The climate crisis and an unlimited expansion of artificial intelligence could be existential threats for humanity, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Wednesday, adding AI should serve humanity and not the other way around.
"AI can be deceptive, it can disrupt economies," he said during a speech at the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Switzerland.
On other issues, Guterres said Iran must make a first step towards improving relations with countries in the region and the United States by making it clear they do not aim to develop nuclear weapons.
"The most relevant question is Iran and relations between Iran, Israel and the United States," Guterres said.
"Here my hope is that the Iranians understand that it is important to once and for all make it clear that they will renounce to have nuclear weapons, at the same time that they engage constructively with the other countries of the region."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the ceasefire in Gaza would end and the military would resume fighting Hamas until it was defeated if the Palestinian group did not release hostages by midday Saturday.
Government offices, schools and workplaces fell silent in Sweden at midday on Tuesday in remembrance of the victims of a mass shooting at an adult education centre last week when a gunman killed 10 people before turning his weapon on himself.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged Hamas to continue with the planned release of hostages on Tuesday, a day after the group announced its intention to halt the exchange.
US President Donald Trump substantially raised tariffs on steel and aluminum imports to a flat 25 per cent "without exceptions or exemptions" in a move to aid the struggling industries but which increases the risk of a multi-front trade war.
Armed rebels killed more than 35 civilians during an attack on a cluster of villages in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo's Ituri province on Monday night, a village chief said on Tuesday.