Category World News

If Israel’s neighbors and we engage in a perpetual war, there can’t be any security or stability there. Lebanese sovereignty shouldn’t be sacrificed in the name of terrorism, according to French President Emmanuel Macron, who addressed the UN General Assembly.

As a result of diplomatic gatherings on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), Tehran won’t directly negotiate with the United States over Iran’s nuclear program. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei described discussions with the US as “a sheer dead end.”

Following Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi’s meeting with diplomats from Germany, France, and the United Kingdom (known as the E3) as well as European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas over the reimposition of sanctions, which is scheduled to take place in just days, the supreme leader made the remarks on Iranian state television on Tuesday.

Negotiating with the US again is a key issue for them. US President Donald Trump vowed to “never possess a nuclear weapon” in a speech at the UNGA, referring to Tehran as the “world’s top sponsor of terror.”

In his recorded address, Khamenei stated that “the US has already announced the results of the discussions.” The end of nuclear activities and enrichment is the result. There is no negotiation here. It is a diktat, or imposition.

The UN Security Council (UNSC) rejected a resolution to impose sanctions on Iran, which came a day later.

Tehran has been accused of breaking its nuclear commitments by, among others, building up uranium stocks that are more than 40 times that are permitted by a 2015 nuclear deal, which Trump unilaterally withdrew from during his first term.

Iran and the world’s leaders, including the US, signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which put an end to Iranian nuclear ambitions.

Trump had reimposed sanctions on Iran in 2018 as part of his so-called “maximum pressure” policy, though. Despite initially criticizing them, President Joe Biden’s administration continued with his policies on Iran.

If Iran resumes direct negotiations with the US over its nuclear program, allows UN nuclear inspectors to visit its nuclear sites, and accounts for the UN’s nuclear watchdog’s claim that it has access to more than 400 kg (880 pounds) of highly enriched uranium, European nations have indicated they would be willing to extend the deadline on sanctions.

According to James Bays of Al Jazeera, the UNGA’s Tuesday meeting “didn’t go particularly well,” according to German Foreign Affairs Minister Johann Wadephul, it “didn’t go particularly well.”

According to EU foreign policy chief Kallas, Iran must “some real action” from the European negotiating team in order to avoid sanctions.

There is a chance in diplomacy. Let’s see, the deadlines are approaching. She added that Iranian involvement is also needed.

Iran’s nuclear policy

Iran has repeatedly disputed its nuclear weapons’ right to pursue it peacefully.

Tehran’s nuclear doctrine was reiterated in Khamenei’s speech on Tuesday, according to Al Jazeera’s Tohid Assadi, who was based in Tehran. Iran does not want nuclear weapons, but it will not rely on international pressure, Assadi said.

Israel launched a 12-day war against Iran in June, with Israeli and US forces striking a number of nuclear facilities, raising tensions. The UN nuclear watchdog board declared that Iran was breaking international nuclear safeguards the day after the Israeli-US bombing.

Iran’s nuclear program received a significant economic blow that Tehran claimed was “politically biased” when the UNSC voted last week not to permanently lift sanctions on the country.

The E3’s late August decision to reinstate sanctions unless Tehran met their demands was followed by that vote.

Iran rebuffed the UNSC vote, claiming that restarting its cooperation with the UN watchdog would “effectively suspend” the nation’s cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Iranian lawmakers demanded on Monday that the nation begin building nuclear weapons because they fear a new round of sanctions could lead to a new conflict with Israel.

The sanctions will “snap back” on Saturday night if no agreement is reached this week. In addition, it would, among other things, freeze Iranian assets abroad, halt arms sales to Tehran, and penalize any expansion of Iran’s ballistic missile program.

However, there may still be hope. In case the two countries come to terms and avoid resuming sanctions, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi announced on Tuesday that a team of inspectors was headed to Iran.

Jimmy Kimmel Live! will return to the airwaves after Disney lifted its indefinite suspension of the US late-night show, but two of the largest affiliate owners – Sinclair Broadcasting Group and Nexstar Media Group – will not air the long-running programme.

Disney owns the broadcaster ABC, home of Jimmy Kimmel Live!. On Monday evening, Disney announced that the show would return following discussions with Kimmel’s team and network representatives. However, two of the major affiliate operators have not reversed course.

Keeping the show off those affiliate TV stations significantly cuts into Kimmel’s reach. Nexstar and Sinclair together own and operate 70 of the 250 ABC stations across the United States, putting them at odds with the network.

Nexstar’s vested interest

ABC pulled Jimmy Kimmel’s show after the comedian made remarks about the killing of conservative figure Charlie Kirk. The suspension came just hours after Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Brendan Carr warned that stations carrying the show could face fines, or even lose their broadcast licences, urging them to “step up”.

Carr’s comments drew pushback across the political spectrum, including from US President Donald Trump’s allies. Texas Senator Ted Cruz called Carr’s remarks “dangerous as hell”, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Cruz “got it right”.

Nexstar owns 23 ABC affiliates and is currently pursuing a $6.2bn merger with competitor Tegna, a deal requiring FCC approval. If completed, the combined company would reach 80 percent of US households, far above the current 39 percent cap, and would require a policy change. Carr has long supported removing that cap.

“Nexstar’s capitulation in hopes of gaining approval for its merger with Tegna is actually Exhibit A in why it should not be allowed to merge with Tegna. Large conglomerates have enormous leverage to facilitate the Trump administration’s crackdown on free speech, both by censoring themselves and by bullying the networks,” Seth Stern, director of advocacy at the Freedom of the Press Foundation, told Al Jazeera.

Carr praised Nexstar last week for dropping Kimmel from its affiliates in markets such as Salt Lake City, Nashville and New Orleans.

Margot Susca, professor of journalism, accountability,and democracy at the American University in Washington, DC, said the FCC’s pressure on Kimmel sets a troubling precedent.

“I think what is concerning is that it’s Jimmy Kimmel now, but it could be Meet The Press [which airs on NBC] next year if another corporate media owner needs to make a deal and the Trump administration or Brendan Carr… say they don’t like a segment that comes on a news programme. These are dark days for the content that appears on broadcast television,” Susca said.

Other media experts argue the issue is rooted in the leverage affiliate owners hold.

In the US, affiliate operators license programming from networks and pay carriage fees to do so. Affiliation typically brings more viewers, and thus, more advertising revenue, which is shared between networks and affiliates. Affiliates can preempt network programming, often for local news during severe weather events or political debates, for instance.

“They [TV station operators] can simply not run those programmes because they don’t really need the networks as much as they did at one time,” Tom Letizia, media consultant and head of political communications firm the Letizia Agency, told Al Jazeera, referring to the global trend of viewers finding their content on social media or streaming platforms.

“This is more about making a profit, and that’s really what this business is about. Let’s not forget that. I mean, ratings are the lifeblood of a TV station. If you don’t have ratings, you can’t charge your advertisers a premium cost for that spot.”

A lot of the advertising spend in smaller markets comes from local political parties, and if the politics do not align, those advertising dollars could be cut.

Nexstar said it stands by its decision to preempt Kimmel indefinitely and will “monitor the show as it returns to ABC”. The company denied political involvement or pressure from the Trump administration.

“The decision to preempt Jimmy Kimmel Live! was made unilaterally by the senior executive team at Nexstar, and they had no communication with the FCC or any government agency prior to making that decision,” a Nexstar spokesman told Al Jazeera.

Sinclair’s stance

Sinclair Broadcasting said on Monday that it does not plan to resume airing Kimmel’s show on its 38 ABC affiliates, opting instead for news programming.

The company, the second-largest US station operator after Nexstar, pushed Kimmel to apologise and “make a meaningful personal donation to the Kirk Family and Turning Point USA”, Kirk’s conservative activist organisation.

Sinclair has long faced criticism for its conservative leanings. David Smith, the company’s executive chairman, donated $250,000 in 2024 to Kirk’s Turning Point USA through the David D Smith Family Foundation, whose listed address matches Sinclair’s headquarters.

In 2018, Sinclair required local anchors to read a script criticising “one-sided media coverage”, which Trump, then in his first term in office, praised. This came as the company pursued a $3.9bn merger with Tribune Media at the time, a deal that ultimately collapsed after Tribune pulled out.

“As the owners of the stations, they can make the choices over what their content is. Sinclair is a pretty right-wing organisation,” Susca said.

“When they buy a station in a local market, it tacks coverage to the right. They focus more on national politics.”

A 2019 study in the American Political Science Review found that Sinclair stations leaned more conservative than their competitors in the same markets.

“Discussions with ABC are ongoing as we evaluate the show’s potential return,” Sinclair said in a statement. The company did not respond to Al Jazeera’s request for further comment.

Disney’s decision

Disney’s move to reinstate Kimmel comes amid widespread public pressure. Celebrities and elected officials called for boycotts of Disney-owned platforms, including Disney+, ESPN and Hulu, in the wake of his suspension.

Google Trends data showed that searches to cancel those platforms spiked to their highest-ever levels following the suspension.

ABC directly owns only eight stations, including in New York and Houston. WABC in New York faced political backlash when leading mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani pulled out of a debate it was set to host, citing ABC’s suspension of Kimmel.

“Broadcast media is a business. Make no mistake that Kimmel being taken off the air was a business decision. Kimmel being put back on the air is a business decision,” Susca said.

Disney’s stock has fallen 2.78 percent over the past five days.

Laura Crompton, a media analyst and head of global communications agency Hopscotch’s Los Angeles office, said that Tuesday’s show could provide a ratings boost.

“For now, it seems they’ve chosen to put things right and show that they won’t cower to overreach or threats. But something tells me this isn’t over yet. If we want to find a silver lining, I suspect Kimmel’s comeback show tonight will smash audience numbers, even without the 25 percent of audiences disenfranchised by the ongoing standoff regionally. And realistically, I’m sure we’re all relieved we don’t have to take the moral high road and give up our Disney+ favorite shows now,” Crompton told Al Jazeera.

In a dramatic change to his approach to Ukraine, Donald Trump says he thinks that Ukraine, with the support of the European Union and NATO, will be able to reclaim all of the territory that Russia has taken since its invasion more than three years ago.

After meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday, Trump stated in a post on his Truth Social platform that “with time, patience, and the financial support of Europe and, in particular, NATO, the original Borders from where this War started, are very much an option.”

On the United Nations General Assembly’s agenda, they spoke. Prior to this, he had previously stated that Moscow and Kyiv would need to renounce land. Trump’s proposal of a territorial compromise to achieve peace has drawn opposition from Selenskyy and his European allies.

Trump criticized Russia’s handling of the conflict in the post, claiming that it had been fighting “aimlessly” in a conflict that a “real military power” would have won “less than a week.”

Trump also referred to Russia as a “paper tiger,” and stated that Ukraine should act now that Putin and Russia are in “big economic trouble.”

Since its February 2022 invasion, Russia has seized nearly 20% of Ukraine. In 2014, Moscow annexed the Crimean Peninsula of Ukraine, but it still views it as outside the scope of its invasion.

The US president has previously shown lukewarm support for Zelenskyy, who he had a televised Oval Office breakup in February with whom he told the Ukrainian, “you don’t have the cards,” to get a good outcome from Russia.

Trump, however, stated at their Tuesday meeting that he had “great respect for the fight Ukraine is initiating.” Actually, it’s pretty amazing.

Trump might have a “game-changing” impact.

Zelenskyy thanked Trump for making “personal efforts to end this war.”

After their meeting, the Ukrainian president stated that once the war is over, Trump would be willing to offer Ukraine security guarantees. He also mentioned that Trump might have the potential to “change the game” for Ukraine.

Kyiv’s membership in NATO was initially rejected by the Trump administration, who had requested that European leaders increase their military support for the country.

After the end of the war, Zelenskyy told reporters, “We all know that President Trump is ready to give Ukraine security guarantees,” Zelenskyy said.

Since taking office in January, Trump has made an effort to end the conflict. He had previously been critical of Joe Biden’s policy toward Ukraine. He had promised to put an end to the war within his first 24 hours of taking the oath of office during his campaign. He initially attributed the war to Ukraine, but he now feels let down by the Russian leader after his summit with Putin in Alaska failed to progress.

According to James Bays, a diplomat for the UN, James Bays said Trump’s appointment represents a significant change in the US position because Zelenskyy has requested that Ukraine reclaim all of its territory from the beginning, which Trump had previously denied was possible.

“The US position here seems to have completely changed. Trump and Putin were discussing some sort of peace deal at the time of our large summit in Alaska. He said that there is currently discussion about a military option where Ukraine might be able to retake control of all of its territorial waters and triumph in the conflict.

Many European foreign ministers and diplomats were surprised and unaware that a change in US policy toward Ukraine was coming, but they have welcomed it, according to Bays.

Trump spoke to reporters at the General Assembly, and besides speaking out against a robust NATO response to any upcoming incursions.

When asked if he thought NATO nations should shoot down Russian aircraft that enter their airspace, he responded, “Yes, I do.”

Trump, however, dodged questions about whether or not he thought Putin could be a trustworthy negotiating partner in the face of continued Russian aggression against Ukraine.

“OK, I’ll let you know in about a month”? Trump responded when questioned about his faith in Putin.

The 79-year-old Republican has previously and repeatedly set two-week decision-making deadlines, including sanctions, for new measures against Russia.

Recent aerial violations have caused an increase in tensions between Russia and Europe due to Ukraine.

After three Russian MiG-31 fighters flew into Estonian airspace on Friday for 12 minutes, Estonia requested a UN Security Council meeting and discussions with NATO allies.

Russian drones repeatedly violated its airspace during an attack on Ukraine, which Poland, a fellow NATO member, called an “act of aggression.” Warsaw described the incident as an “act of aggression.”

118 states are far behind the world’s leaders in artificial intelligence, according to the UN.