World Leaders Meet Under Shadow Of Global Division

September 24, 2024 4:59 am

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — World leaders will open their annual meeting at the U.N. General Assembly under the shadow of increasing global divisions, major wars in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan, and the threat of an even larger conflict in the wider Middle East. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres previewed his opening “State of the World” speech to presidents, prime ministers, monarchs and ministers at Sunday’s “Summit of the Future,” saying “our world is heading off the rails — and we need tough decisions to get back on track.” One notable moment at Tuesday’s opening assembly meeting: U.S. President Joe Biden’s likely final major appearance on the world stage, a platform he has tread upon and reveled in for decades.