2026, day 301 Good morning from Asia, and to another set of government warnings to stock up on food and water. Because reasons. GEOPOLITICS: 🌍🔥 ‘Pezeshkian says Middle East can solve own issues without US’ (AJ); ‘Egypt, Iran discuss expanding regional consultations to avert renewed conflict’ (Arab News); ‘Omani FM calls for Middle East non-aggression pact at UK meeting’ (Arab News); ‘Overseas Handler Linked to Iran Behind Foiled RAF Air Base Attack’ (WSJ); ‘Nuclear Inspectors See No Evidence Iran Fixed Bombed Sites’ (BBG); ‘Princess Reema calls for global campaign to defeat Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen’ (Al Arabiya); ‘Yemen’s army accuses Houthis of mutilating bodies of fallen soldiers’ (Arab News); ‘Saudi Arabia ramps up Yemen aid with major projects during Yemeni leader’s visit’ (Arab News); ‘Jordan says it killed more than 20 Islamic State militants in airstrikes on Syria’ (Reuters); ‘Iraqi court sentences six French men to life in prison for Islamic State membership’ (Reuters); ‘European Leaders Split Over Phone Call to Putin’ (NYT); ‘Washington discusses Russian deals for US oil majors in Ukraine peace talks’ (FT); ‘Inside Donald Trump Jr’s Mongolian hunting trip with a Kremlin-linked businessman’ (FT); ‘Nord Stream sabotage suspect under ‘direct command’ of Ukrainian army’ (FT); ‘Poland signs three-year defence cooperation plan with U.K.’ (Euronews); ‘Three of Britain's four nuclear deterrent submarines put to sea’ (The Times); ‘EU divisions persist on ‘associate member’ label for Canada’ (Politico) - “The bloc can’t agree on controversial status just 48 hours before Montreal summit”; ‘It’s hard breaking up with Washington: Why Canada’s European defense turn has limits’ (Politico); ‘Flavio Bolsonaro’s passports cancelled: Brazilian police source’ (AFP); ‘Flávio Bolsonaro Leaves Brazil for the U.S. After Election Defeat’ (NYT); ‘Washington to issue Flávio Bolsonaro US visa after election loss’ (FT); ‘Rubio warns Venezuela's Machado: Street protests won't get you democracy’ (Axios); ‘We Went to Cuba to See How the Fuel Crisis Is Forcing Havana to Open Its Economy’ (WSJ); ‘Xi Wants to Play Peacemaker. Trump Has Other Ideas for a Historic Summit’ (WSJ) - “Plus, Xinjiang goes from blacklisted to global trade hub, Xi’s purges echo Stalin’s, and Kim Jong Un makes a surprise trip to China”; ‘5 things to watch out for in 2027 US defence bill aimed at countering China’ (SCMP); ‘US Army queries industry’s ability to build 21,000 Infantry Squad Vehicles’ (Defense News); ‘Why is the US reluctant to give South Korea wartime control of its troops?’ (SCMP); ‘Indonesia-Singapore spats escalate over haze, energy, MSCI’ (Nikkei Asia); GEOECONOMICS: 🌍✈️ ⛴️ 🚛 ‘Lula faces a fiscal reckoning after Brazil’s market rout’ (FT); ‘Mexico Trade Chief Expects Results on US Talks in Next Few Days’ (BBG); ‘Trump praises Canadian separatists amid delicate trade talks’ (Axios); ‘Trump Moves to Weaken Methane Emissions Rules for Oil and Gas’ (WSJ); ‘Global carmakers search for new China strategy as market share slips below 30%’ (SCMP); ‘HP and Asus shift some PC making back to China due to AI-driven cost hikes’ (Nikkei Asia); ‘CAP deal sparks fears farm subsidies could flow to food industry’ (Rapporteur); ‘Google attacks UK over ‘unlawful’ AI plans’ (Telegraph); POLITICS: 🗳️ ‘No clear winner in Israeli parliamentary election, exit polls suggest’ (FT); ‘Trump Associates Try to Understand Chances for Unity Government, Prefer Government Without Ben-Gvir’ (Ynet); ‘Trump says will respect US midterm results ‘if they’re honest’’ (Al Arabiya); ‘Senate control could hang in limbo for weeks after Election Day’ (Axios); ‘Socialist civil war engulfs Los Angeles mayor race’ (Axios); ‘Xi’s Corruption Purges Upend Hunt for China’s Next Top Leaders’ (BBG); MARKETS: 📈 ‘How Hong Kong went from a yuan gateway to a complete currency ecosystem’ (SCMP)

2026, day 300 Good morning from Asia - and it’s more election > geopolitical > geoeconomic > market drama, this time switching focus from the Americas to the Middle East. GEOPOLITICS: 🌍🔥 ‘Netanyahu reportedly pressured military to attack Iran in run-up to election’ (Guardian); ‘Report: Zamir the only security chief to oppose pre-election military action against Iran’ (ToI) - “Channels 12 and 13 reported Monday that if Netanyahu forms the next government, he will likely fire Zamir if the Israel Defense Forces chief does not resign first”; ‘UKMTO reports vessel on fire off Iraq’s coast’ (Reuters); ‘These Maps Show Why It’s So Hard to Recover the World’s Lost Fuel Supplies’ (WSJ); ‘Mecca defence alliance members in Tehran to defuse Iran-US, Yemen tensions’ (AJ); ‘Egypt parliament authorizes al-Sisi to bolster Saudi defenses amid regional attacks’ (Al Arabiya); ‘Hezbollah readies for new regional war with funds from Iran, sources say’ (Reuters); ‘Jordan launches air strikes in Syria in response to a fatal church shooting’ (AJ); ‘Syria al-Qaeda affiliate commander among three dead in strike: Defense ministry source’ (Al Arabiya); ‘PKK-linked Yazidi group to hand over arms to Iraqi government’ (AFP); ‘Turkey’s Erdogan says criticism of Libya maritime deal has no legitimate basis’ (Reuters); ‘Trump's Board of Peace taps ex-Biden aide to lead Congress outreach’ (Axios); ‘Zelenskyy calls out monthlong wait for Hegseth to sign off on Patriot missiles’ (Euronews); ‘Salvini’s anti-Ukraine pledge puts Meloni under pressure’ (Rapporteur); ‘Europe's top NATO powers pledge greater defence role, reaffirm US alliance’ (France24); ‘Labour accused of falsifying defence spending’ (Telegraph) - “Sir Ben Wallace claims military budget has been artificially inflated to make it appear on course for Nato target”; ‘Serbia’s student victory raises hopes of an EU reset’ (Euronews); ‘Canada and Europe want to reshape the global order. But whose vision will prevail?’ (Politico); ‘What message is China sending with latest footage of ‘no-notice’ DF rocket drill?’ (SCMP); GEOECONOMICS: 🌍✈️ ⛴️ 🚛 ‘EU Plans to Hit China With More Import Curbs in Early 2027’ (BBG); ‘EU loan to Airbus threatens trade truce with US, Trump trade official warns’ (FT); ‘Italy, Poland back von der Leyen's joint EU energy purchasing’ (Rapporteur); ‘Britain in talks with EU over free movement’ (Telegraph) - “Officials discuss options including rejoining bloc or single market as PM seeks to reset relations with Brussels”; ‘'The U.S. is coming closer to our position': Carney describes slight intensification of trade talks’ (National Post); ‘Win for Lula boosts China’s foothold and gives Brazil rare earths leverage’ (SCMP); ‘Africa food security under threat due to Iran war, trade officials warn’ (AJ); ‘Black Sea attacks cut Ukraine wheat exports to Indonesia, Bangladesh’ (Nikkei Asia); POLITICS: 🗳️ ‘Lula’s comeback puts brakes on Latin America’s rightward surge’ (Euronews); ‘Trump says Brazil election looked 'rigged', defeated Bolsonaro's party recognizes Lula win’ (Reuters); ‘Brazil: defeated Flávio Bolsonaro ordered to surrender passports’ (Guardian); ‘Netanyahu, desperate, now tells us we’ll all die if we don’t re-elect him’ (ToI); ‘Netanyahu, with Trump’s backing, could lose election and still lead a divided Israel’ (WaPo) - “Former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, ahead in the polls, has ruled out a partnership with Benjamin Netanyahu, but some in the Trump administration are discussing the idea”; ‘Justice Dept. charges James Comey, ex-FBI director, for a third time’ (WaPo); ‘Trump announces $1M rewards for voter fraud tips ahead of midterms’ (The Hill); ‘Former Miss Switzerland accuses Donald Trump of rape’ (Telegraph); ‘French government fails to convince students to stop protests’ (Politico); MARKETS: 📈 ‘Brazil’s currency plunges most since 1999 after Lula’s surprise victory’ (FT)