World leaders are set to gather next week in New York for the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly with ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine top of their agenda, as well as increasing Western recognition of a Palestinian state and nuclear tensions with Iran.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres told reporters that “geopolitical divides are widening, conflicts are raging, impunity is on the rise, and our planet is overheating.” He added that international cooperation is under unprecedented pressure.
This year’s session will place particular focus on U.S. President Donald Trump, who is scheduled to speak on Tuesday, 23 September. During his second term, Trump’s cuts to U.S. foreign aid have sparked global humanitarian crises and raised questions about the future of the UN. While describing the organisation as having “great potential,” he has called for it to get its “act together” and has maintained a cautious stance towards multilateral cooperation.
Leaders will also turn their attention to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the wider Palestinian territories. Global hunger monitors have warned that famine has already begun and could spread further by the end of the month. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due to address the General Assembly on Friday, 26 September.
Ahead of the speeches, a summit hosted by France and Saudi Arabia will aim to build momentum towards a two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Australia, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Canada, and France have pledged to formally recognise a Palestinian state. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will participate via video after being denied a US visa.
In addition, the ongoing war in Ukraine, now in its fourth year, will feature on the Assembly’s agenda. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov are expected to speak, while Russian President Vladimir Putin traditionally does not attend.
Diplomats indicate that the UN Security Council is likely to hold meetings on both Ukraine and Gaza during the high-level session. Last-minute diplomacy is also expected over Iran’s nuclear programme, as Tehran seeks to prevent the reinstatement of all UN Security Council sanctions. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi are scheduled to attend in New York.
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The European Union’s high-stakes strategy to leverage hundreds of billions in frozen Russian capital to prop up Ukraine’s defence has hit a critical roadblock, with Belgium warning that the move could torpedo fragile diplomatic openings aimed at ending the conflict.
Rescuers in Sri Lanka are racing against rising floodwaters and treacherous terrain today after a powerful storm system slammed into the island nation, killing at least 46 people and displacing tens of thousands in a disaster that threatens to strain the country’s resources.
A simmering diplomatic feud between Washington and Pretoria has erupted into a full-scale crisis, with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa describing U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to ban South Africa from the 2026 G20 summit as "regrettable" and based on "misinformation."
Making his diplomatic debut in Türkiye, the first American Pope warned a "piecemeal" World War III endangers humanity. Leo XIV met President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on the 1,700th anniversary of the Nicene Creed on Thursday (27 November), urging an end to global conflicts.
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Hong Kong fire authorities said they expected to wrap up search and rescue operations on Friday after the city's worst fire in nearly 80 years tore through a massive apartment complex, killing at least 128 people, injuring 79 and leaving around 200 still missing.
A passenger aircraft from Polish carrier LOT veered off a taxiway at Lithuania's Vilnius airport after arriving from Warsaw on Wednesday, halting all traffic, the airport operator said.
Netflix crashed on Wednesday for about an hour in the U.S. as it launched season five of "Stranger Things", with the service becoming inaccessible to many subscribers within minutes of the episodes going live at 8 p.m. local time.
Thousands of Bulgarians took to the streets of Sofia on Wednesday to protest against the government’s draft budget for 2026, the first to be prepared in euros ahead of the country’s planned eurozone entry on 1 January 2026.
The European Union’s high-stakes strategy to leverage hundreds of billions in frozen Russian capital to prop up Ukraine’s defence has hit a critical roadblock, with Belgium warning that the move could torpedo fragile diplomatic openings aimed at ending the conflict.
A simmering diplomatic feud between Washington and Pretoria has erupted into a full-scale crisis, with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa describing U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to ban South Africa from the 2026 G20 summit as "regrettable" and based on "misinformation."
Making his diplomatic debut in Türkiye, the first American Pope warned a "piecemeal" World War III endangers humanity. Leo XIV met President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on the 1,700th anniversary of the Nicene Creed on Thursday (27 November), urging an end to global conflicts.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 28th of November, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Washington is set to "permanently pause" work on migration from all "Third World Countries." U.S. President Donald Trump announced the move on Thursday (27 November) after the death of a National Guard member in an attack by an Afghan national near the White House on Wednesday.
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