state leaders

Chinese President Xi Jinping missed the dinner for world leaders at the G20 summit in New Delhi because he was unwell, according to people familiar with the matter. The report has fueled fresh speculation about the 70-year-old leader's health, coming just days before he was scheduled to travel to the United States, and has drawn wide attention and debate about his condition and absence from a key diplomatic gathering.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has departed Beijing for Washington, in what is described as his first state visit to the US capital since 2015. President Trump is expected to greet him personally on the tarmac rather than at the White House, a gesture some observers read as a sign of warmth ahead of high-stakes US-China trade and diplomatic discussions.

World leaders are meeting in New York for the UN General Assembly, with the annual gathering focused on ongoing conflicts, economic uncertainty and global security. Discussions around peace efforts for Ukraine are among the prominent topics drawing international attention at this year's session.

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.

Donald Trump hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping at a White House state dinner, an event marked by elaborate formalities and heavy media coverage. The meeting between the two leaders is drawing attention as a symbolic moment in US-China relations, with commentators weighing the significance of the lavish reception and what it signals for trade and diplomatic tensions.

The annual UN General Assembly session is underway in New York, with diplomats and heads of state arriving for what is widely described as the biggest event in world diplomacy. Coverage is focusing on what to expect from this year's gathering, including the key speeches and debates set to dominate the agenda as world leaders take the floor.

World leaders continued addressing the United Nations General Assembly in New York on the sixth day of the annual high-level debate. The sessions, broadcast live, feature speeches from heads of state and government on topics ranging from conflict and security to climate and development, drawing international attention to the diplomatic calendar's most prominent gathering.

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.

Posts discuss a state dinner at the White House where President Trump hosted Chinese leader Xi Jinping, with technology executives reportedly among the guests. Users are sharing clips and reactions to the meeting, with commentary focused on the symbolism of the two leaders dining together and the presence of tech industry figures at the table. The discussion appears to centre on US-China relations and what the gathering signals.

A Hamas leader says the Gaza roadmap the group agreed to includes the establishment of a Palestinian state. The statement frames the deal as going beyond ceasefire arrangements and touching long-term political questions. Observers are weighing how the claim aligns with the terms accepted by other parties and what it signals for negotiations over Gaza's future governance.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu travelled secretly to Abu Dhabi over the weekend to meet the UAE's leader, marking a rare publicly confirmed visit to the Gulf state since the countries normalised ties under the Abraham Accords. Reports say the two discussed bilateral relations and regional issues, and the trip is being covered widely across US and regional media alongside other Middle East developments.

The United States and China have reached an agreement to reduce tariffs on $30 billion worth of goods, following a summit in Washington between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The deal marks a step toward easing trade tensions between the world's two largest economies, though details of which products will be affected have not yet been fully outlined.

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.

EU defence discussions in Brussels are being overshadowed by an unresolved shortfall in funding for Ukraine. As member states weigh future support, the funding gap has become a central sticking point, raising questions over how Europe will sustain military and financial aid to Kyiv and what role the bloc will play if United States backing remains uncertain.

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.

The United States and China have each released lists of products worth roughly $30 billion that will see tariff cuts, following a meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. The reciprocal move is being read as a step toward easing trade tensions between the world's two largest economies, though details on timelines and implementation remain limited.

Leaders of Pacific island nations used their addresses at the UN General Assembly in New York to spotlight the mounting threats climate change poses to their countries, including rising seas, extreme weather and threats to livelihoods and sovereignty. Their speeches press larger nations for stronger emissions cuts and support, giving small island states a prominent platform in the global climate debate.

Iranian leaders delivered defiant rhetoric while on US soil in New York, drawing attention to the state of Iran-US diplomacy. The remarks come as tensions and negotiations between Tehran and Washington remain in the spotlight. Coverage in Bangladeshi media is highlighting the contrast between the hostile language and ongoing diplomatic engagement between the two countries.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has resigned from the presidency in order to run for prime minister in an early parliamentary vote. The populist leader's move reshuffles Serbia's political landscape, allowing him to retain power through the premiership rather than the presidency, with the election expected to determine the country's governing majority in the coming months.

A New York Times analysis examines why China has resisted international appeals for stricter artificial intelligence safety commitments, suggesting Beijing views such calls through strategic and economic lenses. The piece argues Chinese officials see Western-led safety agendas as potential tools to slow China's A.I. progress, while Chinese leaders also weigh domestic priorities of technological competitiveness and state control.

President Trump said the United States will not restrain artificial intelligence development, speaking after a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. His comments came despite calls from some governments and experts for international safeguards on advanced AI. The statement signals the US intends to keep pushing AI innovation at full speed, even as other countries push for coordinated global oversight.

Sudan says it will not yield to 'pressure or blackmail' after the United States declined to grant a visa to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan to attend the UN General Assembly in New York. Khartoum's authorities denounced the move as political coercion, while the US decision has drawn attention to Washington's strained relations with Sudan's military leadership amid the country's ongoing war.

The race to select the next UN secretary-general is under way, with candidates framed as needing to be a 'mediator-in-chief' for a divided world. Commentary on the contest argues it highlights the multiple crises confronting the United Nations, from wars to institutional gridlock, as member states weigh who can restore the organisation's diplomatic clout.

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.

Estonian Defence Minister Martin Herem has called on the European Union to use frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine, saying Brussels should disregard Moscow's threats of punishment over such a move. The statement adds to ongoing debate within the EU over legal and political risks of tapping roughly immobilised Russian state funds to finance Kyiv's defence and recovery.

Global diplomacy dominated the past week, with the UN General Assembly in session in New York and Chinese President Xi Jinping travelling to the United States for high-stakes talks with American leaders. The meetings put relations between Washington and Beijing, along with multilateral cooperation at the UN, at the centre of international attention and commentary.

A former British prime minister has warned that Iran may be underestimating Donald Trump's determination, commenting on tensions between Washington and Tehran. The remarks come amid ongoing concerns over Iran's nuclear programme and the possibility of renewed pressure or military action by the United States. Commentators are weighing whether Tehran is reading the US president's intentions correctly.

Iran has signalled openness to talks with the United States over the Strait of Hormuz as both Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian prepare to attend the UN General Assembly in New York. It would be the first time the two leaders appear at the same event since Trump launched what he called 'Operation Epic Fury', raising speculation about a possible diplomatic opening between the two governments.

Leaders of the Israeli opposition have formed a united front with the stated aim of removing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from power. The coalition represents a significant escalation in domestic political tensions, as rival factions set aside differences to pursue a common goal of ending Netanyahu's tenure.

The UN General Assembly's annual general debate has continued into its fourth day, with world leaders delivering speeches at UN headquarters in New York. The event draws global attention each September as heads of state and government set out their foreign policy priorities before the assembled international community.

The United States ambassador to Beijing has revealed that President Donald Trump asked Chinese leader Xi Jinping whether he would like to purchase American weapons. The remark, described as an extraordinary development in US-China relations, has drawn wide attention given ongoing tensions and export restrictions between the two countries.

Across the United States, people have been showing up in immigration courtrooms to accompany immigrants and deter ICE from detaining people at hearings. Among them is Sister Rose Patrice, a Catholic nun, whose presence supporters say can influence outcomes, since faith leaders standing beside defendants has been shown to affect how cases proceed. The practice has spread as a form of peaceful accompaniment.

Commentary is questioning whether Donald Trump's summit with Xi Jinping left the United States with less than it conceded to China. Analysts are weighing tariff relief, trade terms and diplomatic concessions from the meeting to judge which side benefited more from the leaders' talks.

Japanese leader Sanae Takaichi said Japan and the United States have agreed to work together on a range of issues relating to China. The announcement points to continued coordination between the two allies on security, economic and diplomatic concerns in the region. The remarks drew attention as tensions between Tokyo, Washington and Beijing remain a central topic in Asia-Pacific diplomacy.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh Al-Zaidi delivered a statement at the General Debate of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The remarks were circulated by regional and international media covering the annual gathering of world leaders, where heads of state and government set out their countries' positions on global affairs.

President Trump is escalating a fight against California's authority to set its own climate and emissions standards, challenging rules that have long made the state a national leader on environmental policy. The confrontation raises questions over whether federal power or state-level climate ambition will prevail, with regulators, automakers and other states watching closely for the outcome.