As the World Convulses in War and Contentiousness, Its Leaders Convene at the UN to Figure It Out

(Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — World leaders are gathering at one of the most turbulent and divisive moments in the 80-year history of the United Nations. The challenges are dire — escalating wars in Gaza and Ukraine, hungry people in too many countries, and a funding crisis preventing a better life for millions around the world. The U.N. itself, which emerged from the ashes of World War II on the premise that nations would work together to tackle political, social and financial issues, is also in crisis. As Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Tuesday, “international cooperation is straining under pressures unseen in our lifetimes.”