Five talking points ahead of Tuesday's UN General Assembly General Debate

UN General Assembly 2018: Iran, the US and the UK will be in the crosshairs today

Egypt's President El Sisi reaches to shake hands with US President Donald Trump. Reuters

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks at the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit during the 73rd session of the General Assembly of the United Nations at United Nations Headquarters in New York. EPA

France's President Emmanuel Macron reaches out to shake hands as he holds bilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump. Reuters

Korean K-Pop group BTS speaks on the floor of the Trusteeship Council during the 73rd session of the General Assembly of the United Nations at United Nations Headquarters in New York. EPA

White House senior adviser Ivanka Trump listens as she sits beside US Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, National Security Adviser John Bolton and White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders during US President Donald Trump's bilateral meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in. Reuters

Flags fly above diplomatic vehicles on the first day of high-level meeting at United Nations headquarters. EPA

Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, left, arrives to meet with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, right, at United Nations headquarters in New York. EPA

US President Donald Trump reacts during a bilateral meeting with France's President Emmanuel Macron. Reuters

France's President Emmanuel Macron speaks as he holds a bilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump. Reuters

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El Sisi tucks away a cloth after wiping his face during a bilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines. Reuters

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, left, shakes hands with Microsoft founder Bill Gates at the High-level Meeting on Financing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. EPA

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau gestures during the High-level Meeting on Financing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. EPA

Managing Director and Chairwoman of the International Monetary Fund Christine Lagarde, left, speaks with Larry Fink, the chairman and CEO of BlackRock, an American multinational investment management corporation before the High-level Meeting on Financing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at United Nations headquarters. EPA

Managing Director and Chairwoman of the International Monetary Fund Christine Lagarde, left, speaks with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres before the High-level Meeting on Financing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at United Nations headquarters in New York. EPA

Queen Masenate Mohato Seeiso, left, of Lesotho and Crown Prince Haakon of Norway on the floor of the Trusteeship Council during the 73rd session of the General Assembly of the United Nations at United Nations Headquarters in New York. EPA

Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra speaks during an interview with Reuters on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Reuters

Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra speaks during an interview with Reuters on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Reuters

Larry Fink, the chairman and CEO of BlackRock, an American multinational investment management corporation speaks at the High-level Meeting on Financing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at United Nations headquarters. EPA

Clarke Gayford, partner of New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, carries their daughter Neve after listening to Ardern speak at the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit during the 73rd session of the General Assembly of the United Nations at United Nations Headquarters. EPA

Members of the Korean K-Pop group BTS attend a meeting at the U.N. high level event regarding youth during the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly. AP Photo

Bashar al-Ja'afari, second right, Syria's Ambassador to the United Nations, talks with Ibrahim al-Eshaiker al-Jaafari, right, Iraq's Foreign Minister, on the sidelines of the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit during the 73rd session of the General Assembly of the United Nations at United Nations Headquarters in New York. EPA

1. Expect Trump’s speech to be self-congratulatory

Mr Trump will speak at the UN for the second time in an address that is expected to focus on celebrating his year of foreign policy work and setting out his ambitions in the Middle East.

2. Which draft will Rouhani reach for when he speaks?

Amid uncertainty over the nuclear deal and recent accusations that the US orchestrated a terror attack on Iranian soil last week, Hassan Rouhani’s speech will be closely watched. The Iranian President has reportedly drafted several versions and will choose the one that is the most appropriate response to Mr Trump’s speech.

3. United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) summit

UANI’s annual conference will feature policy experts and senior government officials discussing the threat Iran poses to the world. The group aims to inform and persuade policymakers that Iran’s nuclear threat should be dealt with by economic sanctions and diplomacy.

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The National in New York:

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4. Attenborough to address environment event

With plastic pollution at the top of the global environmental agenda, this side event will attempt to inspire commitment to reduce plastic waste using examples from the European Union and G7. David Attenborough, whose Blue Planet TV series has been credited with increasing global plastics awareness, will deliver a key speech.

5. Theresa May will face one of her toughest tests

As Brexit negotiations inch ever closer to “no deal” rather than a smooth exit, the British Prime Minister will be looking to rebrand the UK as a nation that is open to trade. Scheduled for the end of the first day, Mrs May might struggle to inspire what is likely to be a fatigued audience.

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