The Latest: Ivanka Trump pursues her own agenda at UN
By Associated Press
Sep 18, 2017 9:54 PM CDT
United States President Donald Trump speaks with U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley before a meeting during the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters, Monday, Sept. 18, 2017. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)   (Associated Press)

NEW YORK (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump (all times local):

10:50 p.m.

Ivanka Trump is meeting with foreign officials as the United Nations General Assembly gathers in New York this week.

A White House official says President Donald Trump's daughter — and senior adviser — is holding a series of meetings on issues she has prioritized, including women's economic development.

She met Monday with Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj and Peter Maurer, President of the International Committee for the Red Cross.

Later in the week, Ivanka Trump will meet with Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and will have coffee with Queen Maxima of the Netherlands.

Ivanka Trump is also expected to attend her father's first address to the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday.

___

9:30 p.m.

President Donald Trump's trip to survey hurricane damage in the Caribbean is being delayed — because of another hurricane.

Hurricane Maria was upgraded Monday to a Category 5 storm — the most powerful. It was on a path to approach Puerto Rico by Tuesday.

Trump told reporters last week that he was planning to visit Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands after both U.S. territories were damaged by Hurricane Irma.

But White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders says the trip is being delayed due to Maria.

Sanders says the White House is monitoring the situation and doesn't want to disrupt any preparedness efforts by having Trump visit.

Trump has surveyed storm-damaged areas of Texas, Louisiana and Florida following Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.

___

7:20 p.m.

President Donald Trump says the U.S. is prepared to take further action against the Venezuelan government if President Nicolas Maduro continues down the path of authoritarianism.

Trump spoke at a dinner in New York with leaders of Brazil, Colombia, Panama and Argentina. Venezuela's deepening economic and political crisis was under discussion.

Trump says Maduro has inflicted terrible misery and suffering on his people. Trump says Venezuela once was one of the wealthiest countries in the world, but now its people are starving and the country is collapsing. He says the situation is "completely unacceptable" and called on the other leaders to be prepared to do more.

Trump has sanctioned Venezuela and at one point wouldn't rule out U.S. military action. He says additional actions are possible.

___

6:10 p.m.

The Trump administration says President Donald Trump's meetings with the leaders of France and Israel were heavily focused on Iran's "malign activities" in the Middle East.

Brian Hook of the State Department says the president shared his concerns about Iran with French President Emmanuel Macron (mah-KROHN') and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (neh-ten-YAH'-hoo).

Hook says they discussed working together to address Iran's missile and nuclear program and destabilizing activities. He says the leaders spoke about the need to prevent Iran from establishing any deep roots or organizing in Syria.

Trump held the meetings along the sidelines of the United Nations. He's scheduled to address the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday.

__

3:30 p.m.

President Donald Trump says he is considering having an armed forces parade in Washington on the Fourth of July to showcase the nation's military might.

Trump met Monday with French president Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meetings.

Trump reminisced about how much he enjoyed watching France's military parade while in Paris on Bastille Day.

He then said he was considering ordering up a similar spectacle for Pennsylvania Avenue, potentially as soon as next year. Trump said he asked his chief of staff, John Kelly, to look into it.

Trump and Macron were also slated to discuss other international concerns, including terrorism and security, during their meeting.

___

1:20 p.m.

President Donald Trump is meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and says they "are giving it an absolute go'" in Middle East peace talks.

Trump on Monday said that "we're working very hard" to reach a deal between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

Netanyahu said that Israel's alliance with the United States has been "never stronger" than now under the Trump administration. He also blasted the Iran nuclear agreement.

Asked if the U.S. would stay in that deal, Trumped answered only "you'll see very soon."

Trump's meeting with Netanyahu was the first of the many world leader confabs he is scheduled to have on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly this week.

He is slated to meet with the Palestinians in the coming days.

___

12:30 p.m.

The White House says President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping have discussed North Korea's continued nuclear weapons and ballistic missile tests.

The leaders spoke by phone Monday while Trump is in New York for this week's U.N. General Assembly session. Xi skipped this year's gathering.

The White House says Trump and Xi committed to "maximizing pressure" on North Korea through vigorous enforcement of U.N. Security Council resolutions.

China sits on the security council, which has voted unanimously on two separate occasions in recent weeks to tighten sanctions on North Korea over its weapons testing.

Trump has also been pressing Xi to use his influence to help rein in North Korea.

___

10:05 a.m.

President Donald Trump is pressing the need for reform at the United Nations as he speaks at a meeting on U.N. reform ahead of the U.N. General Assembly in New York.

He is applauding efforts by the secretary general to reform the organization "so that it better serves the people we all represent."

Trump adds that the U.N. "has not reached its full potential because of bureaucracy and mismanagement."

He says the group spends too much money and has too many staffers, and declares: "We are not seeing results in line with this investment."

He also says no member state should shoulder a disproportionate share of the cost.

Trump's first appearance before the organization is at a U.S.-sponsored event on reforming the 193-member organization.

___

4:15 a.m.

President Donald Trump is plunging into a foreign policy-focused week that will be anchored by his first address to the United Nations General Assembly.

Trump planned Monday to address a U.S.-sponsored event on reforming the 193-member world body.

Trump criticized the U.N. during the presidential campaign as weak and incompetent, but has softened his tone since taking office. Trump wants the U.N. to cut spending and make other operational changes.

The president also meets separately Monday with the leaders of Israel and France, and hosts Latin American leaders for dinner.

See 2 more photos