Sean's Daily News Digest
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4 updates·since 21 Sep 2026
China pushes back against US on Iran and Cuba at UNGA
The story so farRussia's and Germany's foreign ministers met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on Saturday in the first such talks since before Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, according to Reuters. China's Vice-President Han Zheng pushed back against the United States in China's UN General Assembly speech, arguing that sovereignty of countries in the Gulf should be respected — an implicit rebuke of US pressure on Iran — and also pushing back on US policy toward Cuba, without mentioning the US by name. President Trump predicted on Saturday that the US and Cuba will reach a deal and that he does not think military action will be necessary.
Still watching
- What did Trump and Rodríguez agree to regarding Venezuelan elections, and will any sanctions relief be tied to electoral commitments?
- Will Trump's prediction of a US-Cuba deal lead to formal negotiations, and what terms is the US seeking?
- What specific agreements or commitments, if any, emerged from the first Russia-Germany foreign minister talks since 2022, and will they affect the Ukraine peace process?
- Which countries' delegations walked out during Netanyahu's speech, and what formal statements have they issued?
- What specific policy changes, if any, will result from the wave of delegate walkouts and large-scale protests against Netanyahu at UNGA?
- How will Netanyahu's public attack on Mayor Mamdani and other critics affect US-Israel relations ahead of the Israeli election?
How it developed
China pushes back against US on Iran and Cuba at UNGA
- Russia's and Germany's foreign ministers met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on Saturday in the first such talks since before Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, according to Reuters.
- China's Vice-President Han Zheng pushed back against the United States in China's UN General Assembly speech, arguing that sovereignty of countries in the Gulf should be respected — an implicit rebuke of US pressure on Iran — and also pushing back on US policy toward Cuba, without mentioning the US by name.
- President Trump predicted on Saturday that the US and Cuba will reach a deal and that he does not think military action will be necessary.
UNGA Day Three walkouts, crises and Netanyahu speech controversies
- Dozens of delegates walked out of the UN General Assembly hall at the start of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech on Thursday, with Netanyahu responding by calling those who left 'moral cowards.'
- Netanyahu delivered a defiant UN speech dismissing genocide allegations in Gaza as 'the biggest lie of the century,' touting Israel's war in Iran, and attacking Qatar and Turkey, while also dismissing Syrian President al-Sharaa's claim to the Golan Heights.
- Netanyahu singled out New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani in his UN address, calling him 'the antisemitic mayor of New York,' to which Mamdani responded by accusing Netanyahu of spreading 'baseless lies.'
Trump speech at UN General Assembly 2026
- The UN General Assembly's annual general debate opened on September 22, with all 193 member states invited to address the body; UN Secretary-General António Guterres delivered opening remarks in his final such address before his term ends December 31.
- French President Emmanuel Macron described his pre-UNGA talks with Trump in New York on Monday as 'very constructive,' saying they covered the conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, including ideas for a Ukraine-Russia energy moratorium.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to meet Trump at the UN to press for an energy truce with Russia — a ceasefire on attacks targeting energy infrastructure — as a potential step toward broader peace.
UN General Assembly 2026 annual session
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