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Geopolitics

US pulls some diplomats and families out of Saudi Arabia as Houthi strikes mount

The US State Department has ordered some diplomats and the families of US government employees to leave Saudi Arabia, citing near-daily Houthi attacks on civilian airports and other critical infrastructure. The move comes as at least three people were killed in strikes on an airport and an oil facility, and as reports circulate that the Trump administration may be weighing new military action against Iran after the elections.

· 6 sources
World

Angry scenes and protests as Reform UK debate on face coverings sparks condemnation in Senedd

There were bad-tempered exchanges and a protest on the steps of the Senedd on Wednesday night as Reform UK members called for a ban on Muslim religious face coverings, prompting cross-chamber condemnation and a comparison to the Nuremberg Laws from the Deputy First Minister. The short debate, which the Senedd has no power to act on, saw no vote but drew sharp divisions between Reform and opposition parties.

· 4 sources
Geopolitics

US orders non-essential embassy staff to leave Saudi Arabia after Dammam airport attack

The United States has ordered non-essential embassy staff and their families to leave Saudi Arabia, the State Department said on Wednesday, after an attack on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam killed at least one person and wounded eight. The order came as Saudi Arabia reported near-daily attacks this month from Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis, including a drone interception at an oil field that killed two workers.

· 9 sources
Geopolitics

Netanyahu posts AI nuclear image as reports emerge of clash with military chief over Iran

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted an AI-generated image of a nuclear mushroom cloud over Tel Aviv and warned voters that only he could prevent annihilation, as Israeli media reported a clash between Netanyahu and the military chief of staff over a directive that could provoke conflict with Iran. Netanyahu has denied the report, but new accounts suggest he has been pushing for renewed action against Iran ahead of Tuesday's election.

· 3 sources
US Politics

Democrats sue Trump administration over 'intimidation' of election officials with flawed noncitizen voter data

Prominent Democratic groups and leaders including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday accusing the Trump administration of illegally pressuring states to purge voter rolls using unreliable noncitizen data and threatening election officials with prosecution. The suit, which names President Donald Trump, the Justice Department, the Department of Homeland Security and their heads, asks a judge to declare the actions unlawful and block further interference.

· 2 sources
World

Calls for legal action grow as Indonesia's Prabowo hits back over haze crisis

This week, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto hit out at countries that 'like to insult' his nation over the haze from its worst wildfires in a decade, even as a growing chorus of voices across Southeast Asia demands legal accountability for the plantation owners blamed for the crisis. The fires, which have burned more than 2 million hectares of land, have sent toxic smoke across Malaysia and Singapore, pushing major population centres to the top of global tables for poor air quality.

· 4 sources
US Politics

White House gives Politico 48 hours to retract Susie Wiles stories or face 'consequences'

The White House has demanded that Politico retract or correct three stories about Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, issue a public apology and remove the reports from its archives within 48 hours, warning of unspecified consequences if it does not. The ultimatum, from White House Counsel Will Scharf, deepens an ongoing confrontation between the administration and Washington news organizations.

US Politics

Trump administration drops appeal of ruling blocking Public Service Loan Forgiveness limits

The Trump administration has agreed to drop two of its appeals of a federal court ruling that blocked its plan to limit eligibility for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, according to reports on Wednesday. The decision marks a pause in the administration's efforts to narrow the program, which forgives student debt for government and nonprofit workers after 10 years of payments.

· 4 sources
Geopolitics

Germany raises threat of Russian sabotage to ‘significant’ level

For the first time, Germany's military has classified the threat of Russian sabotage against its troops and facilities as 'significant', the second highest threat level, following a series of incidents including an explosives laden drone found near the Wunstorf air base in Lower Saxony. The classification, reported by Sueddeutsche Zeitung on Oct. 21, marks an escalation in Germany's response to what intelligence officials describe as a 'shadow war' with Russia.

US Politics

Trump administration files emergency Supreme Court appeal over Big Bend border wall

The Trump administration filed an emergency petition with the Supreme Court on Wednesday asking the justices to lift a federal judge's injunction blocking construction of a border wall system across roughly 500 miles of Texas's Big Bend region, a day after the judge again ruled against the administration. Solicitor General D. John Sauer called the injunction "baseless" and argued that the government's border-security interests outweigh the environmental, aesthetic and recreational harms cited by opponents. The court has not yet responded.

· 7 sources
US Politics

Senate Republicans weigh emergency spending as Democrats put Mississippi in play

Senate Republicans are considering last-ditch spending in Mississippi and additional cash for South Carolina and Kansas, an acknowledgment that the party's once-impregnable Senate map is now under strain. The scramble comes as Senate Majority PAC, the main Democratic super PAC, announced a $1.2 million investment in the Mississippi race on Tuesday to back Democrat Scott Colom against Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith.

· 2 sources
US Politics

Trump's political groups burn through $277M in midterm spending, leaving $164M still in the tank

President Donald Trump’s political groups have spent nearly $277 million since the start of September to boost Republican midterm candidates, an outlay that strategists say far outstrips any previous sitting president, according to new Federal Election Commission filings. The bulk of the money flowed through Trump's flagship super PAC, MAGA Inc., which transferred $200 million to No Going Back PAC and $25 million to Safety & Affordability PAC for advertising. Despite the heavy spending, MAGA Inc. still reported $164 million cash on hand as of Oct. 14, giving the Trump operation ample firepower for the final weeks of the campaign.

World

Man who harassed MP for being 'English' and took axe to pub given suspended sentence

A man who harassed Labour MP Henry Tufnell for being English and carried an axe to a pub has been given a suspended prison sentence. Michael Glover, 59, left a note at the MP's office in Haverfordwest claiming he knew where Tufnell lived with his wife and newborn baby, and the following day brandished an axe in a local pub. Swansea Crown Court heard the defendant had 'complex mental health difficulties' and was frustrated over a delay in his blue badge application.

· 2 sources
US Politics

FEMA denies individual aid for Texas flood survivors, shifting responsibility to states

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has denied a request for individual assistance for Texans affected by July 2026 floods, telling states they must take the lead on disaster recovery. Governor Greg Abbott and the Texas Division of Emergency Management are reviewing the decision, according to a statement from the governor's office. The denial leaves residents in Kerr County and Uvalde, many still rebuilding from deadly floods in July 2025, without federal funds for temporary housing, home repairs and lost belongings.

Geopolitics

Xi, Li and Cai form 'central gang of three' at the top of Chinese politics

As the Chinese Communist Party prepares for the Fifth Plenum of its 20th Central Committee, rumours again circulate about a successor to Xi Jinping. But a new analysis argues that the real story is not who might replace Xi, but how he relies on two key lieutenants, Premier Li Qiang and senior official Cai Qi, to sustain his rule, forming what one commentator calls a 'central gang of three' that defines elite politics in the Xi era.

World

Jack Ross worked in Kemi Badenoch’s office as recently as 2025

Jack Ross, the former Conservative election candidate suspended after being filmed discussing the cost of hiring contract killers, worked as a consultant in Kemi Badenoch’s office as recently as last year, the Guardian has learned. Sources close to Badenoch said Ross was contracted as a junior social media external consultant, while a Tory staffer said he “would come and go in the office” and that some MPs were uncomfortable but senior figures valued the social media clicks he generated.

· 3 sources
Geopolitics

Iran refuses to yield enriched uranium as diplomatic flurry fails to ease tensions

Iran has reaffirmed that it will not remove any enriched uranium from the country, even as a wave of diplomatic visits to Tehran this week sought to end the US–Israel war that began in February. The head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaei, said late Tuesday that “not a single gram of enriched uranium will be removed from Iran”, though he did not rule out downblending the material inside the country under international supervision.

World

Enfield pub shooting victim named as Erdem Mustafa, police seek person in possible disguise

Police have named the man shot dead in a targeted attack at a north London pub as 35-year-old Erdem Mustafa. Officers were called to the Sun and Woolpack on Hertford Road in Enfield on Monday, October 19, where Mustafa was treated for gunshot wounds but died at the scene. Detectives have released a CCTV image of a person they wish to speak to, though it remains unclear whether the individual is a man or woman, or if they are wearing a disguise.