North Korean threat tops Trump agenda in UN visit

U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in New York City on Monday to begin four days of United Nations meetings amid increased North Korean provocations. U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley joined Trump for his first round of meetings to discuss reforms to the 193-member international organization. The president has been a longtime critic of the UN, claiming it spends too much money. Trump will discuss reforms with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who is considering multiple organizational changes. “We said that we needed to get value for our dollar and what we’re finding is the international community is right there with us in support of reform,” Haley told CNN on Sunday. Trump will hold separate meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and French President Emmanuel Macron for wide-ranging conversations expected to include climate change and the Iran nuclear deal. On Tuesday, Trump will deliver his first-ever speech to the General Assembly, and he’s expected to address the latest threats from North Korea. Last week, the UN unanimously passed significant economic sanctions against North Korea, cutting off about 90 percent of its trade. On Monday, South Korea’s Defense Ministry said it conducted joint bombing drills with the U.S. military on the Korean Peninsula in a show-of-force exercise aimed at their neighbor to the north.