Politics

• Rubio Says US ‘Unapologetic’ About Power in Warning to Europe
  Secretary of State Marco Rubio used a dramatic backdrop in Greece to remind the world of the Trump administration’s focus on the “unapologetic” pursuit of power, and issued another warning to Europe about the dangers of Western decline.
• Susan Collins Distances Herself From Trump in Bid to Keep Maine Senate Seat
  Maine Senator Susan Collins sought to distance herself from President Donald Trump in her first debate with Democratic challenger Troy Jackson in a pivotal US Senate race.
• Trump Disavows Allies’ Work for Pro-Russia Government in Balkans
  President Donald Trump distanced himself from the outside work of a pair of top allies, floating the prospect of firing them after a report about their work for a pro-Russian government in an election in the Balkans.
• UK Sees Trump’s Bomber Jets Move Boosting Iran and Russia
  President Donald Trump’s decision to move US B-1B bombers from a UK airbase citing terror threats may embolden Iran and Russia’s use of proxies to carry out sabotage attacks, according to current and former British officials.
• Key Fuel Savings Measure Touted by White House Is Fraying
  Cargoes of American-made fuel and crude to parts of the country that badly need them have dropped in recent weeks after the White House pared back a waiver of longstanding shipping requirements, raising the risk of even higher pump prices while frustrating oil traders.
• Trump Builds Vast Latin America Military Alliance on the Cheap
  Donald Trump has slashed US aid to Latin America even as country after country has elected governments aligned with him.
• Stock Trades Put Pennsylvania GOP Seat in Play, With Control of House for Grabs
  The blue-and-yellow signs outside Paige Cognetti’s Congressional campaign headquarters drive home her message: “Ban Corporate PAC Money,” “Ban Congressional Stock Trading,” and “Fight Washington Corruption.”
• Trump’s Tariffs Give Carney Cover to Fast-Track Canada Building Push
  President Donald Trump’s trade war against Canada is allowing Prime Minister Mark Carney to press the gas pedal on an industrial agenda that would have been deeply divisive just a few years ago.
• Badenoch Says Tories to End Inheritance Tax on Homes
  Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said she would re-establish the Tories’ credentials as a tax-cutting party and draw a clearer line with Labour, as she pledged to halve the number of people paying the UK’s inheritance tax.
• Farage’s Reform Clears Aides of Breaking Law in Donations Row
  Nigel Farage’s Reform UK cleared two senior party figures of breaking the law when discussing a potential £500,000 ($661,000) gift from an American donor.
• Badenoch Can’t Quite Shake Truss Specter in Bid to Woo Business
  The Conservative Party arrived at its annual convention determined to reclaim the mantle of sound money. The message is starting to land with business, even if voters will need some convincing first.
• UK Tories Pledge Employer Tax Cut to Tackle Youth Unemployment
  The Conservatives pledged to halve the tax businesses pay on employees in their early 20s as the UK’s main opposition party seeks to restore its reputation for economic competence and tackle a rise in joblessness among young people.
• Bolsonaro Racks Up New Party Endorsements for Brazil Presidency
  Brazil presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro won the backing of two center-right parties on Wednesday, a day after a veteran lawmaker endorsed him, bolstering his campaign ahead of a tight runoff.
• Flávio Bolsonaro Secures Key Endorsement in Drive for Brazil Presidency
  Brazil’s right-wing presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro secured the backing of veteran lawmaker Ronaldo Caiado on Tuesday as he moves to consolidate support from first-round rivals before a tight runoff.
• Italy Explores Buying MTS Bond Market to Ensure Debt Control
  Italy is considering buying back European bond-trading platform MTS SpA from Euronext NV, as Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni seeks to preserve national oversight of the country’s debt.
• Merz Says He’ll Seek Compromise in Talks to Stabilize Coalition
  Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he would try to forge a compromise to steady his fractious coalition as his conservative party faced fresh scrutiny over whether it helped a far-right candidate into a top state parliamentary post this week.
• Russian Tycoon Pledges Part of $900 Million Sale for Defense
  A Russian tycoon selling out of his logistics business pledged to give away most of the proceeds from the deal for national security needs as the Kremlin seeks additional ways to raise funds to support its war effort.
• Indonesia Ex-Graft Prosecutor Faces Extortion, Laundering Trial
  Indonesia’s former top graft prosecutor went on trial Wednesday on charges of extortion and money laundering in a case that burst into public view after police raids in and around Jakarta in July uncovered millions of dollars in gold and cash.
• EU Prepares Import Cap on Chinese Hybrid Cars to Balance Trade
  The European Union is preparing so-called safeguard measures that would limit imports of Chinese hybrid vehicles into the bloc in a bid to reduce the trade deficit.
• Taiwan Links Two Hong Kong Residents to Spying on Lawmaker
  Taiwan prosecutors said two Hong Kong residents paid for the surveillance of a lawmaker and his family, and indicted four Taiwanese individuals in a case they described as transnational repression.
• Turkey’s Erdogan Captures City His Party Never Won in Elections
  The mayor of Izmir joined President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s AK Party, handing it control of Turkey’s third-largest city and an opposition stronghold it’s never won in an election in more than 23 years in power.
• Trump Resists Deeper US Role in Saudi Arabia-Houthi Conflict
  The Trump administration is reluctant to get more involved in Saudi Arabia’s offensive against the Houthis and has tried to restrain Riyadh from sparking a major new conflict in Yemen, according to people familiar with the situation.
• Iranian Spies Plotted to Attack Journalist in London, Jury Told
  Iran paid three men to spy on London-based journalists critical of the country’s regime intending to violently attack them, prosecutors said at the start of a criminal trial.
• White House Makes $100 Million Push to Train American Scientists
  The Trump administration is injecting more than $100 million into education programs for American researchers in STEM fields, as federal policies stanch the flow of foreign scientists to the US and policymakers focus on an AI arms race with China.
• Un nuevo actor de Wall Street apuesta por el impulso minero de Trump en Venezuela
• Trump construye una vasta alianza militar en América Latina a bajo costo
• Ethiopia Accuses Eritrea of Incursion, Demands Troop Withdrawal
  Ethiopia accused Eritrea of sending troops into its territory and demanded their immediate withdrawal as tensions escalate between the two countries amid renewed conflict in the Horn of Africa nation.
• South Africa to Establish Panel to Oversee State Firms
  South Africa intends establishing a commission chaired by President Cyril Ramaphosa to coordinate the work of its state-owned firms after shelving plans to place them under the auspices of a holding company.
• Malaysia Sets Nov. 14 for Malacca Vote in Fresh Test for Anwar
  Malaysia will hold local elections in Malacca on Nov. 14 in what’s set to be a fresh test for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s Pakatan Harapan coalition, following setbacks in two state polls earlier this year.