Iran's UN response, Trump and Zelenskiy meet, Nigeria deaths (Updated)

Hi, I'm Kim Vanell in Whanganui, New Zealand. And I'm Christopher Waljasper in Chicago. It's Wednesday, September 23rd. Today, Iran's president responds to Trump's fiery UN speech. Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky sits down with Trump, who says Putin is ready for talks. And Nigeria grapples with shocking allegations of young men killed in detention. This is Reuters World News, bringing you everything you need to know from the front lines in 10 minutes, 7 days a week. It's your home, road warrior mom. Home of the Save. Join for just $20 at bjs.com slash mesquite and save 10 cents per gallon for six months. Open soon. Limited time offer, new members only. BJ's, home of the Save. The day after President Donald Trump threatened to annihilate Iran, the president of the Islamic Republic, Mazoud Pazeshkian, in his UN address, said Tehran will never surrender to the U.S. and that it still believes in diplomacy. Pazeshkian opened his speech by condemning the U.S. for the death of Iran's Ayatollah Khamenei and civilian casualties at a school and a sports complex. These children perished under bombs. With weapons used by the United States and Israel. A UN fact-finding mission says it has grounds to believe that the U.S. was behind those strikes, which it says constitute war crimes. President Trump has previously said that nobody purposefully attacked the school, citing an investigation into the incident. Just minutes into Pazeshkian's speech, the U.S. delegation walked out of the General Assembly. The tense rhetoric at the UN comes as Washington says it will impose secondary sanctions against any country that allows Iranian civilians to enter the country. Iran responded by saying that it'll ensure neighboring countries' airports won't function if they abide by the new sanctions. Despite the harsh words from Trump and Pazeshkian, a sideline meeting on Tuesday has led to the U.S. responding to an Iranian proposal to end hostilities. They had a very good meeting, and we'll see how it turns out. But certainly, it's to their advantage to make a deal. And we can do that. It's preferable, I guess, you know. Tehran says it is now considering the U.S. response, though a senior Iranian official has told our Reuters colleagues that many differences remain between the Iranian and U.S. positions. Reopening the Strait of Hormuz and the lifting of the U.S. naval blockade on Iran were among the points discussed. Trump also met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump renewed his promise to end Russia's war in Ukraine, and once again said Russian President Vladimir Putin is on board. He'll meet. He's willing to meet. He'd like to see the war end. For more on that, here's White House National Security Reporter Graham Slattery, who's in New York. Since the last year in General Assembly, Trump has seemed to have a relatively cordial relationship with Zelensky, but has been willing to make relatively few concrete commitments to help him. To help Ukraine fend off Russia's invasion. And I think that it seems that we're sort of in a similar pattern here. You know, they would discuss Patriot licenses for Ukraine, Patriot being an important missile defense system, but no commitments were made. Trump was asked if he would use some of the authorities that he was granted in a recent piece of legislation to sanction buyers of Russian oil. He kind of deflected on that. So cordial, but noncommittal. President Trump's trip to the United Nations is also putting the spotlight on his fight with the media. After being barred from the White House, CNN, MSNOW and Politico are still covering the president this week in New York. And Trump took notice. I'm surprised that CNN is here covering me. You should not be here covering me. The three outlets are challenging the administration's White House ban in court, arguing the ban violates First Amendment protections. On Wednesday, a federal judge will consider a request by all three outlets to immediately restore their White House access. This week in Gaza, more than half a million students are returning to school for the first time in nearly three years. But school looks very different. Some classes are being held in tents, others in damaged buildings or bare rooms. More than a third of all students are being held in tents, others in damaged buildings or bare rooms. with little more than mattresses and a blackboard. Still, after years of war, displacement and remote learning, being back in a classroom feels like a milestone. Moyad Abu Mustafa is going to class in Khan Yunus. He says despite his classroom being a tent with no desks and few supplies, the new school year is a moment of joy and hope. And he says he carries the message that he's going to be a part of the new school year. He says he carries the message that he's going to be a part of the new school year. A memory of friends lost during the war. According to UNICEF, 98% of Gaza's schools were destroyed or damaged during the conflict. Hank joined BJ's Wholesale Club the day he became a father of 30. I coach football. Now Coach Hank saves up to 25% off grocery store prices, 30 pounds of pasta, three cases of protein bars, 75 sports drinks. And that's just pregame. He knows teamwork. And BJ's knows savings. This is your home, Coach. Home of the Save. Join for just $20 at BJ's.com slash mesquite and save 10 cents per gallon for six months. Open soon. Limited time offer. New members only. BJ's. Home of the Save. Back in Washington, federal officials say they're halting or reviewing Obamacare coverage for more than three quarters of a million people. The Trump administration says it's about cracking down on fraud. Vice President J.D. Vance says the move could save taxpayers about $2.2 billion. So far, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have canceled more than 300,000 plans. And officials are reviewing hundreds of thousands more over questions about eligibility and missing documentation. To Nigeria now. And a warning, this story contains some graphic details. President Tebola Ahmet Tenebu has ordered an investigation after allegations that prison guards sprayed a substance into a crowded prison cell, then ignored cries for help as one by one, 37 young men and teenagers locked inside died. That's according to survivors, including Ademur Issa. Ademur Issa. The bodies of the youngsters, which we won't show here, lined up, surrounded by grieving families. Two other survivors corroborated Ademur's account, which Reuters could not independently verify, and authorities have not given a cause of death. Reuters was also unable to determine what substance was sprayed into the cells or why. The group had been rounded up as part of a crackdown on suspected illegal gold mining. And as Nigeria Bureau Chief McDonald Zerotwe explains, the incident is raising fresh questions about conditions in detention facilities. Nigeria has a notorious history when it comes to detentions and human rights groups have said this time and again that some of these detention facilities are unfit to be inhabited by citizens, by human beings. And I think this kind of incident did, you know, shock Nigerians. But, you know, how can 37 people, including, you know, teenagers, and some of them, you know, really children, could die in the custody of, you know, a paramilitary agency? And obviously, yes, Nigerians do want answers. Tammy regularly hauls stuff to her kids at college. That's why she shops at BJ's Wholesale Club, saving up to 25% off grocery store, beef jerky, microwave meals, laundry pods, even they can't screw up. Have you met my kids? And with BJ's gas, she gets there for less. They call me the road warrior. This is your home, road warrior mom. Home of the Save. Open soon. For more on any of the stories from today, as well as more analysis about news, shaping our world, check out Reuters.com and the Reuters app. app. There's a link in the description to download it and start getting pure news straight from the source. Don't forget to follow us on your favorite podcast player. If you're listening on a smart speaker, just ask for the latest news from Reuters seven days a week. We'll be back tomorrow with our daily headline show.