International
The NATO Council will meet next week to elect Rutte secretary general

The North Atlantic Council, NATO’s main political decision-making body, will meet next week to decide on the formal appointment of the Dutchman Mark Rutte as secretary general of the organization, diplomatic sources told EFE on Thursday.
Although Rutte’s path at the head of the Alliance was cleared today when the Romanian president, Klaus Iohannis, withdrew his candidacy, the formal decision has to be made by the North Atlantic Council, also known as the Atlantic Council, the sources indicated.
They explained that there is agreement between the allies that it is Rutte who picks up the witness of the Norwegian Jens Stoltenberg at the head of NATO, but the decision is not yet formally made.
It is expected that this formal election will take place next week within the Atlantic Council at the level of the ambassadors of the 32 member countries and that it will be ratified by the leaders, as planned, in July at the Alliance summit in Washington.
Iohannis indicated on Thursday to the Supreme Council of National Defense (CSAT) that his country was renouncing its candidacy and this body in turn informed NATO of its withdrawal, after getting Rutte the support of the other 32 member countries.
With this announcement, the acting Prime Minister of the Netherlands becomes de facto the only candidate to lead NATO.
Iohannis, who had announced his candidacy last March, stressed today that his country also supports Rutte’s candidacy.
In recent days, other countries in the region, which initially opposed the Dutchman’s candidacy, such as Slovakia and Hungary, finally gave Rutte their approval.
The Prime Minister of Hungary, the ultranationalist Viktor Orbán, announced on Tuesday that after the recent agreement with NATO in order not to have to join the allied activities in Ukraine, he has decided to support Rutte as the next secretary general.
The Slovak president, Peter Pellegrini, also said on Tuesday that he would support Rutte, who thus has the unanimous support of the 32 NATO-allied countries.
International
Floods in Central Vietnam leave 28 dead, thousands displaced

The death toll from heavy rains and flooding in central Vietnam has risen to 28, with six people reported missing and 43 injured, local newspaper VnExpress reported Friday night.
More than 22,100 homes remain flooded, primarily in the cities of Hue and Da Nang. Floods and landslides have destroyed or swept away 91 houses and damaged another 181, the report added.
Around 245,000 households are still without electricity, particularly in Da Nang, where over 225,000 homes are affected.
Additionally, 80 stretches of national highways are blocked or disrupted due to landslides. Authorities expect the flooding to continue for another day or two in the region.
International
FBI foils ISIS-Inspired attack in Michigan, arrests five teens

Kash Patel did not provide further details, but police sources told CBS News that the potential attack was “inspired” by the Islamic State (ISIS).
“This morning, the FBI thwarted a potential terrorist attack and arrested several individuals in Michigan who were allegedly planning a violent attack during the Halloween weekend,” Patel wrote on X.
“Thanks to swift action and close coordination with our local partners, a possible terrorist act was prevented before it could be carried out,” he added.
CBS reported that five people between the ages of 16 and 20 were arrested on Friday. At least one of them was reportedly acquainted with a former member of the Michigan National Guard, who was arrested in May for plotting an ISIS-inspired attack on a U.S. military facility in the Detroit suburbs.
International
U.S. warns China over Taiwan during high-level defense talks in Kuala Lumpur

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth expressed concerns over China’s growing military activity near Taiwan during a meeting on Friday with Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun in Kuala Lumpur.
“It was a constructive and positive meeting,” Hegseth wrote on X. “I emphasized the importance of maintaining a balance of power in the Indo-Pacific and raised U.S. concerns about China’s actions around Taiwan,” the self-governed island that Beijing claims and does not rule out invading.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting-Plus, one day after U.S. President Donald Trump met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea. According to Trump, Taiwan was not discussed during their talks.
“The United States does not seek conflict and will continue to firmly defend its interests, ensuring it maintains the capability to do so in the region,” Hegseth added in his message.
Friday’s encounter followed a September 9 video call between Hegseth and Dong. Their previously planned meeting at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore was canceled due to Dong’s absence from the event.
Trump’s sit-down with Xi — their first since 2019 — resulted in some trade agreements but avoided addressing the issue of Taiwan, a long-standing source of tension between the world’s two largest powers.
Trump has taken a more ambiguous stance on Taiwan’s future compared with former President Joe Biden, who repeatedly stated that Washington would support Taipei if China launched an invasion. The Republican president has also criticized Taiwan for “stealing” the U.S. semiconductor industry.
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