker of the House,” Sen. Ted Cruz said at the Values Voter summit Friday. “Y’all come to town and somehow that changes. My only request is can you come more often?”

The House Speaker is third in line for the presidency after Vice President Joe Biden.

Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush praised Boehner in a tweet Friday morning.

“John Boehner dedicated his life to public service. Bringing the Holy Father to Congress was a fitting cap to a great career,” said Bush, the former governor of Florida.

By Dana Bash, Manu Raju, Deirdre Walsh and Jeremy Diamond, CNN

Video Source: CNN