International News Briefs for Monday, September 15, 2025
HAVANA TIMES – We bring you some of the top international news stories compiled by Democracy Now on Monday, September 15, 2025.
Israel Continues Bombardment of Gaza City, Killing 25 Palestinians Today
Sep 15, 2025
Israel is continuing its campaign to erase Gaza City by systematically bombing residential high-rise buildings, schools, homes and tent encampments. Targets struck on Sunday included the Islamic University and the Ro’ya Tower, which housed media and U.N. offices.
Israeli officials claim 250,000 Palestinians have left Gaza City in recent days, but residents of the city say there is no safe place to go as Israel moves to displace the city’s entire population.
Narges Ashour: “I wish someone would look at us, the Palestinian people, in a human way. In European countries, there are animal rights, taking care of the animals and the birds. No one is looking after us, the people of Gaza. They are not looking for these children. Our children either die from hunger or strikes, or either they’re displaced from the north to the south in harsh conditions. We are approaching winter, in tents. Tents don’t protect us in the summer during the heat; in the winter, nothing.”
Israel killed at least 53 Palestinians on Sunday and another 25 so far today, including 6-year-old twins. Meanwhile, the number of Palestinians who have starved to death has reached 422. We will go to Gaza after headlines.
Arab Leaders Hold Emergency Meeting in Qatar to Discuss Israel’s Strike in Doha
Sep 15, 2025
On the diplomatic front, Arab leaders are holding an emergency meeting in Qatar today to discuss Israel’s deadly strike last week targeting Hamas leaders in Doha. Ahead of the meeting, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani condemned what he called Israel’s barbaric attack.
Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani: “This Israeli aggression will not lead to anything but aborting deescalating efforts, and confirm the Israeli government’s intentions to reject peaceful paths to resolving the Palestinian issue and to continue defying international will and the U.N. Charter, as evidenced by repeated statements by Israeli officials regarding the annexation of Palestinian territories and the illusions of a Greater Israel. … Israel’s barbaric and demagogic practices will not deter us from continuing our sincere efforts with the Arab Republic of Egypt and the United States to stop this unjust war.”
Al-Thani’s comment came a day after he met with President Trump in New York. Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in Israel for a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Rubio will then travel to Doha.
Israeli Army Raids Home of Oscar-Winning Filmmaker Basel Adra
Sep 15, 2025
In the occupied West Bank, the Israeli army raided the home of the Palestinian activist and filmmaker Basel Adra, who won an Oscar for the documentary “No Other Land.” Adra said, “The police, the army came when the settlers were attacking us. They did not stop them. One of the settlers chased one of the solidarity activists, and he beat her on the ground. The soldiers were watching, didn’t do anything.” The film “No Other Land” documented efforts by settlers to forcibly displace Adra’s community in the area known as Masafer Yatta.
Tyler Robinson, Accused of Assassinating Charlie Kirk, to Appear in Court Tuesday
Sep 15, 2025
In Utah, the 22-year-old man accused of assassinating the right-wing activist Charlie Kirk is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday. Tyler Robinson was detained on Thursday night after he reportedly confessed to his father, who then reached out to a youth pastor who called the U.S. Marshals. Robinson is reportedly not cooperating with investigators and is being held under “special watch.”
Charlie Kirk was fatally shot while speaking at a campus event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday. Authorities are still trying to determine a motive in the killing. Tyler Robinson grew up in a deeply Republican family. Authorities say Robinson engraved messages into bullet casings with references to various online and video game memes. Utah’s Republican Governor Spencer Cox has claimed Robinson had “leftist ideology,” but did not share any evidence. There has also been speculation that Robinson may have been influenced by a far-right movement known as Groypers, which is tied to the white nationalist Nick Fuentes.
Governor Cox said Tyler Robinson’s roommate has been cooperating with investigators. Cox also said Robinson was in a romantic relationship with his roommate, who is transitioning from male to female. This is Governor Cox speaking on Friday.
Gov. Spencer Cox: “I hear all the time that words are violence. Words are not violence. Violence is violence. And there is one person responsible for what happened here. And that person is now in custody and will be charged soon and will be held accountable.”
While Utah Governor Spencer Cox said there is one person responsible for Charlie Kirk’s killing, President Trump sent a very different message when he appeared on Fox News Friday morning.
Ainsley Earhardt: “How do we fix this country? How do we come back together?”
President Donald Trump: “Well, I’ll tell you something that’s going to get me in trouble, but I couldn’t care less. The radicals on the right oftentimes are radical because they don’t want to see crime. They don’t want to see crime. … The radicals on the left are the problem, and they’re vicious, and they’re horrible, and they’re politically savvy.”
Trump also called for Democratic donor George Soros to be jailed. Trump’s top adviser Stephen Miller has also threatened to target and dismantle progressive organizations after Kirk’s killing. We will have more on this story after headlines.
More Than 100,000 Anti-Immigration Protesters March in London
Sep 15, 2025
More than 100,000 anti-immigrant protesters marched through the streets of central London, clashing with police and injuring at least 26 officers in one of Britain’s largest far-right demonstrations in its history. The march was organized by the anti-immigrant activist Tommy Robinson and featured far-right politicians from Germany and France as speakers. Elon Musk also spoke virtually to the crowd, saying, “We must have revolutionary government change.” Several speakers paid tribute to Charlie Kirk.
At the rally, the “Stand Up to Racism” campaign organized a counterprotest, attracting 5,000 people. A teacher at the counterprotest, speaking to Reuters, said, “The idea of hate is dividing us, and I think the more that we welcome people, the stronger we are as a country.”
Elon Musk is also in the news today after his satellite internet service Starlink suffered a global outage today impacting tens of thousands, including the Ukrainian military.
Ukrainian Drones Attack Russian Oil Refinery, as Romania Says a Russian Drone Entered Its Airspace
Sep 15, 2025
On Sunday, Ukrainian drones struck one of Russia’s largest oil refineries, the Kirishi refinery in Russia’s Leningrad region, causing a fire. It comes as Ukraine has been attacking Russian oil infrastructure for weeks. Meanwhile, Romania says a Russian drone entered its airspace on Saturday. The Romanian Defense Ministry issued a statement saying that it “strongly condemns the irresponsible actions of the Russian Federation.” Last week, Russian drones also entered Poland’s airspace, before NATO jets shot them down.
The International Federation of Journalists Condemns Israel for Killing at Least Nine Yemeni Journalists
Sep 15, 2025
The International Federation of Journalists has condemned Israel for killing at least nine Yemeni journalists in a strike last week targeting the offices of a newspaper controlled by the Houthi government in Sana’a. Some reports say as many as 25 journalists were killed in the strike. IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger said, “Targeting journalists is a grave violation of international law and an attack on the public’s right to know.”
U.S. Expresses Regret over ICE Raid Targeting South Korean Workers in Georgia
Sep 15, 2025
Image Credit: ICE Handout
On Sunday, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau expressed regret over the recent ICE raid that detained 300 South Korean workers at a Hyundai battery plant in Georgia. Landau met with Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo in Seoul and discussed a new visa category for Korean professionals, according to the South Korean Foreign Ministry. On Friday, the South Korean workers landed in Seoul to cheering crowds at the airport, a week after being chained and handcuffed by ICE. In a post on social media, President Trump wrote, “I don’t want to frighten off or disincentivize investment.”
Sushila Karki Sworn In as Nepal’s Interim Prime Minister, Vows to Serve for Only Six Months
Sep 15, 2025
On Friday, Sushila Karki, Nepal’s former chief justice, was sworn in to office as interim prime minister, after more than 70 people were killed during anti-corruption protests led by the country’s Gen Z movement. The protests were sparked earlier this month by a social media ban and escalated into attacks on politicians’ homes. The Parliament was also set on fire. Karki becomes Nepal’s first female prime minister.
bq. Interim Prime Minister Sushila Karki: “We are here to serve the country, and we will only stay here for six months, not more than that. After completing all the tasks and responsibilities, we will be free, and we will hand it over to the new ministers and the Parliament. We have made this promise.”
Venezuelan Gov’t Accuses U.S. Navy of Raiding Fishing Boat in Venezuelan Waters
Sep 15, 2025
The Venezuelan government has accused the U.S. Navy of raiding a fishing boat in Venezuelan waters. Personnel from a U.S. warship reportedly boarded the boat and then detained nine fishermen for eight hours. This comes just two weeks after the U.S. blew up a boat off the coast of Venezuela, killing 11 people who the U.S. claimed were drug smugglers. On Saturday, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil decried the U.S.’s actions.
bq. Yván Gil: “The Venezuelan government demands the United States immediately ceases these actions that put the security and peace in the Caribbean at risk.”
Trump Vows to Call a National Emergency and Federalize Washington, D.C.
Sep 15, 2025
Image Credit: Adam Michael Szuscik/Unsplash
In a midnight post on social media, President Trump vowed to call a national emergency and federalize Washington, D.C., after the district’s Mayor Muriel Bowser said that D.C. local police would not cooperate with ICE. Last month, Trump deployed over 2,000 National Guard troops in D.C., prompting mass demonstrations by residents. It comes as President Trump told Fox News on Friday that he’ll deploy the National Guard to Memphis, Tennessee, saying, “Memphis is deeply troubled.” Speaking to CNN, the mayor of Memphis, Paul Young, said he’s “not happy” with the decision.
ICE Fatally Shoots Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez During Traffic Stop in Chicago
Sep 15, 2025
Image Credit: GoFundMe
In other immigration news, ICE shot and killed a man in the Chicago suburbs who authorities say was resisting arrest on Friday during a traffic stop. Thirty-eight-year-old Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez allegedly dragged an ICE agent with his car, who later fired his weapon at Villegas-Gonzalez. In a statement, the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights said, “This killing is the latest in a mounting pile of evidence that Trump’s mass deportation machine is completely out of control.” Protesters denounced ICE’s killing of Villegas-Gonzalez.
bq. Steve: “This is not fair for our hard-working people, who come out here to this country to earn a living. And I just want to say God bless all. Hopefully it gets — best wishes for everybody. Hopefully everything gets better, situations. But we do need to tell ICE: Stop scaring our people.”
ICE Agents Abduct Willian Gimenez, Who Accused Off-Duty Chicago Police Officers of Abusing Migrants
Sep 15, 2025
ICE agents in Chicago reportedly abducted Willian Gimenez on Friday. Gimenez is a day laborer who is suing off-duty Chicago police officers working as security for Home Depot for abusing migrant day laborers. Gimenez’s lawyer, Kevin Herrera, claims that he was taken into ICE custody in retaliation for his lawsuit, saying that Gimenez has “again been profiled, not only for being a Spanish-speaking person in another country, but for being someone who exposed racism and abuse of power in the United States.”
Homeless Advocates Denounce Fox News Host Calling for Unhoused People to Be Executed
Sep 15, 2025
Image Credit: Fox News
Homeless advocates are denouncing Fox News Host Brian Kilmeade, who openly called for mentally ill unhoused people to be executed. Kilmeade made the comment during an episode of “Fox & Friends.”
bq. Brian Kilmeade: “Or involuntary lethal injection or something. Just kill them.”
On Sunday, Kilmeade apologized on air for making what he called an “extremely callous remark.”
New York Gov. Hochul Endorses Mamdani for Mayor of New York City
Sep 15, 2025
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has endorsed Zohran Mamdani for mayor of New York City. Mamdani won the Democratic primary in June, but many establishment Democrats have yet to endorse Mamdani, who identifies as a democratic socialist. Hochul wrote online on Sunday, “New York City deserves a mayor who will stand up to Donald Trump and make life more affordable for New Yorkers. That’s Zohran Mamdani.”
Spanish Vuelta Bike Race Interrupted by Pro-Palestinian Protests
Sep 15, 2025
A major bike race in Spain was forced to prematurely end on Sunday when a massive pro-Palestinian protest in Madrid interrupted the final stage of the Spanish Vuelta. As many as 100,000 took part in Sunday’s demonstration, which was organized in part to protest the inclusion of an Israeli team in the race.
Meanwhile, in New Zealand, as many as 50,000 people took part in the pro-Palestine March for Humanity rally in Auckland on Saturday. Protest organizers called on the New Zealand government to impose sanctions on Israel.
Actors Display Signs of Support for Palestinians at Emmy Awards Ceremony
Sep 15, 2025
Image Credit: Reuters/Daniel Cole
Many of television’s biggest stars displayed signs of support for Palestinians on Sunday at the Emmy Awards ceremony. Several actors wore red Artists4Ceasefire pins, including “White Lotus” stars Aimee Lou Wood and Natasha Rothwell, Ruth Negga of “Presumed Innocent” and Chris Perfetti from “Abbott Elementary.”
The Spanish actor Javier Bardem wore a keffiyeh and said on the red carpet that he “cannot work with someone who justifies or supports the genocide.”
Hannah Einbinder, who won an Emmy for her role in “Hacks,” criticized ICE and called for a free Palestine during her acceptance speech. “I just want to say — I just want to say, finally, go birds, fuck ICE and free Palestine!”
Other Emmy winners included Stephen Colbert, whose late-night program was recently canceled by CBS. His show won for best talk series for the first time.