Pope Leo urges AI regulation in Paris as Trump and Xi meet in Washington

A week of diplomatic theatre unfolded across several capitals, beginning with a battle over press freedom in Washington and a United Nations General Assembly marked by protests and departures as leaders clashed over Iran, Cuba and Venezuela. The same period saw a rare red‑carpet meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, during which the United States and China extended their trade truce and turned their attention to the race for dominance in artificial intelligence.

In France, Pope Leo delivered a call for restraint and regulation of AI, seeking to position the Vatican as a moral voice in a rapidly changing world. The week featured a press‑freedom dispute in Washington, UNGA protests, a Trump‑Xi meeting, an extended US‑China trade truce, and Pope Leo’s appeal for AI regulation in France.