Ukraine Under U.S. Peace Pressure, Angry Tunisian Journalists, Frida Record

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🗞️ FRONT PAGE​​

Brazilian daily O Globo reports on the fire that broke out inside the COP30 summit venue in Belém on Thursday, causing a panicked evacuation and the suspension of climate talks entering a crucial phase. This marked the third major incident at the event after Indigenous protesters stormed the venue and later blockaded the entrance in peaceful demonstration. An investigation into the cause of the blaze, which was controlled in less than 10 minutes, has been launched but Brazilian Tourism Minister Celso Sabino said the fire could have been the result of a short circuit or other electrical malfunction. The global climate talks are expected to resume later Friday for a final day.

🌎 7 THINGS TO KNOW RIGHT NOW

• Ukraine under pressure as U.S. plan leaks. In a video address from Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he is ready to work with Washington on “their vision” for ending the war, after a peace draft leaked that proposed territorial concessions, military limits and security guarantees widely seen as favorable to Vladimir Putin. Meanwhile, Moscow claims advances in Kupiansk, Pokrovsk and Vovchansk — which Ukraine denies. For more, read this piece by Die Zeit’s Maxim Kireev, translated from German by Worldcrunch: Posturing Aside, Both Russia and Ukraine Need A Ceasefire Now.

• Israel plans new settlement in West Bank heritage site. Israel’s Civil Administration, which handles administrative matters in the West Bank, has announced new plans to expropriate large sections around the historic town of Sebastia. Rights groups say this would be Israel’s largest seizure of archaeologically significant land. The move comes as Israeli settlers say they have established a new, unauthorized outpost near Bethlehem.

• Vietnam floods kill at least 41. Severe flooding and landslides caused by torrential rain have killed at least 41 across Vietnam. An estimated 62,000 residents had to evacuate, while a million inhabitants were left without power, as rescue operations are ongoing. Forecasters warn more heavy rain is coming.

• Trump to meet New York’s incoming leftist mayor Mamdani. New York’s mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani is heading to the White House on Friday for a high-stakes first meeting with Donald Trump, after weeks of public barbs. The U.S. president has mocked Mamdani’s politics and threatened federal funding cuts, while the 34-year-old Democratic Socialist has called the meeting “an opportunity to make the case for New Yorkers.” Trump also drew fire after accusing Democrats on Thursday of “seditious behavior” that is punishable by death after a video reminding military leaders not to follow illegal orders. More on the rise of Mamdani here, courtesy of France Inter’s Pierre Haski, translated from French and adapted by Worldcrunch.

• Japan approves restart of world’s largest nuclear plant. Niigata Governor Hideyo Hanazumi has backed a partial restart of TEPCO’s Kashiwazaki-Kariwa facility — the largest nuclear generating station in the world — clearing the last major hurdle for reviving its two biggest reactors. Tokyo hopes the restart will bolster energy security and cut costly fuel imports, though local residents remain sharply divided over safety.

• Miss Mexico wins Miss Universe, just weeks after walking out of competition. In a dramatic reversal of fortunes, Mexico’s Fátima Bosch Fernández has claimed the Miss Universe crown after a turbulent pageant. Earlier this month, Bosch walked out of the competition after a Thai organizer berated her for participating in promotional activities. Two judges later resigned, alleging rigging, while Thai officials issued apologies. Check out our very own collection of beauty pageants around the world that celebrate difference.

• News Quiz! Calls have been made for an immediate investigation into an alleged “culinary crime,” sold on the shelves of a shop inside the European Parliament. What is the culprit?

A. Improper carbonara sauce
B. Gluten-free beer
C. Vegan Boeuf Bourguignon
D. Veal paella
[Answer below]

#️⃣ BY THE NUMBERS

$54.66 million

A self-portrait by legendary Mexican artist Frida Kahlo set a record for the most expensive painting by a woman, after it fetched $54.66 million at a Sotheby’s auction in New York on Thursday. The 1940 artwork El sueno (La cama), which translates to “The dream (The bed),” depicts the artist sleeping in a bed that appears to float among clouds in the sky, as a skeleton with legs that are wrapped with sticks of dynamite laying above. The painting breaks the previous record in this category set by American artist Georgia O’Keeffe in 2014 with her 1932 artwork Jimson Weed/White Flower No. 1 that sold for $44.4 million. The sale comes just two days after a painting by Austrian artist Gustav Klimt also set a record, by becoming the second most expensive artwork ever sold at auction. 

📰 IN OTHER NEWS

🎖️ A controversial warning from France’s Army Chief of Staff coincides with sabotage in Poland and a divisive Russian-American plan for Ukraine, raising concerns about Europe’s security.
— FRANCE INTER

🤰 With no clear law in place, Colombia’s surrogacy network expands through loopholes, intermediaries and vulnerable women.
— LA MAREA

🤖 From embryo editing to dreams of eternal life, Silicon Valley’s new faith in machines blurs the line between progress and eugenics, raising the question of what humanity is willing to sacrifice for perfection.
— LA STAMPA