The world turns on politics, power, and pressure. From Trump berating the UN to European cyberattacks, from falling birds in Britain to lasers in South Asia, today’s digest traces the fractures shaping tomorrow. Expect hard numbers, sharp quotes, and urgent questions.
TRUMP SLAMS EUROPE, MOCKS UN AT GENERAL ASSEMBLY
President Trump derided immigration, climate policy, and multilateralism in fiery UN speech.
NEW YORK, Sept 23 – Donald Trump; UN General Assembly; Antonio Guterres
🟢 Trump threatened tariffs on Russia if Europe joins his sanctions push.
📊 He claimed Europe cut emissions 37 %, offset by global rise of 54 %.
💬 “Your countries are going to hell,” Trump told world leaders (MEE).
The address framed US power against both rivals and allies.
Can the UN withstand open hostility from its host nation?
Trump isolates America further.
(Source: middleeasteye.net/news/trump-describes-somalia-place-nothing-poverty-piracy-violence)
PARAMOUNT–WARNER MERGER BOOSTS TRUMP MEDIA REACH
Proposed mega-deal could centralize news and entertainment under Trump-aligned owners.
WASHINGTON, Sept 23 – FCC; Paramount Skydance; Warner Bros. Discovery; Ellison family
🟢 Merger would give control of CNN and CBS to Trump-tied executives.
📊 Combined market share exceeds 25 % of $223 bn US media sector.
💬 “This is Hungarian model on speed,” warned The Conversation (Conversation).
The merger risks accelerating partisan media consolidation.
Will America’s newsrooms become extensions of the White House?
Media independence faces historic test.
(Source: theconversation.com/paramount-warner-merger-trump-media-influence)
AMAZON TO SHUT ALL UK FRESH STORES
Retail giant pivots away from cashier-free groceries to online delivery.
LONDON, Sept 23 – Amazon UK; Whole Foods Market
🟢 Fourteen Amazon Fresh stores will permanently close across Britain.
📊 Amazon plans UK perishable deliveries via Same-Day service by 2026.
💬 “We’ll focus on online grocery deliveries,” Amazon announced (Engadget).
Fresh closures echo 2023 pullbacks on Go convenience stores.
Is this the end of Amazon’s cashier-free dream?
Amazon doubles down on digital retail.
(Source: aboutamazon.co.uk/news/retail/amazon-uk-online-grocery-delivery-amazon-fresh)
APPLE PULLS SHOW ABOUT US EXTREMISM
The Savant series vanished from Apple TV Plus before its premiere.
CUPERTINO, Sept 23 – Apple TV Plus; Jessica Chastain; Andrea Stanley
🟢 Series centered on FBI efforts to stop extremist mass shootings.
📊 Scheduled for Sept 26 debut, then abruptly withdrawn from lineup.
💬 “It’s not clear if it will now debut,” said Verge (Verge).
Show’s shelving raises questions on platform politics and timing.
Is Apple avoiding controversy or stifling critical storytelling?
Extremism drama faces streaming silence.
(Source: theverge.com/entertainment/784185/apple-tv-plus-the-savant-domestic-terrorism)
CBP DRONES SUPPORTED ICE 50 TIMES LAST YEAR
Surveillance flights extended far beyond border enforcement into US cities.
WASHINGTON, Sept 23 – CBP; ICE; EFF; 404 Media
🟢 CBP Predator drones aided ICE operations across 50 documented missions.
📊 Dataset covered 3,100 flights between March 2024 and March 2025.
💬 “The program has expanded exponentially,” said EFF’s Jennifer Lynch (404 Media).
FOIA logs reveal continued drone sharing across federal, state, and local agencies.
Will expanded drone use normalize mass domestic surveillance?
Eyes in the sky keep multiplying.
(Source: 404media.co/cbp-confirms-it-is-flying-predator-drones-above-los-angeles-to-support-ice)
CHINA WARNS JAPAN OVER LASER WEAPONS
Beijing accuses Tokyo of destabilizing region with new defense projects.
BEIJING, Sept 23 – PLA Daily; Japan Ministry of Defence
🟢 Japan allocates ¥18.3 bn ($120 m) for shipborne laser system.
📊 Land-based prototype demonstrated 10 kW output against aerial targets.
💬 “Trends should be watched with high caution,” warned PLA Daily (SCMP).
Laser weapons appeal for drone defense but risk arms escalation.
Are directed-energy arms rewriting Asia’s security balance?
Tech race heightens Pacific tensions.
(Source: scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3330382)
HACKERS BREACHED FEDERAL AGENCY VIA GEOSERVER FLAW
CISA disclosed intrusion exploiting unpatched open-source mapping tool.
WASHINGTON, Sept 23 – CISA; Shadowserver; unnamed FCEB agency
🟢 Attackers used CVE-2024-36401 to infiltrate and deploy web shells.
📊 Exploit impacted 16,000+ servers exposed online by July 2024.
💬 “Actors primarily relied on brute force techniques,” said CISA (BleepingComputer).
The breach highlights patching gaps in civilian infrastructure.
Can agencies secure open-source systems fast enough?
Unpatched tools leave doors wide open.
(Source: bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/cisa-says-hackers-breached-federal-agency-using-geoserver-exploit)
CLOUDFLARE BLOCKS BIGGEST EVER DDOS ATTACK
22.2 Tbps flood nearly doubled records from earlier this month.
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept 23 – Cloudflare; Qi’anxin researchers
🟢 Short 40-second assault equaled streaming one million 4K videos at once.
📊 10.6 Bpps surge traced to AISURU botnet infecting 300,000+ devices.
💬 “Record-breaking attacks are becoming more frequent,” noted Cloudflare (BleepingComputer).
IoT insecurity fuels increasingly colossal network storms.
How long before defenses fail under botnet pressure?
DDoS scale keeps shattering limits.
(Source: bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/cloudflare-blocks-record-breaking-115-tbps-ddos-attack)
DRONE STRIKE KILLS EIGHT CHILDREN IN HAITI
Attack targeted gang-held neighborhood of Port-au-Prince.
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Sept 23 – Haitian police; local residents
🟢 Relatives said police aimed strike at suspected gang leader’s home.
📊 At least 11 killed total, including eight children.
💬 “They were just children,” said victims’ families (Al Jazeera).
The tragedy underscores chaos of urban warfare in Haiti.
Can fragile institutions stop spiraling violence?
Civilians bear brunt of Haiti’s battles.
(Source: aljazeera.com/news)
INDIA DEVELOPS ‘BODYGUARD’ SATELLITES AFTER ORBITAL SCARE
New project aims to protect Indian assets against hostile spacecraft.
NEW DELHI, Sept 23 – Indian government; ISRO; PM Narendra Modi
🟢 Satellites will identify and counter threats in contested orbit.
📊 India set aside undisclosed funds after a near collision this year.
💬 “Incident highlighted the need for action,” sources told Japan Times (Japan Times).
The plan follows satellites’ critical role in India-Pakistan conflict this May.
Will orbital defenses trigger a new space arms race?
Space gets militarized one satellite at a time.
(Source: japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/09/23/india-bodyguard-satellites-near-miss)
INDONESIA PALM OIL DEAL WITH EU FACES NEW BARRIERS
Trade pact removes tariffs but imposes strict deforestation checks.
BALI, Sept 23 – EU Commission; Indonesia’s GAPKI; CELIOS think tank
🟢 42 % of palm plantations are smallholder-run, risking exclusion from EU market.
📊 EU demands deforestation-free certification starting December 2025.
💬 “Zero-tariff facility becomes meaningless,” said GAPKI’s Eddy Martono (DW).
Activists warn greenwashing may allow hidden forest loss to continue.
Can small farmers survive the cost of compliance?
Tariff relief meets ecological roadblock.
(Source: dw.com/en/indonesia-palm-oil-sellers-fear-new-barriers-after-eu-deal/a-74109137)
MLB TO INTRODUCE AUTOMATED CHALLENGE SYSTEM IN 2026
Players will contest umpire strike calls using AI-powered cameras.
NEW YORK, Sept 23 – MLB; John Bacon; Engadget
🟢 ABS tech allows pitchers, catchers, or batters to challenge ball-strike calls.
📊 Teams start with two challenges, gaining extra during extra innings.
💬 “Having a backup for the human eye seems positive,” wrote Engadget (Engadget).
Tech joins baseball after trials in minor leagues and All-Star Game.
Will fans trust cameras over umpires?
Baseball embraces digital strike zone.
(Source: mlb.com/press-release/mlb-announces-abs-challenge-system-coming-to-2026-season)
MALI, BURKINA, NIGER QUIT INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT
Military juntas accuse ICC of selective justice and neocolonial bias.
BAMAKO, Sept 23 – Alliance of Sahel States (AES); ICC, The Hague
🟢 Leaders pledge to form “indigenous mechanisms” for justice and peace.
📊 All three juntas seized power via coups between 2020 and 2023.
💬 “The ICC has proven itself incapable,” states joint communiqué (DW).
Withdrawal mirrors earlier exit from ECOWAS regional bloc.
Will Russia fill the judicial vacuum left behind?
Justice splinters as juntas exit ICC.
(Source: dw.com/en/mali-burkina-faso-niger-withdraw-icc/a-74103743)
META LAUNCHES SUPER PAC TO BLOCK AI LAWS
New political committee fights state-level regulation of AI.
WASHINGTON, Sept 23 – Meta; American Technology Excellence Project
🟢 PAC invests “tens of millions” to elect pro-AI candidates nationwide.
📊 Over 1,000 state-level AI policy proposals filed in 2025.
💬 “State lawmakers are uniquely positioned,” said Meta VP Brian Rice (Engadget).
Bipartisan strategy led by GOP operative Brian Baker and Hilltop Public Solutions.
Will money tilt democracy toward corporate AI agendas?
Tech giants bankroll political shields.
(Source: engadget.com/meta-super-pac-against-ai-regulation-2025)
MICROSOFT UNVEILS BREAKTHROUGH IN AI CHIP COOLING
New microfluidic design promises triple the efficiency of cold plates.
REDMOND, Sept 23 – Microsoft; Sashi Majety; Jim Kleewein
🟢 Technique reduces GPU silicon heat rise by 65 %.
📊 Over 300,000 servers worldwide could benefit from improved density.
💬 “If you’re still on cold plates in five years, you’re stuck,” said Majety (Engadget).
Design mimics leaf veins, optimizing AI-driven coolant flow.
Can greener chips tame AI’s soaring carbon footprint?
Cooling gains may fuel hotter AI race.
(Source: news.microsoft.com/source/features/innovation/microfluidics-liquid-cooling-ai-chips)
BASIC INCOME REVIVED AS AI JOB LOSSES LOOM
Researchers tout universal cash payments as automation accelerates.
MELBOURNE, Sept 23 – Macquarie University; ANU; ABC News
🟢 Poverty among JobSeeker recipients fell from 67 % to 7 % under COVID supplements.
📊 Stanford tallied 160 UBI experiments in 40 years, including 20,000 Kenyans.
💬 “We’ll have no choice but UBI,” said Elon Musk (ABC).
Supporters cite dignity; critics warn of trillion-dollar tax burdens.
Will AI make free money inevitable?
Automation reopens UBI debate worldwide.
(Source: abc.net.au/news/2025-09-24/universal-basic-income-ai)
NATIONAL GUARD DEPLOYED TO NEW MEXICO TOWN
Troops called to Española after crime wave strains police capacity.
ESPAÑOLA, Sept 22 – New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham; National Guard
🟢 Troops will support patrols amid drug and gang-related violence.
📊 Española logged homicide rates 300 % above state average in 2024.
💬 “We need immediate stabilization,” said Gov. Lujan Grisham (ABQ Journal).
Deployment underscores rural policing gaps across America.
Can military presence restore long-term community trust?
Guard called where police fail.
(Source: abqjournal.com/news/national-guard-to-be-deployed-to-espanola)
NEARLY HALF OF COMPANIES HIT BY DEEPFAKE CALLS
AI-generated voices increasingly trick employees into costly mistakes.
LONDON, Sept 23 – Sophos; Gartner survey; The Register
🟢 44 % of firms faced fake voice calls, 6 % caused financial loss.
📊 Prompt injection attacks hit 32 % of surveyed organizations.
💬 “You can generate calls in real time now,” said Sophos’ Wisniewski (Register).
Attackers also fake executives on WhatsApp video before shifting to text.
Will businesses adapt before deepfakes cripple trust entirely?
Synthetic voices become security nightmare.
(Source: theregister.com/2025/09/23/deepfake-calls-attack-businesses)
OPENSSF WARNS OPEN SOURCE FUNDING IS UNSUSTAINABLE
Critical software infrastructure strained by unpaid corporate use.
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept 23 – OpenSSF; Rust Foundation; Python Foundation
🟢 Registries like PyPI and npm serve billions of downloads monthly.
📊 8 major groups signed joint call for sustainable funding.
💬 “Commercial-scale use without support is unsustainable,” the group warned (Register).
Proposals include tiered access models and paid partnerships.
Will tech giants pay for the code they depend on?
Free software isn’t free to run.
(Source: openssf.org/blog/2025/09/23/open-infrastructure-is-not-free-a-joint-statement)
PAKISTAN SIGNALS INTEREST IN CHINESE LASER WEAPONS
Ex-navy commander endorses Beijing’s high-energy arms partnership.
BEIJING, Sept 23 – Pakistan NIMA; Xiangshan Forum; PLA
🟢 China showcased LY-1 shipborne laser designed to disable drones and sensors.
📊 LY-1 rivals US Navy’s Helios laser on USS Preble.
💬 “Pakistan would love integration in this area,” said Ahmed Saeed (SCMP).
Laser race spreads across Asia amid maritime rivalries.
Will energy weapons dominate future naval warfare?
Lasers enter South Asian arsenal talks.
(Source: scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3330405)
UK BIRD POPULATIONS IN FREEFALL
Farmland and seabirds face steep declines despite some woodland recovery.
LONDON, Sept 23 – UK Defra; RSPB conservationists
🟢 Farmland bird numbers fell 62 % long-term, 11 % short-term.
📊 Species index dropped 4 % nationwide between 2019–2024.
💬 “Time is running out to meet targets,” warned RSPB’s Gregory (Guardian).
Seabirds hit by avian flu, pesticides, and habitat loss.
Can policy shift farms into true bird sanctuaries?
Nature crisis deepens across British skies.
(Source: theguardian.com/environment/2025/apr/17/england-ancient-hedges-wildlife)
MUSEVENI TO RUN AGAIN IN 2026
Uganda’s president seeks sixth elected term after 39 years in power.
KAMPALA, Sept 23 – Yoweri Museveni; NRM party; Bobi Wine
🟢 GDP doubled from $34 bn to $66 bn during last term.
📊 Museveni, 81, has ruled since 1986 after a coup war.
💬 “You have everything you lacked in the past,” Museveni told supporters (Al Jazeera).
Main rival Bobi Wine expected to join the race.
Can Uganda’s opposition break his grip on power?
Longest-serving leader eyes new mandate.
(Source: aljazeera.com/news/2025/9/23/uganda-museveni-to-run-again-2026)
TRUMP ASSASSINATION PLOTTER GUILTY, SELF-INJURES IN COURT
Ryan Routh convicted after failed 2024 Florida golf course attack.
MIAMI, Sept 23 – Ryan Routh; DOJ; Judge Aileen Cannon
🟢 Jury convicted on firearm, assassination attempt, and terrorism charges.
📊 Routh spent weeks plotting, confronted by Secret Service before firing.
💬 “This was an affront to our nation,” said AG Pam Bondi (France24).
Routh grabbed a pen and tried stabbing his neck after verdict.
Will political violence define America’s campaign trail?
Court drama underscores election volatility.
(Source: france24.com/en/americas/20240915-trump-safe-after-gunshots-in-his-vicinity-campaign-says)
TORRENTIAL RAINS FLOOD NORTHERN ITALY
Mudslides and inundation disrupt transport and evacuations.
MILAN, Sept 23 – Italian firefighters; Lombardy region officials
🟢 Rescuers pulled trapped motorists from submerged streets.
📊 Rail service suspended as crews cleared debris from blocked tracks.
💬 “Scale of flooding highlights severe infrastructure damage,” officials said (AfricaNews).
Communities reel from storms tied to climate extremes.
Will Italy face yearly northern deluges?
Weather chaos reshapes Alpine life.
(Source: africanews.com/2025/09/23/torrential-rain-floods-italy)
SOLARWINDS PATCHES SAME FLAW THIRD TIME
Critical Web Help Desk bug resurfaced despite earlier fixes.
AUSTIN, Sept 23 – SolarWinds; CISA; Trend Micro ZDI
🟢 Vulnerability CVE-2025-26399 bypasses two earlier RCE patches.
📊 Flaw rated 9.8 severity, allowing remote unauthenticated code execution.
💬 “In-the-wild exploitation is highly likely,” warned watchTowr (Register).
Legacy of 2020 Orion breach haunts SolarWinds’ credibility.
How many fixes does one bug need?
Patch fatigue meets persistent flaws.
(Source: theregister.com/2025/09/23/solarwinds-patch-rce-third-time)
CANADA’S WILDFIRES GIVE CANOLA A BOOST
Smoke shielded crops from heat, improving yields in 2025.
MANITOBA, Sept 23 – Canadian farmers; Canola Council of Canada
🟢 Smoke lowered temperatures during flowering, protecting pollen from heat stress.
📊 Canada grows 21 m acres of canola, world’s largest producer.
💬 “Smoke will likely be a positive thing,” said farmer Colin Penner (Japan Times).
Researchers warn smoke may harm other crops and degrade chlorophyll.
Could climate disasters carry hidden agricultural perks?
Wildfire haze paradox benefits farmers.
(Source: japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/09/23/canada-wildfires-canola-yields)
EU PRESSES TECH GIANTS ON ONLINE SCAMS
Apple, Google, and Microsoft face penalties under DSA.
BRUSSELS, Sept 23 – EU Commission; Henna Virkkunen
🟢 EU probes fake banking apps, search results, and listings.
📊 €4 bn annual fraud losses tied to online scams across EU.
💬 “Platforms must do more,” said Virkkunen (Engadget).
Fines could reach 6 % of global revenue.
Will Big Tech finally police its digital storefronts?
Scams test EU’s digital laws.
(Source: engadget.com/eu-big-tech-scam-clampdown-dsa)
IRAN-LINKED HACKERS HIT EUROPEAN AEROSPACE FIRMS
New malware targets defense and aviation via fake job sites.
COPENHAGEN, Sept 23 – Check Point; Nimbus Manticore; Microsoft
🟢 Campaign mimics job portals for Boeing, Airbus, Rheinmetall, Flydubai.
📊 MiniJunk backdoor and MiniBrowse stealer deployed through DLL sideloading.
💬 “Variants suggest significant increase in actor’s abilities,” said Check Point (Register).
Attacks tied to Iran’s IRGC overlap with Dream Job ops.
Can Europe withstand persistent cyber-espionage?
Phishing lures mask advanced espionage.
(Source: theregister.com/2025/09/23/iran-aerospace-malware)
STELLANTIS HALTS TWO EUROPEAN FACTORIES
Car giant cuts output amid weakening demand.
PARIS, Sept 23 – Stellantis; OECD; unions
🟢 Thousands furloughed at Poissy (France) and Pomigliano (Italy) plants.
📊 OECD warns higher US tariffs add global economic pressure.
💬 “Demand slump forces adjustments,” Stellantis said (France24).
Slowdown underscores fragility in European auto industry.
Will EV transition rescue Europe’s carmakers?
Factories idle as sales stall.
(Source: france24.com/en/live-news/20250923-stellantis-suspend-production)
— Ohmbudsman