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Trump stops enforcement of US law banning bribery of foreign officials

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The United States of America President, Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday directing the US justice department to stop prosecuting Americans accused of bribing foreign government officials to win business.

The new Trump’s order mandates the US attorney general, Pam Bondi, to pause prosecutions under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 until she issues revised enforcement guidance that promotes American competitiveness.

“Future FCPA investigations and enforcement actions will be governed by this new guidance and must be approved by the attorney general,” the document said.

In a further analysis of the development, according to the White House, the law puts US firms at a disadvantage to foreign competitors because they cannot engage in practices that are “common among international competitors, creating an uneven playing field.”

“American national security depends on America and its companies gaining strategic commercial advantages around the world, and President Trump is stopping excessive, unpredictable FCPA enforcement that makes American companies less competitive,” according to a copy of a White House factsheet cited by Reuters.

Meanwhile, the anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International said the FCPA made the United States a leader in addressing global corruption.

Reacting to the development in a statement, Gary Kalman, executive director of Transparency International US, said Trump’s executive order “diminishes— and could pave the way for completely eliminating— the crown jewel in the US’s fight against global corruption.”.

Recall that in the past weeks, Trump has signed several executive orders, including dismantling US Agency for International Development.

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International

Brazil’s Lula Wins Fourth Term In Presidential Runoff

Flávio Bolsonaro rejected the runoff result, describing it as “inexplicable” and calling for the election to be annulled.

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Brazil’s left-wing President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has won a fourth term in office after defeating right-wing challenger Flávio Bolsonaro in a closely fought presidential runoff.

The 80-year-old secured just under 52 per cent of the vote, overturning Bolsonaro’s first-round lead in a surprise victory that runs against a wider shift towards right-wing leadership across Latin America.

Addressing cheering supporters in São Paulo, Lula thanked voters for what he described as their defence of Brazilian democracy.

The victory follows a bitter election campaign between the veteran left-wing leader and Bolsonaro, whose father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, is serving a prison sentence under house arrest for plotting a coup after losing the previous presidential election.

Flávio Bolsonaro rejected the runoff result, describing it as “inexplicable” and calling for the election to be annulled.

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JUST IN: Four Pilots Die After Mid-Air Collision of Military Planes in Philippine

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Four Philippine Air Force pilots died Friday after two SF-260 trainer aircraft collided mid-air during a training flight and crashed at Fernando Air Base in Lipa City, Batangas, south of Manila, the air force confirmed Saturday.

The accident occurred at about 3:51 p.m. local time on October 23, 2026. Both single-propeller planes went down within the base perimeter. No other casualties were reported on the ground.

Philippine Air Force spokesman Colonel Alvin Capinguian (also referred to as Alvin Jay Capinguian) said the aircraft were involved in a training flight. Officials with knowledge of the incident, speaking anonymously, and local reports confirmed the planes collided while flying at low altitude. Some accounts noted they were part of a larger formation or flyby rehearsal, with other aircraft landing safely.

The air force described it as an “aviation accident” and said an investigation is underway to determine the cause. As a precaution, the entire fleet of SF-260 aircraft has been temporarily grounded. The air force is coordinating assistance with the families of the deceased and asked the public to respect their privacy. One of the pilots was later identified in some reports as 1st Lt. Angeleo Adrian Peñaflor.

The SF-260 is a light Italian-designed trainer used by the Philippine Air Force. The incident is the latest fatal crash involving the type; two pilots were killed in a similar SF-260 training accident in Benguet province in May.

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“Mother of all bombs,” Trump Plans To Hit Iran

The 21,600-pound airburst weapon is designed to affect surface targets over a wide area and has so far not been deployed by the U.S. in previous strikes on targets inside Iran. It was used in Afghanistan in 2017 during the previous Trump administration.

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The U.S. military is considering use of the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) bomb if it resumes strikes inside Iran, CNN reported Thursday, citing U.S. officials.

The 21,600-pound airburst weapon is designed to affect surface targets over a wide area and has so far not been deployed by the U.S. in previous strikes on targets inside Iran. It was used in Afghanistan in 2017 during the previous Trump administration.

Trump said Oct. 8 that he would not resume U.S. strikes on Iran before the Nov. 3 midterm elections, while attacks on shipping near the Strait of Hormuz and deadly Houthi strikes in Saudi Arabia have raised regional tensions.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Tehran will combine military capabilities and negotiations to press its demands.

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