Day News Recap: UN diplomacy intensifies as Iran, Gaza and Xi talks dominate a crowded global agenda

Iran dominated the United Nations General Assembly as President Masoud Pezeshkian addressed the world body, defended Tehran and pushed back against accusations over the war fallout, while Donald Trump escalated his rhetoric and said he faced a big decision on whether to strike Iran.  🔗  🔗

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Diplomacy continued in parallel, with Iran's foreign minister meeting US envoy Steve Witkoff in the first reported talks between the two sides since the June ceasefire unravelled, and later shuttle talks in New York described as productive and a possible opening.  🔗  🔗

The wider UN week also brought warnings about the risks of artificial intelligence, with the Security Council set for an emergency briefing as leaders tried to manage both the AI agenda and the continuing war in the Middle East.  🔗 Qatar's emir urged Gulf diplomacy and collective security, while Syria's Ahmed al Sharaa told the UN the Golan Heights would remain Syrian despite Israeli strikes.  🔗  🔗

In Gaza, the US backed Board of Peace unveiled a six month, $2.45 billion reconstruction and governance blueprint as the ceasefire process stalled, the UN population agency warned of a sharp rise in violence against women and girls, and Canada announced C$100 million in new aid for Palestinians while signalling possible trade restrictions on goods from Israeli settlements.  🔗  🔗  🔗

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Israel and its critics traded fresh blows at the UN, with Benjamin Netanyahu condemning Emmanuel Macron's remarks on the West Bank as grotesque absurdity, while Israel's government launched a countercampaign ahead of Netanyahu's own speech to the General Assembly.  🔗  🔗 Macron used his final UN address to urge resistance to the law of the jungle.  🔗

Elsewhere in the Middle East, Yemen's government said it had taken Mount Qarfan in Taiz and made gains near Bab al Mandeb, while Saudi Arabia condemned Houthi targeting of Mecca after intercepting a drone. Iran also cancelled flights to Baghdad and Muscat as new US aviation sanctions took effect.  🔗  🔗  🔗  🔗

US China tensions were another major theme, with Xi Jinping due in Washington for talks with Trump as tariffs and AI chip curbs dominate the agenda. Trump also pressed the Shield of the Americas coalition to step up action against 24 cartel groups, and he met Andy Burnham at the UN as the Chagos deal came under scrutiny.  🔗  🔗  🔗  🔗

In Europe and the wider security picture, Poland accused a Russian Mi 8 helicopter of briefly entering its airspace near Kaliningrad, the EU extended Russia sanctions for 36 months while delisting Mikhail Fridman and Alisher Usmanov, and the European Court of Human Rights heard a case over 10 Ukrainian children missing since Crimea's annexation.  🔗  🔗  🔗

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Conflict and instability also flared elsewhere, with Russian strikes killing six in Kyiv and Donetsk and a separate attack on a cargo ship in Odesa killing its captain, while Ethiopia's armed groups formed an alliance against the government, South Sudan dissolved its transitional government, Fiji proposed scrapping coup immunity, and the ICC convicted Mahamat Said Abdel Kani of crimes against humanity.  🔗  🔗  🔗  🔗  🔗  🔗

Across the Asia Pacific and beyond, Typhoon Dujuan left at least four dead near Tokyo with six still missing, Hurricane Polo remained a powerful Category 4 storm off Mexico, Papua New Guinea police raided a Port Moresby property and found 39 Indonesian nationals allegedly held against their will, Melbourne police arrested a man over alleged ISIS propaganda, and a Sydney underworld figure survived an attempted attack in Marbella.  🔗  🔗  🔗  🔗  🔗

Other developments included a US F 16 crash near Spangdahlem in Germany, Belgium and Rwanda restoring diplomatic ties after Qatar hosted talks, Azerbaijan pardoning French national Martin Ryan, OpenAI offering Ukraine free access to its Daybreak cyber defence tools, Airtel Money targeting a London IPO that could value it at up to $9 billion, Morocco voting in parliamentary elections, and the OECD trimming the UK's 2027 growth outlook because of Middle East spillovers.  🔗  🔗  🔗  🔗  🔗  🔗  🔗

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