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Gone quiet · last update Sep 27, 2026 / United Nations

The 2026 UN General Assembly in New York and the leaders' speeches

Overview · reviewed October 28, 2026

World leaders gathered in New York in late September 2026 for the annual United Nations General Assembly, meeting under a cloud of wars and bitter divisions.[1] President Donald Trump used his address to threaten Iran with annihilation if it refused a deal, prompting a walkout by Cuba's delegation,[2][3] and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called accusations of in Gaza "the biggest lie of the century" as protesters were arrested outside.[4][5] Fact-checkers found Trump's speech full of misleading or exaggerated claims.[6]

Read the timeline

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President Donald Trump used his address to threaten Iran with annihilation if it refused a deal, prompting a walkout by Cuba's delegation,[2][3] and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called accusations of in Gaza "the biggest lie of the century" as protesters were arrested outside.[4][5] Fact-checkers found Trump's speech full of misleading or exaggerated claims.[6]

Coverage over time

Share of tracked outlets · weekly (UTC)

Week of 2026-09-14 (UTC): 7%, 35 of 480 tracked outlets (7 left, 12 center, 16 right)Week of 2026-09-21 (UTC): 26%, 124 of 479 tracked outlets (33 left, 53 center, 38 right)Week of 2026-09-28 (UTC): 1%, 3 of 476 tracked outlets (0 left, 1 center, 2 right)Week of 2026-10-05 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-10-12 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-10-19 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-10-26 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-11-02 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-11-09 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outlets, so far

LeftCenterRightLighter bar: this week so far

Each bar is the share of the outlets on our Left / Center / Right rating scale that we tracked publishing that week which carried reporting on this story, split by the outlets' ratings. We track more outlets now than in the archive, so a share keeps earlier and later weeks comparable. An outlet counts once a week however much it published, and outlets in one ownership or syndication group count as one on each side they appear on. A rating describes the outlet, not the report. A gap means no such reports were collected that week, not that nothing was reported anywhere. Weeks run Monday to Sunday in UTC, so a report published on a Sunday evening in US Eastern time counts in the next week. 13 more outlets off the scale (not rated, or outside the left-right graphs) also reported; they are not in this chart. See them.

Weekly counts, outlets and reports (3 weeks with coverage)
Outlets on the rating scale that carried this story each week, of the outlets tracked that week, newest first
Week of (UTC)LeftCenterRightOf trackedShareReceipts
Sep 28, 20260123 of 4761%
Sep 21, 2026335338124 of 47926%
Sep 14, 20267121635 of 4807%

Latest coverage

The newest reporting in this story's record.

  1. Sep 27, 2026 · first reported · Headline from WHEC Rochester

    UN speakers’ go-to quotes: Ancient texts, modern greats and a little Talking Heads

Background

Ahead of the gathering, the General Assembly voted to let Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas address it,[7] and he delivered prerecorded remarks from Ramallah.[8] Trump met British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines,[9][10] and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he would meet Trump that week.[11] On the first day, Trump framed the US as the conqueror of Venezuela and promoted his own record,[2] and opening day also brought tightened security and a suspicious package.[12]

Other leaders spoke to their own conflicts. Zelensky urged the world to keep choking off Russia's revenues,[13] Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called Gaza the world's largest graveyard for children,[14] and Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa said the Golan Heights would remain Syrian.[15] Argentina's Javier Milei restated his country's claim to the Falkland Islands and called the UN useless,[16][17] Venezuela's acting president spoke for the first time since coming to power,[18] and Nepal's prime minister appealed for help after deadly floods.[19] Netanyahu said attacking Iran had been "one of the easiest decisions" he had made,[20] and more than 100 protesters were arrested near the UN before his speech; the actors Hannah Einbinder and Susan Sarandon were among those detained protesting his visit.[5][21]

Supporting stories (21)
  1. War, runaway AI and climate shocks to take center stage as world leaders meet at UN
  2. 5 takeaways from Trump’s whirlwind day at UN General Assembly
  3. ‘Freedom is coming to Cuba,’ Trump tells General Assembly at the United Nations
  4. Israel’s Netanyahu, at UN, calls accusations of genocide in Gaza ‘the biggest lie of the century’
  5. Police arrest actors, politicians protesting against Netanyahu
  6. Fact check: Trump’s false claims to the United Nations
  7. Trump administration again denies visas for Palestinian delegation to attend the UN General Assembly
  8. Palestinian president, again denied a visa to speak at UN, addresses leaders on prerecorded video
  9. Andy Burnham seeks common ground with Trump at the UN and pitches the UK as a major AI player
  10. Trump to meet Macron in New York before UN General Assembly
  11. Zelenskyy, Trump meet at UN
  12. New York City gridlock: Security beefed up at UN this year for General Assembly
  13. Zelenskyy, at UN, urges leaders to keep choking Russia's revenues and impede its war efforts
  14. Netanyahu Calls Countries Hypocritical Over Iran Strikes
  15. Golan will remain Syrian, vows President al-Sharaa at UN
  16. Milei renews Argentina’s Falklands claim at the UN, urging a "peaceful solution"
  17. Javier Milei Blasts U.N. as 'Useless,' 'Arrogant Parasites' at General Assembly
  18. Venezuela's acting leader, at UN for first address, praises Trump for 'readiness' to resume ties
  19. Nepal's leader, at UN, says recent floods serve as a 'warning to the world' about climate change
  20. Israel's Netanyahu says at U.N. that attacking Iran was 'one of the easiest decisions' he's ever made
  21. Susan Sarandon, Hannah Einbinder among celebrities arrested outside U.N. headquarters

The full record

Each date is when an update was first reported.

All 33 recorded updates

September 2026

  1. UN speakers’ go-to quotes: Ancient texts, modern greats and a little Talking HeadsHeadline from MyNorthwest · 5 outlets
  2. German, Russian foreign ministers have rare meeting at UNHeadline from MyNorthwest · 14 outlets
  3. From hiding in bomb shelters to visiting New York, Iran’s leaders seize the opportunityHeadline from KVIA El Paso · 8 outlets
  4. Nepal's leader, at UN, says recent floods serve as a 'warning to the world' about climate changeHeadline from WFMZ Allentown · 10 outlets
  5. Israel must win 'because we’ve got no other choice’, PM Netanyahu tells UNHeadline from France 24 · 3 outlets
  6. Israel's Netanyahu says at U.N. that attacking Iran was 'one of the easiest decisions' he's ever madeHeadline from Pittsburgh Post-Gazette · 7 outlets
  7. Susan Sarandon, Hannah Einbinder among celebrities arrested outside U.N. headquartersHeadline from FOX 8 Cleveland · 29 outlets
  8. Palestinian president, again denied a visa to speak at UN, addresses leaders on prerecorded videoHeadline from KOB 4 · 9 outlets
  9. Israel’s Netanyahu, at UN, calls accusations of genocide in Gaza ‘the biggest lie of the century’Headline from KOB 4 · 11 outlets
  10. Police arrest actors, politicians protesting against NetanyahuHeadline from Honolulu Star-Advertiser · 21 outlets
  11. Venezuela's acting leader, at UN for first address, praises Trump for 'readiness' to resume tiesHeadline from Philadelphia Inquirer · 7 outlets
  12. Javier Milei Blasts U.N. as 'Useless,' 'Arrogant Parasites' at General AssemblyHeadline from Breitbart News · 5 outlets
  13. Zelenskyy, at UN, urges leaders to keep choking Russia's revenues and impede its war effortsHeadline from Philadelphia Inquirer · 8 outlets
  14. Golan will remain Syrian, vows President al-Sharaa at UNHeadline from Al-Monitor · 2 outlets
  15. New York City gridlock: Security beefed up at UN this year for General AssemblyHeadline from Bangor Daily News · 6 outlets
  16. Milei renews Argentina’s Falklands claim at the UN, urging a "peaceful solution"Headline from Philadelphia Inquirer · 10 outlets
  17. A nation renamed stands up at the UN: ‘Say our name. Naoero.’Headline from MyNorthwest · 4 outlets
  18. They said it: Leaders at the UN, in their own wordsHeadline from Philadelphia Inquirer · 2 outlets
  19. 5 takeaways from Trump’s whirlwind day at UN General AssemblyHeadline from The Hill · 3 outlets
  20. Fact check: Trump’s false claims to the United NationsHeadline from KEYT Santa Barbara · 13 outlets
  21. ‘Freedom is coming to Cuba,’ Trump tells General Assembly at the United NationsHeadline from Tampa Bay Times · 10 outlets
  22. Netanyahu Calls Countries Hypocritical Over Iran StrikesHeadline from Independent Journal Review · 1 outlet
  23. Is it ‘killer robots’ or ‘super intelligence’? At the UN, leaders see bothHeadline from Bangor Daily News · 6 outlets
  24. Netanyahu slams critics, Mamdani, in defiant speech as UN delegates walk outHeadline from Phl17 · 63 outlets
  25. Trump to meet Macron in New York before UN General AssemblyHeadline from France 24 · 3 outlets

Coverage & sources

Read the reports, see how much was collected over time, or compare outlets by political leaning.

Coverage & sources →