2026, day 239 Good morning from Asia. ‘New US aircraft carrier reportedly set to deploy to the Middle East’ (AFP); ‘Trump seeks to sanction Tehran into submission rather than renew MOU, sources say’ (ToI); ‘Iran's Hormuz leverage risks becoming a 'strategic liability' — will ultimately backfire, says Saudi Prince’ (Gulf News); ‘Hormuz Oil Flows Rising as Gulf Giants' Ramp Up Accelerates’ (BBG); ‘Iran to draft conditions to open Hormuz following mediator requests’ (AJ); ‘OpenAI, Anthropic issue dire cyber threat warning’ (Axios); ‘Meta disrupts Iran-linked AI operation targeting politicians, journalists’ (Axios); ‘Saudi FM calls for OIC reform, stronger Islamic cooperation and solidarity’ (Al Arabiya); ‘CIA boss Moscow trip was about Iran, not the Baltics, ex-Estonian president tells Euronews’ (Euronews); ‘Top White House Aides Were in the Dark on Ratcliffe Russia Trip’ (WSJ); ‘Putin sees U.S. as weakened by Iran war, intelligence reports say’ (WaPo); ‘Trump to Axios: I'm not worried Russia will attack NATO’ (Axios); ‘Russia says UK ‘playing with fire’’ (Guardian); ‘Putin’s ‘little green men’ could attack Nato from within’ (Telegraph) - “Intelligence experts fear Russia could reprise Crimea playbook with Estonia incursion to test alliance”; ‘The Russia-Ukraine Air War Has Entered a New, Deadlier Phase’ (WSJ); ‘US Patriot missile stocks in Europe are 'beyond critical' due to Iran war, officials’ (AP); ‘Pentagon awards contract in race to field cheaper interceptors, missiles’ (Defense News) - “less than 1/5 cost of Patriot missile”; ‘US rebukes Europeans over ‘sea of red’ military gaps’ (FT); ‘Pentagon policy chief tells NATO allies US wants European-led defense of continent’ (Reuters); ‘Pentagon's NATO review preparing troop options for Hegseth by November 6’ (Reuters); ‘Poland rules out hosting nuclear weapons despite Russian threat’ (Politico); ‘EU budget must bankroll Europe’s independence, von der Leyen says’ (Politico); ‘Trump Signs Executive Order to Rename Lake Ontario ‘Lake America’’ (WSJ); ‘Lutnick claims Canada pulled out of trade talks due to the Quebec election, Alberta referendum’ (National Post); ‘Venezuela Weighs OPEC Exit as US Discusses Stake in Oil Fields’ (BBG); ‘Uefa prepares criminal complaint against Fifa’s Infantino’ (FT); ‘On Taiwan, China Is Pursuing ‘Unification Without Formal Unification'’ (National Review); ‘Australia's Pacific rivalry with China heats up after Beijing's ICBM test’ (Nikkei Asia); ‘Why China Can’t Fully Capitalize on Trump’s Global Disruption’ (BBG); In geoeconomics, ‘U.S. close to striking “massive" deal for Venezuelan oil fields’ (Axios); ‘Trump to meet refiners, fuel retailers as Iran war boosts gas prices ahead of midterms, sources say’ (Reuters); ‘Greer Suggests US Needs to Consider Bans on Canadian Goods’ (BBG); ‘Backing Off French Issue Could Restart U.S. Trade Talks, Canadian Official Says’ (NYT); ‘Ottawa reverses fish tariff plan over concerns it could hit Canada’s seafood processing industry’ (Globe & Mail); ‘China must deliver on trade or EU will act, warns von der Leyen’ (Euractiv); ‘Chinese executives may join Xi’s US trip, as trade truce extension ‘almost certain’’ (SCMP); ‘Trump hints at sanctions on Chinese banks over Iran ties before Xi’s expected US visit’ (SCMP); ‘Brazil’s rare earths will not loosen China’s magnet grip this decade, researchers say’ (SCMP); In markets, ‘Bessent’s Moves Test Boundaries Between Treasury and Fed’ (WSJ); ‘Kevin Warsh Has to Pick a Side in the Bond-Market Battle’ (WSJ); ‘Fed's Warsh faces challenge whether inflation is a problem or not’ (Reuters); ‘Don’t draw the wrong conclusion from Treasury yields’ (FT); ‘Thailand Central Bank Chief Takes On Problems Rates Can’t Fix’ (BBG); ‘France replaces Italy as European bond investors’ biggest worry’ (FT); ‘The $19trn reason this housing slump will run longer than you think’ (AFR); ‘Bitcoin and Gold Funds Draw $7 Billion Amid Scarcity Trade’ (BBG)