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UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan told the United Nations on Friday that a just and peaceful world order depends on applying international law universally, warning against impunity in conflicts like Kashmir and Palestine. At the UN Sixth Committee meeting on &ldquo;The Rule of Law at the National and International Level,&rdquo; Pakistan ambassador to the UN&nbsp;Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said the rule of law is the foundation of civilization and economic growth. He warned that growing geopolitical rivalry and unilateral actions risk breaking down the international legal order. Ahmad pointed to ongoing occupations in Jammu and Kashmir and said ending impunity and respecting international law are essential for peace. He condemned India&rsquo;s May 2025 offensive as a serious violation of Pakistan&rsquo;s sovereignty that killed 54 civilians. Pakistan&rsquo;s lawful and proportionate response followed Article 51 of the UN Charter. The ambassador said peace and development depend on the rule of law and Pakistan&rsquo;s commitment to peaceful dispute resolution, noting Security Council Resolution 2788, passed under Pakistan&rsquo;s leadership this year. He urged all states to follow binding Security Council resolutions. Marking 80 years of the UN, he called for democratizing international law to ensure it remains inclusive and fair. He said Pakistan bases its actions on sovereignty, self-determination, non-use of force, and non-interference. The Pakistani envoy closed his speech by saying his country&nbsp;will work to strengthen the rules-based international system to reduce conflict and promote global stability.

Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad. 

Foreign Affairs

Pakistan told the UN that peace requires universal international law, condemned India's May 2025 aggression against Pakistan, and urged respect for Security Council resolutions to ensure stability.

Pakistan tells UN selective justice undermines rule of law in Kashmir, Palestine

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s representative at the United Nations, while rejecting India&rsquo;s accusations as baseless, highlighted India&rsquo;s state terrorism, said a statement issued by Pakistan&rsquo;s Permanent Mission to the UN on Wednesday. Pakistan&rsquo;s Counsellor Muhammad Jawad Ajmal, in response to the remarks of the Indian delegate on &ldquo;Measures to eliminate International Terrorism&rdquo; on Tuesday, said &ldquo;We heard remarks in the context of Pahalgam made earlier. As a responsible member of the international community, Pakistan, as an elected non-permanent member of the Security Council joined fellow Council members in unequivocally condemning this attack.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1975729257402728662&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=15d2a163121d5c546e0e2877229a290777424d7f&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 771px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;"></iframe></div></div>Ajmal reminded that Pakistan also offered an independent and credible investigation. &ldquo;We are yet to see evidence of the perpetrators of this attack, details of which remain unknown,&rdquo; he added. &nbsp; &lsquo;A dangerous precedent&rsquo;&nbsp;The Pakistani representative further stated: &ldquo;Not only was Pakistan&rsquo;s offer rejected, but it was attacked, its sovereignty violated and 54 innocent Pakistani civilians martyred, 15 of them children, 13 women in a blatant act of aggression. This behavior sets a dangerous precedent.&rdquo; &ldquo;The global community cannot afford to ignore such errant and rogue behavior,&rdquo; Ajmal stressed. He said that the naked act of aggression and violation of Pakistan&rsquo;s sovereignty met a befitting, proportionate response under right of self-defense. Pakistan&rsquo;s response, Ajmal added resulted in &ldquo;resounding success in thwarting this threat, ending with a ceasefire brokered with the good offices of the United States at the request of New Delhi.&rdquo; &lsquo;Malicious accusations&rsquo;&nbsp;Speaking about Indian allegations, the Pakistani representative said: The malicious accusations of cross border terrorism are a deliberate attempt to repeat lies until they are accepted as the truth, which is far from ground realities. &ldquo;This country is not only a regional bully but net destabilizer in the entire region, holding South Asia hostage to its hegemonic designs and Hindutva ideology that inspires hate, divisions and xenophobia,&rdquo; he said. Talking about India&rsquo;s oppression of Kashmiris, Ajmal said that first, it is this country that illegally occupy territories, oppress indigenous populations and violate fundamental human rights as is the case in Indian Occupied Kashmir, the disputed status of which is recognized by the UN. &ldquo;To deny these realities is a violation of international law and a disrespect to a rules-based international order. I need not elaborate on scheme of extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, detentions, staged encounters and collective punishment under the cover of counter terrorism laws that this country pursues,&rdquo; he highlighted. Terror financing&nbsp;Speaking about India, Ajmal further said that it is this country that sponsors terrorist organizations in its neighborhood, particularly Pakistan by sponsoring and financing terrorist entities. &ldquo;It is this country that runs a global campaign of extra territorial assassinations and clandestine proxies on our soil and beyond, including the US and Canada.&rdquo; &lsquo;Pakistan committed to peace&rsquo;&nbsp;He said it has become a routine script: whenever an incident occurs, Pakistan is reflexively blamed&mdash;without any shred of evidence, logic or investigation. The Pakistani representative stated that Islamabad remains committed to peace. &ldquo;We have consistently offered dialogue. The lives of 1.5 billion people of South Asia deserve prosperity and stability. But let it be clear: these goals cannot be achieved through threats and intimidation. True progress requires sincerity, mutual respect, and genuine diplomacy - principles Pakistan has upheld, and which this member state must finally choose to embrace if it truly seeks peace,&rdquo; he concluded.

Pakistan rebuts Indian claims at United Nations; highlights India’s state terrorism and role in regional destabilization; says it is committed to peace. 

Pakistan highlights Indian 'state terrorism' at UN 

ISLAMABAD: Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad of Pakistan has called for an immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire across all Occupied Palestinian Territories, along with the lifting of the blockade to ensure unfettered humanitarian access. Ambassador Ahmad, Pakistan&#39;s permanent representative to the UN, stated this in a speech at the UN General Assembly &ndash; Veto Debate (Palestinian Question) on October 1, 2025, according to a post shared by the Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the UN on its official X handle. &lsquo;Truth is stark&rsquo;In his statement, Pakistan&rsquo;s ambassador, while highlighting the plight of Palestinians, said, &ldquo;The truth is stark. Gaza has been pulverized. Families huddle under broken concrete, searching for children who will never return. Hunger stalks every street; famine has already taken hold in Gaza City and threatens to engulf Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed responsive-video"><div class="video-wrapper aspect-video"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-7" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-7&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1973550763587596722&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2Fnew%2F&sessionId=12a429ca929eb615d422aa88b9d67c5c17cea9fa&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="width: 550px; height: 743px; min-height: 0px; position: static; visibility: visible;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div></div>&ldquo;More than 66,000 Palestinians &mdash; the vast majority women and children &mdash; have been killed. Homes, schools, and hospitals have been deliberately wiped out. This is not war. It is the erasure of a people&rsquo;s future. Israel, the occupying power, must be held fully accountable,&rdquo; he stated. Anguish and concern&nbsp;He said, &ldquo;We align ourselves with the statement delivered by the Permanent Representative of Denmark on behalf of the 10 elected members of the Security Council, including Pakistan, who jointly tabled the draft resolution that was vetoed. And that is the reason we are here. We greatly appreciate the role played by Denmark in coordinating the E-10.&rdquo; Expressing anguish and deep concern at the Security Council&rsquo;s failure to act, he stated that &ldquo;a resolution intended to halt the carnage and deliver humanitarian relief was blocked &mdash; leaving millions to their unfortunate fate.&rdquo; Ambassador Asim said for the elected 10 members of the Council, this was not routine diplomacy. It was an urgent effort to answer the cries of a people trapped in bombing, rubble, famine, and despair. The failure to move forward was bitterly disappointing. &ldquo;But paralysis in one chamber must not mean incapacity across the United Nations and the international community,&rdquo; he added. &lsquo;Cautiously but sincerely&rsquo;&nbsp;The ambassador stated that the recent consultations held by President Trump with Arab and OIC leaders, as well as the announcement of a US plan, are noteworthy developments that have been widely welcomed. &ldquo;We hope &mdash; cautiously but sincerely, that such initiatives can help deliver what is most urgently needed: an immediate ceasefire, an end to the war, unfettered humanitarian assistance, and, above all, a credible political horizon towards Palestinian statehood,&rdquo; he added. Pakistan, as part of these consultations, will work to ensure that efforts are judged not by promises, but by results: stopping the killing, ending the occupation, reuniting families, rebuilding Gaza, and guaranteeing protection and dignity to the Palestinian people, the Pakistani envoy stressed. Joint statement&nbsp;The ambassador, regarding the recently released joint statement, stated: &ldquo;Let me note in this regard, that in a Joint Statement, the Foreign Ministers of Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, T&uuml;rkiye, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt welcomed President Trump&rsquo;s efforts, including his announcement that he would not allow the annexation of the West Bank, and reaffirmed their joint commitment to work with the United States to end the war in Gaza through a comprehensive deal, one that ensures unrestricted delivery of sufficient humanitarian aid, prevents displacement of the Palestinians, secures the release of hostages, achieves full Israeli withdrawal, rebuilds Gaza, and creates a path for a just peace based on the two-state solution, under which Gaza is fully integrated with the West Bank in a Palestinian state in accordance with international law, as key to achieving regional stability and security.&rdquo; Five urgent calls&nbsp;Ambassador Ahmad added: In line with these commitments, today, from this podium, we make five urgent calls: i. An immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire across all Occupied Palestinian Territories; ii. The lifting of the blockade and unfettered humanitarian access; iii. The release of all hostages and Palestinian prisoners; iv. A complete end to forced displacement, settlements, and any designs for annexation; v. A credible, time-bound political process in line with international legitimacy, to establish an independent, sovereign, and contiguous State of Palestine, based on the pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital. &ldquo;Pakistan will remain steadfast in solidarity with the Palestinian people,&rdquo; the Pakistani ambassador stated.

Middle East

Ambassador Ahmad issues five urgent calls: a permanent ceasefire, lifting the blockade, release of hostages and prisoners, ending displacement and annexation, and a political process for a sovereign Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders.

Pakistan urges immediate ceasefire, end to Gaza blockade at UN 

TEHRAN: Iran condemned on Sunday the reinstatement of United Nations sanctions on its nuclear program, calling the move &ldquo;unjustifiable&rdquo; after the collapse of talks with Western powers and strikes by Israel and the United States on Iranian nuclear sites. The sanctions, which restrict activities linked to Tehran&rsquo;s nuclear and ballistic missile programs, were reimposed after Western nations triggered the &ldquo;snapback&rdquo; mechanism of the 2015 nuclear accord. The measures took effect at midnight in Geneva, ending months of diplomatic efforts to revive negotiations. Iran&rsquo;s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that &ldquo;the reactivation of annulled resolutions is legally baseless and unjustifiable&rdquo; and urged countries not to recognize what it described as an &ldquo;illegal situation.&rdquo; It vowed to defend Iran&rsquo;s national rights and respond firmly to any action that undermines its interests. The return of sanctions followed a series of setbacks in talks earlier this year, including Israeli and US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said dialogue channels remained open and urged Iran to accept &ldquo;direct talks held in good faith.&rdquo; He also called on all UN members to implement sanctions immediately. Foreign ministers of Britain, France and Germany, which supported the snapback mechanism, said in a joint statement they remained committed to finding &ldquo;a new diplomatic solution to ensure Iran never gets a nuclear weapon,&rdquo; while cautioning Tehran against escalation. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Washington&rsquo;s proposal to lift some restrictions in exchange for Iran handing over its entire stockpile of enriched uranium was unacceptable. Russia and China opposed the snapback, but their efforts to delay the measures until April failed in the Security Council. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told the UN General Assembly his country had &ldquo;no choice&rdquo; but to act, citing Iran&rsquo;s noncompliance with its commitments. He stressed that diplomacy should continue despite the renewed sanctions. Russia, however, declared it would not enforce the measures, with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accusing Western powers of &ldquo;blackmail and pressure.&rdquo; The sanctions, which had been lifted in 2015 under the landmark nuclear agreement, add to US restrictions already in place since former President Donald Trump withdrew from the deal in 2018. Iran recalled its envoys from Britain, France and Germany for consultations on Saturday. On the streets of Tehran, residents voiced concern about the economic fallout. The Iranian rial hit a record low of 1.12 million to the dollar on the black market, raising fears of further inflation. &ldquo;The situation was already very difficult, but it&rsquo;s going to get worse,&rdquo; said Dariush, a 50-year-old engineer. &ldquo;Prices are rising and our standard of living is much lower than two or three years ago.&rdquo; The European powers and the United States said they remain committed to preventing nuclear proliferation while leaving the door open to renewed negotiations. Iran maintains that its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes.

FILE - The Iranian flag flies in front of a U.N. building where closed-door nuclear talks take place at the International Center in Vienna, Austria, on June 18, 2014. 

Americas

Central Asia

Iran condemned on Sunday the reinstatement of United Nations sanctions on its nuclear program, calling the move “unjustifiable” after the collapse of talks with Western powers and strikes by Israel and the United States on Iranian nuclear sites.

Iran denounces 'unjustifiable' return of UN sanctions

<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ISLAMABAD: Pakistan urged the United Nations to regulate artificial intelligence, particularly its military use, warning it could destabilize global security. Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said its use must follow international law.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">According to a statement by the Associated Press of Pakistan, Asif described artificial intelligence as a consequential, dual-use technology that can accelerate socio-economic progress but also deepen inequalities.&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He urged states to prohibit applications &ldquo;without meaningful human control&rdquo; and warned that unregulated use enables disinformation campaigns, offensive cyber operations and new types of armaments.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Minister Asif said these developments raise &ldquo;serious questions for the future of warfare,&rdquo; as artificial intelligence &ldquo;lowers the threshold for use of force,&rdquo; making wars more feasible and compressing decision time for diplomacy.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">UN debate on AI risks<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The meeting was chaired by South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, as his country holds the Council&rsquo;s rotating presidency for September, APP reported.&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Opening the debate, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said artificial intelligence is &ldquo;no longer a distant horizon&rdquo; and, while it can aid de-mining, food security and violence prevention, &ldquo;without guardrails, it can also be weaponized.&rdquo;&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">President Myung urged a legally binding ban by 2026 on lethal autonomous weapons operating without human control and stressed that any decision on nuclear weapon use must rest with humans, not machines, APP reported.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Yejin Choi, a senior fellow at Stanford University&rsquo;s Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, said current progress is concentrated among a handful of companies and countries.&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Yejin Choi urged investment in smaller, adaptive systems to lower barriers to entry and pressed for stronger linguistic and cultural representation, noting leading models underperform for many non-English languages.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pakistan&rsquo;s domestic AI push<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pakistan&rsquo;s intervention comes amid domestic steps to expand access to artificial intelligence tools and skills.&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Google announced on Wednesday the rollout of its Google AI Plus plan in 40 additional countries, including Pakistan. In a statement, Google Pakistan Country Director Farhan Qureshi described the local digital landscape as &ldquo;vibrant and growing,&rdquo; Dawn reported.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In July, the federal cabinet approved the National Artificial Intelligence Policy 2025, which outlines training one million professionals by 2030, creating public and private funds to spur innovation, and launching thousands of civic projects and local products to build capacity and jobs.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Secretary-General Guterres closed the session warning that the window to shape artificial intelligence &ldquo;for peace, for justice, for humanity&rdquo; is narrowing and urged swift action by member states to set rules, build institutions and insist on human dignity, echoing past global governance efforts in nuclear arms control and aviation safety.

Security

Pakistan urged the United Nations to regulate artificial intelligence, particularly its military use, warning it could destabilize global security. Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said its use must follow international law.

Pakistan urges UN to regulate AI for military applications

ISLAMABAD: The top US diplomat Marco Rubio issued a blunt call to his Russian counterpart to halt the &quot;killing&quot; in Ukraine Wednesday, as Washington&#39;s stance on Moscow hardens, AFP reported. Rubio &quot;reiterated President (Donald) Trump&#39;s call for the killing to stop and the need for Moscow to take meaningful steps toward a durable resolution of the Russia-Ukraine war,&quot; State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said. Lavrov fired back and &quot;stressed the unacceptability of the schemes promoted by Kyiv and some European capitals aimed at prolonging the conflict,&quot; according to a readout of their conversation supplied by the Russian side. Unexpected turn&nbsp;Rubio&#39;s comments came after President Volodymyr Zelensky praised Trump following the US president&#39;s unexpected turn against Russia Tuesday, in which he suggested that Kyiv could not only win the war and re-take its territory -- but could even expand it. But the Ukrainian leader cast doubt Wednesday on NATO&#39;s ability to guarantee Kyiv&#39;s security. &quot;Because international institutions are too weak, this madness continues. Even being part of the long-standing military alliance doesn&#39;t automatically mean you are safe,&quot; Zelensky told the UN General Assembly. &lsquo;Good meeting&rsquo;Zelensky said he had a &quot;good meeting&quot; with Trump, who has ruled out NATO membership for Kyiv and berated the Ukrainian leader at a February encounter at the White House before warming to him. &quot;Of course we are doing everything to make sure Europe truly helps and of course, we count on the United States,&quot; Zelensky said. Trump&#39;s suggestion Tuesday that Kyiv could win, with support from the European Union and NATO, marked an extraordinary shift after months of saying Ukraine would not get back swaths of territory taken by Russia, AFP reported. Trump said Ukraine could regain all its land and suggested, without elaborating, that Kyiv could &quot;maybe even go further than that!&quot; In a social media post on White House X handle, President Trump said &ldquo;Putin and Russia are in BIG Economic trouble, and this is the time for Ukraine to act.&rdquo;&nbsp;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1970564074850123952&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fdashboard%2F&sessionId=0694ba007bfe0945f9eda993896e78df390988cc&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 686px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="1970564074850123952">&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>&ldquo;In any event, I wish both Countries well. We will continue to supply weapons to NATO for NATO to do what they want with them. Good luck to all!&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;&#39;Big fat missiles&#39;&nbsp;The US leader&#39;s comments marked his latest in a series of policy switches on Ukraine, including a sudden pivot to peace talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin early this year that stunned allies, AFP reported. Zelensky, in his speech at the UN, appealed: &ldquo;Be the force that acts. Act together. Unite at last to stop Russia&rsquo;s war. We know how to guarantee security. What we need now is a strong push &ndash; to force Russia toward peace.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1970614234179674386&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fdashboard%2F&sessionId=0694ba007bfe0945f9eda993896e78df390988cc&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 456px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="1970614234179674386"></iframe></div></div>Zelensky warned Wednesday that Europe could not afford to lose strategically located Moldova to Russian influence and let it follow Belarus and Georgia into Moscow&#39;s orbit, AFP reported. Moldova, a former Soviet republic, goes to the polls on Sunday with pro-EU President Maia Sandu facing a barrage of deepfake videos and other disinformation linked to Russia. Zelensky also sounded the alarm over the development of autonomous drones and unmanned aerial vehicles capable of shooting down other drones and targeting critical infrastructure. &lsquo;Friends and weapons&rsquo;&quot;We are now living through the most destructive arms race in human history, because this time it includes artificial intelligence,&quot; he said, adding that the only real security guarantees are &quot;friends and weapons.&quot; &quot;If the world can&#39;t respond even to all threats, and if there is no strong platform for international security, will there be any peace left on earth?&quot; The wartime leader, who has a packed itinerary of meetings with world leaders while in New York for the UN&#39;s signature diplomatic week, stressed that Ukraine had been forced to ramp up its military production. &quot;Ukraine doesn&#39;t have the big fat missiles dictators love to show off in parades, but we do have drones that can fly up to 2,000, 3,000 kilometers. &quot;We had no choice but to build them to protect our right to life.&quot;

Europe

US Secretary Marco Rubio urged Russia to stop the killing in Ukraine, echoing Trump’s surprising shift supporting Kyiv's victory. Zelensky, citing weak global institutions, urged unified action to resist Russia and defend democracy.

US Secretary Rubio calls for Russia to stop 'killing' in Ukraine

ROME: The United Nations called Wednesday for an investigation into alleged drone attacks against a Gaza-bound aid flotilla that prompted Italy and Spain to send naval ships to help. The Global Sumud Flotilla, carrying activists including Swedish environmentalist Greta Thunberg, blamed Israel for more than a dozen explosions heard around its vessels off Greece late on Tuesday. UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan said anyone responsible for the &quot;violations&quot; should be held accountable, and called for an &quot;independent, impartial and thorough investigation&quot;. The flotilla set sail from Barcelona this month with the aim of breaking the Israeli blockade of Gaza and delivering humanitarian aid to the territory, where the UN says civilians are starving under Israel&#39;s military offensive. Israel, which halted two previous attempts by activists to sail to Gaza in June and July, has said it will not allow the flotilla to reach the Palestinian territory. Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Oren Marmorstein told AFP it was an &quot;active combat zone&quot; under &quot;lawful naval blockade&quot;. &quot;If their intentions are sincere, they should transfer any such aid to the nearby Ashkelon Marina so it can be forwarded promptly to the Gaza Strip in a non-violent manner,&quot; he said. The ministry added in a later message on X that the flotilla could unload aid &quot;at any port in a nearby country outside Israel&quot; for transfer to Gaza. &#39;No weapons&#39; The flotilla&#39;s organizers accused Israel of endangering more than 500 unarmed civilians, and Thunberg labelled it a &quot;scare tactic&quot; that was &quot;not going to stop us&quot;. &quot;We are sailing peacefully in international waters. We are not carrying weapons. We are carrying food, baby formula, medical supplies, and water,&quot; she said in an interview on the flotilla&#39;s Instagram account. The activists said damage had been caused by &quot;unidentified objects&quot; dropped on deck and accused Israel of &quot;the deployment of explosive and incendiary devices, deliberate dispersal of chemical substances onto civilian vessels&quot;. Italy dispatched a frigate that was already in the eastern Mediterranean to provide protection for the flotilla, which is also carrying Italian activists and members of parliament. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the drone attacks but also said the flotilla was a &quot;dangerous, irresponsible&quot; initiative to deliver aid that could be transported by her government in just a few hours. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Madrid would on Thursday dispatch a navy ship as well &quot;to ensure that, if necessary, our citizens can be rescued&quot;. &quot;I want to make it clear to the government of Israel that Spain will, of course, protect its nationals, and we will do so both diplomatically and politically,&quot; he added. The Global Sumud Flotilla currently numbers 51 vessels, most of which are off the Greek island of Crete. Vessels waiting to join the flotilla said they had already been targeted in two suspected drone attacks in Tunisia. &#39;No attack acceptable&#39; The Greek coastguard told AFP that a patrol boat from the EU borders agency Frontex was directed to the area &quot;in response to a report of a threat&quot; to a Polish-flagged boat, but the crew said &quot;they did not require assistance&quot;, so it left. The European Commission said the freedom of navigation under international law &quot;must be upheld&quot;. &quot;No attacks, no drone strikes, no seizures or any use of force against the flotilla is acceptable,&quot; said commission spokesperson Eva Hrncirova. The Sumud Flotilla describes itself as an independent group not linked to any government or political party. Sumud is Arabic for &quot;resilience&quot;. Israel has launched a major air and ground offensive on Gaza City in a bid to root out Hamas, exacerbating humanitarian conditions in the territory. After nearly two years of war, Israeli military operations have killed at least 65,419 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, figures the UN considers reliable. Hamas&#39;s October 2023 attack that sparked the war resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures.

The UN demanded an investigation into alleged drone attacks on Gaza-bound aid flotilla carrying Greta Thunberg. Israel denied wrongdoing, while Italy and Spain dispatched naval ships to protect their nationals. EU stressed freedom of navigation must be upheld

UN demands probe after drone 'attack' on Gaza aid flotilla

<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">NEW YORK: Artificial intelligence is joining the list of big and complex global challenges that world leaders and diplomats will tackle at this week&#39;s annual high-level United Nations meetup. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Since the AI boom kicked off with ChatGPT&#39;s debut about three years ago, the technology&#39;s breathtaking capabilities have amazed the world.&nbsp; <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tech companies have raced to develop better AI systems even as experts warn of its risks, including existential threats like engineered pandemics, large-scale misinformation or rogue AIs running out of control, and call for safeguards. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">UN&#39;s adoption of a new governance architecture is the latest and biggest effort to rein in AI. Previous multilateral efforts, including three AI summits organized by Britain, South Korea and France, have resulted only in non-binding pledges. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Last month, the General Assembly adopted a resolution to set up two key bodies on AI &mdash; a global forum and an independent scientific panel of experts &mdash; in a milestone move to shepherd global governance efforts for the technology. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">On Wednesday, a UN Security Council meeting will convene an open debate on the issue. Among the questions to be addressed: How can the Council help ensure the responsible application of AI to comply with international law and support peace processes and conflict prevention? <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">On Thursday, as part of the body&rsquo;s annual meeting, UN Secretary-General Ant&oacute;nio Guterres will hold a meeting to launch the forum, called the Global Dialogue on AI Governance. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It&#39;s a venue for governments and &ldquo;stakeholders&rdquo; to discuss international cooperation and share ideas and solutions. It&#39;s scheduled to meet formally in Geneva next year and in New York in 2027. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Meanwhile, recruitment is expected to get underway to find 40 experts for the scientific panel, including two co-chairs, one from a developed country and one from a developing nation. The panel has drawn comparisons with the UN&rsquo;s climate change panel and its flagship annual COP meeting. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The new bodies represent &ldquo;a symbolic triumph.&rdquo; They are &ldquo;by far the world&rsquo;s most globally inclusive approach to governing AI,&rdquo; Isabella Wilkinson, a research fellow at the London-based think tank Chatham House, wrote in a blog post. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">&ldquo;In practice, the new mechanisms look like they will be mostly powerless,&rdquo; she added. Among the possible issues is whether the UN&#39;s lumbering administration is able to regulate a fast-moving technology like AI. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ahead of the meeting, a group of influential experts called for governments to agree on so-called red lines for AI to take effect by the end of next year, saying that the technology needs &ldquo;minimum guardrails&rdquo; designed to prevent the &ldquo;most urgent and unacceptable risks.&rdquo; <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The group, including senior employees at ChatGPT maker OpenAI, Google&#39;s AI research lab DeepMind and chatbot maker Anthropic, wants governments to sign an internationally binding agreement on AI. They point out that the world has previously agreed on treaties banning nuclear testing and biological weapons and protecting the high seas. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">&ldquo;The idea is very simple,&rdquo; said one of the backers, Stuart Russell, a computer science professor and director of University of California, Berkeley&#39;s Center for Human Compatible AI. &ldquo;As we do with medicines and nuclear power stations, we can require developers to prove safety as a condition of market access.&rdquo; <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Russell suggested that UN governance could resemble the workings of another UN-affiliated body, the International Civil Aviation Organization, which coordinates with safety regulators across different countries and makes sure they&#39;re all working off the same page. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rather than laying out a set of rules that are set in stone, diplomats could draw up a &ldquo;framework convention&rdquo; that&#39;s flexible enough to be updated to reflect AI&#39;s latest advances, he said.

The UN flag flies on a stormy day at the United Nations during the United Nations General Assembly

Artificial intelligence is joining the list of big and complex global challenges that world leaders and diplomats will tackle at this week's annual high-level United Nations meetup.

AI governance joins list of global challenges at annual UN gathering

Gaitty Ara Anis

WASHINGTON/ISLAMABAD: US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that NATO countries should shoot down Russian military aircraft if they violate NATO airspace, escalating his administration&rsquo;s rhetoric toward Moscow amid renewed regional tensions.&nbsp;&quot;Yes, I do,&quot; Trump said when asked by reporters if he supports such military action. He added that whether the US would back it militarily &ldquo;depends on the circumstance,&rdquo; as he prepared for a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.&nbsp;The comments come as NATO faces mounting pressure to respond to recent airspace violations. Poland and Estonia reported separate incidents involving Russian drones and fighter jets earlier this month, prompting NATO to warn Russia it would use &ldquo;all means&rdquo; to defend allied territory.&nbsp;Airspace breachesThe Kremlin has denied deliberate incursions, but NATO officials say the pattern of violations is increasingly aggressive. The alliance has bolstered its air defenses in Eastern Europe and reiterated its Article 5 commitment, which treats an attack on one member as an attack on all.&nbsp;Trump&rsquo;s approval of potential shootdowns could mark a significant policy shift, signaling a more confrontational stance by the US in defending NATO airspace.&nbsp;Trump slams UN&nbsp;Earlier, during an opening session of the 80th UN General Assembly, Trump criticized the global body for being ineffective in resolving global conflicts.&nbsp;&ldquo;I ended seven wars&hellip; and never even received a phone call from the United Nations offering to help,&rdquo; Trump said. &ldquo;All I got from the United Nations was an escalator that, on the way up, stopped right in the middle&hellip; and a teleprompter that didn&rsquo;t work.&rdquo;&nbsp;He claimed his administration helped end conflicts between Kosovo and Serbia, Pakistan and India, Armenia and Azerbaijan, and others through direct US diplomacy, without any UN involvement. Trump listed Cambodia and Thailand, Congo and Rwanda, Israel and Iran, and Egypt and Ethiopia among conflicts he claimed to have defused.&nbsp;&ldquo;Empty words don&rsquo;t solve war,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The only thing that solves wars is action.&rdquo;&nbsp;Trump also pointed to the Abraham Accords, normalization deals between Israel and several Arab states brokered during his presidency, as examples of US leadership in global peace efforts, claiming the UN gave him &quot;no credit&quot; for the historic achievement.&nbsp;Trump on UkraineIn a notable policy shift, Trump said he now believes Ukraine can retake all of the territory lost to Russia since the 2022 invasion, if it receives sustained support from Europe and NATO.&nbsp;&quot;With time, patience, and the financial support of Europe and, in particular, NATO, the original borders from where this war started is very much an option,&quot; Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.&nbsp;He added that Russia has been fighting &quot;aimlessly&quot; in a war that a &quot;real military power&quot; would have won in less than a week, describing the Russian military effort as ineffective and faltering.&nbsp;&quot;Paper tiger&quot;Trump went further, describing Russia as a &ldquo;paper tiger&rdquo; and warning that internal unrest could grow as citizens in Moscow and elsewhere come to grips with the war&rsquo;s cost.&nbsp;&quot;When the people living in Moscow... find out what is really going on with this war... Ukraine would be able to take back their country in its original form, and who knows, maybe even go further than that!&quot; he wrote.&nbsp;Support for NATOWhile stopping short of promising direct US military involvement in Ukraine, Trump reaffirmed America&#39;s commitment to arming NATO allies.&nbsp;&ldquo;We will continue to supply weapons to NATO for NATO to do what they want with them. Good luck to all,&rdquo; he concluded in his post.&nbsp;Trump&rsquo;s remarks are expected to spark renewed debate among US lawmakers and NATO allies about the West&rsquo;s strategy toward Russia, and how far the US is willing to go in defending Eastern Europe from further aggression. Additional inputs from AP

Criticizes the UN for failing to resolve global conflicts, claiming his administration ended seven wars in seven months without any help from the world body.

Trump backs shooting down Russian jets if NATO airspace violated

NEW YORK: The annual high-level gathering at the UN General Assembly this week will see more than 140 world leaders descend upon New York City in an effort to secure global peace and security despite growing divides on how to do that. Nearly 90 heads of state, 43 heads of government and one crown prince are among the dignitaries to appear on the UN stage beginning on Tuesday to make their case for how to bring an end to regional conflicts in Europe and the Middle East, while addressing the growing climate crisis and the dangers posed by the rapid development and use of artificial intelligence. Looming over the weeklong summit is the internal financial turmoil plaguing the United Nations as it celebrates the 80th anniversary of its founding, which emerged from the rubble of World War II. Questions about the UN&rsquo;s relevancy and efficiency have sharpened from supporters and critics alike. Recent US cuts to foreign assistance and the reevaluation of humanitarian contributions by other countries have forced a reckoning for the world body. Here are five things to look out for this week: Outcome of the two-state solution conferenceThe week began with a high-profile meeting chaired by France and Saudi Arabia focused on garnering support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The hours-long conference ended late Monday with several countries, including France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta, and Monaco, announcing or confirming their recognition of a Palestinian state, a day after the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Portugal did. Germany, Italy and Japan took part in the conference but did not recognize such a state. The US and Israel boycotted the event, saying the international push for a Palestinian state rewards Hamas and makes it harder to reach a deal to halt the war and return the remaining hostages. It came as several US allies, including Canada and the United Kingdom, announced recognition of an independent Palestinian state over the weekend. The meeting and expanded recognition of Palestinian statehood will likely have little if any actual impact on the ground, where Israel is waging another major offensive in the Gaza Strip and expanding settlements in the occupied West Bank. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has long opposed Palestinian statehood, has threatened to take even further unilateral action in response. But proponents of the effort, including top UN officials, remain unpersuaded that recognition of Palestine is crucial at this stage of the conflict. As the US isolates, other world powers reaffirm climate pledgesMore than 110 world leaders will speak at a special UN climate summit on Wednesday, designed to get nations to strengthen their required but already late plans to wean themselves from coal, oil and natural gas that cause climate change. Dozens of business leaders are in New York networking in various conferences aimed at greener and cleaner energy. &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t believe the doomsters and the gloomsters and the naysayers who say that somehow the world is moving away from climate action, clean energy,&rdquo; United Kingdom climate chief Ed Millibrand said. The nations of the world were all supposed to come up with new five-year plans for curbing carbon emissions by February, leading into the Brazil negotiations. But only 47 of the 195 nations &mdash; responsible for less than a quarter of global emissions &mdash; have done so. United Nations officials said they really need to be submitted by the end of this month so experts can calculate how the world is doing in its emission reduction efforts. The world&rsquo;s biggest emitter, China, and another top polluter, the European Union, are expected to announce their plans or rough sketches of their plans this week. The United Nations session this week is designed to cajole countries to do more. Trump returns to UN after retreating US from world stagePresident Donald Trump will be the second leader to speak when the General Assembly kicks off its debate Tuesday morning. Trump will be returning to the UN for the first time since beginning his second term in January. His speech will be among the most anticipated as America&rsquo;s allies and adversaries wait to see what the president will say about ongoing efforts to end the wars in Gaza and Ukraine. UN officials will be holding their breath to see if more funding cuts from the US &mdash; their largest donor &mdash; are on the horizon after Trump and his allies spent the first few months in office slashing international aid spending. He issued a first-day executive order withdrawing the US from the UN&rsquo;s World Health Organization. That was followed by ending US participation in the UN Human Rights Council, and ordering up a review of United States membership in hundreds of intergovernmental organizations aimed at determining whether they align with the priorities of his &ldquo;America First&rdquo; agenda. &ldquo;There are great hopes for it, but it&rsquo;s not being well run, to be honest,&rdquo; Trump told reporters last week as he prepared for his address to the General Assembly. Eyes on Syria and Iran&rsquo;s presidents at high-stakes momentFollowing Trump&rsquo;s remarks, the two other headline speakers come from the Middle East, where various conflicts have thrown the region into further tumult over the last several years. On Wednesday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will appear on the UN stage at a moment of great magnitude for his country, as a 30-day window to stop the reimposition of sanctions on Tehran is closing at the end of this week. The clock started when France, Germany and the United Kingdom on Aug. 28 declared Iran wasn&rsquo;t complying with its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. It also comes after a series of last-ditch diplomatic talks to avoid imposing UN sanctions appeared to break down in recent days, with European leaders accusing Iran of not being serious about the conditions outlined. Pezeshkian and his foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, have the next few days to meet with their European counterparts in New York to come to a resolution that would avoid the series of financial penalties that would push the already crippling Iranian economy into further disarray. A few hours later, Iran&rsquo;s once strategic ally, Syria, will debut its new leader, the first head of state to represent the war-torn country at the UN in nearly six decades. Ahmad al-Sharaa will officially represent the new Syria on the world stage for the first time since the ousting of then-President Bashar Assad in December by a lightning insurgent offensive led by al-Sharaa. Al-Sharaa has spent nine months seeking to restore ties with Arab countries and the West, where officials were initially wary of his past ties with the al-Qaida militant group. His speech on Wednesday will also be watched closely by the US, which previously designated Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the rebel group al-Sharaa formerly led, as a terrorist group. All the meetings you won&rsquo;t seeSome of the most tantalizing and impactful diplomacy conducted during the UN General Assembly will likely happen behind the scenes during embassy receptions and at private dinners and drinks at some of Manhattan&rsquo;s most exclusive restaurants and clubs. The high-level week, noted by some UN watchers as the World Cup of diplomacy, is jam-packed with official and unofficial gatherings between heads of state and government, where complex trade deals, sensitive peace negotiations, and even normalization efforts between allies and adversaries alike could see breakthroughs. Officials state that more than 1,600 bilateral meetings are scheduled to take place inside the sprawling UN campus that oversees the East River.

Sphere Within Sphere outside the United Nations Headquarters on the first day of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly's High-Level week,

Over 140 world leaders convene in New York for the UN’s 80th General Assembly, tackling conflicts, climate pledges, AI risks, and financial strains. Key moments include Trump’s return, Palestine recognition, Iran’s sanctions deadline, Syria’s debut, and high-stakes backroom diplomacy.

Articles tagged with "United Nations"