Today In Issues:
FDD Research & Analysis
The Must-Reads
Hamas has calculated it can survive in Gaza—and rule Israel preparing for possibility Hamas will release more hostage remains tonight Partnership for Peace Fund of the US Agency for International Development’s Harley Lippman: To win the next war, Israel must master the media battlefield Thousands of Iranian companies operating in Georgia amid sanctions evasion concerns US identifies about $9 billion in Iranian shadow banking in 2024 Putin says U.S. sanctions are ‘serious’ but won’t make Russia stop war Ukraine refuses to accept lands swap with Russia, Zelenskiy says WSJ Editorial: Putting the oil squeeze on Putin North Korea's Kim says military ties with Russia will 'advance non-stop' China’s new strategy for Trump: punch hard, concede little Trump to meet with Xi on Oct. 30 Trump says he is terminating trade negotiations with CanadaIn The News
Israel
In the two weeks since a U.S.-brokered truce in Gaza, Hamas is making one thing clear: It isn’t going away. Hamas is pushing for a postwar governance role in negotiations with Arab mediators. That stance is at odds with President Trump’s 20-point peace plan, which calls for the U.S.-designated terrorist group to give up power “in any form.” – Wall Street Journal
Vice President JD Vance said Thursday that an international security force that has yet to be formed would take the lead on disarming Hamas, which has been one of the thorniest issues when it comes to reaching a lasting peace in Gaza. – New York Times
The United States is considering a proposal for humanitarian aid delivery in Gaza that would replace the controversial U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, according to a copy of the plan seen by Reuters. – Reuters
Sirens that sounded in communities near Gaza early on Friday were determined to be a false identification, the Israeli military said in a statement. – Reuters
President Donald Trump is suggesting he could call on Israel to release imprisoned Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti, the most popular and potentially unifying Palestinian leader, as the United States aims to fill a leadership vacuum in postwar Gaza. – Associated Press
European Union leaders are seeking a more active role in Gaza and the occupied West Bank after being sidelined from the U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. – Associated Press
But as the fighting subsides, investors and analysts in Israel are optimistic that the ceasefire, if it holds, will bring a boom for the tech industry after two years of war. That would be good news for the Israeli economy, which relies heavily on tech for exports and government revenue. – Bloomberg
US President Donald Trump on Thursday declared, “Israel is not going to do anything with the West Bank,” as officials from his administration leveled harsh criticism against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government after lawmakers advanced legislation to annex parts of the West Bank while Vice President JD Vance was visiting the country. – Times of Israel
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Thursday that he wouldn’t agree to a normalization agreement with Saudi Arabia if it meant the establishment of a Palestinian state, disparagingly saying the Saudis could “keep riding camels.” – Times of Israel
Israeli troops foiled an attempt to smuggle weapons from Syria into Lebanon, arresting several suspects atop Mount Hermon, the IDF announced Thursday. – Times of Israel
Israel is preparing for the possibility that Hamas will release more remains of hostages over the weekend, KAN News reported Friday, citing sources familiar with the matter. – Jerusalem Post
IDF troops, directed by Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) intelligence, apprehended three individuals suspected of throwing explosives at IDF troops in Tubas, in the northern West Bank, on Saturday, the military said Friday. – Jerusalem Post
Residents of Gaza border communities are grappling with a renewed sense of insecurity after an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) was stolen from a family home before being identified in footage as being used by Hamas terrorists in the heart of Gaza. – Jerusalem Post
IAF fighter jets struck a series of Hezbollah terrorist targets, including a training camp, in the Bekaa Valley of southern Lebanon on Thursday, the IDF reported. – Jerusalem Post
The IDF plans to significantly scale back the number of defense troops stationed in West Bank settlements, shifting much of the responsibility for local security to residents themselves, according to military officials and lawmakers. – Ynet
Editorial: That commission should then get to work immediately, armed with the full powers and privileges of a State commission, to conduct the kind of investigation the public deserves. For a nation that prides itself on its problem-solving capabilities, this is hardly an unsolvable problem. It must be solved so that the commission can begin its work, the county can learn from its still unfathomable failure, and Israel can move forward with greater strength. – Jerusalem Post
Harley Lippman writes: Israel cannot merely react to the next disinformation campaign. It must anticipate it by rehearsing communication drills as rigorously as military ones, by integrating AI tools to detect fake content, and by cultivating credibility long before a crisis erupts. Victory in the 21st century requires excellence not only in arms but in arguments, visibility, and a broad range of communication channels. Israel’s enemies will continue exploiting humanitarian imagery to mask barbarism; Israel must counter by coupling transparency with speed, facts with empathy, and professionalism with unity. The military’s courage saved lives. The truth, properly told, can save nations. – Jerusalem Post
Iran
Ayandeh Bank, one of Iran’s largest commercial lenders, has been dissolved in a state take-over that’s exposed major failings in a globally isolated sector dogged by bad debts and weak regulation. – Bloomberg
Since the IAF struck Iran’s nuclear facility at Taleghan 2 last October, there have been at least four developments in construction at the site. – Jerusalem Post
An Iranian nuclear engineer employed at the Natanz nuclear facilities was executed in Qom last week after being convicted of spying for Israel, according to the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights. – Iran International
Nearly 13,000 Iranian companies are registered in Georgia — to only a handful of addresses — raising concerns that Tehran could be using the South Caucasus country to skirt international sanctions. – Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty
The U.S. Treasury Department said on Thursday that it had identified about $9 billion of “potential” Iranian shadow banking activity, which occurred via U.S. correspondent bank accounts, in 2024. It cited reporting from U.S. banks. – JNS
Russia and Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday rejected U.S. pressure on Moscow to halt its war in Ukraine, saying he would not be swayed by President Donald Trump’s decision to cancel a planned summit in Budapest and slap what Trump called “tremendous sanctions” on two of Russia’s largest oil companies. – Washington Post
Oil prices rose sharply on Thursday after President Trump announced sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies as his frustration with President Vladimir V. Putin over the war in Ukraine mounted. – New York Times
Britain on Friday called for a raft of measures against Russia to strengthen Ukraine’s hand ahead of any future peace talks, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy heads to London for discussions with key allies. – Reuters
EU leaders agreed on Thursday to meet Ukraine’s pressing financial needs for the next two years but stopped short of explicitly endorsing the use of Russian frozen assets to give Kyiv a large loan, after concerns were raised by Belgium. – Reuters
An overnight Russian drone attack on Kyiv wounded nine people and damaged buildings across the city, a senior official in the Ukrainian capital said on Thursday. – Reuters
Off-site power to Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which has been occupied by Russian forces for nearly four years, is being restored after a monthlong outage, officials said Thursday. – Associated Press
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he won’t recognize any territorial swaps during potential peace negotiations with Russia as he tries to rally financial support from European allies. – Bloomberg
Russia anticipates a hit to the state budget from US sanctions against the country’s two largest oil producers over the war in Ukraine, though officials say they’re confident they’ll find ways to mitigate the impact of the measures. – Bloomberg
Editorial: Mr. Trump might look up the road to Congress, where a majority wants to impose more serious penalties on Russia and its abetters. This includes a bill by Sens. Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal for 500% tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee this week approved other sanctions bills. One would designate Russia a state sponsor of terrorism unless it returns abducted Ukrainian children. Another would sanction Chinese entities that export dual-use technologies to Russia. Tougher sanctions can drive up the cost of war for Mr. Putin, but they will be more powerful if they are accompanied by more weapons for Ukraine. – Wall Street Journal
James Stavridis writes: The only tenable path forward, then, means the West must negotiate real guarantees to ensure long-lasting prosperity and safety for Ukraine. This means planning now in detail for their implementation, and preparing for a US summit with Russia that will have real meaning, not another red-carpet ride to nowhere. – Bloomberg
Marc Champion writes: A month later, Ukraine recaptured 75% more territory in the space of a few weeks than Russia has taken in the three years of war since. Russia’s generals, of course, then adjusted. So while Himars didn’t win the war, they certainly changed it. The real issue isn’t Tomahawks, sanctions or frozen assets. It’s Western incrementalism, incoherence and a lack of resolve. What’s needed is a strategy that integrates all these into a credible threat capable of convincing an audience of one in the Kremlin. – Bloomberg
David Kirichenko and Alexander Motyl write: They will have to — if only because the alternative is endless, unsuccessful wars with the current or former non-Russian inhabitants of the Russian empire. The choice before Russians will be painful regardless of what they do. They can either abandon the empire voluntarily, which would mean casting aside hundreds of years of historical baggage, or abandon it involuntarily, which would mean going down in flames. The irony is that, had it not been for the war against Ukraine, Russians could have continued to live in their fantasy empire. – The Hill
Turkey
Turkey plans to buy the necessary defence systems from NATO allies and other countries until its domestic fighter jet KAAN is ready for delivery, a Turkish Defence Ministry source said on Thursday. – Reuters
A Turkish court is expected to announce a verdict on Friday that could lead to the removal of the main opposition party leader Ozgur Ozel, in a case seen as a test of the country’s shaky balance between democracy and autocracy. – Reuters
Turkish peacekeeping forces will continue to help boost the Lebanese army’s capability under a renewed deployment mandate in Lebanon, Turkey’s Defence Ministry said on Thursday. – Reuters
Political tensions risk undoing the economic gains from Turkey’s return to orthodox policies, Moody’s Ratings said, warning renewed unrest may rattle investors and complicate monetary policy. – Bloomberg
As Qatar and Turkey further expand their relationship, concerns are mounting that their growing influence in Gaza could bolster Hamas and complicate the fragile ceasefire, as both countries pursue their regional ambitions in the war-torn enclave. – Algemeiner
Gulf States
The U.S. and Abu Dhabi governments will invest $1.8 billion into mining and refining projects across the globe with private equity fund Orion Resource Partners to bolster Western access to lithium, rare earths and other critical minerals. – Reuters
Gas-producing countries must make clear that they oppose trade barriers, Qatar’s Energy Minister Saad al-Kaabi said on Thursday, reiterating his opposition to a European Union sustainability law. – Reuters
Global financial titans descend on Riyadh next week for Saudi Arabia’s flagship investment conference, for the first time since the return to the White House of Donald Trump, whose taste for extravagant projects chimes with the kingdom’s big plans. – Reuters
Kuwait’s oil minister said that OPEC is prepared to increase oil production if demand requires it, in comments that came on a day when crude prices were surging in response to new US sanctions on Russian producers. – Bloomberg
Middle East & North Africa
Belgium has become the latest Western nation to endorse Morocco’s autonomy proposal as a solution for the decades-long Western Sahara dispute, according to a joint Moroccan-Belgian declaration signed Thursday. – Reuters
Iraq is weeks away from parliamentary elections that will set the country’s course during one of the Middle East’s most delicate moments in years. – Associated Press
Yuval Noah Harari writes: As we reflect on the terrible events of the past two years, we should not let the silent success of Middle Eastern peace treaties be drowned out by the echoes of violent explosions. The peace treaties Israel had signed with its Arab neighbors have been put to an extremely severe test, and they have held. After years of horrific war, this should encourage people on all sides to give another chance to peace. Indeed, the relative success of Middle Eastern peace treaties holds a lesson for conflicts in many other parts of the world. As Frank Sinatra once sang of New York: If peace can make it in the Middle East, it can make it anywhere. – Washington Post
Gol Kalev writes: This could pave the path for weak European politicians to follow the lead of strong Arab statesmen: rather than oppose the shift of power to the United States and the eternity of the Jewish state, benefit from them. In this regard, Sharm el-Sheikh symbolizes another phase of the American Revolution. An ideological revolution that benefits all of humanity, including Europe. Indeed, in Jerusalem and in Sinai, President Trump took a big step toward ending a 3,000-year-old conflict by craftily applying the strength, providence, and, indeed, greatness of America. – Jerusalem Post
Korean Peninsula
Kim Jong Un is growing his nuclear arsenal but curbing his missile tests. The 41-year-old dictator has sharply reduced the number of missile tests but signaled a more confident era for North Korea. – Wall Street Journal
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said military brotherhood between his country and Russia would “advance non-stop”, state media KCNA reported on Friday. – Reuters
The last time U.S. President Donald Trump visited South Korea in 2019, he made a surprise trip to the border with North Korea for an impromptu meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to revive faltering nuclear talks. – Associated Press
Cambodia and South Korea said Thursday that a delegation of lawmakers from South Korea’s National Assembly visited a building in Cambodia allegedly used by an online scam operation involving dozens of South Koreans. – Associated Press
China
During his first term, President Trump often frustrated Xi Jinping with his freewheeling mix of threats and bonhomie. This time, the Chinese leader believes he has cracked the code. Xi has thrown out China’s traditional diplomatic playbook and tailored a new one specifically for Trump, said people close to Chinese policymakers, who describe Xi as appearing confident and emboldened. – Wall Street Journal
The U.S. is set to reopen an old trade dispute with China, upping the ante days before President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping are set to meet in South Korea. – Wall Street Journal
China will seek to become more self-sufficient technologically over the coming five years, the ruling Communist Party said in a new economic blueprint, signaling no respite in its intensifying rivalry with Washington. – Wall Street Journal
Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s unrelenting purges have thinned out the top echelons of power in Beijing while reinforcing his authority, a new reality reflected in one of the smallest gatherings of the Communist Party elite in decades. – Wall Street Journal
In Beijing’s version of the trade war, the United States is the bully and China is a victim, a rising power trying to protect the global economy while Washington unfairly hurls tariffs and technology bans its way. – New York Times
Chinese state oil majors have suspended purchases of seaborne Russian oil after the United States imposed sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil, Moscow’s two biggest oil companies, multiple trade sources said on Thursday. – Reuters
Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng is set to meet U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer from Friday, as the world’s two largest economies try to ease an unexpected flare-up in tension ahead of a key leaders’ summit. – Reuters
Beijing has warned that the UK’s “politicization” of Chinese business deals could impact companies’ decisions to invest further in the country, as a slew of incidents roil relations between the two nations. – Bloomberg
President Donald Trump will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in South Korea on Oct. 30, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday. – Politico
Mindy Belz writes: That’s where belief and perseverance come in for China’s house churchgoers. Learning about the work of Jesus Christ acquaints them with suffering. Breaking the surface of the water carries danger but with purpose. Mr. Jin met with his attorney in his detention room this week. His message to the church: “Fear not.” The Zion network, with more than 100 gathering points, has continued to meet. The first Sunday service after the arrests, streamed from pastors outside the mainland, included a meditation on the biblical account of Stephen, the first-century disciple stoned to death for his faith. – Wall Street Journal
Michael Schuman writes: The move could easily backfire. Trading partners could seek to cut China out of global supply chains if they find that access to vital Chinese-made products has become unreliable. But that’s a risk Xi may be willing to take in a world where global economic relations are defined by competition more than by integration. Trump, with his tariffs and his threats, may well discover that what goes around comes around. – Atlantic
South Asia
In his hometown, Chamkhar, a tiny village of breathtaking beauty tucked into the hillside about an hour away from Nepal’s capital, Rajendra Tamang sits plotting his future. – New York Times
Pakistan on Thursday banned a radical Islamist party whose followers clashed with the police in recent protests that left at least five people dead. – New York Times
Indian refiners are poised to sharply curtail imports of Russian oil to comply with new U.S. sanctions on two top Russian producers, industry sources said on Thursday, potentially removing a major hurdle to a trade deal with the United States. – Reuters
The son of Bangladesh’s ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has called on the country’s interim government to lift a ban on Hasina’s party, saying an election that excludes it would be a sham. – Associated Press
A Pakistani national was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison for his part in running a smuggling ring that funneled Iranian-made advanced arms to the Houthis, a deadly mission that led to the deaths of two U.S. Navy SEALs in the Arabian Sea. – Fox News
Mihir Sharma writes: Yet, now that Modi won’t be attending in person, there’s no chance he and Trump can meet and finalize a new compact, even though each has enough political capital with their followers to risk selling a retreat from confrontation as a victorious advance. But that would go against the grain for both populists. For leaders of this ilk, celebrating a mutual victory is the same as admitting defeat. Trade is all about give-and-take and mutual profits. Leaders who obsess over denying others a slice of the pie will never be able to grow it. – Bloomberg
Harsh V. Pant and Shivam Shekhawat write: Even after the clashes this month, Muttaqi urged Pakistan to negotiate and blamed only a small subsection in Pakistan for being hell-bent on destroying the ties with Afghanistan. All this means that in the aftermath of Muttaqi’s visit, India needs to set realistic expectations about its relations with the Taliban regime. Still, engagement remains a strategic necessity. India’s recalibration vis-à-vis the Taliban regime underscores New Delhi’s commitment to prioritizing regional stability at a time of turbulence. – Foreign Policy
Asia
The likely date for a general election in Thailand is March 29, a senior government official told Reuters on Friday after Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul discussed the issue with the country’s Election Commission. – Reuters
Nearly 700 foreigners have fled Myanmar and crossed into Thailand, the Thai army said on Thursday, following a military operation against the Chinese-backed KK Park, a notorious cybercrime compound. – Reuters
Kazakhstan’s defence ministry said on Thursday that it was tightening control of the country’s airspace after a drone of “unknown origin” exploded in the country’s west, close to the border with Russia. – Reuters
Australia’s Sunrise Energy Metals said on Friday it has granted U.S. defence contractor Lockheed Martin an option to purchase up to 15 tonnes of scandium oxide produced over five years from its onshore Syerston Scandium Project. – Reuters
Unable to just pick up the telephone to U.S. President Donald Trump due to its unusual diplomatic predicament, Taiwan has hit upon a different way to bend his ear – an outreach to the MAGA world that has been backed by the White House. – Reuters
International Criminal Court judges on Thursday rejected a challenge to jurisdiction in the case of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who is accused of involvement in dozens of killings as part of his so-called war on drugs when in office. – Associated Press
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, in her first major policy speech on Friday, pledged to further accelerate Japan’s military buildup and spending and complete an early upgrade of the country’s security strategy as tensions rise with China, North Korea and Russia. – Associated Press
Karishma Vaswani writes: Malaysia, as this year’s chair, has taken a step in that direction through its new Geo-Economics Council, which is exploring ways to deepen regional cooperation. Asean also has the tools to rebuild a credible way to manage border or maritime disputes. Past efforts were largely symbolic, but they proved cooperation is possible. Trump may leave Malaysia with another headline about deals and diplomacy. Asean risks leaving without agency. That’s far worse for its future than a tough tariff regime. – Bloomberg
Europe
When Spotify founder Daniel Ek in 2021 announced he was investing more than $100 million in European defense-tech startup Helsing, musicians and streamers across the continent slammed the Swedish entrepreneur as a warmonger. People on social media called for Spotify boycotts. – Wall Street Journal
British police said on Thursday they had arrested three men suspected of assisting a foreign intelligence service, and that the alleged offences related to Russia. – Reuters
Britain is set to upgrade diplomatic ties with Vietnam next week as Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets Communist Party chief To Lam in London, according to a schedule seen by Reuters and an official with direct knowledge of the matter. – Reuters
European aerospace groups unveiled a preliminary deal on Thursday to pool their loss-making satellite manufacturing activities, combining forces after months of negotiations to counter the runaway growth of rivals led by Elon Musk’s Starlink. – Reuters
Tens of thousands of Viktor Orban supporters marched in Budapest on Thursday to show support for the nationalist premier on a key Hungarian anniversary, as he faces the most acute threat to his 15-year rule from a pro-EU opposition party ahead of 2026 elections. – Reuters
A political donor with business interests in the country of Georgia has privately lobbied lawmakers in recent weeks against legislation that would pressure that nation’s anti-Western ruling party, angering a high-ranking congressional Republican and aggravating a growing fight on Capitol Hill over policy toward the major Russian trading partner. – Reuters
Russian military planes briefly violated Lithuania’s airspace Thursday evening, the Lithuanian president said, condemning what he called a blatant breach of the territorial integrity of his European Union and NATO-member country. – Associated Press
European Union leaders on Thursday endorsed a plan to ensure that Europe can defend itself against an outside attack by the end of the decade as concern mounts that Russia is already probing the 27-nation bloc’s defenses. – Associated Press
Finland will host a summit for leaders of countries on the European Union’s eastern flank to push their common messaging on defense initiatives. – Bloomberg
She’s slammed NATO, voted against EU treaties, been accused of offering propaganda boosts for dictators from Russia to Syria — and now she’s on track to become Ireland’s next president. – Politico
Joseph C. Sternberg writes: But lawmakers eventually will notice that the security apparatus might have triggered a panic about Chinese spying in Westminster for no good reason. Mr. Starmer’s administration has shot its credibility with its clumsy handling of the affair. Two China hands are under a cloud, perhaps permanently and perhaps undeservedly. It’s hard to guess whether Mr. Xi would laugh more heartily about this fiasco if he knew these allegations are true or if he knew they aren’t. Mr. Starmer thought he was doing China a favor by not branding it an “enemy.” He didn’t realize how big a favor. – Wall Street Journal
Africa
Internet access in Cameroon is significantly disrupted as protests continue over alleged irregularities in this month’s presidential election, Internet monitor NetBlocks said on Thursday. – Reuters
The M23 armed group on Thursday denied accusations that its fighters had looted at least 500 kilograms of bullion from Twangiza Mining’s gold concession in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo . – Reuters
Thousands of children are facing an imminent risk of death as malnutrition rates skyrocket in the besieged city of al-Fashir in Sudan’s Darfur region, four United Nations agencies said on Thursday. – Reuters
Islamist insurgents launched simultaneous attacks in four districts of Northeastern Nigeria using armed drones and heavy firepower, and torched a military barracks before being repelled by troops, a Nigerian army spokesperson said on Thursday. – Reuters
Police in Ghana rescued 57 Nigerians trafficked to the West African country and arrested five people suspected of operating a cybercrime and human trafficking ring, authorities said Thursday. – Associated Press
A Sudanese paramilitary force targeted the country’s capital and its main airport on Thursday with drones, just a day after the first passenger flight in two years landed in the city, according to military officials and local media. – Associated Press
Ivory Coast’s leader appears assured of winning a fourth term in Saturday’s elections, a contest dismissed as a farce by his main rivals who’ve been barred from running. – Bloomberg
The Americas
The first body washed ashore on Trinidad’s northeastern coast soon after the United States carried out its first strike in September on a boat in the Caribbean. Villagers said the corpse had burn marks on its face and was missing limbs, as if it had been mangled by an explosion. – New York Times
He linked some of Mexico’s most powerful cartels with drugmaking chemicals from China, officials say, and smuggled cocaine and fentanyl across the U.S. border by land and air. – New York Times
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Thursday he will run for re-election next year, seeking a fourth term in office. – Reuters
Argentine President Javier Milei has tapped his Finance Secretary Pablo Quirno to replace Gerardo Werthein as the country’s foreign minister, the president’s office said in a statement on Thursday. – Reuters
Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro said on Thursday that a suspension of aid from the United States would mean nothing to his country, but that changes to military aid could have an effect on capacity. – Reuters
The daily routine of Samuel Carreño has turned upside down since the end of August. That was around the time Donald Trump ordered warships to the southern Caribbean in what the US president said was a mission against drug trafficking, unleashing a wave of geopolitical tensions that have kept the region on edge ever since. – CNN
Juan Pablo Spinetto writes: Argentines may be emotional and prone to exaggeration, yet they are perfectly rational when it comes to protecting their money — even if that fuels volatility — considering their country’s track record. It’s now up to Argentina’s leaders to show the same rationality in steering the nation out of yet another moment of crisis. In their hands lies not only the monumental task of proving that the country can finally stabilize, but also Bessent’s credibility as rescuer-in-chief. – Bloomberg
North America
President Trump said late Thursday he was terminating trade negotiations with Canada, pointing to a television advertisement sponsored by the Ontario government that features the voice of Ronald Reagan as he speaks negatively about tariffs. – Wall Street Journal
Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Thursday that U.S. individuals are involved in smuggling fuel into the country, following a Reuters investigation into the illicit trade that showed how narcos have penetrated the North American energy sector. – Reuters
Canada hopes that Prime Minister Mark Carney will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of a summit in South Korea next week, a senior Canadian government official told reporters on Thursday. – Reuters
Prime Minister Mark Carney set a goal for Canada to double its non-U.S. exports in the next decade, saying American tariffs are causing a chill in investment. – Associated Press
United States
Virginia Democrats are initiating a plan to redraw the state’s congressional map in their favor to counter efforts to boost Republicans in other states, a push that state lawmakers will begin discussing in a special session on Monday. – Washington Post
The Treasury Department says Americans have lost more than $16.6 billion to an online scam industry largely based in Southeast Asia that targets victims around the world. – New York Times
President Trump said on Thursday that he would bypass Congress rather than seek its approval to carry out military strikes against drug cartels that traffic narcotics to the United States, even as he vowed to expand the operation from attacks at sea to targets on land. – New York Times
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that a report on the United States sending B-1 bombers near Venezuela to increase military pressure was false. – Reuters
The deployment of National Guard troops on the streets of Washington faces challenges in two courts on Friday — one in the nation’s capital and another in West Virginia — while across the country a judge in Portland, Oregon, will consider whether to let President Donald Trump deploy troops there. – Associated Press
President Donald Trump said Thursday that he’s backing off a planned surge of federal agents into San Francisco to quell crime after speaking to the mayor and several prominent business leaders who said they’re working hard to clean up the city. – Associated Press
Binance co-founder Changpeng Zhao has received a pardon from Donald Trump, one of the biggest moves yet by the president to fully embrace the crypto industry and give legal reprieves to some of its most prominent people. – Bloomberg
Cybersecurity
North Korean hackers have pilfered billions of dollars by breaking into cryptocurrency exchanges and creating fake identities to get remote tech jobs at foreign companies, according to an international report on North Korea’s cyber capabilities. – Associated Press
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem promised to prioritize a “comprehensive, whole-of-government approach to cybersecurity.” – Politico
Federal prosecutors have accused a former executive at L3Harris Technologies’ cyber division of stealing trade secrets and selling them to an undisclosed buyer in Russia, according to court documents obtained by CyberScoop. – CyberScoop
Researchers have uncovered a long-running phishing campaign that uses text messages to trick victims, and it’s both bigger and more complex than previously thought. The operation, dubbed Smishing Triad, is managed in Chinese and involves thousands of malicious actors, including dozens of active, high-level participants, Palo Alto Networks’ research unit told CyberScoop. – CyberScoop
Last week, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency officials spoke candidly about the challenges they faced tracking the use of F5 products across the civilian federal government. While CISA knows there are thousands of instances of F5 currently in use, it admitted it wasn’t certain where each instance was deployed. – CyberScoop
The New York Department of Financial Services published updates this week to longstanding industry guidance that urges financial services companies to closely watch their third-party providers. – CyberScoop
A hacker group known as Cavalry Werewolf has launched a months-long cyber espionage campaign against Russian government agencies and industrial firms, using phishing emails disguised as Kyrgyz government correspondence, researchers said. – The Record
A state-sponsored Iranian hacking group known as MuddyWater has been linked to a large-scale phishing campaign targeting more than 100 government entities and international organizations across the Middle East and North Africa. – The Record
Defense
The Department of Homeland Security is funneling $10 billion through the Navy to help facilitate the construction of a sprawling network of migrant detention centers across the US in an arrangement aimed at getting the centers built faster, according to sources and federal contracting documents. – CNN
The Department of the Air Force seeks to lease thousands of acres of land at five bases to private firms to build their own artificial intelligence data centers. – Defense News
While on a 7,500-mile trip around the Pacific Ocean this past summer, a small surface drone caught an unexpected sight: a Chinese navy destroyer. – USNI News
The US Army has issued formal requirements for its next self-propelled howitzer, which includes provisions requiring domestic production, a high level of armor and the ability to fire US ammunition, according to a copy obtained by Breaking Defense. – Breaking Defense
Joel Coito writes: To seize this moment, the White House should formally nominate USCG executive leadership, and the Senate should timely confirm those officers. The Service must enhance and expand financial and career progression incentives to continue the growth and expertise of its cyber workforce. Congress should also codify expanded cyber authorities by passing the CGAA of 2025. FD 2028 promises to break the mold, establishing the procurement, personnel, and operational dynamism that modern military cyber operations demand. With cyber funding, authorities, personnel, and confirmed executive leadership in place, the USCG will be well-positioned to make good on that promise. – Center for Strategic and International Studies
Clayton Swope and Melissa Dalton write: However, strengthening missile defenses would give the United States an edge and help protect it from increasing missile threats. It might deter China or Russia from taking some hostile act against the United States or its allies, possibly preventing war. That the Golden Dome might be one more reason for Putin and Xi to wake up and decide that “today is not that day,” preserving peace for yet another rotation of the Earth around the sun, is a strong reason to pursue its development. – Center for Strategic and International Studies