外媒每日新闻 Morning Edition

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that Ukraine received no early warning from its partners about a Russian ballistic missile strike on Kyiv in which five missiles hit civilian infrastructure. Writing on X, Zelenskyy called the barrage "particularly vile" and emphasized that intelligence sharing on ballistic missile attacks "helps save lives." He did not apportion blame for the lack of warning. Russia attacked Ukraine with more than 100 weapons since Monday evening; a residential building in Kharkiv was destroyed, killing 4 people and wounding 41. Zelenskyy also said Ukraine had not struck Russian energy sites in the two days since Trump announced a purported "energy ceasefire," but criticized Moscow for continuing attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities. The Kremlin said only that "contacts on this matter continue." Separately, Russia claimed 417 drones targeted the Moscow region overnight, with 65 intercepted near the capital.^[1]

A bipartisan group of six senators called on the Trump administration to "immediately reverse course" on its plan to purchase Russian diesel, as the controversial deal faced growing backlash on Capitol Hill. The Senate critics include both Democrats and Republicans who argue the deal funds Russia's war effort in Ukraine and undermines U.S. national security. The administration announced Friday it would import up to 4.8 million tons of Russian diesel to lower fuel prices ahead of midterm elections. Analysts say the amount is too small to meaningfully impact U.S. prices. House Speaker Mike Johnson was notably silent, but other senior Republicans joined Democrats in criticizing the move. The Kremlin has relished the deal, with Putin calling it "a step in the right direction." The controversy has reignited longstanding claims that Trump is too soft on Russia, evoking memories of Nancy Pelosi's famous declaration that "all roads lead to Putin."^[2]

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels said Tuesday that Saudi-led coalition airstrikes hit oil facilities west of the capital Sanaa, a day after Saudi Arabia extended the closure of King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh following a wave of deadly Houthi attacks. Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV said two airstrikes hit the Red Sea island of Kamaran, while a third hit Qanawis district northwest of the port city of Hodeida. The rebels also said they shot down a Saudi drone over Saada province and fired a ballistic missile toward Riyadh's airport. Saudi Arabia did not immediately confirm the strikes, but air raid sirens blared in Riyadh Monday night and explosions were heard. Egypt's foreign minister called for an immediate halt to Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia during a call with his Iranian counterpart, urging diplomacy to avert "further escalation."^[3]

The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday slightly upgraded its outlook for the world economy to 3.1% growth this year, up from its July forecast of 3.0%, while warning of growing risks from rising debt and the AI boom. The U.S. is forecast to grow 2.3% in 2026, with advanced economies collectively growing 2.1%. The IMF said the AI boom is offsetting damage from sharply higher oil prices but its benefits are uneven — the U.S. and China account for more than three-quarters of net demand for AI-related equipment. Growth is increasingly concentrated, with just 32 countries accounting for 95% of global growth, down from 54 in April. The IMF warned of risks including an AI-related stock market correction, rising bond yields, and cyberthreats. Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva described AI's impact on jobs as "a slow moving tsunami, but a tsunami nonetheless," estimating 40% of global jobs will be augmented, downgraded or eliminated. The Middle East and Central Asia are expected to contract this year.^[6]

A sharp sell-off in semiconductor stocks pulled global markets lower on Tuesday, with South Korea's Kospi index sinking 5.5% — its biggest drop in more than a year — after falling as much as 7% intraday. Samsung Electronics fell 7.4% and memory chipmaker SK Hynix plunged 10.1%. Investors are growing uneasy about the AI boom's sustainability after reports that China's memory chipmaker CXMT is making rapid advances that could challenge the dominance of Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron. Japan's Nikkei 225 dropped 1.8%, with chip equipment maker Tokyo Electron falling 7.2% and SoftBank Group, an OpenAI investor, losing 8.5%. In the U.S., Micron fell 5.5% and AMD dropped 3.3%. The Kospi had surged to a record high above 9,000 in June fueled by the AI boom but has since given back significant gains. European shares fared better, with the FTSE 100 rising 0.8% and the DAX climbing 0.6%.^[7]

A 59-year-old man stabbed at least eight people at a shopping mall in the South Korean city of Incheon on Tuesday before bystanders subdued him, police and fire officials said. The suspect attacked shoppers as he moved through the mall. One woman in her 20s underwent surgery after arriving in cardiac arrest, Incheon's fire department said. South Korea's Yonhap news agency quoted a witness as saying the suspect appeared to have knives strapped to both hands and began stabbing people at a discount store in the basement before moving up an escalator and continuing the attack. The motive wasn't immediately clear. The stabbing follows a string of similar random knife attacks in South Korea in recent years that have shocked the country and prompted debates about public safety and mental health policy.^[8]

The push to build massive artificial intelligence data centers on federal land in the American West has become a defining issue in Nevada's governor's race, pitting economic development promises against fears of environmental destruction and water depletion. Residents of Boulder City successfully opposed one data center project this summer, but developers withdrew and applied for adjacent federal land instead — bypassing local control. The issue has created unlikely alliances, with both progressive and conservative activists opposing data center development on public lands. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Aaron Ford has raised concerns about the projects' impact on water supplies and desert ecosystems, while Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo has generally supported development. The race is being closely watched as a test case for how communities across the West will handle the AI boom's insatiable demand for land, water and electricity.^[11]

Elon Musk used his X platform over the weekend to boost a false conspiracy theory about Democratic Texas Senate nominee James Talarico, claiming his campaign is "hiding something big that voters ought to know about." The fringe claim, which alleged Talarico had been treated for mental health issues at an Ohio facility, was lifted from a random X user's post and amplified by Musk to hundreds of thousands of impressions. The Lindner Center of Hope in Ohio denied the claim, saying Talarico had never been a patient there. Talarico, who had been out of the public eye recovering from the flu, returned to the campaign trail Monday to reject the conspiracy. The incident has reignited debates about misinformation on X and Musk's role in amplifying fringe political claims during election season.^[13]