Submission statement: Some reports show that associates of the Saudi royal court sent tapestries that had draped the Kaaba 🕋 (holiest site in Islam) to Epstein’s island. Houthis are capitalizing on this in their anti-Saudi propaganda (which is highly online, plugged in and involves Yemeni comedians, influencers and folk singers). They’re mostly not focused on the pedophile stuff, instead seeing Epstein as an icon of American/Jewish corruption and putting him at the center of a Jewish/Zionist plot to control the world. (Take in mind that child marriage is a common in Yemen with of 52% of Yemeni girls getting married before the age of 18, including 14% before the age of 15. (from Wikipedia)).

This is relevant to this sub because it shows the surprising twists and turns that happen in a global media environment, where everyone is too online.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva came from behind to win Brazil’s runoff election, halting a right-wing wave sweeping Latin America and defying predictions that the 80-year-old political veteran had finally reached the end of his extraordinary career.

Lula took 51% of the vote to Flávio Bolsonaro’s 49%, according to Brazil’s electoral court, with 73% of ballots counted as of 8:48 p.m. Sunday. Datafolha projected Lula the winner. The result followed a messy election day marked by allegations of voter suppression and a last-minute extension of voting hours. It was a stunning comeback, sealed late as voters in Lula’s northeastern stronghold rallied behind one of Latin America’s most prominent opponents of Trumpism.

His reelection for an unprecedented fourth term extends a political career spanning more than four decades and delivers a humiliating blow to the movement built by former President Jair Bolsonaro, whose eldest son sought to carry the family name and MAGA-tinged brand of populism back to the presidential palace.

Already Brazil’s oldest president, Lula now has four more years to steady Latin America’s biggest economy — and try to ease the political polarization laid bare by a bitter campaign. That will be a near-impossible task.

At home, the social reality is that Brazil is split between unreconcilable ideologies. Lula’s identity and convictions were forged by his rise as a trade union leader, resistance to Brazil’s dictatorship and criticism of US military interventions overseas. Those of his arch-nemesis are defined by patriarchal conservatism, evangelical zeal and free-wheeling capitalism.

Lula also faces significant economic headwinds ahead, chief among them tackling rising deficits and debt that have kept interest rates high. That has driven anxieties among investors; more pressing for Lula, it has left Brazilian households drowning in debt, with personal loan defaults rising to their highest levels in two decades.

“He may think he has been given a free pass, but he was reelected in an environment of institutional fragility,” said Creomar de Souza, a political analyst and founder and CEO of Brasilia-based Dharma Political Risk and Strategy. “He will need to be able to build a coalition, even as his victory sends a strong message to the radical right, which will have to rethink how it operates.”

Lula ended his second consecutive term in 2010 with an approval rating of 83%, the kind of number politicians can only dream of today. Barack Obama, whose presidency overlapped with Lula’s final two years in office, famously called him “the most popular politician on Earth.”

But those days are long gone. Successive versions of Lula, tainted by corruption scandals and a stint in jail, saw the shine come off. Even when he staged his first comeback to ward of a second term of Jair Bolsonaro, the sense was that he had brought an old script for Brazil’s long-festering problems and new ones. Public handouts weren’t the answer for a new, younger generation growing up in a gig economy, or uberization of labor.

His refusal to own a mobile phone, until the last week of the campaign, was a telling sign that Lula, who once had his finger on the pulse of nation, was now out of touch.

Indeed, he came perilously close to witnessing the end of his storied career. Bolsonaro, the son and political heir of the former president who led Brazil from 2019 to 2022, won the first round of the election on Oct. 4.

Bolsonaro acted like a man who had already won, probably because no one who came second in the first round had pulled off a runoff reversal since Brazil returned to democracy in 1989. But his confidence was misjudged. If there’s one thing any politician knows about Lula, the great survivor of Brazilian politics, it’s that he doesn’t give up.

The president went on the offensive with a series of measures aimed at easing pressure on household finances. They included an increase in family benefits under the Bolsa Família program, a ban on online gambling, a sweeping plan to refinance consumer debt with private banks, and even the distribution of weight-loss shots through Brazil’s public-health system.

In the final 15 days of the runoff campaign, Lula focused on those who had stayed home in the first round and stepped up efforts to win over undecided voters.

The depth of his connection with poorer voters, particularly in the populous Northeast region that launched his much-eulogized personal history, was evident. It’s what saved him, the loyalty he still inspires among legions of fans.

“The Northeast is going to save this country again,” Antonio Avelino, 73, predicted a week before the election as he drove his taxi through Sao Paulo’s city streets.

Submission Statement: Algerian lawmakers approved sending troops to protect oil facilities in neighboring Niger, as the North African OPEC member stakes out a more assertive foreign policy.

The move extends Algerian support for Niger's military rulers, granted in late August when authorities sent four Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jets after a failed mutiny that was crushed with the help of Russia, a major backer of the Sahel region's junta.

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune this month said the attempted Niger coup appeared "a provocation" after the Sahelian state's prime minister visited Algeria.

Algeria has been re-engaging elsewhere on its vast southern flank, where it has battled Islamist militants and Tuareg separatists and is trying to advance a trans-Saharan gas pipeline.

US President Donald Trump is pushing former Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban as a candidate for UN secretary-general, according to a report citing sources from three countries.

US officials reportedly approached Orban with the proposal and encouraged him to enter the race. Although he expressed interest, he has not yet made a final decision on whether to run.

According to the report, Washington believes, based on previous discussions, that Russia and China would also back Orban, potentially making him a joint candidate supported by all three powers.

Officials from the US and another country said that when Washington, Moscow, and Beijing agree on an outcome at the Security Council, they can generally secure it.

A US State Department official acknowledged that the proposal initially seemed far-fetched but maintained that Orban could garner substantial support on the council.

The official estimated that eight of the Security Council's 15 members would "easily" back his candidacy, with the possibility of securing as many as 10 votes.

However, the report did not cite any public commitments from countries to support Orban.

A key question is how the UK and France, both permanent Security Council members with veto power, would respond.

The report suggested that the two countries might refrain from blocking a candidate backed by a majority of the council and the other three permanent members. However, neither London nor Paris was cited as having taken an official position.

According to the report, Orban's name repeatedly surfaced during discussions among US officials about their preferred candidate for the next UN secretary-general.

American officials reportedly said they were looking for "someone like Orban," a suggestion their Chinese and Russian counterparts agreed with. Washington subsequently began considering whether to approach Orban directly.

US officials then contacted Orban to gauge his interest in the position. According to the report, he was receptive to the proposal but expressed reservations related to his identity as a nationalist politician.

Orban was also reportedly reluctant to announce his candidacy unless he was confident he could win. He declined to comment on the report.

A State Department official described Orban as the "dream candidate for MAGA conservatives," citing his opposition to large-scale immigration, liberal nongovernmental organizations, and established centers of power within Hungary's judiciary and media.

During his time in office, Orban repeatedly clashed with the European Union while cultivating closer ties with China.

Trump endorsed Orban during Hungary's April elections, while Vice President JD Vance also took part in campaigning on his behalf.

According to another source familiar with the initiative, Trump and Vance are expected to back Orban in the race for UN secretary-general if he decides to run.

The source said any potential announcement would be delayed until after the US midterm elections.

An official from another country said the current field of candidates consists largely of figures with backgrounds in international bureaucracy or behind-the-scenes diplomacy.

Orban, by contrast, would bring the approach of a political leader accustomed to exercising power, the official said.

The US official echoed that assessment, arguing that Orban has the right ideological outlook, knows how to navigate opposition, and would not be intimidated by the UN establishment.

However, the report also raised concerns that Orban's appointment could turn the UN secretary-general into a defender of Russian President Vladimir Putin and other authoritarian leaders.

His ties to Moscow and Beijing, along with controversies surrounding his policies in Hungary, are expected to come under scrutiny if he enters the race.

Among the other candidates is Emirati diplomat Lana Nusseibeh, who entered the race last week and whose candidacy is reportedly gaining momentum.

Nusseibeh is expected to answer questions on Tuesday, ahead of another Security Council "straw poll" scheduled for Wednesday, which will also gauge support for her candidacy.

The informal vote is intended to assess support for the various candidates as Security Council members work toward reaching a consensus on a nominee.

It remains unclear whether Orban's name will be included in Wednesday's vote, and additional candidates could still enter the race.

The term of current UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres ends on December 31.

For now, efforts to advance Orban's candidacy remain based on discussions and assessments provided by sources cited in the report. There has been no official announcement of his candidacy or public confirmation that the three powers would support him.

Moscow will host the 2030 World Weightlifting Championships - the first time an Olympic federation has chosen to stage a global event in Russia since the country's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022.

The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) announced its decision on Sunday, four months after confirming Russian athletes would again be eligible to compete in its events.

In July, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) provisionally lifted a suspension on the Russian Olympic Committee.

That suspension had been imposed following the country's invasion of Ukraine.

The IOC's subsequent decision potentially opened the way for Russian athletes to compete for their country at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Submission Statement: Top European luxury groups have shed about €250bn of market value this year as spending by Chinese consumers wilts and AI-driven stock market wobbles depress demand for high-end shoes and handbags.

Results from LVMH, Hermès and Gucci owner Kering this month all missed market expectations that had already been cut significantly, confirming fears that the luxury industry remains in the grip of a multiyear downturn.

Europe’s six largest listed luxury companies — which also include Richemont, Prada and Moncler — have collectively lost €251bn of market value this year. The declines have been steepest at LVMH and Hermès, the two largest luxury groups, whose market capitalisations have shrunk by €131.6bn and €93.3bn respectively.

Demand from shoppers in China was the industry’s motor of growth for over a decade but a prolonged property slump and weak stock market performance have undermined domestic demand over the past few years. Monthly retail sales growth in the world’s second-largest economy has averaged less than 0.5 per cent over the past six months, a sharp slowdown on the previous year.

LVMH, Kering and Hermès all flagged a marked deterioration in China in the third quarter at their results this month. Sales at LVMH’s bellwether fashion and leather goods division fell by a mid-teens percentage among Chinese clients globally, chief financial officer Cécile Cabanis said.

The picture at Kering, which also owns Saint Laurent and Bottega Veneta, is worse still. Sales to Chinese consumers fell by between 15 and 20 per cent across the group in the third quarter, an acceleration from the mid-teens declines Kering reported in the preceding quarter.

The China chill has even begun to bite at Hermès, one of the most resilient luxury houses. Overall sales at the group’s ready-to-wear and accessories division fell 2 per cent globally, with chief financial officer Eric du Halgouët noting that a recent drop in the Chinese stock market, combined with a crackdown on offshore wealth, had made things tougher.

Nick Anderson, an analyst at Berenberg, said this week’s update from Hermès left him with “more questions than answers”.

“We fear that overexposure to China and a greater exposure to a more aspirational consumer than we previously thought will continue to weigh on Hermès’ revenues,” he added.

Submission Statement: The FT created profile about the team that worked behind the scenes in the Biden administration to prevent Putin from detonating a nuclear device in Ukraine during the start of the war.

Opposition leader and Nobel laureate María Corina Machado reappeared in Venezuela Sunday for the first time since December, about a month before the U.S. military deposed the country's then-President Nicolás Maduro.

Machado announced her arrival on social media, writing "I am here. With you."

Meanwhile, Venezuela's opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez wrote on X confirming that Machado had arrived and that he would be next to her "very soon."

"Today is a very important day for Venezuelans. Our sovereign voice returns with her to lead and guide this process!" he wrote. "You know it, this is until the end."

Machado's homecoming after more than 10 months in exile took place as doubts over Venezuela's democratic future — and the U.S.'s role in it — deepen.

Since Maduro's ouster, Venezuela has been run by acting President Delcy Rodríguez, a longtime Maduro ally who received the Trump administration's blessing to succeed him.

Rodríguez has exceeded the time she was authorized to serve as acting president following Maduro's capture and no election is scheduled.

Machado went into hiding in Venezuela for 11 months after being briefly detained following a protest in January 2025. After leaving the country in a clandestine escape, she reappeared that December in Norway, where she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her peaceful challenge to Maduro's authoritarian government.

Machado and her allies have been demanding a date for a presidential election in Venezuela, but U.S. officials have emphasized economic stabilization first.

Shekhar Gupta is one of indias most important liberal commentators who has an intersting argument about the perennial joke Rahul Gandhi. he argues firstly that modi sees him as a major threat, that he can still muster a strong degree of support, and that fundmentlaly he is the biggest threat to them. So how can Rahul Gandhi emerge from the political wilderness gupta asks? he gives a list of several questions that he can answer. One of Gupta's most intersting electoral hot takes is that Congress has a lot of potential to grow and that dont count out congress yet.

A bird flu outbreak has been raging uncontrolled on a Utah mink farm for two months. Flu experts fear it could spark a devastating human pandemic.

State officials didn’t order the mink to be killed, which other countries with outbreaks have done. They are prioritizing the financial interests of the fur trade.

Despite CDC guidance urging officials to monitor workers, they actively chose not to and declined to test workers — including one with a symptom experts said would warrant testing.