Prime Minister Andy Burnham is in New York for his first United Nations General Assembly as UK prime minister, with talks with US President Donald Trump and a new defence technology partnership among the key items on his agenda.

Burnham is expected to meet Trump on Tuesday for their first face-to-face talks since Burnham became prime minister. Discussions are expected to cover international security, Ukraine, the Middle East, artificial intelligence and wider UK-US relations.

A major announcement is also expected on a UK-US AI defence partnership. Reuters reports that Britain's Defence Rapid AI Delivery Taskforce and the US Department of War's Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office will work together to accelerate trusted and interoperable AI capabilities.

The partnership is intended to explore how artificial intelligence can support critical infrastructure protection, threat detection and defence capabilities. The announcement places technology and national security alongside traditional diplomatic issues during Burnham's UN visit.

Burnham is also expected to address the UN General Assembly, where he will discuss Britain's international role and cooperation on global challenges. His visit comes as world leaders gather in New York for the annual UN meeting.

The prime minister's trip follows a decision to provide Saudi Arabia with limited defensive air-to-air refuelling support involving an RAF Voyager aircraft, adding a further security issue to Britain's international agenda this week.