Today's Headlines and Commentary

The Chinese Communist Party announced on Sunday that Meng Hongwei, the president of Interpol, was detained under investigation of corruption and “suspicion of violating the law.” A few hours later, Interpol said it received Meng’s statement of resignation, reports the New York Times.

Bulgarian journalist Viktoria Marinova, a TV anchor who focused on investigative reporting and anti-corruption efforts, was found dead in the Bulgarian city of Ruse, drawing international condemnation as she is the third high-profile journalist to be killed in the EU in the past year, said the Washington Post. It is unclear whether her murder is linked to her journalism, and an investigation on the matter is ongoing, reports the BBC.

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan urged Saudi Arabia to prove that Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist and Washington Post columnist who is missing after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul last week, is still alive amidst claims that he was killed by the Saudis, according to CNN. Four days after Khashoggi entered the consulate, Turkish officials reportedly told the Washington Post and Reuters that he had been killed inside the consulate.

President Trump announced on Monday that he has no intention of firing Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who is overseeing the Mueller investigation, after the two traveled to Florida together on Air Force One in lieu of a planned meeting a week and a half ago, reports the Times. The original meeting was scheduled in the wake of a New York Times report that Rosenstein had proposed wearing a wire in the White House and invoking the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo exchanged harsh words with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, in a meeting in Beijing on Monday. Wang rebuked the Trump administration for its trade policies and for “casting a shadow” over relations. Pompeo’s visit did not include a meeting with President Xi Jinping—a further indication of Beijing’s displeasure, said the Times.

As the possibility of a second U.S.-North Korean summit is discussed, North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un is expected to meet with China, Russia and potentially Japan to gain leverage over Washington, reports the Wall Street Journal.

Taliban militants condemned the upcoming Afghan elections, and said on Monday that they would seek to disrupt the Oct. 20 vote, reports the Washington Post.

Jair Bolsonaro, a far-right presidential candidate in Brazil, won the first round of elections on Sunday. His candidacy marks the first time since Brazil’s transition to democracy that a major politician has publicly advocated violence against political opponents, common criminals, and certain LGBTQ+ activists, according to the Atlantic.

The Navy decision to remove previously public aviation safety data from public view amidst a dramatic spike in aviation incidents may indicate a larger trend of removing information about readiness challenges from the public domain, reports Jason Paladino for the Atlantic.

ICYMI: Last Weekend on Lawfare

Jen Patja Howell posted the latest episode of the Lawfare Podcast, in which Benjamin Wittes sat down with Mark Risher, the Director of Product Management for Security and Privacy for Google, to talk about how his team is working to combat current and future threats.

Arzan Tarapore analyzed how India’s rise can help the U.S. in its Indo-Pacific security strategy, arguing that building strategic leverage in the Indian Ocean can deter possible Chinese attempts to coerce regional states, safeguard open waters and create options to militarily pressure China if necessary.

Email the Roundup Team noteworthy law and security-related articles to include, and follow us on Twitter and Facebook for additional commentary on these issues. Sign up to receive Lawfare in your inbox. Visit our Events Calendar to learn about upcoming national security events, and check out relevant job openings on our Job Board.

We rely on contributions from our generous readers, and now, as a thank you, we're offering a Lawfare challenge coin! Get yours by making a donation at lawfarestore.com.