State leaders

Iran's president addressed the United Nations while the country is at war, an unusual move for an Iranian leader during active conflict. The speech is drawing wide attention as diplomats and observers look for signals about Tehran's position on the fighting, potential negotiations, and its standoff with the United States and Israel.

The UN General Assembly, the biggest event in world diplomacy, begins this week, with world leaders gathering in New York for annual speeches and meetings. Coverage focuses on what to expect from the high-level session, including key addresses and diplomatic encounters. The event draws global attention as heads of state address pressing international issues on one stage.

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.

European Union officials are confronting a shortfall in funding for Ukraine as defence negotiations proceed in Brussels. The funding gap is set to complicate agreements on the bloc's long-term support for Kyiv and its broader defence planning. Member states remain divided over how to cover the shortfall, making it a central sticking point in the current round of EU defence discussions.

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.

The contest to select the next United Nations Secretary-General is intensifying as world leaders gather in New York for the General Assembly's high-level week. Diplomatic lobbying and positioning around the top UN job are drawing attention alongside the annual speeches, with candidates and member states vying for support in what is shaping up to be a closely watched race.

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.

The leaders of the United States, Denmark and Greenland have signed a new security agreement covering Greenland, according to a breaking announcement. The deal would touch on the Arctic island's defence arrangements, an issue of renewed attention given Washington's strategic interest in Greenland and Denmark's sovereignty over the autonomous territory.

Cardinal Robert McElroy of Washington led a Mass for Migrants and said the public cannot 'pass by' the plight of immigrants, calling attention to their hardships. The remarks come amid ongoing national debate over immigration policy in the United States, with religious leaders increasingly voicing concern about the treatment of migrant communities.

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.

California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a package of new laws expanding reproductive freedom and care in the state, which California positions as a national leader on the issue. The measures reinforce and broaden access to reproductive health services in the state. Details on the individual bills signed have not been widely circulated beyond the official announcement.

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.

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.

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.

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.

State leaders are drawing attention to mental health resources available to active servicemembers returning home. The effort aims to connect veterans and returning personnel with counseling and support services as they transition back to civilian life. Officials are using public statements to encourage those in need to seek help, amid continued concern over mental health challenges facing military communities.

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.