Reuters World News - Palestinian state, Erika Kirk, H-1B visa confusion and Belarus

Episode Date: September 22, 2025

Britain, Canada, Australia and Portugal have all recognized a Palestinian state, while France and Saudi Arabia convene dozens of world leaders to rally support for a two-state solution. U.S. President Donald Trump has called Charlie Kirk a "martyr for American freedom" at his memorial, where his wife said she forgives his killer. Trump's new $100,000 fee for H-1B visas has taken effect. And how war games in Belarus underline renewed relations between Minsk and Washington.  Listen to On Assignment here. Find today's recommended read here. Sign up for the Reuters Econ World newsletter here. Listen to the Reuters Econ World podcast 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, several Western countries recognize a Palestinian state, drawing condemnation from Israel. At Charlie Kirk's memorial, Trump rallies the Maga faithful, while Erica Kirk forgives the shooter. The H-1B visa crackdown upends the Indian tech sector's playbook, and how Belarusian war games helped Minsk and Washington move closer together. It's Monday, September 22nd. This is Reuters World News, bringing you everything you need to know from the front lines in 10 minutes, seven days a week. I'm Tara Oaks in Liverpool. To revive the hope of peace and a two-state solution, I state clearly as Prime Minister of this great country,

that the United Kingdom formally recognises the state of Palestine. That announcement from British Prime Minister Kirstama came as the UK. UK joined Canada, Australia and Portugal and formally recognising a Palestinian state. It marks a coordinated diplomatic shift ahead of the United Nations General Assembly. The move has already drawn sharp criticism from Israel and the United States. As senior correspondent Nidal al-Magrabi breaks down what the recognition could mean for Palestinians. Many see the recognition of the Palestinian state by more countries as just a mere gesture or symbolic because none of those countries that have so far recognized the Palestinian state in practice

will not have the ability to move forward or influence the things on the ground when it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But the Palestinian Authority and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas are looking forward to that recognition and they do not see it as a symbolic move. They see it as a step forward in the direction of gaining the concrete, substantial on the ground independence of the Palestinian state. And by forging treaties with those countries, may make sanctions on Israel, economic sanctions, political sanctions, that will strengthen the Palestinian standing when it comes to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

It's not going to change the reality on the ground in a day or night, but the Palestinians are hopeful towards this next step, and they are looking forward to have more countries support the Palestinian right in an independent state. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas won't be attending the UN General Assembly in person. The United States denied him a visa. citing national security concerns.

But he'll still be present virtually. The Palestinian president will still address the meeting and voice support and voice phrase to those countries who came forward and recognized the Palestinian state. And in New York, France and Saudi Arabia are convening dozens of world leaders to rally support for the two-state solution.

Israel and the U.S. will boycott the state solution. summit. That's according to Israel's UN ambassador Danny Denon. And both countries have warned of consequences for those who take measures against Israel, including possibly annexing part of the occupied West Bank. U.S. President Donald Trump has described Charlie Kirk as a martyr for American freedom. Speaking at Sunday's memorial service, Trump again accused what he called the radical left for Kirk's murder. his quest for open dialogue was met with menacing hate. There were bomb threats, pulled fire alarms,

and countless rage-filled radicals who tried to shout him down. It was nasty. The memorial in Glendale, Arizona, was organized by Kirk's Conservative Youth Advocacy Organization, Turning Point USA. Tens of thousands of mourners filled the State Farm Stadium. Dressed in red, white and blue, white and blue and holding Turning Point signs.

Addressing the thousands in the crowd, Erica Kirk delivered a tearful tribute. I love you, Charlie Baby. And I will make you proud. Erica, who has now taken over as CEO of Turning Point, also offered forgiveness to the 22-year-old man charged with his murder. I forgive him. Trump took to the stage after that, with a speech that was more openly divisive. He did not hate his opponents.

He wanted the best for them. That's where I disagreed with Charlie. I hate my opponent. And I don't want the best for them. I'm sorry. People had queued for hours to get into the stadium. And afterwards, one of them, 90-year-old Margie Favvia, praised Erica Kirk for forgiving his killer.

She had so much reason to be angry and really want to get it even with them. but her heart knew in her Christian way that she should do what God wanted her to do. Other speakers included Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President J.D. Vance, who credited Kirk with helping get Trump elected last year. It's been a weekend of frantic phone calls and must confusion over Trump's H-1B visa crackdown. Workers from India and China abandoning travel plans to rush back to the U.S. to dodge the midnight deadline. The new $100,000 fee for H-1B visas is now in effect.

But White House spokesperson Caroline Levitt made some clarifications on X. It's a one-time fee per new application, and it won't be applied to existing H-1B visa holders re-entering the country. The move upends the Indian IT's industry playbook. With the new costs likely to slow the country's strategy of rotating skilled workers into American projects. Kent Kettle is founder of Blue Ocean Advisors, a company that helps businesses understand risks around the world.

It's not going to be something that happens in the next year, but over a number of years, I think you are going to see a negative impact in the US and a net positive for China. The White House says the fee will level the playing field for American workers, who, it says, are being replaced with lower paid foreign workers. Trump's immigration crackdown on worker visas has kept market sentiment in check.

And traders are looking ahead to a slew of speeches from Fed officials that could provide further clues on the US rate outlook. One of the most interesting will be from a new Fed governor, Stephen Myron, later today. Markets will want to gauge what he thinks about Fed independence and what kind of influence the president might have. The Trump administration is imposing new restrictions on media coverage of the US military. A Department of Defence memo says journalists who publish unauthorised sensitive information could have their press credentials pulled. Media advocates say the restrictions will stifle independent reporting.

The Pentagon is saying that information must be pre-approved for public release, even if it's unclassified. Russian anti-submarine aircraft taking off during huge war games in Belarus. The exercise last week had Eastern European NATO countries on high alert, with Russia increasing air activity near Poland and Estonia. On the ground in Belarus to observe the exercise were U.S. military officers. That's the Belarusian Defense Minister welcoming two U.S. military officers. The war games followed Belarus releasing 52 prisoners

and Washington easing sanctions in return. Andrew Osborne digs into what's behind the diplomacy. That definitely caused a stir. I think it's part of this attempt to have a reproschmen kind of a warming of relations with Belarus. And why does Trump want that? Well, it's because Belarus is perhaps Russia's closest ally. And it's a channel of communication, another one, if you like, between him and Putin at a time when Trump has, of course, been trying to broker an end to the war in Ukraine. Belarus, of course, borders Ukraine.

and it also borders NATO member states, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia. So the spectacle really of these American military observers suddenly rocking up for these war games I think it was quite unsettling for those countries. NATO will meet Tuesday to discuss Russia's violation of Estonian airspace last week. And for today's recommended read, the who's who, the TikTok deal. Trump announcing that media mogul Lackland Murdoch, as well as business leaders Larry Ellison and Michael Dell will be involved as investors to keep the social media app ticking over in the US. We'll drop a link to that story in the pod description.

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