UNGA 2026 Live Updates: Zelenskyy Speaks At UN General Assembly, Targets Putin In Opening Salvo

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Harvey Weinstein sentenced to 15 years in prison for sexual assault

Assault survivor Miriam Haley said the "devastating effect on my life and sense of security that may never go away".

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Iran president accuses Trump of 'bullying mentality,' vows no surrender

UNITED NATIONS — Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused U.S. President Donald Trump of a "bullying mentality" at the United Nations on Wednesday, saying Iran would not surrender in the war with the U.S. but remained open to diplomacy to end the conflict. In a wartime address to the 193-member UN General Assembly, Pezeshkian said threats would only harden Iran's resolve, rejecting Trump's warning that he could annihilate Iran if no deal were reached. "The remarks made by the U.S. president yesterday ... are a sign of a bullying mentality. ... The Iranian people will not bow to pressure. ... Those who are terrorists and train terrorists call us terrorists," he said, referring to Trump's description of Iran as the world's leading sponsor of terrorism. Several times during his speech, Pezeshkian said Iran was ready to resolve tensions with the United States through negotiations, but warned that Tehran would not accept the language of force. The United States delegation walked out at the start of Pezeshkian's speech. The U.S. mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to

US announces implementation plan with S. Korea, Japan for SMR deployments

WASHINGTON — The United States on Wednesday announced an implementation plan to support a trilateral cooperation arrangement with South Korea and Japan on the deployment of small modular reactors (SMRs) in third countries, as the countries step up cooperation to meet growing global energy demands. The State Department made the announcement on the margins of the U.N. General Assembly in New York, after South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi signed a memorandum of cooperation (MOC) on civil nuclear energy during their talks in Ankara in July. The department did not elaborate on the implementation plan. "The MOC and Implementation Plan support our mutual security interests by setting out an ambitious agenda in pursuit of SMR fleet deployment to meet growing global energy demands," the department said in a media note. The department took note of the recent signing of a key industry initiative that establishes a cooperation framework among four companies from South Korea, the U.S., Japan and Poland -- GE Ve

Lee pledges to double chip output in 5 yrs, build AI supply chains free of disruption

NEW YORK — South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Wednesday unveiled an ambitious plan to double his country's semiconductor production capacity and secure artificial intelligence (AI) supply chains free from external shocks, calling for fresh U.S. investments in the country. Lee made the remarks at the Korea Investment Summit in New York, attended by financial and corporate leaders from both South Korea and the United States, to promote U.S. investment in South Korea. The president referred to the country's "three megaprojects" launched earlier this year to build a chip projection cluster and other AI facilities, adding that the country "will double semiconductor production capabilities within the next five years by expanding a chip production hub." "Additionally, (we) will build critical AI supply chains that are not shaken by any shocks," he said. The president highlighted that Seoul is reinvesting "results" from the AI chip boom to create a new "Future Fund" designed to nurture related industrial infrastructure and talent to ensure stable support for future industries. He also pled

As 5% Treasury yields lose shock value, investors start worrying about 6%

LONDON — For years, 5 percent on the benchmark U.S. 10-year Treasury yield was viewed as the point at which global financial markets would start hitting turbulence. That threshold is beginning to look less like a ceiling and more like a waypoint. This month's breach of 5 percent - something that has happened only briefly in recent decades - has forced investors to contemplate an unsettling question: What if 6 percent is the new number that should be keeping them awake at night? The latest move above 5 percent has not lasted long enough yet to properly test that theory. But it has always been a psychological marker rather than an automatic tripwire, according to BlueBay Asset Management's head of market strategy, Mike Bell. "People think of it as if there's a magic number for Treasury yields at which it becomes a problem, (but) it's a relative number, not an absolute number," Bell explained. What matters is how Treasury yields compare with other key investment metrics, particularly the earnings yield on stocks. Bell says that relationship is now approaching an inflection point, potentia

US open to extending China trade truce, or bigger deal, Bessent says

WASHINGTON — The United States is open to extending the U.S.-China trade truce that expires on November 10 or considering a possibly larger trade deal, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Wednesday as he left a meeting with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng to prepare for a summit between the two countries' leaders. Bessent gave no details about a potentially bigger U.S.-China trade deal following his second meeting with He in four days. U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to discuss the issues further at the White House on Thursday. "The Chinese on Sunday came up with the idea of a bigger deal, and given that this could be a historic year where the leaders meet up to four times -- this being the second meeting, in Shenzhen and then in Miami -- we're open to the idea of just continuing the Busan arrangement or examining the bigger deal," Bessent told reporters. "We're fine with both, and we're going to do what's best for the American people." Bessent earlier described the meeting at World Bank headquarters in Washington as clearing up some

Xi to begin Washington visit with rare planeside welcome from Trump

WASHINGTON — When Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Washington on Wednesday, he's expected to get a rare greeting from President Donald Trump, who will be on the tarmac to welcome his counterpart instead of waiting for him to drive up to the White House. Trump's decision to greet Xi at Joint Base Andrews just outside Washington rather than receiving him at the executive residence shows how far the U.S. president is going to honor China's leader as he makes his first state visit in more than a decade. First lady Melania Trump said her husband decided to personally greet Xi when he arrives in the Washington region because “they have a great relationship.” “He's coming on our soil, and we need to welcome them with the most respect,” she said of Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, during an interview Wednesday on Fox News Channel's ”Fox & Friends." The White House has not released many details about Wednesday's greeting, but Trump is expected to participate in an arrival ceremony at the base with Xi and his wife. The salutation will kick off a three-day visit that's expected to b

Harvey Weinstein sentenced to 15 years in prison for 2006 sex crime in New York

NEW YORK — Harvey Weinstein, the disgraced movie mogul, was sentenced in Manhattan to 15 years in prison Wednesday for a felony sex crime in another #MeToo reckoning. Weinstein’s sentencing for sexually assaulting one-time TV production assistant Miriam Haley followed a legal odyssey spanning more than six years. His 2020 conviction was overturned by New York's highest court, citing testimony from other women whose allegations weren’t part of the case. A second jury found Weinstein guilty again at a retrial last year. Once among the most powerful figures in the entertainment industry, Weinstein was an Oscar-winning producer whose hits included “Shakespeare in Love,” “Pulp Fiction” and “Chocolat.” But his downfall came quickly after sexual assault allegations in 2017 set off the #MeToo movement. Weinstein, 74, is expected to appeal. He is now likely to remain behind bars until at least his late 80s. He has denied raping or sexually assaulting anyone. Seated in a wheelchair, he was quickly wheeled out of the courtroom after the sentencing, while some of his accusers hugg

Iran's president tells Trump it will never 'bend the knee'

Masoud Pezeshkian's defiant speech to the UN comes after the US president threatened to "annihilate" Iran if a peace deal is not agreed soon.