Two world views emerged from the UN General Assembly chamber on Tuesday – and they could not be more different.
One, led by the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, called for strengthening multilateralism, combating climate change and ensuring the dignity of every human.
The second, from American President Donald Trump, touted "patriotism over globalism", protecting sovereignty and "principled realism".
The marked contrast between Mr Guterres and Mr Trump at the 73rd session of the assembly reflect a schism that exacerbates global challenges. Globalisation, which Mr Guterres champions, no longer enjoys a consensus of support on the world stage.
Member nations of the international community are faced with even greater choices on the pursuit of collective action as compared with national security interests.
While Mr Guterres made the need to combat climate change a pinnacle of his speech, Mr Trump failed to mention it. He used his platform on the world stage to attack global institutions such as the International Criminal Court and the UN Human Rights Council, along with systems of international trade.
In attacking the court, Mr Trump said that he “will never surrender America’s sovereignty to an unelected, unaccountable, global bureaucracy”. There are many countries, including Israel, who have taken a similar line in the past.
However, the danger here is that having a country with the importance of the US de-legitimising the ICC can lead to the end of the court, without any alternative in its place.
Mr Guterres, who often speaks of his pride at being a “migrant”, a Portuguese former prime minister who worked in Geneva and now works in New York, stands in marked contrast to Mr Trump.
Yesterday, the American president announced a new position on migration for the US – once a land of migrants – calling on people to stay in their nations and “make their countries great again”, a play on his own campaign slogan of “Make America Great Again”.
A strongly isolationist America is new for the UN. In its 73 years, the world body has benefited from the US as a key member championing globalisation and international organisations – often to its own benefit and sometimes to the frustration of other states.
In fairness, many of the criticisms that Mr Trump levelled are voiced discreetly behind closed doors. Mr Guterres has repeatedly called for reforms but the pace of progress remains too slow.
In his haste to see changes happening, Mr Trump was clear that he is adopting his own sovereign policies and others will either have to follow suit or get out of the way.
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Read more coverage from the UN General Assembly:
Trump puts Iran's regional aggression at centre of UNGA speech
UN chief Antonio Guterres urges world leaders to promote global co-operation
Emmanuel Macron's foreign limelight is an escape from darkness at home
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In the long term, Mr Trump and Mr Guterres need each other to achieve their goals. They both addressed the need to resolve the Syrian and Yemeni crises, two issues on which the UN is leading.
For Mr Trump’s position on Iran to work, he will need international co-operation. His chairing of the UN Security Council today on non-proliferation is geared towards finding international backing.
Likewise, reforming the UN and influencing peacekeeping requires the Secretary General to play an active, enabled role.
Mr Guterres and Mr Trump are close to completing their second year in office. Mr Trump has two left in his first term, while Mr Guterres has three. Both will probably seek a second term. In short, they are both here to stay. It is necessary that with time, they find ways of working together.
Of course, diplomatic niceties can help future co-operation. After their speeches yesterday, Mr Trump addressed his host at a lunch, unexpectedly saying: “Mr Secretary General, I’d like to commend you on the job you’re doing at the UN.”
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Other key dates
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Finals draw: December 2
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Finals (including semi-finals and third-placed game): June 5–9, 2019
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Euro 2020 play-off draw: November 22, 2019
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Euro 2020 play-offs: March 26–31, 2020
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre V6
Power: 295hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 355Nm at 5,200rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km
Price: Dh179,999-plus
On sale: now
The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz E 300 Cabriolet
Price, base / as tested: Dh275,250 / Dh328,465
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder
Power: 245hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm @ 1,300rpm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.0L / 100km
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The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Company profile
Company name: Suraasa
Started: 2018
Founders: Rishabh Khanna, Ankit Khanna and Sahil Makker
Based: India, UAE and the UK
Industry: EdTech
Initial investment: More than $200,000 in seed funding
