For New Yorkers, the month of September is usually brings police checkpoints and gridlocked traffic as world leaders and their vast entourages descend on Manhattan for the United Nations General Assembly.
This year, the Covid-19 pandemic has kept presidents, princes and prime ministers away from the annual diplomatic gathering, sending pre-recorded videos and holding meetings online instead. Midtown East coffee shops are empty; the First Avenue thoroughfare is eerily quiet.
For many, this is a lost opportunity. The world is ravaged by a deadly virus, trade rows between the US and China are turning nasty, fighting or instability blight every region. At this crucial moment, statesmen are missing a chance to talk face-to-face with friends and foes alike.
Volkan Bozkir, a Turkish diplomat who became the UN General Assembly’s new president on Tuesday, lamented the loss of “person-to-person” chats with coffee mugs in quiet corridors where diplomats can put aside their talking points and “find compromises”.
“Nothing can replace this kind of communication,” Mr Bozkir said on Wednesday.
One world leader is bucking the trend. US President Donald Trump, a Republican who has repeatedly downplayed the virus and was loath to don a face mask, is expected to travel to Manhattan and speak in person at the UN’s marble dais.
This may not reflect Mr Trump’s support for multilateral bodies, which the president often derides as costly talk shops, but rather an effort to raise his profile among American voters while trailing in the polls before a November 3 presidential election.
The morning of September 22 will also feature video messages from Mr Trump’s counterparts from Russia, China, France, Iran and Turkey – Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Emmanuel Macron, Hassan Rouhani and Recep Tayyip Erdogan – among many others leaders.
Mr Trump and Mr Xi, who lead two of the world’s superpowers, may even trade barbs in the global spotlight. The US accuses China of being too secretive when the novel coronavirus emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan last year.
Beijing, which is fighting an increasingly bitter trade war with Washington, is widely viewed as making power plays at the UN and other multilateral bodies while Mr Trump’s America pulls back from its traditional leadership role.
Jonathan Cristol, a world affairs analyst at New York’s Adelphi University, described frustration at the UN over US efforts to scuttle the Iran nuclear deal, its decision to exit the World Health Organisation and for spending months rowing over the wording of a Security Council resolution on Covid-19.
"I worry that US-China tensions will return us to the paralysis we saw during the Cold War, with both sides reflexively opposing anything put forward by the other – the timing could not be worse for such counterproductive behaviour," Mr Cristol told The National.
“If China ends up making considerable diplomatic gains within the UN system, it will be because the US has decided to forfeit and play an entirely different game. It’s a risky approach that could leave Washington isolated and alone.”
Behind the scenes, diplomats and journalists will discuss whether Mr Trump will secure re-election in November and continue his go-it-alone foreign policy or if his Democratic rival Joe Biden will win and return the US to a more familiar course.
For UN officials, the week-long general debate is a chance to spotlight such global problems as poverty and corruption, scrapping nuclear weapons, boosting biodiversity and women’s rights and working together to beat Covid-19.
But world leaders often get sucked into political rows, meaning this year's conversation will likely be dominated by the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, US-China tensions and conflicts in Syria, Ukraine, Yemen and Libya that have dragged out for years.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Thursday urged countries to focus on the “number one global security threat” – the spread of a pandemic that is nearing the “grimmest of milestones” of one million deaths and 30 million infections.
The former prime minister of Portugal called for co-operation towards a “people’s vaccine” that is “affordable and available to all”. He also urged military chiefs throughout the world to cease fighting for the rest of 2020 to stop the virus from spreading across battlefields.
He praised “steps towards peace” in Sudan, where civilian and military leaders replaced a dictatorship last year, and in Afghanistan, where Taliban militants are talking to the government. The UAE-Israel peace accord has halted Israel’s threatened annexation of Palestinian land, he added.
But Mr Guterres also spoke of a global drift towards populist nationalism that was pushing the world backwards 75 years to “our own 1945 moment”. Leaders of the UN’s 193 members must “show solidarity and unity like never before to overcome today’s emergency,” he said.
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Coronavirus around the world
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
POWERWASH%20SIMULATOR
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Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: ten-speed
Power: 420bhp
Torque: 624Nm
Price: Dh325,125
On sale: Now
In numbers
1,000 tonnes of waste collected daily:
- 800 tonnes converted into alternative fuel
- 150 tonnes to landfill
- 50 tonnes sold as scrap metal
800 tonnes of RDF replaces 500 tonnes of coal
Two conveyor lines treat more than 350,000 tonnes of waste per year
25 staff on site
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPowertrain%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle%20electric%20motor%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E201hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E310Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E53kWh%20lithium-ion%20battery%20pack%20(GS%20base%20model)%3B%2070kWh%20battery%20pack%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETouring%20range%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E350km%20(GS)%3B%20480km%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh129%2C900%20(GS)%3B%20Dh149%2C000%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
A little about CVRL
Founded in 1985 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL) is a government diagnostic centre that provides testing and research facilities to the UAE and neighbouring countries.
One of its main goals is to provide permanent treatment solutions for veterinary related diseases.
The taxidermy centre was established 12 years ago and is headed by Dr Ulrich Wernery.
Race card
1.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,200m.
2.15pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,200m.
2.45pm: Handicap Dh95,000 1,200m.
3.15pm: Handicap Dh120,000 1,400m.
3.45pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,400m.
4.15pm: Handicap Dh90,000 1,800m.
4.45pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,950m.
The National selections:
1.45pm: Galaxy Road – So Hi Speed
2.15pm: Majestic Thunder – Daltrey
2.45pm: Call To War – Taamol
3.15pm: Eqtiraan - Bochart
3.45pm: Kidd Malibu – Initial
4.15pm: Arroway – Arch Gold
4.35pm: Compliance - Muqaatil
ON%20TRACK
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Key recommendations
- Fewer criminals put behind bars and more to serve sentences in the community, with short sentences scrapped and many inmates released earlier.
- Greater use of curfews and exclusion zones to deliver tougher supervision than ever on criminals.
- Explore wider powers for judges to punish offenders by blocking them from attending football matches, banning them from driving or travelling abroad through an expansion of ‘ancillary orders’.
- More Intensive Supervision Courts to tackle the root causes of crime such as alcohol and drug abuse – forcing repeat offenders to take part in tough treatment programmes or face prison.
Total eligible population
About 57.5 million people
51.1 million received a jab
6.4 million have not
Where are the unvaccinated?
England 11%
Scotland 9%
Wales 10%
Northern Ireland 14%
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
NYBL PROFILE
Company name: Nybl
Date started: November 2018
Founder: Noor Alnahhas, Michael LeTan, Hafsa Yazdni, Sufyaan Abdul Haseeb, Waleed Rifaat, Mohammed Shono
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Software Technology / Artificial Intelligence
Initial investment: $500,000
Funding round: Series B (raising $5m)
Partners/Incubators: Dubai Future Accelerators Cohort 4, Dubai Future Accelerators Cohort 6, AI Venture Labs Cohort 1, Microsoft Scale-up
The Bio
Favourite place in UAE: Al Rams pearling village
What one book should everyone read: Any book written before electricity was invented. When a writer willingly worked under candlelight, you know he/she had a real passion for their craft
Your favourite type of pearl: All of them. No pearl looks the same and each carries its own unique characteristics, like humans
Best time to swim in the sea: When there is enough light to see beneath the surface
England-South Africa Test series
1st Test England win by 211 runs at Lord's, London
2nd Test South Africa win by 340 runs at Trent Bridge, Nottingham
3rd Test July 27-31 at The Oval, London
4th Test August 4-8 at Old Trafford, Manchester
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
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