State leaders

President Trump spoke before world leaders at the United Nations summit, addressing the General Assembly in remarks carried live by major news outlets. The address drew wide international attention, with viewers following the speech closely as Trump laid out his positions on global issues directly to representatives of member states gathered in New York.

Bill Gates warned that negotiating a global framework for artificial intelligence will prove more difficult than the Cold War-era nuclear arms negotiations between the United States and the Soviet Union. He argued that AI involves far more actors, commercial interests and rapid technological change, making international agreement harder to reach than it was for nuclear weapons controls.

Bill Gates said that getting countries to cooperate on artificial intelligence is more difficult than the nuclear arms negotiations of the Cold War era. He argued that AI competition, particularly between the United States and China, makes international coordination on safety and regulation harder to achieve. His remarks add to a growing debate among tech leaders and governments over how to manage AI risks globally.

Sudan's government says it will not yield to 'pressure or blackmail' after the United States refused to grant a visa to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, blocking him from attending the UN General Assembly in New York. The move escalates tensions between Washington and Khartoum amid the country's ongoing civil conflict between the army and the Rapid Support Forces.

Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has called for renewed negotiations among nuclear-armed states as the country marks 35 years since the closure of the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site. He warned that global arms-control safeguards are weakening, urging world powers to return to the negotiating table and reaffirm commitments against nuclear testing and proliferation.

The United Nations General Assembly is holding its annual 'High-level Week' in New York, bringing together heads of state and government for speeches and diplomacy at the start of the assembly session. Leaders typically use the gathering to address global conflicts, climate change and development priorities, and it remains one of the largest annual diplomatic events in the world, drawing heavy media and security attention.

A week of global diplomacy at the UN General Assembly in 2026 is drawing attention, with commentary suggesting the annual gathering offered revealing moments about the state of world affairs. Discussions of geopolitics and international cooperation are circulating as delegates and world leaders use the assembly to stake out positions on pressing global issues.

The UN General Assembly's annual general debate has reached its fifth day in New York, with world leaders continuing to deliver speeches on global priorities. The session brings together heads of state and government to address conflicts, climate change and development. Coverage of the marathon speaking schedule continues to draw international attention.

Attention is turning to the contest for the next United Nations Secretary-General as world leaders gather in New York for the General Assembly's high-level week. With the current term's end in view, diplomatic maneuvering over potential candidates is intensifying among member states, and observers are watching how the race unfolds on the sidelines of the annual meeting.

Iranian leaders are delivering strong anti-American statements while in New York, reportedly during the UN General Assembly gathering. The defiant rhetoric comes as relations between Tehran and Washington remain strained, drawing attention to the state of Iran-US diplomacy and whether talks between the two countries are possible.

Across the United States, people are showing up at immigration court hearings to accompany immigrants and deter ICE from detaining them. Among them is Sister Rose Patrice, a Catholic nun whose presence supporters say matters, as faith leaders have been shown to influence outcomes in these cases.

A new University of Connecticut report lays out a roadmap for reversing Connecticut's economic stagnation through applied artificial intelligence. It argues the state can boost growth by adopting AI across key industries and strengthening the pipeline between research, workforce training and businesses. The findings come as state leaders search for strategies to counter slow job and wage growth.

California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a bill requiring that out-of-state military forces obtain authorization before operating within California. The measure is widely read as a response to federal deployments of National Guard troops and other forces to states over the objections of local leaders. Supporters say it protects state sovereignty and limits unilateral use of armed forces; critics argue it could obstruct federal authority. The law is expected to prompt legal and political debate between Sacramento and Washington.