Tabz

China's Communist Party has confirmed the expulsion of 33 officials, including former Politburo member Ma Xingrui and senior military leader Zhang Youxia, according to a communiqué from the party's fifth plenum published Thursday by state media. Those expelled also include former military official Liu Zhenli, senior diplomat Liu Jianchao, former Industry Minister Jin Zhuanglong and former securities regulator chairman Yi Huiman. The party also removed Li Yunze, former head of China's financial regulator, from his position within the party.

Israel's inconclusive parliamentary election has disappointed officials in Washington who had hoped an opposition victory would help repair increasingly strained U.S.-Israel relations after years under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, POLITICO reports. Despite Trump's strong support for Netanyahu, figures within his administration and both parties in Congress had hoped for a change in Israeli leadership. Neither Netanyahu's coalition nor the opposition secured a parliamentary majority, potentially allowing him to remain in office for months. "There is Netanyahu fatigue here," a former Trump administration official said.

Federal investigators are examining whether Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar entered into a fraudulent marriage in 2009 to help a British citizen suspected of being her brother obtain U.S. residency, NYT reports. Current and former law enforcement officials said an FBI and Department of Homeland Security investigation in 2016 uncovered some evidence suggesting that Omar's marriage to Ahmed Nur Said Elmi was fraudulent and that the two might be siblings. However, prosecutors did not pursue charges, largely because the alleged offense fell outside the five-year statute of limitations. The Trump administration has now reopened scrutiny of the marriage as part of a broader investigation into Omar's family's immigration history, including whether her father provided inaccurate information on immigration documents and whether she qualified for citizenship through him.

Iran's IRGC Navy announced three oil tankers struck naval mines while attempting to pass through an unauthorized southern route of the Strait of Hormuz over the past 24 hours, triggering explosions and fires that left the vessels abandoned off the strait's southern coast. The IRGC said the tankers had disabled their radar and navigation systems and ignored repeated warnings before entering the mined waters.

Iran's IRGC Navy announced it captured an American MQM-170 reconnaissance and decoy drone west of the Strait of Hormuz. The IRGC electronic warfare unit detected the aircraft, took control of its guidance systems, and landed it intact. The IRGC said the drone was conducting reconnaissance of Iranian air defense positions along the Persian Gulf coastline and the Strait of Hormuz. Data recovered from the aircraft indicated that it had launched from a country on the southern coast of the Persian Gulf.

North Korea launched a ballistic missile toward the sea off its eastern coast a short while ago.

Flávio Bolsonaro fled Brazil aboard a private jet in coordination with the U.S. and Argentina after losing the presidential election to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. WSJ reports the operation involved a small network of Trump allies, senior U.S. officials, and Argentine President Javier Milei. Bolsonaro and his family crossed into Argentina on Tuesday night before boarding a chartered Gulfstream jet that traveled through Ecuador to Miami, arriving Wednesday morning. President Trump personally authorized Bolsonaro's admission to the U.S., while Secretary of State Marco Rubio helped arrange his entry. The family was admitted under humanitarian parole, allowing them to remain in the country for one year.

Barack Obama: The White House is bending the knee to Vladimir Putin of Russia and selling out Ukrainians who are fighting for their freedom and democracy.

Barack Obama on Iran: Iran didn't have nuclear weapons. We had curbed their nuclear program. I had put in place a deal. I didn't have to fire any missiles. I engaged in diplomacy.

President Trump: If I didn't win the presidency, this country would be gone. I really believe it.

President Trump: I started by looking at his ass, and it was strong as hell.

President Trump: I threw Jeffrey Epstein out of a club 20 years ago because I thought he was a whack job. That was a great thing I did. He never came up with me. You know who he came up with? All of the friends of the Democrats. He was a Democrat. I threw Jeffrey Epstein the hell out of Mar-a-Lago.

Reporter: Did you direct Vance to talk to Iran to start peace negotiations? Trump: No. Iran needs help with medical supplies. Basically, it's getting supplies in to help people that are not well.

The Houthis (Ansarallah) say Saudi warplanes carried out 101 airstrikes and missile attacks across Sana'a and eight Yemeni governorates over the past 24 hours, claiming it caused dozens of casualties, including women and children.

A source in the UAE told Israeli Channel 14: Everyone here is on high alert and preparing for November 4, the day after the U.S. midterm elections. Foreign ambassadors increasingly feel that an escalation is very close, and they are already considering the possibility of evacuation.

President Trump told Axios that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's political position appears to have improved following Israel's parliamentary election, despite initially receiving "horror reports" of his prospects. Trump said he had heard that his endorsement made a significant difference for Netanyahu, noting that the Israeli leader was now in "pretty good shape." Asked whether he would become involved in efforts to form a Netanyahu-led unity government, Trump said he had not yet considered it but would "take a look."

The U.S. has imposed sanctions on Rwanda's Ministry of Defense and the Zigama Credit and Savings Society over allegations of supporting armed groups operating in the eastern DRC. Washington accused Rwanda of destabilizing the region and violating its commitments under the "Washington Accords," calling on Kigali to end its support for armed groups and comply with the agreement.

PM Netanyahu's Likud party has alleged that Israel's parliamentary election was "stolen" through widespread electoral fraud involving Arab parties. Likud accused the Arab parties of bribery, voter intimidation, violence, double voting and ballot manipulation, claiming these irregularities influenced the election results. The party said it is submitting hundreds of testimonies and pieces of alleged evidence to police, the Shin Bet security agency and the Central Elections Committee, demanding an immediate investigation.

The Sun: Can you trust Trump, given everything that he says? Zelensky: We trust Americans and bipartisan support, and we're thankful to the administration. I have to be thankful. I don't want to lose this. But we need more support. We need to have no questions with the administration because they have to be on our side because Russia is the aggressor.