*) US House ousts Kevin McCarthy as speaker in historic vote

A rare and dramatic scenario played out in the US congress when senior Republican Kevin McCarthy was ousted as US House speaker by his own party members.

This came after Democrats announced that they would not bail him out of a move by Trump loyalists to remove McCarthy from the powerful post.

McCarthy sparked fury among some Republicans when he worked with Democrats to pass a stopgap funding measure to avert a government shutdown.

The Speaker is the top Republican and second in line of succession to the US presidency.

*) Azerbaijan arrests top separatists as it takes total control of Karabakh

Authorities in Azerbaijan have arrested several former separatist leaders of Karabakh after reclaiming control of the Armenian-occupied region in a lightning military operation last month.

This is according to a top Azerbaijani news agency.

The wave of arrests comes as Azerbaijani authorities move swiftly to establish their control over the region after a military operation that put an end to the illegal Armenian occupation in the region.

*) Nearly two dozen Indian soldiers missing as flash floods hit hill state

The Indian army has said that 23 soldiers are missing after a powerful flash flood caused by intense rainfall tore through a valley in the north east.

The army said water released upstream from the Chungthang dam meant the river was already more than 4.5 metres higher than usual.

Intermittent rain and thundershowers were hampering rescue operations in the area, according to an army official.

*) Bus crash near Italy's Venice city leaves nearly two dozen dead

A bus carrying foreign tourists has crashed near the Italian city of Venice, killing at least 21 people and injuring 18 others.

According to officials, two of the dead were children and four of the injured were in serious condition following the accident on the mainland opposite the historic old city of Venice.

Firefighters said the bus caught fire after careering off a bridge straddling a railway line.

*) Galatasaray stun Man United with historic 3-2 win

Galatasaray have beaten Manchester United 3-2 in a UEFA Champions League match, marking a historic win for the Turkish powerhouse.

Galatasaray won the five-goal thriller in the Theatre of Dreams to move to second place in the group. The Turkish team has four points.

Meanwhile, Man United are at the bottom of the group after losing their second match in a row.

*) Militant attack leaves dozens of Nigerian soldiers dead

Twenty-nine soldiers have been killed in western Niger in an attack by suspected militants, the Defence Ministry has said.

The ministry said the soldiers were targeted using "improvised explosive devices and kamikaze vehicles by more than a hundred terrorists".

Two soldiers were seriously wounded and "several dozen terrorists" were also killed.

According to the ministry, the attack took place near the country's border with Mali, during military operations aimed at "neutralising the threat posed by the Daesh" terror group.

*) EU foreign ministers promise Ukraine billions of dollars

EU foreign ministers have held talks with their Ukrainian counterpart in Kiev – the first time such a gathering has taken place outside of the bloc.

It comes amid growing Western impatience over the war with Russia, especially after the Ukrainian counter-offensive didn't gather the pace many leaders had hoped for.

Afterwards, the EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell proposed over 5 billion dollars in military aid for Kiev next year.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's eastern city of Kharkiv will build the country's first fully underground school to shield pupils from Russia's frequent bomb and missile attacks.

*) UN finds no civilian violence in Azerbaijan's Karabakh as operation ends

The UN mission visiting Karabakh in Azerbaijan has not received reports of violence against Armenian residents and seen destruction against civilian infrastructure.

The mission was in the region to assess the situation on the ground and identify the humanitarian needs of both the people remaining and those who are on the move.

Spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters the team surveyed the border checkpoint in Lachin and the city of Khankendi.

*) Guatemalans block roads as anger grows over election interference

Hundreds of Guatemalans have blocked key roads to demand the resignation of top prosecutors.

The protesters accuse the prosecutors of trying to block the newly-elected president Bernardo Arevalo from taking office. One prosecutor even sent security forces to seize boxes of voting records.

Arevalo is due to take office in January but observers and the international community have raised the alarm over efforts to challenge his election win.

And finally…

*) Trump decries New York trial over his business practices as 'scam'

Former US President Donald Trump's fraud trial has gotten underway in Manhattan.

Trump and his sons have been charged with inflating the value of his assets by billions of dollars to secure better loan and insurance terms.

Trump is at risk of losing his business in New York and paying millions of dollars in fines but he denounced the case as a politically motivated "scam".

*) No one pursuing hostility towards Türkiye emerges victorious: Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has criticised those who are trying to give democracy lessons to Türkiye, noting they turn a blind eye to hate crimes against Turks and Muslims, especially amid rising Islamophobia.

In a speech at the Turkish Parliament on Sunday, Erdogan underscored Türkiye's critical role from Karabakh to Libya and Syria to Somalia, insisting, "No country, no society, no institution that pursues a hostile policy towards Türkiye emerges victorious in the end."

In the meantime, Turkish warplanes carried out airstrikes on PKK positions in northern Iraq, in accordance with the UN's right to self-defence, the Turkish Defence Ministry has announced.

Erdogan's comments and the anti-terror operation came after two terrorists attacked the Turkish Interior Ministry, in the nation's capital, Ankara, hours before his speech in parliament.

*) Children among several dead, injured in Mexico church roof collapse

The roof of a church collapsed in northern Mexico, during a Mass, killing at least nine people and injuring around 50, authorities said.

Search teams probed in the wreckage late into the night, looking for survivors and other victims.

The number of young victims — police officers said three of the dead were children — may have been due to the fact that baptisms were to take place at the church.

The diocese later posted a list of about 50 people who had been hospitalised, as a result of the accident.

Approximately 30 parishioners were believed to have been trapped in the rubble l, when the roof caved in, officials said.

*) Serbia tried to annex northern Kosovo in recent attack: Pristina

Kosovo said it has evidence Serbia was trying to annex its northern region and that recent attackers had been preparing for this for a long time at military bases.

''This terrorist organisation had only one purpose: the annexation of the north of the Republic of Kosovo,” the Interior Minister said on Sunday.

According to the minister, the Serbian President, Defence Minister and Army Chief of Staff were directly engaged in the attempt.

*) UN to vote on sending peacekeepers to Haiti

The United Nations Security Council is set to vote to approve the deployment of foreign police to Haiti and to authorise the use of force to help the Caribbean nation combat violent gangs that have largely overrun the capital Port-au-Prince.

A US-drafted resolution would also expand a UN arms embargo that currently applies only to designated individuals to include all gangs, which China wanted.

Haitian officials have said guns used by gangs are believed to be mostly imported from the United States.

Haiti asked nearly a year ago for international help.

*) Japanese start-up develops high-tech robot inspired by 'Gundam'

Tokyo-based start-up Tsubame Industries has developed a 4.5-metre-tall, four-wheeled robot that looks like "Mobile Suit Gundam" from the wildly popular Japanese animation series, and it can be yours for $3 million.

Called ARCHAX, after a avian dinosaur, the robot has cockpit monitors that receive images from cameras hooked up to the exterior, so the pilot can manoeuvre the arms and hands with joysticks from inside its torso.

The 3.5-tonne robot, to be unveiled at the Japan Mobility Show later this month, has two modes: the upright "robot mode" and a "vehicle mode" in which it can travel up to 10 km per hour.

*) Pakistan likens Palestine to Kashmir, says won't normalise ties with Israel

Pakistan will not follow other nations who are normalising relations with Israel, the South Asian country's interim foreign minister has said.

"We do not follow others, we look at our national interests," said Jalil Abbas Jilani.

Explaining his country’s position on the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands, Jilani said Islamabad's stance on the Israel or Palestine issue is "very clear" and "it will remain in the future as well."

*) Kiev will secure EU from Russian nuclear blackmail — Zelenskyy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that his country will do everything to liberate the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and to secure Europe from Russian radiation blackmail.

"We will do everything to implement the first point of our Peace Formula – nuclear and radiation security," Zelenskyy said in his nightly address.

He also added that they are preparing to yield more results for their international efforts to strengthen the country.

*) Blinken meets Jaishankar amid Canada-India row over Sikh leader's murder

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has met with India's foreign minister amid a simmering row between New Delhi and Ottawa over allegations of Indian government involvement in the killing of a Sikh activist in Canada.

Neither man spoke about the controversy that has disrupted Canada-India relations in very brief comments to reporters.

"We have consistently engaged with the Indian government on this question and have urged them to cooperate," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said.

But a US statement after Blinken met his Indian counterpart made no mention of Hardeep Singh Nijjar's murder or of Canada as a whole.

*) Number of US-bound refugees crossing dangerous Darien Gap tops 400,000

The number of US-bound refugees and migrants who have crossed through the notorious jungle stretch between Panama and Colombia has soared this year to more than 400,000.

Panama's Public Security Ministry said on Thursday it has tallied 402,030 people passing through as of Wednesday.

That figure is 62 percent more than the number of migrants who crossed the Darien Gap in all of 2022.

Panama said as many as 4,000 people are crossing from Colombia each day.

*) Meta puts artificial intelligence in smart glasses

Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg has said the tech giant is putting artificial intelligence into digital assistants and smart glasses as it seeks to gain lost ground in the AI race.

“Smart glasses are going to eventually allow us to bring all of this together into a stylish form factor that we can wear," Zuckerberg said.

Smart glasses are one of the many ways that tech companies have tried to move beyond the smartphone as a user-friendly device, but so far with little success.

The second-generation Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses made in a partnership with EssilorLuxottica will have a starting price of $299 when they hit the market on October 17.

*) PKK terror threat to Syria 'never been more alarming', warns Türkiye

Türkiye's ambassador to the United Nations, has warned the threat posed by the PKK terrorist group to Syria, is of greater concern, than ever before.

"The continued presence of terrorist organisations in Syria poses a vital threat to this country and its neighbours, primarily Türkiye, as well as to the wider region," Sedat Onal said at a UN Security Council session on Syria.

Onal emphasised Türkiye will take measures against direct and imminent threats, posed to its national security, by terrorist organisations operating in Syria.

*) Rich nations yet to deliver on 2022 Pakistan flood aid promise — UN

A year after deadly floods inundated a third of Pakistan, the broken promises to rebuild the country presents "a litmus test for climate justice," the head of the United Nations has said.

"Billions were pledged" by rich nations in the aftermath of the disaster, said Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, "but the vast majority was in loans. And Pakistan is still waiting for much of the funding."

"Delays are undermining people's efforts to rebuild their lives," the UN chief said, adding the Asian nation was "a double victim - of climate chaos and of our outdated and unjust global financial system."

*) Russia accuses US of circumventing Israel-Palestine peace deal

Russia has accused the United States of promoting Israel's normalisation of relations with Arab nations.

Russia also accuses the US of circumventing the Arab Peace Initiative, launched by Saudi Arabia in 2002, which calls for a settlement to the Israel-Palestine conflict, before any diplomatic recognition of Israel.

The statement also implicitly criticised Saudi Arabia — without naming it — for moving toward establishing diplomatic relations with Israel, while taking "aggressive illegal actions", including an "unprecedented" expansion of settlements in the territory.

*) Republicans tussle over immigration, China, Trump at second primary debate

Seven Republican hopefuls clashed over immigration, China and the economy, at the party's second 2024 presidential primary, but saved some of their most strident remarks to slam frontrunner Donald Trump for spurning the showdown.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said Trump, who was speaking to a crowd of autoworkers in Detroit, instead of joining the debate, should have been on the stage with his primary rivals.

*) TRT World documentary 'Off the Grid' wins Emmy Award

TRT World's documentary "Off The Grid," featuring the episode "Ukraine Wartime Diaries," has won the 44th International Emmy Award in the "News and Current Affairs" category.

Winners of the News categories of the 44th Annual News and Documentary Emmy Awards were announced by The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences [NATAS] at the Palladium Times Square in New York City.

TRT World, representing Türkiye in the finals, was up against competitors from the UK, Brazil, and Israel.

This is TRT World’s Daily News Brief for Wednesday, September 27th.

*) Iraq wedding fire leaves 113 dead, more than 150 injured

At least 113 people have been killed and more than 150 wounded when fire broke out at a wedding celebration in the district of Hamdaniya in Iraq’s Nineveh province.

The fire ripped through a large events hall after fireworks were lit during the celebration, local civil defence said.

Najim al Jubouri, the provincial governor of Nineveh, cautioned there were no final casualty figures yet from the blaze, suggesting the death toll still may rise.

*) Türkiye wants opening of Zangezur corridor ‘as soon as possible’: Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has stressed the importance of opening the Zangezur Corridor land route in southern Caucasus.

“Hopefully, we will realise the Zangezur Corridor as soon as possible and make our road and rail communication with friendly and brotherly Azerbaijan uninterrupted through Nakhchivan,” Erdogan said.

The remark came a day after his visit to Azerbaijan’s autonomous Nakhchivan exclave, where he met his counterpart Aliyev to discuss particularly the recent situation in Karabakh.

*) Mexico disperses thousands of migrants; Costa Rica to declare emergency

Mexico seeking to deal with an unfolding migrant crisis has dispersed thousands of people on its southern border.

Migrants on the other side of the country defied new enforcement measures and continued to arrive at northern cities by cargo train.

Large numbers of migrants have been crossing into the United States from Mexico in recent weeks.

More migrants have also been seen traversing the Americas, and Costa Rica’s president ordered a state of emergency over the sharp rise of people passing through the small Central American nation.

*) UN warns of ‘harmful consequences’ over France’s headscarf ban for athletes

No one has a say in what women should wear, a UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) spokesperson has said, focusing on France’s recent ban on headscarves for athletes in next year’s Olympic games.

“In general, the Human Rights Office says that no one should impose on a woman what she needs to wear or not wear,” Marta Hurtado told a UN press briefing in Geneva.

She warned that discriminatory practices against a group can have “harmful consequences.”

And finally…

*) Hollywood screenwriters end strike after pay deal with studios

American television and movie writers have agreed to end a strike that lasted nearly five months and paralysed Hollywood after reaching a pay deal with production studios.

The 11,500 members have until October 9 to cast their votes on the proposed contract.

The Writers Guild of America said the estimated value of the deal was $233 million per year.

Thousands of film and television writers began striking in early May over demands including better pay for writers and protection from artificial intelligence.

And that’s your daily news brief from TRT World. For more, head to trtworld.com

*) South Korea holds rare military parade amid North's nuclear threat

South Korea kicked off its first large-scale military parade in a decade, showcasing weapons ranging from ballistic missiles to attack helicopters.

The parade marks the country's Armed Forces Day, normally a muted event relative to the massive events the North has staged under leader Kim Jong-un.

In a speech, President Yoon Suk Yeol warned the North against using nuclear weapons and pledged to ramp up support for the military and the defence industry.

*) Ukraine says Russia's Black Sea Fleet commander killed

Ukraine's special forces have killed Moscow's top admiral in Crimea along with 33 other officers in a missile attack last week.

Admiral Viktor Sokolov allegedly died in the attack on the headquarters of Russia's Black Sea Fleet in the port of Sevastopol.

Sokolov was the commander of the Black Sea Fleet and one of Russia's most senior navy officers, had been killed.

The Russian Defence Ministry did not immediately respond when asked to confirm or deny the allegations.

*) Ratifying Sweden's NATO accession bid not 'urgent': Hungary's Orban

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has told parliament that ratifying Sweden's NATO bid was not "urgent".

Hungary has still not voted to approve the Nordic country's entry into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Orban accused the Nordic country of having challenged his country's "democratic nature".

*) China sentences Muslim Uighur scholar to life in prison: rights group

China has sentenced a well-respected Uighur Muslim academic to life in prison on charges of "endangering state security", a US-based rights group has said.

In a statement, the Dui Hua Foundation said Rahile Dawut, 57, lost her appeal against her original conviction in December 2018.

Rights advocates have accused China of launching a mass internment campaign targeting Uighurs, along with abuses such as forced sterilisation and cultural repression.

And finally…

*) Striking Hollywood writers reach 'tentative' deal with studios

Striking writers have reached an "exceptional" deal with Hollywood studios that could see them return to work.

The Writers Guild of America told members no one is to return to work until specifically authorised to but picketing has been suspended following the deal.

Thousands of film and television writers began striking in early May over demands including better pay for writers and protection from artificial intelligence.

*) Azerbaijan launches anti-terror ops in Karabakh

Azerbaijan has launched "local anti-terrorist activities" in Karabakh to restore constitutional order by disarming and forcing the withdrawal of Armenian military formations after six Azerbaijani citizens were killed in separate mine blasts in the breakaway region.

Baku blamed Armenian separatists for the death of the four Azerbaijani police officers and two civilians.

The ex-Soviet neighbours have been locked in a decades-long dispute over the mountainous region, going to war twice in the 1990s and in 2020.

*) Erdogan: Security Council no longer guarantor of international security

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said the UN Security Council no longer works to ensure global security but instead is an arena for its five permanent member states to engage in strategic confrontations.

“We must build a global governance architecture that is capable of representing all origins, beliefs and cultures in the world,” he added.

The effectiveness of the Security Council has been questioned in the face of recent crises, especially after Russia launched an offensive against Ukraine nearly 19 months ago.

*) Canada Sikh, Muslim groups demand India cooperate with Nijjar murder probe

World Sikh and other organisations have called for action after recent allegations over India’s complicity in the murder of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada.

Nijjar, a Sikh leader in the western Canadian province of British Columbia, was shot dead on June 18 in front of a Sikh temple in Surrey.

Earlier, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urged India to take the allegations seriously, a concern that Washington later echoed.

*) Muslim leaders bash West at UNGA over Quran desecrations

Muslim leaders addressing the United Nations have berated the West over burnings of the Quran, denouncing the acts protected as free speech as discriminatory.

Quran desecration in Sweden sparked debate on religious tolerance and freedom of expression, with calls for deeper understanding of religious sensitivities and a rebalanced relationship between free speech and religious respect.

"It has reached intolerable levels. Unfortunately, populist politicians in many countries continue to play with fire by encouraging such dangerous trends," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.

*) Dinosaur 'Barry' up for auction in Paris

An unusually well-preserved dinosaur skeleton, a Camptosaurus known as 'Barry' that dates from the late Jurassic period some 150 million years ago, will go under the hammer in Paris next month.

The dinosaur, which was first discovered in the 1990s in the US state of Wyoming, was initially restored in 2000 by palaeontologist Barry James, from whom it got its name.

Italian laboratory Zoic, which acquired Barry last year, has done further restoration work on the skeleton, which is 2.10 metres (6.9 feet) tall and 5 metres (16.4 ft ) long.

*) Canada expels Indian diplomat over murder of Sikh leader

Canada has expelled an Indian diplomat over his alleged link to the murder of a Sikh leader in western Canada last June, Canada's foreign minister said.

India rejected the allegations of its involvement in any act of violence in Canada, noting the claims are "absurd and motivated". New Delhi also expelled a Canadian diplomat in a tir-for-tat move.

India urges Canada instead to take legal action against anti-Indian elements operating from its soil.

*) Only Russian, Ukrainian presidents can decide when war will end: Erdogan

Only the Russian and Ukrainian presidents can determine when the war in Ukraine will come to an end, said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

In an interview with an American public broadcaster, President Erdogan emphasised that he could not provide a timeline for the war's conclusion.

Asked about his discussions with Putin regarding the war's progress, President Erdogan noted that the conflict is expected to continue for "a long time."

*) Biden, 80, confronts age issue: Seeking re-election as 'democracy is at stake'

US President Joe Biden has acknowledged concerns about his age but said he was running for re-election because democracy was still at stake.

“Let there be no question, Donald Trump and his MAGA Republicans are determined to destroy American democracy,” Biden said, referring to the former president's slogan, “Make America Great Again.”

Opinion polls show American voters have concerns about Biden's age ahead of a likely rematch next year against Trump, whom he beat in 2020.

*) Australia to spend $966M to boost maritime surveillance

Australia will spend $966 million to boost maritime surveillance of its northern approaches.

The country is buying more long-range drone aircraft and upgrading Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft.

The fleet of 14 Boeing P-8A Poseidon Maritime Patrol aircraft will have anti-submarine warfare, maritime strike and intelligence collection capabilities upgraded, Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy said.

An additional Triton drone aircraft will enhance operations from Australia's northern bases, provide long-range surveillance of Australia's maritime region, the statement said.

*) 95% of educational institutions destroyed in Libya flood zone: Tripoli govt

95 percent of the educational institutions in the eastern part of Libya were damaged by the tsunami-sized flash floods that killed thousands of people last week.

114 schools in 15 localities were damaged by the floods, an official in the Education Ministry, noted.

However, the school year will start next week across Libya, Minister of Education Musa al Maqrif said.

*) Türkiye rejects attacks on Muslim values in name of freedom: Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has slammed recent attacks on the Quran, saying if hostility towards Islam is not prevented, perpetrators will become more reckless.

Erdogan called these actions “provocations that aim to incite people” at a dinner event organised by the Turkish American National Steering Committee in New York.

He said Türkiye will not accept the justification of these attacks on the sacred values of two billion Muslims worldwide under the guise of freedom of thought.

*) Four Greek aid workers killed in accident in flood-stricken Libya

Four members of a Greek humanitarian aid team, sent to Libya after the devastating floods that hit Derna, have been killed in a road accident.

The eastern-based government's health minister said the accident took place when a vehicle carrying the team collided with a car carrying a Libyan family.

Three people in the car died and two were seriously injured, he added.

This comes a week after a tsunami-sized flash flood devastated the Libyan coastal city of Derna, sweeping thousands to their deaths. The true death toll remains unknown.

*) Flames engulf central Khartoum as war rages across Sudan in its 6th month

An 18-storey building in the centre of Sudan's capital was engulfed in flames, and paramilitary forces attacked the army headquarters for the second day in a row, witnesses reported.

Battles between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces intensified on Saturday, resulting in key buildings in central Khartoum being set alight.

Since civil war erupted on April 15 between the forces, millions of people have been displaced – fleeing the relentless air strikes, artillery fire and street battles.

*) Klishchiivka village near Bakhmut recaptured — Ukraine general

In the latest in the Ukraine war, the general in command of Ukraine's ground forces has said that Ukrainian forces recaptured the eastern village of Klishchiivka.

Russians claimed control of the village on the southern flank of Bakhmut in January.

Ukraine’s interior minister also confirmed on Telegram that the village was recaptured in heavy fighting.

*) UN designates Palestine's Jericho in West Bank as World Heritage Site

A UN conference has voted to list prehistoric ruins near the ancient occupied West Bank city of Jericho as a World Heritage Site in Palestine.

The listing refers to the Tel es-Sultan archaeological site, which contains prehistoric ruins dating back to the ninth millennium BC and is outside the ancient city.

In response, the Israeli Foreign Ministry has renounced the decision. It said the decision is an indication of Palestinians' use of UNESCO and the politicisation of the organisation.