Ukraine War

In Issue 2026.30, Amos Elections, we cover Election Predicting, Lula’s Brazil, Brexit Reduxing

Our Situation Report has been replaced in this issue by our 2026 Election Report. We cover the issues, the laws, the races, and offer a prediction on the results.

Our Bellwether Digest covers Non-Citizen Balloting, Vucic’s Fall, Activist Judge Handcuffing

Tools of Engagement include resources to be informed in the news, informed in the elections, and how to build your own search engine.

In our Final Thought, Editor Paul Gordon Collier and Publisher Bill Collier offer their final word on the upcoming election.

I. 2026 Election Report: Pt. 1 – Issues, Election Laws, Ballot Initiatives

II. Bellwether Digest – Global Outlook, Headlines Missed, People Advance

III. Tools of Engagement

IV. Bellwether Report – U.S Politics – World – Culture – Market- Sci-Tech

V. 2026 Election Report: Pt. 2 – House Races – Senate Races – Predictive Analysis

VI. Final Thought – Last Comments on the upcoming 2026 Midterm Election

MIA Monthly 26 10 30 FINAL DRAFT WORD

BELLWETHER REPORT – OCTOBER 2026

By STAFF

This month’s report covers political, world, culture, market, and sci-tech news from October 1-30

This report includes People Advance Reports.

TOP NEWS TAGS

  1. 2026 Elections
  2. AI Watch
  3. Progressive State Press
  4. France Riots
  5. Ukraine War
  6. Iran War
  7. China Watch
  8. Judgefare
  9. Trump Deportations
  10. Election Fraud

U.S. POLITICS

  1. PROGRESSIVES CAUGHT PLOTTING OVERTHROW OF AMERICA – The progressives are planning on enacting a series of violent actions after the midterm elections, should they win decisively. The plan is to trigger a federal response that will allow progressive-controlled states to rebel against the Federal government.

From the main source for the uncovered videos and documents, DataRepublican, “You’ve heard that the DSA is proposing structural reforms to America, including abolishing the Senate and imposing term limits.

“What you not have heard is – there is an operational plan to put it all into action. If the Democratic Party sweeps 2026, then DSA will become ‘foot soldiers”’ in constant clashes with the administration to cross a ‘red line’ or invoke a ‘doomsday scenario’ – meaning, President Trump invokes the Insurrection Act, probably sometime in 2027.”

  1. BIDEN’S DOJ STALKED PARENTS OPPOSED TO WOKE SCHOOLS – Parents who dared speak out against progressive policies in American public schools were tracked and harassed by the FBI. If you dared go to a school board meeting and speak out against pro-transgender policies, or gay porn in school libraries, Biden’s FBI viewed you as a national security risk.

U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon stated, “Under the Biden Administration, parents were the enemy. They were labeled as terrorists, targeted, and investigated by a government weaponized against them. That era is over. The Trump Administration is acting with unprecedented energy and purpose to restore parents’ natural rights as the primary protectors of their children.”

  1. JACK SMITH WAS SPYING ON EVERYONE – A new document drop by the White House Government Transparency Task Force has revealed “special prosecutor” Jack Smith was spying on almost everyone in the Trump inner circle, including his lawyers. He did this by monitoring the phone of the President’s key administrative organizer and coordinator, Susie Wiles. She is currently President Trump’s Chief of Staff.

U.S. ELECTION

Read our full report on the 2026 midterm election on pg. 2.

  1. APPEALS COURT PROTECTS 20,000 NON-CITIZEN CALIFORNIA BALLOTS – A Federal Appeals court ruled 2-1 to deny the Department of Justice’s request to remove 20,000 non-citizen ballots from California’s voter rolls. The court passed on a technicality, claiming it had no power to act until a lower court had ruled. They also claimed, “The United States’s claimed emergency, at least in part, is a self-constructed one.”
  2. CALIFORNIA TELLS THE FEDS A FEW ILLEGAL VOTES ARE NO BIG DEAL – California’s progressive governor Gavin Newsom recently condoned a few non-citizen votes for the sake of not fully checking their voting rolls as the Department of Justice has requested. After the DOJ caught 28 illegal aliens registered to vote and planning to vote, Newsom’s government responded with indifference to the news.

Newsom claimed, “Yes, non-citizen voter registration and voting does happen in isolated instances — in California and the rest of the country alike — but it is so rare that the Trump admin is parading around town about .0001% of California voters. If the feds were serious about this, they would have done this long ago — not in the middle of people voting, which inherently and needlessly sows distrust and doubt in our democracy.”

  1. ARE THE POLLS RIGGED? – Another polling company has confessed to creating fake polls. Wedgwood Polls confessed it created fake polls to show Democrats ahead as part of a social experiment. They claimed, “Our fabricated numbers were given instant credibility across platforms and cited on air and reporting.”

WORLD

  1. NETANYAHU CRIES FOUL AS ELECTION LEAVES NO FINAL WINNER – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to win a majority needed to form a government after the Israeli election, but so did his opponent. Netanyahu beat his opponent 21.4% to 16.2%. Netanyahu is claiming Islamist factions have infiltrated the election process, robbing his coalition of their “rightful” victory.

Golan posted on X, “We must no longer accept Netanyahu’s racist division between Jewish votes and Arab votes. We have a responsibility. And we have an opportunity to form a government of change in partnership with Israel’s Arab citizens.” Netanyahu responded, “We must not endanger Israel and establish a government that relies on anti-Zionist Arab parties.”

  1. BOLSONARO LOSES IN “QUESTIONABLE” ELECTION – The Chinese won Brazil’s Presidential election when their candidate, Lula da Silva, won re-election for the third time. He defeated the American candidate, Senator Flavio Bolsanaro, the son of the former President, Jair Messias Bolsanaro. Lula lost in the first round of votes but came back in the run-off to defeat Bolsonaro by a 51-48-point margin.

The controversy with the election began when a Lula-supporting activist judge decided to extend the closing hour of the polls by 2 hours. It is believed this is where Lula “manufactured” the votes he needed to hold on to power. The win by Lula assures China will continue to have a strong presence in South America. It also means Brazilians will face draconian social media censorship laws.

  1. AFTER IRAN REJECTS PEACE TALK OFFER, U.S. THREATENS STRIKES – Vice President JD Vance’s letter to the Iranians offering another round of peace talks was summarily rejected by the Iranian regime. As a result, the U.S. is threatening to resume air strikes against the Islamic Republic. Iran has countered that it would consider peace talks, but only if brokered by Pakistan.

The U.S. has reached out to its Gulf State allies and informed them there may soon be an “intense” war with Iran. The Strait of Hormuz is not completely opened, and Iran has been able to score hits on tankers still. President Trump once again claimed the war will be over soon, but hinted at a last intense stage.

  1. SERBIA FALLS TO A STUDENT REVOLUTION – Candidates in support of the “Student List” won the majority of seats in Serbia’s election, overthrowing the long-standing power of pro-Russian and Pro-Chinese Prime Minister Aleksander Vucic. The Student List won 52.7% of the vote and 140 of the 250 Parliament seats. The incumbent party, the Serbian Progressive Party, has been in power since 2012.
  2. FRANCE ISLAMIST-PROGRESSIVE RIOTS CONTINUE – Under the guise of “education reform,” which is mostly demanding more resources and creating policies aligned with the Progressive-Islamist alliance, riots across France in most major cities continue unabated. So far, more than 5,000 people have been arrested.
  3. IN WAKE OF MASS “MIGRANT INVASION,” SPAIN’S PM FORCED TO CALL SNAP ELECTIONS – Spaniards are joining the growing national protests against their country’s policies of open borders and the state’s attempt to destroy their national identity. The pressure is mounting on the regime in power, the progressives. They rule under their current Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, who rules thanks to a coalition of leftists.

His own party fared worse than the pro-Spanish party in the last election (which finished first but was kept out of power by the far-left coalition). Now, Sanchez must call a Snap election before any hope of winning another election (if he even makes it to that point) dies as the resistance to his Spain-hating policies grows.

  1. ALBERTA CHOOSES SOVIET CANADA – The vote to secede from Canada failed in Alberta by a convincing margin, with only 23% voting to start the process of secession. With results being delayed, and polls not opening in all places when they should have been, some doubt might remain about the results, but the margin makes it difficult to sustain.
  2. BURNHAM BLAMES RUSSIA FOR BREXIT – UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has telegraphed his next major move, setting up an election with Brexit on the chopping block. He is leading an international effort to paint Britain’s choice to leave the EU as a Russian-manipulated outcome, justifying a revisiting of the question. He accused Russia of meddling not only with the 2026 vote, but with other European elections as well.
  3. HAMAS SUPPORTERS MARCH ON OCTOBER 7 – Hamas supporters in London decided to march on the 3rd anniversary of the October 7 slaughter of innocent Israelis by the organization they are marching for. The march was not seen as racist by British police, despite it clearly sending a message to the Jews that they’re still next. It is an embrace of the slaughter of the Jewish race, nothing more.
  4. WOMEN IN INDIA STERILIZED TO WORK SUGARCANE FIELDS – With little opportunity outside of working sugarcane fields, hundreds of thousands of women in India choose to have their wombs removed to stop having periods. They do this to ensure they don’t miss workdays.

One woman described what they must endure: “We never have a day off. Once we arrive here, it’s constant work every single day for the next four to five months. Even removing my own uterus requires taking on debt. It feels like my body itself has become a slave to the system.”

CHINA

  1. CCP AGENT CAUGHT SPYING ON TAIWANESE AMERICANS – The DOJ has arrested Wanying “Heather” Zeng, 34, under charges she was spying on Taiwanese Americans for the Chinese government. Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg declared, “The central allegation here – that Zhang, at the behest of the People’s Republic of China, covertly surveilled relatives of a high-ranking foreign government official in the United States – is deeply troubling…”

U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli added, “Ms. Zhang is charged with acting at the direction of Chinese government officials to spy on the family of a senior Taiwanese official here in the United States. She violated our laws and will be held accountable in our courts. We will aggressively investigate and prosecute illegal foreign operations on American soil.”

  1. CHINA LOSES TRILLIONS AS FAITH IN AI FALTERS – The Chinese STAR 50 Index has lost trillions of dollars in value in recent months thanks mostly to lost faith in AI. The total value of AI stocks accounts for 40% of the market. The AI machines being built aren’t making money off their domestic market, a problem the U.S. might be facing soon as well.
  2. CHINA WINS IN U.S. COURT – A Federal judge has decided the Pentagon does not have a right to block firms from having defense contracts that lobby for Alibaba. The company rewarded in the ruling is a CCP-controlled and supporting enterprise. This ruling allows the CCP to continue to infiltrate American military procurement infrastructures. They can effectively even “lobby” congress to make it happen.
  3. CHINA ENTERS LAOS – China has sent a military convoy into the border nation of Laos, which is raising concerns of Laotians who have bad memories of colonization from world powers. The military is being moved into a permanent “Training Center,” which is raising even more red flags among the local population.
  4. CHINA ADDS AIR BASE TO “TRAINING” IN LAOS – China has extended its presence in Laos following reports it had set up a training camp inside the country. Now, China appears to have built an air base within Laos as well. Satellite imagery showed Chinese military aircraft leaving from and landing in the region identified as the new air base. Beijing has now claimed the base is to train Laotian pilots to fly Chinese fighters.

CULTURE

  1. LEFTIST NEWS AGGREGATORS DOMINATE U.S. NEWS – 58% of Americans are getting their “news” from far-left news aggregators that block non-progressive media from being seen. These four far-left news aggregators are run by progressive-controlled corporations aligned with the Democratic Party. The four aggregators are Apple News, Google News, Yahoo News, and Microsoft’s MSM.
  2. SHARIA GAINING FAVOR AMONG AMERICAN YOUTH – Thanks in large part to great efforts by progressive-controlled government schools promoting Islam and excoriating Christianity, a new poll reveals 4 in 10 young Americans have a favorable view of Sharia, Islamic Law.

The poll indicts the public education system, which has fallen to insurrectionist progressives. These “teachers” are more aligned with Chairman Mao and Osama Bin Laden than they are with George Washington and Jesus Christ.

3. AMERICAN UNDERGRADS BECOMING VIOLENT PROGRESSIVES – A new poll from the Buckley Institute claims 45% of American undergrads support violence against “hate speech.” 30% of self-identifying “conservative” undergrads agreed. 22% of undergrads believe America deserved 9/1. Among those who support violence against “hate speech,” 72% say “hate speech” is a constitutionally protected form of free speech.

4. SOMALI TEEN PLOTTED MASS MURDER IN MALL OF AMERICA – The FBI caught another wanna-be terrorist before they could act by first seemingly enabling their actions. Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud, an 18-year-old Somali American, was arrested and accused of plotting to kill Americans in the Mall of America. He was going to use an AK-47 and 200 rounds of ammo. The teen purchased the inert AK-47, and the ammo, from the FBI. This is how the arrest was made.

The DOJ released a statement that, in part, exclaimed, “The FBI rendered the AK-47 rifle inert prior to the transaction. During the sale of the firearm and ammunition, Mohamud reaffirmed his plan to use the firearm and ammunition to shoot people at the Mall of America”

5. CHILD GENDER “THERAPISTS” CONTINUE SHUT-DOWN OPERATIONS UNDER NEW NAMES – When child transgender therapists and operations are shut down from organizations relying on Federal tax dollars, they turn to independent trans zealots to both fund and protect them. The Trump administration is working on identifying shut down operations and following them when they go “independent.”

6. HARVARD PROFESSORS AND ALUMNI ARE AGAINST HIRING CONSERVATIVES – A recent suggestion by Harvard that it should do more to get conservative professors hired was met with stiff resistance from progressive professors. Over 95% of Harvard’s professors are self-identifying progressives.

Progressive alumni joined in the resistance, with one alumnus claiming, “Even supposing that [silencing] takes place, how would the hiring of conservative faculty act as a countervailing force? Surely such hiring may inhibit viewpoint diversity rather than nurture it.” We will leave that statement represent the mind of the progressive in all its incongruity with reality.

7. UK SUPPORTS GLOBAL HATE SPEECH CRACKDOWN – The UK is coming out in support of a UN resolution demanding worldwide action to prevent hate speech. The Burnham administration declared, “… we, the UK, thank the African Group for bringing forward this resolution and pay particular tribute to South Africa for their principled leadership in keeping the fight against racism high on the international agenda.”

8. WOMAN ALMOST SUICIDED BY CANADA FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO COOK – A woman who was depressed because she felt she could no longer cook for her family was approved for suicide by Canadian doctors. Fortunately, she was talked out of it, but not by the doctors, who may have wanted to profit from her organs.

Canada’s embrace of euthanasia, which was supposed to be a measure of last resort for the truly terminally and pain-ridden ill, has led it to expand the reasons people can apply for state-assisted suicide. We can add to that growing list not being able to cook for your family. Now, even euthanasia supporters are raising the alarm on Canada’s seemingly careless reliance on suicide to cure its social and economic woes.

9. SUPPORT FOR CRIMINALIZING OFFENSIVE SPEECH SPIKES – Four in 10 U.S. students support criminal prosecution of “offensive speech,” which is up 7 points from last year. The survey came from the Buckley Institute. At the same time, 73% of students agreed the Constitution is an important document for the U.S., not an outdated one.

10. IDAHO PROPOSITION WOULD ALLOW MINORS TO CONSENT TO ABORTION – Despite what the ACLU has been saying about Idaho’s Proposition 1, critics counter that it does, in fact, allow minor children to consent to abortions without parental notice. The proposition, if passed, would remove limits on abortion and effectively allow children to have abortions without parental consent.

11. BELGIUM’S EUTHANASIA EXPLODES – Over 1,100 people have been euthanized by Belgian authorities for ailments that are not immediately terminal. In 2025, euthanasia deaths jumped 12.4% from last year. They accounted for 4% of all national deaths.

MARKET

  1. NINE U.S. BANKS DEBANKED DISSENTERS OF THE PROGRESSIVE ORTHODOXY – Nine major U.S. banks have been found to have debanked Americans for holding views not acceptable to the anti-American ideology of progressivism. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) released a report exposing the unconstitutional, and possibly criminal actions.

The nine banks listed were: BMO Bank, Capital One, Citibank, JPMorgan Chase Bank, PNC Bank, TD Bank, U.S. Bank, and Wells Fargo Bank. These debankings happened between 2010 and 2025, meaning they continued after Trump took office.

  1. AI DEBT LOOMING THREAT ON WORLD ECONOMY – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has issued a warning to global markets about the looming debt in the AI industry. It claims all the major American tech companies are saddled with AI investment bills not met with AI-producing revenues.
  2. META GETS $25 BILLION BILL OVER 2016 ELECTION – A New Mexico court is ordering Meta to pay $25 billion in a civil lawsuit for allowing Cambridge Analytica access to user data during the 2016 election. The company was working for the Trump campaign. It used that information to help the Trump campaign more effectively target potential voters.

SCI-TECH

  1. U.S. AXES DEEPSEEK, CHINA THREATENS COUNTERACTION – The U.S. has announced a ban on China’s DeepSeek AI from U.S. government systems, citing security risks. China has responded by threatening consequences if the U.S. doesn’t reverse this decision. DeepSeek models “present multiple threat pathways,” according to a notice published in the U.S. Federal Register.
  2. GOP HANDS AI GOVERNANCE OVER TO CALIFORNIA – Because the Republican-controlled national legislature failed to pass a measure to block them, California is set to be the definer of AI standards. Now, Anthropic is using California’s AI standards to push a national bill forward that could allow their AI agents to work without government intervention unless the high threshold of 50 lives in danger is met.
  3. ANTHROPIC WANTS TO MERGE WITH THE PRESIDENT – Anthropic has launched a “presidential engagement” project in preparation for the 2028 Presidential election. They plan on engaging with major U.S. presidential candidates on AI policy to determine their political strategy. From this, their political funding strategy would follow. It’s a transparent “buy influence” program being advertised in advance ahead of the 2028 elections. It is projected Anthropic will be a $2 trillion plus venture. With no limits on campaign finance, this will make Anthropic an instant President maker.
  4. ANTHROPIC ANNOUNCES RESTRICTIONS ON BEING MEAN TO ITS AI AGENT, CLAUDE – Anthropic has announced plans to implement a new governance policy for users of its AI agent, Claude. The change of policy would eventually block users from using Claude who are consistently “mean” to Claude.

They claim the rule will be enforced selectively, “only in extreme cases, where users repeatedly act cruelly toward our models, with no discernible purpose.”

PEOPLE ADVANCE

  1. SOCIAL SECURITY TO GET RECORD CLEANUP AFFECTING 50 MILLION RECORDS – The Social Security Administration (SSA) has identified 50 million Social Security records that have inaccurate or fraudulent information. They’ve begun a massive database cleanup of Social Security records, which is intended to dramatically reduce fraud. This is the largest cleanup operation in the history of the SSA.
  2. NO HEARINGS FOR ILLEGALS – The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 10-7 to continue to allow the Federal government to detain illegal aliens without a hearing. The ruling makes it easier to deport illegal aliens, whose deportations are often delayed by lengthy hearing-delay tactics from progressive activist “lawyers.”
  3. OREGON SCHOOL SHOOTING STOPPED BY AMERICAN GUN OWNER – A shooting at an Oregon high school left three children, aged five, eight, and 1l, along with one teacher, dead. The shooter has been identified as John J. Griffin III. The shooter was stopped by a parent with a concealed carry license, saving many lives, but tragically not all lives.
  4. TRUMP TARGETS MAJOR U.S. CORPORATIONS IN FOREIGN VISA CRACKDOWN – Vice President JD Vance announced the Trump administration’s new restrictions on the H-1B Visa program. These new restrictions effectively end U.S. corporate reliance on “cheap foreign labor” for high-level positions, which effectively freeze Americans out of higher potential seats of power.
  5. SCOTUS AFFIRMS TRUMP’S RIGHT TO FIRE FEDERAL EMPLOYEES – A challenge to President Trump firing of a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) member was dismissed by the Supreme Court. Gwynne Wilcox, a progressive, was fired by President Trump. She sued to get her job back.
  6. EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RUNS OUT OF PATIENCE WITH ISLAM – The European Parliament has passed a resolution condemning the Muslim Brotherhood and calling on action to be taken against Islamists in Europe. French European Parliament member Céline Imart said of the passage, “This is a historic victory because it is a European first.”
  7. CNN FALLS TO MAGA? – The merger deal between Paramount and Warner Brothers has now officially gone through, meaning a Trump-supporting family, the Ellisons, OFFICIALLY hold the reins of power of CNN, the progressive state cable news flagship.

The current head of CNN, Mark Thompson, said of the merger, “First, I’m convinced that from David Ellison on down, Paramount Skydance leadership really does believe in news alongside entertainment as a top strategic opportunity for our new company… And second, having now spoken to them at length of the topic, I have real confidence that they both understand and will fully support the principle and practice of the kind of independent news that CNN has always stood for.”

  1. ICE UNMASKING STRUCK DOWN BY 9TH – An effort by progressive California to unmask ICE agents in an effort to help their street fighters locate and terrorize (or worse) ICE agents has been struck down by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

From the summary of the ruling, “In sum, if a state law directly regulates the governmental conduct of the United States without congressional authorization, it is void irrespective of whether the regulated activities are essential to federal functions or operations, and irrespective of the degree to which the state law interferes with such functions or operations.”

  1. CHRISTIAN-ONLY FRANCHISE CONSTITUTIONAL, COURT RULES – The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled a Christian-only auto repair franchise is not a constitutional violation. The company, Christian Brothers Automotive, only allows self-professing Christians to be franchise owners. There are 300 franchises nationwide.
  2. GREENLAND GOLD COMING AMERICA’S WAY – President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social, “Massive Oil, Gas, and Mineral Exploration is getting ready to begin in our new and beautiful Greenland! There are Experts that are saying that the amount of easily available Oil is far greater than that of almost any land, anywhere in the World and, even more importantly, from a Security Purpose in the Defense and Offense of both the United States of America, and Europe, is second to none. Any future attack on the United States will have to come across Greenland, where our Defense will routinely knock down drones, missiles, or any other form of weapon not yet even conceived. It gives us time, location, and sightline, like nowhere else in the World!”
  3. AS FOREIGN APPLICATIONS DRY UP, UNIVERSITIES LOWER TUITION FOR AMERICANS – After a dramatic reduction in foreign customers for U.S. universities, the consequence for Americans is lower tuition. Universities needing American customers are now lowering their tuition prices to get them. Several private schools struggling to exist are now lowering their tuition by 40-50% to win back American customers.
  4. PASTOR FREED AFTER BEING ARRESTED FOR HAVING 24/7 CHURCH – An Ohio Pastor has seen his conviction for opening his church 24/7 overturned by the Ohio Sixth District Court of Appeals. The defendant, Pastor Chris Avell, faced “fire code charges” and jail time for keeping his church open 24/7.

His counsel, Ryan Gardner, said of the ruling, “Pastor Chris has the constitutional right to operate his church free from the government imposing draconian fire code regulations. We hope that this latest ruling will put an end to the years-long legal battle that Pastor Chris has endured. We are grateful to all the work of our co-counsels in this case.”

  1. DOJ TO LET SUPPRESSOR RULING STAND – The Department of Justice has informed congress it will not be appealing a lower court decision that struck down federal regulations on firearms suppressors. The ruling only applies to the states in the jurisdiction of the court.

BELLWETHER DIGEST – WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 30, 2026

By STAFF

This week’s report covers political, world, culture, market, and sci-tech news from October 23-30

This report contains the Global Outlook, Headlines Missed, and People Advance Reports.

For 2026 Election News, read our report on the midterm elections on pg. 2. You can read part two of the report on pg. xx.

TOP NEWS TAGS

  1. 2026 Elections
  2. AI Watch
  3. Progressive State Press
  4. China Watch
  5. Brazil Watch
  6. France Riots
  7. Ukraine War
  8. Israel Watch
  9. Europe Riots
  10. Iran War

GLOBAL OUTLOOK

  1. APPEALS COURT PROTECTS 20,000 NON-CITIZEN CALIFORNIA BALLOTS – A Federal Appeals court ruled 2-1 to deny the Department of Justice’s request to remove 20,000 non-citizen ballots from California’s voter rolls. The court passed on a technicality, claiming it had no power to act until a lower court had ruled. They also claimed, “The United States’s claimed emergency, at least in part, is a self-constructed one.”
  2. NETANYAHU CRIES FOUL AS ELECTION LEAVES NO FINAL WINNER – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to win a majority needed to form a government after the Israeli election, but so did his opponent. Netanyahu beat his opponent 21.4% to 16.2%. Netanyahu is claiming Islamist factions have infiltrated the election process, robbing his coalition of their “rightful” victory.

Golan posted on X, “We must no longer accept Netanyahu’s racist division between Jewish votes and Arab votes. We have a responsibility. And we have an opportunity to form a government of change in partnership with Israel’s Arab citizens.” Netanyahu responded, “We must not endanger Israel and establish a government that relies on anti-Zionist Arab parties.”

  1. BOLSONARO LOSES IN “QUESTIONABLE” ELECTION – The Chinese won Brazil’s Presidential election when their candidate, Lula da Silva, won re-election for the third time. He defeated the American candidate, Senator Flavio Bolsanaro, the son of the former President, Jair Messias Bolsanaro. Lula lost in the first round of votes but came back in the run-off to defeat Bolsonaro by a 51-48-point margin.

The controversy with the election began when a Lula-supporting activist judge decided to extend the closing hour of the polls by 2 hours. It is believed this is where Lula “manufactured” the votes he needed to hold on to power. The win by Lula assures China will continue to have a strong presence in South America. It also means Brazilians will face draconian social media censorship laws.

  1. AFTER IRAN REJECTS PEACE TALK OFFER, U.S. THREATENS STRIKES – Vice President JD Vance’s letter to the Iranians offering another round of peace talks was summarily rejected by the Iranian regime. As a result, the U.S. is threatening to resume air strikes against the Islamic Republic. Iran has countered that it would consider peace talks, but only if brokered by Pakistan.

The U.S. has reached out to its Gulf State allies and informed them there may soon be an “intense” war with Iran. The Strait of Hormuz is not completely opened, and Iran has been able to score hits on tankers still. President Trump once again claimed the war will be over soon, but hinted at a last intense stage.

  1. CHINA LOSES TRILLIONS AS FAITH IN AI FALTERS – The Chinese STAR 50 Index has lost trillions of dollars in value in recent months thanks mostly to lost faith in AI. The total value of AI stocks accounts for 40% of the market. The AI machines being built aren’t making money off their domestic market, a problem the U.S. might be facing soon as well.
  2. ARE THE SAUDIS ATTEMPTING TO BUY THE HOUTHIS OFF? – Saudi Arabia is allegedly working with Iran to broker a deal with the Houthis that would see the Houthis get $1 billion to quit the war. The allegations were released in the Israeli newspaper, Israel Hayom. The Houthis have expanded their attacks on Saudi Arabia, launching six strikes in recent days.

They are also threatening to declare war on Egypt should it aid the Saudis in the war. Their efforts to shut down the Red Sea have not quite materialized, but trade has been slowed, though not significantly.

  1. COMEY GETS NEW CHARGE RELATED TO NY TIMES LEAK – James Comey will face more charges connected to an allegation he “knowingly and willingly” passed sensitive top secret national defense information to the New York Times, a flagship of the progressive state press.

The DOJ stated it filed a “waiverless criminal information to toll the statute of limitations as it relates to allegations concerning former FBI Director Comey. Filing a criminal information to toll the statute of limitations is a widely recognized practice in federal court and has been approved by multiple Circuit Courts of Appeals.”

  1. SWALWELL INVESTIGATION LEADS TO NEW FBI RAID – A raid of a mansion in Southern California is connected to a federal investigation into the potential criminal activity of former congressman Eric Swallwell. He is suspected of having ties to the CCP. He is also suspected of committing sexual assault on women, with one accusing him of rape. It was his rape allegations that led to his resignation, not his ties to the CCP.
  2. CONFUCIUS INSTITUTES DECLARED CCP FRONTS BY U.S. – The U.S. Department of War has declared China’s “cultural outreach” centers in progressive-run U.S. universities security threats.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth declared, “These Chinese government-backed propaganda cultural programs had infiltrated our nation’s universities in almost every state. Now, thankfully, Congress banned them a few years ago, these Confucius Institutes. But they came back disguised in new forms, just like DEI does. Just call it a different name. Well, the Department of War has taken action to stop this as well.”

HEADLINES MISSED

  1. SERBIA FALLS TO A STUDENT REVOLUTION – Candidates in support of the “Student List” won the majority of seats in Serbia’s election, overthrowing the long-standing power of pro-Russian and Pro-Chinese Prime Minister Aleksander Vucic. The Student List won 52.7% of the vote and 140 of the 250 Parliament seats. The incumbent party, the Serbian Progressive Party, has been in power since 2012.
  2. CHINA WINS IN U.S. COURT – A Federal judge has decided the Pentagon does not have a right to block firms from having defense contracts that lobby for Alibaba. The company rewarded in the ruling is a CCP-controlled and supporting enterprise. This ruling allows the CCP to continue to infiltrate American military procurement infrastructures. They can effectively even “lobby” congress to make it happen.
  3. BREXIT TO BLAME FOR UK UNREST, BURNHAM CLAIMS – The UK’s radical progressive Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, continues to push an anti-Brexit narrative intended to set up a redo election. He hopes to bring the UK back into the EU, and he aims to use the riots and unrest in Britian to stigmatize Brexit. He is now directly accusing Brexit of being the underlying cause of the unrest in the country, not the unfettered immigration of foreigners that hate Britian, nor the criminalization of dissent against it.
  4. U.S. JAPAN MILITARY DRILLS DISRUPTED BY CHINESE AND RUSSIAN SPY PLANES – While the U.S. and Japan were engaged in military drills in the Indo Pacific, China and Russia sent spy planes to disrupt the action. Japanese fighters were scrambled to escort the spy planes out of the region. The drills involved thousands of troops, hundreds of aircraft, and dozens of naval vessels.
  5. 60 CHRISTIANS KILLED IN ETHIOPIA – Islamist assaults on Ethiopian Orthodox Churches have left 60 Christians dead. One attack claimed 14 lives, and another attack 4 days later left 46 dead. Local authorities blamed the Oromo Liberation Army for the slaughter. The terror group has failed to respond to the accusations.

PEOPLE ADVANCE

  1. NO HEARINGS FOR ILLEGALS – The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 10-7 to continue to allow the Federal government to detain illegal aliens without a hearing. The ruling makes it easier to deport illegal aliens, whose deportations are often delayed by lengthy hearing-delay tactics from progressive activist “lawyers.”

The Supreme Court affirmed the lower

  1. DEI DEFEATED DESPITE JUDGE’S AI “RULING” – The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals struck down Judge Henry Wingate’s ruling that held an anti-DEI Mississippi Law was unconstitutional. The judge used AI to create plaintiffs not involved in the case.

In the ruling, the court declared, “Those included mention of plaintiffs and defendants not in the complaint, supposed ‘declarations’ from non-existent or never-present individuals, false quotations purporting to be taken from the text of H.B. 1193, and several erroneous claims that the law had already led to the demise of apparently fictitious programs.”

court. The ruling allows the Trump administration to deport illegal aliens without a hearing.

  1. ALLEGED CLASSIFIED LEAKER ARRESTED – The FBI arrested a former CIA contractor, Ian Brinksman, 42, for allegedly leaking classified information through his Substack blog. An FBI affidavit alleges he published classified information, claiming the “public deserves to know about” it.
  2. ONE MILLION BARRELS OF OIL FROM VENEZUELA – President Trump announced on Truth Social the arrival of 1 million barrels of oil coming from Venezuela at no expense to the taxpayer.

He wrote, “I am traveling to Corpus Christi, Texas to a PACKED Rally, where the United States of America will receive ONE MILLION BARRELS of VENEZUELAN OIL as a result of our Highly Successful Military Operation, followed by the Biggest Oil Deal in the History of the World. Thanks to our renewed relationship with Venezuela, which has turned out to be a truly excellent one, the Oil is being provided to the United States at NO cost to the American Taxpayer.”

German court rejects bid to end Ukrainian ex-officer’s trial over Nord Stream pipeline blasts– abcnews.com
News Source
EXCERPT:

HAMBURG, Germany — A German court on Tuesday rejected a defense request to end the trial of a former Ukrainian army officer who is accused of damaging the Nord Stream gas pipelines built to carry Russian gas to western Europe in blasts four years ago.

Serhii Kuznietsov, 50, went on trial at the Hamburg state court on Oct. 14, charged with causing an explosion, damaging property, disrupting public service and being an “accomplice to war crimes” by attacking civilian infrastructure.

He is alleged to have been the ringleader of the attack on the Nord Stream gas pipelines, considered one of Europe’s biggest acts of sabotage since World War II.

His lawyers swiftly filed a motion to dismiss the charges. They argued that Kuznietsov was still an active duty soldier and as such was obligated by Ukrainian law not to speak for reasons of secrecy linked to national security, and that under German law anyone who can’t speak out can’t be convicted.

The court dismissed the motion on the trial’s second day of hearings on Tuesday, German news agency dpa reported. It said that the defendant’s defense wasn’t limited under German law, and that freedom to testify in Germany isn’t limited by a foreign country’s conditions of service.

The undersea explosions on Sept. 26, 2022, ruptured the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which was Russia’s main natural gas supply route to Germany until Moscow cut off supplies in August 2022, months after launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. They also damaged Nord Stream 2, which never entered service because Germany suspended its certification process shortly before Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine.

The suspect allegedly organized and carried out the detonation of at least four bombs between 14 and 27 kilograms (around 31 to 62 pounds) at a depth of 70 to 80 meters (230 feet to 263 feet) near the Danish island of Bornholm.

Kuznietsov was detained last year in Italy. He was publicly named in extradition proceedings that led to his transfer to Germany in November.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has denied allegations that his country was involved in the pipeline blasts.

 

Photos show Ukraine’s Starlink was throttled during Russian strike that killed 5 in park– www.cbsnews.com
News Source
EXCERPT:

Kharkiv, Ukraine – Yulia Spichak, a 34 year-old makeup artist in Ukraine’s eastern Kharkiv region, dropped her son off at an English-language lesson on Oct. 19 and sat down in a nearby park to send a selfie to her sister, Alina. Seconds later, a Russian drone slammed into the park, killing Spichak and four others, including a 1-year-old girl.

The attack came six days after Elon Musk’s SpaceX throttled Ukraine’s access to Starlink, which Ukraine has been using to coordinate its defenses against Russian attacks and for some of its offensive operations. In a post on X, Musk accused Ukraine of violating Starlink’s terms of service by also using it for attacks on Russia.

Ukrainian officials told CBS News that the restrictions imposed without advance notice affected ground-based air defense radars and drone interceptors, hindering the military’s ability to stop incoming Russian strikes.

“It’s an essential part of the air defense infrastructure,” Vadym Ivchenko, a Ukrainian member of parliament on the National Security, Defense and Intelligence Committee, told CBS News Monday. “I couldn’t say that all other air defenses stopped working, no. But this part is quite essential for the defense of civilians in Ukraine.”

Musk claims Ukraine violated Starlink service agreement– www.cnbc.com
News Source
EXCERPT:

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk looks on as President Donald Trump speaks to the press after a meeting with technology executives about artificial intelligence at the White House in Washington, Sept. 29, 2026.

Kent Nishimura | AFP | Getty Images

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk on Saturday said the company restricted Ukraine’s access to its high-speed technology because Kyiv violated Starlink’s terms of service.

In a post on X, Musk said: “Ukraine military violated Starlink terms of service and used it for offensive drone strikes to kill people. That loophole was closed last week.”

He added: “SpaceX has done more to defend Ukraine than any private company on Earth BY FAR.”

Ukraine officials said earlier in the day that SpaceX’s Starlink and Starshield satellite communication systems had restored high-speed service, a day after they said the service remained throttled. Ukrainian official said the service disruption left the country vulnerable to Russian attacks.

“The monitoring systems of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine officially record the restoration of the speed of Starlink/Starshield,” it said in a statement. “The connection remains stable [while equipment is moving] at speeds over 400 km/h (249 miles per hour).”

NATO countries hold rare call with Vladimir Putin as leaders discuss ending Ukraine war– www.mirror.co.uk
News Source
EXCERPT:

Finland’s President Alexander Stubb and Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre told Russia’s Vladimir Putin of the ‘enormous human and material costs’ of the war in Ukraine in a rare call

Vladimir Putin has spoken to two EU leaders in a rare phone call (file photo)(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

The leaders of two NATO countries have held “frank” conversations with Vladimir Putin over ending the war in Ukraine.

Finland’s President Alexander Stubb and Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre spoke to their Russian counterpart on a joint call this afternoon – marking a rare example of direct contact between EU leaders and the Kremlin chief.

The call, which was scheduled for 20 minutes but lasted over an hour and a half, saw the two Nordic leaders stress the importance of “de-escalation” in the war amid the “enormous human and material costs”.

Putin is said to have told them that peace is only possible if “Russia’s interests are fully and unconditionally taken into account.”

Stubb says his call with Putin was arranged jointly with US, Ukraine – World– tass.com
News Source
EXCERPT:

STOCKHOLM, October 27. /TASS/. The United States and Ukraine took part in preparing Finnish leader Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store’s phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“Finland never discusses Ukraine-related issues without general approval, bypassing Ukraine,” Yle broadcaster quoted Stubb as saying at a news conference.

According to Stubb, he and Store discussed the initiative with US negotiators and agreed that “now is the best time for talks with Putin.”.

 

MIA Weekly October 23, 2026

In this issue:

Oui Islam – Fading Trump – Vote Power

In Issue 2026.35, The Universal State, we do a Deep Dive on the French Riots, which are shaping up to be a battle between the universal state and the French nation-state.

Our Bellwether Report covers Trump Tanking, Progs Plotting, and Social Security Cleaning.

In our Final Thought, Bill Collier settles for an awful choice in the 2026 midterm elections.

  1. Deep Dive: Joan of Hamas? – The Progressive French Jihad
  2. Bellwether Report – Global Outlook, Headlines Missed, People Advance

III. Final Thought – Voting Power in the Face of Awful Choices

MIA Weekly 26 10 23 FINAL DRAFT

Bellwether Digest – Week Ending october 23, 2026

By STAFF

This week’s report covers political, world, culture, market, and sci-tech news from October 16-23

This report contains the Global Outlook, Headlines Missed, and People Advance Reports.

TOP NEWS TAGS

  1. 2026 Elections
  2. France Riots
  3. Ukraine War
  4. Progressive State Press
  5. Iran War
  6. AI Watch
  7. Election Fraud
  8. Russia Watch
  9. Trump Deportations
  10. Ilhan Omar Citizenship

GLOBAL OUTLOOK

NOTE: We are following the Ilhan Omar story, which, so far, has not led to decisive action against her. She stands accused of being an illegal alien member of Congress. It remains to be seen if the DOJ has enough to prosecute and then deport her.

  1. TRUMP APPROVAL DROPS TO HISTORIC LOW – The Trump approval rating has hit 33% ahead of the midterms. The same poll shows Democrats are more trusted on the economy than Republicans. Both polls portend poorly for the American republic in the upcoming midterm election, which is an election about Americanism that has been hijacked by the “affordability” narrative.
  2. ANOTHER JUDGE STOPS NON-CITIZEN VOTER PREVENTION ACTION – Another Biden-appointed District Judge has halted key parts of the DHS’ non-citizen voter investigation in what appears to be a partisan protection of the Democratic Party. The court called the investigation into non-citizen voting an “unlawful voter initiative.” The ruling cannot be reversed before the election unless SCOTUS intervenes.
  3. STARLINK BACK ON FOR UKRAINE – President Trump told the press that Ukraine’s access to Starlink has been restored. When asked about it, he said, “I don’t want to comment on it, whether I called or whether somebody else called, doesn’t make any difference, I guess. The bottom line — he put it back.”

Ukraine lost Starlink access in critical areas, leading its President, Zelensky, to claim Musk cost Ukrainian lives. At first, Musk suggested the decision was not his. As of now, the facts behind both the access removal and restoration remain conflicting.

  1. ALBERTA CHOOSES SOVIET CANADA – The vote to secede from Canada failed in Alberta by a convincing margin, with only 23% voting to start the process of secession. With results being delayed, and polls not opening in all places when they should have been, some doubt might remain about the results, but the margin makes it difficult to sustain.
  2. CALIFORNIA TELLS THE FEDS A FEW ILLEGAL VOTES ARE NO BIG DEAL – California’s progressive governor Gavin Newsom recently condoned a few non-citizen votes for the sake of not fully checking their voting rolls as the Department of Justice has requested. After the DOJ caught 28 illegal aliens registered to vote and planning to vote, Newsom’s government responded with indifference to the news.

Newsom claimed, “Yes, non-citizen voter registration and voting does happen in isolated instances — in California and the rest of the country alike — but it is so rare that the Trump admin is parading around town about .0001% of California voters. If the feds were serious about this, they would have done this long ago — not in the middle of people voting, which inherently and needlessly sows distrust and doubt in our democracy.”

  1. ARE THE POLLS RIGGED? – Another polling company has confessed to creating fake polls. Wedgwood Polls confessed it created fake polls to show Democrats ahead as part of a social experiment. They claimed, “Our fabricated numbers were given instant credibility across platforms and cited on air and reporting.”
  2. U.S. AXES DEEPSEEK, CHINA THREATENS COUNTERACTION – The U.S. has announced a ban on China’s DeepSeek AI from U.S. government systems, citing security risks. China has responded by threatening consequences if the U.S. doesn’t reverse this decision. DeepSeek models “present multiple threat pathways,” according to a notice published in the U.S. Federal Register.
  3. MICHIGAN DEMOCRAT SENATOR THREATENS TO PROSECUTE REPUBLICANS TO FRIGHTEN CHILDREN – Michigan Democrat Senator Elissa Slotkin openly threatened to prosecute young staff members of the Trump administration to frighten young people from serving in a non-Democratic administration.

She said, “I want young people coming out of school to say, ‘Should I go work for the Trump administration? That sounds fun. I might get an opportunity.’ I want them to be like, ‘Lord, that might be buying myself a ton of problems I don’t want, and so let me avoid participating in that.’ I want that deterrence message sent.”

  1. META GETS $25 BILLION BILL OVER 2016 ELECTION – A New Mexico court is ordering Meta to pay $25 billion in a civil lawsuit for allowing Cambridge Analytica access to user data during the 2016 election. The company was working for the Trump campaign. It used that information to help the Trump campaign more effectively target potential voters.
  2. CHINA STALKS U.S. SHIPS IN TAIWAN STRAIT – The Chinese have sent ships to shadow U.S. ships on patrol in the Taiwan Strait. While the Chinese have done this before, these shadowing operations have recently increased, along with their presence in the Philippine Sea. The U.S. and Taiwan have met this increased activity with their own increased activity in response.

HEADLINES MISSED

  1. PROGRESSIVES CAUGHT PLOTTING OVERTHROW OF AMERICA – The progressives are planning on enacting a series of violent actions after the midterm elections, should they win decisively. The plan is to trigger a federal response that will allow progressive-controlled states to rebel against the Federal government.

From the main source for the uncovered videos and documents, DataRepublican, “You’ve heard that the DSA is proposing structural reforms to America, including abolishing the Senate and imposing term limits.

“What you not have heard is – there is an operational plan to put it all into action. If the Democratic Party sweeps 2026, then DSA will become ‘foot soldiers”’ in constant clashes with the administration to cross a ‘red line’ or invoke a ‘doomsday scenario’ – meaning, President Trump invokes the Insurrection Act, probably sometime in 2027.”

  1. GOP HANDS AI GOVERNANCE OVER TO CALIFORNIA – Because the Republican-controlled national legislature failed to pass a measure to block them, California is set to be the definer of AI standards. Now, Anthropic is using California’s AI standards to push a national bill forward that could allow their AI agents to work without government intervention unless the high threshold of 50 lives in danger is met.
  2. SUPPORT FOR CRIMINALIZING OFFENSIVE SPEECH SPIKES – Four in 10 U.S. students support criminal prosecution of “offensive speech,” which is up 7 points from last year. The survey came from the Buckley Institute. At the same time, 73% of students agreed the Constitution is an important document for the U.S., not an outdated one.
  3. LEFTIST NEWS AGGREGATORS DOMINATE U.S. NEWS – 58% of Americans are getting their “news” from far-left news aggregators that block non-progressive media from being seen. These four far-left news aggregators are run by progressive-controlled corporations aligned with the Democratic Party. The four aggregators are Apple News, Google News, Yahoo News, and Microsoft’s MSM.
  4. IDAHO PROPOSITION WOULD ALLOW MINORS TO CONSENT TO ABORTION – Despite what the ACLU has been saying about Idaho’s Proposition 1, critics counter that it does, in fact, allow minor children to consent to abortions without parental notice. The proposition, if passed, would remove limits on abortion and effectively allow children to have abortions without parental consent.
  5. BELGIUM’S EUTHANASIA EXPLODES – Over 1,100 people have been euthanized by Belgian authorities for ailments that are not immediately terminal. In 2025, euthanasia deaths jumped 12.4% from last year. They accounted for 4% of all national deaths.
  6. WOMEN IN INDIA STERILIZED TO WORK SUGARCANE FIELDS – With little opportunity outside of working sugarcane fields, hundreds of thousands of women in India choose to have their wombs removed to stop having periods. They do this to ensure they don’t miss workdays.

One woman described what they must endure: “We never have a day off. Once we arrive here, it’s constant work every single day for the next four to five months. Even removing my own uterus requires taking on debt. It feels like my body itself has become a slave to the system.”

PEOPLE ADVANCE

  1. SOCIAL SECURITY TO GET RECORD CLEANUP AFFECTING 50 MILLION RECORDS – The Social Security Administration (SSA) has identified 50 million Social Security records that have inaccurate or fraudulent information. They’ve begun a massive database cleanup of Social Security records, which is intended to dramatically reduce fraud. This is the largest cleanup operation in the history of the SSA.
  2. SCOTUS AFFIRMS TRUMP’S RIGHT TO FIRE FEDERAL EMPLOYEES – A challenge to President Trump firing of a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) member was dismissed by the Supreme Court. Gwynne Wilcox, a progressive, was fired by President Trump. She sued to get her job back.
  3. JUDGE NIXES PROGRESSIVE ASSAULT ON NORTH CAROLINA ELECTION INTEGRITY – The progressives were hoping to use Judgefare to loosen absentee ballot laws in North Carolina. Their efforts were halted by U.S. District Judge Thomas Shroeder, who threw their lawsuit out.
  4. EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RUNS OUT OF PATIENCE WITH ISLAM – The European Parliament has passed a resolution condemning the Muslim Brotherhood and calling on action to be taken against Islamists in Europe. French European Parliament member Céline Imart said of the passage, “This is a historic victory because it is a European first.”
  5. WALLPAPER ELECTRIC POWER? – Researchers from New York’s Binghamton University have developed a wallpaper that generates electricity from the air. The technology is called Moist-electric generators, which have existed for years, but are now closer to becoming practical.

Russian forces pound Ukrainian logistics hubs, energy, port sites in overnight strike – Russian Politics & Diplomacy– tass.com
News Source
EXCERPT:

MOSCOW, October 26. /TASS/. Russian forces delivered an overnight strike on Ukraine’s logistics hubs, energy facilities and port infrastructure used to support the Ukrainian army’s operations, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported.

TASS has put together key facts about the targets of the strikes.

Russian Defense Ministry statement

– During the past night, the Russian Armed Forces continued delivering strikes by unmanned aerial vehicles against logistics centers, energy facilities powering their operation and also ports in Ukraine and sea vessels used to support the Ukrainian army’s operations, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported.

Musk says he was behind Starlink speed restriction in Ukraine– www.cbc.ca
News Source
EXCERPT:

The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.

Elon Musk said on Saturday that his company SpaceX had throttled the Starlink satellite internet service in Ukraine, disrupting operations that the country relies on to defend itself against Russia.

Musk’s admission on social media came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine’s access to Starlink and Starshield satellite links has been restored to the speeds it had before restrictions that disrupted front-line operations for more than a week.

Questions have persisted since last week about who ordered the interruptions to the Musk-made satellite internet system that Kyiv has relied on for years to counter Moscow’s attacks.

“The speeds are now where they need to be,” Zelenskyy wrote on X, adding that restoration began overnight and were sufficient by Saturday morning, improving front-line logistics and defence against Russian jet-powered Shahed drones.

Ukraine lands direct hit on Putin’s war factory producing components for deadly ballistic warheads– www.thesun.co.uk
News Source

EXCERPT:

UKRAINE hit a Russian war factory yesterday using British-made Storm Shadow missiles.

The key complex in Oryol produced components for the deadly ballistic warheads unleashed on Kyiv this week.

Ukraine hit one of Vladimir Putin’s Russian war factories using British-made missiles Credit: East2West
The facility in Oryol produced components for deadly ballistic warheads unleashed on Kyiv last week Credit: East2West

The strike on the Proton-Electrotex facility caused a massive fireball and comes after the UK agreed to send more bunker-busters to Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Kyiv’s access to Elon Musk‘s Starlink and Starshield satellite internet network have been fully restored.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said speed restrictions imposed on drones using the votal SpaceX technology had been lifted.

Mr Zelensky said: “Now we have the speed we need.

WAR & PEACE

Putin agrees to US & Ukraine talks as Melania Trump brokers ceasefire in city


UNDER ATTACK

Moment Sun comes under Russian fire hours after US hails Putin’s ‘humanity’

The strike caused a massive fireball and comes after the UK agreed to send more bunker-busters to Ukraine Credit: East2West
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said speed restrictions imposed on drones had been lifted Credit: AP

“This is very important; it is significant for our frontline logistics and for protecting Ukraine from jet-powered Shahed drones.”

It comes after US First Lady Melania Trump brokered a temporary ceasefire deal to open up evacuation routes for residents trapped in an occupied Ukrainian city.

She led round-the-clock negotiations to secure a localised truce after harrowing reports of a major humanitarian crisis in Oleshky.

Up to 6,000 residents, including hundreds of kids, have been left on the brink of starvation after months without food deliveries.

There is next to no electricity, gas or running water and some have been forced to eat grass and garden weeds.

Medical supplies have run out and hospitals are barely functioning amid daily shelling, drone threats and heavily mined roads.

The ceasefire is due to begin on Tuesday at 4am local time. It is unclear how long it will last.


President Trump told the press that Ukraine’s access to Starlink has been restored. When asked about it, he said, “I don’t want to comment on it, whether I called or whether somebody else called, doesn’t make any difference, I guess. The bottom line — he put it back.”

Ukraine lost Starlink access in critical areas, leading its President, Zelensky, to claim Musk cost Ukrainian lives. At first, Musk suggested the decision was not his. As of now, the facts behind both the access removal and restoration remain conflicting.

Trump Says Musk Restored Ukraine’s Starlink Access, Declines to Say if They Spoke– www.themoscowtimes.com
News Source
EXCERPT:

Donald Trump said on Thursday that SpaceX CEO Elon Musk had restored Ukraine’s Starlink access but the U.S. president declined to comment when asked whether he had spoken to the billionaire about the matter.

The Wall Street Journal reported earlier on Thursday that Trump had called Musk and asked him to lift restrictions on Ukraine’s use of Starlink.

Trump says Musk has restored Ukraine’s internet access– www.bbc.co.uk
News Source
EXCERPT:

Elon Musk has restored Ukraine’s internet access, Donald Trump has said.

The US president was speaking hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said connectivity, which is provided by Musk’s satellite-based Starlink system, had yet to be fully restored.

Musk has previously denied he was behind the slowdown, which affects Ukraine’s ability to use drones to attack Russia.

Trump refused to be drawn on a report he had put pressure on Musk to restore access to the service, but when asked about it said: “Bottom line, he put it back.”

The Trump administration has previously insisted it did not instruct Musk’s company to restrict access.

The connectivity restrictions came as Trump put pressure on Zelensky to stop attacking Russian oil refineries, which he has argued have caused prices to rise.

Faced with midterm elections next month, Trump has waived some sanctions on Russia and agreed a deal to import Russian diesel for the US market – a move which has been criticised by Ukraine and its European allies.

Ukraine relies on Starlink – owned by Musk’s SpaceX company – for a range of battle communications and early warning systems during Russian missile attacks.

Earlier on Thursday, Zelensky said the speed of the system used by Ukraine’s military had still not been restored fully.

Speaking at a press conference , he said the speed “has not been restored to 400 [km/h; 250mph] yet”, adding: “We are working on it.”

He continued: “I am waiting to hear from US Secretary of State [Marco] Rubio. He promised to get back to me with information within 48 hours or so.”

WSJ editors blast Trump after he caves in hostage deal: ‘No cause to be grateful’– www.rawstory.com
News Source
EXCERPT:

A conservative editorial board threw cold water on one of President Donald Trump’s latest diplomatic wins, warning his team was getting played.

The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board wrote Wednesday that there is “no cause to be grateful” to Russian President Vladimir Putin for freeing Stephen Hubbard, a retired American teacher jailed in Russia since 2022. Trump said Wednesday that Putin let Hubbard go after a personal plea from the president and asked for nothing in return.

The board welcomed Hubbard home but argued the Russian leader “takes Western hostages as part of his statecraft.” The editorial laid out a pattern. Putin seizes someone, slaps them with bogus charges, secures a conviction in a rigged court and then frees or swaps them whenever it suits him.

The board pointed to The Journal’s own reporter, Evan Gershkovich, whom Putin used as a bargaining chip to win back an assassin held in Germany. It also noted that Russian security services detained a Japanese reporter just last week, possibly to pressure Tokyo.

Putin didn’t need anything new for Hubbard because he has “already been piling up concessions” from Trump while escalating his war on Ukraine, Europe and NATO, the editorial argued. Among them, the board listed loosened U.S. sanctions on diesel sales, waived sanctions in a bill from Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and what its sources described as intermittent limits on Ukraine’s access to Starlink.

Zelensky, US allies bet on strike concessions to placate Trump– thehill.com
News Source
EXCERPT:

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his powerful allies in Congress are seeking to use President Trump’s desire for Kyiv to stop targeting Russian diesel facilities to boost his support for Ukraine in other ways. Sen. Roger Wicker (Miss.), the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, returned from a trip to Ukraine last week…

Trump Successfully Requests American Prisoner Be Freed From Russia– townhall.com
News Source
EXCERPT:

American citizen Stephen Hubbard has been released from Russian prison after facing Ukranian mercenary charges, according to Fox News.

Steve Witkoff, United States Special Envoy for Peace Missions, told Russian President Vladimir Putin in Russia on Wednesday that “our whole nation sends its thanks,” CBS News reported. The outlet noted that Hubbard is ill and will get medical help in the U.S.

“Stephen Hubbard, taken four years ago by Russia during the Biden Administration, was just released from prison, at the request of President Donald J. Trump, made directly to President Vladimir Putin in a telephone conversation last week. Stephen is on his way back home and will soon be with his family,” President Donald Trump posted to Truth Social on Wednesday.

Trump noted that this was not a prisoner exchange, but just a release.

“The United States, out of respect for President Trump, was not required to give anything in return – an unprecedented situation for Russia. There was no ‘swap’ necessary for this release. This major return should have taken place long ago through the Biden Administration, which got nowhere in its negotiations with the Kremlin,” the president added.

EU not reconsidering Russian gas embargo due to risk of split — expert – Business & Economy– tass.com
News Source
EXCERPT:

MOSCOW, October 20. /TASS/. The European Union is not revising its decision on the Russian gas embargo, despite the unfavorable timing for its implementation, Alexey Belogoryev, Research Director at the Institute for Energy and Finance, told TASS. Reversing the restrictions could cause a split within the EU, as Poland, the Baltic states, and Finland would likely oppose such a move, he added.

The expert noted that most European countries have ruled out the return of Russian gas supplies. According to him, despite the current crisis in liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies, Europe has not abandoned its plan to introduce an embargo on Russian LNG on January 1, 2027, during the peak of the heating season.

“It is difficult to imagine a more unfavorable moment for introducing an embargo. Nevertheless, we see no changes to this decision, precisely because reversing it is extremely difficult. At the very least, a number of EU countries – Poland, the Baltic states, and Finland – would likely not allow this. This risks a split within the EU, which the European Commission is constantly trying to prevent and overcome,” Belogoryev said.

According to the expert, it is currently difficult to predict what fundamental changes in Europe’s political stance would be required to overturn, revise, or ease the decisions on the Russian gas embargo. “The European decision-making system and bureaucracy are structured such that canceling already adopted decisions, even if they are economically disadvantageous, is much more difficult than moving them forward,” he concluded.

 

Volodymyr Zelensky Holds “Productive” Talks With Trump Envoys, Steve Witkoff To Meet Putin Today– www.ndtv.com
News Source
EXCERPT:

 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held “very productive and constructive discussions” with US President Donald Trump’s envoys in Oslo on Tuesday, a US official told AFP.

Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff will now meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Wednesday, with Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner participating virtually, the official said.

The talks came as Washington and Kyiv sought to heal a rift following Trump’s announcement of a diesel deal with Russia and pressure on Zelensky to end the war.

“Ukraine brought forward new ideas and proposals, which were discussed in detail,” the official said on condition of anonymity after the Oslo talks.

“The parties made meaningful progress in aligning on a coordinated approach to engaging Russia and advancing the diplomatic process.”

Musk chose to restrict Ukraine’s access to SpaceX satellite network, sources say– www.cbsnews.com
News Source
EXCERPT:

A decision by Elon Musk led to restrictions on Ukraine’s use of SpaceX’s satellite communications network, people familiar with the matter told CBS News.

The satellite service, which is used for drone operations, hitting certain targets and protecting sites in Ukraine, was slowed significantly last week.

Musk held multiple conversations with administration officials leading up to the order, the sources said. He wanted clarity on the president’s thinking on the matter. Musk has expressed distaste with his company being seen as profiting from the continued war between Russia and Ukraine.

It’s not clear how Musk’s order to curtail service was executed.

Musk licenses SpaceX’s Starshield technology to the U.S. government. He said last week the U.S. controls who can access the technology and what level of service those users receive.

“Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS,” Musk, the world’s richest person, wrote on X.

Musk did not reply to a request for comment. CBS News has reached out to the White House and the Pentagon for comment.

The Wall Street Journal was first to report on Musk’s order.

Zelensky says US intelligence sharing ‘works now’ after talks with Trump envoy in Oslo– www.bbc.co.uk
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Addressing the issue of US intelligence sharing after Tuesday’s talks, Zelensky said he was “thankful that intelligence works now”.

“Speaking about early warning, which is very important for our people, our children, adults, civilians because we can hear when ballistic[s] is coming – so we are thankful to American side, now it works, it’s great,” the Ukrainian president said.

He said he also hoped for a good result on SpaceX’s Starlink satellite access as well, after Ukraine’s military had reported in recent days speed restrictions on the US platform used by Kyiv to carry out drone strikes against Russia.

Before the Oslo talks, Zelensky said he had had a “constructive discussion” with Rubio about the need for US early warnings, missile interceptors and Starlink.

Last week, a bipartisan group of US senators called for an urgent investigation into speed restrictions to the Starlink network in Ukraine.

And Zelensky also restated that Ukraine was “ready for negotiations” to end the war.

“Of course, we are not losing this war, but we are losing people because Russia attacks,” he said.

Zelensky lobbies US senators to pressure Trump – Axios — RT World News– rt-english.com
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The Ukrainian leader has sought congressional intervention amid an increasingly bitter confrontation with the White House

Vladimir Zelensky has appealed to a bipartisan group of US senators to pressure President Donald Trump into lifting alleged restrictions on American military assistance and intelligence sharing, Axios reported on Monday.

During a virtual meeting with lawmakers led by Republican Senator Thom Tillis and Democrat Richard Blumenthal on Monday, Zelensky complained about alleged disruptions to weapons deliveries, satellite communications and early warnings of Russian missile attacks, according to a transcript obtained by Axios from Ukrainian officials.

The Ukrainian leader suggested that Washington had deliberately “slowed down support” to force Kiev into accepting a negotiated settlement with Moscow.

Rubio puts Trans-Caspian trade and critical minerals at centre of Central Asia talks– www.euronews.com
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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the foreign ministers of five Central Asian countries agreed to deepen cooperation on transport, critical minerals and security at a C5+1 meeting in Samarkand on Monday.

The talks brought together the United States, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. In a joint statement, they backed investment in the Trans-Caspian trade route, closer industrial cooperation and simpler customs procedures.

A trade route to Europe

The Trans-Caspian route, also known as the Middle Corridor, connects Central Asia with European markets through the Caspian Sea, the South Caucasus and Turkey, bypassing Russia.

“We’re going to enhance the infrastructure of the Trans Caspian trade route and give our partners more ways to reach American and Central Asian markets,” Rubio said.

US ties with Ukraine hit new low as Trump slights Zelenskyy and eases up on Russia– abcnews.com
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WASHINGTON — The U.S.-Ukraine alliance is careening toward a possible breaking point, with Moscow strengthened by President Donald Trump’s recent rejection of new Russia sanctions and Kyiv undermined by disruptions in satellite support for its drones during the war.

Trump’s relationship with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has always been a moving target, while the Republican president has frequently boasted of his rapport with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. But relations between the U.S. and Ukraine appear to be at a new low, threatening to tip the balance of the war to Russia’s favor and imperil America’s security interests across the globe.

“At this moment in time, things look blacker than they ever had regarding this administration’s policy towards Russia and Ukraine,” said John Herbst, a former ambassador to Ukraine under President George W. Bush and now a scholar with the Atlantic Council.

Trump has been lobbing insults at Zelenskyy for over a week and turning to policies that benefit Putin, while Ukraine’s president has said he feels betrayed and worries for his country’s future. But the American president can still shift on Zelenskyy — especially as he faces bipartisan outrage from lawmakers — which Trump has done before.