The EU is expected to start the process of Ukraine and Moldova’s accession to the member states; France investigates a possible Russian connection with graffiti featuring the Star of David in Paris; the fall of the ruble accelerated the downturn in the UAE’s real estate market; Russia helps North Korea launch a spy satellite. What the world’s media are reporting about.

Almost Ready

The Guardian writes that the report, which is to be announced today, will be the first official summary of the countries’ progress in joining the block.

The EU is expected to kick-start the process of Ukraine and Moldova joining the member states, and the report is expected to recommend official negotiations on accession.

Moldova’s Deputy Prime Minister Nicolae Popescu stated that such a step would be a major milestone for his country. «It will be a truly historic achievement and a truly historic opportunity to ensure that Moldova consolidates its place in the EU,» he said.

The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has said that his country «is preparing our next steps» towards joining the bloc, including strengthening its institutions, although he acknowledged that it would require Kyiv to work on «adapting to EU standards.»

The 1,200-page report will be published closer to the evening, and its recommendations will be submitted to the summit in December for final approval.

This report will be the first official assessment of Ukraine and Moldova’s progress in aligning with the EU in areas such as judicial governance, corruption, economy, media independence, and minority rights.

There will also be updated information about seven other countries waiting to join the EU, including the Balkan states and Turkey, although several years ago its path to accession hit a snag.

There have been reports that following the report, the European Commission will for the first time recommend Georgia to obtain official candidate status.

However, all attention will be focused on Ukraine and Moldova, which received candidate status in June 2022.

In the interim report, both countries were highly praised for their progress in relations with the European Commission and concluded that Ukraine had completed two out of seven reforms with good or some progress in five.

Moldova was told it needed to carry out reforms in nine areas, including fighting corruption and judicial governance. In June, it completed three of them, achieving good progress in three and some progress in the remaining areas.

Russia Stirs Up Tensions

The Wall Street Journal reports that French officials suspect that graffiti with the Star of David on the walls of houses in Paris is an attempt by Russia to destabilize the situation. The mysterious appearance of blue stars on a seemingly random set of buildings last week has caused a new wave of concern in France, where tension has risen following Hamas’s attack on Israel.

Prosecutors have already found that more than 200 Jewish stars appeared precisely in those areas where anti-Semitic actions have sharply increased. Officials claim that a Russian-speaking individual may have paid for the painting of the stars, and social media accounts linked to Russia promoted their images, thereby intensifying anti-Semitic sentiments in Paris.

Russians Lose Passion to Dubai

Bloomberg reports that the sharp decline of the Russian currency has accelerated the downturn in the United Arab Emirates’ real estate market, which was naturally running out of steam.

According to brokers, purchases of property in Dubai by Russians have slowed down in the past few months, during the year when the ruble lost a third of its value. Meanwhile, brokers say, after a surge in purchases in the year following the invasion of Ukraine, there is a natural decline, and some Russians who moved here have decided that Dubai is simply not for them, and have left.

Don’t Chop the Branch You’re Sitting On

Fox News reports a warning from South Korean intelligence that Russia is assisting North Korea in building and launching its latest spy satellite.

The South Korean Ministry of Unification spoke out on Monday about the alleged cooperation, stating that North Korea is likely to continue rocket launches in the coming months.

«It’s difficult to predict when North Korea will make a third launch attempt. But, it seems there are signs that the North will receive technical assistance from Russia,» said South Korean Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul, as reported by Yonhap News Agency.

He added: «There is a very high probability that North Korea will start provocations as soon as it finishes fixing technical issues.»

North Korea had previously attempted to launch satellites in May and August, but both attempts failed due to technical problems.

The USA Cautions

The New York Times reports on disagreements between the USA and Israel regarding the future of the Gaza Strip. Washington anticipated that after a victorious war, the democratic government of Palestine, once ousted by HAMAS, would return to the sector. Another option considered was the transfer of the sector under the joint control of Middle Eastern countries. However, the Prime Minister of Israel rejected these plans. He publicly declared that Israel intends to take unilateral control of the territory «for an indefinite period.»

The U.S. presidential administration reacted negatively to this statement and cautioned Israel against such a step, especially attempts to control the area «for an indefinite period.»