British Pakistanis to Malala: You go, girl

Decoder Wire
Has Obama reenergized Democrats with debate performance?

8:32 am ET - Obama’s forceful performance Tuesday night is likely to quiet Democrats’ doubts and help energize them for the tough final weeks of the campaign. Snap surveys judged Obama the winner, but the big question is whether his slide in the polls will stop now.

• The Vote: Viewing the Romney-Obama debate in battleground Ohio: a tribal experience
• Energy Voices: Debate fact check: Romney stumbles on energy
• Round 2: President Obama turns up the heat in combative debate (+video)
• Opinion: Obama's missed debate opportunities against Romney may cost him

Putin warns of growing terror risks as Kremlin arrests opposition leader

11:38 am ET - Putin says Russia faces real security threats in coming years as it hosts the World Cup and Olympics, but may also be conflating opposition leaders like Sergei Udaltsov with terrorists.

Ethiopia surprises itself with peaceful transition after Meles

12:35 pm ET - Fears that unrest would follow the death of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi in August may prove unfounded in Ethiopia, a Western ally in the troubled Horn of Africa.

Kenyan Christians fear former brethren are attacking churches

11:49 am ET - Some Christians converting to Islam in Kenya have been recruited by Al Shabab, a militant Islamist group with ties to Al Qaeda.

Terrorism & Security
UN envoy to Syria visits region to resurrect cease-fire efforts

9:45 am ET - The United Nations' envoy to Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, visited Beirut today touting a fresh cease-fire for Syria. Damascus said it could support the plan, but said rebel disunity is a key obstacle.

On ballots: Has pro-marijuana camp found way to win over middle America?

7:17 pm ET - Ballot initiatives in Colorado, Oregon, and Washington would make recreational use of marijuana legal. At least one is likely to succeed. Pro-legalization groups have been honing their message.

From the 'Wastebook': robotic squirrels, talking urinals, and Congress

5:47 pm ET - Sen. Tom Coburn's annual Wastebook comes up with $18 billion of spending that never should have occurred, with an eye to getting Washington priorities back in line. The No. 1 wasteful item: $132 million to run a Congress that won't say no to waste.

By taking Benghazi blame, will Hillary Clinton help or harm Obama?

3:36 pm ET - By taking responsibility for the security failure, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton appeared to be trying to shield her boss, a president locked in a tight reelection battle, from further political fallout.

Fight ends over early voting in Ohio as US Supreme Court refuses to step in

4:26 pm ET - Ohio had sought to cut short in-person early voting this year, but federal courts ruled it could not, citing potential disenfranchisement of older and low-income voters. On Tuesday, the US Supreme Court declined to enter fray in this key electoral state.

Dutch art heist 'a nightmare for any museum director' (+video)

3:42 pm ET - Seven paintings – including works by Picasso, Monet, and Matisse – were stolen from the Kunsthal Rotterdam museum early Tuesday morning in a Dutch art heist that could be worth tens of millions of dollars.

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9/11 cases: Three of five Guantánamo detainees skip pretrial hearing

3:24 pm ET - A military commission judge said Monday the defendants don't have to attend the proceedings, and on Tuesday Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two other Guantánamo detainees opted out. It's a day-by-day decision.

Israel's Netanyahu banks on tough guy image to win early elections

1:09 pm ET - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is campaigning in early elections, announced today for January, as the candidate with a proven record of keeping Israelis safe in turbulent times.