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UN speakers' go-to quotes: Ancient texts, modern greats and a little Talking Heads

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Peltz, J. (2026, September 27). UN speakers' go-to quotes: Ancient texts, modern greats and a little Talking Heads. Toronto Star. https://www.thestar.com/news/world/un-speakers-go-to-quotes-ancient-texts-modern-greats-and-a-little-talking-heads/article_af9bd199-bd43-533b-8386-6b6c1c0d4c6f.html

Dated when The Aporia collected the article, usually within hours of publication. Check the original for its exact date and byline.

Toronto Star · collected 2026-09-27 · by Jennifer Peltz

Quick Summary

At the U.N. General Assembly, world leaders frequently quote various sources during their speeches to emphasize key points. This week's speakers referenced ancient texts like Hammurabi’s laws, cultural sayings from proverbs and poetry, as well as modern figures including Talking Heads lead singer David Byrne and Dutch diarist Anne Frank. These quotations ranged from moral authority statements by Mahatma Gandhi to expressions of environmental stewardship and unity in the face of adversity.
Written by AI on 2026-10-02, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

At the U.N. General Assembly, world leaders often incorporate diverse quotes into their speeches to emphasize key points or add rhetorical flair. For instance, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi referenced an ancient Babylonian king Hammurabi's statement about laws preventing the strong from oppressing the weak. Similarly, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis invoked a Talking Heads lyric, saying "We’re on a road to nowhere," while Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten quoted Anne Frank and Mahatma Gandhi during his address. Other leaders included local sayings or historical references relevant to their contexts, such as the Palauan president referencing ancient proverbs. These quotations add depth and context to the discussions about global issues at the assembly.

Written for “UN Speech Quotes Trends” on 2026-10-31, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 UN Speech Quotes Trends
World · 1 article(s) covering the same event.

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 0% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
Toronto Star
Hedges 1 of 17 claims Outlet record 64/100
“While both articles cover speeches at the U.N. General Assembly in 2026, they focus on different aspects: Article A highlights lesser-known leaders' statements, while Article B compiles quotations used by various speakers.”
Toronto Star
Hedges 1 of 3 claims Outlet record 64/100
“Article A focuses on lesser-known leaders' perspectives during the UN General Assembly, while Article B highlights notable quotes from various speakers at the same assembly but emphasizes citations and references used by the speakers.”
Toronto Star
Hedges 1 of 18 claims Outlet record 64/100
“While both articles discuss speeches at the U.N. General Assembly and highlight different aspects of leaders' statements, they focus on distinct themes (various topics vs. quotes and references) and appear to cover different days or sessions.”
Toronto Star
Hedges 1 of 3 claims Outlet record 64/100
“Article A highlights lesser-known leaders' statements at the U.N. General Assembly, while Article B focuses on notable quotes from various sources used by speakers during their addresses.”
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
20
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
0%
0 of 20 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
64/100
Toronto Star's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
1
World
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-09-27 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

Toronto Star · 10661 article(s) · 27 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 27 correction(s)
2026-10-26
Correction
2026-10-24
Correction
2026-10-07
Correction
2026-09-24
Correction

Who wrote this

Jennifer Peltz
11 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
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Also by Jennifer Peltz
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 11 articles by Jennifer Peltz →

Topics

Babylonian Iraqi Talking Heads UNITED NATIONS the U.N. General Assembly

Subjects

Mahatma Gandhi PERSON · 2× Talking Heads ORG · 2× Ali al-Zaidi PERSON · 1× Babylonian NORP · 1× Hammurabi PERSON · 1× Iraqi NORP · 1× Marshall Islands GPE · 1× Marshallese NORP · 1× UNITED NATIONS GPE · 1× the U.N. General Assembly ORG · 1×

Narrative

“Knowledge is like the ocean’s waves: It comes in many forms and sizes, yet no wave overpowers another, and all ultimately reach the same shore.” — one of a couple of Palauan sayings translated and quoted by Palau President Surangel Whipps ___ “How wonderful it is that no one has to wait, but we can start right now to gradually change the world!” — Anne Frank, referred to by Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten, who also quoted Mahatma Gandhi, Nuremberg war crimes trial prosecutor Robert H. Jackson and an inscription at a cemetery for American World War II soldiers in the Netherlands
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-09-27
🔮 I refuse to believe that we good people will forever turn our hearts and our eyes away.

Claims (20 extracted, 0 hedged)

Presidents, premiers, monarchs and cabinet ministers have plenty to say at their annual gathering at the U.N. General Assembly. asserted
Presidents → have → Assembly
Still, sometimes they borrow a few words, quoting from a range of sources. asserted
they → borrow → sources
Speakers this week touched on homeland sayings, ancient texts, figures of moral authority and more — even a bit of Talking Heads (not TV pundits — the 1980s new wave band.) asserted
Speakers → touch → Heads
Here’s a sampling of references: asserted
sampling → ’ → references
___ “Laws are made to prevent the strong from oppressing the weak.” — the ancient Babylonian king Hammurabi, quoted by Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi ___ “The coral reef where different species of fish congregate to feed and seek shelter.” asserted
species → make → shelter
— a reference from a Marshallese proverb, as explained by Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine ___ “We’re on a road to nowhere.” asserted
We → explain → road
— David Byrne of the band Talking Heads, quoted by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis __ “We are the land, its custodians and its inhabitants. asserted
We → quote → Mitsotakis
To us it belongs, for we are its people and its home. asserted
we → belong → us
Today belongs to the people, and the glorious yesterday belongs to them, as well. asserted
yesterday → belong → them
To them belong the future, history and time itself.” asserted
future → belong → them
— a Yemeni poet, as quoted by Abdullah Abdulkader al Alimi-Bawzer, vice president of Yemen’s internationally recognized governing council, and as translated by U.N. interpreters ___ “The breach of one rule inevitably leads to the breach of other rules.” asserted
breach → quote → rules
— Mahatma Gandhi, quoted by Finnish President Alexander Stubb ___ “Members of the United Nations General Assembly, your very name implies commitment, through your peace initiatives and humanitarian policies, to igniting the fires of conscience, empathy, unity and equity.” asserted
name → quote → conscience
— Barbados’ poet laureate, Esther Phillips, quoted by Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley ___ “When we gather together in the moonlit village ground, it is not because of the moon. asserted
it → quote → moon
Every man can see it in his own compound. asserted
man → see → compound
We come together because it is good for kinsmen to do so.” asserted
kinsmen → come → ?
— author Chinua Achebe, quoted by President Azali Assoumani of The Comoros ___ “When there is anguish in Port-au-Prince, it’s still Africa crying. asserted
it → quote → Prince
We’re outing fires in faraway places when our neighbors are just burning.... asserted
neighbors → out → places
I refuse to believe that we good people will forever turn our hearts and our eyes away. asserted
people → refuse → hearts
Haiti, I’m sorry. asserted
I → ’m → ?
“Knowledge is like the ocean’s waves: It comes in many forms and sizes, yet no wave overpowers another, and all ultimately reach the same shore.” — one of a couple of Palauan sayings translated and quoted by Palau President Surangel Whipps ___ “How wonderful it is that no one has to wait, but we can start right now to gradually change the world!” — Anne Frank, referred to by Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten, who also quoted Mahatma Gandhi, Nuremberg war crimes trial prosecutor Robert H. Jackson and an inscription at a cemetery for American World War II soldiers in the Netherlands asserted
who → come → Netherlands
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