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United Nations General Assembly

The latest news and top stories on United Nations General Assembly. A prominent New York City-based international governmental body, the United Nations General Assembly is the main deliberative policymaking and representative organ of the UN. Its primary mission is to discuss debate and make recommendations on international peace and security, development, human rights and international law. Comprising all 193 member states, it serves as a unique forum for multilateral discussion. Notable contributions include promulgating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and adopting the Sustainable Development Goals.

Britain’s Prime Minister Andy Burnham (left) shakes hands with US President Donald Trump in New York on Tuesday. Photo: AP

United States

Trump criticises UK’s Chagos deal, says new British PM Burnham will reconsider

The US president says ties with Britain are better, as he met the prime minister for the first time.

23 Sep 2026 - 2:36AM

Greenland

Trump, Denmark and Greenland sign deal to resolve Arctic stand-off

5 hours ago

2026 Xi-Trump summits

US tightens Japan, South Korea ties ahead of Trump-Xi summit

22 Sep 2026 - 5:07PM

Britain

UK confirms Manchester to host G20 summit in 2027

City served by Prime Minister Andy Burnham as mayor for nearly a decade will host global leaders.

22 Sep 2026 - 11:12AM

Andy Burnham, now UK prime minister, in Manchester in June. The city was confirmed on Monday as the venue for the 2027 G20 summit. Photo: Reuters

Britain

Burnham to meet Trump, make UN debut after offering UK support for Saudis

British prime minister targets Middle East stability and AI governance on New York trip.

22 Sep 2026 - 12:24PM

United States

Thousands of US flights snarled before FAA resolves communications problem

Eight-hour outage cleared after construction crew cuts backup line on arrival day for world leaders in New York.

22 Sep 2026 - 12:28PM

2026 Xi-Trump summits

CNN, MS NOW and Politico sue Trump over White House press ban

Lawsuit alleges First Amendment violations as major TV networks suspend presidential pool coverage in protest.

22 Sep 2026 - 12:26PM

The empty James S. Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House. Photo: AFP

Donald Trump

Trump and Mamdani set to meet in New York

Meeting marks first sit-down on the mayor’s turf following series of cordial exchanges between political opposites.

21 Sep 2026 - 12:10PM

Ukraine war

Ukraine’s Zelensky to meet Trump in New York

Planned meeting comes as Washington pushes for fresh, face-to-face peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv.

21 Sep 2026 - 2:30PM

Greenland

UK’s Burnham congratulates Trump and Danish PM on Greenland deal

British prime minister praises deal to bolster Arctic defence after Trump threatened to take island by force.

21 Sep 2026 - 11:57AM

A Danish Air Force EH101 Merlin helicopter comes in to land during Nato military exercise Arctic Shield 2026 in Narsarsuaq, Greenland. Photo: Ritzau Scanpix via AFP

Denmark

Denmark cautiously optimistic over Trump’s Greenland deal

The Arctic island’s leaders have echoed that, saying the security agreement, which maintains Danish control, was long in coming.

19 Sep 2026 - 11:53PMvideocam

Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Greenland’s government leader Jens-Frederik Nielsen, and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen in Greenland on September 6. Photo: via AP

United States

US to allow Iranian leaders to attend UN meeting amid wartime stand-off

US again imposes strict conditions on the Iranian delegation for the UN General Assembly in New York.

18 Sep 2026 - 1:51PM

Germany

Germany’s chancellor cancels UN trip amid mounting pressure at home

Friedrich Merz opts to remain in Berlin following far-right AfD gains and ahead of crucial regional votes.

16 Sep 2026 - 4:23PM

Artificial intelligence

UN Security Council to meet on AI threat as rights chief warns of ‘unprecedented risks’

France calls high-level session during General Assembly amid urgent pleas to govern frontier models.

15 Sep 2026 - 9:38AM

The UN Security Council chamber in New York. Photo: AFP

United Nations

UN adopts new map: Africa bigger, North America and Europe smaller

The US was the only vote against the resolution for a shift to the Equal Earth cartographic projection over the traditional Mercator map.

5 Sep 2026 - 2:58AM

National flags fly outside the United Nations’ Headquarters in New York. Photo: Shutterstock

Diplomacy

Opinion | China wants to lead a multipolar world. Now it must show how

To translate its well-articulated vision into practice, Beijing must flesh out concrete mechanics, starting with institutional design.

2 Sep 2026 - 10:16AMvideocam

US-China relations

Selection for next UN chief gets under way with Grynspan early front runner

United Nations Security Council started the process on Thursday to pick its new secretary general as successor to Antonio Guterres.

1 Aug 2026 - 3:19AMvideocam

United Nations

UN leader candidates pitch visions to save world body in crisis

With a week before initial voting begins, six hopefuls make their case to replace Antonio Guterres.

24 Jul 2026 - 2:35PM

The six declared candidates vying to succeed UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. Photo: Reuters

US-China relations

US lawmakers accuse China of using UN peacekeeping forces to spy on countries

Chinese peacekeeping roles are ‘concentrated in strategically sensitive regions’ to gain intelligence, House Foreign Affairs Committee told.

23 Jul 2026 - 5:51AMvideocam

Israel-Gaza war

Israeli PM’s office slams New York mayor over Netanyahu arrest remarks

Zohran Mamdani said he was asking lawyers about the mayor’s authority to direct police to detain a foreign leader, referring to Israel’s PM.

20 Jul 2026 - 2:24AM

Americas and the Caribbean

Cuban dissident artist Otero Alcantara lands in US exile

One of the most prominent figures in Cuba’s new dissident movement, Otero Alcantara had just completed a five-year sentence on the island.

19 Jul 2026 - 7:18AMvideocam

Luis Manuel Otero Alcantara, artist and opponent of the Cuban regime, speaks to members of the press upon his arrival at Miami International Airport on Saturday. Photo: AFP

US-China relations

UN bloated, costly, but China fears to keep US involved, House committee told

Pulling out of international organisation would see Beijing expand its influence and leave Washington at major disadvantage, lawmakers say.

30 Apr 2026 - 11:09PMvideocam

Flags of countries at the United Nations’ Headquarters in Manhattan, New York. Photo: Shutterstock

US, Israel war on Iran

‘Might over right’ imperils international justice, Wang Yi tells UN’s Baerbock

UN General Assembly president meets Chinese foreign minister in Beijing amid Iran war tensions and global energy crisis.

29 Apr 2026 - 8:24PMvideocam

United Nations

UN leadership race takes centre stage with first round of interviews

Contenders strike sombre tones during interviews as the next leader faces a huge task to revitalise an organisation in crisis.

23 Apr 2026 - 12:47PM

United Nations

UN designates African slave trade as ‘gravest crime against humanity’

US, Israel and Argentina opposed the UN measure, while Britain and EU member states abstained.

26 Mar 2026 - 1:37PM

An 1853 illustration depicting slaves and slave traders on the coast of Africa. Photo: Chicago History Museum via Getty Images

United Nations

Opinion | More than funding, the UN needs restructuring

The UN’s financial strain is a chance to rethink its structure, cut inefficiencies and empower local work that delivers more impact.

15 Feb 2026 - 5:30AM

Internally displaced Palestinians walk among the ruins of the Al Tuffah neighbourhood in eastern Gaza City on February 11. The UN human rights office has maintained a presence in Gaza despite the challenges. Photo: EPA

United Nations

‘World stands at a crossroads’: UN chief issues grim New Year message

Antonio Guterres laments US$2.7 trillion global arms race and urges leaders to choose ‘people and planet over pain’ in 2026.

30 Dec 2025 - 11:21AM

Women and gender

Opinion | Together, we can move closer to eliminating violence against women

No jurisdiction is spared from gender-based violence. Thus international cooperation is essential to build momentum and find solutions.

25 Nov 2025 - 9:30AM

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United Nations General Assembly

Trump criticises UK’s Chagos deal, says new British PM Burnham will reconsider

The US president says ties with Britain are better, as he met the prime minister for the first time.

Trump, Denmark and Greenland sign deal to resolve Arctic stand-off

US tightens Japan, South Korea ties ahead of Trump-Xi summit

UK confirms Manchester to host G20 summit in 2027

City served by Prime Minister Andy Burnham as mayor for nearly a decade will host global leaders.

Burnham to meet Trump, make UN debut after offering UK support for Saudis

British prime minister targets Middle East stability and AI governance on New York trip.

Thousands of US flights snarled before FAA resolves communications problem

Eight-hour outage cleared after construction crew cuts backup line on arrival day for world leaders in New York.

CNN, MS NOW and Politico sue Trump over White House press ban

Lawsuit alleges First Amendment violations as major TV networks suspend presidential pool coverage in protest.

Trump and Mamdani set to meet in New York

Meeting marks first sit-down on the mayor’s turf following series of cordial exchanges between political opposites.

Ukraine’s Zelensky to meet Trump in New York

Planned meeting comes as Washington pushes for fresh, face-to-face peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv.

UK’s Burnham congratulates Trump and Danish PM on Greenland deal

British prime minister praises deal to bolster Arctic defence after Trump threatened to take island by force.

Denmark cautiously optimistic over Trump’s Greenland deal

The Arctic island’s leaders have echoed that, saying the security agreement, which maintains Danish control, was long in coming.

US to allow Iranian leaders to attend UN meeting amid wartime stand-off

US again imposes strict conditions on the Iranian delegation for the UN General Assembly in New York.

Germany’s chancellor cancels UN trip amid mounting pressure at home

Friedrich Merz opts to remain in Berlin following far-right AfD gains and ahead of crucial regional votes.

UN Security Council to meet on AI threat as rights chief warns of ‘unprecedented risks’

France calls high-level session during General Assembly amid urgent pleas to govern frontier models.

UN adopts new map: Africa bigger, North America and Europe smaller

The US was the only vote against the resolution for a shift to the Equal Earth cartographic projection over the traditional Mercator map.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Opinion | China wants to lead a multipolar world. Now it must show how

To translate its well-articulated vision into practice, Beijing must flesh out concrete mechanics, starting with institutional design.

Selection for next UN chief gets under way with Grynspan early front runner

United Nations Security Council started the process on Thursday to pick its new secretary general as successor to Antonio Guterres.

UN leader candidates pitch visions to save world body in crisis

With a week before initial voting begins, six hopefuls make their case to replace Antonio Guterres.

US lawmakers accuse China of using UN peacekeeping forces to spy on countries

Chinese peacekeeping roles are ‘concentrated in strategically sensitive regions’ to gain intelligence, House Foreign Affairs Committee told.

Israeli PM’s office slams New York mayor over Netanyahu arrest remarks

Zohran Mamdani said he was asking lawyers about the mayor’s authority to direct police to detain a foreign leader, referring to Israel’s PM.

Cuban dissident artist Otero Alcantara lands in US exile

One of the most prominent figures in Cuba’s new dissident movement, Otero Alcantara had just completed a five-year sentence on the island.

UN bloated, costly, but China fears to keep US involved, House committee told

Pulling out of international organisation would see Beijing expand its influence and leave Washington at major disadvantage, lawmakers say.

‘Might over right’ imperils international justice, Wang Yi tells UN’s Baerbock

UN General Assembly president meets Chinese foreign minister in Beijing amid Iran war tensions and global energy crisis.

UN leadership race takes centre stage with first round of interviews

Contenders strike sombre tones during interviews as the next leader faces a huge task to revitalise an organisation in crisis.

UN designates African slave trade as ‘gravest crime against humanity’

US, Israel and Argentina opposed the UN measure, while Britain and EU member states abstained.

Opinion | More than funding, the UN needs restructuring

The UN’s financial strain is a chance to rethink its structure, cut inefficiencies and empower local work that delivers more impact.

‘World stands at a crossroads’: UN chief issues grim New Year message

Antonio Guterres laments US$2.7 trillion global arms race and urges leaders to choose ‘people and planet over pain’ in 2026.

Opinion | Together, we can move closer to eliminating violence against women

No jurisdiction is spared from gender-based violence. Thus international cooperation is essential to build momentum and find solutions.

Opinion | China wants to lead a multipolar world. Now it must show how