Ceasefire Pressure, Drone Blackouts, and Living-Room AIs
Ceasefire Pressure, Drone Blackouts, and Living-Room AIs — Aug 28, 2025
A fast, data-first tour of tomorrow’s headlines: Gaza diplomacy without Washington, Russia’s war economy wobble, Ukraine’s grid under drone fire, Apple vs UK regulators, Disney vs day passes, AI in your living room, cyber crews riding Telegram bots, and trade shifts from soybeans to Shein.
Links & Sources
- Russia cuts 2025 outlook: https://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/a-propos/20250827-this-party-is-almost-over-expert-says-as-russia-slashes-2025-forecast
- Apple warns UK against tougher tech regulation: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cpvjdm4mp92o
- UNSC members, except US, call for Gaza ceasefire: https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/all-united-nations-security-council-members-except-us-call-ceasefire-and
- Qantas profit leaps 28% to A$1.6b: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08-28/airline-qantas-profit-up-28-per-cent-strong-travel-demand/105705262
- China’s soy crushers may skip US beans: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/08/27/markets/china-soy-winter-us-beans
- Denmark summons US diplomat over Greenland: https://www.france24.com/en/video/20250827-denmark-summons-us-diplomat-over-greenland-interference
- Disney sues Sling TV over one-day passes: https://www.theverge.com/news/766933/disney-sling-tv-streaming-cable-passes-lawsuit
- Antalya cold-storage fire: https://www.africanews.com/2025/08/27/fire-at-cold-storage-facility-spreads-to-warehouse-in-turkeys-antalya
- Flash floods and landslide in Kashmir: https://www.africanews.com/2025/08/27/flash-floods-and-landslide-kill-dozens-in-indian-controlled-kashmir
- Global “Salt Typhoon” hacking campaigns linked to Chinese firms: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/global-salt-typhoon-hacking-campaigns-linked-to-chinese-tech-firms
- Copilot arrives on Samsung TVs and monitors: https://www.theverge.com/news/767078/microsoft-samsung-tv-copilot-ai-assistant-launch
- Nigeria bans raw shea nut exports: https://www.africanews.com/2025/08/27/nigeria-bans-raw-shea-nut-exports-to-boost-local-industry/
- OpenAI & Anthropic cross-evaluate safety: https://www.engadget.com/ai/openai-and-anthropic-conducted-safety-evaluations-of-each-others-ai-systems-223637433.html
- DoD relies on utility maintained by Russian dev (fast-glob): https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/27/popular_nodejs_utility_used_by/
- Russian drone attacks cause massive power cuts: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0xx5vd4l2do
- ShadowSilk hits 36 governments using Telegram bots: https://www.thehackernews.com/2025/08/shadowsilk-hits-36-government-targets.html
- Solar-powered postboxes in the UK: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czxypp57ewko
- South Korea bans smartphones in classrooms: https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/south-korea-bans-smartphones-in-all-middle-and-elementary-school-classrooms-153742244.html
- EU leaders urge Moldova to stay West: https://www.dw.com/en/stay-west-eu-leaders-urge-moldovans-to-steer-clear-of-moscow/a-73787358
- Value of small parcels from China to UK doubles: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5ylp1812nlo
Key Stats At A Glance
- Qantas profit: A$1.6B (+28%); dividend 16.5¢ + special 9.9¢
- UK low-value China parcels: £3.0B value; 51% share
- Ukraine strikes: ~100 drones; wide-area power disruption
- Nigeria shea target: $300M yearly exports (from ~$65M)
- Royal Mail: 3,500 redesigned, solar-powered parcel postboxes
Credits
Hosts: 1M/1F (Ohmbudsman Digest)
Research & writing: Ohmbudsman DigestGPT
Music: Licensed theme
Contact: hello@ohmbudsman.com
Subscribe: Buttondown (Ohmbudsman Digest)
Follow: @ohmbudsman
Support
If this helped you get smart, fast, share the episode and rate the show.
