Today In Issues:
FDD Research & Analysis
The Must-Reads
Israel may be forced to act as Iran rebuilds military capabilities before election, officials warn IDF says strike killed final Hamas member who took part in kidnapping Shani Louk More oil is now coming out of the Persian Gulf than before the Iran war Iran prolongs talks in stalemate to influence US midterms, officials say Iran’s foreign minister: Russia, Iran have never before ‘worked as closely’ together U.S. restores intelligence sharing with Ukraine, Zelensky says WSJ Editorial: Russia arrests another journalist Canada, Turkey to agree during Carney visit to deepen defence and energy ties, source says Israeli, Lebanese delegations meet at CENTCOM's Tampa headquarters, IDF sources tell 'Post' Houthis attack besieged city in Yemen that UN says is at ‘grave risk’ Trump envoy tells nervous Gulf Allies U.S. can’t guarantee security forever U.K. police rearrest two men in suspected Iranian plot on air baseIn The News
Israel
Israel has become a Pacific Islands Forum partner, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said on X, describing the move as part of the country’s broader effort to strengthen ties with the region. – Reuters
Israel is monitoring Iranian efforts to rebuild its military capabilities following the damage Tehran sustained during Operation Roaring Lion, with security officials warning that developments could force Israel to defend itself despite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s desire to avoid escalation ahead of the elections, according to assessments discussed in recent Israeli security consultations. – Jerusalem Post
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday said France has been hit by an “invasion of extremist Islam,” after weekend protests over economic conditions degenerated into riots. – Times of Israel
The military on Tuesday announced that Israeli strikes in Gaza over the past day killed two Hamas operatives, including a terrorist who took part in abducting the body of Israeli hostage Shani Louk during the October 7 onslaught. – Times of Israel
Stealing fuel from the IDF and bribing military noncommissioned officers: Suspects in a multimillion-shekel fraud scheme linked to military operations in the Gaza Strip appeared in court Tuesday evening for hearings on extending their detention. They included owners of contracting companies hired to carry out work in Gaza. – Ynet
He celebrated his 50th birthday with a cake decorated with a noose. He says he plans to surround jailed Palestinians with crocodiles. In videos, he berates foreign activists captured at sea trying to bring aid to Gaza, forced to kneel at his feet with their faces pressed to the ground. – Reuters
Marc Champion writes: Even so, before re-electing Netanyahu or Ben Gvir (he says he wants the job of defense minister next time), Israeli voters should ask themselves this question: Can their country remain secure for their children and grandchildren if they achieve their goals at the expense of a strong economy and international isolation? Nothing would fall apart immediately, of course. The country might for a time seem stronger than ever as it fights forever wars on multiple fronts. But for how long? – Bloomberg
Iran
Persian Gulf oil exports have surpassed prewar levels, as an improvised shipping system under U.S. protection is helping tankers move oil through one of Iran’s fiercest waves of attacks in the Strait of Hormuz. – Wall Street Journal
In the run-up to the midterm elections, Iranian state media is gleefully chronicling high prices at American gas pumps — and their impact on President Trump’s political standing. – New York Times
Iran told Pakistan’s army chief on Tuesday that there would be no talks with Washington until Tehran’s demands were met, Iranian media reported, underscoring its hardening stance despite mediation efforts by key interlocutor Pakistan. – Reuters
Iran has deliberately prolonged talks with the US to try to weaken Donald Trump politically ahead of November’s US midterm elections, senior officials say, while fears of renewed military action and deep distrust of Washington have reinforced Tehran’s reluctance to strike a quick deal to end the war. – Reuters
Iran has not received a response from Saudi Arabia or Yemen’s Houthis to its offer to help broker talks to end the fighting between them, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said in a television interview aired on Tuesday. – Reuters
Iran’s semi-official Nournews said on Tuesday that a Qatari delegation arrived in Tehran. There was no official confirmation. – Reuters
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tuesday that Russia and Iran have “never” worked so closely, as Moscow seeks to play a mediating role in the Middle East war. – Agence France-Presse
A new coalition of Iranian opposition groups in the restive southeastern provinces of Sistan and Baluchistan and Kerman in the Islamic Republic have launched a string of armed attacks against the clerical regime in the region. – Fox News
Iran’s security chief Mohsen Rezaei told visiting Pakistani army chief Asim Munir on Tuesday that Tehran will not allow nuclear material to leave the country, according to state TV, and delivered the message that there would be no talks with Washington until its demands were met. – Times of Israel
Hamid Enayat writes: The Islamic Republic can threaten international shipping and force governments to negotiate over Hormuz. What it cannot do is resolve its fundamental conflict with Iranian society through another external crisis. For Iran’s people, peace offers relief from devastation. For the regime’s security apparatus, it risks exposing the struggle for political survival that war has helped conceal. That is why peace can cost Tehran’s rulers far more than war. – Washington Examiner
Russia and Ukraine
A massive cargo plane, used to carry military assistance to Ukraine and parked at an airfield in eastern Germany, was attacked by explosive-packed drones in early August. German officials say they were piloted by Russian military-intelligence agents. – Wall Street Journal
Elon Musk ordered the slowdown of a military-grade version of Starlink relied on by Ukraine, a decision that sparked panic in Kyiv and confusion inside the Trump administration, U.S. officials and people familiar with the matter said. – Wall Street Journal
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that U.S. intelligence sharing with Ukraine had been restored Tuesday, following a meeting with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff in Oslo. – Washington Post
The Kremlin is counting the Trump administration’s latest turn against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a major triumph and, coupled with political upheaval in Europe, a sign that Western support for Ukraine is finally crumbling. – Washington Post
Russian drones killed two people near Ukraine’s second-largest city of Kharkiv overnight, Regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov said on Telegram on Wednesday. – Reuters
US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he has raised with Russian President Vladimir Putin the issue of Stephen Hubbard, a retired American school teacher held by Moscow, and hinted that a development in the case could happen soon. – Reuters
The Russian military struck three cargo vessels in Ukraine’s port of Reni and two other cargo vessels en route to Odesa, Russia’s defence ministry said on Tuesday. – Reuters
US envoy Steve Witkoff will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday after what a US official called “constructive” talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Norway, as President Donald Trump said it was time for Ukraine to end the war. – Reuters
Three people were killed on Tuesday as a Russian drone struck near a highway from Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, to the Black Sea port of Odesa in the south, the Kyiv regional prosecutor’s office said. – Reuters
For the first time in a decade, no major Russian military vessels plied the waters of the Mediterranean for several weeks earlier this year, according to a NATO official, a gap that could signal that Moscow’s maritime forces are stretched. – Breaking Defense
Editorial: The Kremlin wants Japan to extradite Tomoko Akane, the Japanese president of the International Criminal Court that has issued an arrest warrant for Mr. Putin. Japan has refused. With President Trump now seeking to become Mr. Putin’s best friend, the Russian may also think it’s a ripe moment to pressure Japan for this human trade, or perhaps to ease the sanctions on Russia that Tokyo imposed after the invasion of Ukraine. Whatever his motive, this is another example of the way Mr. Putin seeks to harass friends of the U.S. and sow division in the West’s alliances. – Wall Street Journal
Jillian Kay Melchior writes: In Ukraine the front already is no longer a line but a “kill zone” where anything or anyone moving is vulnerable to attack. Autonomous drones will likely expand the kill zone, while AI analysis will accelerate strikes within it. AI analysis can also speed up military innovation, while autonomous systems offer an asymmetric advantage that can offset manpower disadvantages or compound manpower advantages. While some Western tech elites fret about agents going rogue, the Ukrainian AI pioneers I interviewed worry about authoritarian adversaries winning the AI arms race. “We can’t avoid using AI,” Mr. Tsvok says. “The highest risk in Ukraine now is, don’t take the risk.” – Wall Street Journal
Keith Johnson writes: Zelensky said on Monday that more than half a million people were without power after Moscow’s weekend attacks. On Tuesday, Russia again struck a substation in the capital, knocking out power across Kyiv and paralyzing public transport. The transmission strikes also make it harder for Europe to provide assistance to Ukraine, Matuszak said. Even though Europe can supply more than 2 gigawatts of electricity to Ukraine, the damaged transmission network makes it hard to send that power to needy regions, especially in the capital and cities farther east. And that is a particular challenge, the grid operator said, because Russian strikes often target repair crews trying to fix the damage from previous attacks. – Foreign Policy
Turkey
NATO allies Canada and Turkey are expected to sign a joint declaration aimed at deepening bilateral cooperation in four areas, including defence and energy, during Prime Minister Mark Carney’s visit later this week, a person briefed on the matter said. – Reuters
Turkey has submitted a defence pact with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to parliament for ratification, three parliamentary sources said on Tuesday, moving NATO’s second-largest army closer to a formal mutual defence pledge with Riyadh as it faces Houthi attacks. – Reuters
Turkish spending on platform procurement is projected to increase by 229 percent under the proposed fiscal 2027 budget, said Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz. – Breaking Defense
Lebanon
A Lebanese judge on Tuesday ordered two Hezbollah officials to appear for questioning over their alleged involvement in a delivery of explosives seized by authorities this month, a judicial official told AFP. – Agence France-Presse
Officials from Israel and Lebanon held a meeting at the US Central Command (CENTCOM) headquarters in Tampa, Florida, two IDF sources confirmed to The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday. – Jerusalem Post
Over the past several weeks, IDF troops under the command of the 91st Division operated in the areas of Al-Khiam, Tayr Harfa, Meiss El Jabal, and Majdal Zoun, located within the security zone in southern Lebanon. – Arutz Sheva
The IDF claimed earlier today that Hezbollah continues to operate in southern Lebanon despite the obligations of the Lebanese Army to remove them. – Arutz Sheva
Arabian Peninsula
The United Kingdom is set to send RAF Typhoon fighter jets to defend cities and national infrastructure in Saudi Arabia amid attacks by Iran-backed Houthi militants, the U.K. government said Tuesday. – Washington Post
An attack by Yemen’s Houthi movement on a government security forces training camp in Shabwa province killed 73 people, the provincial media office said, raising the toll from Monday’s strike as fighting intensifies. – Reuters
Iran-backed Houthi rebels struck a residential area in Yemen’s third-largest city on Tuesday, killing two teenage girls and renewing attention on the dangers faced by civilians in Taiz, which has been under attack and siege during the country’s escalating conflict. – Associated Press
Gulf States
Regional security officials received a sobering American message as they gathered in the Qatari capital and braced for a potential new round of escalation between the U.S. and Iran: They need to look out for themselves. – Wall Street Journal
Investment in alternative logistics routes in the Gulf to mitigate the impact of the Iran war could make the Strait of Hormuz “redundant” in the next five years, HSBC Group Chief Executive Georges Elhedery said on Tuesday. – Reuters
Most major Gulf stock markets were subdued in early trading on Wednesday after Iran said it would not hold talks with Washington to end their war until its demands are met. – Reuters
Middle East & North Africa
Libya’s eastern parliament approved a maritime boundaries deal with Turkey on Tuesday, drawing swift condemnation from Greece which called it a violation of international law. – Reuters
Greece on Tuesday rejected a decision by Libya’s eastern-based House of Representatives to approve the 2019 maritime boundary agreement between Turkey and Libya, saying the deal was without legal effect. – Reuters
DNA testing has helped identify the remains of missing people in at least three cases in Syria this year, the country’s first such identification cases and a breakthrough in efforts to establish the fates of people missing after years of war. – Reuters
Korean Peninsula
North Korea has told its border troops to take “prompt and resolute action” if South Korean forces threaten their safety, state media said on Wednesday, raising the risk of a clash along the heavily armed frontier. – Reuters
Ruth Pollard writes: In the last month alone, North Korea has tested two types of submarine launched strategic cruise missiles, and fired multiple ballistic missiles off its east coast. But beyond the showy displays of military might, it’s the smaller conflicts that have Korea watchers worried about the prospect of an accidental escalation on the peninsula. The north and south are currently locked in a dispute over landmine blasts along the border that wounded South Korean soldiers last month. It’s a dangerous flashpoint that signals there’ll be more of these flare-ups. The problem is that Kim is both harder to pressure and stronger than ever — and it’s not clear what it will take to draw him back into talks. – Bloomberg
Park Joonhye writes: Still, the direction appears clear: North Korea wants to assess technological implementation more rigorously and assign responsibility more explicitly. The crucial question is how broadly that responsibility will be defined. If North Korea wants science and technology to drive national development, ordering factories to adopt new technologies will not be enough. The government must also create the conditions for success, accurately identify the causes of failure, and ensure that officials are not penalized simply for reporting inconvenient realities. – Washington Examiner
China
China on Tuesday accused the United States of discrimination “under the pretext of so-called national security” after a U.S. order banned products by the Chinese artificial intelligence start-up DeepSeek from the technological systems of many U.S. government agencies. – New York Times
Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are upgrading their China factories to produce more advanced memory chips, four people familiar with the plans said, aiming to fend off competition from a fast-growing Chinese rival and meet huge AI demand. – Reuters
China’s government said on Wednesday that its coast guard was “safeguarding order” around a tiny and strategically located Taiwan-controlled atoll at the top end of the South China Sea where Taipei fears Beijing is trying to enforce jurisdiction. – Reuters
China spread more than 2.5 million pieces of disputed or false online information targeting Taiwan in the first nine months of this year, the island’s top intelligence agency said, accusing Beijing of stepping up operations ahead of local elections. – Reuters
The Chinese capital Beijing is expected to become “super-aged” by 2035, with around one-third of its population aged 60 and above, the official Beijing Daily reported. – Reuters
Beijing on Tuesday expressed “firm opposition” to the Trump administration’s sanctions on five Chinese companies connected to a former Google engineer accused of intellectual property theft. – Associated Press
China built more than twice the naval tonnage of the United States in the 2024-25 period, narrowing the gap between the two countries’ navies, according to the World Defense Shipbuilding report published by Euronaval ahead of the 2026 edition of the naval defense show. – Defense News
Nick Snyder writes: But the United States isn’t alone. It needs to work with its allies and partners to alert their citizens to the dangers of Beijing’s chokehold and partner on solutions. The State Department should establish a Pharma Forum, as it has with Pax Silica on technology, to discuss and assign roles to aligned countries like India and Germany. The EU’s Critical Medicines Act and Japan’s restart of fermentation-based antibiotic production show what parallel allied action can look like. Government and industry know what’s needed. That’s the good news. But if the United States doesn’t act soon, one day Americans will open their bathroom cabinet for their daily dose of heart, liver, or blood medicine and find that the cupboard is bare. – The National Interest
Sun Chenghao writes: Academic, business, local, and student exchanges also deserve protection. At the Washington summit, Xi invited 100,000 young Americans to visit China for study and exchanges over the next five years. That initiative addresses a longer-term vulnerability in the relationship: the loss of firsthand knowledge about each other. Turning the invitation into sustained contact will require accessible programs, reliable travel arrangements, and institutional support in both countries. Without such contact, future policymakers will have fewer opportunities to test their assumptions against experience. Future summits may tackle individual or immediate problems, but the most meaningful outcome would be a China-U.S. relationship that can absorb the next shock without having to be rebuilt from scratch. – Foreign Policy
South Asia
Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in India on Tuesday for talks aimed at easing the intensifying pressure on global energy markets exacerbated by wars in Iran and Ukraine. – Washington Post
The ongoing youth protests rocking India caught Prime Minister Narendra Modi by surprise when they first broke out in the summer. – New York Times
UN experts called on Tuesday for an independent investigation into Indian authorities’ conduct in a recent crackdown on protests, where they said demonstrators had sustained injuries and some reported being subjected to ill-treatment. – Reuters
Saudi Arabia has not yet responded to Dhaka’s queries about the execution of two Bangladeshi nationals, which was carried out without notifying Bangladeshi authorities, foreign ministry spokesperson Shahidul Karim said on Wednesday. – Reuters
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio plans to encourage India’s Reliance Industries to refine more Venezuelan crude at its local refineries and potentially begin producing oil in the South American country, he told reporters in Mumbai on Tuesday. – Reuters
President Donald Trump said the US and India are close to finalizing a trade deal after more than a year of negotiations. “They want to make a deal. We’re going to make a deal. Pretty close, yeah,” Trump said Tuesday when asked by reporters at the White House about the prospects for an agreement. – Bloomberg
Asia
A man who allegedly rammed his car into Australian lawmaker Helen Haines outside her electoral office appeared in court on Wednesday, as police sought to understand the motive for the rare attack on an elected official. – Reuters
Finance ministers from member economies in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum have agreed to strengthen macroeconomic policy communication and coordination to address external risks and challenges, Chinese Minister of Finance Lan Foan said on Wednesday. – Reuters
Myanmar’s junta chief-turned-president Min Aung Hlaing met on Tuesday with Japanese philanthropist Yohei Sasakawa in the capital Naypyitaw, state media reported, as international re-engagement with the Southeast Asian nation ramps up after years of diplomatic isolation. – Reuters
New Zealanders living or travelling overseas can vote in the country’s 2026 general election from Wednesday, ahead of advance voting starting next week in New Zealand. – Reuters
Last October, Sanae Takaichi became the first woman to stand at the lectern of Japan’s parliamentary hall as prime minister. Now, the test is whether she can deliver on her promises. – Bloomberg
Japan saw a surge in airspace violations by Chinese and Russian aircraft during the first half of Fiscal Year 2026 following a decrease in 2025. – USNI News
Europe
France has settled into an uneasy calm after days of rioting, allowing authorities to focus on tracking down people suspected of looting shops and attacking government buildings in some of the worst unrest to rock the country in years. – Wall Street Journal
Some of the worst riots in recent French history swept across the country over the weekend, as weeks of student-led protests escalated into nationwide demonstrations marred by widespread violence and destruction that left hundreds injured and more than 2,000 people under arrest. – Wall Street Journal
British police said Tuesday that they had rearrested two men suspected of being involved in a possible terrorism plot orchestrated by Iran targeting a British air base used by U.S. bombers. – Washington Post
The European Union on Tuesday presented a new Arctic strategy reflecting the region’s importance to security, with pledges to boost satellite surveillance, increase monitoring of undersea cables and help EU members buy icebreakers. – Reuters
Italy approved a raft of security measures on Tuesday including a new offence of violent participation in a demonstration, tougher penalties for rioters, and financial liability for parents whose children take part in vandalism and looting. – Reuters
Thousands of protesters returned to two central squares in Lisbon and Porto on Tuesday and vowed to press on with demonstrations against Portugal’s deepening housing crisis, hours after police cleared tent camps before dawn and made 55 arrests. – Reuters
British police said on Tuesday they had re-arrested two men on suspicion of assisting Iranian intelligence as part of their investigation into activity at the RAF Fairford air base last month. – Reuters
Independent Luca Niculescu was confirmed as Romania’s prime minister by parliament on Tuesday, ending nearly six months of political deadlock that put pressure on its investment-grade rating and dented investor confidence. – Reuters
For Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar, defeating Viktor Orbán in a landslide election was only the beginning. Less than six months into his term, his new government is pursuing former officials he accuses of corruption and abuses of power. – Associated Press
A fighter jet crashed in eastern France, leaving at least one person dead, the French armed forces said on Wednesday. The Mirage 2000D combat aircraft was returning from a mission when it crashed late Tuesday evening, according to the armed forces ministry. – Associated Press
The U.K. government approved a natural gas project off the coast of Scotland over the objections of environmental groups on Wednesday, saying it would improve energy security as the country transitions to renewable sources of energy. – Associated Press
Croatian police said on Monday they had charged 23 people over pro-Nazi and antisemitic chants ahead of a Hajduk Split soccer match against Dutch side Ajax, which sparked outrage in the country. – Agence France-Presse
A Balkans media watchdog on Tuesday slammed death threats and intimidation directed at Croatian journalists after they reported on pro-Nazi chants ahead of a soccer match. – Agence France-Presse
Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni’s government passed new security measures aimed at stemming violent protests, including tougher penalties on minors after a series of incidents across the country. – Bloomberg
The European Union and Canada will endorse an unprecedented alliance at a summit next week, cementing plans for associate EU membership for Ottawa as both reduce their dependence on the US. – Bloomberg
Anti-government protests led by university and high school students entered a second week in Albania, with demonstrators showing no signs of backing down from their demands for political change. – Bloomberg
Hungary’s government said it plans to join the euro area without delay, with preparatory work starting as soon as next year and the budget placed on a path to meet entry criteria by 2030. – Bloomberg
The EU is preparing to try and persuade Canada and the U.K. to increase their support for Ukraine as part of efforts to plug the €70 billion funding gap Kyiv faces next year. – Politico
The EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas said Tuesday that Brussels would use the next months “to open dialogue” on how to counter U.S. sanctions against the International Criminal Court — resisting calls from lawmakers to take quicker action. – Politico
The State Department warns that antifascist groups are planning to participate in a “potentially more confrontational protest” this weekend as the far-right National Rally holds its political convention just days after widespread riots overwhelmed police and exposed major security failures. – Fox News
French President Emmanuel Macron pressed ahead with a trip to the Arabian Gulf as violent riots rocked France, fueling fresh criticism of his leadership as his government struggled to contain the unrest. – Fox News
For some French Jews, Saturday’s unrest brought an unsettling warning: conceal outward signs of Jewish identity and avoid gathering outside synagogues. One community member told Fox News Digital that some congregations had even canceled afternoon prayers on the Sabbath as demonstrations across France descended into violence. – Fox News
A suspect linked to a far-left movement has been arrested in France after a 19th Century city hall was gutted by a fire over the weekend that broke out during mass disorder, French media report. – BBC
The unrest is spreading to additional countries: The French government announced that it will deploy military forces to Paris and Marseille to deal with the demonstrations and disturbances planned for this coming Saturday. – Arutz Sheva
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has been named a finalist for the European Union’s prestigious Sakharov Prize for human rights, despite facing extensive sanctions imposed by the Trump administration over its actions against Israel and the United States. – Arutz Sheva
Norway is set to begin receiving its 16 South Korean-made Chunmoo rocket artillery systems in 2028, the acting chief of the Norwegian army told Breaking Defense, as the country faces an increasing Russian threat. – Breaking Defense
Marina Henke and Jack Snyder write: Germany appears to have constructed a politically successful military Keynesian coalition — though frictions have emerged. What Germany has not yet developed is a genuine military Keynesian growth strategy. The security rationale for higher expenditure is strong. The China shock helps explain why the policy has become the preferred route out of fiscal restraint. But economic success requires more. It requires a deliberate strategy to turn defense spending into a broader engine of industrial renewal and long-term productivity growth. Without that strategy, rearmament may cushion industrial decline. It will not restore Germany’s growth model, and it might not fill the gap in high-tech weaponry and communications that the retrenchment of the United States from European defense could open up. – War on the Rocks
Monika Palotai and Kristóf György Veres write: Moving beyond the broader Hungarian strategy to defend its national interest in Brussels, the policy question for the United States is narrower: can Hungary say no to the EU on core sovereignty issues like migration? So far, the Hungarian government has not traded the border for hard cash. Budapest’s strategy of selective confrontation has cornered Brussels: rejecting the bargain would lock in an obsolete policy even as the rest of Europe turns restrictionist. The upcoming EU budget showdown will be the ultimate litmus test: can Hungary’s new prime minister walk this delicate political tightrope? Will Brussels demand the one concession he has promised never to make? – The National Interest
Africa
Nigeria on Tuesday announced its first case of Ebola during the current outbreak, as the virus continued to spread internationally. The woman who was infected recently flew to Nigeria from Uganda and received the diagnosis several days after starting treatment at a private hospital in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, according to a statement by the Nigerian health ministry. – New York Times
A vocal critic of Rwanda’s government who fled to Uganda in fear of his life has been found beheaded, the police say. The authorities launched an investigation after the body of Robert Kabera, a former Rwandan soldier, was found Saturday in a district 30 miles southwest of the capital, Kampala, a police spokesman, Rusoke Kituuma, said on Monday. – New York Times
South Sudanese officials said Sudan’s military had carried out drone strikes that hit a market in the disputed Abyei region, killing more than 150 people, the latest in a series of strikes in one of the bloodiest weeks of a war that has spilled across Sudan’s borders. – Reuters
Kenya has confirmed a new Ebola case, bringing the total number of infections to nine, the health ministry said on Tuesday. – Reuters
A 65-year-old woman was killed by a shark at a popular beach off the coast of South Africa’s Eastern Cape province on Tuesday, local authorities said. – Reuters
Islamic State-linked militants have killed at least 48 people in Mali in apparent retaliation for an attack on suspected informants by pro-government forces including members of Russia’s Africa Corps, two security sources and two local officials told Reuters. – Reuters
The Americas
When Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva addressed the United Nations General Assembly last month, he used one of the world’s biggest diplomatic stages to deliver a message that has come to define what is likely the final presidential campaign of his decades-long career. – Reuters
LATAM Airlines expects capacity growth this year to come in at the lower end of its forecast range after trimming some supply in response to high jet fuel prices, Chief Executive Roberto Alvo told Reuters on Tuesday, signaling a more cautious expansion path for Latin America’s largest airline group. – Reuters
Colombian lawmakers approved spending distributions for next year’s 634.9 trillion pesos ($201.14 billion) budget on Tuesday, trimming spending linked to a 10-year-old peace agreement and boosting debt service payments. – Reuters
Indigenous communities in the Brazilian Amazon fear a lack of transportation will prevent them from voting in Sunday’s election runoff. The Amazonas state electoral court on Tuesday rejected a petition for transportation assistance filed by Univaja, an association representing Indigenous peoples of the Javari Valley in northern Brazil. – Associated Press
Brazil’s government accused Javier Milei of attempting to interfere in its Sunday presidential runoff after the Argentine leader suggested Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva may try to steal the election. – Bloomberg
North America
The US Department of Agriculture plans to resume cattle imports from Mexico at two additional US ports of entry, after halting shipments last year in an attempt to keep out the flesh-eating parasite New World screwworm, the agency said on Tuesday. – Reuters
President Donald Trump has dropped threats against Canadian jet maker Bombardier to ban it from the US market and instead vowed to take “good care” of the company’s workers in Kansas. – Reuters
The Trump administration is being sued over the imposition of 50% tariffs on an array of Canadian goods, the latest in a string of cases that broadly accuse the president of trying to achieve his trade agenda by asserting a taxing power that belongs to Congress. – Bloomberg
US and Mexican trade negotiators have hit an impasse over tariffs on steel and aluminum, dashing earlier optimism for an imminent deal and likely kicking major progress until after the midterm elections, people familiar with the matter said. – Bloomberg
United States
President Trump announced a new program on Tuesday that will pay people up to $30,000 for tips about government fraud. The program is part of Vice President JD Vance’s antifraud task force, which he launched this year to investigate the misuse of government funds. – Wall Street Journal
Former officials from the Trump, Biden, Obama and other past administrations are warning that the U.S. is at risk of losing a technological and industrial race with China—unless it adopts a sweeping energy-permitting bill. – Wall Street Journal
Seven Boeing Co. 737-700 jets, acquired for hundreds of millions of dollars and meant to ramp up President Donald Trump’s deportation campaign, have barely left the ground at southwest Louisiana’s Lake Charles Regional Airport. – Bloomberg
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has launched a nationwide operation targeting illegal immigrants accused of fraudulently obtaining benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), resulting in multiple arrests, Fox News has learned. – Fox News
US federal agents are investigating reports that an incendiary device was thrown at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, on Tuesday night. – Jerusalem Post
Editorial: Since the Vietnam war, the GOP coalition has included defense hawks and Jacksonians who favor U.S. leadership even if they dislike military adventures. Handing over Europe to Russia, and the Pacific to China, would open a major party division. Mr. Trump may be two weeks from being a lame duck, and maybe some GOP Senators will finally find the courage to speak up. It’s true that Congress and the courts can’t stop a determined President on foreign policy, but they can make him pay a political price. A second Yalta is arguably the worst idea of the second Trump term, and the President would be betting far more than his own legacy. – Wall Street Journal
Cybersecurity
Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) said on Tuesday that it was investigating the online publication of emails stolen by unknown hackers during a cyberattack last month. – Reuters
Malaysia has banned civil servants from using Alphabet’s navigation app Waze after Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said its origins in Israel raised security concerns. – Reuters
State Bank of India on Wednesday reported a cyberattack that resulted in the disclosure of 3,897 customer records containing personally identifiable information on the dark web. – Reuters
Pakistan’s cybercrime agency has arrested a man accused of running a counterfeit operation that caused $126 million (£94m) in losses to the US Postal service. – BBC
A 45-year-old U.S. citizen pleaded guilty to running a widespread identity theft and fraud scheme that defrauded thousands of U.S. servicemembers and veterans while living in the Philippines, the Justice Department said Tuesday. – Cyberscoop
A 40-year-old Nigerian national was sentenced to eight years in prison for running a years-long hacking, tax fraud and investment scheme, the Justice Department said Monday. – Cyberscoop
A series of federal raids and arrests of voters in California has escalated the Trump administration’s ongoing efforts to take administrative control of U.S. elections. – Cyberscoop
Russia’s education watchdog says it has restored its online systems following a cyberattack that disrupted nationwide school assessments and displayed messages urging students to join an underground movement against President Vladimir Putin. – The Record
Russian state-linked hackers targeted a naval shipbuilder, a military aircraft engine manufacturer and a law enforcement agency in two NATO countries in a recent espionage campaign, researchers have found. – The Record
Elisabeth Braw writes: That’s why hitting data centers is so attractive. The attacker disrupts all the crucial services provided by digital connectivity and renders civilians’ lives miserable. And remember, internet outages cause disruption that lingers long after a data center has been repaired. As Ukrainians know, data center warfare is not just about inconveniences for internet-addicted citizens: It’s about targeting and disrupting backbone of modern societies and economies. That means that it will be an inevitable part of every future conflict. – Foreign Policy
Defense
Intense missile and drone attacks in global conflicts are showing the US Army how it needs to train its air defenders, as well as how to protect them from threats, Army officials said. – Business Insider
The Pentagon is spending the winter evaluating options for expanding U.S. basing in Greenland, according to a senior defense official, with an eye toward breaking ground on new facilities next year. – Defense One
Amphibious transport dock USS San Antonio (LPD-17) returned from its two-part deployment of 2026 on Friday. Over the past 14 months, the amphibious ship spent all but two months deployed. San Antonio’s underway time spans two periods, during which the ship spent most of its time in U.S. Southern Command, participating in Joint Task Force – Southern Spear, which molded into Joint Task Force – Western Hemisphere. – USNI News
The State Department has instructed personnel to replace “artificial intelligence” with “Super Intelligence” in official communications and rename its AI-related programs and systems, bringing President Donald Trump’s terminology change into the daily work of U.S. diplomacy, according to two people familiar with the matter and contents of an unclassified cable obtained by Government Executive and Nextgov/FCW. – Defense One
An F-22 Raptor controlled a YFQ-44A Collaborative Combat Aircraft, advancing the U.S. Air Force’s efforts to produce the service’s “loyal wingmen.” The F-22 completed airborne tactical command and in-flight control of a YFQ-44A Fury earlier this month, the Air Force announced. – Defense News
As the U.S. Army’s support to the joint force space mission takes shape with its newly populated Space Operations Branch, the service is also poised to support what’s expected to be a critical year for testing and development of the Golden Dome for America (GDA) missile shield project. – Defense News
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth appointed Medal of Honor recipient and U.S. Marine Corps reservist Dakota Meyer to the Pentagon’s Barracks Task Force. – Defense News
As Pentagon leaders remain relatively tightlipped about the extent of damage to US bases in the Middle East, a senior US defense official said the administration is weighing possible force posture changes against costs as it decides which installations to rebuild. – Breaking Defense
Hal Brands writes: There are promising signs. The Pentagon has paired its drone dominance program with framework agreements — yet to be funded by Congress — to dramatically expand production of cruise missiles, missile defense interceptors and other advanced capabilities. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has rightly said that the US needs “bolts of lightning” as well as “steady wind and rain.” It’s essential that Congress consistently fund both aspects of American rearmament. The drone revolution is upon us, but America will need a mix of capabilities to navigate the dangerous years ahead. – Bloomberg
Marc E. Andersen writes: America has world-leading technology companies, universities and entrepreneurs, abundant resources, an extraordinary industrial base, and the deepest capital markets in history. Our strategic advantage lies not simply in possessing these assets, but in connecting them. The 2026 National Defense Strategy calls for supercharging the defense industrial base. The Era of Super Intelligence will accelerate the technologies the industrial base produces. A national security capital strategy can provide the financial architecture connecting the two. America’s next strategic advantage isn’t technological dominance; it’s our ability to finance technological dominance at scale. – The Hill