Gaza UN Summit, Brazilian Protests, Bracing For Typhoon Ragasa

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🗞️ FRONT PAGE​​

Brazilian daily Folha de S. Paulo dedicates its front page to Sunday’s mass protests against moves by the Brazilian Congress to expand lawmakers’ immunity and advance amnesty measures that could benefit ex-president Jair Bolsonaro. The former leader was recently sentenced to 27 years in prison for trying to stage a coup to remain in office after his 2022 electoral defeat. Critics are accusing the conservative-majority Congress of putting its own interests above social and economic issues.

🌎 7 THINGS TO KNOW RIGHT NOW

• Israeli army orders evacuation of Gaza City hospital, world summit on two-state solution. The Israeli military ordered the evacuation Monday of the Jordanian Hospital, showing no signs of relenting on its new ground offensive in Gaza City. This comes as France and Saudi Arabia are hosting a one-day summit at the United Nations to rally support for a two-state solution, a day before the start of the UN General Assembly. The UK, Canada and Australia formally recognized a Palestinian state on Sunday, prompting an angry response from Israel, with more countries expected to follow on Monday, including France and Belgium. Israel and the United States will boycott the summit, Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon said. For more, check French analyst Pierre Haski’s latest piece: Why France Has Chosen This Moment To Recognize The State Of Palestine.

• Al-Sharaa becomes first Syrian leader to visit UN General Assembly in six decades. Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa is set to attend the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, becoming the first Syrian head of state to attend the annual gathering since President Nureddin al-Atassi in 1971. Meanwhile, Syria will organize its first elections since the fall of Bashar al-Assad late last year, with a vote for a new People’s Assembly on October 5.

• Russia and Ukraine trade blame for deadly overnight strikes. The head of the Kremlin-backed regional government in annexed Crimea blamed Ukraine on Monday for a drone strike in the resort town of Foros that killed three people and wounded 16. Meanwhile, Kyiv said Moscow had carried out 46 air strikes on its territory as of 10 pm on Sunday and reported that two people were killed in overnight Russian strikes in the southern city of Zaporizhzhia.

• Trump joins thousands at Charlie Kirk memorial service. U.S. President Donald Trump hailed Charlie Kirk as a “great American hero” and “martyr” during a speech at a memorial service for the conservative activist, who was shot dead earlier this month. The Sunday event saw other top officials from Trump’s administration, including Vice-President JD Vance, praise Kirk’s political legacy. Read more about Kirk’s assassination in this France Inter analysis, translated from French by Worldcrunch.

• Thousands evacuate as most powerful storm this year hits Philippines. Thousands of people were evacuated in the northern Philippines as Super Typhoon Ragasa, the strongest storm recorded anywhere in the world this year, made landfall in the area Monday, packing sustained winds of over 267 kph (165 mph). The super typhoon is expected to head toward the major cities of Hong Kong and Macau, and mainland China’s Guangdong Province.

• Paris landmark closes for five-year renovation. Paris’ Pompidou Center, which houses one of the world’s most significant modern art collections, will close on Monday evening for a five-year overhaul which is expected to cost almost half a billion euros. The renovations will include asbestos removal, accessibility, security, a complete interior redesign, as well as improved climate protection with new waterproofing.

• News Quiz! Ahead of the release of her upcoming 12th album The Life of a Showgirl, on Oct. 19, Taylor Swift has launched a special project for her fans. What is it?

A. “Shake It Off” smoothies
B. A 24/7 Taylor Swift radio station
C. A line of cardigans
D. A T-AI-lor Swift chatbot
[Answer below]

📣 VERBATIM

“There is no reason for us not to sit down with the United States.”

— North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un said he would be ready to have talks with the U.S. if Washington “drops the absurd obsession with denuclearising” his country, insisting he would never abandon the nuclear arsenal to end sanctions, state media reported on Monday. During a speech at the Supreme People’s Assembly, the leader also mentioned Donald Trump by name for the first time since the U.S. president’s inauguration in January, saying: “Personally, I still have fond memories of U.S. President (Donald) Trump.” Kim’s comments come as South Korea’s new liberal government urged the U.S. president to take the lead in reopening dialogue with its neighbor, six years after all peace talks with Pyongyang collapsed over sanctions and nuclear dismantlement.  

📰 IN OTHER NEWS

🕌 Hamza Aydin challenged orthodox teachings and was hounded out of his university. His story reveals how Erdogan’s Turkey wields religion as a political weapon, reaching from Ankara to German mosques.
— DIE ZEIT

⚖️ A year has passed since the start of this historic Mazan rape trial. Far from the courtroom in Avignon, how has Gisèle Pélicot, the woman who became a global icon, emerged from her journey into the depths of darkness?
— LE FIGARO

⚡ China is positioning itself as the world’s champion for renewable energy and has been heavily investing in the sector for the last 20 years. It has also been financing mega-projects that exploit natural resources such as coal and oil — particularly in Africa.
— GLOBAL VOICES