world leaders

President Trump spoke before world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly, delivering an address carried live by major news outlets. The speech drew wide attention, with hundreds of thousands following the live broadcast as the president laid out his positions on the global stage.

World leaders, including Iran's, are delivering speeches on the second day of the 2026 UN General Assembly in New York, with live coverage drawing close to a million engagements. Addressed topics reportedly touch on the war in Ukraine, with leaders using the annual gathering to set out positions on the conflict and other global crises.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a full address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The speech was carried live by major news outlets, including the Associated Press, and drew a large international audience as viewers followed the Israeli leader's remarks on the world stage. Coverage is ongoing as reactions to the address come in from diplomats and the public.

Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron clashed publicly at the United Nations over Gaza, exposing a sharp divide between the US and France on how to address the conflict. The confrontation between the two leaders has drawn wide attention, highlighting growing international disagreements over the war and the path to a resolution.

Sam Altman, chief executive of OpenAI, is scheduled to brief the United Nations Security Council next week on artificial intelligence, according to Reuters. The session would place the head of one of the world's leading AI companies directly before the body charged with international peace and security, as governments weigh how to regulate advanced AI. Details of the briefing's agenda and who requested it were not immediately available.

World leaders are gathering in New York for the annual UN General Assembly, widely described as the biggest event in world diplomacy. The session, opening around September 22, 2026, brings heads of state together for speeches and sideline meetings. Commentators are focusing on what the week's addresses and diplomatic encounters will signal on conflicts and global cooperation.

Chinese President Xi Jinping missed the dinner for world leaders at the G20 summit in New Delhi because he was unwell, according to people familiar with the matter. The report has fueled fresh speculation about the 70-year-old leader's health, coming just days before he was scheduled to travel to the United States, and has drawn wide attention and debate about his condition and absence from a key diplomatic gathering.

Donald Trump delivered a full address to the UN General Assembly in New York, covering the war with Iran, his tariff policy, and a blunt warning that 'Cuba will fall.' The speech drew wide attention as it set out his administration's foreign policy stances directly to world leaders gathered at the United Nations.

The United Nations is hosting a live session where world leaders assess progress in the global fight against racism. Speakers are taking stock of commitments made against racial discrimination and what remains to be done. The high-level meeting is drawing international attention as governments outline their national efforts and calls grow for stronger action against racism worldwide.

World leaders continued addressing the United Nations General Assembly in New York on the sixth day of the annual high-level debate. The sessions, broadcast live, feature speeches from heads of state and government on topics ranging from conflict and security to climate and development, drawing international attention to the diplomatic calendar's most prominent gathering.

The 81st UN General Assembly general debate has concluded in New York, with speeches dominated by artificial intelligence, the situation in Palestine, and ongoing wars around the world. Delegates used the annual gathering to argue that these issues are increasingly interconnected, framing rapid technological change alongside prolonged conflicts as defining challenges for international cooperation.

The sixth and final day of the UN General Debate has concluded, with a closing appeal for member states to translate their speeches into concrete action. The takeaway highlights the gap between rhetoric and delivery as world leaders wrap up a week of addresses at the United Nations, with calls for follow-through on commitments made during the debate.

World leaders are meeting in New York for the UN General Assembly, with the annual gathering focused on ongoing conflicts, economic uncertainty and global security. Discussions around peace efforts for Ukraine are among the prominent topics drawing international attention at this year's session.

The United Nations General Assembly's annual 'High-level Week' is under way, drawing heads of state and government to UN headquarters in New York for a series of speeches and diplomatic meetings. The gathering is one of the busiest weeks in the international diplomatic calendar, with world leaders addressing the assembly and holding bilateral talks on the sidelines.

Nearly every world leader is gathering in New York for the annual UN General Assembly, where heads of state deliver addresses and hold diplomatic meetings on the sidelines. The BBC explains what draws so many leaders to the city at once and why the week matters for global diplomacy.

The UN General Assembly's general debate continued into its fifth day in New York, with world leaders and foreign ministers taking the rostrum to lay out their governments' positions on conflicts, climate and development. UN News is summarising the day's key speeches and moments for audiences following the annual high-level week.

The UN General Assembly's General Debate has concluded after six days of speeches from world leaders, with the final edition of The Takeaway summarising the messages that dominated the podium. Peace emerged as the word most repeated across addresses, and organisers closed the debate with a call for governments to turn their rhetoric into concrete action.

The United States and China have each released lists of products worth roughly $30 billion that will see tariff cuts, following a meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. The reciprocal move is being read as a step toward easing trade tensions between the world's two largest economies, though details on timelines and implementation remain limited.

World leaders, citing climate change as an existential threat, are demanding that the United Nations function effectively on the issue. The call reflects frustration among governments over stalled international climate action and the UN's struggles to deliver coordinated global responses to warming, extreme weather and rising sea levels affecting member states.

Donald Trump and other world leaders are delivering addresses at the United Nations General Assembly's 2026 session, with speeches broadcast live worldwide. The gathering is drawing broad attention as leaders use the annual forum to lay out their foreign policy positions and respond to ongoing international crises. Viewers are following the full speeches as they are streamed.

The United States and China have reached an agreement to reduce tariffs on $30 billion worth of goods, following a summit in Washington between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The deal marks a step toward easing trade tensions between the world's two largest economies, though details of which products will be affected have not yet been fully outlined.

BBC News has published an explainer on what it calls the biggest political meeting in the world, setting out how the gathering works and why it matters. The piece walks through the purpose of the annual assembly of world leaders, its format, and the key diplomatic moments audiences should watch for as countries take the stage.

Volodymyr Zelensky appeared at the United Nations, with commentary focusing on his address and what it signals for Ukraine's ongoing diplomatic effort to maintain international support. Analysts discussed his message to world leaders amid the continuing war with Russia and Kyiv's push to keep Ukraine high on the global agenda.

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister, speaking at the United Nations General Assembly, accused Iran of orchestrating attacks across the Middle East and formally condemned the actions of the Houthi rebels. He called for accountability and an end to regional destabilisation. The remarks underscore ongoing Saudi-Iran tensions and Riyadh's frustration with Houthi activity, drawing attention at the annual gathering of world leaders.

Russia's Foreign Minister has addressed the general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The annual debate brings world leaders and top diplomats to the UN headquarters each September. The Russian minister's speech is being closely watched for signals of Moscow's position on the war in Ukraine and its wider relations with the West.

United Nations leaders have renewed calls to combat racism and discrimination, marking 25 years since the 2001 World Conference against Racism held in Durban, South Africa. Officials reaffirmed commitments to equality and urged member states to strengthen action against racial discrimination. The anniversary has prompted reflection on progress made and the persistence of racism worldwide.

The Wall Street Journal reports that a G-20 summit hosted by Donald Trump could bring Vladimir Putin back to the world stage in what it calls a spectacle of the century. Discussion is focused on how a gathering involving Trump and Putin would reshape diplomacy, drawing intense attention from global leaders and media.

Emmanuel Macron used what the Guardian describes as his final address to the United Nations to challenge Donald Trump, and commentators suggest the speech may have emboldened other world leaders to push back against the US president. The address is being read as a parting gesture aimed at rallying international resistance to Trump's positions.

Jordan Bardella, president of France's far-right National Rally party, has rejected a media report claiming he made antisemitic remarks, calling the allegation false. The denial was picked up by international outlets including Reuters and U.S. News & World Report. The dispute comes as Bardella is a leading figure in French politics ahead of the next presidential election, with his party seeking to shed its antisemitic image.

At the United Nations, world leaders are framing the risks of artificial intelligence in starkly different ways. Some warn of autonomous 'killer robots' on the battlefield, while others point to the longer-term threat of 'super intelligence' beyond human control. The divide highlights the challenge of crafting international AI governance, with countries prioritising different dangers as they push for new rules on the fast-moving technology.

Envoys representing President Trump say they made 'real progress' after holding marathon meetings on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. The sessions covered diplomacy with world leaders gathered for the annual assembly, and the envoys characterized the outcome as substantive. Details of what was agreed have not been laid out, but the team's upbeat framing is drawing attention amid intense diplomatic activity.

Bill Gates said creating a global framework for artificial intelligence would be more difficult than negotiating the nuclear arms limitations of the Cold War era. He argued that AI's rapid spread among companies and governments, and the difficulty of verifying its development, make international agreement far harder than the nuclear treaties that shaped the 20th century. His remarks add to a growing debate over how the world should govern increasingly powerful AI systems.