Good morning.
Donald Trump took the stage at the United Nations general assembly hall for the first time in six years to launch a full-on assault on the world body, which he described as a feckless, corrupt and pernicious global force that should follow the example of his own leadership.
In an inflammatory speech on the 80th anniversary of the founding of the UN, Trump called for countries to close their borders and expel foreigners, accused the world body of leading a “globalist migration agenda”, and telling national leaders that the UN was “funding an assault on your countries”.
-
What did Trump say? He appealed to European leaders to embrace a blood-and-soil nationalism and follow his example. “It’s time to end the failed experiment of open borders,” he urged. “You have to end it now … Your countries are going to hell.”
-
What is the significance of the address? Those who support the values of the UN must realize “the degree to which the world’s superpower seems bent on the destruction of everything they believe”, writes Patrick Wintour, the Guardian’s diplomatic editor. The speech urgently prompts the question of “how the world will operate in the absence of reliable American leadership”.
Trump says he believes Ukraine can regain all land lost to Russia since 2022 invasion
Donald Trump has said he believes Ukraine can regain all the land it has lost since the 2022 Russian invasion, in one of his strongest statements of support to Kyiv.
The president gave his upbeat assessment by claiming Russia was in big economic trouble in a post on Truth Social after meeting the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in New York. Zelenskyy hailed Trump’s intervention.
Earlier, Trump said that he planned to enforce his demand that Nato countries stop importing Russian oil – including Hungary, led by his close ally Viktor Orbán.
-
What is the latest in the Russia-Ukraine war? Russia is launching long-range drones into Nato countries’ airspace to test the military alliance’s air defences and search for weak points, Zelenskyy said Tuesday.
-
How serious is the risk of escalation? The first step of any further escalation would be new Russian incursions. That could happen “if the Russians think it may cause disruption or sow discord in Nato”, says David Jordan, of the Freeman Air and Space Institute at King’s College London.
Jimmy Kimmel returned to air on Tuesday night, calling government threats to silence comedians “anti-American”, as he broke his silence about his suspension from ABC which ignited a national debate over free speech and outcry over the bullying tactics of the Trump administration.
“This show is not important,” Kimmel said during his first monologue since Disney, which owns ABC, suspended his late-night show from the network last week under pressure from Trump officials over his comments on the shooting of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk. “What is important is that we get to live in a country that allows us to have a show like this.”
-
How was Disney persuaded to reverse the decision? Unions, rights organizations, first amendment defenders and protesters stood by Kimmel. On Monday, for instance, the American Civil Liberties Union released an open letter signed by more than 400 Hollywood stars condemning this “dark moment for freedom of speech”.
In other news …
-
A new bronze statue on the National Mall in DC celebrates the “long-lasting bond” between Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein, showing two men grinning and holding hands.
-
A writer for FX’s The Bear was handcuffed and removed from a New York City train after a white woman complained that Alex O’Keefe, who is Black, had his feet on the seat.
-
Donald Trump on Tuesday said he would not meet top congressional Democrats to discuss their demands for keeping the federal government open, prompting the Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer to accuse the president of “running away from the negotiating table” as a federal shutdown looms.
-
Elon Musk’s father, Errol Musk, 79, has been accused of sexually abusing five of his children and stepchildren since 1993, the New York Times reported on Tuesday.
Stat of the day: 2 million people evacuated in southern China after deaths in Taiwan and the Philippines from Super Typhoon Ragasa
At least 17 people in Taiwan and two people in the Philippines have been killed, and more than 2 million people have been ordered to evacuate in southern China, as Super Typhoon Ragasa pummels parts of east Asia.
Don’t miss this: ‘Charlie Kirk was a divisive far-right podcaster. Why is he being rebranded as a national hero?’
Saida Grundy, associate professor of sociology and African American studies at Boston University, writes in an opinion piece that the memorializing of Charlie Kirk rewrites his legacy. It ignores how “Kirk ruled over an online fiefdom peddling his signature brand of rage-baiting racist, xenophobic, Islamophobic and misogynistic commentary”.
Climate check: Global investment in renewable energy up 10% on 2024 despite Trump rollback
In the first half of 2025, investment globally in renewable technologies and projects reached a record $386bn, rising about 10% on last year, according to Zero Carbon Analytics. It comes despite efforts by the White House to cancel and derail low-carbon projects.
Last Thing: ‘I chose red’ – why these brides ditched the white wedding dress for colorful gowns
Is the white wedding past its prime? In April, searches on Pinterest searches were up 240% for “unique wedding dresses”. Rachel Obordo spoke to women who ditched white for colorful gowns. “I had defaulted to a plain white pantsuit, but when I put it on I felt uninspired,” said Q, who wore dark green.
Sign up
Sign up for the US morning briefing
First Thing is delivered to thousands of inboxes every weekday. If you’re not already signed up, subscribe now.
Get in touch
If you have any questions or comments about any of our newsletters please email newsletters@theguardian.com