Middle East crisis live: Trump says Iran deal will be signed today but Tehran casts doubt on timing

• Chinese President Xi Jinping called for international cooperation and an end to power politics during this month's Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. • Xi stated that most countries do not want conflict or confrontation and instead seek an equal place on the world stage through their own development.

• The United Nations is facing severe operational dysfunction as world leaders gather in New York for the annual General Assembly high-level week. • Veto-wielding powers including China, Russia, and the United States have blocked the Security Council from acting on conflicts in Ukraine, Iran, Myanmar, and Sudan.

• President Donald Trump is considering new demands from Iran to end a conflict that has lasted seven months. • Trump returned from Camp David on Saturday before his scheduled address to the General Assembly on Tuesday.

• Iran issued a warning of severe retaliation against the United States and its allies after claiming to have intelligence about an impending attack. • Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf stated that the country must continue fighting and negotiating to push back enemies and consolidate gains.

• Middle powers are focusing their influence on the United Nations and the prevention of mass atrocities to stabilize a multi-directional world. • Various UN General Assembly and Human Rights Council resolutions are currently targeting the revitalization of the UN system to make it more coherent.

• World leaders are returning to the United Nations for an assembly featuring potential high-level Security Council meetings on Ukraine, the Middle East, and artificial intelligence. • AI industry leaders recently called for a coordinated slowdown of technology development to prevent systems from improving on their own and escaping human control.

• Israeli security forces are preparing extensive operations in the West Bank following a deadly shooting attack at a local spring. • National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has demanded that the terrorist responsible for the attack be executed.

• The UAE is advancing international peace and stability efforts through a combination of diplomacy, dialogue, and humanitarian action. • The government is prioritizing conflict prevention and the protection of civilians to resolve existing global crises.

• A UN commission of inquiry recently accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza while the organization struggled to maintain its global influence. • Donald Trump’s Board of Peace has effectively pushed the UN into a bystander role during current international conflicts.

• UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on world leaders this Sunday to prioritize peace, dignity, justice, and humanity. • The appeal comes as leaders prepare to gather in New York for the United Nations General Assembly, which will be Guterres' final assembly as Secretary-General.

• World leaders are returning to the United Nations assembly to address ongoing wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. • The 80-year-old organization is currently facing a combined crisis of morale and finance alongside questions regarding its next leader.

Intergenerational report predicts that in four decades’ time, more Australians will be dying than being born each yearLabor says better investment in early childhood education and care, such as a possible move to universal access for families, is a better way to address Australia’s declining birthrate, rejecting the need for a new “baby bonus”.Monday’s intergenerational report showed that more Australians will be dying than being born in 40 years’ time, a milestone already experienced by countries including South Korea, Italy, Germany and Japan. Continue reading...