The Index

🇺🇸 Wall St dipped as the U.S. election looms, with Harris showing an edge in Iowa, fueling uncertainty. Nvidia rose, joining the Dow, while Trump Media bounced back from losses. Small caps gained as yields fell, yet volatility soared. With a Fed rate cut likely, markets brace for a turbulent week.

🇺🇸 As U.S. election bets soar, crypto traders rally around prediction markets, favoring Trump despite close polls. Platforms like Polymarket and Kalshi showcase billions in wagers, sparking debate on the accuracy of money-driven forecasts. Is this a genuine indicator or merely a crypto-native bias?

🇪🇸 Spain ramps up flood response in Valencia, deploying 7,500 soldiers as public frustration boils over. While aid packages are prepped, locals blame delayed action and political posturing for exacerbating Europe’s deadliest flood disaster in decades.

🇨🇺 Cuba braces for a second hurricane as power outages persist from the last storm and a recent blackout. Over 66,000 evacuated in flood-hit Guantanamo, with more planned for Pinar del Rio. With resources strained, officials urge caution as the storm’s path remains uncertain.

🇪🇺🇰🇷 In a joint statement, the EU and South Korea demand North Korea withdraw troops supporting Russia in Ukraine, denouncing the “unlawful” arms and military aid. Meeting in Seoul, officials raised concerns over escalating military ties between Pyongyang and Moscow.

🇸🇩 Sudan’s RSF forces are violently raiding villages in El Gezira state, displacing 135,000 people as victims report brutal attacks over two weeks. The UN condemns these atrocities while civilians flee to overcrowded regions. The ongoing war deepens hunger and fears of fragmentation.

🇫🇷 Eight people, including the father of a student, face trial in France over the 2020 murder of teacher Samuel Paty, who was killed after showing caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad in class. Prosecutors argue that social media posts by the defendants fueled a chain of events leading to the attack.

🇺🇸🇰🇷 The U.S. has approved a $4.92 billion sale of Airborne Early Warning and Control Aircraft to South Korea, with Boeing as the primary contractor. This deal aims to bolster South Korea’s defense capabilities amid rising tensions, a significant boost in U.S.-South Korea military cooperation.

🇺🇦 Kyiv braces under Russian air assault as Ukrainian air defense scrambles to intercept incoming attacks. Mayor Vitali Klitschko urges residents to stay sheltered amid the latest escalation in aerial bombardments, marking another intense episode in Russia’s ongoing offensive.

🇰🇲 Tragedy struck off the Comoros Islands as traffickers capsized a boat, killing at least 25 people, according to the UN’s IOM. The vessel carried around 30 individuals, including women and children, attempting to reach Mayotte. This incident is the third deadly capsize in recent months.

🇺🇸 U.S. cybersecurity chief Jen Easterly reports that while disinformation is at an all-time high, there’s no evidence it has impacted the election’s integrity. Foreign actors, particularly Russia, are accused of spreading falsehoods, such as fake voter videos in Georgia.

🇺🇸🇸🇦 The U.S. and Saudi Arabia are in talks for a security agreement without involving Israel, aiming to finalize it before President Biden’s term ends, Axios reports. Unlike a full defense treaty, this deal shows the shifting dynamics in U.S.-Saudi relations.

🇵🇰 Pakistan’s parliament extended the army chief’s tenure from three to five years, securing Army Chief General Asim Munir’s service until 2027. Opposed by ex-PM Imran Khan’s party, which claims the law was rushed through, the amendment strengthens military influence.

🇧🇷 Brazil is mobilizing to expel illegal gold miners from the Munduruku Indigenous territory in the Amazon, heavily affected by informal airstrips and mercury contamination. President Lula’s crackdown on illegal mining follows years of environmental degradation under Bolsonaro.

🇮🇱🇸🇾 Israel launched an airstrike targeting Hezbollah intelligence assets near Damascus, claiming it hit key infrastructure used by Hezbollah’s network in Syria. Syrian officials, however, stated that the strike damaged civilian sites south of Damascus.

🇦🇺 Australia is addressing defense staffing shortages by offering A$600 million in recruitment incentives, including A$40,000 bonuses for mid-rank personnel. Amid record low unemployment, the Albanese government aims to boost permanent defense staff to 69,000 by the early 2030s.

🇮🇱 Israel claims successful strike on Hezbollah rocket commander Jaafar Faour in southern Lebanon, alleging he orchestrated multiple attacks since October. Armed group remains silent on commander’s reported death as cross-border tensions escalate.

🇺🇸 American Daniel Martindale emerges in Moscow after Russian forces extract him from Ukraine, admits to spying for Kremlin since 2022. Former missionary brazenly displays US passport, seeks Russian citizenship after helping target Ukrainian infrastructure.