Libre News of The World Express Edition. Thursday the 18th of September 2025

Subscribe today so you never miss an episode! Today on Libre News of The World Express Edition: Chrystia Freeland exited Canada’s cabinet to become Ukraine’s reconstruction envoy (CBC News – cbc.ca); Donald Trump launched a $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times, escalating his feud with the media (The Guardian – theguardian.com); El Salvador extended pre-trial detention for gang suspects until 2027, drawing rights concerns (AP News – apnews.com); a report accused Cuba of using forced prison labour to make exports like cigars (Reuters – reuters.com); Mercosur signed a trade deal with Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland (AP News – apnews.com); Colombia was decertified by the U.S. in drug-war cooperation, sparking tensions (El Espectador – elespectador.com); Chile’s José Antonio Kast met Giorgia Meloni to model hard-line migration plans (La Tercera – latercera.com); China built a $390 million AI-powered data centre with domestic chips (Reuters – reuters.com); Australia and Papua New Guinea delayed signing a defence treaty but issued a joint communique (ABC News Australia – abc.net.au); New Zealand issued a lone-wolf security alert for crowded spaces (Newstalk ZB – newstalkzb.co.nz); Japan decided not to recognize a Palestinian state for now (Asahi Shimbun – asahi.com); South Korea questioned Unification Church leader Hak Ja Han over bribery claims (The Korea Herald – koreaherald.com); a clash at sea near Scarborough Shoal escalated China-Philippines tensions (AP News – apnews.com); villagers in Lesotho protested damages from a major water project (The Guardian – theguardian.com); a Turkish court delayed ruling on CHP’s disputed leadership (AP News – apnews.com); Saudi Arabia shut dozens of music lounges amid conservative backlash (Arab News – arabnews.com); Iran executed Babak Shahbazi for allegedly spying for Israel (Al Jazeera – aljazeera.com); a U.N. commission accused Israeli leaders of genocide in Gaza (Reuters – reuters.com); France proposed a cap on UK-made components in the EU defence fund (The Guardian – theguardian.com); STMicroelectronics pledged no mass layoffs at its Italian plant (Reuters – reuters.com); Spain threatened to quit Eurovision 2026 if Israel participates (El País – elpais.com); Chega’s André Ventura announced an “anti-system” presidential run in Portugal (El País – elpais.com); Azerbaijan’s SOCAR moved to acquire Italiana Petroli in a $2.7 billion deal (Il Sole 24 Ore – ilsole24ore.com); a UK court temporarily blocked the removal of an Eritrean asylum seeker under the UK-France returns deal (Reuters – reuters.com); Glasgow’s mayor called for fairer distribution of asylum seekers across Scotland (The Scotsman – scotsman.com); Dublin residents pushed back against steep hikes in parking permit fees (The Irish Times – irishtimes.com); German Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged strengthening the BND intelligence agency against hybrid threats (Deutsche Welle – dw.com); Denmark announced plans to acquire long-range precision weapons amid Russian provocations (Copenhagen Post – cphpost.dk); Uzbekistan scheduled its first census in decades for early 2026 (UzDaily – uzdaily.uz); Dmitry Medvedev warned Russia’s 2026 draft budget would be a “wartime” plan (TASS – tass.com); and Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus warned against religious discrimination ahead of Durga Puja (The Times of India – timesofindia.indiatimes.com). These news summaries were written using AI technology. While every effort has been made to ensure factual accuracy, occasional mistakes or omissions may occur. Your understanding is appreciated, and we warmly welcome any feedback to help us continue improving the quality of our reporting. Thank you for being part of our journey!