U.N. General Assemby

Oct. 10 (UPI) — The United States has finalized a $20 billion financial support framework with Argentina, making good on President Donald Trump‘s pledge to help the struggling country, led by ally President Javier Milei, despite growing opposition to the move from both Democrats and Republicans.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the deal Thursday on X, saying it followed four days of “intensive meetings” in Washington, D.C., with Argentina’s Minister of Economy Luis Caputo.

The deal, which includes a $20 billion currency swap and the direct purchase of Argentine pesos, was completed with Argentina’s central bank, said Bessent, adding that his department is prepared to “immediately” take all measures needed to stabilize the South American country’s markets.

“Argentina faces a moment of acute illiquidity,” he said in the statement.

“The Trump administration is resolute in our support for allies of the United States, and to that end, we also discussed Argentina’s investment incentives, and U.S. tools to powerfully support investment in our strategic partners.”

Milei, Argentina’s libertarian leader, is a staunch supporter of Trump and attended his inauguration in January.

Last month on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, the American president in a press conference alongside Milei endorsed him for a second term.

Trump also told reporters that the United States was “going to help them” but that it wouldn’t be a bailout.

Caputo expressed his “deepest gratitude” to Bessent online following the announcement.

“I eagerly anticipate our meeting next week, where I am confident our teams will continue to collaborate with the same spirit of determination and partnership to advance our mutual objectives,” Caputo said on X.

Trump and Milei are scheduled to meet Tuesday.

The announcement has been met with criticism from both sides of the political aisle as well as farmers.

Eight senators on Thursday introduced the No Argentina Bailout Act to prohibit Treasury funds from bailing out Argentina’s financial markets.

“It’s inexplicable that President Trump is propping up a foreign government, while he shuts down our own,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., ranking member of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, said in a statement.

“Trump promised ‘America First,’ but he’s putting himself and his billionaire buddies first and sticking american with the bill.”

Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa similarly complained about the deal on X.

“Why would USA help bail out Argentina while they take American soybean producers’ biggest market??? We shld use leverage at every turn to help hurting farm economy Family farmers shld be top of mind in negotiations by representatives of USA,” he said.

The American Soybean Association has voiced opposition to the bailout since Bessent first announced negotiations with Argentina mid-last month.

The ASA was upset that Trump’s tariffs had seen U.S. soybean farmers secure zero sales to China this crop cycle, while Argentine ships soybeans to the Asian nation.

“The frustration is overwhelming,” ASA President Caleb Ragland said in a statement.

“U.S. soybean prices are falling, harvest is underway and farmers read headlines not about securing a trade agreement with China, but that the U.S. government is extending $20 billion in economic support to Argentina while that country drops its soybean export taxes to sell 20 shiploads of Argentine soybeans to China in just two days.”

Oct. 1 (UPI) — Three men suspected of being Hamas members were arrested on a number of charges by authorities in Germany.

German federal prosecutors said Wednesday that three men arrested in Berlin on suspicion of being members of Iran’s terror syndicate Hamas were accused of gathering weaponry in order to carry out scores of planned attacks on Israeli or Jewish institutions, according to The Washington Post, CBS News and CNN.

“Since at least the summer of 2025,” prosecutors stated, the three have been “involved in procuring firearms and ammunition” for Hamas.

They added two of the men were German citizens and the third identified as Lebanese.

According to officials, the three were identified as 44-year-old Syrian national Ahmad I., Abed Al G., 36, and 43-year-old Lebanon-born Wael F. M.

Prosecutors in Berlin charged them with membership in a foreign terrorist group and organizing an act of anti-state violence after police seized a stockpile of ammunition and weapons, including a slew of pistols and AK-47 assault gun.

On Thursday, they will be in front a judge to determine if the three should be held in detention before a later trial.

The arrests came just days after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to a 20-point U.S.-backed plan to end the bloody war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, now with credible U.N.-backed accusations of genocide, after he met Monday with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington.

It followed last month’s United Nations General Assembly vote to back an independent Palestinian-run state that exists without leadership by Hamas militants as a condition.

Sept. 30 (UPI) — A senior North Korean diplomat vowed that Pyongyang would “never give up” its nuclear weapons in a rare address to the United Nations General Assembly on Monday.

Speaking during the General Debate, Vice Foreign Minister Kim Son Gyong said that imposing denuclearization on the North is “tantamount to demanding it to surrender sovereignty and right to existence.”

His appearance before the General Assembly marked the first time Pyongyang has sent a senior diplomat since 2018.

“We will never give up nuclear, which is our state law, national policy and sovereign power as well as the right to existence,” Kim said. “Under any circumstances, we will never walk away from this position.”

The North passed a law declaring itself a nuclear-armed state in 2022. Leader Kim Jong Un called the decision “irreversible” and later amended the country’s constitution to enshrine the permanent growth of Pyongyang’s nuclear arsenal.

The vice minister told the attendees that the North’s nuclear arsenal was a necessary “war deterrent” against mounting threats by the United States and its allies.

“In order to permanently maintain this state of balance and ensure everlasting peace on the Korean Peninsula, we have stipulated nuclear in our constitution as a sacred and absolute thing that can never be touched upon and tampered with,” he said.

Kim added that the North was open to engagement with “countries that respect and take friendly approaches towards it.”

His speech comes as both Washington and Seoul have expressed hope to engage with North Korea.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who held a pair of high-profile summits with Kim Jong Un during his first term in office, has suggested on several occasions that he would meet with the North Korean leader again.

Kim Jong Un appeared to open the door to restarting diplomacy with the United States last week, saying he has “fond memories” of Trump but warning that denuclearization was off the table.

“If the United States abandons its vain obsession with denuclearization, acknowledges reality and desires genuine peaceful coexistence with us, there is no reason why we should not sit down with the United States,” Kim said.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, meanwhile, has made efforts to reduce tensions between the two Koreas since he took office in June, with conciliatory gestures such as removing propaganda loudspeakers from border areas.

In his debut address to the General Assembly last week, Lee unveiled a peace initiative that sought engagement and normalization with the North while offering a “phased solution” to nuclear disarmament that would start with a weapons development freeze.

After Vice Minister Kim’s U.N. address, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday reaffirmed its ultimate goal of denuclearization.

“Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is a consistent goal of the international community, including South Korea and the United States,” a ministry spokesperson said at a press briefing.

Sept. 24 (UPI) — The U.S. Treasury is preparing a $20 billion currency swap with Argentina, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Wednesday. He announced the plan after Argentine President Javier Milei met a day earlier with President Donald Trump at the United Nations General Assembly.

Bessent reiterated the United States is “ready to do whatever it takes to support Argentina and the Argentine people” in a message on X in which he also praised Milei’s leadership.

He added that the United States “is prepared” to buy Argentina’s dollar-denominated debt.

“We are also prepared to provide significant backup credit through the Exchange Stabilization Fund, and we have been in active discussions with President Milei’s team to do so,” Bessent said.

The announcement amounts to a prearranged “loan” that would give Argentina’s government dollars in exchange for pesos, with the commitment to repay the funds within a set period at an agreed interest rate. The main goal is to prevent the economic adjustment program led by Milei from failing.

The Argentine president thanked the United States for its support in a post on X, writing, “We deeply value our friendship with the United States and its commitment to strengthen our partnership on the basis of shared values. Together we will build a path of stability, prosperity and freedom. MAGA!”

Argentina is facing a fragile economic situation: Central Bank dollar reserves are running low, the peso is losing value and the risk of recession is growing.

Against that backdrop, the agreement Bessent announced is intended to give Argentina a financial reserve to pay debt, stabilize the exchange rate and reassure investors. Without that support, the government would face greater difficulties slowing the peso’s decline and containing inflation — issues at the center of Milei’s economic policy.

In addition, the World Bank said Tuesday it is “accelerating support for Argentina,” combining public financing, private investment and capital mobilization to “deploy up to $4 billion in the coming months.”

The bank said the package will target “key drivers of competitiveness,” including “unlocking mining and critical minerals; boosting tourism as a source of jobs and local development; expanding access to energy; and strengthening supply chains and financing for small and medium-sized businesses.”

The official statement in Washington said the move “builds on the $12 billion support package announced in April” and “reflects strong confidence in the government’s efforts to modernize the economy, advance structural reforms, attract private investment and create jobs.”

The World Bank added that “all proposed operations will be subject to approval by the Executive Board.”

Economy Minister Luis Caputo welcomed the announcement and thanked the World Bank for its support. He said the financial reinforcement is a sign of backing for the reforms under way. “The World Bank not only provides resources, it also gives confidence in the economic strategy we are carrying out,” Caputo said.

Also Tuesday, the Inter-American Development Bank said in a statement it is “working to significantly expand its operations in Argentina over the next 15 months” to increase support for the country.

The plan combines sovereign financing with private investment. It includes $2.9 billion in five new public-sector operations in 2025, plus $1 billion through IDB Invest directed at strategic sectors.

Following the U.S. financial support announcement, markets reacted with optimism: Argentine bonds posted sharp gains, stocks extended their recovery and the country’s risk index dropped, reflecting improved perceptions of solvency.

At the same time, the peso strengthened against the dollar, a sign that government intervention and expectations of outside assistance helped ease pressure on the exchange rate.

Taken together, the moves showed the announcement was seen as immediate relief for Argentina’s finances and a signal of greater short-term stability.

1 of 3 | Prime Minister of the state of Palestine Mohammad Mustafa was applauded after he spoke at a High-level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution in the Trusteeship Council Chamber at the United Nations Headquarters on July 28 in New York City. On Thursday, the U.N. voted to approve the New York declaration, which calls for a two-state solution. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo

Sept. 4 (UPI) — The United Nations General Assembly voted to back a Palestinian government without Hamas as part of a compromise.

The declaration was circulated at a conference from July 28 to 30, and “sets out an action-oriented pathway towards a peaceful settlement of the Israel-Palestine conflict and the realization of the two-state solution — the vision of an independent state of Palestine living side by side with the state of Israel in peace and security, based on the pre-1967 borders.” the U.N. said in a statement.

The so-called New York declaration was written by France and Saudi Arabia, The Guardian reported.

The declaration condemned the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas and called for Hamas to release its hostages.

Israel, the United States, Hungary and Argentina were some of the countries that voted against it. Twelve countries abstained.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that Israel will never accept a Palestinian state. About three-quarters of the 193 UN member states recognize the Palestinian state proclaimed in 1988 by the exiled Palestinian leadership.

Germany and Italy still hold out against recognizing a Palestine state, although the Italian government is divided on the issue. Five European countries have now banned all imports from illegal Israeli settlements.

The declaration said Hamas must cease control of Gaza and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority, “With the support and cooperation of the international community, in accordance with the objective of a sovereign and independent state of Palestine.”

It also mentioned deployment of a “temporary international stabilization mission” under a mandate from the U.N. Security Council to protect the population, support the strengthening of the capacities of the Palestinian state and give “security guarantees to Palestine and Israel.”

Hamas has said that it will not agree to disarm unless a sovereign Palestinian state is established.

The announcement came on Thursday as the U.N. security council condemned the bombing of Qatar, without naming Israel.

Aug. 11 (UPI) — Australia will recognize the state of Palestine, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced Monday, making Canberra the latest Western government to take the mostly symbolic and political move that is expected to anger not only Israel but the United States.

Albanese, speaking during a press conference in Canberra, said that Australia will formally make the recognition in September, during the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

“Australia will recognize a state of Palestine. Australia will recognize the right of the Palestinian people to a state of their own, predicated on the commitments Australia has received from the Palestinian Authority,” he said.

“We will work with the international community to make this right a reality.”

Australia’s announcement comes just a few short weeks after France, then Britain, followed by Canada, made public their intentions to recognize a Palestinian state in September.

It also comes amid mounting criticism against Israel over its war in Gaza, where famine threatens. That criticism has only increased since late last week, when the Israeli government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it will expand its military offensive in the Palestinian enclave with plans to seize control of the entire Gaza Strip.

Albanese said Australia was making the announcement following a cabinet meeting as part of a “coordinated global effort” behind a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict.

Netanyahu was among the world leaders to whom Albanese said he spoke about this decision.

Israel is expected to staunchly reject Australia’s decision, as it did when other nations moved to recognize a Palestinian state.

During a press conference Sunday for foreign journalists, Netanyahu lambasted Australia, European nations and others considering recognizing a Palestinian state.

“Most of the Jewish public is committed against the Palestinian state for the simple reason that they know it won’t bring peace,” he said. “To have European countries and Australia march into that rabbit hole, just like that, fall right into it, and buy this canard is disappointing, and I think it’s actually shameful, but it’s not going to change our position. Again, we will not commit national suicide.”

Netanyahu has staunchly opposed a two-state solution.

Albanese on Monday said it was “humanity’s best hope” to end the war in Gaza.

Australian Jewish organizations have come out against their government.

The Executive Council of Australian Jewry in a statement called it “a betrayal and abandonment” of the Israelis who were taken hostage by Hamas on its surprise Oct. 7, 2023, attack.

The right-leaning Australian Jewish Association said it was “more than a betrayal of a friend” and “a reckless attack on the Jewish people in Australia and abroad.”

“This position puts Australia at odds with our closest ally, the United States, and signals weakness to those who seek our harm,” it said in a statement.

The decades-long conflict between Hamas and Israel exploded on Oct. 7, 2023, when the Iran-backed militia launched a bloody surprise attack on the Middle Eastern country.

In response, Israel has devastated Gaza with a massive military offensive that has killed more than 61,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians. Israel’s military now controls about 75% of the enclave and late last week Netanyahu’s government announced an expanded military offensive to seize control of the remaining 25%.

The plan has attracted widespread international criticism. It also comes as famine threatens to take hold of Gaza, where health officials say more than 200 people, including 100 children, have died of starvation.

Netanyahu is wanted for arrest by the International Criminal Court on war crimes charges of using starvation as a method of warfare.

As the war has dragged on, countries have turned to recognizing a Palestinian State as a form of protest.

In May 2024, Norway, Ireland, and Spain came out in support of a Palestinian State.

The United States, under President Donald Trump, a staunch Netanyahu ally, is expected to rebuke Australia, as it has other countries that moved to recognized a Palestinian state.

May 21 (UPI) — Activists, officials and defectors highlighted North Korean human rights violations at a high-level meeting of the United Nations General Assembly Tuesday, with many directly tying Pyongyang’s systemic abuses to its growing nuclear weapons and missile programs.

The meeting on the North’s human rights violations, the first of its kind held at the General Assembly, featured testimonies by two escapees who shared harrowing stories of oppression and implored the world to hold North Korean leader Kim Jong Un accountable.

“Silence is complicity,” said Kim Eun-joo, who was 11 years old when she fled with her mother and sister in 1999 to escape starvation in rural North Korea.

After crossing the Tumen River into China, Kim and her family faced years of human trafficking before finally making it to South Korea.

She pointed to North Korea’s military cooperation with Russia, particularly its deployment of troops to aid Moscow in its war against Ukraine, as a “new kind of modern-day slavery.”

“[The soldiers] have no idea where they are, whom they are fighting against or why,” she said. “Their lives have become a means for the Kim Jong Un regime to make money.”

Pyongyang has deployed around 15,000 troops to Russia, Seoul’s spy agency said last month. Some 600 of the soldiers have been killed and another 4,100 injured, the National Intelligence Service told lawmakers in a briefing.

Seoul and Washington also accused North Korea of supplying artillery and missiles to Russia. In exchange, Pyongyang is believed to be receiving much-needed financial support and advanced military technology for its own weapons programs.

Participants in the U.N. meeting highlighted the close link between North Korea’s human rights abuses and the regime’s growing arsenal.

“The regime preserves itself through producing nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles,” Greg Scarlatoiu, president and CEO of the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, said.

“North Korea is no longer just a Korean Peninsula threat. The DPRK is no longer just a Northeast Asian threat,” Scarlatoiu said.

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is the official name of North Korea.

“The DPRK is exporting instability to the Middle East and to Europe,” Scarlatoiu said. “And the root cause of this is the human rights violations that the DPRK perpetrates.”

North Korean Ambassador to the United Nations Kim Song condemned the meeting, calling it a “burlesque of intrigue and fabrication” staged by “hostile forces” including the United States.

Kim also slammed the invitation of the North Korean escapees, calling them “the scum of the earth who don’t even care about their parents and families.”

Elizabeth Salmon, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on human rights in North Korea, told the General Assembly that North Korea has diverted resources toward militarization at the expense of human rights and basic necessities such as food, healthcare and sanitation.

“As the DPRK expands its extreme militarization policies, it exacerbates the extensive reliance on forced labor and quota systems, showing how peace, security and human rights are strongly interrelated,” Salmon said.

She added that North Korea’s border closures at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in January 2020 worsened its human rights situation, as Pyongyang used the isolation to enact brutal new laws restricting access to information from the outside world.

A 2014 landmark U.N. Commission of Inquiry report documented North Korean crimes against humanity, including torture, rape, execution, deliberate starvation and forced labor, that were “without parallel in the contemporary world.”

South Korean Ambassador to the United Nations Hwang Joon-kook echoed calls to more closely tie North Korea’s human rights violations to its nuclear ambitions, which he said were “deeply interconnected.”

“For far too long the DPRK’s human rights violations have been overshadowed by its nuclear threats,” he said. “Their nuclear program is sustained by systemic repression, forced labor, diverted national resources and total control of its people.”

Hwang called North Korea “a real-life version of George Orwell‘s novel 1984.”

“However, the DPRK’s horrendous crimes do not stop at the border,” he said. “If human rights violations are stopped, nuclear weapons development will also stop.”