UN leaders confront war, AI risks, and climate shocks at annual meeting

World leaders gather at the United Nations this week under a cloud of wars and divisions, facing new fears that runaway artificial intelligence could threaten humanity while climate shocks and rising prices worsen life for hundreds of millions. The annual General Assembly meeting will focus on major conflicts in Iran, Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, Congo and Myanmar, with leaders questioning whether they can end them. The future of the U.N. itself is on the agenda, as its 193 members have agreed to a reform package updating institutions like the Security Council, though implementation remains difficult. About 130 heads of state will speak, including U.S. President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron, while China's Xi Jinping, Russia's Vladimir Putin and India's Narendra Modi are absent. The U.N. faces financial troubles after the U.S. paid $725 million in dues, and Secretary-General Antonio Guterres prepares for his final assembly meeting.