Trump addresses UN with mixture of boasts, threats and jibes | First Thing
US-Iran meeting takes place on sidelines despite president’s threat to ‘annihilate’ Tehran regime. Plus, one man’s month-long pilates odyssey
Good morning. Donald Trump has used the platform of the UN general assembly in New York to threaten to “annihilate the Islamic republic” of Iran, “and do it quickly”. He called on countries to unite to isolate Tehran and bring down global energy prices.
Despite his bombastic rhetoric, Trump also said Iranian officials held three hours of talks with the US special envoy Steve Witkoff on the sidelines of the meeting. Witkoff said he felt very good about the meeting, the first such contact since the US vice-president, JD Vance, met an Iranian delegation in Switzerland in June. A senior Iranian official also indicated that Iran was prepared to reopen the strait of Hormuz within a week.
What else did Trump say at the UN? The president doubled down on his defence of AI development, saying warnings about runaway agents were a “hoax”; announced the US would build new military bases in Greenland; attacked the international criminal court as a “rogue organisation”; and prompted the Cuba’s delegation to stage a walkout when he described the country as a “failed state”.
Did he continue his attacks on US media networks? Trump scolded a CNN anchor for covering him at the UN, saying “I’m surprised that CNN is here covering me. You should not be here covering me. You said you weren’t going to cover me.” Last week, the president announced he was banning CNN, Politico and MS Now from the White House.
Republican calls for Senate investigation of Trump Jr wedding paid for by Russian oligarch
A Republican senator has accused Donald Trump Jr of corruption and demanded a Senate investigation into revelations that a Russian oligarch bankrolled part of his recent wedding in the Bahamas.
John Curtis, of Utah, wrote to the leaders of the US Senate judiciary committee on Tuesday, urging them to subpoena Trump Jr over his business dealings, his relationships with foreign individuals, gifts he has received – and any occasions where his connection to his father, Donald Trump, “was invoked or understood to provide value”.
Where else is the president seeing dissent from Republicans? Another prominent Florida Republican has publicly distanced himself from Trump, days after María Elvira Salazar called out the president’s immigration-enforcement policy targeting law-abiding undocumented immigrants. Byron Donalds, the Republican nominee for governor in November’s midterm elections, launched an updated campaign website on Tuesday that was stripped of almost every mention of Trump.
Mississippi grand jury decides not to charge anyone in death of Nolan Wells
A grand jury made a unanimous decision to not bring criminal charges against anyone in the mysterious death of Nolan Wells, a Mississippi teenager who died after a boat outing with friends on 4 July.
Wells’s case drew national attention, with many speculating about what happened and suspecting that the 18-year-old’s disappearance and death may have been racially motivated. Wells, who was Black while the friends with whom he was last seen were white, was also the only friend in the group who did not return from the trip that day.
Hayden Panettiere’s cause of death confirmed as fentanyl overdose
Hayden Panettiere died from a fentanyl overdose, according to the Greenville county coroner’s office. Medical examiners said there were “no signs of trauma” and “the manner of death has been ruled accident”. Panettiere was in her South Carolina apartment with her boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, and his brother Zach when she died on August 16.
Panettiere, known for her roles in television series including Heroes and Nashville, began acting at just 11 months old. After her death, her father released a statement, saying: “She was an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her – and to the millions who watched her onscreen.”
In other news …
Ella Langley’s hit song Choosin’ Texas has set a new record, spending 23 weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100, unseating Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas Is You, which topped the charts for 22 weeks.
An US F-16 fighter jet in western Germany crashed on Tuesday, the US military said, adding that one pilot had ejected safely.
DoorDash said it would pay $131.5m to settle a New York City government investigation that found the food delivery company underpaid or waited too long to pay workers.
‘Looksmaxxing’ influencer Clavicular has been charged with rape and drug offenses in Massachusetts. The 20-year-old, whose real name is Braden Eric Peters, has been scheduled for a 14 October arraignment.
Qantas says travellers will be able to fly between Sydney and New York in just 18 hours from mid-2028 when the airline launches its second ultra long-haul route.
Stat of the day: Trump made more than 1,000 stock trades in July worth up to $270m
The president made more than 440 purchases and 700 sales despite voter anger over elected officials trading stocks.
Well Actually: Get tested and talk to your partner – how to have safer sex after age 50
We are long past the era when sex was for young married couples trying for children and nobody else. Amanda Zuckerman Klarsfeld has compiled this thoughtful selection of advice for older lovers.
Don’t miss this: Why public transport in global cities is slowing to a crawl – visualised
The UK capital’s iconic red buses have a problem: they are getting slower. And it isn’t just an issue in London, but a growing worldwide problem for transit networks, with worrying implications for the poorest in society. Our visuals team have put together this rich explainer to explore why.
… or this: Will anyone topple soccer boss Infantino?
Since Fifa abandoned its controversial World Cup sell-off plan last month, causing deep divisions among the global administrators of soccer, the governing body’s president, Gianni Infantino, has continued to lobby for re-election. Matt Hughes analyses how he is trying to cling on after the debacle.
Climate check: Huge El Niño projected to cause 450,000 deaths in next six months
More than 450,000 people are projected to die from the additional heat brought by the super El Niño in the next six months, according to estimates by climate scientists. The toll is on top of the early deaths resulting from temperatures already driven up by the climate crisis. It will strike across the globe, including the US. Many further deaths are expected from the droughts, wildfires and flooding that El Niños bring.
Last Thing: My perilous, painful, perfect month of pilates
My colleague Sammy Gecsoyler has taken up pilates, and has written this very funny account of his month’s journey to better fitness and health.
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