While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, Sept 12, 2025
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US officials on Sept 11 released photos of a person of interest in the shooting death of influential conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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US officials find rifle, release photos in Kirk killer hunt
US investigators said on Sept 11 they had found the bolt-action rifle they believed was used to kill the influential conservative activist Charlie Kirk and released images of a person of interest as they searched for the shooter they described as college age.
Mr Kirk, a 31-year-old author, podcast host and close ally of US President Donald Trump, helped build the Republican Party’s support among younger voters. He was killed on Sept 10 by a single gunshot as he gave a talk at a university in Utah in what Mr Trump called a “heinous assassination.”
FBI and state officials said the killer arrived on the campus a few minutes before the event began, a debate led by Mr Kirk titled “Prove Me Wrong” outdoors in front of about 3,000 people at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, about 60km south of Salt Lake City.
Security-camera videos show a person going up stairwells to get onto a roof before firing at Mr Kirk, the officials told a press conference. Mr Kirk, a staunch defender of gun rights, was answering an audience question about mass shootings when the bullet struck his neck. Audience members fled in panic.
Foreigners praising Charlie Kirk killing face action
PHOTO: ANNA WATTS/NYTIMES
US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau on Sept 11 warned that Washington may take action against foreigners “praising, rationalising, or making light” of the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, adding he had directed consular officials to take appropriate action.
“In light of yesterday’s horrific assassination of a leading political figure, I want to underscore that foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country,” Mr Landau said in a post on social media platform X.
Mr Landau did elaborate on what such action would mean.
Trump withdraws nomination of China hawk to key role
PHOTO: REUTERS
President Donald Trump has withdrawn the nomination of Landon Heid, a China hawk, for a key post in the US-China tech battle, raising questions about whether the move signals a more dovish approach to Beijing.
Mr Trump withdrew Mr Heid’s nomination on Sept 10 for assistant secretary for export administration at the US Department of Commerce, according to Congress.gov.
The president had selected him in February for the post overseeing export controls for national security.
Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro guilty of coup charges
PHOTO: AFP
Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro was convicted by a Supreme Court majority on Sept 11 of plotting a coup to remain in power after losing the 2022 election, a powerful blow to the populist far-right movement he created.
The presumptive ruling by a majority of a panel of five justices in Brazil’s Supreme Court makes Bolsonaro the first former president in the country’s history to be convicted for attacking democracy.
Three judges so far have voted to convict, one acquitted, and one remains to vote.
Swiss watchmakers turn US tariffs into timepieces
PHOTOS: SWATCH, RAYMOND WEIL
Time is money for Swiss watchmakers – some are cashing in on US President Donald Trump’s massive tariff on goods from Switzerland with limited-edition watches featuring the 39 per cent duty on their dials.
Swatch launched on Sept 10 a model that reverses the position of 3 and 9 on the dial, a reference to the tariff rate Mr Trump has imposed since Aug 1.
Luxury watchmaker Raymond Weil also announced a limited-edition version of one of its classic models with the “39%” figure on the dial. It has produced just 39 watches, which have already sold out.
