What the morning news shows covered today: one entry per story, every show's take.

President Trump publicly threatened to "annihilate" Iran at the UN General Assembly while urging global economic isolation and predicting a post-election deal. He revealed that a U.S. delegation held a three-hour meeting with Iranian officials on the sidelines, marking a shift back to diplomacy after talks broke down over the Strait of Hormuz. The war is now seven months in, widening in the region, and remains deeply unpopular at home as oil and gas prices reach historic highs.

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A new NPR/PBS News/Marist poll shows Democrats with a 12-point advantage over Republicans for Congress, with 45% of voters saying their choice is a vote against Trump. Trump's net approval is twice as bad as in 2018, with 53% strongly disapproving of his job performance, and Republicans have lost their advantage on key issues like the economy and foreign policy.

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IMF head Kristalina Georgieva urged advanced economies to reduce borrowing and prioritize fiscal consolidation to manage spiraling debt service costs. The war in Iran has disrupted oil supplies, fueling inflation and raising government borrowing costs, with UK interest on government debt hitting a record high and US debt surpassing $40 trillion. Georgieva also warned that massive investments in AI infrastructure could lead to a bubble if companies fail to realize expected returns.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Trump to discuss a winter package of military equipment, including Patriot missiles, and emphasized the need for U.S. political will and technology to end the war. Zelensky stated that the U.S. has previously raised the issue of stopping strikes on Russian refineries, but Ukraine will not stop unless Russia agrees to a full energy ceasefire. He asserted that Putin is neither winning nor losing on the battlefield because human losses do not register as losses for Russia.

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Gunmen killed 11 people at a house party near Durban, with police investigating a possible feud or murder-for-hire motive. South Africa has one of the highest violent crime rates globally, with low prosecution rates and cases taking a long time to go through courts. The army was deployed earlier this year to assist police in areas where officers cannot safely operate, temporarily reducing violent crime.

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Tigrayan rebels have seized the airport in Mekelle, raising fears of a resumption of the civil war that killed up to 600,000 people. The escalation follows increasing tensions, drone strikes, and a new rebel alliance. Tigrayan forces accuse the federal government of breaching the peace deal, while the government accuses them of forging alliances with other armed actors and Eritrea.

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