UN assembly opens with wars, AI risks, and climate crises on agenda

World leaders gather at the UN General Assembly this week to address wars, runaway AI risks, and climate shocks, amid questions about their ability to end major conflicts. The annual meeting opens Tuesday with some 130 heads of state expected to speak. Key speakers include US President Donald Trump, France's Emmanuel Macron, Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and Iran's Masoud Pezeshkian, while China's Xi Jinping and Russia's Vladimir Putin are absent. The UN faces financial strain and reform pressure, with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' term ending December 31. The Security Council added a high-level AI meeting to its agenda, reflecting growing concerns about the technology's unchecked advancement. The UN has been sidelined in resolving major conflicts, though the US paid $725 million in dues, signaling continued membership.