Trump’s Ukraine Flip, Typhoon Waves, Italian Tax

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🗞️ FRONT PAGE​​

“The mysterious drones in Copenhagen show the vulnerability of Denmark’s preparedness,” writes Danish daily Politiken, after three large drones flew over Copenhagen airport, which was then closed to all traffic until early Tuesday. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called the incident the “most serious attack on Danish critical infrastructure” and said authorities didn’t rule out Russian involvement. Denmark is now set to join an initiative to build a “drone wall” alongside the Eastern flank amidst recent airspace violations by Russian drones in Poland and Romania, with a first meeting scheduled on Friday.

🌎 7 THINGS TO KNOW RIGHT NOW

• Zelensky to address UN General Assembly after Trump’s rhetorical shift on Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to address the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, a day after U.S. President Donald Trump said he believed Ukraine could win back all territory lost to Russia after they met on the sidelines of the summit. This marks a major rhetorical shift from the U.S. leader’s repeated calls for Kyiv to make concessions to end the war. Meanwhile, Trump delivered a combative UN speech, taking aim at world leaders on everything from migration to the Russia-Ukraine war. Read more in this France Inter analysis, translated by Worldcrunch: Is This How American Leadership Ends? Trump Turns The UN Into A Comedy Club.

• Gaza aid flotilla hit by drone attacks, activists say. Activists taking part in the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla said Wednesday that some of their boats were attacked by “unidentified drones” overnight while sailing south of Greece and that “at least 13 explosions” were heard on and around several vessels. They also said communications were jammed and “unidentified objects dropped.” No casualties were reported, but there was damage to the boats. 

• Iran starts rebuilding missile sites hit by Israel. Iran has begun rebuilding missile-production sites which had been damaged by Israel during its 12-day war in June, AP has reported after analyzing satellite images. However, experts say that a key component –– the large mixers needed to produce solid fuel for the weapons — is likely still missing. This comes as Iran and Europe’s leading powers are racing on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly to strike a deal on Iran’s nuclear program, in order to stop the reimposition of UN sanctions on Tehran over uranium enrichment.

• Typhoon Ragasa heads to China as Taiwan reports at least 15 dead. China has evacuated nearly two million people from the southern province of Guangdong on Wednesday as Typhoon Ragasa, the world’s most powerful tropical cyclone this year, draws closer. At least 15 people have been killed in Taiwan with 129 still missing, after a barrier lake overflowed and caused severe flooding in the east. While the typhoon has weakened in the last hours, it remains highly destructive with top winds of 241km/h (150mp/h).

• South Korea’s ex-first lady on trial as “Dior bag” scandal widens. Kim Keon Hee, the wife of South Korea’s ousted former president Yoon Suk Yeol, appeared in court in Seoul on Wednesday for her trial’s first hearing, after she was arrested in August on a range of charges, including stock manipulation and corruption. Kim, who faces penalties ranging from fines to up to five years in prison if convicted, was seen accepting a Dior bag from a pastor in a video in 2022, sparking a scandal in the country.

• Italian cinema icon Claudia Cardinale dies. The Tunisian-born Italian actress, who starred in more than 100 films and made-for-television productions but was best known for her roles in The Leopard, 8½, and Pink Panther, died in France aged 87. Cardinale started her movie career at just 17 after winning a beauty contest in Tunisia.

• News Quiz! The northern Italian city of Bolzano will introduce a new tax next year which has sparked criticism. What will both locals and tourists have to pay a fee for?

A. Hiking in the Dolomites
B. Owning a dog
C. Parking a car within 100 meters of a vineyard
D. Wearing socks with sandals in public
[Answer below]

#️⃣ BY THE NUMBERS

$500 billion

Open AI, Oracle and SoftBank announced plans for five new artificial intelligence data centers in the United States, as part of the $500-billion Stargate program which aims at building new AI infrastructure. OpenAI said it would open three new sites with Oracle in Shackelford County, Texas, Dona Ana County, New Mexico and at an undisclosed location in the Midwest, and that it would build two other centers with Japan’s SoftBank and a SoftBank affiliate in Lordstown, Ohio and Milam County, Texas.  

📰 IN OTHER NEWS

✊ The fleet may not open a maritime corridor, and the hunger strike may not end the hunger, but their true strength lies in breaking the psychological isolation, in offering a sense that there is a moral refuge, even if it is materially powerless.
— DARAJ

🛂 Trump’s latest move on H1B visas, which virtually dashed the American dreams of millions of Indians, should not be seen as an isolated event but a definitive consequence of the dysfunctional global capitalism.
— THE WIRE

⚠️ Meta bets on everyday AI tools like smart glasses, while doomsayers such as Eliezer Yudkowsky warn that artificial intelligence could one day wipe us out.
— DIE ZEIT