👋 Zdravo!*
Welcome to Wednesday, where Russian strikes leave at least six dead in Ukraine hours after plans for a Trump-Putin summit are shelved, the Louvre reopens following a major jewel heist and today’s quiz question comes from Iceland. Meanwhile, Alain Barluet for French daily Le Figaro looks at how a Russian show entirely generated by algorithms takes aim at Western leaders.
[*Bosnia and Herzegovina]
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🗞️ FRONT PAGE
Peruvian daily Diario Correro dedicates its front page to the decision of Peru’s interim president Jose Jeri to declare a state emergency in Lima and the neighboring part of Callao. This comes after weeks of anti-government protests over corruption and organized crime. Under the state of emergency, the government can send the army to patrol the streets and restrict freedom of assembly and other rights.
🌎 7 THINGS TO KNOW RIGHT NOW
• Russian strikes on Ukraine kill at least six, Putin-Trump summit shelved. A large-scale Russian drone and missile attack across Ukraine killed at least six people overnight, including two children. This came hours as plans for a summit of Russian and U.S. leaders were shelved after Moscow rejected a ceasefire. U.S. President Donald Trump said he did not want a “wasted meeting.” Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is meeting Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson in the town of Linkoping, home to the Saab defense group, which produces the Gripen jet fighter among other weapons.
• Top UN court to rule on Israel’s obligations to allow aid to Palestinians. The International Court of Justice, the UN’s top legal body, is set to give an advisory opinion Wednesday on Israel’s legal obligations to ensure humanitarian aid reaches Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, as aid groups try to deliver assistance to the enclave’s residents following the U.S.-brokered ceasefire. Meanwhile, Israel has identified the bodies of two more hostages as U.S. Vice President JD Vance touted the Gaza ceasefire during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem.
• North Korea fires ballistic missiles ahead of Trump’s Asia trip. North Korea fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles on Wednesday, marking its first such launch in months as South Korea prepares to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. U.S. President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and other world leaders are expected to meet in Gyeongju for the summit on Oct. 31. Trump plans to go to Malaysia first for a regional summit before heading to Japan, in the first trip to the region of his second term.
• Syria launches operation against foreign jihadists. Syria government forces launched an operation Wednesday against jihadists holed up in a camp in the northwest region near the Turkish border, in a push to capture French fighters wanted by authorities in Paris. Like other armed groups, the foreign jihadists who traveled to Syria to fight with Islamist militias during the civil war appear to have fallen out of favor with the new authorities in Damascus after Bashar al-Assad was ousted last December. For more, check this Le Figaro piece, translated from French by Worldcrunch: Emilie König, The French “Muse Of ISIS” Facing Trial For Terrorism.
• At least 46 killed in Uganda road crash. Two buses travelling in opposite directions “met head on” while trying to overtake two other vehicles on a major highway in Uganda last night, killing at least 46 people, the Uganda Police Force said.
• OpenAI unveils browser to challenge Google. ChatGPT-maker OpenAI has launched its “Atlas” search browser on Tuesday, to challenge competitors like Google, which operates Chrome, the most popular browser in the world. The “AI-powered web browser built around ChatGPT” does away with the address bar that is a key feature in search, instead featuring an “agent” mode that has a chatbot conduct searches on a user’s behalf.
• News Quiz! Which animals were recently spotted for the first time in Iceland following record-breaking warm temperatures?
A. Manatees
B. Parrots
C. Brown bears
D. Mosquitoes
[Answer below]
#️⃣ BY THE NUMBERS
€88 million
The Louvre reopened Wednesday, three days after thieves stole royal jewels worth €88 million ($102 million) during a shocking heist on the world renowned museum. Louvre Director Laurence des Cars faces questioning by the French Senate’s culture committee on Wednesday. French prosecutor Laure Beccuau confirmed that crown jewels and pieces gifted by two Napoleons to their wives were among the items taken.
📰 IN OTHER NEWS
📺 On the Russian army’s channel Zvezda (“Star”), a program entirely generated by algorithms takes fierce aim at Western leaders.
— LE FIGARO
🎾 After lifting an exhibition trophy and talking through his rest days, Jannik Sinner’s decision to skip the home Davis Cup final has jarred fans who embraced his fair play and hero status. It’s a genuine disappointment, even if his record stands untouched.
— LA STAMPA
🛒 As ChatGPT learns your habits and starts spending on your behalf, the future of online shopping may belong to the bots.
— THE CONVERSATION
✍️ Newsletter by Anne-Sophie Goninet & Emma Albright
Quiz Answer: D. Following record-breaking heat last spring in Iceland, mosquitoes were recently found for the first time by an insect enthusiast who was using wine-soaked ropes to observe moths in Kjós, local media reported. The island nation was one of only two mosquito-free havens in the world prior to the discovery, due to its cold climate and lack of stagnant water in which the insects can breed.
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