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Two recent videos have sought to undermine confidence in the security of the vote.

U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia is behind a video that appeared on social media this week falsely claiming that Haitians illegally voted multiple times for Vice President Kamala Harris in Georgia.

The U.S. government issued a new warning on Friday, one that followed another video that began circulating a week ago falsely claiming that ballots in Pennsylvania were destroyed.

Officials say foreign powers are working to undermine faith in the election, and government agencies in charge of protecting the vote have said the torrent of false claims is greater than before.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the F.B.I. released a joint statement on Friday saying the video was the work of Russia.

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A murdered priest, a beheaded mayor, car bombs and an all-out cartel war have stained Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s first month in office.

The killings have had a higher shock value reminiscent of the late 2000s, when Felipe Calderon’s administration launched a war against drug cartels. Back then, decapitations and hangings were common sights in Mexican newspapers.

Sheinbaum inherited the security crisis from her predecessor and mentor, former President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. But recent high-impact, violent crimes have put pressure on the new leader to deliver results on the security front — and fast. Barely one month into her administration, experts are questioning whether her plan is enough to rein in the nonstop violence.

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have the top-end skill to turn relatively even games into lopsided wins, and that’s precisely what they demonstrated against the Seattle Kraken on Thursday.

Seattle outshot Toronto overall and at five-on-five, but the Maple Leafs’ best offensive threats made the type of plays even the best players on most teams are incapable of. From the Auston Matthews-Mitch Marner–Matthew Knies tic-tac-toe in the first to the passes that set up two William Nylander goals, the Maple Leafs beat the Kraken with skill.

They also deserve credit for bottling up a Kraken offence coming off an eight-goal performance, conceding just 1.59 expected goals in a 4-1 win. The defensive performance was a significant change of pace after the team allowed 19 goals in its previous four games. That, along with the moments of offensive brilliance, earns the team an ‘A’.

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Washington announced on Nov. 1 a new military aid package for Kyiv worth $425 million, according to a U.S. Defense Department press release.

The day prior, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during a joint press conference that the U.S. would "soon" provide Ukraine with another aid package in light of North Korean troops' involvement in Russia's war.

. . .

The aid list includes munitions for NASAMS missile systems, Stinger missiles, ammunition for HIMARS rocket systems, tube-launched, optically tracked, and wire-guided (TOW) missiles, Javelin and AT-4 anti-armor systems, as well as 155mm and 105mm artillery ammunition.

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Weapons supplies are no longer Ukraine’s main disadvantage, American military officials say.

American military and intelligence officials have concluded that the war in Ukraine is no longer a stalemate as Russia makes steady gains, and the sense of pessimism in Kyiv and Washington is deepening.

The dip in morale and questions about whether American support will continue pose their own threat to Ukraine’s war effort. Ukraine is losing territory in the east, and its forces inside Russia have been partially pushed back.

The Ukrainian military is struggling to recruit soldiers and equip new units. The number of its soldiers killed in action, about 57,000, is half of Russia’s losses but still significant for the much smaller country.

. . .

If U.S. support for Ukraine remains strong until next summer, Kyiv could have an opportunity to take advantage of Russia’s weaknesses and expected shortfalls in soldiers and tanks, American officials say.

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Authorities in the Mexican state of Sinaloa have ordered residents not to don masks or costumes for Halloween to avoid being confused with criminals amid a worsening cycle of cartel violence.

Home to the powerful Sinaloa cartel, the north-western state has been wracked by deadly infighting between factions of the group following the arrest of one of its leaders, drug trafficker Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, in the United States in late July.

The intra-cartel warfare has left hundreds of people dead or missing since September, and the federal government has deployed hundreds of soldiers to the region.

“Do not wear a costume or a mask, carry plastic guns, or dress up as anyone,” the state’s security secretary, Gerardo Mérida, instructed residents, also warning people not to be on the streets late at night.

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About 8,000 North Korean soldiers are stationed in Russia on the border with Ukraine, the US secretary of state has said, warning that Moscow is preparing to deploy those troops into combat “in the coming days”.

Antony Blinken said the US believed that North Korea had sent 10,000 troops to Russia in total, deploying them first to training bases in the far east before sending the vast majority to the Kursk region on the border with Ukraine.

Blinken told a press conference that the North Korean troops had received Russian training in “artillery, UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles], basic infantry operations, including trench clearing, indicating that they fully intend to use these forces in frontline operations”.

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Joseph Woll will make his second start of the season as the 5-4-1 Maple Leafs look to build on an impressive road win over the Winnipeg Jets back on home ice against the 5-4-1 Seattle Kraken

Projected lineup:

Matthew Knies — Auston Matthews — Mitch Marner
Max Pacioretty — John Tavares — William Nylander
Pontus Holmberg — Max Domi — Bobby McMann
Steven Lorentz — David Kampf — Nicholas Robertson

Morgan Rielly — Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Jake McCabe — Chris Tanev
Simon Benoit — Conor Timmins

*Joseph Woll
Anthony Stolarz

Scratched: Philippe Myers, Matt Benning, Ryan Reaves

Injured: Calle Jarnkrok (lower body), Connor Dewar (upper body), Jani Hakanpaa (lower body), Dakota Mermis (upper body)

When it comes to new coaches, patience is key — and Craig Berube’s Toronto Maple Leafs are worthy of patience.

That’s an obviously difficult thing to preach in a market where the fan base’s patience has been endlessly tested. That’s been especially true during the last few years of the Auston Matthews-Mitch Marner–William Nylander era. It’s to the point that many wins “don’t matter until April,” while many losses are the “same old Leafs” — a trope often exacerbated by a rampant media machine. After an uneven 5-4-1 start with flashes of excellence amidst several red flags, it can be hard not to say “Welp, same old Leafs.”

. . .

The lore around Berube joining the St. Louis Blues and taking a last-place team in January to the Stanley Cup is the stuff of legend. But legends can often be obscured by the passage of time, enough for many to forget that Berube’s Blues took some time to figure things out under their new coach. The “new coach bump” was far from immediate.

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Tankers bearing sanctioned Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) have clustered together off Russia's eastern coast, indicating that Moscow is struggling to sell the product amid Western restrictions, Bloomberg reported on Oct. 30.

Days before, commerical liquefication at Russia's Arctic LNG 2 came to a halt due to shipping difficulties imposed by Western sanctions.

Three of the tankers now anchored near Russia previously loaded cargo from the Arctic LNG 2 facility. The vessels — Nova Energy, Pioneer, and Asya Energy — are docked near the port of Nakhodka, according to ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg.

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The Timothy Liljegren era has finally come to an end in Toronto.

Seven years after the Maple Leafs selected Liljegren 17th in the 2017 NHL Draft, they dealt him to the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday for a 2025 third-round pick, 2026 sixth-round pick and defenseman Matt Benning, the team announced. The third-round pick will be whichever is better of picks San Jose previously acquired from the Edmonton Oilers and Colorado Avalanche.

Liljegren’s was a tenure, ultimately, of potential not fully realized.

The Leafs waited and waited, and hoped and hoped, that Liljegren would become a pillar on the right side of their top four on defense.

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Timothy Liljegren sat hunched over at his dressing room stall, sweat dripping from his brow and eyes pointed toward the floor. He was one of the last Toronto Maple Leafs to leave the ice following practice on Wednesday.

. . .

“I’ve just tried to come in every day and stay ready,” the 25-year-old defenceman said. “Obviously it would be more fun playing, but that’s not the situation.”

The situation is one Liljegren isn’t happy with, and one that could soon come to a head: Fellow right-shot defenceman Jani Hakanpää will be eligible to come off LTIR as of the Leafs’ Nov. 2 game against the St. Louis Blues.

Which could leave only a few days for some sort of decision on Liljegren’s future with the Leafs to be made.

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