President Donald Trump will address the United Nations General Assembly in New York City on Tuesday at a contentious moment for international relations after France joined the U.K., Canada, Australia and Portugal in moving to recognize a Palestinian state in response to Israelâs actions in Gaza.
Trump will be returning to the U.N. for the first time since beginning his second term in January.
His speech will be among the most anticipated as Americaâs allies and adversaries wait to see what the president will say about ongoing efforts to end the wars in Gaza and Ukraine.
U.N. officials will also be holding their breath to see if more funding cuts from the U.S. â their largest donor â are on the horizon.
Trump and his allies spent the first few months in office slashing international aid spending and pulling back from international organizations like the World Health Organization and the Human Rights Council.
âThere are great hopes for it, but it’s not being well run, to be honest,â the president told reporters last week as he prepared for his address to the General Assembly.
Man representing himself against charges of trying to kill Trump to give closing argument
As we await the presidentâs appearance before the General Assembly, hereâs some other news from Trumpworld.
Ryan Routh, the man charged with the second attempt on Trumpâs life during last yearâs presidential election, is currently defending himself in a Florida courtroom and will today deliver his closing arguments.
Prosecutors have said Routh, 59, spent weeks plotting to kill Trump before aiming a rifle through shrubbery as the Republican candidate played golf on September 15 2024 at his West Palm Beach country club.
Routh has pleaded not guilty to charges of attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer and several firearm violations.
Analysis: As the UK talks up its global vision in New York, Trump abandons the UN
As Britain tries to stop the global talking shop from being drowned out by U.S. self-interest, itâs become clear how far Donald Trump is from sharing its vision, writes our world affairs editor Sam Kiley in New York.
Watch: France officially recognizes state of Palestine
This was the moment French President Emmanuel Macron added his voice to calls for Palestinian statehood on Monday.
UK foreign secretary accuses Netanyahu of allowing children in Gaza to die of starvation
Speaking at the General Assembly on Monday, U.K. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has accused Benjamin Netanyahu of allowing children in Gaza to die of starvation.
Cooper hit out at the âunbearable humanitarian catastropheâ in Gaza, which she said was worsening as Netanyahuâs government âchooses to escalate war and hold back aid.â
She also warned the two-state solution faces âprofound perilâ, saying that âextremists on both sidesâ want the possibility of a viable Palestinian state to âdisappear beneath the rubble.â
Her remarks to the U.N. came a day after the U.K. announced it would recognise Palestine, a move she defended and said was âborn of urgency and principleâ in a bid to save the two-state solution.
Archie Mitchell reports.
World leaders anxiously await Trumpâs UN speech as president hits out at âglobalist institutionsâ
President Donald Trump is set to address the United Nations General Assembly this morning , with global leaders awaiting his remarks with some concern given his administrationâs efforts to cut back on U.S. engagement with international bodies in the interests of promoting his âAmerica Firstâ agenda.
His speech also comes at a difficult moment for international relations with the wars in Ukraine and Gaza still raging and the U.K., France, Australia and Portugal among the countries coming forward to recognize the Palestinian peopleâs right to statehood.
Hereâs a preview from Aamer Mahdani.
Hello and welcome
Good morning and welcome to The Independentâs live coverage of the latest United Nations gathering in New York City ahead of Donald Trumpâs address to the General Assembly, which is scheduled for 9am ET (1pm GMT).
