Top U.S. officials accused Iran and Russia of obtaining U.S. voter data (WaPo), which they said Tehran has used to send fake, threatening emails. The announcement from Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe and FBI Director Christopher Wray marked the first time in the 2020 election that a U.S. adversary was accused of targeting voters to undermine the democratic process.

There was no indication that votes had been changed or voter information altered, nor did officials claim that voter-registration systems had been hacked. An unnamed intelligence official told the New York Times that the information obtained, including voters’ names and party affiliations, was mostly publicly available and could have been merged with email addresses found elsewhere. Some of the fake emails allegedly sent by Iran were made to appear as though they were from the Proud Boys, a far-right group that supports President Donald J. Trump, and sent to Democratic voters (WSJ). Ratcliffe said Iran wanted to hurt Trump, though others called the interference a broader effort to erode confidence in the election that was not aimed at a candidate. Iran denied involvement.

Taiwan welcomed a new U.S. arms deal (SCMP), though Taipei stressed that it was not seeking an arms race with Beijing. The $1.8 billion package includes missiles and rocket launchers with a range of over 150 miles.

​Thailand: Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha ended a state of emergency (Bangkok Post) imposed in response to protests against him and the country’s monarchy, saying violence had subsided. Prayuth said yesterday that he was attempting to de-escalate the situation and urged protesters to reciprocate, but calls for his resignation continue.

The government in India-administered Kashmir extended a ban (Al Jazeera) on high-speed internet access that has been in effect since India revoked the region’s partial autonomy in August 2019. Digital rights groups have criticized the ban as some of the world’s worst censorship.

​Afghanistan: An air strike on a mosque killed twelve children yesterday (RFE/RL), Afghan officials said. The strike targeted Taliban fighters, who had killed dozens of Afghan security forces in a nearby city that morning. It is unclear whether Afghan or foreign forces carried out the attack.

An Israeli police officer who killed an autistic Palestinian man in May could face trial for homicide (Haaretz), pending a hearing. The Israeli Justice Ministry said the man posed no danger and that the officer shot him against orders.

At least nine people, including a police officer, have been killed in violent clashes (France24) since Guinea’s presidential election last weekend, the country’s Security Ministry announced. Early results favor President Alpha Conde, who is seeking a controversial third term, but opposition candidate Cellou Dalein Diallo has claimed victory.

​Tanzania: Opposition groups have complained of repression (Al Jazeera) in the run-up to the country’s presidential election next week. President John Magufuli is widely expected to win reelection.

The United Kingdom and the European Union are resuming Brexit negotiations (Politico) in “intensive,” daily talks beginning today. Although there is no set deadline, EU officials have said a deal would need to be reached by mid-November to allow time for legislative approval.

​CFR’s Sebastian Mallaby explains what’s going on with Brexit.

Spain: The country became the sixth in the world and the first in Western Europe (BBC) to record more than one million COVID-19 cases, amid a surge across the continent.

The parents of 545 migrant children separated at the U.S.-Mexico border since 2017 cannot be found (NYT), according to court documents filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) this week. Efforts to reunify separated families have been hampered by poor recordkeeping.

Brazil: President Jair Bolsonaro shot down plans (AP) to purchase a potential coronavirus vaccine under development by a Chinese company. The purchase had been announced by a state governor who is a political rival of Bolsonaro.

​This CFR In Brief explains how Bolsonaro has clashed with governors over the coronavirus.

Purdue Pharma, which manufactures the painkiller OxyContin, agreed to plead guilty to charges that it illegally marketed the drug (NYT) and will face penalties of roughly $8.3 billion. Thousands of lawsuits have been brought against the company for contributing to the U.S. opioid epidemic, which has killed more than 450,000 people since 1999.

A U.S. astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts returned to Earth (AP) after a six-month mission on the International Space Station. The NASA astronaut, Chris Cassidy, has now spent more than a year in space.