https://www.scmp.com/rss/522854/feed 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... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The UN General Assembly on Wednesday designated the transatlantic African slave trade as “the gravest crime against humanity”, despite opposition by the United States and some European countries. In a move advocates hailed as a step towards healing and possible reparations, the resolution was adopted to applause by a vote of 123 in favour, three against and 52 abstentions. The US, Israel and Argentina opposed the measure, while Britain and EU member states abstained. Ghana’s President John... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3347954/un-designates-african-slave-trade-gravest-crime-against-humanity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3347954/un-designates-african-slave-trade-gravest-crime-against-humanity?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 05:37:55 +0000 Cale Holmes Cale Holmes The United Nations is broke. According to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, the institution can’t pay its bills. Members, such as the US, haven’t paid their dues. The UN doesn’t just face a liquidity crisis. An old rule obliges it to pay members back for unspent money, even from dues it never received. The UN Secretariat and some major operations could close by July. The UN is far from ideal. The secretariat and agency headquarters are massive bureaucracies, the General Assembly is widely... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3343337/more-funding-un-needs-restructuring?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3343337/more-funding-un-needs-restructuring?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Feb 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The United Nations urged global leaders on Monday to focus on people and the planet in a New Year’s message depicting the world in chaos. “As we enter the new year, the world stands at a crossroads. Chaos and uncertainty surround us. Division. Violence. Climate breakdown. And systemic violations of international law,” UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said in a video message. In 2026, as war rages in Ukraine and elsewhere, world leaders must work to ease human suffering and fight climate... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3338076/un-chief-antonio-guterres-calls-world-leaders-get-serious-grim-new-year-message?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3338076/un-chief-antonio-guterres-calls-world-leaders-get-serious-grim-new-year-message?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Dec 2025 18:23:34 +0000 Christile Drulhe Christile Drulhe On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, how can we unite and act together to defend gender equality and the rights of women and girls? This was the guiding question of the fourth ministerial conference on Feminist Foreign Policy, which France hosted late last month, convening governments from across the globe, representatives of international organisations, public development banks, as well as civil society, research bodies and philanthropic foundations. On this... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3333851/together-we-can-move-closer-eliminating-violence-against-women?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3333851/together-we-can-move-closer-eliminating-violence-against-women?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Nov 2025 01:30:10 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The Trump administration’s blueprint to secure and govern Gaza won strong approval at the United Nations on Monday, a crucial step that provides international support for US efforts to move the devastated territory towards peace following two years of war. The US resolution that passed the UN Security Council authorises an international stabilisation force to provide security in Gaza, approves a transitional authority to be overseen by US President Donald Trump and envisions a possible future... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3333175/un-approves-us-plan-authorising-international-stabilisation-force-gaza?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3333175/un-approves-us-plan-authorising-international-stabilisation-force-gaza?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Nov 2025 23:25:37 +0000 Lisa Lim Lisa Lim The United Nations came into existence eight decades ago, after the end of World War II, with the ratification by its initial 51 members of its founding document, the UN Charter, which entered into force on October 24, 1945. Now comprising 193 sovereign states, with all of its members having equal representation in its General Assembly, the UN is the world’s largest intergovernmental organisation. With its primary aims of maintaining international peace and security and achieving cooperation... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3330166/how-multilingualism-core-un-value-can-help-move-towards-global-peace-and-tolerance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3330166/how-multilingualism-core-un-value-can-help-move-towards-global-peace-and-tolerance?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Oct 2025 00:15:08 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The International Court of Justice said on Wednesday that Israel must allow the UN aid agency in Gaza, known as UNRWA, to provide humanitarian help to the Palestinian territory. The Hague-based court was asked last year by the UN General Assembly to determine Israel’s legal obligations after the country effectively banned the agency, the main provider of aid to Gaza, from operating there. Israel “is under the obligation to agree to and facilitate relief schemes provided by the United Nations and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3329980/icj-orders-israel-allow-unrwa-aid-gaza-amid-ceasefire-and-famine-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3329980/icj-orders-israel-allow-unrwa-aid-gaza-amid-ceasefire-and-famine-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Oct 2025 14:37:39 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar As Prabowo Subianto marks his first year as Indonesia’s president, the former general is grappling with the challenge of turning his populist campaign promises into lasting policy. While early initiatives such as free meals for children have drawn praise, concerns over civil liberties, economic sluggishness and foreign policy decisions threaten to overshadow his administration’s achievements. Prabowo, who was sworn in on October 20 last year, campaigned on a platform of ambitious social... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3329824/pledges-policy-indonesias-prabowo-marks-1-year-office?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3329824/pledges-policy-indonesias-prabowo-marks-1-year-office?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Oct 2025 11:04:38 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The United Nations will begin slashing its peacekeeping force and operations, forcing thousands of soldiers in the next several months to evacuate far-flung global hotspots as a result of the latest US funding cuts to the world body, a senior UN official has said. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a private meeting, briefed reporters on Wednesday on the 25 per cent reduction in peacekeepers worldwide as the United States, the largest UN donor, makes changes to... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3328313/un-slash-25-global-peacekeeping-force-due-funding-strains?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3328313/un-slash-25-global-peacekeeping-force-due-funding-strains?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Oct 2025 04:23:28 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Argentina has tightened export standards for sorghum to strengthen sales to China, a move that could add new strain to relations with the United States, once the main supplier of the grain before tariffs upended global trade. The Agriculture Secretariat issued a resolution on Friday, setting new grading rules based on test weight and limiting impurities, broken kernels and non-grain material. Exports must now meet minimum weights of 72, 70 and 67 kilograms per hectolitre depending on grade.... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3328047/argentina-tightens-sorghum-rules-boost-china-trade-risking-new-clash-trump-team?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3328047/argentina-tightens-sorghum-rules-boost-china-trade-risking-new-clash-trump-team?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Oct 2025 15:11:34 +0000 Orange Wang,Shi Jiangtao Orange Wang,Shi Jiangtao After a week-long gathering of leaders at the UN General Assembly in New York, its president struck a positive tone on Monday. Annalena Baerbock, the former German foreign minister, said there was a collective will to “choose the right path at the crossroads”. “If high-level week is any indication, this house is fulfilling that purpose – the United Nations is still relevant,” she said. But 23 years after Kofi Annan spoke of the UN’s “fork in the road”, when he was secretary general, the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3327827/us-retreat-un-may-create-tremendous-opportunity-nations-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3327827/us-retreat-un-may-create-tremendous-opportunity-nations-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Oct 2025 22:00:09 +0000 Yonden Lhatoo Yonden Lhatoo TikTok travesty Have you noticed what has happened to media coverage of TikTok, along with public discourse and general commentary on the American takeover of China’s phenomenally popular short-video platform in the United States? Everyone is talking about the deal that will keep the social media app alive for 183 million American users by transferring ownership from Chinese internet giant ByteDance to a consortium of covetous US companies under the auspices of President Donald Trump’s... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3327552/heres-proof-world-has-gone-mad?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3327552/heres-proof-world-has-gone-mad?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Oct 2025 16:37:25 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words As somewhat expected, the general debate of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly has felt less like a celebration of humanitarian cooperation and more like a reckoning. US President Donald Trump’s presence served as a sobering reminder of the UN’s struggle to... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3327214/un-must-confront-its-paralysis-or-risk-becoming-stage-posturing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3327214/un-must-confront-its-paralysis-or-risk-becoming-stage-posturing?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Sep 2025 03:30:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday the two leaders have agreed to a plan to end the war in Gaza, but it is unclear whether Hamas will accept the terms. Trump on Monday laid out a 20-point plan for ending the Israel-Gaza war and establishing post-war governance in the war-battered Palestinian territory. Trump’s plan would establish a temporary governing “Board of Peace” that would be headed by Trump and include former British prime minister Tony... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3327289/trump-meets-israels-netanyahu-white-house-pivotal-talks-gaza-peace-proposal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3327289/trump-meets-israels-netanyahu-white-house-pivotal-talks-gaza-peace-proposal?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Sep 2025 16:37:21 +0000 Reuters Reuters The military wing of Hamas said on Sunday it had lost contact with two Israeli hostages held in Gaza City, and called on Israel to pull troops back and suspend air strikes for 24 hours so fighters could retrieve the captives. The fate of the two hostages, which has strong domestic resonance in Israel, could cast a shadow over a meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump on Monday. Israel has launched a massive ground assault on Gaza City, flattening... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3327163/hamas-says-it-lost-contact-2-hostages-tanks-thrust-deeper-gaza-city?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3327163/hamas-says-it-lost-contact-2-hostages-tanks-thrust-deeper-gaza-city?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Sep 2025 15:06:51 +0000 Reuters Reuters Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told the West on Saturday that any aggression against Moscow would face a “decisive response”, warning against attempts to down aircraft in Russian airspace and accusing Germany of militaristic rhetoric. As Russia’s war rages in Ukraine, tensions have mounted along Nato’s eastern flank in recent weeks as Estonia said Moscow sent three fighter aircraft into its airspace and Nato warplanes shot down Russian drones over Poland. “Any aggression against my... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3327122/russia-tells-west-any-aggression-will-be-met-decisive-response?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3327122/russia-tells-west-any-aggression-will-be-met-decisive-response?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Sep 2025 23:05:46 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg New Zealand’s government said it would not recognise a Palestinian state for now, an unexpected move that puts it out of step with traditional partners such as Australia, the UK and Canada. “New Zealand is neither pro-Palestine nor pro-Israel,” Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said at a press conference on Saturday, adding that the conflict in the Middle East would end only through a ceasefire reached through negotiation. “We want to see two states, Israel and Palestine, living in peace and... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3327066/new-zealand-bucks-trend-wont-recognise-palestinian-state-now?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3327066/new-zealand-bucks-trend-wont-recognise-palestinian-state-now?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Sep 2025 02:50:27 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan Top trade negotiators from India and the United States failed to resolve their tariff dispute during talks on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York this week, with New Delhi urging Washington to drop levies linked to Russian energy imports, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the negotiations. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer met Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Monday. The pair were joined by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio,... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3327059/india-us-trade-talks-un-sidelines-fail-break-impasse?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3327059/india-us-trade-talks-un-sidelines-fail-break-impasse?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Sep 2025 20:18:02 +0000 Reuters Reuters In its 80-year history, the United Nations has never had a woman serve as secretary general – a fact that some world leaders now view as a glaring symbol of gender inequality at the highest level of global diplomacy. With Secretary General Antonio Guterres due to complete his second five-year term at the end of 2026, some at this week’s annual UN General Assembly were vocal in their call for a woman to assume the role. “It is high time for a woman to be chosen as UN Secretary General,” Estonia’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3327058/calls-grow-first-female-un-chief-80-years-lets-make-history?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3327058/calls-grow-first-female-un-chief-80-years-lets-make-history?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Sep 2025 18:40:36 +0000 Reuters Reuters US President Donald Trump said he was close to forging a deal to end the war in Gaza and bring hostages home as he prepared to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday. “It’s looking like we have a deal on Gaza. I think it’s a deal that gets the hostages back, it’s going to be a deal that ends the war,” Trump told reporters on Friday before leaving the White House to attend the Ryder Cup golf tournament in New York. He offered no details and gave no timetable. A senior White... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3327056/trump-says-gaza-deal-near-hostages-could-soon-be-freed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3327056/trump-says-gaza-deal-near-hostages-could-soon-be-freed?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Sep 2025 16:42:51 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the UN General Assembly on Friday that Israel “must finish the job” against Hamas in Gaza, giving a defiant UN speech despite growing international isolation over his refusal to end the devastating war in Gaza. He spoke after dozens of delegates from multiple nations walked out of the UN General Assembly hall en masse on Friday as he prepared to speak. As the Israeli leader spoke, unintelligible shouts echoed around the hall, while applause rang out... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3327048/israels-netanyahu-faces-un-walkout-vows-finish-job-gaza?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3327048/israels-netanyahu-faces-un-walkout-vows-finish-job-gaza?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Sep 2025 14:08:06 +0000 Raymond Ma,Neil Denslow Raymond Ma,Neil Denslow US President Donald Trump formally endorsed a planned sale of TikTok’s local operations, preventing the video app’s closure in the country and easing an issue in the trade war with China. “I have determined that the proposed divestiture would allow the millions of Americans who enjoy TikTok every day to continue using it while also protecting national security,” Trump said in an executive order. ByteDance, the app’s owner, was given 120 days to complete a deal, the fifth time Trump has extended... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3326956/trumps-tiktok-sign-china-climate-target-zijin-gold-ipo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3326956/trumps-tiktok-sign-china-climate-target-zijin-gold-ipo?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Sep 2025 09:00:08 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk The presidents of Turkey and South Korea have become the latest leaders attending the UN’s signature diplomatic gathering to be forced to wait on the streets of New York City to let Donald Trump’s motorcade pass. Videos shared on social media showed Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s delegation attempting to move past barricades before officers blocked them from crossing a street on Tuesday, leaving the Turkish president irked. Erdogan was in the US city to take part in the annual United Nations General... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3326983/south-koreas-lee-among-world-leaders-stopped-new-york-trumps-motorcade-takes-priority?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3326983/south-koreas-lee-among-world-leaders-stopped-new-york-trumps-motorcade-takes-priority?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Sep 2025 08:31:41 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick The Trump administration pressed Argentina on Wednesday to dismantle its currency swap arrangement with China, tying future financial support to President Javier Milei’s willingness to distance his government from Beijing during a week of high-stakes diplomacy at the United Nations General Assembly. The demand, first reported by the local newspaper Clarin and confirmed by the Post on Thursday, was delivered in meetings between the two delegations in New York, where senior US officials made clear... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3326895/trump-administration-ties-argentina-support-rollback-china-credit-line?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3326895/trump-administration-ties-argentina-support-rollback-china-credit-line?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Sep 2025 17:42:03 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Speaking over video after the United States revoked his visa, the Palestinian leader told world leaders on Thursday that his people reject the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and pledged that the militant group would have no role in governing the Gaza Strip after the war ends and must hand over its weapons to his administration. Said Mahmoud Abbas to his people: “The dawn of freedom will emerge.” Mahmoud Abbas told the UN General Assembly that Palestinians in Gaza “have been facing a war of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3326890/palestine-president-un-no-room-hamas-post-war-gaza-calls-israeli-war-genocide?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3326890/palestine-president-un-no-room-hamas-post-war-gaza-calls-israeli-war-genocide?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Sep 2025 14:33:52 +0000 Reuters Reuters US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday the Secret Service was investigating what he described as “sabotage” at the United Nations, alleging that an escalator malfunction, a teleprompter failure and sound problems disrupted his appearance at the world body a day earlier. Trump, in a social media post, said an escalator carrying him and his wife Melania “came to a screeching halt” on the way to the main floor, nearly causing them to fall. He called for the arrest of whoever was... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3326748/trump-says-secret-service-probing-sabotage-escalator-un?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3326748/trump-says-secret-service-probing-sabotage-escalator-un?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Sep 2025 23:38:45 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial US global leadership was instrumental in the founding of the United Nations to prevent wars. Now US leadership under President Donald Trump raises questions about the UN’s future. The world organisation marks its 80th anniversary this year. Trump’s address to its 80th annual general assembly was therefore keenly anticipated, no matter the expectations of some leaders. Sadly, they were not proven wrong. The speech confirms that on several big issues, the United States under Trump is heading in a... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3326706/trumps-speech-raises-questions-about-future-un?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3326706/trumps-speech-raises-questions-about-future-un?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Sep 2025 23:15:11 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan India remains a democratic counterweight to China in the Indo-Pacific region, a senior US State Department official said on Wednesday, dismissing any suggestion that sharp bilateral disputes over trade had fundamentally changed that position for US President Donald Trump’s administration. “Absolutely still see India as a critical partner in the Indo-Pacific,” the official said, suggesting India is the “indo” in Indo-Pacific and adding that ties with New Delhi remain strong. The official noted... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3326745/us-reaffirms-india-counterweight-china-despite-trade-rifts-pakistan-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3326745/us-reaffirms-india-counterweight-china-despite-trade-rifts-pakistan-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Sep 2025 22:24:28 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US envoy Steve Witkoff said Wednesday he expected a breakthrough related to Gaza in the coming days, saying President Donald Trump had presented a plan to regional countries. Witkoff, a real estate friend of Trump who has become his roving ambassador, said the US president shared ideas when meeting with a group of Arab and Islamic countries on Tuesday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. “We presented what we call the Trump 21-point plan for peace in the Mideast and Gaza,” Witkoff... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3326743/trump-envoy-witkoff-expects-gaza-breakthrough-coming-days?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3326743/trump-envoy-witkoff-expects-gaza-breakthrough-coming-days?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Sep 2025 21:06:39 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan India and China, recently seen moving towards rapprochement after years of strained ties, held separate meetings with Global South countries on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York this week, highlighting a quiet rivalry for leadership of the developing world. The world’s two most-populous countries had been expected to present a united front as global trade and multilateralism face increasing headwinds under US President Donald Trump’s second term. Instead, their... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3326737/india-and-china-vie-global-south-leadership-un-gatherings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3326737/india-and-china-vie-global-south-leadership-un-gatherings?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Sep 2025 17:11:23 +0000 Dewey Sim,Fan Chen Dewey Sim,Fan Chen In a speech laced with threats against Russia and with little about China, US President Donald Trump’s address at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday may have given Beijing some reason for optimism. According to observers, the American leader’s attacks on Russia over the war in Ukraine signalled his frustration and revealed cracks in ties between Washington and Moscow, a relationship that earlier showed signs of deepening, something Beijing has been wary about. Trump’s comparatively soft rhetoric... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3326724/did-trumps-russia-rant-un-give-china-reason-optimism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3326724/did-trumps-russia-rant-un-give-china-reason-optimism?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Sep 2025 14:00:11 +0000 Resty Woro Yuniar Resty Woro Yuniar Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto has pledged to send tens of thousands of peacekeepers to conflict zones and said the country could recognise Israel, but only if Palestinian statehood is first acknowledged. The idea of conditional recognition for Israel drew sharp reactions at home, with critics accusing Prabowo of undermining Indonesia’s pro-Palestinian stance, while others saw the shift as a calculated diplomatic overture aimed at boosting Jakarta’s standing on the world stage. In the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3326705/what-prabowos-bold-un-speech-means-indonesias-stance-israel-gaza-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3326705/what-prabowos-bold-un-speech-means-indonesias-stance-israel-gaza-war?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Sep 2025 10:25:52 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Ukraine can win back all territory lost to Russia, a dramatic shift from the US leader’s call on Kyiv to make concessions to end the war. Trump offered his position in a social media posting soon after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly gathering of world leaders. Trump in part wrote: “I think Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, is in a position to fight and WIN all... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3326602/trump-says-ukraine-can-win-back-all-land-lost-paper-tiger-russia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3326602/trump-says-ukraine-can-win-back-all-land-lost-paper-tiger-russia?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Sep 2025 20:11:14 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier US President Donald Trump offered up a litany of grievances in a combative UN speech on Tuesday that called on the global community to end “failed approaches”, stop supporting renewable energy and recognise that “I have ended seven unendable wars”. Addressing the world’s foremost diplomatic body with his typically undiplomatic rhetoric, Trump boasted about revitalising US fortunes, adding that the US has the “greatest weapons on earth” that it would rather not deploy. “Not only is the UN not... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3326596/trump-attacks-un-fiery-general-assembly-speech-slams-global-institutions-and-aid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3326596/trump-attacks-un-fiery-general-assembly-speech-slams-global-institutions-and-aid?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Sep 2025 16:47:53 +0000 CNA CNA Singapore will reconsider its position on recognising a Palestinian state if the situation continues to deteriorate, or if Israel takes further steps to extinguish a two-state solution, Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan has said. Singapore has always supported a negotiated two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict. “We will recognise the State of Palestine when it has an effective government that accepts Israel’s right to exist and categorically renounces terrorism,”... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3326369/singapore-may-recognise-palestinian-state-only-under-certain-conditions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3326369/singapore-may-recognise-palestinian-state-only-under-certain-conditions?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Sep 2025 07:40:14 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa arrived in New York on Sunday to take part in the UN General Assembly, the first president of Syria to do so in nearly six decades. The last time a Syrian head of state attended the General Assembly was in 1967. That was before the 50-year rule of the Assad family dynasty, which came to an end in December when then-president Bashar al-Assad was ousted in a lightning insurgent offensive led by Sharaa. Assad’s fall also brought to an end nearly 14 years of civil... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3326324/syrian-president-arrives-us-un-general-assembly-first-time-nearly-60-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3326324/syrian-president-arrives-us-un-general-assembly-first-time-nearly-60-years?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Sep 2025 23:08:01 +0000 dpa dpa The Palestinian militant group Hamas on Thursday said it has distributed Israeli hostages across several districts of Gaza City. The organisation’s military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, said the Israeli offensive in the city will ensure that none of the hostages return to Israel. Hamas will have no regard for the lives of the abductees “as long as [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu decides to kill them”, the group added. It also threatened Israel’s military, saying it has “prepared... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3326052/hamas-says-israeli-hostages-spread-across-gaza-city-graveyard?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3326052/hamas-says-israeli-hostages-spread-across-gaza-city-graveyard?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Sep 2025 22:19:07 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The UN General Assembly voted Friday to back the “New York Declaration”, a resolution which seeks to breathe new life into the two-state solution between Israel and Palestine – without the involvement of Hamas. The text was adopted by 142 votes in favour, 10 against – including Israel and key ally the United States – and 12 abstentions. It clearly condemns Hamas and demands that it surrender its weapons. Although Israel has criticised UN bodies for nearly two years over their failure to condemn... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3325396/un-general-assembly-votes-hamas-free-palestinian-state?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3325396/un-general-assembly-votes-hamas-free-palestinian-state?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Sep 2025 15:51:23 +0000 Maria Fernanda Espinosa Maria Fernanda Espinosa Some 26 world leaders gathered in Beijing on September 3 for China’s military parade, a rare moment when the eyes of the world turn to a single event. This serves as a reminder that even amid geopolitical rivalry, leaders continue to seek opportunities to meet, discuss and pursue avenues of dialogue. In such moments, a question arises: how can the United Nations, the organisation created precisely to foster cooperation and prevent conflict, assert its relevance in the 21st century? Perhaps the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3324017/how-united-nations-80-can-still-make-itself-useful?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3324017/how-united-nations-80-can-still-make-itself-useful?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Sep 2025 21:30:10 +0000 Lub Bun Chong Lub Bun Chong This year marks the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II and the founding of the United Nations. Humanity learned with great pain that peace and security must coexist for all nations, and the vicious circle of war must not be repeated. In 1941, the United States imposed an oil embargo on Japan in response to its expansion in Asia and invasion of French Indochina. For the US and its allies, Japan’s militant aggression was a blatant violation of peace; for Japan, the embargo was... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3324197/ukraine-war-must-be-resolved-within-un-halls-not-battlefield?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3324197/ukraine-war-must-be-resolved-within-un-halls-not-battlefield?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Sep 2025 12:30:07 +0000 CNA CNA Singapore’s Coordinating Minister for National Security K Shanmugam said on Tuesday that the immediate recognition of a Palestinian state would not change the “facts on the ground” in favour of Palestinians and could likely harm them instead. His remarks came amid recent plans by Australia and G7 members Canada, France and the UK to recognise Palestine at the next United Nations General Assembly later this month. More than 140 out of 193 UN member states recognise a Palestinian state. The United... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3324052/recognition-likely-harm-palestinians-says-singapore-minister?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3324052/recognition-likely-harm-palestinians-says-singapore-minister?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Sep 2025 09:04:41 +0000 Rioberto Sidauruk Rioberto Sidauruk The world is in a state of geopolitical drift. The old unipolar order has fractured into a complex mosaic of competing interests and asymmetric power. From simmering US-China tensions to persistent regional conflicts in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the traditional architecture of global governance appears increasingly strained. The United Nations, the very institution designed to manage this complexity, often finds itself paralysed by vetoes and competing national agendas. A search for a... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3323538/indonesias-prabowo-poised-offer-world-new-pragmatic-road-map?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3323538/indonesias-prabowo-poised-offer-world-new-pragmatic-road-map?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 Aug 2025 22:30:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Sri Lanka’s jailed former president was rushed to intensive care at a state hospital on Saturday, a day after being charged with misusing government funds for foreign travel. Ranil Wickremesinghe, who was remanded in custody on Friday night, was severely dehydrated and required close monitoring, the deputy director general of Colombo National Hospital said. “He has to be closely observed and treated for acute dehydration to prevent serious complications,” Rukshan Bellana said. “He was a severe... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3322939/sri-lankas-ex-president-ranil-wickremesinghe-rushed-intensive-care-after-arrest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3322939/sri-lankas-ex-president-ranil-wickremesinghe-rushed-intensive-care-after-arrest?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 Aug 2025 14:16:41 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Thursday that France will recognise Palestine as a state, in a bold diplomatic move amid snowballing global anger over people starving in Gaza. Israel denounced the decision. Macron said in a post on social media that he will formalise the decision at the UN General Assembly in September. “The urgent thing today is that the war in Gaza stops and the civilian population is saved,” he wrote. The mostly symbolic move puts added diplomatic pressure on... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3319511/france-will-recognise-palestine-state-macron-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3319511/france-will-recognise-palestine-state-macron-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Jul 2025 20:14:29 +0000