London Review of Substacks: Adoption, goals, and faith-based films
From Afrobeats to public policy: The reinvention of Banky W
The World at a Glance
Updated 6:36pm EDT
1
Israelis marked a year since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack as the IDF struck Lebanon and Gaza, and Hezbollah and Hamas fired rockets into Israel.
2Google must open the Android app store to competition, the latest legal blow following the company’s search business being ruled a monopoly.
3Telegram has been a game-changing tool for Southeast Asia’s cyber gangs, according to a UN report.
4Ukraine struck Russia’s biggest oil depot in occupied Crimea, as Zelenskyy pushes for more military support for Kyiv from the West.
5The 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine went to two scientists for their discovery of microRNA and its role in gene regulation.
6Singapore held its final horse race, following the government’s decision to raze a racetrack to make space for housing.
What analyses of Trump and Harris’ economic plans agree on
Both candidates’ policies would add to the US national debt, but differ widely in by how much.
Leah Millis/File Photo/ReutersEthiopian lawmakers choose new president
The country's foreign minister replaces a former diplomat who became Ethiopia's first female head of state.
Ethiopia's outgoing president, Sahle-Work Zewde; image by Tiksa Negeri/ReutersSubstack wants to do more than just newsletters
The newsletter platform is trying to position itself as something more: a way to pay creators of all kinds.
Global governments react to October 7 anniversary
Israel’s Western allies reiterated calls for an immediate ceasefire and diplomatic resolution to the conflict, while Iran and Russia heaped blame on Israel.
Joseph Campbell/ReutersAD
Nobel Prize for medicine goes to scientists who discovered microRNA
Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun won the prize for their work on microRNA and its role in gene regulation.
Christine Olsson/ReutersTalking through AI and the future of music with will.i.am
The Black Eyed Peas star has immersed himself in artificial intelligence and left his humanity intact.
will.i.am staffChina and North Korea mark 75th diplomatic anniversary with promise of deepening ties
The alliance between China and North Korea — and more broadly, Iran and Russia — is a growing security concern for the West.
KCNA via Reuters
politicsLeah Millis/File Photo/Reuters 
Carlos Barria/Reuters
Mike Segar/Reuters
What analyses of Trump and Harris’ economic plans agree on
Both candidates’ policies would add to the US national debt, but differ widely in by how much.
Leah Millis/File Photo/ReutersTrump’s return to site of assassination attempt underscores a transformed election
The weekend rally in Pennsylvania seemed aimed to recapture the campaign’s momentum immediately following the July shooting.
Carlos Barria/ReutersInside Obama’s bid to help save Senate Democrats’ majority
The former president cut ads and is embarking on a nationwide tour as his party looks to capitalize on his purple state popularity.
Mike Segar/ReutersKamala Harris chases the disaffected Republican vote
Liz Cheney and former Nikki Haley backers are encouraged by her outreach. Some on the left are worried.
What US foreign policy could look like under Harris
Analysts think the Democratic presidential candidate will likely shelve her boss’ democracy-vs-autocracy framing if she wins next month’s election.
It’ll be an unhappy holidays for Congress and the next president
The post-election “lame duck” session is always higher-stakes after presidential campaigns. And this year looks like one for the books.
Environmental exceptions for chips underscore tensions in Biden’s economic agenda
The legislation, which the president signed Wednesday, divided lawmakers, with some saying it undermines the administration’s climate and health goals.
National Republicans reel in crucial $30M for Senate battle
It’s a record fundraising haul for the party’s campaign arm, which needs the cash as Democratic candidates post whopping sums themselves.
Vance wants to be a ‘pro-family’ Republican. His party isn’t there yet.
The vice presidential nominee wants a bigger child tax credit and other benefits for building families. His party is still divided on whether to follow.
China’s domestic struggles won’t change its trajectory in Washington
No matter the economic indicators that show growth slowing for America’s chief economic rival, the next president and Congress want to get even tougher on Beijing.
The ‘Midwest Nice’ debate: Vance and Walz put the ‘civil’ in civil war
The likely last face-off between the tickets before the election was disarmingly friendly.
business
Courtesy of Mubadala
Blackstone, Gulf sovereign fund eye private-fund stakes
The business of Wall Street firms buying pieces of each other is booming.
Courtesy of MubadalaEU taps Emanuele Tarantino as new chief competition economist
The Italian academic is tasked with guiding the bloc as it tries to balance reining in Big Tech with innovation.
Dockworkers strike poses political dilemma just before election
In the New York City area alone, nearly 100,000 containers are now waiting to be unloaded, with 35 more container ships on their way.
Ex-Amex CEO Ken Chenault is a top candidate for jobs in a Harris administration
The Democratic donor, who was one of the only Black CEOs of a major company, could be up for Treasury secretary if Harris wins.
US central bank chief hints at how rest of 2024 could play out
The Federal Reserve’s committee in charge of interest rate cuts meets next in November.
technology
Shannon Stapleton/File Photo/Reuterswill.i.am staff
Google ordered to open up Android app store in latest legal blow
Alphabet, Google’s parent company, saw its shares dip after the US judge’s ruling.
Shannon Stapleton/File Photo/ReutersTalking through AI and the future of music with will.i.am
How will.i.am has immersed himself in AI and left his humanity intact.
will.i.am staffDJs are debating whether AI can replace them
Software companies that make DJing platforms are increasingly adding AI capabilities to their tech, allowing DJs to automate some tasks. The reception within Berlin’s iconic club scene is mixed.
Google’s new AI-powered search will deliver personalized ads
The search engine is rolling out new features geared toward getting consumers to shop more online.
ChatGPT creator OpenAI is now valued at $157 billion
The latest funding round puts the AI startup on par with household brands, like Uber and AT&T.
The Nobel-, Emmy-winning genius who became Google’s star antitrust witness
Paul Milgrom and his company, Auctionomics, have stayed out of the spotlight for years, despite having an outsized impact on the world.
net zero
Muyu Xu/Reuters
Ricardo Moraes/Reuters
Molly Darlington/File Photo/Reuters
Solar boom in China turns electricity prices negative
China is building twice as much wind and solar as the rest of the world combined.
Muyu Xu/ReutersA London lawsuit could amp up environmental pressure on big businesses
The unusual case underlines how the prospect of hefty financial returns is enticing deep-pocketed investors to fund novel class-actions.
Ricardo Moraes/ReutersBritain becomes first G7 country to phase out coal
The UK’s energy mix will be coal-free for the first time in nearly 150 years.
Molly Darlington/File Photo/Reutersgulf
Mohamed Azakir/Reuters
Israel launches major strikes on Beirut ahead of Oct. 7 anniversary
The balance of power in the Middle East has been indelibly altered in the year since Hamas attacked Israel.
Mohamed Azakir/ReutersConstruction resumes on world’s tallest skyscraper after nearly seven-year hiatus
Dubai’s long-cherished superlative will soon be snatched by Saudi Arabia.
Saudi HQ rules force firms to scramble for loopholes
Riyadh’s requirement to set up regional headquarters in the kingdom are puzzling executives.
Gulf strives to put a lid on boiling Middle East tensions
Saudi Arabia is continuing to push for Saudi-Israel normalization, even as its foreign minister met with Iran’s president Wednesday.
ADNOC’s still on the hunt after $13 billion acquisition
ADNOC’s biggest global deal so far is part of a $150 billion five-year spending plan.
africaEthiopia's outgoing president, Sahle-Work Zewde; image by Tiksa Negeri/Reuters 
Felix Crown
Ethiopian lawmakers choose new president
Sahle-Work Zewde, a former diplomat who became Ethiopia’s first female in 2018, has been replaced by the foreign minister, Taye Atskeselassie.
Ethiopia's outgoing president, Sahle-Work Zewde; image by Tiksa Negeri/ReutersFrom Afrobeats to public policy: The reinvention of Banky W
The star of Nollywood blockbuster The Wedding Party talks about switching to public policy and politics to make real change on the continent.
Felix CrownWHO approves first mpox diagnostic test
The agency declared the disease a global health emergency in August after a new deadly strain began spreading in Africa.
The drone business is going mainstream across Africa
The rise in drone adoption in Nigeria reflects a broader trend of wider use in different sectors across Africa to bypass poor road and rail networks.
South African economy rides coalition’s positivity wave
South African stocks are on a tear, while the coalition government has buoyed hopes that the country’s debilitating power and transport problems can be fixed.
Gabon and Equatorial Guinea are battling for oil-rich islands
The tiny island of Mbanié off the coast of Gabon is the subject of a dispute pitting Equatorial Guinea against Gabon at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands.
media
Substack wants to do more than just newsletters
The newsletter platform is trying to position itself as something more: a way to pay creators of all kinds.
Mixed Signals: How AI cures writer’s block
And when will the chatbots replace us? A conversation with playwright Ayad Akhtar.
InfoWars’ victims and enemies consider buying it
The auctioning off of Alex Jones’ conspiracy theory-laden network has sparked some serious behind-the-scenes interest.
Politico’s wonky Pro service to roll out new AI tool
The new AI tool will aim to help users quickly pull together information from Politico and Politico Pro content to create comprehensive reports.
Mixed Signals: Can centrism go viral? with The Bulwark’s Tim Miller
Is there a political caucus behind The Bulwark?
security
Artillery fired by the Israeli Army into Lebanon from northern Israel. Jim Urquhart/Reuters
Iranians celebrate in the streets of Tehran after the IRGC attacked Israel. Majid Asgaripour/Reuters
Yves Herman/Reuters
Israel vows revenge on Iran as diplomacy falters
After pledging a “significant retaliation” on Tehran, Israeli officials banned the UN secretary general from entering the country.
Artillery fired by the Israeli Army into Lebanon from northern Israel. Jim Urquhart/ReutersCountries call for restraint and de-escalation after Israel’s incursion into Lebanon
Many world leaders called for a de-escalation in the conflict as fears of wider Middle East war with Iran mount.
Iranians celebrate in the streets of Tehran after the IRGC attacked Israel. Majid Asgaripour/ReutersMark Rutte becomes NATO chief as alliance faces critical tests
The former Dutch prime minister takes the helm of the Western defense alliance weeks before the US presidential election, which could be pivotal to its future.
Yves Herman/ReutersAD