A political shock in the UK

Political infighting is undermining UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak [View in browser]( [Bloomberg]( Welcome to Balance of Power, bringing you the latest in global politics. If you haven’t yet, sign up [here](. Rishi Sunak’s shock appointment as foreign secretary of David Cameron, the prime minister who oversaw the Brexit vote, [was part of his effort to draw a line]( under his cabinet troubles. It may only serve to remind voters of the disarray at the heart of his Conservative government. The British premier began the day by firing Home Secretary Suella Braverman, setting up one of the most consequential weeks of his premiership so far — one with implications lasting until the general election likely next year. Braverman had openly clashed with Sunak’s office by taking a hard line against pro-Palestinian demonstrations in London and accusing the police of bias in the protesters’ favor. Those incendiary remarks presented Sunak with a direct challenge to his authority, and left him with a call to make about her future in his government. The departure of the most senior right-winger in his cabinet shows the electorate that the turmoil of this Conservative government is never far from the surface, belying Sunak’s efforts to distance himself from his predecessors after years of turbulent Tory rule. That can only help Labour leader Keir Starmer as he seeks to convert a double-digit poll lead into electoral victory. But his appointment in a reshuffle of Cameron, who quit in 2016 after calling and losing the Brexit referendum, suggests that the country is so broken that the Tories have been forced to bring back the man who tipped the country into chaos in the first place. Sunak must meanwhile brace for a backlash from the party right. On Wednesday, the Supreme Court will rule on the legality of his flagship immigration policy to deport people to Rwanda who crossed the Channel by small boat. If ministers lose, expect Braverman to call for the UK to leave the European Convention on Human Rights. Data is due the same day that will show whether he has met his pledge to halve inflation this year. It’s Sunak’s bind that even if he meets that goal, more Tory turmoil beckons. — [Alex Wickham]( and [Alan Crawford]( Braverman and Sunak at a policing roundtable at 10 Downing Street on Oct. 12. Photographer: James Manning/WPA Pool/Getty Images Global Must Reads The US struck facilities in eastern Syria used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and affiliated groups yesterday, a development that [could escalate tensions]( with Tehran. Strains have been building since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, and Iranian officials have warned that new fronts would open against the US if it keeps up unequivocal support for Israel in its invasion of Gaza. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba will join a meeting of his European Union counterparts in Brussels today by video link amid signs the bloc’s [support]( is becoming harder to maintain. Kyiv’s forces launched four air strikes at concentrations of Russian troops, weapons, and military equipment yesterday, according to the Ukrainian General Staff. Ukrainian soldiers in Bakhmut on Nov. 3. Photographer: Libkos/Getty Images Europe Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s woes deepened as a state minister in the Finance Ministry quit over his company’s failure to pay taxes. The [scandal is the third]( to lead to the resignation of a junior minister in the space of less than a month, risking further damage to Kishida’s weakened government. In the final debate for Argentina’s presidential election on Sunday, Economy Minister Sergio Massa landed blows on libertarian candidate Javier Milei, [exposing his radical, untested plans]( like closing the central bank while dodging any discussion of his own role in the country’s woes, not least rampant inflation. Polls taken before the debate suggested Milei has a small advantage going into the runoff, but within the margin of error. The Philippines, backed by Japan and the US, defied China in a dangerous mission to resupply the BRP Sierra Madre, a decaying World War II-era vessel that Manila intentionally grounded on Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea. With Washington renewing its security guarantees for the Philippines, the remote reef has become a [key flashpoint]( for US-China competition, potentially rivaling friction over Taiwan. South Carolina Senator Tim Scott ended his long-shot bid to win [the US Republican presidential nomination]( that sought to offer an alternative to party standard-bearer Donald Trump. Thailand is considering a plan to station Chinese police personnel at some of its popular tourist destinations to [lift the confidence of travelers]( from the Asian neighbor. The US and Indonesia are discussing the potential for cooperation on [critical-mineral supplies](, senior officials said ahead of a White House meeting between the two countries’ leaders. Washington Dispatch President Joe Biden and House Speaker Mike Johnson begin a week in which both face high-wire challenges that could well resonate into the election season that begins in January. In two days, Biden plans to [meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping]( when they are in San Francisco for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in their first encounter in a year. Biden, according to senior administration officials, will raise the revival of communications between the two superpowers’ armed forces as well as issues involving artificial intelligence, fentanyl and Americans detained in China. As for Johnson, the untested leader of the House Republican majority must pass a temporary spending measure acceptable to his colleagues as well as Senate Democrats with time running out to avert a government shutdown at the end of the week. He has proposed a compromise that doesn’t require deep spending cuts demanded by some conservatives. A shutdown would underscore a downward US credit ratings adjustment by Moody’s Investors Service last week that cited political dysfunction as a growing risk to bond investors. One thing to watch today: The Federal Reserve Bank of New York releases a survey on inflation expectations, that includes what consumers see ahead for prices of food, gasoline and housing. [Sign up for the Washington Edition newsletter]( for more from the US capital and watch Balance of Power at 5pm ET weekdays on Bloomberg Television. Chart of the Day The people of Iceland are bracing for what could be the country’s most [devastating volcanic eruption]( in 50 years, with a small fishing town at risk of being destroyed. Grindavik, home to over 3,600 people, was hastily evacuated late Friday with many fleeing so fast that pets and livestock were left behind. And Finally A group of Xi’s “old friends” from Iowa have been [invited to a dinner]( he’ll attend on the sidelines of the APEC summit in California — 38 years after they welcomed the then-unknown party official for a hog roast, farm tours and a Mississippi River boat ride. The Chinese leader’s enduring bond with the Midwesterners he first encountered in 1985 as the head of a food-processing delegation from Hebei Province stands in contrast with the suspicions that have characterized recent China-US relations. Xi jokes in the home of Roger and Sarah Lande in Muscatine, Iowa, in 2012. Photographer: Kevin E. Schmidt/AFP/Getty Images Thanks to the 44 people who answered the Friday quiz and congratulations to Matthew Sperling for being the first to name Colombia as the country whose president is accelerating efforts to recover as much as $20 billion in treasure from a three-century-old shipwreck before his term ends in 2026. More from Bloomberg - [Bloomberg Opinion]( for a roundup of our most vital opinions on business, politics, economics, tech and more - [Cyber Bulletin]( for coverage of the shadow world of hackers and cyber-espionage - [Next Africa](, a twice-weekly newsletter on where the continent stands now — and where it’s headed - [Economics Daily]( for what the changing landscape means for policy makers, investors and you - [Green Daily]( for the latest in climate news, zero-emission tech and green finance - Explore more newsletters at [Bloomberg.com](. 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