“Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro was convicted by a Supreme Court majority on Thursday of plotting a coup to remain in power after losing the 2022 election, a powerful blow to the populist far-right movement he created. The presumptive ruling by a majority of a panel of five justices in Brazil’s Supreme Court makes Bolsonaro the first former president in the country’s history to be convicted for attacking democracy. … The verdict was not unanimous, with Justice Luiz Fux on Wednesday breaking with his peers by acquitting the former president of all charges. That single vote could open a path to challenges to the ruling, potentially bringing the trial’s conclusion closer to the run-up of the 2026 presidential elections, in which Bolsonaro has repeatedly said he is a candidate despite being barred from running for office.” (09/11/25)
“Applications for US unemployment benefits jumped last week to the highest level in almost four years, indicating layoff activity may be on the rise amid a sharp slowdown in hiring. Initial claims rose by 27,000 to 263,000 in the week ended Sept. 6, the highest since October 2021, according to Labor Department data released Thursday. The median forecast in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for 235,000 applications. Thursday’s figures follow a monthly report on employment, published on Sept. 5, which showed the US added just 22,000 jobs in August, extending the sharp slowdown in job growth seen in recent months. Uncertainty surrounding President Donald Trump’s economic policies has made employers more hesitant to hire in 2025.” (09/11/25)
“Peter Mandelson was fired as Britain’s ambassador to the United States on Thursday after his ties to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein became another unwelcome problem for the embattled Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Mandelson had been under mounting pressure over his relationship with Epstein after US lawmakers on Monday released a ‘birthday book,’ compiled for Epstein’s 50th birthday in 2003, in which the veteran Labour party politician had penned a handwritten note describing Epstein as ‘my best pal.’ … Hours later, the scandal snowballed after Bloomberg published a trove of emails between Mandelson and Epstein, in which Mandelson expressed support for his friend and offered to discuss his infamous 2008 Florida case with his political contacts. … Mandelson – who now has been forced out of three senior government roles over separate scandals – for years batted away questions about his links to Epstein.” (09/11/25)
“California lawmakers passed measures Thursday that would ban federal and local law enforcement officers — including immigration agents — from covering their faces and require them to clearly identify themselves. The bills now head to Gov. Gavin Newsom, who, despite being an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, will have to grapple with potential legal questions presented by one of the measures.” (09/11/25)
“A former chief justice appeared likely to take over as Nepal’s interim leader following days of violent protests that collapsed the government and left at least 31 people dead. The Himalayan country erupted in violent protests over the weekend after the government abruptly banned 26 social media sites, including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and X, in what was seen as an attempt to silence criticism. … The agitation collapsed the government after prime minister KP Sharma Oli resigned, his rushed decision to lift the ban failing to bring order. On Thursday, as confusion continued over who was governing Nepal, former chief justice Sushila Karki, the first woman to hold the post in 2016, emerged as the frontrunner for interim leader, backed by many of the agitation’s leaders. … Meanwhile, Nepal police said over 15,000 prisoners had escaped from two dozen jails during the protests.” (09/11/25)
“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed an agreement on Thursday to push ahead with a controversial [squat] expansion plan that would cut across land that the Palestinians seek for [the state which has existed since 1988 and is recognized by most other states]. ‘There will never be a Palestinian state. This place is ours,’ Netanyahu said during a visit to the Maale Adumim [squat] in the West Bank where thousands of new housing units would be added. … Last month, the E1 project, which would bisect the occupied West Bank and cut it off from East Jerusalem, received final approval from a Defence Ministry planning commission. Netanyahu was joined by nationalist members of his coalition, including far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who in August said [the] Palestinian state ‘is being erased from the table, not with slogans but with actions.'” (09/11/25)
“The sniper who killed the conservative activist Charlie Kirk was still on the loose on Friday even as investigators flooded the internet with photos and video of a man believed to have carried out Wednesday’s politically charged killing at a Utah university. President Donald Trump said investigators were making progress in tracking down the gunman who fired a single rifle shot on Wednesday that struck the neck of Kirk, a 31-year-old author and podcast host who helped galvanize the conservative youth vote and return Trump to the White House.” (09/12/25)
“A midshipman was shot Thursday at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, as security officials responding to reports of suspicious activity were clearing a building while the campus was on lockdown, according to a U.S. official. According to a Navy official, Navy security officers and local law enforcement responded to the campus shortly after 5 p.m. The midshipman was medevaced to the hospital by Maryland State Police and was in stable condition. … ‘There is no active shooter threat, however, one person was injured while Naval Security Forces were clearing a building,’ said a Navy official.” (09/11/25)
“Belarus has pardoned 52 prisoners and released them into Lithuania, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said on Thursday, as the Baltic nation and Belarus both thanked US President Donald Trump for his involvement. It is the latest release of political prisoners by Belarus amid warming relations between Washington and Minsk. A Trump administration official said the United States would ease some sanctions on Belarus’[s] state-run airline, Belavia, ‘based on the prisoner releases to date and constructive engagement.'” (09/11/25)
“Consumer prices rose 2.9% in August compared to a year ago, marking an uptick in price increases as President Donald Trump’s tariff policy intensified. The reading matched economists’ expectations. The fresh inflation data indicated an acceleration from a 2.7% inflation rate recorded in the month prior, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Price increases remain below the 3% rate recorded in January, the month Trump took office. The new report arrives days before the Federal Reserve is set to announce a widely expected quarter-point interest rate cut.” (09/11/25)
