united nations
Pope warns a ‘paradise of machines’ could undermine humanity as he opens France trip
PARIS | Pope Leo XIV warned Friday that a “paradise of machines” risked undermining humanity as he opened a trip to France by posing fundamental questions about what it means to be human in the age of artificial intelligence, a nuclear arms race and other threats to life itself. Leo raised existential concerns about scientific […]
Trump signs US-Denmark-Greenland agreement to bolster Arctic security after prolonged tensions
UNITED NATIONS | President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed an agreement with Denmark and Greenland aimed at strengthening Arctic and North Atlantic security, paving the way for more U.S. bases in Greenland and easing tensions over his repeated calls for the vast island to become part of the United States. The signing on the sidelines […]
Trump returns to UN at a moment of anxiety about Iran, AI and the future of the world body itself
UNITED NATIONS | President Donald Trump is set to address the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday at a tumultuous moment for the world — and for his presidency. The global economy has been shaken by his decision to launch a war against Iran. Anxiety about the social impact being wrought by artificial intelligence is surging. […]
UN leaders’ meeting convenes with secretary-general calling for ‘world built on interdependence’
UNITED NATIONS | U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres pleaded for “a world built on interdependence” as he made his final address Tuesday to a yearly gathering of world leaders convening to face a formidable menu of challenges — from climate change and war to inequality and artificial intelligence. The U.N. leader has long implored leaders not […]
Defending the Iran war, Trump tells UN he must decide whether to ‘annihilate’ Islamic Republic
UNITED NATIONS | President Donald Trump returned to the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday at a tumultuous moment for the world — and for his presidency — and made the case that he’s shown fortitude while other leaders have equivocated as he defended his decision to start a war with Iran. But Trump also suggested […]
Preparing to leave office, with world beset by problems, UN chief talks of a way forward
UNITED NATIONS | The world is deeply divided and the U.N.’s most powerful body is paralyzed when it comes to ending conflicts. But there’s a way forward. So says the United Nations’ top official. On his way out of office at year’s end after nearly a decade, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres — known for doom-and-gloom […]
War, runaway AI and climate shocks to take center stage as world leaders meet at UN
UNITED NATIONS | Under a global cloud of wars and bitter divisions, world leaders meet at the United Nations this week facing new fears that runaway artificial intelligence could threaten humanity even as climate shocks and escalating prices are already making life much tougher for hundreds of millions of people. The annual high-level gathering at […]
Former Syrian official convicted of torture under Assad sentenced to 60 years in US prison
LOS ANGELES | A former Syrian military official convicted of torturing prisoners during the rule of former President Bashar Assad was sentenced Thursday to 60 years in a U.S. prison after a federal judge recounted the “unimaginably cruel” details of his abuse. A jury in March found Samir Ousman Alsheikh guilty on all six counts […]
UN-backed experts cite possible US war crimes in Iran strikes
GENEVA | Human rights experts commissioned by the U.N.’s top human rights body say they have found “reasonable grounds” to believe the United States committed war crimes in two strikes in Iran, including on a school in the southern city of Minab. They also accuse Iran’s theocratic government of carrying out crimes against humanity against […]
Gates Foundation warns AI could widen inequality as foundation pledges $1B to expand access
NEW YORK | Bill Gates is warning technology companies and world leaders that they must act now to ensure artificial intelligence combats social inequities rather than deepening disparities — and his foundation is pledging $1 billion to improve access. The Microsoft co-founder made the appeal in the Gates Foundation’s annual Goalkeepers report, which tracks progress […]