Lead Story
Brazil holds first-round presidential election as Lula seeks a fourth term against Flávio Bolsonaro
Brazilians voted Sunday in a first-round presidential election pitting 80-year-old President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, seeking a fourth term, against Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, the 45-year-old son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, who remains barred from running after his conviction. With polls showing the race inside the margin of error and no candidate expected to clear the 50% threshold needed to win outright, the top two finishers are set to meet in a runoff on October 25. Voting was compulsory for citizens aged 18 to 70 among Brazil's roughly 159 million registered voters, with results due within hours of polls closing at 20:00 UTC via the electoral court's electronic count.
Read more →Lead Story
Brazil holds first-round presidential election as Lula seeks a fourth term against Flávio Bolsonaro
Brazilians voted Sunday in a first-round presidential election pitting 80-year-old President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, seeking a fourth term, against Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, the 45-year-old son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, who remains barred from running after his conviction. With polls showing the race inside the margin of error and no candidate expected to clear the 50% threshold needed to win outright, the top two finishers are set to meet in a runoff on October 25. Voting was compulsory for citizens aged 18 to 70 among Brazil's roughly 159 million registered voters, with results due within hours of polls closing at 20:00 UTC via the electoral court's electronic count.
Israel sets hard deadline for Hamas disarmament as Gaza ceasefire enters tense second phase
The Trump administration's second phase of its Gaza peace plan has shifted the territory from a ceasefire footing toward disarmament, technocratic governance and reconstruction, with Israel and the US pressing for Hamas to give up its weapons within roughly two months. Israeli officials have tied any further troop withdrawal from Gaza to the group's full demilitarization, while Hamas has told mediators it will not discuss disarmament without guarantees that Israel will fully withdraw, leaving the central question of who will physically disarm the group unresolved as pressure builds around an October 7 marker.
Read more →Israel sets hard deadline for Hamas disarmament as Gaza ceasefire enters tense second phase
The Trump administration's second phase of its Gaza peace plan has shifted the territory from a ceasefire footing toward disarmament, technocratic governance and reconstruction, with Israel and the US pressing for Hamas to give up its weapons within roughly two months. Israeli officials have tied any further troop withdrawal from Gaza to the group's full demilitarization, while Hamas has told mediators it will not discuss disarmament without guarantees that Israel will fully withdraw, leaving the central question of who will physically disarm the group unresolved as pressure builds around an October 7 marker.
Ukraine's drone campaign keeps forcing shutdowns at Moscow's airports
Ukraine has kept up near-daily long-range drone strikes on the Russian capital region through the autumn, with Moscow's main airports repeatedly suspending arrivals and departures under the "Cover" and "Carpet" restriction plans. Russian officials reported fresh closures and explosions in the Moscow region in early September, including near Lyubertsy and Ramenskoye, as air defenses worked to down the incoming drones; the disruptions have become a routine feature of the war even as other fronts see periodic ceasefire talk.
Read more →Ukraine's drone campaign keeps forcing shutdowns at Moscow's airports
Ukraine has kept up near-daily long-range drone strikes on the Russian capital region through the autumn, with Moscow's main airports repeatedly suspending arrivals and departures under the "Cover" and "Carpet" restriction plans. Russian officials reported fresh closures and explosions in the Moscow region in early September, including near Lyubertsy and Ramenskoye, as air defenses worked to down the incoming drones; the disruptions have become a routine feature of the war even as other fronts see periodic ceasefire talk.
Nepal drains Imja Lake near Everest to safe levels after deadly glacial flooding
Nepal's Department of Hydrology and Meteorology has lowered Imja Lake in Solukhumbu by 3.5 metres since starting controlled releases on September 24, bringing the glacial lake to what officials call a safe level, part of a roughly $50 million effort to drain four high-risk lakes identified by ICIMOD and UNDP. The work follows the catastrophic August 26 floods in the Bhotekoshi region and last month's deadly flooding that killed hundreds, though scientists studying the four lakes warn the drainage project alone will not make downstream settlements safe given Nepal's more than 2,000 glacial lakes.
Read more →Nepal drains Imja Lake near Everest to safe levels after deadly glacial flooding
Nepal's Department of Hydrology and Meteorology has lowered Imja Lake in Solukhumbu by 3.5 metres since starting controlled releases on September 24, bringing the glacial lake to what officials call a safe level, part of a roughly $50 million effort to drain four high-risk lakes identified by ICIMOD and UNDP. The work follows the catastrophic August 26 floods in the Bhotekoshi region and last month's deadly flooding that killed hundreds, though scientists studying the four lakes warn the drainage project alone will not make downstream settlements safe given Nepal's more than 2,000 glacial lakes.
Apple Pay launches in India, with Axis Bank as first partner
Apple Pay went live in India this week, entering one of the world's largest digital payments markets through a partnership with Axis Bank, the country's fourth-largest credit card issuer. The service initially works only with Axis Bank credit cards on the Visa and Mastercard networks, excluding RuPay cards, while Apple has lined up payment processors including Razorpay, Pine Labs, Cashfree and Worldline to extend merchant acceptance; talks with larger rivals HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank are reportedly ongoing but not yet finalized.
Read more →Apple Pay launches in India, with Axis Bank as first partner
Apple Pay went live in India this week, entering one of the world's largest digital payments markets through a partnership with Axis Bank, the country's fourth-largest credit card issuer. The service initially works only with Axis Bank credit cards on the Visa and Mastercard networks, excluding RuPay cards, while Apple has lined up payment processors including Razorpay, Pine Labs, Cashfree and Worldline to extend merchant acceptance; talks with larger rivals HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank are reportedly ongoing but not yet finalized.