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Geopolitics
The Irish Times (reporting the Financial Times)
Washington, Moscow and Beijing weigh a first-ever Trump-Putin-Xi summit in Shenzhen
Officials are discussing a three-way meeting on the sidelines of the APEC leaders' gathering on Nov. 18-19; China has not committed.
BEIJING — US, Chinese and Russian officials are discussing whether Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping could meet together at the APEC summit in Shenzhen later this month, the Financial Times reported Tuesday. It is unclear whether the three governments are talking jointly or whether Beijing is holding separate bilateral conversations with Washington and Moscow. People familiar with the matter said China, as host, has not decided whether to proceed. Trump has said he is open to the idea but wants nuclear arms control on the agenda, and Beijing has repeatedly shown no interest in such talks. Trump is due to attend ASEAN meetings in Manila first, then hold what would be his third meeting with Xi this year. The leaders' meeting runs Nov. 18-19; an announcement, or a decision to keep the sessions bilateral, is likely within days.
Why it mattersA three-way meeting would put Ukraine, Iran and nuclear arms control in front of the three leaders at once, and would test how much Beijing wants to be seen as the broker.
Gaza's year-old ceasefire frays as strikes hit police and tents
Gaza's Health Ministry counts 1,599 Palestinians killed since the truce began, as aid groups say it exists only on paper.
GAZA CITY — Israeli strikes killed at least three more people in Gaza on Tuesday, including an Internal Security Service officer hit near Khan Younis and a girl killed when a drone struck a tent in Gaza City, medical sources told Anadolu. It was the second reported attack on Gaza's police and security personnel in three days. Gaza's Health Ministry says 1,599 Palestinians have been killed and 5,774 wounded since the ceasefire took effect on Oct. 10, 2025; Israel has previously said its strikes target armed fighters. More than 100 aid and rights groups, including Amnesty, Oxfam and the Norwegian Refugee Council, said last month the truce 'exists in name only' because of continued killing and limits on aid and rebuilding materials. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has said it has not delivered security, adequate aid or a credible path to recovery.
Why it mattersThe US-brokered truce is the basis for the wider Gaza plan, and its erosion makes the later phases of withdrawal, governance and reconstruction harder to reach.
Sudan's war turns to drones as RSF presses toward Blue Nile capital
Crisis Group warns an advance on Damazin could threaten the Roseires dam, which supplies power and water.
KHARTOUM — Fighting in Sudan was fiercest in North Kordofan and Blue Nile states in October as both sides leaned on drones, Crisis Group's monthly tracker reports. The army and its allies made gains in North Kordofan, while the Rapid Support Forces coalition took new ground in Blue Nile and moved closer to the state capital, Damazin. Crisis Group says that advance could threaten the Roseires dam, a key part of the country's electricity and water infrastructure. Drone strikes left hundreds dead, including an alleged army strike on Oct. 19 in the disputed Abyei area that reportedly killed more than 150 people. A separate airstrike on a gold mine near the Egypt-Sudan border killed scores, straining ties with Cairo, which backs the army; Egypt confirmed an operation against illegal mining without addressing casualties.
Why it mattersA fight over the Roseires dam would put the grid and water supply for millions at risk, and drone strikes are widening the war to Sudan's neighbours.
Kabila-led rebel front threatens to quit Doha talks over Congo referendum law
The new coalition replacing M23's political wing objects to a vote critics say could open the way to a third Tshisekedi term.
GOMA — The Front for the Refoundation of the Nation, a rebel coalition led by former Congolese president Joseph Kabila that includes M23, said Tuesday it may leave Qatar-mediated peace talks if Kinshasa goes ahead with a constitutional referendum. The announcement came in Goma after a meeting with UN peacekeeping chief James Swan. Congo's Senate unanimously passed a referendum law last week that critics say could let President Félix Tshisekedi seek a third term. The coalition launched last month to replace the AFC/M23 alliance, and the US and European powers, through the Great Lakes contact group, have condemned it. Crisis Group says the rebranding appeared aimed at giving a Rwanda-backed insurgency a Congolese face and threatens an already faltering process; October fighting was intense around the Rubaya mines and near Uvira.
Why it mattersThe 2025 Doha framework is the main track toward ending the war in eastern Congo, and a referendum fight could end it.
Tokyo fears a US-China-Russia meeting could tilt Washington, while Chinese maritime pressure continues.
TOKYO — Japan is under joint diplomatic pressure from China and Russia as leaders head to the APEC summit in Shenzhen, NPR reported Tuesday. Beijing has pressed Tokyo since Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said last year that a Chinese blockade of Taiwan could justify a Japanese military response. Russia, which depends on Chinese backing for its war in Ukraine, has joined that pressure, and Japan and Russia also have a long-running territorial dispute. A Japanese analyst told NPR that a possible US-China-Russia meeting could sway Washington toward Beijing's and Moscow's positions. It is unclear whether Takaichi will meet either leader. Crisis Group's October tracker says China kept up maritime activity around Japan, with 94 Chinese vessels detected in Japan's contiguous zone as of Oct. 27, and showed little desire to end the dispute.
Why it mattersJapan is a key US ally, and the way Washington handles Beijing and Moscow this month will signal how far it will back Tokyo.
MS NOW (opinion): One question stands out in DOJ's third attempt to charge Comey
Comey fights third Espionage Act charge, citing 10-year time limit
Former FBI director moved to dismiss, arguing prosecutors used the wrong charging instrument to beat the deadline
WASHINGTON — Federal prosecutors charged former FBI Director James Comey on Oct. 5 with Espionage Act violations. It is the third time the Justice Department has moved against him. The government alleges that a decade ago Comey caused an FBI employee to pass classified information to the press. The Espionage Act carries a 10-year limitations period, and prosecutors filed on the last possible day. Comey has moved to dismiss. He argues he did not consent to being charged by information, and that the 10-year statute refers only to an indictment, so the clock was never stopped. Commentary also notes that a grand jury reportedly declined to indict Cassidy Hutchinson in a related matter. Comey denies wrongdoing and intends to fight. A ruling on the motion would decide whether the case proceeds.
Why it mattersThe motion tests how far prosecutors can stretch a statute of limitations in a politically charged leak case against a prominent former intelligence-community official.
US clears 500 Patriot interceptors for Ukraine, but delivery may take years
The $2.1 billion sale is paid for by allies and the EU, with no US funds, as US stocks fall
WASHINGTON — The State Department notified Congress on Oct. 30 of a possible sale to Ukraine of 500 PAC-3 MSE Patriot missiles with spare parts and support, estimated at $2.1 billion. The notification says no U.S. funds are involved. Canada, Germany and Norway are donating through the JUMPSTART program, and Ukraine is adding national funds financed by the EU's Ukraine Support Loan. Lockheed Martin is the principal contractor. Foreign military sales notifications are early steps, and lawmakers could delay or block the deal, though that is considered unlikely. President Zelensky welcomed the approval but warned the missiles could take a few years to arrive. He urged the U.S. and Europe to release existing stocks now and be refilled later. A CSIS analysis cited by the Washington Times says U.S. Patriot interceptors have fallen from about 2,300 before the Iran war to under 1,000.
Why it mattersThe sale shows how the Iran war's drain on interceptors constrains U.S. support for Ukraine's air defense as winter approaches.
Jury selection opens in first capital case at Guantanamo, over USS Cole bombing
Panel selection for accused al-Qaeda operative Nashiri is expected to run for weeks, past Thanksgiving
GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba — Jury selection began Monday in the military commission trial of Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, the Saudi national accused of masterminding the October 2000 USS Cole bombing in Aden, Yemen, which killed 17 American sailors. An Office of Military Commissions spokesman confirmed to AFP that panel selection had started. Nashiri was captured in 2002, held in CIA black sites and moved to Guantanamo in 2006. It is the first death-penalty case at the base to reach this stage. Just Security reports the process will take weeks and likely run past Thanksgiving. Defense lawyers have argued that torture left Nashiri unfit for trial. An Army psychiatrist found him competent, and a federal judge declined to halt the proceedings, according to reports citing Just Security. A military judge suppressed one of his confessions in 2023 as tainted by abuse. Opening statements have not begun.
Why it mattersThe case is a test of whether the military commissions can bring a capital terrorism prosecution to verdict after decades of litigation over CIA torture.
CISA flags Apple bug tied to suspected Russian APT29 browser-stealing campaign
Sekoia links exploitation of already-patched Safari and Chrome flaws to Russia's foreign intelligence service
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency on Wednesday added an Apple flaw, CVE-2024-27834, to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog after reports of active exploitation. The listing followed a Sekoia report that actors possibly tied to Russia used previously patched vulnerabilities in Safari and Google Chrome to deliver malware that harvests browser and device data. Sekoia attributed the activity to APT29, also known as Cozy Bear or Midnight Blizzard, a group affiliated with Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service. It assessed the link with moderate to high confidence. The campaign relies on flaws for which fixes already exist, so devices that have not been updated remain exposed. Russia has not commented in the reporting reviewed, and the attribution rests on private-sector analysis rather than a government statement.
Why it mattersIt shows a top-tier Russian intelligence unit still profiting from unpatched consumer software, while the attribution remains a vendor assessment, not an official finding.
Newsweek: Epstein Files Floodgates Could Open Next Week as Massie Vows to Secure 218 Signatures
Massie says he will secure 218 signatures to force Epstein files vote
Second transparency bill would let survivors and state prosecutors sue the Justice Department over withheld records
WASHINGTON — Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., said Thursday that the House will reach the 218 signatures needed on his discharge petition for Epstein Files Transparency Act II when it returns next week. Once the petition has 218 signatures, a floor vote is guaranteed. The bill, written with Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., would let state attorneys general, local prosecutors and victims sue the U.S. attorney general over alleged unlawful withholding or redaction of Epstein records. It would also require unredacted documents to be given to victims on request. Axios reports Khanna said in September that enough signature commitments existed, but Speaker Mike Johnson sent the House home early. The Justice Department says it complied with the 2025 law and released about 3.5 million pages. Massie and Khanna dispute that and say millions of files remain withheld. Massie leaves Congress in January.
Why it mattersA forced vote would test whether the new Democratic House majority and some Republicans can give courts and state prosecutors power over the Epstein records still withheld.
