The Week

Ukraine's defence ministry announced a week of long-range strikes on Russia's fuel and energy sector, saying six strategic oil refineries were hit, some up to 1,600 kilometres behind the front line. Kyiv described the targeted facilities as key suppliers of fuel to Russia's defence industry and framed the campaign as an answer to continued Russian attacks on Ukraine.

The United States and China have reached a trade deal to lower tariffs on roughly $30 billion worth of "non-sensitive goods", following a meeting between President Trump and President Xi this week. The agreement is expected to reduce prices on a range of consumer products, including small appliances, toys and holiday items, and is drawing wide attention as a step toward easing trade tensions between the two economies.

President Donald Trump rejected an Iranian proposal and then told Axios he expects new talks with Tehran to take place this week. The back-to-back moves signal that negotiations between Washington and Iran are continuing despite the setback, with officials watching whether diplomacy can ease tensions in the region.

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.

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, the largest annual gathering in world diplomacy, is underway in New York as of September 22, 2026. Coverage is focusing on what to expect from this year's session, including the annual leaders' addresses and the diplomatic meetings held on the sidelines as heads of state and government converge for the week.

This week in U.S. politics, President Trump is confronting growing defections from within his own Republican Party, while preparing for a summit with China. A separate feud with the press is also drawing attention. Analysts are watching whether intra-party dissent will weaken Trump's position heading into high-stakes diplomacy with Beijing.

A intense week of international diplomacy has raised the question of whether negotiations made real progress toward ending the war between the United States and Iran. Commentators and analysts are weighing what the round of high-level talks actually achieved, with observers divided on whether the diplomacy brought the two sides closer to a ceasefire or a lasting settlement.

Fuel prices are climbing worldwide as threats issued by Donald Trump and ongoing armed conflicts weigh on energy markets. Traders and analysts are tracking how sanctions rhetoric, military escalation and supply disruption risks could push crude oil and refined fuel costs further up, leaving governments and consumers bracing for more expensive energy in the weeks ahead.

President Volodymyr Zelensky says Ukrainian forces neutralized more than 10,600 Russian military personnel at the front over the past week. He made the claim in one of his regular addresses on the course of the war. If accurate, the figure would point to continued heavy fighting and high Russian casualty rates along the front line, though independent verification of wartime casualty claims from either side is difficult.

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.

The UN General Assembly's 2026 session in New York has drawn attention for what a full week of speeches and side meetings revealed about the state of global diplomacy. Commentators say the annual gathering offered a read on current geopolitical tensions and the direction of international cooperation among member states.

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.

Donald Trump said negotiations between the United States and Iran will resume next week, adding that Tehran had 'overplayed their hand'. The remark suggests he believes Iran is negotiating from a weakened position as the two sides return to the table.

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.

Meta has blocked President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's Facebook page and his campaign's paid advertising, with the suspension landing roughly two weeks before Brazil's election. The move is drawing wide attention, with people debating whether it reflects an enforcement error, a policy violation, or a politically sensitive decision by the platform at a critical moment in the campaign.

New intelligence assessments have raised alarm in European capitals about the possibility of a Russian attack. The reports, circulated this week, suggest the threat picture facing NATO's European members may be more serious than previously understood. Officials and security analysts across the continent are now debating what the findings mean for defense planning, military readiness, and the ongoing support effort for Ukraine.

Iran has put forward a seven-day plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the key shipping route for global oil supplies, alongside a proposal to resume nuclear talks within the same week. The offer, reported by Al Jazeera, is drawing attention from governments and observers watching tensions in the Gulf. Details of conditions or responses from other parties remain unclear.

A new project is compiling and examining President Trump's changing statements about the Iran war, which he has repeatedly described as lasting 'about two weeks.' By cataloguing these shifting timelines, the initiative highlights inconsistencies between the administration's public predictions and the ongoing conflict. Coverage from multiple US news outlets is drawing attention to how the timeline rhetoric has evolved.

President Donald Trump said negotiations with Iran are expected to pick back up this week, after the United States rejected a proposal put forward by Tehran. He gave no details of the rejected offer or the terms for renewed discussions. The comments come as Washington and Tehran remain at odds over Iran's nuclear programme, and officials on both sides have signalled that diplomacy has not collapsed despite the setback.

Iran has again called on the United States to pursue diplomacy, after Donald Trump rejected a peace plan aimed at easing tensions between the two countries. Tehran says negotiation remains the only viable path, while Washington's refusal to accept the proposal has raised questions about the future of talks. The exchange keeps attention on how the standoff between the two governments will develop in the coming weeks.

US President Donald Trump has rejected an Iranian proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within a week, according to i24NEWS. The waterway is a critical artery for global oil shipments, and Tehran's offer came amid heightened tensions over shipping access. The rejection leaves uncertainty over the strait's status and is drawing attention from markets and governments watching energy supply risks.

Donald Trump says he expects further talks between the United States and Iran this week as diplomacy between the two countries continues. The announcement keeps attention on the direction of US-Iran relations, with markets also tracking the talks given their potential impact on oil prices. Further negotiation rounds would signal that both sides are keeping open a diplomatic channel despite longstanding tensions.