Thing

Mike Waltz said Iranian negotiators asked for 'everything up front' in talks before President Trump rejected a proposed ceasefire. The comment sheds light on why negotiations over halting hostilities fell apart, with the US arguing the Iranian terms amounted to demanding concessions before any agreement in return. The remarks are fueling debate over whether diplomacy was given a genuine chance.

SpaceX is preparing a Starship test launch from its facility in Texas on Monday. Florida Today published an explainer outlining everything to know ahead of the flight, including what the test will involve. Starship is the company's largest rocket, and each launch draws wide attention from space enthusiasts and industry watchers tracking progress toward future missions.

Iran has put forward a new proposal aimed at reaching an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterway at the centre of rising regional tensions. The pitch suggests Tehran may be seeking a negotiated off-ramp, and observers are weighing what concessions Iran wants and how the US and Gulf states might respond to the offer.

Elon Musk told CCTV Finance that he recommends people visit China as much as they can, citing the many things to see. He described taking the bullet train from Beijing to Xi'an as a great experience and praised the train stations. The remarks are drawing attention given Musk's business ties to China through Tesla, with supporters seeing validation of China's infrastructure and critics questioning his praise of the country.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent predicted that Iran's economy will have 'nothing' left within two weeks, a stark assessment amid escalating economic pressure on Tehran. The remark, picked up by major outlets including Yahoo News, signals continued American confidence that sanctions and financial isolation are rapidly choking Iran's economy.

French President Emmanuel Macron used his latest speech at the United Nations to launch a scathing attack on Israel, sharply criticising its conduct in the Middle East conflict. The address drew wide international attention, with reactions splitting between those praising his stance and others accusing him of undermining a key ally.

Anthropic says its biology lab has already found something significant, according to a report published on TechCrunch. The AI company has been expanding into wet-lab and life-sciences work, and this announcement suggests an early result from that effort. No details of the finding have been made public yet, leaving observers speculating about what the discovery could be.

Australia's Labor government is defending its response to a data breach, with party figures describing the actions taken as 'the right thing'. The comments come amid scrutiny of how authorities handled the incident and what notification obligations applied. Details of which breach is involved and what specific steps were taken were not available in the coverage collected.

ASML, the Dutch chip equipment maker, says it sold 'absolutely nothing' in Europe in 2026 and is calling on the EU to help create demand for its lithography machines. The comments highlight Europe's weak semiconductor manufacturing base, as ASML's sales remain concentrated in Asia, particularly Taiwan, South Korea and China.

A new Mary Poppins television series is in the works, and reports say it will take a much darker approach than the classic Disney musical. The adaptation is expected to move away from the cheerful tone of the 1964 film and explore the source material in a more serious register.

Max Verstappen, four-time Formula 1 world champion, has brushed off an incident, saying "these things happen". He acknowledged the young driver involved made a mistake but argued that the criticism directed at them has been excessive. Verstappen defended the driver and urged people not to overreact to the mistake.

Music startup Thoughtful Things has launched a Kickstarter campaign for Engram, its first instrument. The device is a sampler and groovebox that uses AI to manipulate incoming audio and generate entirely new sounds. Early commentary stresses that it is not a generative music tool like Suno, but a hands-on hardware instrument aimed at producers who want AI-assisted sound design.

An investigation of GazaVerified accounts claims that 145 of the 338 currently active accounts received no donations at all in the week beginning 13 September, while three accounts received over 2,000. The researcher cautions the analysis may contain errors and says they are still reviewing the data. The figures, if accurate, suggest donations are highly concentrated among a small number of accounts.

ASML, the Dutch maker of chipmaking equipment, says it sold 'absolutely nothing' in Europe in 2026, pointing out that demand for its machines comes overwhelmingly from Asia. The company is calling on the European Union to help create demand for advanced chip manufacturing within Europe. The remark has drawn attention to Europe's limited role in the semiconductor supply chain despite hosting the company itself.

Formula 1's 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku has prompted a round-up of the main takeaways from the race, with analysis focusing on what the result reveals about the teams and drivers under the sport's new regulations. Motorsport coverage is recapping the performance of the leading cars and the title picture emerging from the weekend.

Mike Leigh's new film 'Tender Loving Care' screened at the New York Film Festival 2026, where early reviews describe it as the British director's latest and possibly final work. Critics are responding to what is being framed as a valedictory film from the veteran filmmaker, known for a career spanning decades of character-driven British drama.

The Detroit Lions and New York Jets are facing off in an NFL matchup, drawing significant search interest in the United States. Coverage includes breakdowns of key things to watch when the two teams meet, with fans and analysts focused on how Detroit's roster performs against the Jets.

The New York Jets dropped another close game in Week 3, falling to the Detroit Lions. Head coach Aaron Glenn, who previously coached in Detroit, says the Jets mirror the Lions' early rebuild years — a team that lost tight games before turning things around. The comparison has drawn attention as Jets fans weigh patience against mounting frustration over narrow defeats.

The Philadelphia Phillies are on a losing skid and now face one final game to keep their season alive. The team's recent collapse has put them on the brink of elimination, with everything resting on the next outing. Fans and analysts are watching closely to see whether the Phillies can turn things around or bow out of the postseason.

Port Arthur restaurant El Refu 4 has issued an apology after reports linked meals from the establishment to illnesses among Golden Pass LNG workers. Health officials in Port Arthur investigated and found nothing connecting the restaurant to the workers' sickness. The apology follows the reputational damage the business suffered while the claims circulated and investigations were underway.

Attention is turning to the 2026 Chess Olympiad, with coverage laying out the key details of the biennial team chess competition. Readers are being given a rundown of what to expect from the event, including its format and significance for national teams. As one of chess's largest international tournaments, the Olympiad draws strong interest from players and fans ahead of each edition.

In the ODI against Sri Lanka, England are bowling Liam Dawson and Joe Root to speed through to the 20-over mark, which would make the match a completed game under the DLS rain rule. That way, even if the weather intervenes, the Duckworth-Lewis adjustment would hand England both the match and the series. Fans are debating whether it is smart tactics or against the spirit of the game.