Reuters World News - Charlie Kirk, Trump-Netanyahu and South Korean US workers

Episode Date: September 11, 2025

U.S. conservative activist Charlie Kirk has been fatally shot in Utah. The Polish Prime Minister says the country is the closest it’s been to open conflict since World War Two. The Israeli strike on Qatar tests the limits of the Trump-Netanyahu alliance. And some South Korean workers are decamping home from more of LG Energy Solution’s U.S. production sites. Sign up for the Reuters Econ World newsletter here. Listen to the Reuters Econ World podcast here. Find the Recommended Read here. Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit megaphone.fm/adchoices to opt out of targeted advertising. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, right-wing activist Charlie Kirk is shot dead at a rally in Utah. President Donald Trump blames the radical left for the killing, sparking fears of more violence. Israel's attack on Qatar tests Netanyahu's relationship with Washington. And South Korean workers flee the U.S. over fears they could be targeted in the next immigration raid. It's Thursday, September 11th. is Reuters World News, bringing you everything you need to know from the front lines in 10 minutes, seven days a week. I'm Kim Vinal in Wanganui, New Zealand. To my great fellow Americans, I am filled with grief and anger at the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk on a college campus in

Utah. President Donald Trump delivering a message from the Oval Office after Charlie Kirk, one of America's most influential young conservative activists and a close. close Trump loyalist was shot dead. Graphic video shows the moment the gunshot ran out and the 31-year-old was hit in the neck at a Utah university. Then the crowd of thousands, there to watch him speak, run in panic. Authorities appear to still be searching for the killer.

Helicopters and SWAT teams on the scene, but investigators are still piecing together what happened. There were conflicting reports from the FBI. FBI and Utah's Department of Public Safety about whether the suspected shooter is in custody. Authorities say the shot was likely fired from a rooftop at long range. Reporter Joseph Axe is covering the story. Charlie Kirk was a conservative activist who gained an enormous following

among young voters on the right wing. He was a very gifted speaker. He had a knack for using social media. He was in many ways provocative. He deliberately controversial positions. He was a very influential voice in the mega movement. That was a demographic that was pretty important to Trump's ascension. And Charlie Kirk was primarily responsible for galvanizing a lot of those voters.

President Trump was the one to confirm the news of Kirk's death. He's ordered flags be lowered to half-mast, and he posted several tributes before releasing a four-minute video, where he blames the radical left. radical left political violence has hurt too many innocent people and taken too many lives. Joseph says that's crucial. I think that that is important to note

because I think a lot of people will be concerned that that could fan the flames other than kind of calm things down. I think there are some people who are going to be worried that that's simply going to encourage more vigilantity justice, potentially more political violence. Ukraine's president is calling for an effective air shield over Europe, after Poland shot down Russian drones in Polish airspace.

Poland's Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, describing it as the closest Poland has been to open conflict since World War II, although he said he doesn't believe war is imminent. Russian state TV says Moscow wasn't planning to attack Poland. A Polish official says cheap, long-range drones made with materials like plywood and foam were among those it shot down. The kind Russia usually uses as a cheap way to saturate Ukraine's air defences. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in court, preparing to testify in his corruption trial. The leader has a lot on his plate after Israel bombed Hamas leaders in Qatar on Monday. Relations with Washington are now under strain, as Qatar is a key U.S. ally.

and hosts the largest American military base in the region. The attack targeted Hamas leaders, but killed a Qatari security agent and five others. Foreign policy editor Don Durfey says the fact Israel didn't formally warn Washington of the strike is an issue for President Trump. The notification came to the U.S. military not to Trump himself, and we've been told by sources at the White House that Trump was quite frustrated at this, and Trump publicly has been venting his anger about this. I think Netanyahu is definitely testing Trump's patience. This move was one that really would upset pretty much any U.S. president.

Qatar is close U.S. ally. It is the host of the biggest U.S. military base in the region. Qatar has also been central to the Gaza peace talks. And Trump and Netanyahu, they are close. They have supported each other over the years, but it has been a relationship that it's had its ups and downs. But at the end of the day, the two men really need each other, so it's hard to imagine that there's going to be any kind of real rupture in the relationship. A day after that attack in Qatar, Israel tried to bomb other Iran-backed fighters, this time the Houthis in Yemen.

There, rescuers searched frantically through debris after the Israeli strike killed at least 35 people and injured more than 100. Israel says it was targeting Houthi military sites and propaganda officers in response to missile and drone attacks launched from Yemen. Houthi leaders say the strikes hit civilians, including journalists. Oracle shares are pushing the company a step closer to joining the trillion dollar club, and that means co-founder and chairman Larry Ellison

is closing in on Elon Musk to become the world's richest person. Allison's now estimated by Forbes to be worth around $392 billion. Musk's net worth lasted at $440 billion. The surge comes after Oracle unveiled massive new AI cloud contracts, including a $300 billion deal with OpenAI. It puts Oracle in direct competition with tech giants like Microsoft and Amazon. Meanwhile, Swedish Fintep Group, Klanar, saw shares jump 30% in their hotly anticipated New York debut, underscoring a rebound in the broader US IPO market.

And competition is pushing Novo Nordisk, the drug maker behind Wigovi, to lay off 9,000 people. It's coming up against the likes of US rival Eli Lilly and a wave of compounded copycat drugs. The restructuring is expected to save more than a billion dollars a year. South Korean workers from the Georgia plant where Hyundai was raided last week, are leaving in droves. Workers from LG Energy Solutions site in Georgia, as well as some at their other factories in other parts of the U.S., are being told to go home by the battery maker. It comes as South Korea's president warns last week's raid, which saw almost 500 people detained, could impact future investment in the U.S. reporter Junju-jin is in Seoul.

There are concerns about delays to factory projects and battery-making. and automakers, they have already pushed back some of their factory plans in the U.S. to slow down in demand for electric vehicles and also policy uncertainties under the Trump administration. And the latest raid asked to headwinds to battermakers, which are already grappling with Trump's anti-EV policy. I heard LG's asking subcontractors to come up with a contingency plan of what they would do and asking them to hire local crew,

but it's hard to find skilled workers. The leader of a Mexico-based megachurch with 5 million followers has been hit with federal sex trafficking charges in the US. Nassan Haken-Garcia, already serving a 16-year sentence for abusing minors, now faces new charges, including racketeering and child pornography.

Prosecutors say he exploited faith to prey on women and girls, for decades. He could face life in prison if convicted. His lawyer denies the charges. And tea time in London. Prince Harry and King Charles have had their first get-together in almost two years. The last time Harry saw his father was shortly after it was announced the King was undergoing cancer treatment. Harry's in town for the Invictus Games. And for today's Recommended read. Roiders explores the reach of the so-called autocratic alliance. After the leaders of Russia, China and North Korea met in Beijing,

it's not clear that the three, despite their mutual distrust of the US, are actually able to create a cohesive block given their vast differences. We'll put a link to that story in today's podcast description. For more on any of the stories from today, check out Reuters.com or the Reuters app. Don't forget to follow us on your favourite podcast player. If you're listening on a smart speaker, just ask for the latest news from Reuters seven days a week. We'll be back tomorrow with our daily headline show.