Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is moving cautiously between heavily guarded palaces equipped with bunkers, accompanied by handpicked security guards, as Houthi attacks intensify.

Saudi officials say the kingdom is running low on interceptor missiles and struggling to protect its energy infrastructure and royal palaces.

Source: WSJ

Andy Burnham on Germany:

Chancellor Merz was saying to me that the AfD are clearly linked to Russia, funded, I believe.

There is certainly misinformation, disinformation that is emanating from Russia into German politics, as I heard yesterday.

Andy Burnham:

I asked the question coming into Downing Street: Well, was there interference in the 2016 referendum from Russia?

And I've had the clear answer that yes, there was.

Andy Burnham:

Brexit has done more harm than good to UK growth particularly, but to other things as well. And I'm going to argue for closer integration because that will enable us to improve the growth prospects of the country.

One of the big lies of the campaign back in 2016 is that we would "take back control" of all of that, and it would all be much easier.

The reality is you need collaboration to control immigration, and that's got weaker.

Andy Burnham:

I think there was too much negativity around Keir. I don't think you can run a successful Labour government without all parts of it feeling they've got a place in it or a voice in it.

Andy Burnham:

I would hold Nigel Farage very significantly responsible for our failure to move forward in the last decade.

US Threatens Ukraine Arms Over Strikes on Russian Energy Sites

European officials say Washington has threatened the NATO-managed PURL mechanism and intelligence sharing to push Kyiv to stop attacking Russian refineries.

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Trump’s Board of Peace faces potential conflicts of interest involving investments in Israeli arms companies and West Bank settlements.

Jared Kushner’s Gulf-backed Affinity Partners holds a 7.4% stake in Israel’s Phoenix Financial, which invests in companies linked to West Bank settlements.

Phoenix also invests in Israeli arms firm Smart Shooter, which recently won a U.S. military contract worth up to $150 million.

Kushner and other parties deny wrongdoing or conflicts of interest.

Source: The Telegraph

Germany’s Labor Minister and SPD co-leader Bärbel Bas resigned Monday, citing her stepdaughter’s death and tensions within Chancellor Merz’s coalition.

Bas said she lacked the strength to continue her duties and criticized “open attacks” from Merz’s CDU, which has accused her of obstructing pension and labor reforms.

She said the coalition infighting accelerated her decision and that the SPD deserved strong leadership.

Source: DW

European Governments Turn to Taliban to Expand Afghan Deportations

Germany and other European governments are pursuing Afghan deportation agreements as the Taliban seek greater diplomatic access and economic support.

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EU's Kaja Kallas:

All these attacks on refineries would not be necessary if the war were over.

Russia May Assassinate Europe's Defense Bosses: Spy Agencies

Officials from five European intelligence agencies say Russian operatives are targeting arms industry executives, including drone manufacturers.

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Iran's FM Spox. Esmail Baghaei:

The Americans’ claims do not match what we are seeing on the ground at all.

They can keep saying that the Strait of Hormuz no longer matters and that Iran has lost its leverage. We will continue doing what we are doing.

I don't think the markets will pay much attention to such claims either.

But let me make one thing clear: What happened in the Strait of Hormuz was not intended to create leverage.

Saudi social media erupted over UAE's Al Ain FC’s polished airport departure video — posted the same day Houthi missiles were hitting Riyadh’s airport.

On 11 October, as King Khalid International remained disrupted after strikes that killed ~12 and wounded 300+, Al Ain FC posted upbeat footage of the squad departing smoothly from the newly renamed Tahnoun International Airport.

The backlash was amplified by existing UAE-Saudi tensions over Yemen and the sting of Al Ain’s recent 4-0 demolition of Saudi Arabia's Al Nassr football club.

Zelensky:

Immediately after Trump's Truth Social post, Russia launched a targeted strike on a power plant in Kharkiv.

It's clear that Putin does not read Truth Social.

Zelensky:

This winter, if Russia does not agree to an energy ceasefire, we will respond.

Zelensky:

There were Russian violations of the energy ceasefire announced by Trump.

Zelensky:

We support the idea of an energy ceasefire, and now Russia must also show that it agrees to this energy ceasefire.

Zelensky:

When our strikes reached Yandex data centers, there was less hate, less division, and fewer provocations on social media.

Because there were fewer bots, it's pretty clear where those bots were coming from.

Zelensky:

Ukraine and Poland are natural allies, and when we stand together, Russia has no chance.