World

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu defended his country’s military operations in the Middle East during his UN General Assembly address, but several delegations walked out before he took the podium, according to BBC and other outlets. The walkout highlights persistent disagreements between Israel and multiple states over post-war Gaza arrangements and regional military activity, deepening divisions inside the multilateral forum.

President Trump is hosting a state dinner at the White House for visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping, with sea bass as the main course and chiefs of Apple, Google, Nvidia, Meta and other major tech firms on the guest list, according to AP and other outlets. Held against the backdrop of great-power competition and the AI race, the dinner is being framed as a high-level diplomatic moment for both sides to negotiate on trade tensions, Taiwan, and AI governance.

The New York Times reports that a corruption scandal involving high-level political figures is significantly reshaping the competitive landscape of Brazil’s presidential election, materially affecting the approval ratings and coalition structures of major candidates and prompting renewed domestic and international discussion of the resilience of Brazil’s democratic system.

The Guardian reports that Danish intelligence agencies have issued a public warning that Russia is expected to significantly escalate hybrid warfare operations against NATO allies in the coming months, covering cyberattacks, disinformation, and critical-infrastructure disruption, putting European security under renewed pressure.

The Washington Post reports that US President Trump welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping at a Washington airport with an unusually personal ceremony; the two leaders agreed to extend their trade truce but left structural differences on AI safety and Taiwan unresolved.

AP News reports that Ukrainian President Zelenskyy announced Ukraine has transferred two captured North Korean soldiers to South Korea, an unusual diplomatic move at the intersection of inter-Korean relations and the Russia-Ukraine war.

CBS News reports that Iran’s president publicly labeled US military strikes against Iran as cowardly, prompting US President Trump to threaten annihilation in a sharp exchange that has escalated Middle East tensions further.

Poland’s government said on 23 September 2026 that a Russian military helicopter briefly violated Polish airspace, remaining in Polish skies for about 42 seconds. As a NATO member, Poland scrambled its fighter jets in response. The incident comes against the backdrop of persistent tensions in European security and heightened NATO vigilance along the eastern flank.

On 23 September 2026, Ethiopia’s federal government and the Tigray regional authorities traded accusations of initiating military offensives, sharply escalating tensions. Tigrayan authorities said they had seized control of two regional airports and accused the federal military of carrying out drone strikes; the federal government rejected the claims and said Tigrayan forces had broken the ceasefire framework first. International organisations warned of the risk of a renewed full-scale war in the Horn of Africa.

On 23 September 2026, a New York court sentenced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein to 15 years in prison for sex crimes, ending a six-year legal saga marked by multiple appeals and retrials. The ruling is widely viewed as a symbolic milestone in how the US justice system treats powerful figures accused of sexual abuse. Multiple victims addressed the court, describing the lasting impact on their lives and sense of safety. The sentencing reverberated across Hollywood and the wider United States, becoming a defining case in the national reckoning with power, accountability and judicial remedy.