Politics

• Harvard, MIT Face Visa Probes Amid US Crackdown on Global Talent
  The Trump administration is launching investigations into the use of foreign exchange visa programs at nine top colleges including Harvard University, Stanford University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in its latest broadside against international students and scholars at elite schools.
• Bankers From Credit Suisse, BofA Are In the Running for Brazil Finance Role
  Credit Suisse’s former head of investment banking in Brazil. The chief economist at Latin America’s largest investment bank. The ex-head of the central bank. A senior executive at Bank of America Corp.
• Airlines Halt Flights to Saudi Arabia After Airport Attacks
  Airlines are canceling hundreds of flights to Riyadh after Houthi militants struck two Saudi Arabia airports in recent days, killing three people and injuring dozens.
• DOJ Seeking Criminal Indictment of Former White House Aide
  The US Justice Department is seeking a criminal indictment of former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson for lying to Congress, according to a person familiar with the matter.
• Mexico to Investigate Video of Alleged Cartel Members in Ukraine
  President Claudia Sheinbaum pledged to look into the authenticity of a video that appears to show alleged Mexican cartel members armed for combat in Ukraine.
• Democrats Zero In On Pentagon Contractors to Probe Trump Ties
  Democrats are zeroing in on the Pentagon and defense contractors as they prepare to scrutinize potential conflicts of interest in the Trump administration should they win control of Congress, according to lawmakers and people familiar with the plans.
• African Countries Call for Ukraine to Return Captured Prisoners
  African nations are calling for Ukrainians to return citizens in its prisoner of war camps after they were caught fighting for Russia.
• Senate Democrats Demand Apology From GOP Over Jack Smith Hearing
  Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats have requested that panel chair, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), apologize to ex-special counsel Jack Smith on behalf of his Republican colleagues following a contentious hearing in September.
• Trump Says US Won’t Attack Iran Before Midterm Election
  President Donald Trump said the US would not attack Iran ahead of November’s midterm elections, citing what he said were “productive discussions” with the Islamic Republic.
• Trump’s Latest Trades Include Stakes in Meta and SpaceX Debt
  President Donald Trump acquired at least seven-figure stakes in Meta Platforms Inc., McDonald’s Corp. and Microsoft Corp. and at least $1 million in SpaceX debt in August, continuing his unprecedented trading activity while in office.
• Iran Escalation Makes More Sense After Midterms, Hochstein Says
  A military escalation in Iran “makes more sense” after November’s midterm elections than before those votes happen, a White House energy adviser to former President Joe Biden said Thursday.
• Burnham Denies Playing Down the Case Against Manchester City
  Andy Burnham said the Premier League case against Manchester City should be “fully independent,” after the British prime minister faced criticism about earlier remarks that appeared to signal support for the football club’s UAE-based owners.
• UK’s Burnham Open to Germany Joining Next-Gen Combat Jet Program
  British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he was open to Germany joining the next-generation fighter jet program led by the UK, Italy in Japan.
• Royal Navy Member Accused of Gathering Secrets for Russia
  A serving member of the Royal Navy has been accused of using his high-level security clearance to gather secrets he intended to hand over to Russian authorities.
• UK Jerusalem Consulate Downgraded in Israel Settlements Feud
  The UK’s consulate in Jerusalem is being downgraded in status, following a dispute over British trade sanctions against Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
• A Wall Street Upstart Bets on Trump’s Venezuelan Mining Push
  At a port near New Orleans on Monday, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum welcomed the first shipment of Venezuelan aluminum to the US in nearly a decade.
• 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.
• Trump Builds 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.
• Rubio Urges Portugal and Europe to Reduce Dependence on China
  US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Portugal and the rest of Europe should not rely on a single country such as China for key goods, as Washington seeks to limit Beijing’s influence in strategic sectors.
• Germany’s Left Begins Talks to Form Berlin State Government
  Germany’s anti-capitalist Left party took a step closer to power in the state of Berlin after its election victory last month as it seeks to follow through on a pledge to ease rising rents by seizing large property portfolios from private owners.
• Italy Adopts Meloni’s Electoral Overhaul Ahead of 2027 Vote
  Italy will transform its electoral system after lawmakers approved reforms that Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s allies initially pushed to help her reelection odds next year.
• Romania’s Top Party Urges Ex-Allies to Commit to New Government
  The biggest party in the Romanian parliament is conditioning its support for new prime minister-designate Luca Niculescu on a clear commitment from its two former coalition allies to follow suit, signaling it’s ready to return to a ruling alliance.
• South Korea to Pull Top Envoy to Ukraine as POW Spat Escalates
  South Korea decided to recall its ambassador to Ukraine in protest over Kyiv’s disclosure of the transfer of North Korean prisoners of war to the South, escalating tensions between the two countries.
• Hegseth Admits to Lincoln Crew He Extended Their Deployment
  Aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth greeted the crew with an admission: He was the one who approved prolonging the aircraft carrier’s unusually long deployment in the Middle East amid the US war with Iran.
• Thailand Is Back on Radar for Global Investors, Anutin Says
  Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said Thailand is returning to the radar of global investors after years of diminished interest, pitching greater political stability and faster approvals as the country competes for capital in industries from artificial intelligence to semiconductors.
• 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.
• Turkey Says It Won’t Deploy Troops for Attacks Under Mecca Pact
  Turkey won’t send troops abroad to carry out attacks under a defense pact with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Thursday.
• Houthi Attacks Kill Three at Saudi Airports, Including in Riyadh
  The Iran-backed Houthis struck two airports in Saudi Arabia, killing three people and injuring dozens as the militant group intensifies its attacks on the kingdom while fighting Saudi-backed forces in Yemen.
• UK Sees Trump’s Bomber Pullback as Boost for 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.
• 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 to issue another warning to Europe about the dangers of Western decline.
• Bolsonaro evalúa figuras de Credit Suisse y BofA para manejar economía de Brasil
• India’s Food Regulator Acts Against GLP-1 Supplement for Misleading Claims
  India’s federal food regulator issued a notice to the joint venture between Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd. and Nestle India Ltd. for misleading and ambiguous claims about its GLP-1 supplement.
• Slovak Premier Wants Statue Mocking Trump at EU Parliament to Go
  Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico called for the immediate removal of a statue mocking US President Donald Trump from the European Parliament’s premises in Strasbourg.
• Madagascar Skips Tender for Power Equipment as Russia Ties Grow
  Madagascar’s government gave the country’s power and water utility permission to flout usual tender procedures and buy diesel generators directly from a Russian company as ties between the island and Moscow grow.
• French Students Extend Protests After Premier Delays Response
  French students prolonged their protests after Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said his policy response would only come at the end of the month.
• Kenya Taps World Bank Emergency Funds for Climate and Health Shocks
  Kenya plans to use emergency financing from the World Bank to provide subsidized fertilizer and seeds to farmers, supply clean water and boost supplies of essential medicines in the East African nation.