The Middle East will again be a focus of discussions at the UN this week, as the US-Israeli war on Iran continues to drive global inflation and destabilize the region. 

Australian leader Anthony Albanese said Sunday he was seeking big tech backing for his country's child online safety laws and greater AI regulation, after meeting former Apple CEO Tim Cook in California.

US President Donald Trump said in a social media post on Saturday that he plans to appoint a new artificial intelligence adviser, known as an "AI czar," and create an "AI force," though he did not provide details about either initiative or how they would be implemented.

The head of United Nations peacekeepers in Lebanon said on Saturday it was critical to ensure other UN agencies and Lebanese troops could assume the tasks carried out by the force before it begins withdrawing at the end of this year.

The White House on Saturday denied access to journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico, following through with US President Donald Trump's announcement that he would ban them from the building's grounds.

Denmark and Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory, both hailed the agreement and said they would sign it on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the US next week.

The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen's Houthis said Saturday that the Iran-backed group fired a ballistic missile at Riyadh at dawn, after a fire broke out near the Saudi capital's international airport.

The move by Trump drew immediate accusations that it was unconstitutional and would be thrown out by the courts, while the impacted news outlets said they would not be cowed.

The alerts come hours after the Houthis' military spokesperson said the group had foiled unspecified "criminal attempts" in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, blaming Saudi Arabia and vowing a response.

Southeast Asia is caught between competing AI initiatives Pax Silica and WAICO.

The United States, Denmark and Greenland have entered into an agreement for the US to develop a significant military presence on Greenland, while prohibiting US adversaries from building their own bases on the island, Donald Trump said on Friday.

Malaysia has offered three helicopters, an aircraft and 52 personnel to help put out the wildfires, Prabowo said in a statement after meeting Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi at his house on the outskirts of Jakarta.

The advance by the Houthis militants deepens US President Donald Trump’s problems.

Prabowo’s decision to skip the gathering has drawn attention from analysts, given his regular participation in international forums and the opportunities the UNGA offers for direct engagement with world leaders.

Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis exchanged fresh strikes across their border on Thursday and Yemenis took to boats in the Red Sea to escape fighting, as the spreading Middle East war created new threats to global oil supplies.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen set out a sweeping plan to keep children safe from online dangers on Thursday, proposing to ban under-13s from social media and require online services to design safe children's accounts.

Jakarta’s latest bid comes amid a particularly challenging period for the UN’s most powerful body, which has faced mounting criticism over its inability to respond promptly and decisively to major global crises.

The health sector will receive 40 percent of the funding to help with the development of supporting infrastructure, such as diagnostics and treatment tools, as well as new medicines and vaccines.

Rivers worldwide experienced one of their driest years in decades in 2025, the UN World Meteorological Organization said on Thursday, reflecting declining water storage across the Earth's surface and raising concerns about future supplies.

The two countries established ties in 2020 as part of the US-led Abraham Accords, under which several Arab states normalised relations with Israel.

US lawmakers approved broad new sanctions designed to squeeze Russia over its war in Ukraine on Wednesday, sending the legislation to President Donald Trump after months of delay.

The survey, commissioned by the Rockefeller Foundation and conducted in 34 countries from July 21 to August 5, reflected a grim view of economic developments and security challenges, with nearly 70% saying the world had gotten worse over the past year.

Dong's comments at the Beijing Xiangshan Forum on security come at a time of roiling regional tension over China-claimed Taiwan and the disputed South China Sea waterway, as doubt grows over traditional US security commitments to Asia.

Fresh fighting between the Iran-backed Houthis and Saudi-backed Yemeni government has dragged in Riyadh, with the Houthis declaring a maritime blockade on the kingdom and targeting its ships in the Red Sea.

"We believe that space must be free of any weapon," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

The United States is facing a shortfall in ammunition as a result of its war against Iran, the Defense Department's inspector general confirmed Monday, contrasting with President Donald Trump's assertions of full stocks.

Thailand accused Cambodia on Tuesday of "playing the role of a victim" in a dispute over maritime resources, as the Southeast Asian neighbors brought their long-standing feud before international mediators.