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Oct 11, 2026 - World

With the midterms just weeks away, a cascade of attacks across the Middle East has left the Trump administration facing what one geopolitical expert called “only the BEGINNING of the October Surprise,” one that was predicted by another expert months prior.Yemen’s Houthi militants carried out a deadly attack on Saudi Arabia’s capital Saturday, the third such attack in recent weeks. The Houthis have also strengthened their hold on the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a critical global shipping chokepoint, much like the Strait of Hormuz, where strikes have intensified over the past several days, Al Jazeera reported Sunday.Vessels have also been struck outside the Strait of Hormuz in recent days, such as a tanker struck in the Gulf of Oman, according to British Navy agency UKMTO data reviewed by Reuters, and Iraqi militias have been discovered to be coordinating with Iran to threaten its Gulf state neighbors.“We are witnessing only the BEGINNING of the October Surprise. Vessels are being hit constantly by Iran. And not just ‘little hits.’ The radius of the strike area has expanded into the Gulf of Oman and Persian Gulf,” wrote geopolitical expert Brett Erickson Sunday in a statement published on social media.“Ansar Allah (Houthis) are striking airports and energy infrastructure across Saudi [Arabia]. Iraqi militias are ready to join the fight. This is a disaster that a TODDLER could have predicted.”The “October Surprise” Erickson described was predicted back in August by foreign policy expert Trita Parsi, who warned at the time that President Donald Trump’s apparent strategy to “push the [Iran] conflict out of the minds of voters” would likely backfire.“If Washington wants to keep things quiet until the midterms, Tehran may conclude that the optimal moment to strike back is two or three weeks before the Congressional elections, maximizing the political damage to Trump,” Parsi warned in August.Parsi doubled down on his prediction in early September, warning that “all signs” were pointing to a “major escalation” from Iran sometime in October, just weeks away from the U.S. midterms.We are witnessing only the BEGINNING of the October Surprise.Vessels are being hit constantly by Iran. And not just “little hits”. The radius of the strike area has expanded into the Gulf of Oman and Persian Gulf.Ansar Allah (Houthis) are striking airports and energy infrastructure across Saudi.Iraqi militias are ready to join the fight.This is a disaster that a TODDLER could have predicted.— Brett Erickson (@BrettErickson28) October 11, 2026

Oct 11, 2026 - World

Oliver Blume says ‘Made in Europe’ rules to counter rapid rise of lower-price Chinese brands ‘must reward real value creation’The boss of Volkswagen has backed EU proposals to boost its domestic industry, arguing European carmakers need to be able to “compete under comparable conditions” with Chinese rivals.Oliver Blume said “Made in Europe” rules from the EU “must reward real value creation in Europe”, speaking in Paris before the motor show this week. Continue reading...

Oct 11, 2026 - World

Yemen’s Houthi militants carried out a deadly attack on U.S. ally Saudi Arabia Saturday that killed at least 12 people and injured more than 300, but the looming midterms will likely limit the Trump administration’s response, according to conflict analyst Hisham Al-Omeisy.“Fortunately, I don’t see them rushing for major action,” Al-Omeisy, senior Yemen adviser at the European Institute of Peace, told Al Jazeera for its report published Sunday. “The last thing the administration needs is getting stuck in another quagmire in the region, especially with what’s happening in Hormuz that has not been resolved yet.”Saturday’s attack saw the Iran-backed Houthis strike Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport, which the group previously struck last week and last month. Trump told reporters on Saturday that his administration “may” retaliate against the Houthis militarily, but according to Al-Omeisy, that was unlikely given the administration’s unresolved conflict with Iran, which continues to keep fuel prices elevated heading into the midterms.The Houthis have continued their campaign to exert more control over the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a critical global shipping chokepoint in the Red Sea, much like the Strait of Hormuz. The group announced a blockade on all Saudi oil exports transiting the Bab al-Mandab Strait in July, one that its territorial gains have only made stronger in recent weeks.Even if the Trump administration were to move forward with strikes against the Houthis, such efforts would prove futile, warned F. Gregory Gause, a Saudi specialist at the Middle East Institute in Washington, D.C.“The only realistic solution for the Saudis is an end to the Iranian-American war, in which the U.S. gets the Iranians to commit the Houthis to an end of hostilities as part of the overall deal,” Gause told The New York Times Sunday. “Unfortunately for the Saudis, it is not clear how much President Trump listens to them on this.”

Oct 11, 2026 - World

President Donald Trump raced to Truth Social Sunday to announce the brokering of a new ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine — an announcement that stood for mere minutes before it was contradicted by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to Axios’ Barak Ravid.Trump claimed that “effective immediately,” a ceasefire had been agreed to by Russia and Ukraine to halt strikes on energy infrastructure. Moments later, however, Ravid claimed to receive conflicting information after speaking with Zelenskyy by phone.“The announcement about the ceasefire was news to me,” Zelenskyy said, according to Ravid.Trump has made similar claims before. In September, he announced that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to stop striking energy targets, only for Ukraine to hit a major Moscow-area oil refinery days later.Nevertheless, Zelenskyy said that if Russia did agree to pause striking energy targets, Ukraine would follow suit.“But if the Russians agree to a ceasefire in the energy sector, Ukraine will also agree,” he said, according to Ravid. “If President Trump agreed to this with Putin — please let us know when the ceasefire begins. We are ready and will agree to it.”

Oct 11, 2026 - World

President Donald Trump announced a major development in the Russo-Ukraine war Sunday morning, one he said was “effective immediately.”“Effective immediately, there is an ENERGY CEASEFIRE in the War between Russia and Ukraine,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social. “Both parties have agreed. Do not break it!”Despite the celebratory nature of Trump’s announcement, the president had made similar claims in the past, only to be rebuked on the world stage. In September, Trump claimed that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to avoid striking energy infrastructure targets only for Ukraine to strike “one of Russia’s key oil industry facilities” days later.The strike, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proudly boasted about on social media, was the largest drone attack on the Moscow region since Russia’s 2022 invasion and killed at least two people and injured 20 others, BBC reported.Critics have accused Trump of making similar announcements to “manipulate markets,” which have proven responsive to the president’s various claims regarding global conflicts.