Waves of suicide drones strike Kyiv

The assault sowed terror and frayed nerves as blasts rocked the city. [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [View in your browser]( [Top of The World]( --------------------------------------------------------------- What The World is following Waves of suicide drones strike Kyiv [Firefighters work after a drone attack on buildings in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, Oct. 17, 2022.] Credit: Roman Hrytsyna/AP Ukraine Waves of [explosives-laden suicide drones]( struck Ukraine's capital Monday, setting buildings ablaze. The assault sowed terror and frayed nerves as blasts rocked the city. Energy facilities were struck. One drone largely collapsed a residential building, killing four people. The concentrated use of the drones was the second barrage in as many weeks — after months when air attacks were a rarity in central Kyiv. Ukraine's President Volodomyr Zelenskiy has previously alleged Russia ordered 2,400 of the [drones from Iran](. At least five drones plunged into Kyiv while 13 were shot down in the Kyiv region. Nigeria Nigerian authorities are racing to assist flood victims as the death toll increased to 603. More than [1.3 million people]( have been displaced by the disaster, which has affected people across 33 of Nigeria's 36 states. At least 340,000 hectares of land also have been affected, worsening fears of food supply disruptions. Nigeria experiences annual flooding especially in coastal areas but this year’s floods are the [worst in more than a decade](. Authorities blame the disaster this year on the release of excess water from Lagdo dam in neighboring Cameroon and on unusual rainfalls. China Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Sunday called for [faster military development](and announced no change in policies that have strained relations with Washington and tightened the ruling Communist Party's control over society and the economy. Xi, 69, is expected to break with tradition and award himself a third five-year term as general secretary. Xi has made fighting corruption a hallmark of his administration and the party says it has [investigated nearly 5 million of its 96 million members for possible corruption](. Xi also cited his government's severe “zero-COVID” as a success. --------------------------------------------------------------- From The World [Brazil’s neighbors wary of environmental impact of a Bolsonaro victory]( [Children play in a flooded area of Leticia, Colombia, Feb. 14, 2017, located by the Amazon River, on the border with Brazil and Peru.] Credit: Fabiano Maisonnave/AP Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro has [promised to continue facilitating mining and agro industry]( in Brazil’s portion of the Amazon if he wins another four-year term. But destruction of the Amazon affects the air quality and jeopardizes the water supply in neighboring countries. Under Bolsonaro’s watch the rate of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon has doubled. [Orbán portrays himself as a ‘defender of Christianity.’ Critics aren’t so sure.]( [Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban speaks during a panel discussion organized by publishing houses about "Storm over Europe — the Ukraine war, the energy crisis and geopolitical challenges," in Berlin, Germany.] Credit: Markus Schreiber/AP Viktor Orbán, Hungary’s prime minister, [portrays himself as a defender of Christianity](, a religion which he says is under threat as a result of immigration, globalism and liberalism. Orbán’s critics question the sincerity of the Hungarian leader’s faith and wonder if his pro-Christian rhetoric is simply all about staying in power. “It's very difficult to speak prophetic words of protest when you’ve got coins in your mouth,” said Alex Faludy a former Anglican priest who is an expert on Hungary’s churches. --------------------------------------------------------------- Bright Spot Super bloom! The driest non-polar place on earth, the [Atacama Desert](, is currently covered with carpets of colorful blossoms. This natural spectacle only happens once or twice every 10 years! The Chilean government decided to make this region a national park earlier this month. Here, researchers are finding clues to deal with climate change and extremely dry conditions. The World’s [Tibisay Zea reports from the Atacama Desert](. 🌸🌸🌸🌺🌺🌺 The World's Tibisay Zea reports from the Atacama Desert. [In case you missed it on The World]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Don't forget to subscribe to The World's Latest Edition podcast using your favorite podcast player: [RadioPublic](, [Apple Podcasts](, [Stitcher](, [Soundcloud](, [RSS]( [The World logo]( [The World on Facebook]( [The World's Twitter account]( [Donate]( | [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [Edit your subscription]( | [Unsubscribe]( | [View in your browser]( Top of the World is written weekday mornings by the team at [The World](. [The World]( is produced by [PRX]( and [GBH](.