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World

Trump says US and Iranian officials met Tuesday, shortly after warning he may ‘annihilate’ Iran

Aamer Madhani, Farnoush Amiri And Edith M. Lederer, The Associated Press 7 minute read Updated: 1:58 PM CDT

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — President Donald Trump said U.S. and Iranian officials met on Tuesday, shortly after threatening in his address to the U.N. General Assembly that he may “annihilate” the Islamic Republic if a deal isn’t reached soon to end the nearly seven-month war.

Trump confirmed the talks in an exchange with reporters on the sidelines of the annual gathering of world leaders but he offered few details about how the discussions transpired, who was involved, or the substance of the exchange.

“It was a very good meeting,” Trump said.

The confirmed engagement comes after months of U.S.-Iran communications languishing following the collapse of a short-lived ceasefire that was brokered on June 17.

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FILE - Douglas Stuart poses for a portrait on April 29, 2026, in New York. (Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP, File)

Marlon James and Douglas Stuart have chance to become 5th multiple winner of Booker Prize book award

Pan Pylas, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Marlon James and Douglas Stuart have chance to become 5th multiple winner of Booker Prize book award

Pan Pylas, The Associated Press 3 minute read 1:02 PM CDT

LONDON (AP) — Marlon James and Douglas Stuart have a chance to become only the fifth author to win the Booker Prize twice after both were named Tuesday on the shortlist for arguably the U.K.’s most prestigious fiction accolade.

Judges of the award whittled down the 13 semifinalists announced in July to six on Tuesday and said the shortlisted books are “moving, pacey, funny, violent, intriguing, horrifying and hopeful.” They were selected from an original 163 submissions.

The Booker Prize celebrates the best works of long-form fiction by writers of any nationality, written in English and published in the U.K. and/or Ireland between October 2025 and Sept. 2026. The winner stands to win 50,000 pounds ($67,000).

“Most of these books were beginning to feel like old friends after at least two readings,” said historian Mary Beard, head of the judging panel. “And it was painful to have to let some of them go, with their now bent spines and dog-eared pages, their brilliant capacity to make us think, argue and sometimes disagree.”

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1:02 PM CDT

Entertainment

‘Looksmaxxing’ influencer known as ‘Clavicular’ is charged with rape in Massachusetts

Leah Willingham, The Associated Press 3 minute read 12:31 PM CDT

BOSTON (AP) — The social media influencer “Clavicular,” who gained a following promoting the online “looksmaxxing” trend, has been charged in Massachusetts with raping a 17-year-old girl who told police she became heavily intoxicated after he gave her alcohol at his family's Cape Cod home.

Braden Peters, 20, is charged with rape, administering a substance for sexual intercourse and procuring alcohol for a person under 21 in the alleged May 23, 2025, assault in Chatham, according to court records. A clerk-magistrate found probable cause for the charges on Sept. 4, and a criminal complaint was issued Sept. 8.

Peters' publicist did not immediately return an email request for comment Tuesday, nor did the teen's attorneys. Peters, who is not in custody, is scheduled to be arraigned on Oct. 14 in Orleans District Court.

The accuser told Chatham police that she and Peters began messaging on Instagram and that he later paid her to appear in “looksmaxxing” videos he streamed online. She said Peters knew she was 17 but that he told her to tell his viewers that she was 18 and that vodka he gave her was water, according to a police report.

Business

John Wilson poses for a photograph at the Low Cinema on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026, in the Ridgewood section of Queens borough of New York. (AP Photo/Jake Coyle)

In a concrete-covered culture, John Wilson carves out a micro-movie revolution

Jake Coyle, The Associated Press 7 minute read Preview

In a concrete-covered culture, John Wilson carves out a micro-movie revolution

Jake Coyle, The Associated Press 7 minute read 12:24 PM CDT

NEW YORK (AP) — Years ago, John Wilson began just walking out into New York with his camera.

Wilson was freshly out of college and eager to establish himself as a filmmaker. But he was naturally timid. It took some gumption to leave his apartment in the Ridgewood neighborhood of Queens and start pointing his camera.

“I did a cappella in college for a little while, and I felt like that was the most embarrassing thing you could possibly do,” shrugs the director of “The History of Concrete.” “Once you do that, you can do pretty much anything.”

What compelled Wilson, 39, is a little hard for him to pinpoint now. He wanted to make movies, and the streets of New York offered free, unlimited production value. He wanted to preserve what was always disappearing: a storefront sign, a moment. Most of all, he wanted to capture the mundane, ubiquitous things around us that go unexamined.

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12:24 PM CDT

Business

FILE - Ella Langley performs during the 61st annual Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas on May 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)

How Ella Langley’s ‘Choosin’ Texas’ became the longest running No. 1 hit of all time

Maria Sherman, The Associated Press 7 minute read Preview

How Ella Langley’s ‘Choosin’ Texas’ became the longest running No. 1 hit of all time

Maria Sherman, The Associated Press 7 minute read 11:04 AM CDT

NEW YORK (AP) — Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas,” a simmering, midtempo, country-and-then-some heartbreak song released last October, is indisputably 2026’s biggest hit.

“Choosin' Texas” is also the longest running No. 1 hit in the U.S., having spent 23 weeks at the top spot on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, it was announced Tuesday.

That means the track has surpassed various records set by Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road,” Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” and most impressively, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You.” Her holiday classic held the previous record, with 22 weeks at No. 1.

The song’s laid-back sound, cross-genre appeal and heartache narrative are a few reasons why. But its dominance still comes as a surprise.

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11:04 AM CDT

World

United States President Donald Trump speaks during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Trump signs US-Denmark-Greenland agreement to bolster Arctic security after prolonged tensions

Farnoush Amiri And Jamey Keaten, The Associated Press 6 minute read Preview

Trump signs US-Denmark-Greenland agreement to bolster Arctic security after prolonged tensions

Farnoush Amiri And Jamey Keaten, The Associated Press 6 minute read Updated: 2:28 PM CDT

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed an agreement with Denmark and Greenland aimed at strengthening Arctic and North Atlantic security, paving the way for more U.S. bases in Greenland and easing tensions over his repeated calls for the vast island to become part of the United States.

The signing on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York comes days after Trump announced the deal to bolster the U.S. military presence on Greenland but keep it under Danish control. The agreement would still apply if Greenland eventually chooses independence.

“This is tremendous for Europe and for the United States and for everybody,” Trump said just before the agreement was signed. “And for Greenland, it's going to be incredible.”

Trump has expressed his desire to acquire Greenland since as long ago as 2019 and, during his second term, issued threats to seize the semiautonomous territory from Denmark, a NATO ally. On Tuesday, he did not respond to questions about whether a U.S. acquisition of Greenland was off the table.

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Updated: 2:28 PM CDT

Entertainment

FIle - Hayden Panettiere arrives at the Teen Vogue Young Hollywood Party in Los Angeles on Sept. 20, 2007. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles, File)

Hayden Panettiere died from accidental overdose involving fentanyl, coroner says

Jeffrey Collins, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

Hayden Panettiere died from accidental overdose involving fentanyl, coroner says

Jeffrey Collins, The Associated Press 4 minute read Updated: 10:33 AM CDT

Actor Hayden Panettiere died from an accidental overdose of several drugs, including fentanyl, a coroner in South Carolina said Tuesday.

Panettiere, 36, was found unresponsive in an apartment in Greenville, South Carolina, on Aug. 16. Her on-and-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson and his brother Zach Hickerson were at the home.

According to a statement from the Greenville County Coroner’s Office, a combination of fentanyl and its chemical byproduct, as well as the anti-anxiety medication alprazolam, a muscle relaxer and a drug used to treat major depression and other serious mental health disorders, was found in Panettiere's system.

The office did not include further details from the autopsy report in its initial release.

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Updated: 10:33 AM CDT

Entertainment

Roman coins, including the one coin, centre, dating from 148 B.C., when Rome was still a republic without an emperor, are on display at the LVR State Museum, in Bonn, Germany, Tuesday Sept. 22, 2026. (Rolf Vennenbernd/dpa via AP)

Amateur archaeologist finds Germany’s biggest hoard of ancient Roman silver coins

Kirsten Grieshaber, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Amateur archaeologist finds Germany’s biggest hoard of ancient Roman silver coins

Kirsten Grieshaber, The Associated Press 3 minute read Updated: 8:44 AM CDT

BERLIN (AP) — An amateur archaeologist who discovered several Roman silver coins in a field in western Germany realized he had stumbled upon something bigger when his metal detector kept beeping.

Oliver Riedl called the authorities for help and a group of experts who began digging immediately discovered a total of 934 Roman silver denarii. It is the biggest coin treasure ever found in Germany from the time of Roman Emperor Hadrian, the local office in charge of archaeological monuments said Tuesday.

“It was clear to me that there was something bigger buried here,” Riedl said, describing how his metal detector continued signaling even after he had found several coins near Wesseling, south of Cologne a year ago.

The hoard of coins, which weighs 3.1 kilograms (6.8 pounds), went on display at the LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn on Tuesday.

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Updated: 8:44 AM CDT

World

Police commandos stand guard at the High Court complex ahead of a verdict related to the 2019 Easter bombings in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026.(Eranga Jayawardane)

Sri Lankan court sentences 15 men to life in prison for roles in deadly 2019 Easter bombings

The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Sri Lankan court sentences 15 men to life in prison for roles in deadly 2019 Easter bombings

The Associated Press 3 minute read Updated: 1:54 PM CDT

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — A Sri Lankan court convicted 15 men on Tuesday over their involvement in the 2019 Easter bombings that killed more than 260 people, and sentenced them each to 200 years in prison, meaning they will spend the rest of their lives behind bars.

The three-judge High Court panel also ordered the property of the defendants confiscated. The verdict was delivered amid tight security, with hundreds of police officers deployed around the courthouse, following a lengthy trial that spanned for nearly five years.

The April 21 attacks targeted three churches and three hotels across the island nation during Easter services and celebrations, and they also wounded about 500 people. The bombings, which were inspired by the Islamic State group, were among the deadliest attacks in Sri Lanka’s history. They killed 42 foreigners and devastated communities across the country.

All the convicted men were from Sri Lanka’s minority Muslim community.

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Updated: 1:54 PM CDT

Entertainment

This image released by Paramount Pictures shows Brad Pitt in a scene from

Movie Review: In ‘Heart of the Beast,’ Brad Pitt and a dog try to survive in the wild

Linsdey Bahr, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

Movie Review: In ‘Heart of the Beast,’ Brad Pitt and a dog try to survive in the wild

Linsdey Bahr, The Associated Press 4 minute read 8:02 AM CDT

Brad Pitt loves a lone wolf character. Even in ensembles, he’s often the quiet one just to the left (but, you know, still the focus). The guy who sees everything and says little, drawing people, when there are any, into his orbit with sheer charisma. Small talk is for the strivers, not the stars, maybe?

He’s already done the space thing and the car thing. It was only a matter of time before this whittling away of excess would find him alone in the wilderness, with only a dog as his companion, a German shepherd named Odin. No Manson followers to attack this time, though.

The film, in theaters Friday, is “Heart of the Beast,” which pairs him again with “Fury” director David Ayer. As is the law with dog movies, it is almost guaranteed to make you cry. And like many of Pitt’s characters that have come before, Army Special Forces veteran James Belmont is a capital M, manosphere Man. Not that he’d even know what the manosphere is, or a podcast. He’s far too manly for that.

James is a guy who doesn’t want, or need, any help from anyone. He’s got a compass tattoo on his neck, a paperback copy of Cormac McCarthy’s “The Road” in his bag, a notebook and a pencil for sketching, and a cooler full of bottled Belgian beers, neatly stacked around fresh ice. A beer opener, however? Not necessary for James. He’s got the side of his plastic cooler right there. When he has a brief encounter with another loner in the woods ( J.K. Simmons, resplendent in mountain man furs), James can’t even muster up the social niceties to unclench his rifle and shake the stranger's hand. He will, later, share one of his beers, however.

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8:02 AM CDT

World

FILE - A person holds a picture of Nolan Xavier Wells during a news conference at National Action Network headquarters, Friday, July 10, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura, File)

No charges in Nolan Wells’ death following grand jury review

The Associated Press 2 minute read Preview

No charges in Nolan Wells’ death following grand jury review

The Associated Press 2 minute read 5:55 AM CDT

PASCAGOULA, Miss. (AP) — A grand jury has found there wasn't evidence to bring charges in the death of Nolan Wells, a Black teen who was found dead after a July 4 boating trip off the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

The decision announced Monday by Angel Myers McIlrath, the district attorney overseeing Wells’ case, comes after months of intense speculation about how the 18-year-old disappeared from a bustling party and why the friends who ferried Wells to the island left without him.

The Jackson County grand jury found no evidence of criminal conduct and noted that examinations of his body by the Mississippi medical examiner’s office and an independent forensic pathologist hired by Wells’ family found the cause and manner of death to be undetermined.

“If credible evidence comes to light in the future that suggests Mr. Wells’ death was non-accidental, this matter should be represented to the Jackson County Grand Jury for further consideration,” the panel’s report said.

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5:55 AM CDT

Lifestyles

This photo provided by NOAA shows Hurricane Polo intensifying in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Mexico on Monday, Sept. 21, 2026. (NOAA via AP)

Polo strengthens to a Category 5 hurricane off Mexico’s Pacific coast

The Associated Press 2 minute read Preview

Polo strengthens to a Category 5 hurricane off Mexico’s Pacific coast

The Associated Press 2 minute read Updated: 7:33 AM CDT

MIAMI (AP) — Hurricane Polo grew into a Category 5 storm Tuesday in the eastern Pacific off southwestern Mexico and was forecast to bring heavy rain to southwestern Mexico but remain offshore.

It had maximum sustained winds of 160 mph (257 kph), the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said.

Polo was moving east at 6 mph (10 kph) and was forecast to sharply turn northwest and west-northwest. On that path, Polo would skirt the Mexican coast for a few days without directly making landfall.

A tropical storm watch was issued for part of the coast south of Manzanillo in Colima state to Tecpan de Galeana in Guerrero state, meaning tropical storm conditions were possible in the area within two days. Polo was centered about 360 miles (579 kilometers) south-southeast of Manzanillo.

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Updated: 7:33 AM CDT

Entertainment

FILE - From left: Britain's Prince Philip, Prince William, Earl Spencer, Prince Harry and Prince Charles walk outside Westminster Abbey during the funeral procession for Diana, Princess of Wales, Sept. 6, 1997. (AP Photo/Jeff J. Mitchell, Pool, File)

New book by Princess Diana’s brother prompts war of words with King Charles III

Sylvia Hui, The Associated Press 6 minute read Preview

New book by Princess Diana’s brother prompts war of words with King Charles III

Sylvia Hui, The Associated Press 6 minute read Updated: 1:07 PM CDT

LONDON (AP) — A book published Tuesday by the brother of the late Princess Diana has made headlines around the world with its damning allegations about Diana's ex-husband, now King Charles III, and reopened decades-old wounds within Britain's royal family.

In “Swan Song: Diana, My Sister,” Charles Spencer alleges that he argued with the then-Prince Charles over palace plans for Prince William and Prince Harry, then 15 and 12, to walk behind their mother's coffin during her 1997 funeral procession.

Spencer says he told Charles that Diana, who was killed in a car crash in Paris at the age of 36, would not have wanted her boys to undergo the ordeal. He claims the prince “went ballistic” during the argument, and told him: "Rest assured, we’ll forget her soon enough." Spencer also accuses Charles of having “contempt” for his ex-wife and of sounding “elated” after her death.

After excerpts of the book were published last week, Buckingham Palace responded with a strongly worded statement that's rare by the measured standards of the royal household.

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Updated: 1:07 PM CDT

Soccer

FIFA President Gianni Infantino gestures as he attends the Women's U20 World Cup opening match between Poland and Argentina in Katowice, Poland, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Beata Zawrzel)

Infantino open to an independent FIFA governance review after backlash over failed project

Carlos Rodríguez, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Infantino open to an independent FIFA governance review after backlash over failed project

Carlos Rodríguez, The Associated Press 3 minute read Yesterday at 8:33 PM CDT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — FIFA President Gianni Infantino has indicated he'd be open to an independent review of its governance system and signaled a willingness to consider reforms. 

Facing intense scrutiny and criticism following the failure of the “ FIFA Forward Enterprise ” (FFE) project, Infantino sent a letter on Monday outlining this proposal to all FIFA Council members and the 211 member associations ahead of the next FIFA Council meeting scheduled for Oct. 15.

“I will ask the Council whether it wishes to commission an external, independent assessment of FIFA’s current governance framework for major strategic initiatives and to recommend potential improvements,” Infantino stated in his letter, which was seen by The Associated Press. 

“I will propose that the Council establish a direct, structured, and time-bound consultation with the confederations and member associations on how to further strengthen FIFA’s decision-making processes,” he added.

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Yesterday at 8:33 PM CDT

Entertainment

This photo released by Hiroyuki Okada shows a free-style Ikenobo ikebana arrangement in Tokyo on March 11, 2026. (Hiroyuki Okada via AP)

The centuries-old Japanese art of ikebana draws those seeking calm

Yuri Kageyama, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

The centuries-old Japanese art of ikebana draws those seeking calm

Yuri Kageyama, The Associated Press 4 minute read Updated: 8:45 AM CDT

TOKYO (AP) — Ikebana, the Japanese art of arranging flowers, is a form of expression that dates back more than 500 years. It continues to blossom, quietly, not only with traditionalists but also with newcomers who find its blend of creativity and mindfulness to be restorative.

Ikebana can be a bit like solving a puzzle, except there’s no fixed answer. Because each flower, and human individual, is different, there are multiple solutions.

“There’s a ‘detox’ purifying factor, and a healing,” says Hiroyuki Okada, 40, who began taking lessons in ikebana about seven years ago. He now teaches Ikenobo, the oldest of three major ikebana schools.

Okada, who also teaches backflips to anyone who wants to learn, usually wears silver chains and jeans, but he wears a nice kimono when he formally demonstrates his arrangements. He considers himself typical of those drawn to ikebana today, people looking for joy, purpose, or solace from the daily grind or pain of modern life.

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Updated: 8:45 AM CDT

World

In this photo taken with a smartphone, people opposed to a congressional redistricting plan rally outside the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City, Mo., Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/David A. Lieb)

Appeals court favors Trump-backed Missouri congressional map, but Supreme Court will have final say

David A. Lieb, The Associated Press 6 minute read Preview

Appeals court favors Trump-backed Missouri congressional map, but Supreme Court will have final say

David A. Lieb, The Associated Press 6 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 6:48 PM CDT

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A long-running legal fight over Missouri’s congressional map took another turn Monday when a federal appeals panel ruled in favor of new districts backed by President Donald Trump, even though the U.S. Supreme Court has blocked those districts from being used in the November election.

A three-judge panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said Missouri should use the new Republican-drawn U.S. House districts in the November election, just as the state did in its August primary. To revert to its prior districts for the general election would violate the U.S. Constitution, the appeals judges said.

The appeals panel directed a lower court judge to issue a permanent injunction against using anything other than the map favored by Trump. But the ruling has no immediate impact. That’s because the panel also ordered the judge to delay the effect of the order for one week to allow time for an appeal. The judge quickly did so.

Opponents of the new map said Monday that they will file an emergency appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

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Updated: Yesterday at 6:48 PM CDT

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