US President Donald Trump has demanded an investigation into what he called “triple sabotage” after an escalator, teleprompter and sound system malfunctioned while he attended the United Nations General Assembly.

The UN said the events that happened while Mr Trump was at its headquarters in New York on Tuesday were accidental and partly blamed the issues on White House staff.

But in a long social media post, the US president described the string of mishaps as “very sinister”, called for people to be arrested and said the Secret Service was also probing the events.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Mr Trump said: “This wasn’t a coincidence, this was triple sabotage at the UN. They ought to be ashamed of themselves.

“I’m sending a copy of this letter to the secretary general and I demand an immediate investigation.

“No wonder the United Nations hasn’t been able to do the job that they were put in existence to do.”

Footage showed the 79-year-old president and First Lady Melania Trump getting on the escalator at UN headquarters on Tuesday before it stopped with a lurch, forcing them to walk up.

Then, as he began his speech, he noted his teleprompter was not working.

He spent much of the rest of the speech criticising the world body, accusing it of funding illegal migration that was turning Western countries into “hell” and failing to support his peace efforts in Gaza and Ukraine.

But while Mr Trump struck a mostly jovial tone about the escalator, his mood hardened a day later.

“A REAL DISGRACE took place at the United Nations yesterday. Not one, not two, but three very sinister events!” he wrote.

Mr Trump said the escalator stop could have been a “real disaster”.

“It’s amazing that Melania and I didn’t fall forward onto the sharp edges of these steel steps, face first,” he added.

The president then complained that his teleprompter for his speech was “stone cold dark” for the first 15 minutes and that the sound in the UN auditorium was “completely off”.

The US president called for the security tapes for the escalator to be saved, adding: “The Secret Service is involved.”

UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric on Tuesday issued a statement addressing the matter, saying a videographer from the US delegation “may have inadvertently triggered the safety function” on the escalator.

“Regarding the teleprompter, we have no comment since the teleprompter for the US president is operated by the White House,” he said.

A Secret Service official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP the agency was “looking into what the UN said to corroborate it”.

Reached for comment after Mr Trump’s post yesterday, a UN official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, pointed to Mr Dujarric’s earlier statement.

Regarding the alleged sound issues, the official said: “The sound system was designed to allow people at their seats to hear speeches being translated into six different languages through earpieces.”

Mike Waltz, the newly installed US ambassador, said on X that he had formally demanded the “complete results” of the UN’s probe of the escalator incident, as well as a “detailed explanation of the teleprompter failure’s root cause, along with immediate plans to implement robust preventive measures”.

“The United States will not tolerate threats to our security or dignity at international forums,” Mr Waltz said.

“We expect swift cooperation and decisive action,” he added.

A poorly coordinated response to an outbreak of scabies at a Kilkenny nursing home led to non-compliance in infection control, according to an inspection report by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA).

The report says that a significant number of residents and staff had shown signs of a contagious skin infestation since September 2024, almost ten months prior to the inspection.

A clinical diagnosis of scabies was made by a GP, and a dermatologist confirmed crusted scabies, which is a severe and more contagious progression of infestation.

The public health team was notified and an outbreak of scabies was declared at the end of May this year.

The report says the response to the outbreak was “fragmented and lacked coordination and oversight”, which “likely contributed to the persistence of the issue”.

A review of documentation by HIQA indicated that residents showing signs of infestation were not immediately isolated pending clinical diagnosis and for 24 hours after initial treatment.

This, according to the watchdog, may have allowed the infestation to spread between residents, staff and possible visitors.

Two residents had completed their initial course of treatment on the morning of the inspection. However, staff were unclear regarding the required duration of isolation following the initial course of treatment.

The report points out that clothing and bedding were mismanaged after residents received treatment for confirmed or suspected scabies, with unnecessary delays prior to sending for laundering.

Additionally, items that could not be laundered, such as slippers, shoes and soft toys, were not appropriately managed when residents were treated, according to the report.

Bedrooms were also not routinely deep cleaned when residents were treated for the condition.

The provider was required to take urgent action following this inspection to ensure there was local oversight, supervision and assurance mechanisms in place to ensure that the outbreak was effectively managed.

The inspection report is one of 50 published today.

Evidence of good practice and compliance with regulations and standards were found in a number of inspections.

However, 19 centres were non-compliant with three regulations or less, and seven centres non-compliant with four or more regulations.

In a South County Dublin nursing home, the registered provider failed to take all reasonable measures to protect residents from all forms of abuse.

Some had a history of responsive behaviours, which were a known safeguarding risk to other residents and had measures documented to mitigate risk.

However, the measures had not always been effective and had failed to protect residents from abuse, according to the report.

When inspectors visited the home in June, multiple residents, visitors and staff reported that the temperature in the centre, including some bedrooms and communal areas, was excessively warm.

This was a significant issue during the inspection, according to HIQA.

The inspectors were informed that the central heating could not be switched off, nor could the settings be adjusted to account for the outdoor temperature.

A number of instances where residents were not adequately supervised were also observed.

A resident who had been assessed as being at high risk of falls was seen standing on a chair with no staff present.

Three residents in the sitting room were also seen sitting for 20 minutes without staff supervision and without access to a call-bell for assistance if required.

The Trump administration will work to prevent FIFA banning Israel from international football ahead of the 2026 World Cup, Sky News can reveal.

Football’s world and European governing bodies were urged this week by United Nations (UN) advisory experts to suspend all Israeli teams over the war in Gaza.

FIFA has not responded to the UN special rapporteurs as Israel’s men continue trying to qualify for next year’s World Cup, which is largely being played in the United States.

And the US government, through Marco Rubio’s state department, has made a direct intervention to stop sporting sanctions being imposed.

A state department spokesperson told Sky News: “We will absolutely work to fully stop any effort to attempt to ban Israel’s national soccer team from the World Cup.”

FIFA launched an investigation last year into allegations of discrimination raised by the Palestine Football Association against the Israeli FA.

There is also an investigation into whether teams from Israeli settlements in the West Bank playing in Israeli competitions breaches FIFA regulations.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has a close relationship with US President Donald Trump and is a regular visitor to the White House. He has been in New York this week meeting world leaders around the UN General Assembly.

Sky News revealed yesterday that discussions are taking place at high levels in European football about whether Israel should be banned but no decision has been taken.

Officials have been deliberating over why Russia remains banned over the war in Ukraine but Israel is clear to continue playing in European club competitions and on the international stage as the death toll mounts.

UEFA has previously publicly said there is a difference in how the wars started – with Russia launching an unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and Israel responding to the 7 October 2023 Hamas attacks.

But a UN commission of inquiry has now said Israel is committing genocide in Gaza – accusations rejected by Israel.

That led to UN advisers calling for Israeli teams to be expelled from world football.

Read more from Sky News:
Israel ‘kills 22 people including nine children’ in Gaza
What recognising a Palestinian state actually means

“Sports cannot be business as usual and something has to change and Israel has to be excluded,” Alexandra Xanthaki, the UN special rapporteur for cultural rights, told Sky News.

“I think that when we talk about teams, national teams, not individual athletes, of states that are subject to valid claims of genocide… this is where this is for sure a red line.”

Among the athletes killed during the war is the footballer known as the Palestinian Pele – Suleiman al Obeid – who the Palestine FA announced in August died in an Israeli airstrike.

The Palestine Olympic Committee this week said the Israeli sports system has been an “active participation” in war.

“Over 1,000 athletes have had their lives extinguished. Thousands more are wounded, maimed or disabled,” said POC President Jibril Rajoub, who also heads the FA.

“Our stadiums, our facilities, our dreams, all have been ground into dust.”

FIFA did not respond to a request for comment.