UN chief urges cooperation in final address as world leaders gather

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres made his final address to the General Assembly on Tuesday, urging world leaders to embrace "a world built on interdependence" amid widening global crises, including wars, climate change, and artificial intelligence risks. Guterres warned that "fault lines in our world are widening" and rebuked might-makes-right thinking, telling superpowers their military power alone cannot secure peace. His speech opened the annual gathering of 193 member nations, with wars in Iran, Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, Congo, and Myanmar topping the agenda. The meeting comes as the U.N. faces financial strain from unpaid U.S. arrears and reform debates over Security Council veto power. Notable absences include China's Xi Jinping and Russia's Vladimir Putin, while U.S. President Donald Trump offered a contrasting vision, touting American strength and criticizing the U.N.'s "globalist" agenda.