Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addressed the UN General Assembly on Thursday by video after being denied a visa to the United States for the second year in a row. In his prerecorded speech, he denounced Israeli policies that he said threatened Palestinians with a new Nakba and vowed that his people would remain “on their land”.  

President Donald Trump hosted a lavish state dinner for China’s Xi Jinping on Thursday night that was attended by top business leaders, including tech titans. Trump hailed his “great friendship” with Xi and pulled out all the stops for a ceremony that attempted to mask the tensions between the two rival powers.

Reporters from ​Politico, CNN and MS ​NOW were allowed to enter the ​White ‌House ⁠on ‌Thursday afternoon after being barred in the morning, despite a US federal judge ordering the reinstatement of their access. The judge then issued a second order for the Trump administration to restore the journalists' access after the media outlets called for an emergency follow-up ⁠hearing. 

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday said his country would send "military means" to protect a Saudi oil terminal from attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis. Saudi Arabia has been using the Red Sea port of Yanbu to export oil after Iran blockaded the Strait of Hormuz. Read our blog to see how the day's events unfolded.

US President Donald Trump personally welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping at a military airfield outside Washington on Wednesday, kicking off a lavish state visit focused on trade, artificial intelligence and Iran, as the two powers seek to preserve a fragile diplomatic and economic truce.