Kim In Beijing, Darfur Landslide, Mosul Mosque Reopens

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🗞️ FRONT PAGE​​

“Nestlé boss stumbles over love affair” headlines Switzerland-based daily Blick after the sudden dismissal of the food multinational’s CEO Laurent Freixe, following an investigation into his undeclared “romantic relationship” with a direct subordinate that breached the company’s code of business conduct, said Nestlé in a statement released late Monday. Freixe, who had the role for just one year, is replaced by Nespresso chief Philipp Navratil. Nestlé shares, a bedrock of the Swiss stock exchange, were down 1% following Freixe’s dismissal; they had already lost almost a third of their value over the past five years, underperforming European peers.

🌎 7 THINGS TO KNOW RIGHT NOW

• Kim Jong-un arrives in Beijing, as Putin and Xi reaffirm “old friend” ties. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has arrived in China’s capital by armored train to attend a military parade marking the end of World War II with his Chinese and Russian counterparts, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin. This comes after Xi hailed Putin as an “old friend” during talks between the two leaders in Beijing. The parade, meant to mark 80 years of Japan’s surrender in the war and China’s victory against an occupying force, will be attended by 26 foreign heads of state. This marks the first time a North Korean leader has attended a Chinese military parade since 1959. For more, check French analyst Pierre Haski’s piece, translated by Worldcrunch: In Tianjin, A Group Photo Of The New World Order.

• Top experts say Israel committing genocide in Gaza. The report issued on Monday by the International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS) highlights the 50,000 children Israel has killed or wounded, its widespread attacks on Gaza’s healthcare, aid and educational sectors. The IAGS also said that Israel’s response to Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attacks does not solely target the Palestinian militant group but the entirety of Gaza’s population. In addition, Belgium has announced that it will recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly session set to open on Sept. 9, joining Australia, France, Canada and the UK. Meanwhile, Israel began mobilizing tens of thousands of reservists on Tuesday as part of its plan to widen its offensive in northern and central Gaza City, which has sparked opposition domestically and condemnation abroad.

• Afghanistan quake death toll rises to 900. Rescue teams continue to scour Afghanistan’s mountainous east for survivors on Tuesday after a 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck late Sunday night in several provinces, injuring 3,000 people, flattening villages and leaving people trapped under the rubble of fragile homes constructed mostly of mud bricks and wood. The region of steep river valleys is separated by high mountains with limited road access, making rescue operations more difficult.

• Bolsonaro trial enters verdict and sentencing phase. Brazil Supreme Court judges begin on Tuesday the trial phase of the case against former President Jair Bolsonaro and seven co-defendants, accused of masterminding an attempt to stay in power after he lost reelection in 2022 to leftist rival Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The verdict will be announced by Sept. 12 by the court’s five judges. Bolsonaro risks over 40 years in prison if convicted. 

• Landslide kills more than 1,000 in Sudan’s Darfur region. A landslide has destroyed an entire village in Sudan’s Marra Mountains in Sudan’s western Darfur region on Sunday, killing an estimated 1,000 people, according to a rebel group that controls the area, the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A). The group issued a statement late on Monday reporting the disaster and calling for UN help to recover bodies.

• Tens of thousands march in Serbia’s capital to demand snap vote. Tens of thousands of protesters silently marched in Belgrade and several other towns on Monday to commemorate the deaths of 16 people killed by the roof collapse of a renovated railway station in Novi Sad last November. Protests have been taking place for months across Serbia, blaming corruption for the disaster and demanding early elections in hopes of ousting President Aleksandar Vučić and his ruling SNS party. Protests were mainly peaceful until Aug. 13 when dozens of police officers and civilians were injured in clashes.

• News Quiz! During a surprise police check at Paris’ Gare de Lyon, officers discovered stolen luxury jewels worth 10 million euros. In what unexpected place did they find the loot?

A. Inside the clock tower
B. In the bowl of a train restroom
C. Under the back seat of a taxi
D. In a sock tucked inside the suspect’s underwear
[Answer below]

📰 IN OTHER NEWS

📸 The leaders of Russia, India and China were all smiles as they posed for a photo on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, with their thoughts on the “absent” Donald Trump. The battle for world order in the 21st century captured in a single photo.
— FRANCE INTER

🏠 The housing crisis in Spain is not only driving families from their homes, it is also emptying democracy of its substance. Into this vacuum, fear, hatred, and authoritarian rhetoric are growing and gaining ground.
— CATALUNYA PLURAL

🎙️ Zakir Khan’s rise is not just of a comedian who cracked the elite systems abroad, it is the triumph of India’s ordinary dream.
— THE WIRE

📣 VERBATIM

“We have declared maximum preparedness for the defence of Venezuela.”

— Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro told reporters on Monday that a U.S. military build-up in the Caribbean is aimed at overthrowing his government, and that he was ready to “declare a republic in arms” if attacked by U.S. forces. Maduro said that Venezuela seeks peace but that his military is prepared to respond to any attacks, claiming that the U.S. had sent “eight military ships with 1,200 missiles and a submarine targeting Venezuela,”and that his country being “confronting the biggest threat that has been seen on our continent in the last 100 years.” A U.S. official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said on Thursday that seven U.S. warships, along with one nuclear-powered fast attack submarine, were either in the region or were expected to be there in the coming week. The official aim of the military build-up is to address threats from Latin American drug cartels.