Flagship

Trump barred from Maine ballots

An election official barred former U.S. President Donald Trump from appearing on the presidential primary ballot in Maine. Two states — Colorado is the other — have now said that Trump’s involvement in the Capitol riots constitutes “insurrection” and thus disqualifies him for the presidency under the Constitution’s 14th Amendment. Maine’s decision is suspended until the state’s top court confirms it, and lawyers for Trump said they would object. Michigan’s supreme court ruled the other way this week, but similar cases are pending in at least 12 states. A former federal prosecutor told the BBC that the decision in Maine would “create a political furore” and that the U.S. Supreme Court should “rapidly” rule on whether Trump should be disqualified.

Ukrainian school, hospital hit

Russia launched one of its heaviest bombardments of the war so far, hitting a school and a maternity hospital and killing at least 12 Ukrainian civilians. Missiles and drones struck at least six Ukrainian cities: Many were shot down, but those that reached their targets caused fires and widespread blackouts. “We have never seen so many targets on our monitors at once,” a Ukrainian air force spokesperson said. The Times of London said the attack, coming days after Kyiv’s forces severely damaged a Russian warship, could signal a new campaign against Ukrainian infrastructure, and that Moscow may have stockpiled weapons for an assault on civilian life during the winter.

Ukraine’s naval lessons for the world

Ukraine’s attacks on Russian vessels are reshaping Moscow’s naval strategy — and naval strategy farther afield, too. Using a combination of new and old technologies, such as armed drones, land-based missiles, and naval mines, Ukraine has shown how to “deny a superior navy the ability to exercise sea control,” two RAND analysts wrote, before the latest attacks which all but destroyed a Russian warship. Kyiv has launched what the Institute for the Study of War called a “preemptive strike campaign” against Russian vessels, limiting their ability to target Ukraine’s ports and shipping. Other countries are paying attention: Ukraine’s efforts showcase the value of prioritizing creativity, ship design, and crew competence — as well as a willingness to pursue a “nonlinear campaign,” one Indian naval analyst noted.

British warship deployed off Guyana

Venezuela ordered military exercises after Britain deployed a Royal Navy vessel to support Guyana. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said the deployment was “practically a military threat from London.” Earlier this month, Caracas vowed to annex Essequibo, an oil- and gold-rich province in Guyana, after a much-questioned referendum showed 95% of Venezuelans supported the move. Guyana, a former British colony, has controlled Essequibo, which accounts for two-thirds of its territory, since an 1899 international agreement. Maduro is keen to tap into new oil sources, on which his country’s beleaguered economy depends, ahead of next year’s presidential election, which — were it to be free — he is widely forecast to lose.

Enlistment up among Israel’s Orthodox

Israel’s ultra-Orthodox Haredi Jews, exempt from conscription, are enlisting in growing numbers. Military service is mandatory in Israel, but Haredim argue that joining up would prevent them from studying the Torah. Since the Oct. 7 attacks, however, more than 2,000 have applied to enlist. It represents a major shift for the Haredi community: In 2022, just 35% said they should contribute to Israel’s defense, but since the attacks that has risen to 49%. The exemption is controversial — many Israelis see military service as a vital duty, and a row over it brought down an Israeli government in 2019 — and one academic told The Washington Post that the growth in Haredi enlistment would lead to “a lot of pressure to change” the rule.

Smartphone maker unveils electric car

The Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi unveiled its first electric vehicle, and announced its ambition to become one of the world’s biggest car manufacturers. The SU7 sedan shares an operating system with Xiaomi phones and home appliances, which Xiaomi sells as a “smart ecosystem” linking the various devices. The company’s CEO said the car would be available for sale in 2024, and that it beat rivals such as Tesla’s Model S on various metrics, including acceleration: He pledged that “over the next 15 to 20 years, we will become one of the world’s top 5 automakers.” China already leads the world in EV exports, and BYD is expected to soon overtake Tesla as the biggest producer of EVs.

First sodium-battery car nears sale

The world’s first sodium-powered electric vehicle will go on sale in January. Most modern batteries are lithium-ion: They can store large amounts of energy, but they struggle in cold weather, and lithium is comparatively rare. Sodium, by contrast, is abundant — you can get it from seawater — and sodium-ion batteries function well in the cold, but are not as energy-dense as lithium ones. The Yiwei hatchback, made by a Volkswagen-backed Chinese firm, uses a new structure of battery which promises greater range. Chinese companies are investing heavily in sodium batteries, with one auto manufacturer announcing a $1.4 billion sodium plant in Xuzhou recently, Car News China reported.

Burkina Faso junta conscripts opposition

Authorities in Burkina Faso have forcibly conscripted government critics into the armed forces, the latest move in a wider crackdown on dissent by the country’s coup leaders. Despite pledges to pacify Burkina Faso after two coups in less than a year, the ruling junta has lost control over much of the country, with almost half of the territory now outside of government control, the New York Times reported. Emphasizing the country’s authoritarian turn, Burkinabe authorities, who used to rely on Western allies for security, have pivoted towards Russia as they seek to shore up the military’s capabilities. This week, Moscow reopened its embassy in Ouagadougou after more than 30 years.

Reddit IPO expected

Reddit is expected to float on the stock market in early 2024. Despite being sold to Condé Nast in 2006 for just $10 million, the social site is reported to be considering a valuation around $15 billion. Since filing plans for an IPO in 2021, it has made several moves to become more attractive to investors, including charging for access to its API data to reduce the use of third-party apps. Condé Nast’s parent company probably still owns roughly 30% of Reddit stock, according to the media reporter Mark Stenberg, meaning that it could be in line to make a 200-fold return on its investment if the $15 billion valuation holds up.

• Congo releases more election results after last week’s chaotic presidential vote.
• Serbia’s opposition protest in Belgrade over election results.
• Brazilians honor football legend Pelé a year after his death.

The height of the world’s tallest wooden wind turbine, which started spinning in Sweden this week. The turbine, built by Swedish startup Modvion, will generate as much as 2 megawatts, enough to power roughly 400 homes. Its launch is the latest in a series of landmark events that reflect the rising popularity of timber as a substitute for steel, production of which accounts for almost 7% of global CO2 emissions. Earlier this year, one of the biggest insurance firms in the UK began underwriting buildings with timber structures, “a big step forward” for the industry, according to a London-based architect.

The Flying Scotsman, perhaps the most famous locomotive in the world, turned 100 this year. The steam engine, which inspired the Harry Potter Hogwarts Express, was built in 1923, and ran from Kings Cross in London to Edinburgh: It was the subject of one of the first British films to have sound, 1929’s The Flying Scotsman, and played a key role in Alfred Hitchcock’s spy film The 39 Steps. It has toured North America and Australia, drawing large crowds. It’s one of the “great symbols of British engineering and innovation, like Concorde and the Queen Mary,” a museum curator told the BBC. But those icons are now defunct, while the Scotsman is still flying, “which is pretty incredible.”

• Poland will liquidate state media agencies. While Poland’s new PM says they are mouthpieces for the former right-wing ruling party, human rights organizations say the move raises “serious legal doubts.”
• China’s BYD is set to become the world’s biggest electric vehicle seller, the latest sign of China’s arrival as an EV superpower.
• Returning clothes this holiday season? AI can help with that.