By Kirsty Needham

SYDNEY (Reuters) -Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese departs for the U.S. this week, raising expectations of a first meeting with President Donald Trump, where the AUKUS defence partnership and China are likely to dominate talks between the security allies.

According to his office, Albanese departs on Saturday for the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where the prime minister said he will attend a reception hosted by Trump on Tuesday.

More than 140 world leaders will descend on New York next week for the annual United Nations General Assembly summit, which will be dominated this year by the future of the Palestinians and Gaza.

One world leader who will miss the gathering is Mahmud Abbas, the Palestinian president who Washington denied a visa to attend, along with his officials.

The United Nations Security Council voted Friday, after European pressure, to reimpose deep economic sanctions on Iran over its resurgent nuclear program, triggering an angry reaction from Tehran.

Britain, France and Germany are signatories to a 2015 deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) intended to stop Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

The trio allege that Iran has broken its promises under the treaty.

By Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump's goal of re-occupying Bagram air base in Afghanistan might end up looking like a re-invasion of the country, requiring more than 10,000 troops as well as deployment of advanced air defenses, current and former U.S. officials say.

Trump, speaking to reporters on Thursday during a trip to London, said "we want that base back" and cited what he called its strategic location near China.

"It's an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons," Trump said.

By Patricia Zengerle

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A group of U.S. senators introduced on Thursday the first Senate resolution to urge recognition of a Palestinian state, further signaling a shift in Washington sentiment toward Israel nearly two years into its war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

By Michelle Nichols

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United States vetoed on Thursday a draft United Nations Security Council resolution that would have demanded an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and that Israel lift all restrictions on aid deliveries to the Palestinian enclave.

The text, drafted by the elected 10 members of the 15-member council, would also have demanded the immediate, dignified and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and other groups.

By David Latona and Andreas Rinke

MADRID (Reuters) - Germany will reach a decision on whether to back European Union sanctions against Israel before a European Union meeting in Copenhagen in October, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on a visit to Madrid on Thursday.

The UN Security Council will vote Friday on whether to reimpose sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program, the Council's rotating presidency said, after Britain, France and Germany triggered the vote.

The three European countries, signatories to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action intended to stop Tehran obtaining nuclear weapons, allege that Iran has broken its promises under that 2015 treaty.

By Michelle Nichols and Maya Gebeily

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) -The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen announced on Thursday that he would step down "in the near future" after more than six years in the role and as Syria undergoes a historic transition following the ouster of former leader Bashar al-Assad last year.

He told the U.N. Security Council that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had accepted his resignation.

PARIS (Reuters) -French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that the reimposition of United Nations sanctions on Iran would happen by the end of September because Tehran had not been serious in its talks with European powers to avert them.

When asked in an interview on Israel's Channel 12 whether the so-called snapback mechanism would take place he said:

"Yes. I think so because the latest news from the Iranians is not serious," Macron said.

(Reporting by John Irish; Editing by Aidan Lewis)