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U.S. President Donald Trump’s interest in acquiring Greenland, the semiautonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark, first became public in 2019. The following is a timeline of developments that have since contributed to tensions between Washington and its European allies. August 2019: During his first term, Trump expresses interest in purchasing Greenland but says it is “not No. 1 on the burner.” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen dismisses the idea as “an absurd discussion.” Trump later says he canceled a planned trip to Denmark after Frederiksen made a “nasty” statement rejecting his proposal. Dec. 22, 2024: Weeks before beginning his second term, Trump revives his interest in Greenland, declaring that “the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity.” Greenland’s Prime Minister Múte Bourup Egede responds that “we are not for sale and will never be for sale.” Jan. 7, 2025: Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., visits Greenland. Trump, then president-elect, says he will not rule out using military force to take control of the territory. March 11, 2025: Greenlanders elect a new parliament, with Jens-Frederik Nielsen’s Demokraatit party emerging victorious. Soon afterward, all five parties represented in the legislature reject Trump’s calls for U.S. control of Greenland. March 27, 2025: Four of the five parties in Greenland’s parliament agree to form a coalition government, with Nielsen as prime minister. March 28, 2025: Vice President JD Vance visits the U.S. Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland and accuses Denmark of failing to invest sufficiently in the island’s security. March 29, 2025: Denmark’s foreign minister criticizes the tone of U.S. criticism. Trump says he has never taken “military force off the table.” Aug. 27, 2025: Denmark’s Foreign Ministry summons the top U.S. diplomat in Copenhagen after a Danish broadcaster reports that at least three people linked to Trump have been conducting covert influence operations in Greenland. Dec. 21, 2025: Trump announces that Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry will serve as the U.S. special envoy to Greenland. Landry says it is an honor to serve in the role “to make Greenland a part of the U.S.” Dec. 22, 2025: The leaders of Denmark and Greenland reiterate that the United States will not take over Greenland. Denmark’s foreign minister says he will summon the U.S. ambassador. Jan. 4, 2026: Discussion of a possible U.S. takeover of Greenland intensifies after the United States removes Nicolás Maduro as president of Venezuela. Jan. 5, 2026: Danish Prime Minister Frederiksen says an American military takeover of Greenland would effectively mark the end of NATO. Jan. 6, 2026: Major European leaders join Frederiksen in issuing a statement defending Greenland’s sovereignty. The White House says “utilizing the U.S. military is always an option” for Trump. Jan. 8, 2026: Trump says in an interview that the United States needs to possess all of Greenland rather than simply rely on a longstanding treaty that gives Washington broad access to the territory for military purposes. Jan. 13, 2026: Greenlandic Prime Minister Nielsen says Greenland would choose Denmark “if we have to choose between the United States and Denmark here and now.” Jan. 14, 2026: The Danish and Greenlandic foreign ministers meet in Washington with Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. They agree to establish a working group, but Denmark and the White House subsequently give sharply different accounts of its purpose. Denmark announces plans to strengthen its military presence in the Arctic, while several European allies say they will send small numbers of troops to Greenland for Arctic security reconnaissance. Danish media later report that Copenhagen prepared for a potential conflict, including deploying explosives and blood supplies. Jan. 16, 2026: Trump says he may impose tariffs on countries that do not support U.S. control of Greenland. Jan. 17, 2026: Trump says he will impose a 10% import tax beginning in February on goods from eight European countries because of their opposition to U.S. control of Greenland. Jan. 19, 2026: In a text exchange with Norway’s prime minister, Trump links his position on Greenland to not receiving the Nobel Peace Prize and says he no longer feels “an obligation to think purely of Peace.” Jan. 21, 2026: Hours after saying he wants Greenland “including right, title and ownership,” Trump withdraws the threatened tariffs against European countries. He says he reached an agreement with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on a “framework of a future deal” on Arctic security. Jan. 28, 2026: Technical discussions involving the United States, Denmark and Greenland on an Arctic security agreement begin. Feb. 21, 2026: Trump says he will send a hospital ship to Greenland, claiming many people there are sick and lack adequate medical care. His announcement comes after Denmark’s military says its forces evacuated a crew member from a U.S. submarine off Greenland for urgent medical treatment. Greenlandic Prime Minister Nielsen responds, “no thank you,” to the proposed hospital ship. July 7, 2026: Trump renews tensions ahead of a NATO summit, saying Greenland “should be controlled by the United States, not by Denmark.” Frederiksen reiterates that Greenland is “not for sale” and says Denmark is “ready to defend every inch of NATO including our own territory” in the event of an attack. Sept. 18, 2026: Trump announces that he has reached a deal to strengthen the U.S. military presence in Greenland. Danish officials respond cautiously, with Frederiksen emphasizing that the planned agreement recognizes Denmark’s sovereignty and the Greenlandic people’s right to self-determination. Sept. 22, 2026: Trump signs an agreement with Denmark and Greenland to expand the U.S. military presence, describing it as “tremendous for everyone.” However, he does not respond to questions about whether his effort to acquire Greenland is now off the table.

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday defended his decision to launch a war against Iran, telling world leaders at the UN General Assembly that he has shown resolve while others have hesitated, even as he said he faces a major choice over whether to pursue a deal or destroy Iran’s Islamic Republic. “I have a big decision to make,” Trump said, suggesting Iran could either reach a deal that would allow it to rebuild or face swift destruction. Trump called on Iran to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz and return to negotiations, while accusing Tehran of delaying a settlement until after the US midterm elections. “The terrorist regime is behaving badly, not because they are strong and confident, but because they are weak and desperate,” he said. Most members of Iran’s delegation walked out of the chamber during Trump’s criticism of the Islamic Republic. Trump also highlighted the US military operation that ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, a new security agreement expanding the US military presence in Greenland, and his opposition to calls for greater regulation of artificial intelligence. After the speech, Trump met Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen to sign the Greenland security agreement. The deal keeps Greenland under Danish control but allows the US to expand its military presence there, including plans to begin developing two major military bases. Trump also held talks with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham and was scheduled to meet Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez. He was also due to meet leaders and senior officials from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates over the Iran war and recent Iran-backed attacks on Saudi Arabia. Trump’s address came as his Iran policy has become a political burden for fellow Republicans ahead of the US midterm elections. He nevertheless argued that his leadership has made the world safer. “I have no interest in leaving dangers to grow for another day. I do not believe in letting problems fester,” Trump said. The war against Iran is nearing seven months. US and Israeli strikes have killed much of Iran’s top leadership and damaged its air force and navy, while a US blockade of Iranian oil has severely weakened Tehran’s economy. However, the conflict continues to unsettle energy markets and keep oil prices elevated. Saudi Arabia recently shut a key oil pipeline after it was attacked by Iran-backed militants in Iraq, while Houthi rebels near the Bab al-Mandab Strait have made a key Red Sea shipping route dangerous for oil carriers. Trump said oil prices would fall sharply once the war ends. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Trump remained open to meeting Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in New York, saying Trump believes engagement is important to solving problems. Trump also addressed Russia’s war against Ukraine and expressed frustration over continued attacks on energy infrastructure by both sides. He said he had secured an agreement last week for Russia and Ukraine not to target each other’s energy infrastructure. Zelenskyy said he was ready to follow the plan if Russia did the same, while Moscow said it would only accept the proposal if Western energy sanctions against Russia were lifted. The attacks have continued despite the proposal. Trump also pointed to a new sanctions law he signed last week that gives him authority to impose tariffs of up to 100% on the five largest importers of Russian oil or natural gas, though he has not yet imposed the penalties. “If necessary, I will have to use them,” Trump said. “It’s time to stop the killing.”

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed an agreement with Denmark and Greenland aimed at strengthening security in the Arctic and North Atlantic, easing tensions over his repeated calls for Greenland to become part of the United States. The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, days after Trump announced the deal to expand the US military presence on the vast Arctic island while keeping it under Danish control. “This is tremendous for Europe and for the United States and for everybody,” Trump said before the signing. “And for Greenland, it's going to be incredible.” For months, Trump has expressed his desire for Greenland to join the United States and threatened to seize the semiautonomous territory from Denmark, a NATO ally. He did not respond Tuesday when asked whether US acquisition of Greenland was now off the table. US military presence in Greenland Officials from the US, Greenland and Denmark held months of negotiations to address some of Trump's security concerns over the mineral-rich island. Trump's push for control of Greenland strained relations within NATO. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen had warned that a US takeover could mean the end of the Atlantic alliance. The dispute unsettled many of Greenland's roughly 56,000 residents and strained ties between the US and Denmark and its European Union partners, which increased security exercises and financial support for the island. Trade and access to Greenland's natural resources have also featured in concerns over its future. About two-thirds of the territory lies within the Arctic Circle, where melting sea ice has opened additional shipping routes. The US military has maintained a presence in Greenland for decades, but since 1945 its footprint has declined from thousands of troops at 17 bases and installations to about 200 personnel at the remote Pituffik Space Base in northwest Greenland. The base supports missile warning, missile defence and space surveillance operations for the US and NATO. Addressing the UN General Assembly earlier Tuesday, Trump disclosed some details of the agreement. “We will immediately begin the process of developing a large military presence in the appropriate locations,” he said, including “building two very major military bases.” Denmark's parliament approved a bill last year allowing US military bases on Danish territory, expanding a 2023 defence agreement with the Biden administration that gave US troops broad access to Danish air bases. Trump had previously insisted that the US needed to “take Greenland” to prevent Russia or China from doing so. Although he said he would prefer to “make a deal” for the territory, he added: “one way or the other, we’re going to have Greenland.” Agreement allows expanded US military presence Under the agreement released by the Danish government after the signing, Washington can “modernize and expand” its activities at Pituffik Space Base. The US can also establish “defense areas” at Narsarsuaq in southern Greenland and Mestersvig in the east. The agreement allows Washington to establish additional defence areas and strengthen military operations or facilities on the island. US contracts for goods and services related to establishing, maintaining or dismantling such bases are to be awarded to Greenlandic sources “to the maximum extent possible.” The accord also provides broad US military mobility across Greenland, including “undersea access.” Non-NATO countries will not be allowed to establish their own manned or unmanned military installations in Greenland or maintain a “persistent” military presence unless all signatories agree otherwise. The agreement has no end date. If Greenland becomes independent, it would remain in NATO and assume Denmark's rights and obligations under the accord. Parties hail agreement Mikkel Runge Olesen, a senior researcher at the Danish Institute of International Studies, said Greenland and Denmark could end the crisis without compromising sovereignty, while the US would receive a somewhat more favourable arrangement than under the existing defence treaty. However, he said relations among the US, Denmark and Greenland were likely to remain affected by the dispute long after Trump's presidency and that the crisis could have a significant and lasting negative impact on transatlantic relations. “The lost trust will take decades to rebuild,” he said. Frederiksen described the agreement as a “deal that can last forever” and said it was good for the US, Greenland, Denmark and the broader NATO alliance. “Mr. President, you have been very clear: You don’t want adversaries to come too close,” she said. “I fully agree.” Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen called the agreement “a win-win-win agreement.” “Your security is our security,” he said, “and our security is your security.”

The 2026 Food Systems Countdown analysis reveals that progress is too slow and insufficient to meet 2030 goals, but 2050 could still be achievable, provided actions are consistent and accelerated. The latest study from the Food Systems Countdown Initiative (FSCI) reveals the stark reality of where global food systems transformation stands – for most indicators on health, environment, livelihoods, governance and resilience, a vast majority of countries will not meet the internationally agreed 2030 goals. And for some indicators such as greenhouse gas emissions from food systems, no country in the world is projected to meet the target. The study, published in Nature Food , represents the most comprehensive performance assessment of food systems to date, covering 197 countries and 44 indicators across five themes: diets, nutrition and health; environment, natural resources and production; livelihoods, poverty and equity; governance; and resilience. And for the first time, the study goes beyond tracking trends to assess progress and measure how food systems are actually performing, and how much more needs to improve to meet globally set targets. “What makes this Countdown paper different is that it doesn't just tell countries whether they're moving in the right direction — it tells them how far they still have to go, and against a benchmark that's actually within reach. That distinction between tracking trends and measuring performance is what turns a monitoring exercise into a tool for accountability,” said Dr. Bianca Carducci, lead author. Key Findings: •        The study finds that, of 30 indicators, only one — mobile phone subscriptions, a proxy for connectedness and resilience — has been met by most countries. For 22 indicators, fewer than one third of countries will meet their global target or benchmark by 2030. •        The indicator ‘greenhouse gas emissions from food systems’ has one of the largest gaps, with the global average 75% away from the target. No country in the world will meet the target at its current pace. Most regions of the world would need dramatic annual changes to achieve 2030 targets. For example, Africa will require at least a 15-20% improvement across 23 indicators every single year, and Asia will have to cut food insecurity by over 63% every year. High-income regions are not exempt. In Europe, 19 indicators remain unattainable by 2030. The analysis also shows that some indicators are moving in the wrong direction, notably civil society participation, governmental accountability, ultra-processed food sales, agricultural water withdrawal, pesticide use and changes in emissions from food systems. “Accountability for food systems transformation requires accelerated progress — without it, efforts risk becoming performative rather than transformative. We can no longer afford to continue at the present pace,” said Dr. Mario Herrero, Professor, Ashley School of Global Development and the Environment, Cornell University. Bright Spots Offer Hope Despite the sobering picture for 2030, the study is not entirely bleak. For 7 of 33 indicators, at least a third of countries are already on track to meet the 2030 target. And half the indicators have been moving in a desirable direction at the global level. The study also offers the pace at which changes are required to achieve the targets by 2050, making progress feel achievable rather than impossible. In some cases, regional and income benchmarks provide more realistic milestones that can motivate countries. For example, on average African countries are 58.7% away from the global benchmark for affordability of a healthy diet, but that gap narrows to 32.2% when measured against a regional benchmark set by the average of the top fifth of African countries. “Bold global targets are vital for inspiring ambition. But they can become a source of inertia if they seem permanently out of reach. Therefore, regional and income-group benchmarks keep progress within sight and help identify the exemplar countries that can show others how it is achievable,” said Dr. Jessica Fanzo, James Anderson Professor of Food Policy and Climate at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies Europe. Urgent Call to Accelerate Action The study highlights the urgent need for accelerated action across all indicators. Priority actions should focus on indicators where progress is most off track, like food affordability, food insecurity, government effectiveness and food systems emissions. Food systems emissions change will require annual reductions exceeding 60%, which is challenging even for 2050. “Food systems transformation is a shared responsibility. The governance indicators including government effectiveness, accountability and civil society participation are not just one category among five. They are the enablers. Improving them unlocks progress across the entire system,” said Dr. Lawrence Haddad, Executive Director, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition. Improving government effectiveness and accountability are the critical leverage points that interact with the largest number of indicators. However, the urgent need for transformation involves more concerted, creative and accelerated action from the global community that must recommit to achieving these targets by 2050, especially for those most vulnerable. “The kind of comprehensive assessment that this Countdown study provides is critical for governments and all other partners to set priorities, direct investments and resources, and draft and redraft policies. Our global food systems demand urgent, decisive action — starting now,” said Dr. José Rosero Moncayo, Chief Statistician and Director of the Statistics Division, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The 2026 Food Systems Countdown analysis gives every country a mirror, as well as a signpost for what needs to be done, in which direction and at what pace. The world owes it to the billions whose livelihoods depend on food systems, and the billions more who cannot afford a healthy diet, to act now, and to act fast. WEBINAR: The findings of the report will be presented at a Webinar, including a Q&A with the FSCI researchers. Register Free - https://gainhealth.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_VzrB_-YjREGaXAzXNN5xPw#/registration Date: September 25 th , 2026, Time: 9:30-10:30 Eastern Time.  MEDIA CONTACTS: For interview requests and/or enquiries regarding the 2026 Countdown study and report, please contact: T Sam Kaiser, Media & Communications Manager Email: [email protected] Phone: +91 96771 33877 Christopher Emsden, FAO News and Media (Rome) Email: [email protected] Phone: (+39) 06 570 53291 More on this topic Full report:  https://openknowledge.fao.org/handle/20.500.14283/ce0778en Summary:  https://openknowledge.fao.org/handle/20.500.14283/ce0482en Nature Food article:  https://www.nature.com/articles/s43016-026-01379-0 About the study: The study, “Food Systems Performance Evaluated Against Targets and Benchmarks Reveals Urgent Gaps and a Path to 2050,” and accompanying report, “The Food Systems Countdown Report 2026: Assessing Performance, Driving Change,” is available at www.foodcountdown.org. Country-level data and profiles are accessible through the Food Systems Dashboard. Code is available on GitHub (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). About the Countdown: The Food Systems Countdown Initiative (FSCI) is a global interdisciplinary research collaboration co-led by Johns Hopkins University, Cornell University, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition. It produces annual monitoring reports and a country-level data platform to support evidence-based policymaking and accountability for food systems transformation.

With about 100 days left in his tenure as UN Secretary-General, António Guterres on Tuesday called for stronger international cooperation to govern artificial intelligence, warning that life-and-death decisions must never be left to machines. Presenting his annual report of the Organization, Guterres delivered a wide-ranging speech in which he portrayed the world’s major crises as interconnected manifestations of a broader struggle over how power is exercised and who controls it. “The greatest power is not the power to dominate. It is the power to build a future that works for everyone,” he said. He described the past decade as a period of eroding international norms, marked by attacks on civilians, deaths of humanitarian workers, disregard for international law and declining trust among nations. Guterres said power is being reshaped in three major ways: the emergence of new state powers, the transfer of significant authority from governments to private corporations and individuals, and the growing role of AI and autonomous weapons in decisions once reserved for humans. “The faultlines in our world are widening,” he said. “Cracks have become canyons.” Rather than accepting global fragmentation as inevitable, he called for renewed international cooperation and a genuinely global system based on interdependence and shared rules. He also warned against a division into rival blocs with separate economic and security systems, a scenario he has described in recent years as the “Great Fracture.” No real ceasefire in sight Referring to the continuing crises in the Middle East, Ukraine, Sudan and Myanmar, Guterres said purported ceasefires have often amounted to little more than “lesser fires,” while civilians continue to suffer. He renewed his call for compliance with orders issued by the International Court of Justice regarding Gaza and warned that the expansion of settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank threatens to eliminate the possibility of a two-State solution. He also condemned Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine as a clear violation of the UN Charter. Renewing his longstanding call for reform of the UN Security Council, Guterres described the continued lack of permanent African representation as “unjust and indefensible,” particularly given that the 15-member body was established in a vastly different geopolitical era. ‘Equality is not a dream; it is a decision’ Guterres highlighted the contrast between record levels of global wealth and the billions of people who still lack adequate access to food, clean water, education and healthcare. He said inequality is not simply an economic issue, but also concerns power over opportunities, resources and people’s ability to determine their own futures. He reiterated his longstanding criticism of an international financial system that leaves developing countries burdened by debt while they face climate disasters they contributed little to causing. He called for faster debt relief, stronger multilateral development banks and fairer access to Special Drawing Rights created by the International Monetary Fund. Guterres also focused on gender inequality, announcing that the UN has achieved full gender parity across senior leadership, headquarters staff and professional roles for the first time in its history. “Equality is not a dream; it is a decision,” he said, pointing to progress within the UN as evidence that entrenched power structures can be changed. Climate change and AI pose twin challenges On climate change, Guterres described the crisis as the “most profound intergenerational power imbalance” and warned that breaching the 1.5°C threshold is becoming nearly certain. He called on polluters to “pay” and urged developed countries to triple adaptation funding. He noted that major oil companies have made substantial profits since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, while global adaptation finance for developing countries remains only a fraction of that amount. Turning to AI, Guterres warned that power is increasingly concentrated in data, computing capacity and algorithms, with technological development moving faster than humanity’s ability to govern it. “The danger is not technology,” he said. “The danger is technology without accountability.” ‘Killer robots must have no place in our future’ Guterres said safeguards for AI must be established and stressed that children must never be used as test subjects for unregulated systems. “Life-and-death decisions must never be surrendered to machines,” he warned. “Killer robots must have no place in our future.” He called for a multilateral AI risk-management framework with independent oversight, reiterating that children should not become test subjects for unregulated systems and that machines must never be entrusted with life-and-death decisions. Stronger, not weaker Guterres reaffirmed that peace, development and human rights are inseparable pillars of the UN Charter, rejecting any notion that human dignity and rights can be separated from security and opportunity. He recalled that the United Nations was created more than 80 years ago, amid the devastation of World War II, as an expression of hope by people who refused to surrender the future to fear and by countries that recognized that their futures were interconnected. Vowing to carry that “spirit of resolve” through the remainder of his tenure, Guterres said he would continue to champion the values of the UN Charter even after leaving office as Secretary-General. “The world does not need a weaker United Nations,” he said. “It needs a UN strong enough to face the world as it is and determined enough to build the world as it should be.”  

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres pleaded for “a world built on interdependence” as he made his final address Tuesday to a yearly gathering of world leaders convening to face a formidable menu of challenges — from climate change and war to inequality and artificial intelligence. The U.N. leader has long implored leaders not to give up on cooperation and shared decision-making in the face of accelerating global challenges and increasing great-powers competition. Tuesday’s message at the U.N. General Assembly took on additional urgency because he leaves office at the end of this year. “The fault lines in our world are widening,” he said, citing raging wars, risingtemperatures and artificial intelligence, among other matters. Instead of letting the future continue to veer toward fragmentation, transactionalism and mistrust, he called for “a world built on interdependence – and sustained by a dense web of economic, political, social and technological connections.” His speech opened the main portion of the world's biggest diplomatic meeting of the year. Leaders from the U.N.'s 193 member countries address each other and the international community and air their hopes, plans and grievances. Guterres also rebuked might-makes-right thinking, telling superpowers to recognize “that their power isn’t so super.” Recent years have made it clear that “military power alone cannot secure peace,” he said. The annual high-level gathering at the U.N. General Assembly will be consumed with wars in Iran, Gaza, Ukraine,Sudan, Congo and Myanmar and a persisting question: Can the leaders do anything to end them? And what can they do about the relentless rise of global warming threatening the future of the planet, the growing inequalities within and among nations, and shocks to the global economy as blocked shipping routes and supply chains increase the cost of living and slow growth? It is power U.S. President Donald Trump will speak of later Tuesday morning. He will explain how he’s using American power to confront longstanding challenges and reshape the world to benefit America, according to a White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to preview Trump’s prepared remarks. Trump will also discuss efforts to prevent the U.N. and other globalist institutions from infringing on American sovereignty. The future of the United Nations will also be on the agenda. At 81, its powers are still the victorious nations from World War II, not the 21st century’s major global players. The U.N.’s 193 member nations have agreed to a wide-ranging reform package that includes updating key institutions such as the powerful U.N. Security Council, where the U.S., Russia, China, Britain and France hold inordinate sway because of their veto power. Reform, however, is easier said than implemented. Behind the scenes, there will be speculation about who will lead the United Nations next. Guterres’ second five-year term ends Dec. 31 and no clear successor has emerged. Guterres closed his speech by acknowledging the forthcoming departure and vowing to “never, ever give up” on the values for which the U.N. stands. “Wherever I will be, whatever I will be doing, I will keep championing the conviction that peace is possible,” he said, before leaving the rostrum amid a sustained, standing ovation. He put his hand on his heart. Trump, Netanyahu and Zelenskyy are among the headliners There is still no question that the U.N. remains the key gathering place for its 193 member nations and their leaders. Some 130 heads of state and government are expected to speak at the General Assembly starting Tuesday along with dozens of ministers. Among the headliners: Trump and French President Emanuel Macron. Both will speak Tuesday after Guterres’ opening “state of the world” address. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian speak Wednesday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — whom New York Mayor Zoran Mamdani wanted arrested for his treatment of Palestinians in Gaza until he learned he has no such authority — will address the assembly on Thursday. For a second year, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas won’t be coming to the U.N. because the U.S. has refused to give him a visa. He will nonetheless address the assembly by video the same day. The United States, under its agreement with the U.N. to host the organization, is required to allow diplomats from all member nations to attend meetings. Equally telling is who else isn’t coming. China’s President Xi Jinping is meeting Trump in Washington on Wednesday, yet he is skipping — some diplomats say snubbing — the U.N. gathering and sending a vice president instead. Russian President Vladimir Putin isn’t coming either, and Indian President Narendra Modi has backed out. France's U.N. ambassador, Jerome Bonnafont, said it is “extremely critical” for world leaders this week to support the U.N. as the place where the world’s nations meet — especially at a time of such polarization. “We believe in multilateralism," he said, "and we believe that the high-level week is the occasion for countries in the world to reaffirm that they prefer cooperation and dialogue to confrontation.” United Nations has not had a great year There is no doubt it’s been a tough year for the world body. It has been pushed to the sidelines when it comes to its key responsibility of ensuring international peace and security and trying to end major conflicts in the Mideast and Ukraine. The U.S. failure to pay billions of dollars in outstanding arrears has left the organization’s finances in rocky shape. Former U.N. deputy secretary-general Mark Malloch-Brown, a United Nations Foundation board member, said, “While the world still trusts the U.N., the global public is eager for change." The future of artificial intelligence has pushed to the forefront of global concerns, with its speeding advances and the dawning recognition that there are no industry controls, let alone any global guardrails for a technology that has many advantages but also many disadvantages and unknowns. Days before the global gathering, leaders of three major AI companies warned about the technology getting out of human control and called for a pause, but Trump dismissed their concerns as “a hoax,” and urged continued advances to keep the U.S. ahead of China. The U.N. Security Council added a high-level meeting on AI to its agenda on Wednesday afternoon, a sign of the growing apprehension and need to address the issue. It was already slated to hold a high-level meeting on Ukraine with Zelenskyy on Wednesday morning.

Ongoing wars and escalating tensions across the Middle East are dominating discussions at the UN General Assembly this week, with conflicts involving Iran, Israel, Gaza, Lebanon and Yemen showing little sign of easing. US President Donald Trump, who has yet to find an end to the more than six-month-old war with Iran, is scheduled to meet Gulf Arab leaders in New York but is not expected to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Iran wary of renewed talks Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, travelling to New York for the General Assembly, accused the United States of blocking diplomatic options and seeking to force Iran to surrender after failing to achieve that through military action. Pezeshkian said Tehran was reluctant to enter another round of negotiations after Iran was attacked twice by the US and Israel while talks were underway. Gulf states urge Iran to halt attacks The Gulf Cooperation Council on Tuesday called on Iran and allied groups to stop attacks on Arab Gulf states and ensure freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Jasem Mohamed AlBudaiwi, secretary-general of the council, said disruptions to the two strategic waterways had unsettled global oil markets and supply chains, creating worldwide economic repercussions. Iran has said its attacks on US bases in the region were carried out in response to US-Israeli strikes against Iran. AlBudaiwi made the remarks during a meeting with Swiss officials on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. Trump is expected to meet representatives of the Gulf Cooperation Council in New York. Netanyahu not expected to meet Trump Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is also travelling to New York for a brief visit but is not expected to meet Trump. Netanyahu, who is due to address the UN General Assembly on Thursday, is expected to face protests inside and outside the UN headquarters. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani has renewed calls for the US government to arrest Netanyahu during his visit. Such an arrest is considered unlikely as neither the US nor Israel is a member of the International Criminal Court, while the Trump administration has imposed sanctions on ICC officials. Netanyahu has accused Mamdani of inciting violence against Jewish New Yorkers. Six killed in Yemen airstrikes At least six people, including two children and a woman, were killed in airstrikes Tuesday in Yemen's port city of Mokha, according to the Houthi-run Health Ministry. The strikes came hours after Yemen's internationally recognised government accused the Houthis of attacking an open market in Lahj province. Fighting between the Houthis and Saudi-backed forces has intensified Yemen's long-running civil war and triggered attacks on Saudi Arabia. Foreign ministers from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US called on Iran to stop supporting the Houthis, warning that the group's actions risk further escalation, disruption of international trade and global economic instability. US, Iraq discuss militia disarmament Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed Baghdad's efforts to disarm armed groups in Iraq on the sidelines of the General Assembly. Al-Zaidi reaffirmed his government's commitment to ensuring that all weapons remain under state control. The US State Department said the two leaders agreed on the need for Iraq to dismantle terrorist militias, prevent attacks from Iraqi territory and fully exercise its sovereignty. Al-Zaidi had initially set Sept 30 as the deadline for non-state groups to surrender their weapons, but later extended it after several powerful Iran-backed militias said they had no intention of disarming.

US President Donald Trump is set to host Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington this week as tensions between the world’s two largest economies continue to grow over trade, technology and artificial intelligence. Although neither side is expected to reach a major breakthrough, Trump and Xi are likely to maintain a cordial tone during their third meeting since Trump returned to the White House, seeking to prevent further deterioration in already fragile bilateral relations. The two countries remain locked in competition over AI and trade while also seeking greater leverage on sensitive geopolitical issues, including Iran and Taiwan. “The fact that they are meeting, and there’s dialogue occurring and building that relationship, is probably as important as outcomes from the meeting,” said Sen. Steve Daines, a Montana Republican who advises Trump on China and recently visited the country ahead of the summit. Cui Tiankai, a former Chinese ambassador to the US, recently said at a Beijing forum that disagreements between the two countries are inevitable but stressed the importance of maintaining overall stability. Trade tensions have eased, but rivalry remainsXi’s visit to Washington, beginning Wednesday, will be his first in a decade. The meeting comes after Washington and Beijing stepped back from last year’s intense trade confrontation, when both sides imposed extremely high tariffs that threatened to disrupt the global economy. China also restricted exports of critical minerals that are essential to products ranging from electric vehicles to military aircraft. For Washington, the challenge extends beyond trade. The US is seeking to preserve its technological edge as part of efforts to maintain national security and its global position. China, meanwhile, has expanded its economic, technological and military capabilities and is working to strengthen its role in the international system. Evan Medeiros, a senior adviser at The Asia Group, said the stability sought by both governments is driven by their intense strategic competition. Da Wei, director of the Center for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University, said the two countries appeared to be moving toward a “new normal” of broader stability despite measures such as blacklisting companies and restricting high-tech trade. He said the two leaders now need to produce agreements that can be implemented quickly by their respective governments. AI emerges as a major area of rivalryArtificial intelligence has become one of the most important areas of competition between Washington and Beijing, with neither side showing much willingness to slow technological development despite concerns from technology executives about the potential dangers of advanced AI. “Whoever wins AI wins,” Trump has repeatedly said. On Monday, Trump said on social media that the US remained ahead of China in AI and argued against restricting the technology, comparing its potential impact to that of the Industrial Revolution and the internet. China is equally determined to remain competitive. Chen Yixin, head of China’s Ministry of State Security, recently warned that advanced AI capabilities in the hands of foreign or hostile forces could pose a direct threat to the ruling Communist Party. The US has imposed restrictions on exports of advanced AI chips to China and accused Chinese developers of extensively using American AI models to reproduce their capabilities. Beijing has defended the practice, known as distillation, saying it is common throughout the industry, including among US companies. Chinese officials have also accused Washington of seeking to dominate the AI sector. China is additionally concerned about US efforts to establish international AI partnerships that exclude Beijing. In response, it has been seeking support from developing countries for broader global rules governing AI. Despite the rivalry, Washington and Beijing are exploring limited cooperation. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Sunday, following talks with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in New York, that Washington had proposed a system for notifying each other about AI-related incidents that could pose national security risks. Bessent said greater transparency between the world’s two leading AI powers would be important. Targeted economic measures replace broad tariff escalationAlthough both governments have avoided broad new punitive measures that could undermine their trade truce, they continue to target specific companies and products. Mira Rapp-Hooper, a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution’s Center for Asia Policy Studies, said both countries appeared to be testing the limits of competition while trying to keep relations between their leaders on a more stable track. Washington has recently taken action against Chinese telecommunications and surveillance equipment, companies accused of using forced labor in Xinjiang, and Chinese robotics and drone manufacturers. The Pentagon has also excluded major Chinese companies, including Alibaba, BYD and Baidu, from US defense contracts. Beijing has responded with export restrictions on drones and related technologies and has blacklisted six US companies over their involvement in measures related to Xinjiang. Iran, Taiwan and tariffs remain contentiousTrade remains a potential source of renewed tension. After the US Supreme Court struck down Trump’s tariffs on trading partners this year, the administration has explored alternative mechanisms for imposing duties. In July, the White House introduced a 12.5% tariff on imports from 60 trading partners, including China, citing inadequate efforts to prevent imports linked to forced labor. Washington is also planning an additional 7.5% tariff on Chinese goods, accusing China of producing more goods than its domestic market can absorb. Analysts say current tariff levels appear manageable for both sides, but a significant increase could reignite the trade dispute. Iran is another point of disagreement. The Trump administration has sought to isolate Tehran economically, while Beijing has maintained that it has the right to continue trading with Iran. So far, Washington has taken limited action against China over its economic ties with Tehran, in part to avoid complicating the Trump-Xi summit. China is Iran’s largest oil customer and biggest trading partner and has been developing alternative payment mechanisms that reduce its dependence on the US-led financial system, according to Alicia Garcia Herrero, an Asia-Pacific economist at French investment bank Natixis. Taiwan remains another major source of friction. Beijing claims the self-governing island as part of China, while Washington is legally required to provide Taiwan with sufficient weapons and technology for its self-defense. Trump suspended a major arms package for Taiwan after his May visit to Beijing. Analysts say Xi is likely to press Trump to further delay weapons sales, potentially raising questions in Taiwan about the long-term strength of US support.

Authorities in southeastern Türkiye have destroyed 217,608 cannabis and skunk plants across 99 illegal cultivation areas in Diyarbakir province, the Interior Ministry announced Monday. In a post on social media platform X, the ministry said that the seized plants could have yielded approximately 5 tons of cannabis powder. The operation was conducted across the Lice and Kulp districts as part of a government action plan targeting illegal cannabis cultivation. A total of 64 operational teams comprising 570 personnel from local gendarmerie forces participated in the drive, utilizing remote sensing systems to detect the cultivation sites. The drive was executed in coordination with the Narcotics Crimes Department of the Gendarmerie General Command alongside the Lice and Kulp Chief Public Prosecutors' Offices. The Interior Ministry affirmed that ongoing efforts targeting street-level drug dealers, drug manufacturers and illegal drug cultivation activities will continue.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Sunday evening that he and U.S. President Donald Trump have agreed to hold a meeting in New York. "This meeting could change a lot. There is diplomatic momentum," Zelensky wrote on social media platform X following a telephone conversation between the two leaders. Zelensky said that he and Trump discussed the upcoming visit to Ukraine by U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, emphasizing that advancing the peace process remains Kyiv's top priority. He added that they exchanged views on de-escalation measures and core security issues, including energy, food security and the protection of human lives. Zelensky affirmed that Ukraine stands ready to continue working closely with the U.S. team and take "really serious steps".