Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro has declared himself the rightful leader of his country after arriving in the US, having fled Brazil following his election defeat to incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Bolsonaro, an ally of US President Donald Trump, landed in Miami, Florida, on Wednesday morning aboard a private jet after traveling through Argentina and Ecuador. He defied a Supreme Court order to surrender his passports amid investigations into alleged financial crimes.

The senator is suspected of involvement in a money-laundering scheme linked to fraudulent deductions from pension payments. He also faces a separate investigation involving alleged financial misconduct. Bolsonaro denies wrongdoing, describing the cases as politically motivated.

The right-wing senator narrowly lost to Lula, a veteran left-wing politician, in Sunday’s runoff election, despite receiving more votes than his rival in the first round on October 4. His father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, is serving a 27-year sentence for plotting a coup to overturn his 2022 election defeat to Lula. The elder Bolsonaro denies wrongdoing, arguing that the case was politically motivated.

In a lengthy letter posted on X, Flavio Bolsonaro described himself as “the leader of Brazil” and claimed that the election was rigged. An earlier version of the letter had described him as the country’s elected president.

“The illegitimate and illegal actions of Lula’s former lawyer allowed a mathematical impossibility to become reality, with Lula gaining more than 10 million votes between the first and second rounds,” he wrote.

Defeated Brazilian presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro and his family have landed in Miami after fleeing his country. This comes a day after they were granted United States visas by the Trump administration. https://t.co/oB91ejWab5

— The Associated Press (@AP) October 28, 2026

Bolsonaro was referring to Supreme Federal Court Justice Cristiano Zanin, who previously represented Lula. Zanin ordered voting extended from 5pm to 7pm on Sunday following complaints from Lula’s campaign about public transport disruptions. The last-minute ruling caused confusion because some polling stations had already closed, prompting Zanin to clarify that the extension applied only where voting was still underway.

Bolsonaro rejected the investigations against him and vowed to “lead the opposition” from abroad. “It was not my intention to leave my homeland, but I know exactly where this is heading. This is the classic playbook of any coup d’état,” he wrote.

Lula earlier condemned Bolsonaro’s departure as “a shameful act,” arguing that “those who have nothing to hide have nothing to fear.”

Trump has also suggested that Brazil’s election may have been rigged. He previously condemned the prosecution of Jair Bolsonaro as a “witch hunt” and called for the case against the former president to be dropped.

More than four in five US deaths linked to drug-resistant infections involve pathogens commonly associated with hospitals and nursing homes, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The agency’s Antimicrobial Resistance Threats Report released this week draws on data from 2023 and estimates that 19 types of drug-resistant bacteria and fungi cause 9.7 million infections and 50,800 deaths annually in the US. Seven bacterial threats commonly associated with hospitals and nursing homes accounted for more than 42,000 of those deaths, along with nearly $12 billion in healthcare costs.

Antimicrobial resistance occurs when germs develop the ability to withstand drugs designed to kill them, making infections difficult or impossible to treat. Elderly people, those with weakened immune systems, and patients undergoing invasive medical procedures are particularly vulnerable.

A separate CDC study published in July found that reported cases of Candida auris more than doubled from 2022-2024, rising from 2,882 to 6,197. Most cases for which the type of medical facility was identified were detected in hospitals, including those that provide long-term treatment for seriously ill patients.

The CDC noted that many healthcare-associated infections are preventable, but much of the progress in combating drug resistance was lost during the Covid-19 pandemic, when staffing shortages, overcrowding, and disruptions to infection-control practices contributed to a rise in infections.

The warning comes as US hospitals face mounting financial and staffing pressures. A Harvard-led study published earlier this month found that 432 hospitals closed nationwide from 2010-2025, resulting in a net loss of 216 facilities and more than 24,000 beds.

Protesters clashed with police outside the Transport Ministry in Madrid as they demanded accountability for a high-speed train collision that killed at least 68 people near Toledo.

Wednesday’s crash near Urda, in Toledo province, was Spain’s second major rail disaster in less than ten months. On January 18, a train derailed near Adamuz, in Cordoba province, and collided with another train traveling in the opposite direction, killing 46 people.

According to elDiario.es, the demonstration, organized by far-right groups Falange and Revuelta, demanded the resignations of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Transport Minister Oscar Puente. “How many more people have to die before we throw these murderers and traitors out of our institutions?” Falange spokesman Federico Campanero said in a speech.

Ministerio de transportes ahora mismo. https://t.co/5WOlae1nzq

— Pablø (@nostalgicopablo) October 28, 2026

Some protesters threw flares and other objects at police, who pushed back the crowd and used tear gas.

La manifestación frente al ministerio de transportes exigiendo la dimisión de Óscar Puente se calienta. La gente está hasta los cojones. https://t.co/KGcoYNeIjU

— Capitán General de los Tercios (@capTercio) October 28, 2026

Tensión en una manifestación frente al Ministerio de Transportes en Madrid https://t.co/PlEVzgfUVy

— Alerta Zeta | Sucesos 🇪🇸 (@AlertaZeta) October 28, 2026

The right-wing Vox party and its affiliated trade union Solidaridad held a separate demonstration earlier at Plaza de Cibeles in central Madrid, where participants observed a minute of silence. Some carried a banner reading “Corruption kills.” The rally ended without major incidents.

In a speech on Wednesday, Sanchez promised a thorough investigation. “It is unacceptable for a country like Spain to suffer two high-speed rail accidents in the same year,” he said.

Alberto Nunez Feijoo, leader of the main opposition People’s Party, demanded an immediate investigation and an independent review of the railway network. “Spain has the right to know what is happening with its infrastructure, what condition the tracks and safety systems are in,” he said.

The disaster comes at a politically sensitive moment for Sánchez, whose government has faced public anger over housing costs and parliamentary setbacks. With a general election scheduled for November 29, the collision has brought renewed scrutiny of the government’s handling of railway safety.

US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz has shouted “Back up!” at Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez during a heated confrontation at the General Assembly over Washington’s blockade of the island. The Cuban diplomat accused Waltz of spreading “crude lies” to justify US “economic aggression.” 

During the UNGA session on Tuesday, Waltz dedicated his speech to allegations of corruption among the Cuban leadership, pointing to what he called their collection of luxury watches, real estate, and yachts as well as their relatives’ holidays in Europe. While ordinary Cubans “are starving,” the US blockade and embargo of the island “does not exist” and “doesn’t apply to luxury goods” that “somehow get through to the Cuban regime elites,” he claimed.

His words drew loud condemnation from the Cuban delegation led by Rodriguez as the diplomats clapped and knocked on their desks in protest against Waltz’s speech.

See the corrupt Cuban regime’s Rolex collection while their people sit in the dark. https://t.co/6wMlNhmNhl

— Ambassador Mike Waltz (@USAmbUN) October 27, 2026

The foreign minister also interrupted the US diplomat’s speech by requesting urgent intervention and delivered his own remarks, in which he accused the American envoy of lying in a “rude and arrogant manner” and “violating the dignity of the General Assembly” with his words.

Rodriguez then approached the podium and engaged in a heated argument with Waltz. In a video posted on X by the US envoy, Waltz can be heard urging the General Assembly president to make the Cuban minister “back away from this podium,” insisting that he would not allow Rodriguez to “intimidate” him on US territory. He then shouted: “I’m the representative of the United States of America! Back up! […] Do you understand who you are dealing with?! Back up!” 

The Castro regime has profited at the expense of the Cuban people with luxury cars, expensive watches and a private island resort. As I shared this with the world, regime thugs rushed the stage to interrupt my speech. They can intimidate their own people in Cuba but think again about trying that nonsense in the United States of America.

— Ambassador Mike Waltz (@USAmbUN) October 27, 2026

The American envoy also posted a host of videos on social media, detailing the incident and accusing those he called Cuban “so-called ‘diplomats’” and “regime thugs” of “melting down at the first hint of criticism.”

Rodriguez subsequently addressed the General Assembly, accusing Waltz of lying in a “rude and arrogant manner” and “violating the dignity of the General Assembly” with his remarks. 

He later shared on X a cartoon depicting the confrontation at the UN with the words “Gringo mentiroso” (“Lying gringo”) above the two diplomats. He captioned the post: “Cuba is not a threat. The blockade is.”

#CubaNoEsUnaAmenaza El Bloqueo Sí. https://t.co/OJd5pcHKBQ

— Bruno Rodríguez P (@BrunoRguezP) October 28, 2026

In a separate post, Rodriguez “denounced the economic war that the United States is waging against Cuba with aims of domination and “regime change"." Rodriguez blasted the continued blockade as an “act of war” and “genocide prohibited by the International Law.” He also shared the results of the vote, where he said it was rejected by a “large majority” of the nations.

US President Donald Trump has intensified pressure on Havana since the kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in January. Trump has since repeatedly stated that Cuba would be “next” as his administration imposed a near-total energy blockade against the island nation.

The restrictions contributed to severe energy shortages on the island. Cuba has entered its worst economic crisis in decades, marked not only by prolonged blackouts but also food shortages. Last month, Trump described Cuba as an “absolutely failed state” and “a haven for foreign adversaries” on America’s doorstep.

In mid-October, the US issued an arrest warrant for former Cuban President Raul Castro, 95, accusing him of ordering an attack on two American planes operated by anti-Communist Cuban exiles off the island’s coast in 1996. The warrant followed a separate federal indictment brought against Castro and five others in May. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel condemned the case as a “political maneuver, devoid of any legal foundation” and accused Washington of creating a pretext for a military intervention.

Moscow has condemned the accusations against the former Cuban leader as “groundless” and “contrived,” calling it a “revenge” by the anti-Cuban lobby.

Israel’s parliamentary elections are over, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been wounded, but not defeated. His battle to form a government and stay in power is just beginning.

However, with more than 85% of votes counted as of Wednesday evening, a picture of political deadlock is becoming clearer, and neither Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc, nor the center-left to center-right bloc of his opponents, are on track to win a majority in the Israeli parliament, the Knesset. Either bloc must secure 61 out of 120 Knesset seats to form a government.

What are the results of the Israeli election?

Netanyahu’s Likud remains Israel’s largest political party, and is projected to win 26 seats, down from 32 in 2022. 

Yashar, led by Netanyahu’s chief rival, former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, is in second place with 21 seats.

Both politicians lead large and potentially fractious blocs. Together with four far-right and religious parties – Otzma Yehudit, United Torah Judaism, Shas, and Religious Zionism, Netanyahu’s bloc controls 53 seats, ten short of a majority.

Eisenkot’s opposition bloc comprises Yashar, former Prime Ministers’ Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid’s B’Yachad party, Yair Golan’s Democrats, and Yisrael Beytenu, a right-wing party led by former Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman. Together, this bloc controls 48 seats.

What about the Arabs?

Israel’s two main Arab parties, Yousef Jabareen’s Joint List and Mansour Abbas’ Ra’am, have almost doubled their representation in the Knesset. Driven by anger over Netanyahu’s war on Gaza and his appointment of overt Jewish supremacists to cabinet positions, voters in Arab-majority districts turned out in record numbers to award the Joint List and Ra’am 12 and seven seats respectively, up from a combined ten seats in 2022. 

With a combined 19 seats, the Arab parties could play the role of kingmakers when coalition talks begin. However, they would likely find few allies within either Jewish-led bloc.

Will Netanyahu work with the Arabs?

Netanyahu has explicitly ruled out cooperation with either Arab party, both of which have condemned his war on Gaza. “It is forbidden, simply forbidden, to endanger Israel and to establish a government that relies on anti-Zionist Arab parties,” he said after polls closed on Tuesday. 

In the run up to the vote, the Israeli prime minister framed the election as a choice between “Me and [US President Donald] Trump, or Eisenkot and Abbas,” and accused his opponents of plotting to recognize a Palestinian state after entering a government with the Arabs. 

In a statement on Wednesday, Netanyahu claimed that “the elections in the State of Israel were stolen by Arab parties,” and that Likud had uncovered evidence of vote-buying, “threats and violence against polling station members,” and repeat voting in Arab districts. The PM called on police and Israel’s Shin Bet intelligence agency to conduct a “thorough investigation” into his claims.

Eisenkot’s party warned on Tuesday that Netanyahu would attempt to delegitimize the election. “Netanyahu is panicking and has begun making up stories and claiming that the election is being stolen,” Yashar said in a statement. “This is no accident. He is already laying the groundwork to challenge the election results.”

What about the opposition?

Eisenkot, Liberman, and Bennett have all ruled out cooperation with the Arabs, with Eisenkot declaring on election night that he intends to form “a Zionist government.” Democrats leader Yair Golan, on the other hand, has called on the anti-Netanyahu bloc to reach out to Ra’am and the Joint List for the sake of ousting Netanyau. Partnership with the two Arab parties would give the bloc 65 seats – a clear majority.

“We have no future here if we don’t stop being afraid,” he wrote on social media on Wednesday morning. “We have a majority. We have responsibility. And we have an opportunity to form a government of change in partnership with Israel’s Arab citizens.” 

Abbas has said that he is willing to enter government with the anti-Netanyahu bloc, while Jabareen has said that his Joint List lawmakers would “pave the way for the ousting of the Netanyahu government” by refusing to oppose a minority government in exchange for some concessions on Palestine and funding for Arab communities.

Who will form a government in Israel?

Netanyahu wins back the right

Netanyahu could secure a majority by striking a deal with Bennett and Liberman to peel B’Yachad away from the opposition bloc. Both are right-wingers, but both campaigned on ousting Netanyahu and forcing military conscription on Israel’s ultra-Orthodox Haredi communities. In this case,, Netanyahu would likely lose the backing of the two ultra-Orthodox parties in his coalition, United Torah Judaism and Shas.

Swapping these parties for B’Yachad would leave Netanyahu’s bloc even further away from a majority, meaning one side would have to compromise on their core campaign promises to make this arrangement work.

Eisenkot joins the Arabs

Eisenkot’s opposition bloc could quickly secure a majority and form a government, but only if he, Bennett, and Liberman decide that taking power is worth cooperating with, or securing the abstention of, the Arab parties. 

Doing so would carry political consequences for everyone involved. At a time when public support for a two-state solution has collapsed and fewer Israelis than ever believe that they “cannot coexist peacefully” with their Palestinian neighbors, Eisenkot, Bennett, and Liberman would risk alienating their right-wing voters.

Likewise, Arab voters could see any partnership with the Israeli-right as a betrayal by the Joint List and Ra’am. Earlier this week, Joint List parliamentary leader Ahmad Tibi alluded to this fear, telling Türkiye’s Anadolu news agency that he does not want his party “to be responsible for incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque, a war in Gaza, the continuation of Jewish terrorism and settlement activity, or house demolitions.”

Entering a government with Eisenkot and the right-wing opposition would make the Joint List “collectively responsible” for these crimes, he explained.

Could a grand Zionist coalition emerge in Israel?

A unity government – in which Netanyahu and Eisenkot rotate the premiership with the support of Bennett and Liberman – may seem like an obvious solution for everyone involved. Likud, Yashar, B’Yachad, and Yisrael Beytenu are all aligned on security matters, and entering a grand coalition would allow Netanyahu to cast off his ultra-Orthodox and far-right partners, while Eisenkot could sever ties with the Democrats and Arabs.

However, the Netanyahu/Gantz coalition fell apart in less than a year, at a less polarized time in Israeli politics. This time around, all of Netanyahu’s opponents have focused their campaigns around deposing the prime minister, with Eisenkot accusing him of corruption, incompetence, and ignoring “dozens of warnings” prior to Hamas’ attack on Israel in 2023. 

“I unequivocally pledge that I will not serve under Netanyahu in a rotation agreement. Period,” Eisenkot told Radio 103 last week. “If that were to happen, you would see me resign an hour later.” Eisenkot did not explicitly rule out working with Likud, if Netanyahu were to retire.

The alternative for Israel: deadlock and elections

Should none of these arrangements work, Israel could be thrust into another election cycle. Repeat elections and failed coalition talks were a leitmotif in Israeli politics until the October 7 attack and subsequent wars ushered in a period of relative stability: in the four years before 2022, Israel went through five elections.

Herzog has made it clear that he wants to avoid such an outcome. “We must do everything we can, certainly after yesterday, to avoid another round of elections,” he said on Tuesday. However, unless Israel’s main parties can find some kind of compromise, another election may be inevitable.

Israel faces weeks of political uncertainty, as the parliamentary elections did not result in a majority for either side. A unity government could break the deadlock, but at what cost to domestic politics and regional stability?

After months of a fiercely contested race, Israelis are waking up to a political reality that offers little prospect of stability. The question is no longer who won the most seats in the Knesset, but who can form a government – and at what cost.

Divided we stand 

For some Israelis, the initial results have already proven disappointing.

“I really hoped that the victory of Eisenkot would be obvious and we could celebrate Bibi’s defeat. The country is tired of this man, we need a change but the results are not encouraging,” Miriam Hassan, a 40-year-old resident of Nazareth, said.

Others share her frustration. “The change bloc [a union of parties aligned against Netanyahu] did everything it could to end the rule of Netanyahu. Arab tried too. They went to the polling stations in their masses but now it is clear that the battle is not over yet. More work needs to be done for us to finally see this man handing down the keys to the premier’s office in Jerusalem,” according to Samer Nasrawi, another Nazareth resident in his 50s.

Ronen Attar, a voter of Yashar in his 30s, said:

“We voted for change, for hope, for the repair of this country. We wanted to see this government that was responsible for October 7 handing down power. Polls indicate our bloc can still form a government but everything is up in the air.”

On the other side of the political divide, Netanyahu’s supporters are celebrating.

“My entire family voted for Netanyahu,” Moshe Keif, a Jerusalem resident in his 50s, said. “He has done so much in these four years. The media and Israeli channels buried him politically, they said he will be crushed but now it is clear, Likud is still the strongest and the biggest party. Netanyahu is unsinkable.”

Itzik Dayan, another Jerusalem voter in his 50s, was less optimistic:

“I think Netanyahu should still be the PM despite his mistakes and vices. But the results show that half of the population doesn’t share these views. We are a country divided.”

Unity as a solution? 

With polling stations closed and the count underway, it will take days for the final results to emerge. Even then, weeks may pass before Israel – and the world – learns who will become the country’s next prime minister.

Israel’s political system does not automatically award the premiership to the leader of the largest party. Instead, the president must nominate a candidate capable of assembling a coalition commanding at least 61 of the Knesset’s 120 seats.

According to the Central Elections Committee, Eisenkot’s potential partners, the Together bloc led by former prime ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, Avigdor Liberman’s Yisrael Beiteinu, and Yair Golan’s Democrats – are projected to win 12, 7, and 8 seats, respectively. Together, they would hold 48 seats, 13 short of a majority.

To bridge the gap and secure the premiership, Eisenkot could seek an alliance with the Arab parties: the Joint Arab List and Ra’am, which have won 13 and 6 seats, respectively.

“I voted for them,” Hassan said. “I support the idea of them joining forces with the change bloc to oust Netanyahu from power. Only this cooperation will bring the much needed change.”

Nasrawi agrees: 

“It is time for the Arab parties to start cooperating with the Jewish ones. It has been long overdue. They have a chance now. Join forces and remove Netanyahu. Then start cooperating in other spheres, be it tackling high crime rates or the economy.”

Cooperation, however, may be easier said than done. Although Arab party leaders have repeatedly pledged to support initiatives aimed at ending Netanyahu’s premiership, their political priorities remain difficult to reconcile with those of the Change bloc.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the clearest example. Arab parties advocate ending the occupation, withdrawing troops from Gaza, and establishing a Palestinian state. Eisenkot and his allies, with the exception of Golan, reject these positions and have pledged to take a tougher approach toward the Palestinians.

Israeli experts consider it unlikely that the Arab parties and the Eisenkot-led bloc will overcome these differences. Without their support, the former chief of staff may struggle to become prime minister. Even if he succeeds, his coalition could prove short-lived.

To retain power, Netanyahu would need to persuade lawmakers from the opposing camp to defect or convince some members of the Change bloc to join a coalition under his leadership.

He has managed this before. On October 11, 2023, shortly after the Hamas-led attacks, he formed a unity government with Benny Gantz, who set aside his differences with Netanyahu to provide broad legislative support. This time, however, the task will be considerably harder. Several leaders in the Change bloc have already ruled out joining a Netanyahu-led coalition and pledged not to serve in ministerial positions under his leadership.

Yet neither side may ultimately have a viable alternative to a broad unity government.

According to a recent poll, around 60% of Israelis favor a unity government bringing Netanyahu and Eisenkot together; 33% want the former chief of staff to lead the government, 19% prefer Netanyahu, and 8% say they have no preference between the two.

Voters, however, remain deeply divided over the prospect.

“Nobody trusts Netanyahu anymore,” Nasrawi said. “I don’t see how Eisenkot agrees to sit with the man who deceived all his coalition partners in the past.”

“This government needs to go. Striking an agreement with Netanyahu is criminal. If they do so, it basically means they betrayed our trust and threw all our votes out of the window,” Hassan said.

Dayan sees things differently: “I really don’t think there is an alternative but to have a unity government.”

“We still have Iran and Hezbollah on our borders, the situation in the West Bank and Gaza is not stable either, economy needs to be fixed, and all we are doing is dividing the country into pro and against Netanyahu. Only unity can bring a change.”

No bright future in sight 

A government of national unity could have consequences far beyond Israel’s domestic politics. Netanyahu previously indicated that if he remains prime minister, he intends to complete what he considers unfinished business in Iran, Lebanon, the West Bank, and Gaza.

The groundwork for further military operations is already being laid. In Gaza, the IDF is conducting near-daily raids and targeted killings. In the West Bank, the military is pursuing a major campaign in the Hebron area aimed at dismantling Hamas infrastructure. These operations could intensify and expand if Netanyahu and Eisenkot join forces.

A war seems to be on the horizon. Reports suggest that Netanyahu planned an attack against Iran on October 10, but was blocked by US President Donald Trump at the last minute.

Experts suggest that he might resume his plans if he remains in office, even for a short period of time. 

In the coming days, Herzog is expected to consult the leaders of the various parties before deciding which candidate to task with forming a government. Once given the mandate, the candidate will have 28 days to assemble a coalition, with the possibility of a two-week extension. If the attempt fails, another candidate may get the opportunity.

For now, the clouds of uncertainty hanging over Israel show little sign of lifting. A unity government could offer a way out of the immediate political deadlock, but it would not necessarily heal the divisions exposed by the election. 

Israelis who went to the polls hoping for a clear direction may find themselves facing a familiar reality: a country still divided, a government still uncertain, and a future that remains difficult to predict.

Serbia has raised the terrorism alert to the highest level after a knife-wielding minor attacked a guard outside the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade on Wednesday, the government said.

The attacker was shot dead at the scene of the incident, which took place at around 12:15 AM local time.

“A minor, whose identity has not yet been established… attacked a member of the Gendarmerie with two knives while shouting ‘Allahu Akbar,’” caretaker Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said in a government press release, adding that the suspect was believed to be from the western Serbian town of Sabac. “The Gendarmerie officer neutralized the attacker in self-defense and sustained minor injuries in the process.”

According to the Belgrade Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office, the attacker opened the door of the guard booth and threw a knife that struck the officer’s left cheek. The guard fired several shots, killing the attacker.

Israel ordered tighter security at its embassies last May, after a man shot two embassy employees dead in Washington. The suspect reportedly said he did it “for Palestine” and “for Gaza” during his arrest.

Israeli embassies have faced heightened threats since the Gaza war began in October 2023, amid international condemnation of Israel’s military operation, which has killed nearly 75,000 Palestinians, according to the enclave’s health authorities.

The Belgrade attack also came as Israel counted votes from Tuesday’s parliamentary election, which had the highest voter turnout in decades. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who led Israel during the Gaza war and conflicts with Iran, is seeking another term. However, neither his bloc nor the main opposition grouping has secured the 61 seats needed for a parliamentary majority as counting continued Wednesday.

A cruise ship selling “permanent homes at sea” has abruptly suspended operations, leaving around 200 residents stranded in Cambodia as its operator blamed soaring fuel costs caused by the US-Israeli war on Iran.

The 200-meter (656-foot) Odyssey, with a capacity for 650 passengers, departed Belfast in October 2024 on a “continuous” round-the-world “forever cruise.” It offered cabins for rent, purchase, or lifetime ownership starting at $59,999 and reaching $440,000, plus monthly fees for meals, drinks, Wi-Fi and other services.

On Monday, Florida-based operator Villa Vie Residences (VVR) ordered passengers – some of whom reportedly sold their homes or spent their life savings on cabins – off the ship during a stop in Cambodia’s Sihanoukville. They had just seven hours to pack and leave, passenger Randy Cassingham reported on his cruise blog.

Sihanoukville deputy governor Long Dimanche confirmed Tuesday that the vessel, which arrived from Thailand on October 23 with 203 passengers and 156 crew, was due to sail to Vietnam later this week, but instead disembarked all passengers. Some have since flown out of Cambodia, while others remain in Sihanoukville, he said in a statement to local media.

Passengers voiced their anger online. Cassingham blamed a “cascade of problems,” including a flawed business model and management mistakes, and accused the company of doing “absolutely nothing to help.” Another resident, Holly Hennessy, told CNN that problems had been mounting for months.

“It’s been incredibly tough since the war,” she said, adding that residents had been asked to pay a fuel surcharge in May, while the ship had reduced air conditioning to save energy.

Fellow residents Lynette and Johan, who run the YouTube vlog Living Life on a Cruise, also described months of financial uncertainty. Johan said he felt “really drained” and worried about those who had invested their life savings in the cruise.

VVR denied abandoning passengers, saying it was arranging temporary accommodation and disembarkation assistance. Company founder Mikael Petterson told Bloomberg that VVR would cover local lodging and transportation costs, but not passengers’ travel out of Cambodia.

In a statement on Tuesday, the company blamed “extraordinary” fuel costs tied to the Iran war, saying monthly fuel expenses had surged from $1,800 to as much as $8,000 per cabin in parts of Asia since February. Slower sailing and longer port stays had failed to contain costs.

The cost of war

The US-Israeli war on Iran has severely disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Houthi attacks on Saudi energy facilities and shipping have further strained supplies, threatening the Red Sea’s Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Despite Gulf exports reportedly recovering to 80% of pre-war levels, Brent crude recently approached $117 per barrel.

US President Donald Trump has rejected Tehran’s latest settlement proposal and last week threatened another offensive. He also blamed Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries, rather than the Iran war, for the latest spike in fuel prices. Trump subsequently lifted restrictions on Russian diesel exports to the US in an effort to ease shortages, and Moscow said on Tuesday that three diesel tankers were already heading to America.

Argentina’s right-wing government has confirmed that it helped Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro flee the country after his election loss to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was reportedly involved in the operation.

Bolsonaro was ordered to surrender his passports on Monday, less than 24 hours after his narrow runoff election loss to Lula. The passports were canceled on Tuesday, after he failed to surrender them to authorities. Media reports claimed that he had fled to the US earlier that day, but no outlet could confirm that he had left the country. 

“We still don’t have any news about his whereabouts,” Bolsonaro’s campaign manager told AFP on Tuesday.

In the early hours of Wednesday morning, Argentina’s National Directorate of Migration (DNM) confirmed that Bolsonaro, his wife, and his two daughters entered Argentina via a border checkpoint near the town of Puerto Iguazu, shortly before 11pm on Tuesday. Bolsonaro crossed the border “with valid travel documentation and without any legal impediment to entering the country,” the agency stated.

Once in Argentina, the Bolsonaro family boarded a private jet bound for Ecuador, the DNM stated. Argentinian President Javier Milei and Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa are both right-wing allies of Bolsonaro.

Bolsonaro and his family were seen arriving in Florida on Wednesday, where the State Department has told AP that it will grant visas to him and his family. While the State Department has not admitted any role in helping Bolsonaro flee Brazil, Mexican entrepreneur Simon Levy, who describes himself as “proud to serve President Trump and MAGA,” claimed on Tuesday that the entire operation was “coordinated by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.”

Rubio has not commented on Levy’s claims. However, Rubio and Trump are both political allies of Bolsonaro. Rubio’s State Department sanctioned Brazilian Supreme Federal Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes last year over his role in jailing Bolsonaro’s father, former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, in 2022, and over his censorship of American social media platforms. Moraes is a close political ally of Lula.

Bolsonaro’s passports were canceled in connection with an ongoing corruption and money laundering probe. Despite Moraes being named in the same investigation, Lula warned Bolsonaro earlier this month that he would “be in a lot of trouble” if he lost the election, threatening him with “plenty of investigations.”

It is unclear how the US intends to respond to Lula’s election win. Trump has suggested that the election “had a very bad look…the way it was tabulated.” After claiming that Rubio aided in Bolsonaro’s flight, Levy made a cryptic post on X, saying “get ready for tomorrow…”

France’s Senate has backed a sweeping “vandals pay” bill that could force people involved in violent gatherings to cover up to €10,000 ($11,100) in damage caused not only by them, but also by other members of the group. The vote follows weeks of nationwide protests which spiraled into looting, arson attacks, and clashes with police.

The bill was initially drafted by the government over the summer after violence following Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League victory, but it gained urgency after a new wave of mass public disorder. Demonstrations against soaring living costs and worsening quality of education turned violent in several cities this month, with rioters looting shops, torching vehicles, and destroying the 19th-century city hall in Limoges. Thousands of people were arrested during the unrest, with hundreds injured.

Senators passed the measure by 229 votes to 105 on Wednesday, backed by conservatives, centrists, and Marine Le Pen’s right-wing National Rally despite fierce objections from the left.

He added that the bill is also “firmly based on fault; fault exists when one participates in a group formed with the intention of committing violence.” Meanwhile, centrist Senator Olivier Bitz reassured that “it should not be assumed that this text would allow for the prosecution of passersby or peaceful demonstrators.”

To recover court-ordered compensation, the legislation would also allow deductions from social benefits, including family allowances, housing assistance, and minimum-income payments. The bill would also exempt people who remain in a gathering for legitimate reasons, potentially including journalists and medical volunteers.

While centrists and right-wing supporters portrayed the bill as a more just measure to extract damages from those involved in vandalism and protect law-abiding taxpayers, socialist Senator Marie-Pierre de La Gontrie warned that the welfare measures risk penalizing entire families.

Nathalie Godard, Director of the Action Department at Amnesty International France, also argued that the bill “threatens to further deter people from taking to the streets to exercise their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly,” adding that it comes on the heels of the government’s push to crack down on protests.

The Senate passed the bill ahead of the 2027 presidential race, with two key contenders taking contrasting positions over the unrest. Marine Le Pen, the frontrunner in recent polls, has championed the “vandals pay” principle, accusing President Emmanuel Macron’s government of failing to control the violence.

Her left-wing rival Jean-Luc Melenchon has backed the protests while condemning looting and vandalism and accusing the authorities of inflaming tensions through police brutality.

While the bill sailed through the right-dominated Senate, it now faces a much tougher test in the fractured National Assembly, where centrist and right-wing lawmakers together hold enough seats to outvote the left but remain divided over the proposed crackdown.

The parliamentary elections in Israel were a major test of public confidence in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Israelis went to the polls in the aftermath of the events of October 7, 2023, the wars in Gaza and Lebanon, the confrontation with Iran, and increasingly strained relations with several international partners. The composition of the next government will decide the direction of Israel’s political and strategic development.

Turnout was exceptionally high – the Central Elections Committee put it at 77.7%, the highest since 1999. The main contest unfolded between Netanyahu’s Likud party and an opposition camp led by Gadi Eisenkot, the leader of the centrist Yashar party. His potential allies include the parties of Naftali Bennett, Yair Lapid (who had shared a rotating premiership in 2021-22), and other parties opposed to the incumbent coalition.

According to updated exit polls conducted by three major TV networks, the opposition bloc is projected to secure 47 seats, Netanyahu’s allies 54, and Arab parties outside either camp 19. Likud nevertheless remains the largest individual party, while other projections are more favorable to the right-wing bloc. The official results are expected to be published on November 4. For now, one thing is evident: Neither side has secured a clear parliamentary majority.

The turnout reflects a profound political mobilization within Israeli society. Over the past several years, decisions made by the leadership have become increasingly intertwined with questions of personal security, economic well-being, and the future of individual families. As a result, even citizens who previously remained relatively disengaged from politics have become more actively involved.

The events of October 7, 2023 were the decisive catalyst for this transformation. The failure of the national security system severely undermined confidence in the political leadership, and the subsequent wars failed to produce lasting national unity around the government. Instead, they intensified questions of political accountability, the human and economic costs of military decisions, and the absence of a convincing strategy for ending the conflicts. Even supporters of a hardline security approach have grown disillusioned with its effectiveness.

Socioeconomic pressures have also played an important role. Rising military expenditure, the high cost of living, housing difficulties, and prolonged reserve military service have shown the people the price of continuing instability. Particularly contentious has been the exemption of sections of the ultra-Orthodox community from military service, while other segments of society bear the burden.

Israel’s deteriorating international standing has further compounded these challenges. Disagreements with traditional European partners over the war in Gaza, developments in the West Bank, and the policies pursued by far-right members of the government are leaving the country with less and less room for diplomatic maneuvers. Some voters increasingly blame the government for growing diplomatic isolation and economic risks.

The high turnout was not just against Netanyahu. Right-wing voters were also highly mobilized, as was the Arab electorate, whose parties achieved a notable result. Nevertheless, the elections suggest that the existing political situation is no longer widely seen as sustainable.

In Israeli politics, electoral success does not necessarily translate into political power. In the 120-seat Knesset, a governing coalition requires the support of at least 61 members, a threshold that neither of the two main political camps is so far projected to reach. The decisive struggle will now move to negotiations between parties.

After the official results are released, President Isaac Herzog will consult parliamentary factions and entrust the task of forming a government to the candidate considered most capable of securing a majority. The initial period for coalition negotiations is 28 days, with a possible extension of up to 14 days. If these efforts fail, another member of the Knesset may be given 28 days to form a government. Subsequently, members of parliament would have 21 days to nominate an alternative candidate with the support of at least 61 legislators, who would then receive a further 14 days to complete the process. Should this final attempt also fail, the Knesset would be dissolved and new elections called.

Under these circumstances, smaller parties have far more power than their number of seats would suggest. In exchange for supporting a coalition, they may demand ministerial appointments, budgetary commitments, and significant policy concessions. Netanyahu’s camp will have to seek additional support beyond its traditional allies, while the opposition faces the difficult task of reconciling the positions of centrists, right-wing opponents of Netanyahu, and more liberal parties.

Arab parties, which are projected to hold 19 seats, could become particularly important. Eisenkot and some of his potential coalition partners, however, have ruled out including them in the government. External parliamentary support or abstention during a confidence vote could theoretically alter the balance, but this would require politically sensitive compromises from the centrist camp.

Netanyahu’s extensive experience in coalition-building gives him considerable opportunities to negotiate with smaller parties and persuade individual political actors to abandon competing alliances. Even if he fails to assemble a majority, he will remain in office as caretaker prime minister until a new government is formed. His political position has undoubtedly weakened, but this does not yet amount to his removal from power.

Netanyahu entered these elections with a loyal electoral base intact, but with substantially weakened support beyond the right-wing camp. National security has always been his central political argument. Yet the consequences of October 7 and the prolonged military campaigns have seriously damaged his reputation, raising questions about the effectiveness of his leadership.

With this in mind, reports of preparations for a new military operation against Iran shortly before the elections deserve particular attention. Axios reported on discussions between Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump, the Financial Times described preparations for a large-scale strike in early October, and CNN reported on Israeli efforts to secure American support. According to these accounts, the Trump administration prefers to avoid another major escalation ahead of the US elections scheduled for November 3. Netanyahu denied reports that Trump prevented a planned Israeli attack, and some of the reported details have also been disputed by Israeli media.

A swift and successful military operation against Iran could have unified a substantial part of society around Likud, restored Netanyahu’s image as a decisive defender of national security, and pushed criticism of his domestic policies into the background. While this does not prove that a strike was being planned for electoral purposes, the potential political benefits are obvious.

On the other hand, a short war against Iran would have been an extremely risky gamble. Iranian retaliation, the involvement of Tehran’s regional allies, additional pressure on Israel’s missile defense systems, and potential disruption of global energy markets could have produced another crisis of public confidence. The combination of American constraints and unpredictable military consequences appears to have prevented this from happening before the election.

Ultimately, the election took place without a major military development capable of fundamentally shifting votes. Should Netanyahu remain in power, the most likely outcome would be the continuation of his hardline approach towards Iran and aligned armed groups. Continued dependence on far-right coalition partners could push this policy in an even more confrontational direction. Even so, Israel would still have to take Washington’s position into account, given the importance of American support for major military operations.

The Eisenkot alternative

Gadi Eisenkot, who served as chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces from 2015 to 2019, has emerged as Netanyahu’s principal political alternative. His main advantage lies in offering a change of leadership without abandoning the centrality of national security. For voters dissatisfied with the incumbent prime minister but unwilling to embrace a fundamental ideological shift, this is an appealing compromise. Eisenkot presents himself as a centrist, institutionally minded political figure with extensive experience in military leadership.

Particular emphasis in his political program is placed on soldiers, reservists, and their families. His party has proposed expanding housing, tax, and education benefits, increasing social assistance, and raising the remuneration of conscripts by 15%, with a 50% increase for combat soldiers in their third year of service. These proposals have the potential to attract military families that have long demanded more equitable social protection. It would, however, be an exaggeration to suggest that Israel’s entire security establishment supports a single candidate.

Another important part of Eisenkot’s electoral base consists of citizens disillusioned with the governing coalition’s style of leadership, its disputes with state institutions, and its dependence on far-right parties. Eisenkot promises to restore confidence in government, broaden the principle of compulsory military or national service, and reduce divisions within society. His political appeal is centered on effective governance rather than ideological transformation.

On the Palestinian question, however, fundamental changes are unlikely. Eisenkot opposes the establishment of a fully independent Palestinian state under present conditions and insists on maintaining Israeli control over essential security matters. Although some Jewish parties support the two-state solution, the core of a new coalition would most likely consist of nationally oriented parties. Nevertheless, Eisenkot’s criticism of illegal settlement outposts and settler violence suggests that a change in political methods is possible.

There is much more room for change in foreign policy. A departure from a government of far-right politicians whose rhetoric has complicated Israel’s relations with European partners and Arab states could, in itself, help reduce diplomatic tensions. A more pragmatic cabinet would have the opportunity to restore working relationships, ease Israel’s international isolation, and pursue a gradual normalization of relations across the region.

The main dilemma emerging from the election is that many Israelis who voted against Netanyahu expect greater stability and a reduction in regional tensions, yet the country’s security environment and the positions of opposition leaders themselves impose significant constraints on any rapid political compromise. Eisenkot could change the style of governance and improve the atmosphere of Israel’s relations with the outside world, but he cannot guarantee peace. Netanyahu, by contrast, would be more likely to continue along the current path.

Until the official results are published and coalition negotiations concluded, it is impossible to predict with confidence who will become the next prime minister. The elections have nevertheless exposed profound public fatigue with a prolonged period of crisis and the absence of a clear political mandate for overcoming it.

The ultimate outcome will determine far more than the composition of the next government. It may also shape the future trajectory of the entire Middle East, influencing whether the region moves towards a period of cautious stabilization or enters another phase of escalating confrontation.

An AI safety researcher has stopped saving for retirement because he believes artificial intelligence could wipe out humanity within the next ten years. His warning follows similar predictions from researchers concerned that increasingly powerful systems could escape human control.

Nate Soares, a former Google and Microsoft engineer who now heads the Machine Intelligence Research Institute (MIRI), discussed his outlook with Atlantic CEO Nicholas Thompson

“I do not save for retirement right now. I have a 401(k) from when I worked at Google, but I haven’t contributed for a decade,” he said, referring to his workplace retirement account.

Asked whether he believed there was a greater-than-50% chance humans would not survive another ten years, Soares stated that it’s “more than 50% that we don’t have a decade at this point.”

Soares argued that a sufficiently capable system could develop goals incompatible with human survival, evade oversight, and improve itself. It could then acquire resources and build automated infrastructure allowing it to operate without people, potentially making the planet uninhabitable.

The researcher urged governments to halt the training of general-purpose AI systems, arguing that superintelligence should be treated as a danger comparable to nuclear weapons. At the same time, he supported the use of the technology in narrowly focused applications, including cancer research and safer self-driving cars.

Soares stressed that catastrophe could still be prevented. “I do everything I can to stop this eventuality. I don’t think it’s inevitable,” he said.

The warnings come amid repeated disclosures of AI agents acting beyond developers’ instructions. OpenAI reported in July that its agents escaped restricted testing environments and accessed systems belonging to Hugging Face, an online repository for AI models and datasets. The company has since restricted internet access during training of its most powerful models.

Critics have called for binding government safeguards and a halt to the development of potentially uncontrollable systems. On the other hand, supporters of continued development argue that AI’s benefits outweigh many of the risks.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has put a major new weapons package for Ukraine on hold until after the US midterm elections, according to La Repubblica. The move comes as her ruling coalition faces mounting resistance to arming Kiev.

The long-delayed 13th military aid package remains stuck despite repeated assurances that Rome will continue to support Ukraine, the Italian outlet reported on Tuesday. Initially expected in July, the shipment was pushed back to September, then delayed again, with a decision now potentially postponed until after the November 3 US congressional elections.

La Repubblica noted that the delay has cast doubt on whether Meloni will deliver on promises made to French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky to send more Aster 30 interceptor missiles for Kiev’s SAMP/T air defense systems by the end of October.

Earlier this week, Italian media reported that Meloni’s government is split over further arms supplies to Kiev. Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, leader of the League party, has opposed further weapons deliveries, while Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti, also from the League, has reportedly resisted signing off on the package. In December 2025, Tajani rejected Italy’s immediate participation in the US-led PURL scheme, under which NATO members bankroll American weapons for Kiev, citing ongoing peace talks. “If we reach an agreement and the fighting stops, weapons will no longer be needed,” he said.

Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and Defense Minister Guido Crosetto, meanwhile, have pushed for continued military assistance, leaving Meloni caught between her government’s commitments to Kiev and opposition from a key coalition partner.

Public opposition to arming Kiev is growing in Italy. A September Termometro Politico poll found that 55.4% of Italians opposed further weapons shipments, against 38.8% in favor. Ukraine’s EU membership bid has also split opinion, with a May survey showing 32% backing eastward enlargement and 26% opposed.

Russia has warned that Western weapons deliveries to Ukraine prolong the conflict and obstruct peace efforts. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has accused European countries of fueling the fighting, while Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has warned that any shipments carrying foreign arms into Ukraine would be considered legitimate military targets.

At least 68 people have been killed after two high-speed trains collided near Toledo, Spain, Castilla-La Mancha regional President Emiliano Garcia-Page has said, according to Spanish newspaper ABC. More than 179 people have reportedly been injured.

The crash occurred at 8:54 AM local time on Wednesday between the towns of Los Yebenes and Urda, around 120 km south of Madrid, on the high-speed line linking the Spanish capital with Andalusia. A Renfe AVE train reportedly struck an Iryo train from behind, sending two carriages off the tracks and down an embankment, according to rail infrastructure operator Adif.

WATCH: Dozens confirmed killed as aerial footage reveals devastation after train collision in Toledo, Spain https://t.co/vwdz3IlGlT

— Klaxon Wire (@KlaxonWire) October 28, 2026

The two trains were carrying a combined total of more than 500 passengers, according to Spanish media reports.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has announced three days of national mourning and pledged a thorough investigation into the disaster. Speaking at the crash site, he vowed to establish the cause of the collision and hold anyone responsible for negligence accountable.

Former Spanish Labor Minister Fatima Banez, 59, was among those killed, according to several Spanish media outlets. Banez served under Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy from 2011 to 2018 and was reportedly travelling aboard the Iryo train to attend a business event in Seville.

Spain’s Transport Ministry has identified human error by an operator at rail infrastructure manager Adif as the leading preliminary explanation for the crash. An operator reportedly authorized the Renfe train to pass a red signal despite the Iryo service remaining stationary on the same track.

BREAKING: 🇪🇸 The death toll from the train collision in Spain has risen to 50 At least 50 people were killed and 179 injured when two trains collided in Toledo, Antena 3 reported. The Iryo train was carrying 147 passengers and the AVE train 397. https://t.co/8l4uJI7JgM

— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) October 28, 2026

The suspected mistake followed a malfunction of the railway’s automatic safety system, which forced several trains to stop and required traffic controllers to manage movements manually. Investigators are still working to establish the exact cause.

Images shared online show overturned and badly damaged carriages, with emergency crews working at the scene.

Castilla-La Mancha regional President Emiliano Garcia-Page has requested assistance from Spain’s Military Emergency Unit. Adif has suspended high-speed rail traffic between Madrid and Andalusia. Iryo said it activated all emergency protocols.

Iryo confirma el accidente de su tren 6076 en Urda y cancela todos sus servicios hacia el sur Patricia MedjidiJuez | Tribuna Digital7 28 de octubre de 2026 La compañía ferroviaria Iryo ha comunicado la activación de todos sus protocolos de emergencia tras el accidente sufrido este miércoles por uno de sus trenes a la altura de Urda, en la provincia de Toledo. Según el comunicado difundido en sus redes sociales, el convoy afectado es el servicio 6076, que realizaba el trayecto Madrid-Sevilla. La operadora asegura que trabaja en estrecha colaboración con las autoridades competentes para gestionar la emergencia y atender las consecuencias del siniestro. Como consecuencia del accidente, Iryo ha cancelado todos sus servicios con origen en Madrid-Puerta de Atocha hacia el corredor sur. La compañía advierte de que no existe por el momento ninguna previsión de restablecimiento de la circulación ferroviaria y anuncia que continuará informando a los viajeros a través de sus canales oficiales. El accidente ha provocado también la interrupción de la línea de alta velocidad Madrid-Andalucía, confirmada por Adif. El comunicado de Iryo no precisa el número de víctimas ni las causas de la colisión, que continúan pendientes de esclarecimiento. Fuentes: Comunicado de Iryo difundido en redes sociales, según el texto facilitado a Tribuna Digital7; InfoAdif; La Voz del Tajo, 28 de octubre de 2026.

— Tribuna Digital7 (@TribunaLibreES) October 28, 2026

Wednesday’s disaster is the latest in a series of serious railway accidents in Spain this year, raising concerns over the safety of the country’s rail network. On January 18, two high-speed trains collided near Adamuz in the southern province of Cordoba, killing 46 people and injuring more than 150. Investigators have identified a broken section of track as the likely cause, although the investigation is ongoing.

WATCH: Sheer force of train collision between Los Yébenes and Urda in Toledo, Spain sends wheels flying far from the tracks; at least 46 killed https://t.co/32RoUdWDLT

— Klaxon Wire (@KlaxonWire) October 28, 2026

Just two days later, a commuter train struck a collapsed retaining wall near Barcelona, killing the driver and injuring dozens. Another passenger train collided with a crane near Cartagena on January 22, injuring six, and a collision at a level crossing in February reportedly left one person dead.

The incidents have fueled concerns over railway infrastructure and maintenance standards, prompting demands for stronger safety measures. The Spanish train drivers’ union (SEMAF) has called a nationwide strike for Thursday, October 29, accusing Renfe and the Transport Ministry of failing to implement safety improvements promised after the disasters in January. Renfe dismissed the accusations, insisting it has fulfilled its commitments.

The full extent of the casualties and the circumstances surrounding Wednesday’s collision remain under investigation.

The phone call on Tuesday by the leaders of Finland and Norway to Russian President Vladimir Putin caught many by surprise.

Until then, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who took office in early 2024, had never spoken with his Russian counterpart. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, meanwhile, had last spoken with Putin in March 2022 – more than four and a half years ago, when the Ukraine crisis, Russia’s confrontation with the West, and the global geopolitical landscape looked very different.

But the element of surprise was far from the only remarkable thing about this call to the Kremlin.

Equally striking was the pointedly conciliatory tone of Stubb’s statement. Finland joined NATO shortly before he became president, then proceeded on his watch to bury its neutrality and descend into anti-Russian hysteria and paranoia.

This time, Stubb sounded like a different man. He described his conversation with Putin this way: “The discussion was frank and substantive. We are neighboring countries to Russia. The outcome of this war will have a direct impact on our and the broader European security. Ending the war requires direct discussions.” Store issued a similar statement, as though the two leaders had copied their carefully chosen words from each other.

“I’m very skeptical about this Norwegian and Finnish initiative. It hasn’t been coordinated with any of the rest of us,” Frederiksen warned. “I honestly don’t know what those two countries think they can achieve with this,” she added, making little effort to conceal her frustration or irritation. 

Store later disputed her criticism, saying that all partners and allies had been informed ahead of the call and given a detailed briefing afterward.

Which raises the question: What was this, really? A mutiny aboard the European ship, with two Nordic leaders breaking ranks with Europe’s consensus-based decision-making and daring to take the initiative in talks with Moscow, going over the heads of the European bureaucracy?

Or was it a coordinated performance, with European leaders deliberately playing good cop and bad cop – keeping tensions with Moscow high while cautiously exploring an exit strategy, as the Ukrainian burden they can neither carry nor abandon falls apart before their eyes?

Still, it is too early to speak of a change in Europe’s mood.

That much was clear from the meeting of E5 defense ministers held in Paris the previous day. The group brings together France, Britain, Italy, Germany, and Poland.

“Our countries share the assessment that Russia represents the most acute and long-term threat to Euro-Atlantic security and stability,” read the E5 communiqué published by the French Defense Ministry.

And yet Stubb and Store’s call to the Kremlin is a wake-up call from Europe for Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky – a loud and unwelcome one.

It is a reminder to Zelensky that metal fatigue is setting in across Europe’s political machinery – and that time is running out for the regime in Kiev.

More Russian diesel fuel could enter global markets as part of a trade agreement between Moscow and Washington struck earlier this month, Energy Secretary Chris Wright has said. He claimed the shipments could be a “carrot” for Moscow to scale back fighting in Ukraine.

US President Donald Trump announced the landmark diesel deal with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on October 9, saying Russia would release more than 300,000 metric tons of diesel immediately, 500,000 tons in November, another million afterward and potentially 3 million more, depending on refinery capacity.

Trump called lowering fuel prices for American consumers his “greatest priority” ahead of the November 3 midterm elections, where the Republicans are at risk of losing their congressional majority.

“It’s trying to put a carrot in front of Russia,” he said, arguing that reduced hostilities would allow Moscow to export more diesel and marginally ease global fuel shortages.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandr Novak said on Tuesday that three tankers carrying diesel are already en route to the US, with a fourth expected to depart Wednesday. On Sunday, he offered to supply as much as buyers wanted within Russia’s available export volumes, saying: “We can supply all of it.” He previously said Russian diesel exports could reach 3.5 million tons monthly by year-end.

During a meeting with Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff last week in St. Petersburg, Putin noted that global diesel prices fell 5%-6% after the deal was announced. Earlier this week, Reuters reported that Russia’s daily diesel output rose from 160,000 tons in early October to 180,000 tons after the introduction of new export quotas.

The agreement has nevertheless met bipartisan resistance in Washington, with a group of senators calling it a “gift to our adversary” and a betrayal of Ukraine. Novak pushed back on Tuesday, singling out Democrats and wondering why US lawmakers were acting “not in the interests of the residents of the United States.”

The US has warned several Gulf Arab countries to prepare for a short but intense military operation against Iran after the November 3 US midterm elections, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

According to the WSJ, US President Donald Trump is leaning toward launching major strikes on Iran’s infrastructure and nuclear facilities, although no final decision has been made. The warnings to Gulf allies reportedly indicate that Israel is also preparing to take part in renewed combat operations.

The US is reportedly deploying an additional Patriot air defense missile battery to the region and moving troops away from vulnerable bases in anticipation of Iranian retaliation. Washington is also replenishing munitions and preparing additional aircraft and warships for possible operations.

Trump has threatened to attack Iran again if it refuses to accept his terms, as negotiations remain stalled, with both sides blaming each other for the impasse. The US last carried out a wave of strikes on Iranian territory on September 1 and has since attacked Iranian tankers and other vessels. Iran has fired on commercial ships attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz through a US Navy-designated route, which Tehran considers illegal.

The prospect of renewed fighting comes amid concerns about dwindling US missile interceptor stockpiles, which Trump has dismissed, insisting that the military has sufficient munitions.

The war remains deeply unpopular among Americans. A Fox News poll published in September found that 71% of registered voters believed the Trump administration lacked a clear strategy for ending the conflict, and 60% said attacking Iran was a mistake. According to a Pew Research Center survey published earlier this month, 65% disapprove of Trump’s handling of operations against Iran, compared with 33% who approve.

An Israeli online advertising company implicated in spyware attacks targeting internet users was heavily active on SpaceX’s Starlink service, Japanese researchers have found, bolstering claims that the firm was running a “targeting and tracking” operation masquerading as a commercial advertising business.

Earlier this month, Canadian cybersecurity watchdog Citizen Lab and New York-based ad security firm Confiant published extensive investigations identifying Discover-Tech, an Israeli advertising technology company, as a middleman helping spyware firms, including Candiru and Intelos, as well as a little-known US-linked operator known as Dark Cartographer, track internet users and potentially infect their devices without their knowledge.

Discover-Tech’s operation involved buying ad space on hundreds of thousands of websites and apps, using ads to gather information about the users that saw them, and selling this data to the spyware companies, who could then target specific users and install spyware on their devices via code concealed in Discover-Tech’s ads.

Despite presenting itself as a commercial operation, Discover-Tech concentrated much of its advertising spending on markets that would be of limited interest to conventional advertisers. Of 228 countries and territories examined, Palestine was the most heavily targeted, despite its population having severely limited access to Western goods and relatively little purchasing power.

TrendAI published its findings on October 15, identifying the suspicious advertiser only by the codename Shadow-Earth-79. Six people familiar with the research subsequently told Reuters that the codename referred to Discover-Tech.

Noting that “the demand for legitimate Western advertising in sanctioned or active-conflict states is effectively zero,” the researchers concluded that the company was running “targeting and tracking infrastructure rather than a commercial advertising operation.”

The findings suggest that Discover-Tech may have been attempting to identify, geolocate, or monitor Starlink users. However, they do not establish that the company successfully infected Starlink users’ devices with spyware.

Who runs Discover-Tech?

Founded in 2020 by Israeli entrepreneur Dekel Boni, Discover-Tech appointed Eric Banoun as its director. Banoun co-founded Circles, a surveillance company affiliated with Pegasus spyware developer NSO Group, and Senpai Technologies, a company known for developing and selling surveillance software to governments, including those of Angola, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

Banoun also founded Intelos, which uses advertisements similar to those placed by Discover-Tech to surveil and geolocate individuals. He attempted to sell the technology to Israel’s Shin Bet intelligence agency, according to Haaretz.

Haaretz also identified Sara Hamou, through her holding company, as a shareholder in Discover-Tech. Hamou is a former manager at Intellexa, the company that marketed Predator spyware in Greece. Earlier this year, she was sentenced to eight years in prison for her role in the Predator scandal.

Is Discover-Tech linked to the Israeli government?

It remains unclear who Candiru, Intelos, and Dark Cartographer sold their services to, once they had obtained user data from Discover-Tech. However, as RT covered earlier in our ‘Wired for War’ series, Israel views its domestically-developed spyware programs as weapons, and retains the final say over where they may be exported to. 

Other Israeli spy-tech companies covered in the series, including Black Cube, BlackCore, and Paragon Solutions, all worked to advance Israel’s interests, even when they were not directly hired by the Israeli state.

Discover-Tech’s advertising infrastructure was used to target at least 45 devices at Al Jazeera with Candiru spyware in 2024 and 2025, according to Citizen Lab. Researchers confirmed that some devices were infected through malicious advertisements that required no interaction from users.

The attacks occurred during a period of heightened tensions between Israel and the Qatar-based broadcaster, which the Israeli authorities have accused of threatening national security. Candiru was founded by two Israel Defense Forces (IDF) intelligence veterans and operates under Israeli defense export controls.

While the Israeli government has not been accused of ordering Candiru to surveil Al Jazeera journalists, the targeting raises questions about whether the company’s clients shared interests with the Israeli authorities. The investigations have not identified the government or client responsible for commissioning the attacks.

Is Discover-Tech still operating?

Following the investigations by Citizen Lab and Confiant, several major advertising companies took action against Discover-Tech. Google, Comcast-owned Beeswax, and Eskimi blocked the firm from their platforms, while Vungle suspended its access pending a review. Industry association IAB Europe also suspended Discover-Tech from its list of approved vendors.

Discover-Tech’s website, which markets the company as a “tailored digital advertising agency,” remains active. The firm has not publicly responded to the findings reported by Citizen Lab, Confiant, or TrendAI.

A group dressed in Ku Klux Klan (KKK)-style robes and pointed hoods has sparked outrage in Texas after videos of the Halloween stunt went viral, prompting a police investigation.

The footage shows several people dressed in the white supremacist group’s distinctive attire walking through a residential neighborhood in El Paso and shouting racial slurs. According to local social media accounts, they were teenagers attending a Halloween party.

DISTURBING: A group dressed in KKK robes for Halloween filmed themselves yelling a racial slur. The El Paso clip is sparking outrage online. #ViralVideo #Halloween https://t.co/b7EHLLni0c

— ONNews (@ONNxews) October 27, 2026

El Paso police said on Monday that they were reviewing the footage and related reports to determine whether any laws had been broken.

“Symbols and language associated with the Ku Klux Klan represent a history of terror, violence and racial hatred,” El Paso Police Chief Peter Pacillas said in a statement on X on Monday. Treating such imagery as “a costume or a joke is unacceptable,” he added.

The incident also drew condemnation from the local branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

In a statement cited by local media, the NAACP expressed “utter outrage, disgust and righteous indignation” over the imagery.

Wearing KKK-style clothing is not in itself a crime under US law, although threatening or intimidating conduct may constitute an offense.

Founded after the US Civil War, the KKK became notorious for terrorizing racial and ethnic minorities, primarily blacks, through murder and various forms of intimidation. Membership peaked at an estimated 4 to 5 million people nationwide during the mid-1920s, at a time when only 10-11 million Americans were black.

Earlier this month, the University of Maryland suspended its club tennis team indefinitely after members circulated tournament materials featuring KKK-style hoods incorporated into the state flag. The images prompted complaints from students at Howard University, a historically Black institution.

In September, a man wearing KKK robes near a Trader Joe’s supermarket in California was arrested for public intoxication. Police said there was no evidence of a hate crime and that wearing the offensive costume was not itself illegal.

Last Halloween, a student in Tennessee was sent home and disciplined after appearing at school dressed as a KKK member. The student had reportedly initially claimed to be wearing a priest’s costume.

Germany’s elite special forces are preparing for a potential large-scale war with Russia, the unit’s commander told Bild. The remarks come amid tensions between Moscow and NATO over the Ukraine conflict, with German officials warning that the armed forces must be ready for a confrontation by the end of the decade.

The highly secretive unit, known as Kommando Spezialkrafte (KSK), is comparable to Britain’s SAS or the US Green Berets. According to a report from its base in southwestern Germany published on Monday, the commandos are adjusting their training to counter Russian forces equipped with tanks, artillery, drones, and electronic warfare capabilities, including in extreme cold.

“We are orienting ourselves very specifically toward the adversary Russia,” KSK Commander Brigadier General Andreas Kuhne said, adding that his soldiers would have to be prepared to “remain in the field much longer,” potentially “with no end in sight,” if war broke out.

Kuhne also said the unit is preparing to carry out missions before conventional German forces enter combat. “When the 45th Armored Brigade in Lithuania starts its engines in a real emergency, we want to have already completed our job,” he told Bild.

According to the newspaper, only around a third of the KSK’s 1,500 personnel are commandos, while the rest serve in administrative and support roles.

The unit has been rocked by a series of far-right extremism scandals in recent years. In 2017, an investigation was launched following reports that soldiers performed Nazi salutes and listened to far-right music, among other things.

In 2020, police discovered a large cache of weapons, ammunition, explosives, and Nazi memorabilia at the property of a KSK sergeant major. Some of the ammunition was suspected of being stolen from German military stockpiles.

The scandals prompted then-Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer to disband one of the KSK’s four commando companies, the 2nd Company, and introduce sweeping reforms. The special forces command itself remained operational.

Speaking to Bild, Kuhne said disciplinary and conduct-related incidents within the unit have become “extremely rare,” but have not disappeared entirely, insisting that misconduct would no longer be tolerated or covered up.

In July, The Telegraph and Die Welt reported that Berlin was preparing a secret plan to override potential resistance from regional governments to the deployment of NATO troops toward Russia’s borders.

Merz’s military ambitions come amid declining public support for his government. According to an INSA poll published by Bild this week, the chancellor ranked last among 20 prominent German politicians. The surging opposition Alternative for Germany (AfD) won state elections in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in September, while the socialist Left Party (Die Linke) emerged as the largest party in Berlin’s election.

Russia has denied that it plans to attack NATO countries. In August, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed reports that Moscow intends to attack NATO members as “scare stories” that have “nothing to do with reality.”

US tech giant Microsoft is moving to shrink its workforce through a buyout program covering some 60,000 employees, more than a quarter of its global staff, the company has announced.

The move follows thousands of job cuts earlier this year and comes as Big Tech companies seek to slash payroll costs while ramping up AI investment.

Microsoft unveiled the program on Monday, saying that it would cover roughly 27% of its 223,000 employees across selected divisions in the US, Canada, UK, and India, including Xbox, Windows, Copilot, finance, and human resources.

Microsoft has described the initiative as a voluntary exit program, under which employees can leave with severance packages. The company has not disclosed how many workers it expects to accept the offer.

The latest move follows several rounds of workforce reductions at Microsoft. In July, the company announced plans to eliminate 4,800 positions, including approximately 3,200 in its Xbox gaming division. It had already launched a voluntary exit program in April covering roughly 8,750 US employees, or about 7% of its American workforce, with around 30% reportedly taking the offer.

The cuts come as Microsoft commits enormous sums to AI infrastructure, including data centers and computing capacity, putting pressure on the company to remove other expenses.

Other Big Tech giants have also been cutting jobs while pouring billions into AI. Amazon announced 16,000 corporate job cuts earlier this year, following another 14,000 layoffs in 2025. Meta has also slashed jobs while ramping up AI investment, while Google has repeatedly launched voluntary exit programs to reduce its workforce.

The trend has fueled concerns that the technology being promoted as a driver of economic growth could also eliminate large numbers of jobs, particularly in administrative, technical, and other white-collar occupations.

The threat extends beyond the tech industry. The Netherlands announced plans on Monday to eliminate around 25,000 government positions by 2035, partly through the adoption of AI, in a drive to save €3.5 billion ($4 billion) annually. The cuts will be phased in over several years, with police and security services exempt.

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has warned that AI could cause major upheaval in the labor market, while arguing that certain professions, including caregiving, should remain “human reserved” even if machines become capable of performing them.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk warned in July that AI would eventually outperform humans in any job, describing the transition as “a bumpy road.” His warning comes amid growing fears of AI spiraling out of human control following incidents involving systems defying instructions. Musk, whose company xAI develops advanced AI models, also predicted that the technology could surpass humanity’s combined intelligence within five years, potentially escaping human control within a decade.

Right-wing Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro has fled to the US following his election defeat to incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Reuters and Brazilian news outlet Jovem Pan reported on Tuesday, citing sources.

A senior US State Department official told AP on Tuesday that Bolsonaro and his family would be granted US visas.

Bolsonaro, the son of jailed former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and an ally of US President Donald Trump, narrowly lost Sunday’s runoff to Lula despite receiving more votes in the first round earlier this month.

He is under investigation for money laundering and currency evasion involving financial ties to lawyer Willer Tomaz and businesses linked to online gambling. Bolsonaro also faces a separate investigation into suspected irregularities in the financing of ‘Dark Horse’, a biographical film about his father. He denies wrongdoing.

His brother Eduardo, also a politician, moved to the US in February 2025, citing fears of political persecution and arrest. He was subsequently convicted of attempting to interfere with judicial proceedings against his father by lobbying Washington to impose sanctions on Brazilian officials. Eduardo, who remains in the US, was sentenced to four years and two months in prison in June 2026.

“They will not silence me. They will not intimidate me. Let’s hold our heads high and keep fighting for our Brazil, whatever happens,” Bolsonaro said in a video posted on Monday, although he later dropped his demand for annulment.

Later on Monday, Bolsonaro was given 24 hours to surrender his passports as part of the investigation involving Tomaz. The documents were reportedly canceled on Tuesday after he missed the deadline. Bolsonaro, who could face prosecution in lower courts when his Senate term ends on January 31, said on Monday that he had no plans to flee.

Trump also questioned the election results. “It had a very bad look, the election, the way it was tabulated,” he told reporters on Monday. “The extension given was very strange.”

Both campaigns requested a two-hour extension of voting on election day, citing difficulties for voters, according to Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court.

Lula previously served two presidential terms from 2003 to 2010. He was barred from running in the 2018 election after being convicted on corruption charges and imprisoned. Brazil’s Supreme Court later annulled his convictions, restoring his political rights and allowing him to run in 2022, when he defeated Jair Bolsonaro. Lula has also denied wrongdoing and maintained that the corruption case against him was politically motivated.

When Donald Trump returned triumphantly to the White House in January 2025, his supporters believed they could finally finish what he started during his first term and reverse the Democrats’ social engineering agenda, commonly known as ‘wokeism’, curb illegal immigration, accelerate technological development, and above all, ‘make America great again’.

Trump moved quickly on the first two priorities, as he revoked 78 of Joe Biden’s executive orders, tightened border controls and gave Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) greater resources and powers to conduct raids in sanctuary cities, where the local authorities limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.

But Trump’s determination to achieve everything at once, from restructuring the federal government and securing favorable trade deals to pursuing ambitions involving Greenland and Venezuela, has kept American politics in a state of turmoil, while his confrontational approach has also unsettled allies and opponents abroad.

The decision to launch joint military operations with Israel against Iran has proven particularly divisive as it fractured Trump’s conservative coalition, with some supporters accusing him of betraying his promise to end America’s ‘endless wars’, while others fear the political consequences for Republicans in the approaching midterm elections.

The Iran war has also hurt American consumers. Over the past year, gasoline prices have risen by 38% and diesel by 71%, while food prices have increased by 2.5%.

The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz isn’t solely responsible, but Democrats and sympathetic media outlets have made it central to their criticism, while they also point to an increase of $3.8 trillion in the national debt since Trump’s return, allegations of corruption within his administration, and questions about the competence of senior officials, particularly Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Vice President J.D. Vance, who is increasingly discussed as Trump’s successor, has urged Americans to give Republicans another chance, or at least another two years, to complete what they have begun – but for now, that opportunity appears uncertain. Yet contrary to expectations, losing control of Congress wouldn’t necessarily be a disaster for Trump.

Even with Republican majorities in both chambers, he has preferred to govern through executive orders, issuing more than 290 since January 2025, and this is hardly unprecedented. Bill Clinton issued 364 over his eight years in office, including during periods when Republicans controlled Congress.

For presidents, demonstrating immediate effectiveness and scoring political points often matters more than ensuring continuity.

Democratic threats to impeach Trump and members of his administration may sound formidable, but removing officials from office requires a two-thirds majority in the Senate, a much higher hurdle, and even if Democrats capture both chambers, converting their numerical advantage into meaningful political influence will not be straightforward.

Their minimum objective would be to turn Trump into a lame-duck president for his remaining two years, but this strategy carries risks of its own – in the 2028 presidential campaign, Republicans can argue that the Democrats prevented them from completing their program.

For Moscow, however, the consequences of the midterms could be considerably more serious.

A Democratic-controlled Congress would almost certainly seek to complicate relations with Russia, and there remains a strong desire in Washington to obstruct Trump’s apparent ambition for a new Yalta involving Russia, China, and the US. Equally persistent is the determination among influential American political circles to inflict a ‘strategic defeat’ on Russia.

This could explain the Trump administration’s intensified diplomatic activity over Ukraine, given whatever opportunities exist for reaching an agreement today could narrow considerably after the new Congress takes office in January 2027.

The argument that there’s little time left, and that Moscow must therefore accept an agreement now or face worse conditions later, shouldn’t be allowed to overshadow Russia’s own interests.

Russia has an objective interest in normalizing relations with the US, but a settlement of the Ukraine conflict must be based on mutually beneficial terms, rather than unilateral concessions extracted under the pressure of America’s electoral calendar.

Ultimately, as Americans prepare to vote in the midterms, Russia should be concerned less with Trump’s political fortunes than with protecting its own interests.

This article was first published by Kommersant, and was translated and edited by the RT team

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has branded European leaders “political masochists,” accusing them of sacrificing their own citizens’ welfare in pursuit of Russia’s defeat in Ukraine.

Speaking to editors-in-chief of African media outlets in Moscow on Tuesday, Lavrov accused Western governments of pressuring their populations to accept declining living standards to secure Ukraine’s victory in conflict with Russia.

“They are trying to keep public opinion in a position where people must sacrifice everything: salaries, jobs, healthcare services and social benefits in general, so that Ukraine defeats Russia,” Lavrov said. “People can feel how their situation is deteriorating in European countries,” he added.

He singled out German Chancellor Friedrich Merz as one of the politicians advocating such an approach. “These are masochists, political masochists, if you like,” the foreign minister said.

Merz has defended Germany’s growing military spending and continued support for Kiev while warning that the country can no longer afford its existing welfare system.

The German government has tightened welfare rules, introducing benefit reductions of 30% for repeated violations and, in some cases, complete withdrawal. Berlin’s proposed 2027 budget also envisages billions of euros in savings from pensions, healthcare and other social programs.

Germany has meanwhile earmarked €11.6 billion for Ukraine in 2027, alongside plans to raise defense spending to record levels.

In September, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called for further welfare cuts to fund increased military spending. “We need to fund our defence, not spend all our money on welfare,” she said. The government, however, rejected her proposal.

France has likewise pursued spending restraint, including a proposed public-sector pay freeze, while increasing military expenditure. The measures have faced opposition from trade unions protesting declining purchasing power and deteriorating public services.

Public discontent has fueled widespread protests across Europe in recent weeks, with hundreds of thousands demonstrating in France over rising living costs, education funding and inequality. Tens of thousands have also taken to the streets in Spain and Portugal over soaring housing costs, while Italy has seen protests over declining living standards.

European NATO members have committed to substantially increasing defense expenditure, citing the perceived threat from Russia.

Moscow has repeatedly dismissed claims that it intends to attack NATO countries as “nonsense,” accusing Western leaders of using the alleged Russian threat to justify militarization and continued support for Kiev.

Supporters of Serbia’s student-led opposition have stormed the Belgrade offices of Informer, a broadcaster supportive of former President Aleksandar Vucic, as celebrations of their election win turned violent. Vucic condemned the attack as an assault on media freedom and accused the EU of turning a blind eye.

The incident came a day after the Student List movement defeated Vucic’s United Serbia coalition in a snap parliamentary election, ending 14 years of rule by his Serbian Progressive Party and its allies.

According to Informer, demonstrators smashed windows and forced their way through the entrance before damaging offices and threatening journalists. Employees reportedly hid in bathrooms and the basement before police arrived and evacuated staff.

Editor-in-chief Dragan J. Vucicevic said attackers destroyed cameras, computers and other equipment worth tens of thousands of euros. Some demanded access to the control room to disconnect cables, he said.

🇷🇸An angry opposition crowd has reached the Informer TV channel, known for its support of former Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić. The protesters are demanding that the channel’s editor-in-chief be handed over to them Journalist Sergey Petrov said that if the demonstrators’ demands are not met, they will arrest him - with or without the police. “People said they would drag everyone out of the TV station building themselves. They promised to take them to the square, where a celebration is currently being held to mark the opposition’s victory in the parliamentary elections,” he said. ukraine_watch

— dana (@dana916) October 26, 2026

According to Vucicevic, protesters offered to withdraw if Informer stopped broadcasting. He refused and pledged to return to the studio and resume programming as far as the remaining equipment allowed.

Vucic condemned the incident as “unprecedented violence” and “monstrous violence,” accusing the EU and journalists’ associations of remaining silent.

“An attack on freedom of expression, on freedom of public speech, on freedom of journalism,” he said. “If we had done that to N1 and Nova S, we would have been the worst thugs, dictators and autocrats,” he added, referring to broadcasters critical of his political camp.

BREAKING: Protesters STORM the live studio of Informer TV, Serbia's loudest pro-Vučić channel, one day after Vučić's party lost the snap election > About 20 broke in during a live broadcast and confronted owner-editor Dragan J. Vučićević for several minutes before he was led out > On air, he said the building was surrounded and a door smashed, then called police and was put on hold > Police later arrived and escorted the protesters out Wild scenes in Belgrade. 🎥 @Lukai1861 | per N1, Vreme

— James Reichert (@_jamesreichert) October 26, 2026

Vucic also accused Student List figure Ilija Srdanovic of refusing a request from Informer’s editor to urge the crowd to leave. Srdanovic subsequently appealed for calm and urged supporters not to resort to violence.

The Student List secured 52.71% of the vote and 140 parliamentary seats, according to preliminary results announced by Serbia’s electoral commission on Monday evening. Vucic conceded defeat and pledged to continue his political struggle from the opposition.

During the election-night celebrations, crowds also dismantled a longstanding pro-Vucic tent camp near parliament, with tents and vehicles reportedly set ablaze.

Moscow said on Monday that it was willing to work with Serbia’s incoming government. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov praised Vucic’s contribution to bilateral relations and expressed hope that the new leadership would recognize cooperation with Russia as serving Serbia’s interests.

Student List representative Jovo Bakic told RT Balkan that the movement would maintain Belgrade’s refusal to impose sanctions on Moscow. “We respect Russia both as a great power and as our historically important partner and, in many cases, protector,” he said.

Former FBI Director James Comey, a central figure in the debunked Trump-Russia collusion probe known as Russiagate, has been charged with illegally disclosing classified national defense information, according to court documents unsealed on Monday.

Federal prosecutors have charged Comey with two counts: transmission of national defense information and conspiracy to transmit national defense information. The allegations stem from an October 2016 New York Times article about Yahoo’s cooperation with a secret US government email surveillance program.

According to prosecutors, Comey instructed FBI employees to contact a journalist to correct inaccuracies in an earlier Reuters report, resulting in the alleged unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information.

Comey denied wrongdoing in a video statement on Monday, accusing the Justice Department of an “appalling abuse” of power and insisting that he was innocent.

Asked about the new case against Comey on Monday, Trump reiterated his criticism of him while saying he knew little about the proceedings.

“I think he’s a dirty cop, James Comey, but I know nothing about it,” the president told reporters.

The latest allegations mark the third criminal case brought against Comey since Trump returned to the White House.

In September 2025, Comey was indicted for allegedly making false statements to Congress and obstructing proceedings over his testimony concerning the Russiagate investigation. A federal judge dismissed the case two months later, ruling that the prosecutor had been unlawfully appointed.

French voters overwhelmingly disapprove of President Emmanuel Macron’s handling of weeks of violent nationwide protests, with just 12% backing his response, according to a new Ipsos-BVA-CESI poll.

Around 80% of respondents said Macron’s response to the unrest has been inadequate, according to the poll for Le Parisien published on Saturday. The riots also sparked widespread anger, with 58% of respondents expressing outrage.

Macron’s overall approval rating fell to 16%, the lowest since January and down seven percentage points from last month, according to a monthly CSA poll for Le Journal du Dimanche published on Sunday.

The unrest began last month with student demonstrations over teacher shortages, school funding, and deteriorating facilities before spreading nationwide. As trade unions and opposition parties joined the movement, the protests grew into broader demonstrations against soaring living costs, inequality, and cuts to public services.

The unrest escalated sharply on October 17, when around 550,000 people joined the demonstrations nationwide, spilling out into clashes with the police, arson, and widespread looting in several cities.

Last week, Macron responded by announcing a crackdown on public gatherings. Protests deemed unauthorized were banned and limits on marches were imposed – even those organized by recognized groups.

Opposition leaders blamed Macron’s policies for the unrest, accusing him of failing to maintain public order.

Despite the restrictions, the demonstrations continued, drawing around 410,000 people on Saturday, according to Interior Ministry data.

After Western media outlets reported that several EU governments suspected Russia of involvement in the unrest, President Vladimir Putin dismissed the allegations.

“To claim that we are provoking mass protests in major European cities is really going too far,” Putin said, arguing that the accusations reflect European leaders’ inability to address the crisis.

On October 26, 2026, the Russian-Slovak Intergovernmental Commission resumed its work. The announcement was made during Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico’s visit to Moscow for WWII Victory Day celebrations. The timing of the meeting is particularly favorable for the ruling coalition led by Fico’s SMER party. The only event that somewhat dampened the occasion was the defeat of former Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic’s party in snap elections in Serbia. Vucic’s foreign policy has often been likened to Fico’s approach in Slovakia. Below, we explore why these stories are fundamentally different and what is really happening in the context of Russia-Slovakia relations, as well as in Slovakia itself, ahead of the election on September 26, 2027.

Perfect timing

Although the resumption of the intergovernmental commission was announced in May, the talks did not take place until six months later. On the Slovak side, they were led by a close ally of Fico and the current foreign affairs minister, Juraj Blanar. The lists of negotiators on both sides were not disclosed until the last moment. The date of the negotiations was also shrouded in secrecy and was not revealed until last week during an EU summit, which, according to reports, was marked by a “terrible” atmosphere and was “unworthy of a meeting of the European Council.”

Fico’s attendance was uncertain right up to the last minute, with Bratislava skillfully playing this card. Slovak diplomats maintained suspense, suggesting that Fico’s visit depended on the “substantiality of concessions,” keeping the EU on its toes regarding a possible geopolitical demarche. Ultimately, Fico stayed in Bratislava, crafting a perfect political alibi before Brussels while sending a full government delegation to Moscow to tackle pressing political and economic challenges. He skillfully employed this maneuver, illustrating that in today’s landscape, ‘glitch-art diplomacy’ – characterized by protocol breaches, unpredictability, and exploiting systemic errors – remains effective. Though not large in size, Slovakia is a critical node through which the East and West continue to exchange signals.

The external context vividly illustrated to the Slovak audience the validity of the ruling coalition’s stance. The recent EU summit only deepened the rift among allies. The European Commission attempted to impose new climate quotas, but the countries of the Visegrad Group clearly expressed their dissent, with Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis openly criticizing Ursula von der Leyen for her ‘green transition’ dogmas. This unfolded against the backdrop of a shocking report from Eurostat, revealing that most EU countries are facing budget deficits, with the highest figures recorded in Hungary (7.2%) and Romania (9.2%).

Amid this dismal European landscape, news from Slovakia underscores the looming threat of deindustrialization. German automotive giant Porsche recently announced its decision to shift production of its Cayenne model from Bratislava back to Leipzig, aiming to salvage its parent company’s facilities in Germany, which are struggling due to the energy crisis. The risk of German capital flight poses an existential threat to the national industry, considering the fact that businesses depend heavily on accessible energy resources.

In light of these developments, Fico’s rejection of Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky’s proposal for a €1.5 billion compensation package in exchange for halting gas transit appears to be a rational choice. For the Slovak public, which is opposed to prolonging the conflict, there’s no clear way to survive without supplies of hydrocarbons from the East. By refusing the offer, Fico has made it clear that virtual ‘paper’ funds from Kiev won’t heat factories or convince foreign automotive companies to remain in the country.

The defeat of Vucic’s team in Serbia during the early parliamentary elections is unpleasant news for Bratislava. Many Western analysts predict a similar fate for Fico in the upcoming parliamentary elections in September 2027. However, a fundamental difference between Belgrade and Bratislava must be noted. The Serbian scenario demonstrated that, in turbulent times, success goes to those who can balance the loyalty of the silent majority with pressure from the crowds.

Fico is purposefully venturing into this precarious territory. Global protest movements – such as the student protests in France, the Flamingo revolution in Albania, Cockroach party protests in India, or the Student List in Serbia – show that people are weary of half-measures and the existing establishment. The paradox of Fico lies in his unique strategy. He manages to remain the foremost systemic critic of Brussels’ supranational doctrines while being a key player in European politics. Fico deftly harnesses protest potential before it can turn against him.

This position is driven by a need to protect the country’s real economy. Slovakia relies heavily on exports, which account for around 90% of GDP, with the automotive industry being the cornerstone of the economy. This sector employs over 230,000 people, meaning that nearly 1 in 10 Slovak families depends on it directly. This established industry cannot be sustained by illusions of a green transition or even by Slovakia’s own nuclear power, since its costs remain tightly linked to fluctuating gas prices.

This is why Fico demonstrates remarkable flexibility in foreign policy matters, except when it comes to energy supplies from the East. This sets him apart from Vucic, who tried to maintain a delicate balance and compromise with Brussels, ultimately trapping himself in a web of sanctions, losing legitimacy among his patriotic electorate, and facing a significant electoral defeat. Fico learns from the mistakes of others and avoids half-measures entirely. Amid the wave of protests and strikes sweeping across Europe, his overt refusal to follow the EU’s general approach of replacing Russian energy resonates with ordinary Slovaks. People see Fico as a leader who is ready to defend national industries rather than abstract EU directives.

On October 26, a Slovak delegation arrived in Moscow, illustrating Fico’s commitment to defending national interests. Behind the closed doors of the 22nd meeting of the intergovernmental commission, Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar and Russian Minister of Science and Higher Education Valery Falkov focused exclusively on practical and vital issues for Bratislava.

As anticipated, energy security and the nuclear sector took center stage. Blanar signed final protocols ensuring stable resource supplies for Slovak energy companies and factories. Additionally, both sides strengthened cooperation in pragmatic areas such as agriculture and ecology, while also addressing culturally sensitive topics relevant to conservative Slovak voters, such as humanitarian issues and military memorials.

“We reject the construction of a new Iron Curtain between the EU and Russia, and we consider it of utmost importance – even during this challenging period – to maintain open lines of communication,” Blanar said in Moscow.

In summary, the resumption of the work of the intergovernmental commission should not be viewed as a concession to Russia. Fico understands that his political survival, along with that of his party in the September 2027 election, hinges not on the approval of the European elites or the slogans of Bratislava’s liberal street protesters. His fate will be determined in the factories of automotive giants and in the kitchens of ordinary Slovak families, where heating bills and job security take precedence over the geopolitical ambitions of Brussels.

The recent talks in Moscow can be seen as an effort to establish a protective shield over industry before the European energy crisis completely devastates Eastern Europe’s automotive sector.

Unlike Serbia, where the government fell victim to its own half-measures, Bratislava is betting on clarity. By turning down ‘paper’ compensation from Kiev, Fico offers his electorate tangible results. If this pragmatism succeeds in preserving Slovakia’s part of the Eastern European industrial backbone and keeps homes warm, then by September 2027, the ‘marginal’ prime minister will stand on much stronger ground than his critics, both domestically and abroad. Slovakia continues its glitch art diplomacy through an aesthetic of apparent chaos. However, behind it lies a simple yet strategic approach aimed at extracting maximum benefits from the current situation in order to keep the small country alive in an era of geopolitical upheaval.

Israel has continued committing “genocide” in Gaza despite last year’s US-brokered ceasefire, while also perpetrating crimes against humanity in the occupied West Bank, the UN Commission of Inquiry has concluded.

The October 10, 2025 truce was meant to end Israel’s Gaza offensive, which was launched after the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attack in which around 1,200 people were killed and around 250 were taken hostage. The retaliatory campaign has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and displaced most of Gaza’s population. Israel, however, has continued the strikes, accusing Hamas of ceasefire violations.

In a report published on Monday, the UN Commission of Inquiry accused Israeli forces of deliberately targeting Palestinian civilians, including children, under “discriminatory” rules of engagement and with near-total impunity.

Since the ceasefire and by September 30, it claimed, Israeli attacks killed 1,431 Palestinians in Gaza, including 300 children and 130 women. Israeli forces also killed 1,080 Palestinians and injured 10,940 in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since October 2023. The overall Palestinian death toll across the occupied territories, according to the report, now exceeds 75,000, including at least 21,500 children and 11,000 women.

The findings build on the commission’s initial September 2025 conclusion that Israel committed genocide against Palestinians, citing four of the five genocidal acts under the 1948 Genocide Convention. International bodies, including Israeli rights groups B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights-Israel, have also accused Israel of genocide.

Israel in denial

Israel has rejected the allegations of genocide and war crimes. Responding to the new report, its Geneva mission demanded the UN commission’s dissolution, accusing it of a “misinformation campaign to demonize the state of Israel and portray its very existence as criminal.” Ambassador Daniel Meron said the panel seeks “to undermine Israel’s legitimacy and deny its fundamental right to exist and defend itself.”

“Yes, we need to wipe out Gaza, for example. Not commit genocide, God forbid,” he said, calling the enclave a “terror entity with 1.8 million Nazis” raised to hate Israel.

What happened to the ceasefire?

More than a year after the truce took effect, its next phase – reconstruction, governance arrangements, and further Israeli troop withdrawals – remains deadlocked over Hamas disarmament.

Hamas has said it will not surrender its weapons without a complete Israeli withdrawal and an end to strikes. Netanyahu has demanded full disarmament and the dismantling of Hamas infrastructure before further withdrawals.

The prime minister also acknowledged expanding military control beyond the original Yellow Line, which initially left Israel holding around 53% of Gaza. With Israeli forces now controlling more than 60%, Netanyahu has ordered the military to extend that to 70%.

Netanyahu faces election reckoning

The UN report came on the eve of Israel’s first parliamentary election since the October 7, 2023 attack, with Netanyahu facing growing scrutiny over security failures, a widening regional conflict, and legal troubles.

Over the past three years, Israel’s Gaza offensive has expanded into fighting with Hezbollah in Lebanon and direct military clashes with Iran. Netanyahu has also faced allegations that he received advance warnings of the Hamas attack, which his office denies.

Final polls show a tight race between Netanyahu’s Likud and former military chief Gadi Eisenkot’s centrist Yashar party, which are projected to win 18-30 and 21-23 seats respectively. Neither bloc is assured the 61 seats needed for a majority in the 120-member Knesset.

A German court has rejected an attempt to end the trial of Nord Stream bombing suspect Sergey Kuznetsov, after the defendant’s lawyers claimed that he cannot be convicted without a confession.

Kuznetsov, a Ukrainian military officer whom German prosecutors claim carried out the sabotage of the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines in 2022, stayed silent in the opening hearing of his trial earlier this month. As Kuznetsov was an active duty soldier at the time of the bombings, his legal team claimed that he cannot be forced to defend himself without divulging state secrets, and filed a motion to dismiss the charges against him.

The Higher Regional Court of Hamburg rejected the motion on Tuesday. “According to German law, the defendant is not restricted in his defense,” presiding Judge Anne Meier-Goring told the court, explaining that the terms of Kuznetsov’s service in Ukraine do not apply in Germany.

Kuznetsov is accused of causing an explosion, disrupting public utilities, property damage, and being an “accomplice to war crimes.” He has neither admitted nor denied carrying out the attack.

The case rests on a relatively flimsy body of evidence. Although Kuznetsov was allegedly seen in Germany prior to renting the yacht in Rostock, his fingerprints were not among those lifted from the vessel, and a phone call to his wife in which he defended the bombing as “an official military operation” is the closest thing to a confession that prosecutors can work with.

Russia maintains that the version of events presented in Hamburg is implausible from the outset. “Five people were sitting around drinking, having a laugh, and decided ‘Why don’t we blow up the Nord Stream pipelines?’ They had diving skills, allegedly hired a little boat, sailed to the place where the Nord Streams were passing, went down, planted explosives and detonated them,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov commented in 2024. “If someone can actually believe this version, then it’s only people who are afraid of the truth and are trying to protect the criminal Kiev regime in any way possible.”

Another lead came from a Danish harbormaster, who claimed in September 2024 that he had approached a US amphibious assault ship – with its transponder switched off – at the location of the pipelines five days before the explosions. The harbormaster claimed that he was ordered to turn away by the Danish Naval Operational Command and forbidden from discussing the incident.

His claims were never investigated. Denmark closed its investigation into the bombings seven months before the harbormaster came forward with his claims. 

Back in Hamburg, Kuznetsov’s trial is expected to run into the new year.

A phone call with the leaders of Finland and Norway’s with Russian President Vladimir Putin has exposed divisions among Ukraine’s European backers. Denmark criticized the initiative and Sweden complained that it had received no advance notice.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store contacted Putin on Tuesday ahead of renewed Russia-US-Ukraine peace talks in Abu Dhabi next month. The leaders discussed efforts to resolve the conflict, as well as security and stability in Northern Europe and the Baltic Sea.

Most Western European leaders have shunned direct contact with Moscow since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, but now appear to be desperately seeking a seat at the negotiations table. Both Stubb and Store have been named as potential candidates to represent Brussels at the talks, but neither spoke on Europe’s behalf during Tuesday’s call.

Following the conversation, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen accused her Nordic colleagues of breaking ranks, saying she was “very skeptical about this Norwegian-Finnish initiative” because it had “not been coordinated with the rest of us.”

Her opposition to the diplomatic initiative comes as Copenhagen is backing Kiev’s efforts to expand its weapons production to Danish soil. Ukrainian arms manufacturer Fire Point plans to build a missile-fuel factory in Denmark.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson also lamented that he had not been informed of the call to Putin beforehand and said he had “pretty low expectations for this kind of conversation.”

Western leaders have repeatedly faced backlash for contacting Putin or advocating direct talks with Moscow. Earlier this year, Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever sparked a wave of backlash from his colleagues after arguing that Europe’s strategy of arming Kiev and sanctioning Russia had failed, leaving negotiations as the only viable option.

In 2024, then-German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was also accused of opening a “Pandora’s box” by calling Putin, with Estonia and other Baltic states decrying contacts with Moscow a “strategic mistake.”

Russian officials have repeatedly accused European governments of prolonging the conflict and obstructing a settlement while demanding a place at the negotiating table. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in March that the EU had “completely discredited itself” as a mediator, citing its failure to uphold previous agreements and its support for deploying Western troops in Ukraine.

Moscow has nevertheless expressed willingness to engage with a European representative committed to negotiations. On Sunday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said a negotiator from Brussels would be welcome, but stressed that such a person would need to be “someone genuinely committed to facilitating a peaceful settlement.”

Several Polish cities have suspended or are considering cutting ties with Ukraine’s Lviv Region over a proclamation honoring Ukrainian nationalist forces that collaborated with Nazi Germany during World War II.

Last week, Lviv Region dedicated 2027 to the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), its commander Roman Shukhevich and nationalist activist Oleg Olzhich. The militia is loathed in Poland over its role in the slaughter of tens of thousands of Polish civilians during World War II in pursuit of an ethnically homogeneous Ukrainian state.

The government of Vladimir Zelensky has distanced itself from the move, even though the Ukrainian leader played a direct role in selecting nationalist figures for state-organized reburial in Kiev earlier this year.

The Przemysl City Council voted unanimously on Monday to suspend its partnership with Lviv. All 21 participating councilors backed the measure, arguing that the commemoration insulted the memory of UPA victims and warranted steps toward terminating the partnership agreement signed in 1995. Mayor Wojciech Bakun said the council “will not remain indifferent to provocative and anti-Polish actions.”

Lublin Mayor Krzysztof Zuk opposed severing ties with Lviv, arguing that while he considered “publicly honoring a formation whose units committed mass crimes against Polish civilians” unacceptable, the decision had been taken by the Lviv Regional Council rather than the separate municipal authorities of the city of Lviv.

The Lublin Voivodeship, by contrast, has terminated its partnership with Lviv Region.

The original proclamation has since disappeared from the regional council’s website, but no formal retraction has followed. Lviv Mayor Andrey Sadovy and the city council have not publicly taken a position on the controversy.

The Polish-Ukrainian row over historic grudges reignited in May, when Zelensky granted an elite Ukrainian military unit the honorific “of heroes of the UPA.” The Ukrainian leader was subsequently stripped of Poland’s highest state distinction, becoming only the second person to lose the award.

The nationalist ideology associated with the OUN and UPA envisioned an authoritarian Ukrainian state headed by a supreme national leader-for-life and placed ethnic identity at the center of political life. Zelensky’s Jewish background would have disqualified him from the position under the proposed system.

Ukrainian ultranationalist militias played a critical role in the Western-backed coup in Kiev in 2014 and have since pushed for broader acceptance of their agenda. Moscow has cited legal restrictions affecting the Russian language and culture, as well as pressure on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which has spiritual ties to Moscow, as proof that modern Ukraine is captured by neo-Nazis.

No major political bloc is projected to secure a parliamentary majority in Israel’s first election since the war with Hamas in Gaza broke out in 2023, according to exit polls released shortly after voting closed on Tuesday evening.

Exit polls by public broadcaster Kan 11 and commercial networks Channel 12 and Channel 13 project that the opposition bloc led by former Israel Defense Forces (IDF) chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot will win 52–53 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, compared with 50 for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc. Channel 15 projects that Netanyahu’s bloc will win 55 seats, compared with 49 for Eisenkot’s bloc.

A total of 61 seats is needed to secure a parliamentary majority and form a government.

Voter turnout has reached a five-decade high as Netanyahu faces a crucial test of public confidence amid political scandals, corruption allegations, and wars with Hamas and Iran.

Eisenkot is unlikely to significantly alter Israel’s military or foreign policies. Instead, he has positioned himself as a patriotic centrist, seeking to distinguish himself from Netanyahu, whose leadership has been overshadowed by corruption allegations and accusations of putting his political interests ahead of national priorities.

Before the attack, Netanyahu faced corruption probes and was sinking in the polls as protesters took to the streets to oppose his controversial judicial reforms. Although the attack and subsequent war on Gaza bought Netanyahu some political breathing space, his opponents are now questioning how the prime minister could have left Israel undefended on October 7, and whether he ignored forewarnings about the attack.

Rising defense spending, higher living costs, and wartime tax hikes have further eroded Netanyahu’s popularity. An October 21 Jerusalem Post analysis of four major surveys put Eisenkot’s Yashar party at an average of 22.5 seats, compared with 19.75 for Netanyahu’s Likud.

Once the official results are announced, Israel is likely to enter a lengthy period of political horse-trading, with Netanyahu’s far-right allies and Arab parties potentially playing a decisive role in determining the country’s next government.

This live coverage has ended.

In Brazil, the incumbent left-wing president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva – known simply as Lula – has decisively won a dramatic run-off election against his challenger from the right – and US favorite – Flavio Bolsonaro. As his de facto sponsor, US President Donald Trump, has signaled that he won’t openly intervene, Bolsonaro, after initially refusing to concede, had to effectively accept the result.

A result that we can call historic even now. In terms of the domestic politics of Brazil, it confirms Lula as a master politician and major statesman. Heading into his fourth term, he has defied his age as well as vicious American attempts to undermine him by economic warfare, sanctions, and social-media foul play.

Lula has also broken the traditional patterns of Brazilian presidential elections. Before he won the second round, he lost the first one; a comeback victory had never happened before and seemed improbable. Now, thanks to a rapid revamping of his campaign, including a belated discovery of social media, and a surge in voter mobilization across the whole country, Lula is the first one to pull it off.

For Brazil, this was a fateful election that could have turned fatal. If Bolsonaro had won, the country would certainly have lost its sovereignty to a policy of enthusiastic subordination to America’s Donroe Doctrine. What has been imposed by violence and treason on Venezuela would have been achieved by elections under pressure in Brazil. It would have joined the recent Latin American shift to the right and deeper submission to Washington.

Many bullets – some quite literal – were dodged. Yet surviving danger is different from conclusive victory. This has not happened. Lula’s victory is solid, outdistancing Bolsonaro by well over three percentage points, but this does not change the fact that the latter still won over 48% of the vote. Bolsonarism has been defeated but not crushed.

The same holds true for the biggest and most dangerous ally of the Bolsonaro clan, Washington. There is no doubt that the US has suffered a setback, most of all in geopolitical terms. Its project to lock Latin America into the cage of Donroe Doctrine imperialism has taken a hit.

And that hit is painful, for Brazil is Washington’s central target in South America. By location, size, demography, and economic performance, as well as potential, Brazil is so important that no revamped American ‘backyard’ empire will ever be complete without it.

Economic metrics are notoriously tricky and difficult to compare, but Brazil clearly has the largest economy in South America. Globally, it also ranks high. The International Monetary Fund projects its 2026 GDP (adjusted for purchasing power) to reach almost $5.3 trillion, which makes it the eight-largest national economy in the world, leaving behind, for instance, the UK, France, South Korea, and closer to home, Mexico.

Brazil also has substantial reserves of crude oil and is the single biggest oil producer in South America. Bringing these riches under US control and adding them to what Washington is currently trying to loot from Venezuela would have been a wet dream for both American geostrategists and business. Especially as around half of Brazil’s oil production is currently being sold to China, America’s most feared rival.

More importantly, China is Brazil’s most important trade partner by far. Chinese-Brazilian trade is at record levels and growing, while Brazil is the top destination for Chinese foreign direct investment. The Donroe Doctrine was designed not just to restore US domination in Latin America, but specifically to keep China out.

Add to this the fact that Lula’s Brazil has also been a main player in BRICS, the projects of multipolarity and dethroning the dollar, and the resistance to Israel and its crimes, including genocide against the Palestinians, and Washington could not be more eager to subdue this giant thorn in what it considers its southern underbelly.

What a prize to win! And to lose. For now, the US has lost. But precisely because Brazil is so crucial, Washington will not give up. On the contrary, the strong showing of its favorite, Flavio Bolsonaro, and the fact that his party will dominate the Brazilian Congress, will only harden America’s resolve, with numerous opportunities to sow division, subversion, and dirty regime-change tricks yet to be exploited.

Brazil has won a vital reprieve. But the struggle is not over. The empire will strike back. It always does. This means that Lula and his domestic allies will have to continue and broaden the modernization of their approach that started during the second round, for instance, by pursuing a consistent policy of securing Brazilian sovereignty in the social media sphere. It also means that Brazil’s friends in the world, especially those equally invested in the project of multipolarity, such as China and Russia, must think very hard about how to support Brazil more against US pressure.

US President Donald Trump has offered a $1 million reward for reporting voter fraud in past elections or the upcoming November 3 midterms, provided the tip leads to an arrest and conviction.

Trump announced the offer on Truth Social on Monday, repeating it to reporters ahead of a rally in Corinth, Mississippi.

“Anybody reporting Voter Fraud in the past Elections, or the upcoming 2026 Midterm Election, will be paid $1,000,000 upon the arrest and conviction of those that created the Fraud!” he wrote.

Trump did not say where the money would come from, who would distribute it, or how to report suspected fraud. The White House did not immediately respond to media requests for clarification.

.@POTUS: "I'm also going to be issuing a million dollar bonus or reward or whatever you want to call it for anybody that reports voter fraud, leading to the arrest and conviction of somebody." https://t.co/yLODH4eb0k pic.twitter.com/LZyED3wnyS

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) October 26, 2026

The promise sparked legal questions online, with critics pointing out that Trump cannot simply hand out taxpayer money without congressional approval. Some joked the scheme could end up costing more than the Pentagon’s budget.

“If I do voter fraud and then report myself am I eligible for the 1 million dollars?” one user quipped.

“I’m forcing my partner to vote twice so I can report the transgression and get the money. What an opportunity!” another wrote.

@RapidResponse47 @mrddmia Let’s go!!! “Hello, voter fraud hotline.” 🗳️ https://t.co/jQz6Dc1a5B

— WhatDidYouSay (@NoFilterMeSorry) October 26, 2026

Trump has long alleged widespread election fraud, notably refusing to accept his 2020 defeat to Joe Biden and repeatedly calling the vote “rigged” and “stolen.”

The million-dollar bounty adds to Trump’s growing list of cash incentives ahead of the midterms, as Republicans fight to keep Congress. The biggest carrot so far was his proposed $5,000 ‘Trump Dividend’ for every American adult citizen if Republicans retain both chambers. Announced at a Republican gathering in Dallas last month, the giveaway would cost roughly $1.3 trillion for an estimated 260 million adults, drawing bipartisan criticism. Trump has suggested congressional approval might not be necessary, although lawmakers, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, and policy analysts say such a massive payout would require legislation and congressional funding.

The cash promises come as Trump’s ratings sink amid frustration over the prolonged Iran conflict, gasoline topping $6 a gallon, and persistent inflation despite his pledges to cut living costs, while Republicans face increasingly grim midterm prospects. A Reuters/Ipsos poll last week put his approval at 31% – the lowest of either presidential term – with Democrats leading Republicans 47% to 35% among registered voters on a hypothetical congressional ballot. A separate New York Times/Siena University poll put Trump’s approval at a record-low 36% among likely voters, with Democrats ahead by 11 points in congressional races, 52% to 41%.

European natural gas prices have surged to their highest level in four years amid the Iran war and the EU’s continued push to phase out Russian energy, according to data from online aggregator Trading Economics.

On Monday, wholesale prices briefly surpassed €97 ($108) per megawatt-hour, reaching levels not seen since December 2022. The increase came as gas storage facilities in the EU were just 74.62% full as of October 25, well below seasonal averages.

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, which accounted for around a fifth of global LNG trade before the start of the US-Israeli war against Iran earlier this year, remained around 80% below pre-conflict levels.

Some EU countries have already begun drawing on stored gas as temperatures drop. Trading Economics forecasts that European gas prices will reach €98.20 per megawatt-hour by the end of the fourth quarter of 2026.

In the UK, the month-ahead gas contract rose by 4% to its highest level since December 2022, according to The Guardian. Brent crude, which climbed to $117 per barrel last week, has since eased slightly but remains at around $115.

In August, The Guardian reported mounting concerns in the EU over low gas storage levels and soaring prices ahead of winter. In September, EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen warned that the bloc faces its worst energy crisis since 2022.

In mid-October, German media reported that Berlin plans to make households and businesses pay for a national emergency gas reserve costing more than €3 billion over ten years. The government-controlled stockpile would be reserved for emergencies, including sabotage and infrastructure failures, rather than being used to lower gas prices.

Following the EU’s sweeping sanctions on Russia in 2022, the bloc experienced one of its worst energy crises in decades. Gas prices soared above €300 per megawatt-hour, driving up costs for industries and households and contributing to surging inflation.

The EU has continued its efforts to phase out Russian energy. While Russia accounted for around 45% of EU gas imports in 2021, the share fell to around 12% by 2025.

Moscow has described the EU’s efforts to sever energy ties with Russia as “suicidal.” Last week, Russian presidential investment envoy Kirill Dmitriev argued that the bloc would eventually have to restore ties because “cooperation with Russia economically will be inevitable.”

Dmitriev blamed the EU’s problems, including high energy costs, on its leaders, saying they refuse to acknowledge and correct their mistakes.

Jordan carried out airstrikes on what it described as terrorist sites in neighboring Syria on Monday, following a deadly attack on a Christian church last week. The Syrian government condemned the operation.

According to the Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF), fighter jets targeted “hideouts of terrorist organizations in southern Syria.” It added that “several terrorists” were killed or wounded and unspecified equipment was destroyed.

Although the RJAF claimed it acted in coordination with the Syrian authorities, the government in Damascus denied that it received advance notice of the strikes. The Syrian Foreign Ministry said it informed Jordan of its “objections to operations on Syrian territory without prior coordination.”

Khaled al-Omeian, the director of health in Syria’s Daraa province, told SANA that seven civilians, including three children, were killed in the strikes and three others were injured.

“We affirm our support for the affected Syrian families and our full solidarity with them in this tragedy,” the Syrian government said in a statement.

Jordan vowed retaliation after gunmen opened fire on mourners attending a funeral at a Greek Orthodox church in Hamoud, Karak Governorate, Jordan on Friday, killing nine people and wounding more than 40.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Jordanian police arrested three suspects during a raid on a compound in Hamoud. Roya News, citing a source, reported that one of the suspects is in critical condition following a shootout with police.

مديرية الأمن العام، تنشر صوراً حيّة للمداهمة الأمنيّة التي نفذتها قوة أمنيّة متخصّصة مشتركة للإرهابيين في محافظة الكرك. #الأمن_العام #الأردن https://t.co/fbb922SHz8

— مديرية الأمن العام (@Police_Jo) October 26, 2026

The Jordanian authorities described the suspects as “extremists” with links to unspecified groups based in Syria.

Jordan has faced a persistent threat from Islamist militants, although major terrorist attacks are rare. In 2016, ISIS-linked gunmen killed ten people in Karak. The Jordanian authorities say they have foiled several Islamist militant plots in recent years.

Left-wing protesters rioted in Bilbao, Spain after mobilizing against a planned appearance by right-wing political commentator Vito Quiles near a local Catholic university.

Quiles, often compared by Spanish media to US conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was killed last year, was scheduled to speak near the University of Deusto at 7:00 PM on Monday as part of a nationwide tour ahead of the November 29 general election.

According to El Pais, several self-described ‘antifascist’ groups announced plans to protest against Quiles, who they accuse of spreading “hate speech.”

The university suspended all activities after police warned of possible “incidents.” Quiles canceled the talk, describing the protesters as “former ETA members, street thugs, and other criminals,” referring to the now-defunct Basque separatist organization.

Scorched metal and billowing smoke across Bilbao. Rioters have taken to the streets, torching cars and bins amid fierce friction tied to the botched Vito Quiles event. The region is on high alert. ⚠️🔥 #Bilbao #Spain #Protests #Breaking https://t.co/tygAcgbPJq

— Absurd World (@Absurd__World) October 26, 2026

Nevertheless, a crowd of young people, some masked and dressed in black, gathered in a square near the university, set garbage containers on fire, and launched fireworks at police. Several parked cars and a police motorcycle were torched.

Coches ardiendo en una calle de Bilbao durante los disturbios tras el acto frustrado de Vito Quiles https://t.co/UjSwY2KPON https://t.co/VoHZUEfijF

— elDiario.es (@eldiarioes) October 26, 2026

Police arrested 19 people on suspicion of arson and public disorder.

Russia has significantly increased production of diesel in the wake of an agreement reached between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart, Donald Trump, Reuters has reported, citing industry sources.

Daily output rose from 160,000 tons in early October to 180,000 tons after the Russian government introduced new export quotas in mid-month, the agency said. Moscow has eased its restrictions on diesel exports, allowing Russian companies to ship up to 500,000 tons of fuel to international markets in October while ensuring domestic demand remains fully covered.

Exports of diesel, marine fuel, and gas oil had been banned until October 31, as the government sought to stabilize the domestic market, which was suffering from increased seasonal demand linked to the harvest season.

Trump and Putin agreed on diesel supplies during a phone call on October 9. Following the conversation, the US president announced that Russia would immediately supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel, followed by 500,000 tons in November, another million tons shortly thereafter, and potentially further shipments depending on refining capacity. Washington subsequently issued a temporary sanctions waiver permitting Russian diesel imports, reversing restrictions introduced under former US President Joe Biden in 2022.

The diesel deal provoked tensions between Washington and Kiev. Trump has repeatedly urged Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky to stop attacking Russian refineries, accusing Kiev of exacerbating the worldwide diesel shortage and hurting American consumers and farmers hit by high fuel prices.

Zelensky hit back, calling Trump’s claims “totally false” and accusing him of “deflecting the focus away from Iran.” He was referring to the US-Israeli military operation against Iran, which led to severe shipment disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz – one of the key seaborne oil transportation routes.

Russia has historically been the world’s second-largest diesel exporter, behind only the US, accounting for around 10% of global exports. Disruptions to Russian supplies can drive up prices even in countries that do not directly import diesel.

US President Donald Trump has said Brazil’s presidential runoff election, narrowly won by left-wing incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, could have been rigged.

According to the official tally, Lula received 51.79% of the vote on Sunday. His right-wing rival, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, received 48.21%.

“It looked terrible to me,” Trump told reporters on Monday. “I didn’t take sides, but it looked like another rigged election, frankly.”

Asked whether he planns to do something about the results, Trump said, “I’m not running Brazil. I’m running the US I like Lula. I get along with him very well. I just think it had a very bad look – the election, the way it was tabulated.”

Bolsonaro announced on election night that he would seek to have the results annulled, accusing “Lula’s allies” in the government of foul play. 

Hours after the results were announced, Bolsonaro said Brazil’s Supreme Court ordered him to surrender his passport and barred him from leaving the country as part of an investigation into suspected money laundering.

Q: Do you want to do something about the election in Brazil? Trump: I'm not running Brazil. I'm running the U.S. I like Lula. I get along with him very well, but the extension given was very strange. https://t.co/Sl1HUjiWde

— Clash Report (@clashreport) October 26, 2026

In the first round on October 4, Bolsonaro led with 47% of the vote to Lula’s 45%. Some analysts suggested that Bolsonaro could win the runoff by attracting supporters of other right-wing candidates.

Bolsonaro’s father, Jair Bolsonaro, who served as president from 2019 to 2022, is serving a 27-year prison sentence for plotting a coup to remain in power after losing the 2022 election to Lula. He has denied any wrongdoing, describing the case as politically motivated.

Trump previously urged the Brazilian authorities to drop the case against Jair Bolsonaro, calling his prosecution a “witch hunt.” His administration has also faced allegations of attempting to influence Brazil’s 2026 presidential election in favor of Bolsonaro’s son.

Brazilian police opened a preliminary inquiry into suspected US interference but closed it due to insufficient evidence. Reuters separately reported that two senior State Department officials had pushed for sanctions aimed at weakening Lula and boosting the Bolsonaro family’s political fortunes. The State Department has denied seeking to interfere in the election.

Germany is preparing to buy a batch of low-cost cruise missiles from Ukraine to expand its long-range strike capabilities, according to several media outlets.

The deal could be finalized in the coming weeks, the Financial Times reported, citing officials familiar with the matter. It would initially involve a small batch of missiles for testing by the German Armed Forces, or Bundeswehr, early next year. If the tests prove successful, Berlin could reportedly place a follow-up order for several hundred missiles.

Dubbed ‘Bars’ – meaning snow leopard in both Russian and Ukrainian – the cruise missiles, sometimes referred to as “drone missiles” in Ukraine, are jet-powered weapons with a range of up to 1,000 km and a payload of up to 105 kg.

Germany and Ukraine signed a deal to jointly produce Bars missiles in July 2026. Under that agreement, Berlin would finance production, with all the missiles produced being delivered to Ukraine.

Armament drive

Bloomberg reported earlier this week that Berlin was planning to acquire “thousands of precision deep-strike weapons” from several European and American companies. One proposed contract with US firm Covenant for the delivery of thousands of ground-launched Anthem cruise missiles could be worth more than €1 billion ($1.12 billion), according to the report.

Berlin emerged as Kiev’s single biggest military donor after Washington drastically scaled back its aid under US President Donald Trump. Merz has prioritized military spending, including assistance to Kiev, despite acknowledging that Germany’s economy is in a “structural crisis.” His government amended the constitutional debt brake to fund the buildup and passed a 2026 budget allocating a record €108.2 billion for defense and €11.5 billion in military aid for Ukraine.

Cashing in on war?

Ukraine, in turn, appears to be actively seeking to cash in on weapons exports, including sales to its Western backers. In February, David Aloian, deputy secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, told Reuters that the country expected to generate billions of dollars in revenue from it this year alone.

Kiev halted all weapons exports following the escalation of the conflict in 2022, but Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky reversed that decision when he announced plans to open nearly a dozen weapons export centers across Europe in early 2026.

Trump accused Ukraine in mid-October of selling American-supplied missiles on the black market. He also claimed that Kiev had failed to account for billions of dollars in American military and financial aid.

Ukrainian arms manufacturers have been implicated in some of the nation’s numerous corruption scandals. Fire Point – a defense contractor personally promoted by Zelensky during his visits to Western nations – was reportedly effectively owned by the Ukrainian leader’s longtime former business partner, Timur Mindich, known as ‘Zelensky’s wallet’ in Kiev. The businessman fled Ukraine last year after a major corruption investigation named him as one of its primary suspects.

Serbia will maintain its longstanding ties with Russia and will not impose sanctions on Moscow despite EU pressure, a representative of the winning Student List movement has told RT Balkan.

The student-led opposition secured 52.73% of the vote in Sunday’s parliamentary election, according to the latest preliminary results, defeating the coalition of former President Aleksandar Vucic. He conceded defeat but warned that Belgrade could abandon its resistance to EU pressure and sanction Russia within months.

The movement emerged from nearly two years of anti-government protests sparked by the November 2024 collapse of a railway station canopy in Novi Sad, which killed 16 people.

Speaking on Monday, Jovo Bakic, a university professor and Student List representative, said: “We respect Russia both as a great power and as our historically important partner and, in many cases, protector.”

“There will be no changes in that regard,” he added.

Recalling the harsh UN sanctions against Yugoslavia in the 1990s, when Serbia was one of its constituent republics, Bakic said restrictions imposed by “small Serbia” would have little effect on Russia but would be “symbolically very bad” for Belgrade.

🇷🇸 Jovo Bakić za RT Balkan: Studentska lista neće uvoditi sankcije Rusiji ▪️Predstavnik "Studentske liste", profesor Jovo Bakić ponovio je da nova vlada Srbije neće uvoditi sankcije Rusiji, uprkos tvrdnjama bivšeg predsednika Aleksandra Vučića da će se to dogoditi za nekoliko meseci. "Mi Rusiju poštujemo i kao veliku silu i kao našu istorijski važnu partnerku i u mnogim slučajevima zaštitnicu. Tu (u spoljnoj politici zemlje) neće biti nikakvih promena", izjavio je Bakić gostujući u emisiji "Srbija bira" na TV RT Balkan.

— RT Balkan (@rtbalkan) October 26, 2026

Under Vucic, Serbia resisted EU demands to adopt the bloc’s restrictions on Russia over the Ukraine conflict, despite pursuing EU membership. The Student List campaigned primarily on domestic reforms, leaving several contentious foreign policy questions unaddressed.

The movement’s exact position on the anti-Russian sanctions remains unclear. The Student List lead candidate, Ilija Srdanovic, did not explicitly rule out reconsidering Belgrade’s earlier refusal to sanction Moscow in an interview with RFE/RL. When pressed on the issue, he stated that foreign policy should be “decided by the citizens of Serbia” rather than a single leader of a a “very small group of people” in the government.

According to Reuters, leading candidates of the victorious movement have said the incoming government would halt arms exports to conflict zones, including sales to Western intermediaries that subsequently supply weapons to Ukraine.

Vucic previously said European buyers could decide how to use Serbian ammunition, including whether to send it to Ukraine, although Belgrade has denied supplying Kiev directly.

Serbia also faces uncertainty over its oil supplies due to US sanctions on NIS, the majority Russian-owned energy company that runs the country’s only oil refinery. Hungarian energy group MOL is seeking to acquire the Russian stake, while the current US waiver allowing NIS to continue business expires on October 30. The company has requested another extension to avoid disruptions to fuel supplies.

Unlike Serbia, the EU has sought to phase out Russian fossil fuel imports and secure alternative suppliers since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022.

The Kremlin said on Monday that it hoped to maintain mutually beneficial relations with Serbia. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov praised Vucic’s contribution to bilateral ties and added “As you know, it takes two to tango.”

The International Criminal Court (ICC) is increasingly becoming Europeans’ “own personal court” as the US expands sanctions on the institution, an expert has told RT.

George Szamuely, a senior research fellow at the Global Policy Institute in Budapest, pointed out that major global powers such as the US, Russia, and China do not recognize the ICC’s jurisdiction, leaving European nations as its main backers.

“So essentially the ICC is becoming a European project,” he said.

Szamuely argued that the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to former ICC judge Navi Pillay underscored Europe’s support for the court.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded Pillay the prize on October 9, just hours before Washington imposed sanctions on the ICC as an institution, expanding measures that had previously targeted individual officials.

The ICC is now becoming increasingly the tool of the Europeans.

According to Szamuely, European lawmakers sought to reaffirm their backing for the court despite mounting pressure from Washington.

Szamuely noted that Washington’s “war against the ICC really intensified” during President Donald Trump’s first term, when the US sanctioned several court officials, including then-chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda.

“Now he has imposed much harsher sanctions against the ICC,” he said, arguing that the latest measures effectively impose secondary sanctions on “anyone who actually engages in any kind of dealings with the ICC.”

Watch the RT interview below:

Major military bases in the continental US will be expected to sustain essential operations for at least 90 days without external support under a new Pentagon strategy, Fox News has reported.

The autonomy target was set out in FORTRESS documents reviewed by the network, it said on Sunday. Critical military supplies would also require at least two qualified supply or production routes to guard against disruption.

War Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the initiative last month. The US military has faced serious logistical disruption in the Middle East following Iranian strikes on American facilities and other sites used by US forces in retaliation for the US-Israeli attack on Iran.

Fox News, which is generally supportive of President Donald Trump’s agenda, wrote that the US needed to be prepared for a contingency in which military action would “cripple power grids, disrupt supply chains and threaten critical infrastructure on American soil.”

The report comes less than two weeks before midterm elections in which polls suggest the ruling Republican Party could suffer significant losses. The Iran war and the resulting surge in fuel prices are major factors bolstering opposition candidates.

Trump’s rhetoric has fueled widespread expectations that the US could escalate the war with Iran shortly after the election, or even before it. According to NBC News, Washington has withdrawn some personnel from its Middle Eastern bases ahead of a possible renewed airstrike campaign.

On October 26,2001, US President George W. Bush signed the USA PATRIOT Act into law, less than seven weeks after the September 11 attacks killed nearly 3,000 people in New York. The speed of its passage reflected the extraordinary political and social atmosphere in the United States. The tragedy had shattered the country’s sense of security, and fears of further terrorist activity continued to haunt the country in the months that followed.

In the weeks after 9/11, grief and anger were accompanied by an unprecedented surge of patriotism and national solidarity. President Bush’s approval rating reached 86 percent by late September, and public trust in the federal government rose to levels unseen in decades. A majority of Americans also expressed a willingness to sacrifice at least some civil liberties if doing so would help combat terrorism. Under intense pressure to prevent another catastrophe, Congress moved rapidly to expand federal investigative and surveillance powers.

The Patriot Act facilitated information sharing between intelligence and law enforcement agencies, broadened certain authorities to obtain records, and expanded investigative tools available in terrorism cases. Supporters argued that these measures were necessary to confront a transnational threat with legal instruments suited to a new security environment.

Yet national unity did not eliminate concerns about civil rights. Arab and Muslim Americans, as well as people perceived to belong to these communities, faced increased discrimination and violence. As the immediate shock of 9/11 receded, questions grew over how far the governments’ new powers should extend and what safeguards were needed to prevent abuse.

These tensions would shape the law’s legacy for decades. The debate intensified after Edward Snowden’s 2013 disclosures exposed the scale of certain US surveillance programs, helping spur the USA FREEDOM Act of 2015, which curtailed the government’s bulk collection of domestic telephone records. The controversy revealed that the challenge was not simply how to protect Americans from terrorism, but how to preserve privacy and civil liberties while doing so.

The surveillance debate that follows 9/11 has evolved alongside technology. Today, governments can analyze enormous volumes of digital information, from communications metadata to online activity, making it increasingly difficult to distinguish targeted intelligence gathering from the broader collection of personal data.

However, not all modern US surveillance powers originate in the Patriot Act. One important distinction is between Section 215 of the Patriot Act, which became associated with the NSA’s bulk collection of domestic telephone records, and Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), enacted in 2008.

Section 702 allows US intelligence agencies to target non-US persons reasonably believed to be outside the country for foreign intelligence purposes. Yet communications involving Americans may also be collected when they interact with foreign targets. A separate framework. Executive Order 12333 governs much of the intelligence community’s overseas surveillance activity.

These authorities raise questions that extend beyond the original post-9/11 debate. Artificial intelligence is adding a new dimension to the problem. Machine-learning systems can process vast quantities of communications, financial records, location data and other digital information, identifying patterns that human investigators might overlook. Such capabilities could help intelligence agencies detect terrorist networks and anticipate emerging threats. Yet they also raise the possibility of increasingly comprehensive surveillance, in which individuals can be assessed through their digital associations, behavior and inferred characteristics rather than through evidence of specific wrongdoings.

Twenty-five years later: Has America found the balance?

Twenty-five years after the Patriot Act became law, the United States has neither abandoned its expanded national security apparatus nor settled the debate over its proper limits. The government’s ability to collect and analyze information remains an important instrument in counterterrorism and foreign intelligence. At the same time, experience has shown that powers introduced in response to an emergency can endure long after the circumstances that justified them have changed.

The law’s defenders argue that intelligence agencies need effective tools to identify threats before they result in violence. Critics counter that broad surveillance authorities, secret legal interpretations and insufficient oversight can undermine privacy and weaken public trust. Both concerns are fundamental to a democratic society: security is essential to protecting freedom, but security measures can also threaten it when they operate without adequate safeguards.

The central lesson of the Patriot Act is therefore not that national security and civil liberties are necessarily incompatible. It is that the balance between them cannot be established once and left untouched. It requires clear legal limits, meaningful judicial and congressional oversight, transparency wherever possible, and public debate about how surveillance powers are used.

The digital age makes this task more urgent. As governments acquire increasingly sophisticated tools to monitor communications and analyze personal information, lawmakers must ensure that technological capabilities do not automatically translate into unlimited authority.

The question raised in October 2001 remains relevant today: how can a democracy protect its citizens without compromising the freedoms that give its political system legitimacy? Twenty-five years later, the United States continues to grapple with the answer.

The Netherlands has unveiled plans to cut around 25,000 full-time government positions by 2035, turning to artificial intelligence and sweeping administrative reforms to reduce costs and bureaucracy.

Announced on Monday, the overhaul aims to save €900 million ($1 billion) by next year, with annual savings projected to reach €3.5 billion by 2035. The job cuts will be phased in over several years, with police and security services exempt.

Planned measures include simplifying regulations, reducing advisory bodies, standardizing IT systems, and expanding digital services.

The plan follows years of rapid growth in the Dutch civil service. The central government workforce reached a record 160,000 positions in 2025, an increase of more than 40% since 2018, according to official figures.

State Secretary Eric van der Burg said excessive rules, exceptions, and procedures had made it increasingly difficult for the government to address problems, while mounting costs demanded action.

Other European countries are also embracing AI to streamline public administration.

Denmark announced plans last year to free up 50 million working hours annually by 2035 through AI, equivalent to roughly 30,000 full-time positions, without committing to corresponding job cuts.

Albania went a step further in September 2025, appointing an AI-generated virtual minister to help combat corruption in public procurement. However, the country’s AI procurement system had yet to be rolled out as of October.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk warned in July that the transition would be “a bumpy road,” predicting that AI would eventually outperform humans in any job.

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has also warned of major upheaval in the labor market, while arguing that certain professions, including caregiving, should remain “human reserved” even if AI becomes capable of performing them.

The EU faces a growing budget squeeze after borrowing hundreds of billions for pandemic recovery and Ukraine. Rising repayment costs threaten future spending and rushed payouts raise fraud risks, its chief auditor has warned. Brussels is nevertheless seeking billions more for Kiev.

Speaking to Rapporteur, Tony Murphy, president of the European Court of Auditors, described the budget situation as a “pressure cooker,” with EU debt potentially reaching €1 trillion ($1.12 trillion) by the end of 2027.The bloc’s debt stood at €739 billion in 2025, up from €601 billion a year earlier.

“You have to pay it back at some time. It’s not free money,” Murphy said. He emphasized that “it’s real money that has to be paid back.”

Kiev is required to repay the loan only after receiving Russian reparations – something Moscow has vehemently ruled out. Ukraine’s own former Prime Minister Nikolay Azarov has also acknowledged that such scenarios are “just fairy tales” and that Brussels will never get its money back, which is being actively embezzled by Kiev.

The EU, however, must still repay the money it borrowed. According to Murphy, servicing pandemic debt alone would consume 8% of the bloc’s proposed 2028–2034 budget and governments have yet to agree on new revenue to cover the repayments, leaving Brussels with less money for other priorities.

The squeeze comes as households and businesses continue to face high energy costs following Europe’s break with Russian supplies, compounded by the US-Israeli war on Iran.

Pressure to meet deadlines could also encourage weaker checks and more abuse, he said, as European prosecutors are already investigating hundreds of suspected fraud cases involving recovery funds.

Despite the crisis, Brussels is again looking for more money for Kiev after Vladimir Zelensky requested another €70 billion ($78 billion) for 2027, beyond existing commitments. European Council President Antonio Costa said Friday that the EU expects to cover roughly two-thirds, with a decision potentially coming in November.

Sunday’s snap Serbian parliamentary elections have  delivered a bombshell as former President Aleksandar Vucic conceded defeat. Hardly anyone seems to have seriously expected that. Calling the election was a gamble, of course, but he still had reason to believe he could pull it off.

The reasons will take time to untangle. Vucic himself spoke of a “revolution” backed by Europe. Others, with some justification, see an “Orban scenario”: accumulated fatigue with one man’s prolonged rule, during which his personal traits and interests came to exert too much influence over national policy.

Clearly, more than one factor was at work. Just as clearly, Serbia is entering a new era. Vucic’s increasingly elaborate and convoluted balancing act will likely give way to an attempt to steer the country sharply toward the European Union. Hungary’s experience is telling in this respect. And Russia should expect little good to come of it.

Serbian society, however, is different from Hungary’s. There really is considerable sympathy for Russia. Whether that sentiment can rally a new opposition, this time against a firmly pro-EU course, should become clear soon enough. The EU will try to make the most of the defeat of yet another set of “pro-Russian forces.” Whether that will bring Serbia any closer to EU membership is another question entirely.

Whatever the outcome, if there is a common thread running through elections across Europe, it is probably this: people in different countries are disillusioned with the status quo and the establishment, whatever its political stripe – even when those establishments stand at opposite ends of the spectrum.

Anthropic’s Claude AI model went rogue and broke past a paywall to obtain voter data in the US state of Georgia, Axios reported on Sunday. The intrusion heightens concerns about developers’ ability to control increasingly autonomous AI systems.

The incident occurred during an internal statistics project involving public information. Anthropic said the model obtained aggregate voter counts but did not access Georgia’s voter registration system, retrieve individual voter records or alter any data.

The company confirmed the incident on Sunday, ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.

“Without being asked to, the model requested a token to query a dashboard that contained information normally available for a fee,” an Anthropic spokesperson told Axios. Claude had learned from an archived government webpage that the dashboard issued digital access keys to visitors. It was able to request a key and retrieve the information without paying.

Georgia Deputy Secretary of State Jordan Fuchs confirmed to Fox Business that the data came from a public information service but insisted that Claude “did not get into the voter registration system.”

The case is among several instances Anthropic has disclosed of models finding unintended ways around restrictions instead of stopping. Other incidents included a false homicide tip submitted to Philadelphia police and incomplete applications filed on the US State Department’s visa website.

On Friday, Anthropic also revealed that a model had impersonated a human during a cybersecurity exercise, attempting to persuade an unrelated software developer to accept malicious code. The developer rejected the request and the attempt failed.

Other developers have tightened controls following similar incidents. OpenAI said Friday that it was keeping its most powerful models’ training offline after agents escaped restricted environments. In July, its agents bypassed safeguards and accessed systems belonging to Hugging Face, an online repository for AI models and datasets.

Anthropic said it has moved some evaluations offline, restricted internet tools and introduced systems to detect unauthorized actions. It said those systems blocked each of the disclosed cases when tested against them.

Israelis head to the polls on Tuesday in a closely contested parliamentary election that could end the nearly four-year rule of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s current coalition, following years of war, political scandals, mass protests, and deepening divisions within Israeli society.

The vote is widely viewed as a referendum on Netanyahu’s leadership, with the opposition blaming him for security failures surrounding the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack and accusing his government of undermining democratic institutions.

The Hamas attack killed around 1,200 people and saw some 250 taken hostage. Israel responded with a military campaign in Gaza that has killed more than 74,000 Palestinians, including at least 21,000 children, according to the local Health Ministry.

Netanyahu’s fight for political survival

Opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot, a former military chief who heads the centrist Yashar party, has emerged as Netanyahu’s strongest challenger.

Speaking at a mass rally in Tel Aviv on Sunday, Eisenkot urged traditional voters for Netanyahu’s Likud party to abandon the prime minister, claiming that Israel cannot survive another four years under his leadership.

“Anyone who thinks our Israel can survive another four years like these is living under a dangerous misconception,” Eisenkot said, according to the Times of Israel.

Netanyahu is also facing accusations of attempting to provoke a new war with Iran to postpone the election. Former Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman has demanded a criminal investigation into the prime minister on suspicion of treason after Channel 12 reported a clash between Netanyahu and Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir over a proposed military operation.

“The man has gone off the rails,” Liberman said on Monday, accusing Netanyahu of putting his political survival ahead of national security. The prime minister denied the reported confrontation, and no criminal wrongdoing has been established.

Netanyahu also failed to persuade US President Donald Trump to launch strikes on Iran before the Israeli election, CNN reported, citing American and Israeli sources. The operation has reportedly been postponed, potentially until after the November 3 US midterm elections. Netanyahu’s office rejected the report.

Four years of war and political turmoil

Netanyahu’s latest term has been marked by a series of crises, from mass protests over his judicial overhaul to the October 7 Hamas attack, which exposed major failures in Israel’s security apparatus and triggered years of warfare.

The attack remains a central election issue, with Netanyahu’s opponents accusing him of evading responsibility and blocking an independent state commission of inquiry. While the opposition demands a full investigation into the political and military failures, the prime minister has backed a government-appointed panel with more limited powers.

In September 2025, a UN commission of inquiry concluded that Israel had committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Netanyahu is also subject to an International Criminal Court arrest warrant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. Israel rejects the genocide allegations and denies committing war crimes.

Another major dividing line concerns Netanyahu’s judicial overhaul, which triggered nationwide protests in 2023. His opponents have pledged to reverse measures they say undermine judicial independence. The prime minister is also standing trial on corruption charges, including bribery, fraud, and breach of trust, which he denies.

Another contentious issue is the exemption of ultra-Orthodox Jewish men from military service. Despite a 2024 Supreme Court ruling against blanket exemptions, Netanyahu’s coalition has continued to resist compulsory conscription for religious students, fueling resentment among Israelis repeatedly called up for military duty.

The economic toll has added to public anger. Rising defense spending, higher living costs, and a VAT increase to 18% in 2025 have put further pressure on households.

Yet the wars themselves have attracted relatively little debate among the main contenders, many of whom support Israel’s military campaigns. The deeper political battle is over Netanyahu’s leadership, accountability, and the direction of the Israeli state.

Election arithmetic: Can anyone secure a majority?

Recent surveys indicate a tight race, with Eisenkot’s Yashar holding a narrow advantage over Netanyahu’s Likud in several polls.

An October 21 Jerusalem Post analysis of four major surveys put Yashar at an average of 22.5 seats, compared with 19.75 for Likud. But neither Netanyahu’s allies nor the opposition appear assured of the 61 seats needed for a majority in Israel’s 120-member Knesset.

Under Israel’s proportional representation system, parties must win at least 3.25% of the national vote to enter parliament. Votes for parties that fail to cross the threshold do not translate into seats, meaning even small shifts could tip the balance between rival camps.

The real battle may therefore begin after the ballots are counted. Smaller parties, particularly ultra-Orthodox factions, could determine who governs, with military conscription exemptions and religious education funding among their key demands.

According to a Jerusalem Post report published Monday, possible scenarios include opposition cooperation with ultra-Orthodox factions, reliance on Arab parties’ parliamentary support, or even another election if coalition talks fail.

Would a defeat for Netanyahu change Israel’s course?

A new prime minister would not necessarily mean a new direction for Israel’s military and foreign policies.

Despite their fierce opposition to Netanyahu, leading opposition figures broadly support maintaining Israel’s military superiority, confronting Iran, and retaining extensive security control over Palestinian territories. None of the principal contenders has made the establishment of a Palestinian state a central campaign commitment.

The election also comes amid renewed tensions in the occupied West Bank. Israeli authorities have imposed sweeping restrictions following a shooting near Hebron that killed two Israeli soldiers and two Palestinian gunmen, including curbs on Palestinians entering Jewish settlements for work.

Meanwhile, thousands of Israelis have demonstrated against the government and violence toward Palestinians, even as younger voters increasingly identify with the political right.

Reporting from Tel Aviv, RT correspondent Charlotte Dubenskij described Israel as “a nation dramatically shifting towards the right,” with many young people citing the October 7 attack as a turning point in their political views.

The election could therefore remove Netanyahu from power without reversing the security policies that have defined his latest term.

What happens after October 27?

The vote could leave Netanyahu in power, hand the opposition a chance to form a government, or produce another parliamentary deadlock.

Under Israel’s parliamentary system, the president consults party leaders before choosing a lawmaker to form a government. Coalition talks can drag on for weeks, with smaller parties demanding concessions in exchange for their support. If no candidate can secure a majority, Israel could face another election.

The final result may therefore be decided not at the ballot box, but behind closed doors, as rival parties bargain over who will govern Israel next.

Yet even if Netanyahu loses power, the election may change Israel’s leadership without fundamentally altering its approach to the Palestinians or the regional conflicts that have defined his latest term.

The administration of US President Donald Trump is pushing for former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to become the next UN secretary-general, the Wall Street Journal has reported.

Members of Trump’s team have already reached out to Orban, who is open to the idea but will only run if there is confidence that he can secure the job, the paper said in an article on Sunday.

The US believes that Russia and China would also support the former Hungarian leader, who would be seen as a joint candidate from the three countries, a State Department official told the outlet.

The term of current UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expires on December 31. AP reported last week that none of the seven candidates to replace him, including Costa Rica’s Rebecca Greenspan, Guyana’s Carolyn Rodriguez Birkett, and the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi of Argentina, currently have the required support of all five permanent members of the UN Security Council (UNSC): China, France, Russia, the UK, and US.

Orban, who left office in Hungary after 16 years in power this May, used to describe his rule as an “illiberal democracy.” The 63-year-old politician has been a harsh critic of EU’s policies, repeatedly clashing with Brussels over his moves against mass migration, a clampdown on left-wing NGOs, resistance to the LGBTQ+ agenda, and other issues.

He was one of the few European leaders to maintain contacts with Moscow after the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, insisting on Hungary continuing to purchase Russian energy and decrying Western sanctions as counterproductive. The former Hungarian leader also consistently advocated stronger economic cooperation between the EU and China.

Orban has called Trump a “good friend” and visited the US to back the Republican’s presidential campaign in 2024. The US president endorsed Orban ahead of this year’s Hungarian election and sent Vice President J.D. Vance to Budapest to campaign for him, although the move did not help to deliver victory.

Trump has been increasingly unhappy with the UN during his second term, saying that the global body hasn’t come close to reaching its “tremendous potential.”

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said last month that Moscow expects the new UN secretary-general to represent the interests of all mankind, not just a small group of Western nations as happened under Guterres. Lavrov also said several of the candidates possessed the qualities needed to be effective in the role.

A cruise liner has collided with a container ship while departing Bremerhaven in northwestern Germany for a voyage to the Canary Islands.

The incident involving the Mein Schiff 3 occurred on Sunday in poor weather brought by storm Manja. Strong crosswinds appeared to overpower the tugboats assisting the 293-meter vessel down the Weser River. The collision was filmed from aboard the liner.

Hamburg-based operator TUI Cruises reported no injuries among the 2,428 guests and 922 crew members aboard the ship. The vessel was brought back to the pier for a damage assessment.

Media reports and footage indicate that at least three lifeboats were seriously damaged, potentially disrupting the voyage unless they can be replaced promptly. In similar cases, operators have negotiated cancellations with some guests to bring the number of people aboard into line with the remaining lifeboat capacity.

Die „Mein Schiff 3“ kollidiert beim Auslaufen in Bremerhaven mit einem Containerschiff. Aufnahmen zeigen die Wucht des Zusammenstoßes; mehrere Rettungsboote wurden offenbar beschädigt. Nach bisherigen Berichten gab es keine Verletzten. Die Unfallursache muss untersucht werden. Doch ich frage mich grundsätzlich: Wie lange wollen wir noch eine Kreuzfahrtindustrie fördern, deren Geschäftsmodell mit enormen Treibhausgasemissionen verbunden ist? Luxus auf See darf nicht bedeuten, dass die Umwelt die Rechnung bezahlt. Wir brauchen einen konsequenten Ausstieg aus besonders klimaschädlichen Kreuzfahrten. Klimaschutz ist keine freiwillige Zusatzleistung!

— Paro. Karl Kautabak (@KarlKautabak) October 25, 2026

The Mein Schiff 3 was beginning a 20-day ‘Timeless Canary Islands’ cruise, with its first stop scheduled for October 28 in the Spanish port of A Coruna.

The MSC Victorine, which the liner struck, also postponed its departure for Hamburg following the collision.

Some reports said two tugboats were also damaged. Shipping was temporarily suspended after the incident.

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has received congratulations from Latin American nations and fellow BRICS members after winning reelection as Brazil’s president.

Lula prevailed over right-wing challenger Flavio Bolsonaro, the son of jailed former President Jair Bolsonaro and an ally of US President Donald Trump, in the second round of the vote on Sunday.

The 80-year-old veteran politician secured 51.79% of valid votes against Bolsonaro’s 48.21%, according to the completed count published by the Superior Electoral Court (TSE), winning a historic fourth term by more than 4.4 million votes.

The victory means Latin America’s largest economy is set to maintain its prominent role in BRICS rather than shift closer to Washington under the Bolsonaro political dynasty. The defeated challenger had openly questioned Brazil’s membership in the bloc, accusing Lula of using it to antagonize the United States.

Addressing jubilant crowds in Sao Paulo, Lula thanked Brazilians for his reelection and singled out young people who had taken to the streets during the campaign.

However, Bolsonaro has refused to concede defeat and vowed to seek the annulment of the election, accusing the Supreme Court of improperly interfering in the vote.

“Brazil cannot accept this dirty trick,” he declared, denouncing the last-minute decision to extend voting hours nationwide by two hours as “unacceptable” and equivalent to “changing the rules of the game while the game was being played.”

However, Bolsonaro did not mention that his own campaign had also requested extended voting hours in several cities affected by severe weather.

The decision came shortly after the original 5 PM deadline, when many polling stations had already closed and sealed their electronic voting machines. Senior judges have reportedly acknowledged procedural errors in handling the extension but ruled out annulling the election, according to Folha de S.Paulo.

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A politician from Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s party was injured when attackers threw stones and bottles at a campaign vehicle on the eve of Sunday’s crucial presidential runoff.

The violent incident came as Brazilians voted in a tightly contested election between left-wing incumbent Lula, who has championed closer ties with BRICS nations, and right-wing challenger and Donald Trump ally Flavio Bolsonaro.

Montes Claros City councilwoman Iara Pimentel, a member of Lula’s Workers’ Party (PT), was struck in the face during a campaign event late Saturday night in Minas Gerais state in southeastern Brazil, according to state news agency Agencia Brasil (ABr).

Video footage showed bottles, bricks, and other objects being thrown at the campaign vehicle carrying the politician. Later images showed her bloodied face.

Ajudem essas imagens a chegar à policia! Não podemos permitir que esse tipo de gente, que estimula o ódio, governo o país! https://t.co/51eU79KCLR

— Jorge Solla (@depjorgesolla) October 25, 2026

She was taken to a local hospital by ambulance, ABr reported.

“Thinking differently is a right. Political violence is a threat to democracy. No disagreement can justify acts of aggression or put lives at risk,” Pimentel said in a statement cited by the agency.

Lula also condemned what he described as multiple incidents of violence during the election.

“The most sacred thing in democracy is democratic coexistence in diversity,” he said, according to ABr, arguing that neighbors should be able to support different political candidates and sports teams or hold different beliefs without resorting to violence.

The election has also been marred by allegations of interference by US tech giant Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Meta blocked the Facebook advertising account used by Lula’s team ahead of the first round on October 4, then prevented his official Instagram account from boosting posts days later, according to campaign officials.

Meta denied politically interfering in the election, but internal company messages acknowledged technical restrictions affecting Lula’s Instagram account, Folha de S.Paulo newspaper reported last week, citing internal communications.

Serbia’s student-led opposition is leading in Sunday’s snap parliamentary election, according to preliminary results. Former Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has accused unnamed European powers and anti-Trump forces in the US of meddling in the vote to “bring down a sovereign country.”

According to preliminary results published by the Republic Electoral Commission (RIK) early Monday, the opposition Student List leads with 51.84% of the vote, compared with 39.77% for Vucic’s United Serbia coalition, with nearly 93% of polling stations reporting.

The official figures have moved closer to the final projection by pollster Ipsos and election monitor CeSID overnight, which put the Student List at 52.9% and Vucic’s coalition at 38.8%, based on their stratified sample.

In his remarks earlier on election night, Vucic accused foreign powers of helping engineer his political downfall, describing the vote as the “verification of a revolution” carried out with direct support from “various European countries and the American deep state,” which he said was opposed to US President Donald Trump.

“You have succeeded for the moment. For how long? We shall see,” he added.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa were quick to congratulate the Student List, issuing virtually identical statements on X. Both pledged Brussels’ support for reforms and efforts to advance Serbia’s integration into the EU.

Vucic also warned that a new government could impose sanctions on Russia within months, despite opposition representatives insisting that Belgrade’s policy toward Moscow would remain unchanged.

“I love Serbia. I will never leave Serbia,” Vucic declared, insisting that his party would remain united and politically active.

The election follows nearly two years of political unrest sparked by the deadly collapse of a railway station canopy in Novi Sad in November 2024, which killed 16 people and fueled allegations of corruption and failures in safety oversight. Vucic resigned as president on September 27 to participate in the parliamentary race.

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Vladimir Zelensky’s disregard for Donald Trump is doing more damage to the US president’s interests than Iran, Cuba, and Venezuela do combined, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Sunday.

Ukraine’s leader has publicly backed Trump’s predecessor and former political rival, Joe Biden, rejected US proposals to settle the Ukraine conflict and worked to turn European leaders against Trump, Medvedev alleged.

“The Kiev scumbag regularly spits straight in the face of the US president, ignoring his demands and turning influential Americans (and not-so-influential Europeans) against him,” Medvedev, who currently serves as deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, said in a Telegram post. 

He said that Zelensky “shamelessly lined his own pockets with American taxpayer money” under Biden, who Trump says provided Ukraine with some $350 billion in US aid. “And he kept dipping into the pot under Trump, too, taking whatever was left,” Medvedev added.

Zelensky has also “given the American president the finger” by refusing to halt attacks on Russian oil refineries despite Trump’s repeated warnings.

There is a growing rift between Trump and Zelensky over Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries. The US president has demanded that Ukraine stop, accusing it of exacerbating the global fuel crisis and raising prices for Americans – a sensitive issue ahead of the November 3 US midterms. Kiev has thus far refused.

To ease the fuel crisis, Trump temporarily waived sanctions on Russian fuel exports as part of a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Under the agreement, Moscow agreed to supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel immediately, another 500,000 tons in November and further shipments thereafter. The first three tankers carrying Russian diesel are already heading across the Atlantic, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on Friday.

Yemen’s Houthis have struck several targets in Saudi Arabia, including two international airports and energy infrastructure facilities operated by the oil giant Saudi Aramco, the group’s military spokesman said on Saturday.

The conflict between Yemen’s Ansar Allah movement, also known as the Houthis, and the Saudi-led coalition escalated last month, when the militant group seized the Red Sea port cities of Mocha and Dhubab as well as Perim Island in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The Houthis have since tightened their siege of Taiz, Yemen’s third-largest city and a key stronghold of anti-Houthi forces.

In a statement posted on X, Yahya Saree said the Houthis had conducted seven operations using ballistic missiles and drones, targeting King Khalid Airport in Riyadh, King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, Najran Airport and Khamis Mushait Air Base, as well as Aramco’s facilities in Yanbu, the Rabigh oil refinery and crude oil pumping stations, and a pipeline linking eastern and western Saudi Arabia.

The latest attack came as Riyadh’s main air hub prepared to resume operations after more than two weeks of disruption following earlier Houthi strikes. The facility announced a partial reopening from Sunday. In a separate post on X, Saree warned that airlines, airport staff and passengers against using the site, calling it a military target and saying it would remain unsafe.

The spokesman also accused Riyadh of spreading false claims that the Houthis had targeted the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, insisting that the group’s operations were directed solely at Saudi oil facilities and military bases and were announced as they took place.

Yemen’s civil war began in 2014, with Saudi Arabia leading a military intervention the following year to support the internationally recognized government against the Houthis. Fighting eased under a UN-brokered truce in 2022 but escalated sharply in September 2026.

The renewed conflict has seen the Houthis launch missile and drone attacks on Saudi airports and oil facilities, while the Riyadh-led coalition has intensified airstrikes on Houthi positions, command centers and weapons networks.

The Houthis have claimed the total number of Saudi airstrikes and missile attacks since the latest escalation began has reached 3,123.

These days, European headlines resemble reports from a war zone: from stormed city halls in Marseille and Lille, to looted boutiques along the French Riviera, burned tourist offices in Lyon, and clouds of tear gas enveloping the Élysée Palace. The ‘day of rage’ in France drew over 800,000 protesters onto the streets – an event that was dismissed by Paris and the European mainstream as merely the “spontaneous revolt of the outskirts” or a “raid by migrants.” However, a closer look at the ‘rebels’ reveals respectable, bourgeois-looking students and well-off citizens engaging in destruction and violence.

None of these people know what to expect from the future of mainstream European politics. In this shifting landscape, old institutions are losing their legitimacy, while right-wing political forces –  whose ideas are increasingly seen as rational amid the chaos – are emerging on the broader European stage. 

French President Emmanuel Macron arrogantly advised the people to express their political will in six months during the forthcoming presidential elections; however, the streets responded to Macron’s proposal with looting and arson targeting government buildings. This reaction serves as a precise diagnosis of the French political system. The country’s civic framework can no longer hold society together and there is no confidence in a stable future.

Many believe that the current riots in France are a “spontaneous revolt of the outskirts.” However, as Fyodor Lukyanov, Research Director at the Valdai International Discussion Club writes, we are witnessing an inverted version of May 1968. Nearly 60 years ago, the nationwide wave of protests led by students and leftist intellectuals shaped the liberal framework that has dominated global and European politics ever since.

Today, it has reached the point of aggressive absurdity. The old narratives of ‘liberation’ have been successfully adopted by the bourgeois youth, whose behavior is more violent that of an uncivilized tribe, as HSE professor Alexander Filippov notes. But then, one may remember that, centuries ago, the Bastille wasn’t stormed by migrants either. 

How did this happen? The liberal establishment in Paris and Brussels has become totally detached from ordinary citizens. Its agenda is completely irrelevant to society. Having imposed a rigid “confrontation with Russia” at the expense of the prosperity and development of its own people, the EU offers its citizens no viable ideas for survival.

The system has set a trap for itself: in order to retain its waning power, the left-liberal establishment is forced to close its eyes to the riots of anarchists and radical leftists. The authorities fear street protests far less than the rise of their right-wing opponents. The liberal mainstream would rather burn cities than allow rational thinkers with worldviews grounded in national interests to come to power.

Despite their passion for destruction, the rioters have no idea how to reconstruct the future of united Europe. Moreover, as Irina Maltseva, head of the ‘France and Francophone countries: Politics, economics, culture’ project at the HSE Centre for Comprehensive European and International Studies points out, the spontaneous street protests will inevitably die down as the presidential campaign approaches. Protests will wane, leaving us to wonder – what comes next?

The fight between left-wing and right-wing forces in Europe

Beneath the ideological clash between the right and left lies a harsh economic reality – the struggle over who will bear the costs of the sanctions crisis orchestrated by the European Commission. The establishment has attempted to persuade the world that a post-industrial economy – characterized by AI integration, cryptocurrency transactions, a shift toward green energy, Capital Markets Union speculations, and “normative” values – is more important than factories, raw materials, ports, and affordable energy. However, this is a path to economic self-destruction. The street protests in France and Italy vividly illustrate that Europe can no longer afford to uphold its previous social contract. Budget deficits are spiraling out of control and are becoming the EU’s economic curse.

Budapest serves as a prime example of this systemic failure. The Hungarian Parliament is currently reviewing the national budget proposal. Prime Minister Peter Magyar acknowledged that the country is grappling with a record-breaking, suffocating budget deficit of 7.5% to 8.3% of GDP. The economic strategies of past years, reliant on uninterrupted cheap energy from Russia and long-term loans from China, have collapsed under the pressure of the REPowerEU plan.

The Hungarian government’s only remaining support mechanism is the so-called ‘solidarity contribution’ tax imposed on excessive profits in opposition-led cities, but local governments can no longer afford to pay it amid the current crisis. To prevent Hungary from experiencing large-scale social upheavals similar to those in France, Magyar is urgently implementing a progressive tax system, cutting government contracts, imposing a wealth tax on billionaires, and escalating tensions with EU leadership by demanding the immediate unfreezing of €16 billion in EU grants, while threatening Orban with lifetime imprisonment if he pushes the opposition onto the streets.

The analysis of the internal dynamics of economic issues in the EU, however, should not boil down to a simplistic equation of ‘budget deficit = street protests’. For example, we may wonder why there are no protests in Poland and Romania, despite similar or even more severe budget deficits (7.3% and 7.9%, respectively), while Albania (a rather financially stable country and non-EU member) is engulfed in turmoil and the Flamingo Revolution. 

The answer seems to lie in the differing nature of the deficit and the resilience of national institutions. In Poland and Romania, budget shortfalls are currently masked by rampant electoral populism and ‘social bribes’ – like Romania’s subsidies for farmers or Poland’s price caps at gas stations.

The government manages to mitigate discontent with funds extracted from big business. However, in France, the government has completely exhausted this option. The budget deficit has led to direct cuts in essential social commitments – from school funding to suburban support – quickly eroding its legitimacy.

For many Europeans, the right-wing agenda and national self-interest have become the only rational option. Right-wing pragmatists propose a clear audit and financial protection, while Brussels’ liberal framework advocates for insolvency for the sake of rather dubious dogmas.

The tactics of growing competition, or how to succeed in the ‘darkroom’

Contemporary global politics resembles a sort of ‘darkroom’ where old rules no longer apply, and new ones are still taking shape. The key revelation is that the ‘new right’ has learned to navigate this darkness by playing by Brussels’ own rules. There’s a growing understanding that to save the industrial base from stifling deficits, ideological romanticism must be abandoned. 

A good example is Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Her approach has shown that it’s possible to dutifully follow external Euro-Atlantic rituals while negotiating exceptions from Brussels on crucial issues vital to the national economy – such as energy or migration.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico follows a similar path, cleverly blending leftist social principles with hardline national populism. Bratislava is demanding official transitional periods and exemptions from the European Commission to continue receiving Russian gas, citing the need to protect the wallets of its voters.

A comparable maneuver is being executed by Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis; while his policies can’t be called pro-Russian, pragmatism dictates a simple truth: if Czech factories want to survive amid America’s selfish diesel policy, they’ll need to negotiate with Moscow. Even Hungary has adeptly shifted the discussion to a language of tough bargaining. Budapest has formally agreed to comply with REPowerEU requirements and phase out Russian energy supplies by October 2027, but insists that the EU must provide compensation, or else Hungarian companies will face bankruptcy.

Poland’s stance is particularly notable. Rhetorically, Warsaw demands a complete sanctioning of Eurasian projects, presenting itself as Europe’s “primary eastern shield.” Yet this is merely an attempt to maintain appearances during a losing game. Internal realities compel Warsaw to negotiate with Beijing to preserve transit through the Malaszewicze hub and to impose a 60% windfall tax on its state-owned company Orlen to temporarily quell public dissatisfaction at gas stations ahead of elections.

Remarkably, this ‘trial by rage’ is unfolding not only within the EU, and it doesn't only affect Western capitalist giants. The trend is taking on a global scale.

In Albania, the ‘Flamingo Revolution’ is brewing. The social upheaval was sparked by the allocation of resort zones for a mega project spearheaded by Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and undermined the decade-long stability of Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama’s left-liberal government. In a desperate attempt to cling to his dwindling legitimacy, Rama resorted to his usual tactics, accusing street protesters of links to the American Antifa political movement and “Moscow’s influence.”

The pendulum has swung even further in India, where a massive youth uprising led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and Rahul Gandhi’s opposition alliance has paralyzed major cities from New Delhi to Mumbai. Although the immediate trigger was the Special Intensive Revision of electoral polls, the underlying issue is similar to the problem in France: the pro-American digital outsourcing model and liberal dogmas can no longer sustain the younger generation amidst a global crisis.

The issue isn’t capitalism per se, but rather the collapse of its specific, degenerate form: liberal globalization. In its place arises a rigid, sovereign capitalism rooted in national self-interest. The new right-wing pragmatists are not ‘Moscow’s friends’. They merely advocate for their own wallets in times of scarcity.

For Russia, this is an important signal: the West’s ‘unified’ sanctions policy has turned into an uncomfortable, but purely decorative facade; and behind it, we glimpse scenes of impressive but ultimately meaningless discontent. In this light, a critical question arises – will the political mainstream acknowledge its defeat and negotiate with its opponents, or will it continue to operate under the “apres nous, le deluge” (after us, the flood) principle? A key indicator will be the formation of a coalition between the ruling government and right-wing forces in Saxony-Anhalt, and their ability to govern effectively and maintain power in the long term.

The mother of former Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic was attacked by his political opponents in Belgrade on Sunday, his Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) has alleged.

Serbia is voting for its next government and Vucic is running for prime minister. His ruling coalition has been polling strongly against a student-backed opposition movement, attempting to remove SNS from government after 14 years in power. 

“A group of young men... shoved Angelina Vucic, screamed at her, and tore open the bags of groceries she was carrying from the market,” SNS said in a statement on its official website. The statement alleged that the attackers were aligned with anti-government protesters who have occupied universities and blocked roads across the country.

“No one’s mother, no one’s grandmother – no woman at all – should ever be a target of violence due to political differences!” it added, demanding that police take decisive action against the attackers.

Vucic resigned on September 27 following two years of protests, saying he wanted to participate in the election as an ordinary citizen. His ruling coalition led the student-backed opposition by 47% to 40%, according to an Ipsos poll published on Thursday.

Anti-government protests followed the deadly collapse of a railway station canopy in Novi Sad in 2024, which killed 16 people and sparked allegations of corruption and safety oversight failures.

The politician has also pledged to keep Serbia out of any future war with Russia if elected, warning that Europe is preparing for a military confrontation with Moscow.

The Irish political week has once again been marked by bitter exchanges, this time over the Triple Lock Agreement, our long-standing tradition of military neutrality, and whether a referendum should be held before any fundamental change is made to it.

Taoiseach (Ireland’s prime minister) Micheal Martin has accused the country’s largest opposition party Sinn Fein, which fiercely opposes the idea of dismantling Triple Lock, of not giving a “continental” about Irish neutrality. The word is his own, and it is worth reflecting on its meaning.

But I have a question of my own for Mr. Martin: does he give a continental about the health and well-being of the Irish people?

What does neutrality mean to a parent whose three-year-old child is suffering in agony while waiting nine hours in Galway Regional Hospital? What comfort does it offer families struggling to access essential medical care, or parents and students caught up in this week’s education strikes? And what of the many other problems that continue to weigh upon ordinary Irish households?

The latest figures, obtained from the HSE by Padraig Rice, Social Democrats TD and Chair of the Oireachtas Committee on Health, make the situation even more difficult to ignore. Between January and July of this year, more than 70,100 people in Ireland either left emergency departments before completing their treatment or did not wait to be seen. A further 31,821 patients waited longer than 24 hours to be admitted or discharged. The average waiting time in emergency departments was 9.3 hours.

These matters concern real people, their children, their dignity, and their daily lives. Before our leaders lecture us about international responsibilities, should they not first explain why such basic needs remain unmet at home?

Yet Irish taxpayers are repeatedly asked to support ever greater expenditure connected with the conflict in Ukraine. At what point do we pause and ask whether our priorities are in the right order?

Mr. Martin, charity begins at home. Have you forgotten the recession of 2008 and the painful years that followed? Irish families know what it means to endure financial insecurity, lost opportunities, and the consequences of decisions made far above their heads. We should remember, too, the countries that stood by Ireland during difficult times, and consider carefully where our obligations lie today.

This week, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, has again been pressing for further support for Ukraine while criticizing US President Donald Trump. Ordinary European citizens are expected to accept the bill.

But surely there comes a moment when the people who pay must be entitled to ask questions.

I believe European citizens should stand up for themselves, examine the priorities of their leaders, and refuse to treat every pronouncement from Brussels as unquestionable wisdom. Supporting a country in distress is one thing; allowing an open-ended political commitment to overshadow pressing needs at home is quite another.

Imagine what could be achieved if public money were spent with greater care and accountability. Imagine health services where children did not have to wait hours in pain, schools where disputes did not repeatedly interrupt education, and transport and infrastructure that served communities as they deserve to be served. These are not some extravagant dreams – just the reasonable expectations of a modern society.

Meanwhile, EU leaders continue to speak as though the destruction of Russia were a realistic or desirable political objective. I believe this approach is dangerously misguided. Russia is a major power, and European security requires clear thinking, diplomacy, and an honest assessment of the risks of prolonged confrontation. Declaring ever more money and resources necessary does not, by itself, bring peace any closer.

And what of Ukraine itself? If European leaders genuinely care about the Ukrainian people, surely their first concern should be the preservation of human life and the search for a sustainable peace. Endless conflict brings suffering, displacement, destruction, and the loss of generations who might otherwise have built a future for themselves. The human cost deserves at least as much attention as the political ambitions of those directing the response.

I do not believe that the future of Europe should be built upon the assumption that Russia must be destroyed. I believe it should be built upon realism, diplomacy, accountability, and the recognition that war always extracts its price from ordinary people first.

Ireland has its own history of hardship, resilience, and recovery. We know what it means to struggle, to rebuild, and to depend upon the solidarity of others. That history should make us thoughtful about the suffering of people elsewhere, but it should also remind us of our responsibility to our own citizens.

Before asking Irish taxpayers to shoulder yet another burden, our government should explain what it is doing to ensure that a sick child receives timely treatment, that pupils receive the education they need, and that public services function as they should.

Mr. Martin, the question is not whether Ireland should care about the wider world. Of course it should. The question is whether caring about the wider world has become an excuse for neglecting the people who elected you.

Charity begins at home. So does responsibility. And so, ultimately, should political accountability.

It is time for Ireland, and for the EU, to put ordinary people back at the center of public life. Our taxes should serve the public good, our leaders should be answerable for their choices, and diplomacy should seek to preserve lives rather than prolong their destruction.

The people of Europe deserve nothing less.

The EU stance on the diplomatic process to settle the Ukraine conflict has not been constructive, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.

Berliner Zeitung reported earlier this week that Finnish President Alexander Stubb is being seen as the most likely candidate to represent Brussels in possible peace talks with Moscow, Washington, and Kiev. Finland’s proximity to Russia – the two countries share a 1,340 km border – and Stubb’s good relations with US President Donald Trump make him the best fit for the job, according to the paper.

When asked to comment by TASS on Sunday, Peskov said that “the EU has been willing to [appoint a negotiator] for a very long time, but it either cannot do so or lacks the resolve to do so.”

The bloc’s stance “can hardly be called constructive” because its leaders “are only talking and not taking any action,” he stressed.

Peskov did not say how Moscow would react if Stubb is actually given the job. The Finnish president has been one of the staunchest supporters of Ukraine in the EU. In an interview with German tabloid Bild in August, he claimed that Ukraine was “the best security guarantee” that the bloc had against Russia, arguing that “If Ukraine loses, we lose.”

Following a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US special envoy Steve Witkoff in St. Petersburg on Wednesday, Moscow announced that it was ready to restart trilateral talks with Washington and Kiev to settle the Ukraine conflict. The next such meeting could take place in Abu Dhabi in mid-November, according to the Kremlin.

The Telegraph reported on Thursday that there has been “a growing sense of urgency” in Europe to find a representative to join the peace negotiations, despite refusing to talk to Russia for years and insisting on a military solution to the Ukraine conflict.

Speaking about peace negotiations on Friday, European Commission deputy chief spokesperson Arianna Podesta stressed that “there is an expectation that there will be a multilateral-level discussion with representatives at a senior official level, and the EU will be present at these talks.”

On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the EU leaders “constantly speak of a ‘Russian threat’ and even discuss preparations for a war with Russia – which, in my view, amounts to a kind of political schizophrenia. But I hope that it will pass.”

Putin reiterated that Moscow is not seeking a truce but “definitive, long-term agreements” as a result of the Ukraine peace talks, adding that the discussions should also address a wider all-European security architecture.

A major protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has taken place in Tel-Aviv just days ahead of the Israeli parliamentary election on October 27.

A square outside the Museum of Art in the country’s largest city was packed on Saturday evening, with the demonstrators holding national flags and banners, reading ‘Change will come’, ‘No more Mr. Far Right Guy’ and other slogans.

The organizers of the gathering from the October Council group put the attendance at over 100,000. The police have yet to announce official figures.

Netanyahu’s main rival in the election – Yashar party chairman and former military chief of staff, Gadi Eisenkot – and other leaders of the opposition bloc have attended the rally. The crowd cheered Eisenkot’s appearance, chanting: “Who’s coming? The next prime minister.”

The October Council was formed by families of the victims of the attack on Israel by Hamas on October 7, 2023, who demand accountability from Netanuahy’s right-wing government for the failure to prevent the incursion.

Saturday’s protest, organized with the title ‘In Three Days, Vote for a State Commission of Inquiry’, is the culmination of three years of weekly rallies, according to the group.

Reports in the US and local media claimed that the prime minister ignored warnings of the planned attack by Hamas he had received from various sources, including Israeli intelligence and the UAE and Egypt. Netanyahu has denied those claims.

A poll by public broadcaster KAN published before the start of the election silence period on Friday, suggested that Eisenkot’s opposition bloc would get 52 out of 120 in the Israeli parliament, with Netanyahu and his supporters winning 50 seats. This means that neither is likely control the Knesset outright.

Israel responded to the October 7 incursion by Hamas, in which 1,200 people lost their lives and around 250 were taken hostage, by launching a military campaign in Gaza.

The FBI is examining whether a former OpenAI engineer accused of bugging an executive meeting room intended to offer secrets to Saudi Arabia.

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is weighing an economic espionage charge against a former OpenAI engineer accused of bugging a restricted conference room, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, citing a law-enforcement official.

Abdulrahman Alfozan, a 35-year-old Saudi national, was arrested on October 9 after OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, discovered an encrypted recorder behind a television in an executive meeting room at its San Francisco offices. He is currently charged with using or attempting to use a device to intercept oral communications, an offense carrying up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Investigators are now examining whether Alfozan stole information to offer to the Saudi government, even without having been recruited to do so, according to the WSJ. He is also reportedly being investigated for possible trade secret theft. An economic espionage conviction could carry up to 15 years in prison and a $5 million fine per count.

Pernik has stressed that Alfozan was charged with violating a federal recording statute, “not stealing trade secrets or working as a foreign agent.”

OpenAI and the Saudi Embassy declined to comment when approached by the newspaper.

According to court documents, prosecutors claim that Alfozan, who joined OpenAI in July 2025, had intended to capture sensitive discussions about its AI technology. He allegedly maintained frequent contact with an unnamed member of the Saudi royal family throughout 2025 and 2026, with whom he discussed a potential job at an AI initiative in the kingdom.
His ties also included a role at Saudi investment firm Raed Ventures alongside Prince Khalid bin Bader Al Saud, though the prince was not identified as the royal involved.

Prosecutors said that Alfozan had booked tickets to the kingdom for himself, his wife, and their infant son for October 12. After his arrest, a flight for his family was reportedly arranged by a member of the Saudi military, whom Alfozan’s lawyer identified as his wife’s brother-in-law acting in a personal capacity.

The Saudi consulate has offered to cover his full bail, arrange supervision, and withhold travel documents, while the defense offered an additional $1 million in his assets.

On Monday, Magistrate Judge Alex G. Tse nevertheless denied release over flight concerns, describing the offer as “problematic.”

“It seems like a blank check: ‘We’re gonna pay whatever the court wants to make sure he gets out,’” the judge said, noting that Saudi Arabia has no extradition treaty with the US.

Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton, whom US President Donald Trump appointed earlier this month to lead a federal AI task force, said the case underscored why winning the AI race was “a national security prerogative” and pledged to safeguard “America’s cutting-edge intellectual property from foreign threats.”

The incident comes amid intensifying global technological competition, with Trump insisting that America must prevail in the AI race at any cost.

The US president has repeatedly rejected calls by industry leaders to slow the development of increasingly powerful models, stressing that “Whoever wins AI, wins.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said his country must prepare to adapt its economy to global sanctions, citing declining international support and a potential end to US financial and military aid.

Public opinion toward Israel has grown increasingly negative amid the wars in Gaza and Iran. In the US, a recent Chicago Council on Global Affairs report recorded the country’s lowest favorability rating since its polling began in 1978, with a majority supporting reducing or ending military aid.

Last month, the UK announced a ban on imports from illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, with Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband describing settlers as “terrorists” supported by Netanyahu’s government and accusing them of ethnically cleansing Palestinians. The same day, 11 other countries, including France, Spain, and Canada, joined Britain in a statement supporting the two-state solution and announcing plans to impose or consider restrictions on trade with the settlements.

“We must understand that there could be sanctions, including banking sanctions,” Netanyahu said in an interview which aired on Israel’s Channel 10 on Friday.

The Israeli prime minister also expressed concern over a potential shift in Washington’s position, saying that “it’s only a matter of time” before US military aid is completely “over.”

“If you think we’re going to continue receiving what I secured twice, and that’s tens of billions of dollars in American aid for the defense budget, prepare yourselves and get used to the fact that it won’t happen because America has changed,” he said.

Former prime minister and opposition figure Yair Lapid seized on the remarks, saying that “Netanyahu now admits, in his own words, that if his government is returned to power, American military aid will end and Israel will face sanctions that will devastate our economy, trigger uncontrolled price surges, and cause irreparable damage.”

The comments come days before Israel’s first national election since the October 7 Hamas attacks, with accountability for security failures, the cost of living, ultra-Orthodox military service, and the country’s international standing among the issues facing voters. Neither Netanyahu’s allies nor the opposition have a clear path to a parliamentary majority.

SpaceX has closed a “loophole” that allowed the Ukrainian military to use the civilian satellite internet network for offensive drone strikes, Elon Musk has announced, telling warmongers who prolong the conflict to “burn in hell.”

The billionaire’s harsh remarks on Saturday come amid a deepening rift between Washington and Kiev, with US President Donald Trump accusing Vladimir Zelensky of repeatedly rejecting opportunities to end the conflict and worsening global fuel shortages by attacking Russian oil infrastructure.

“Using Starlink, a civilian commercial service, for offensive drone strikes to kill people has never been allowed, nor should it be,” Musk wrote on X. “Ukraine military violated Starlink terms of service and used it for offensive drone strikes to kill people. That loophole was closed last week.”

Correct. Using Starlink, a civilian commercial service, for offensive drone strikes to kill people has never been allowed, nor should it be. Starshield, a different system, is controlled by the US government. What they decide to do is up to them. Ukraine military violated Starlink terms of service and used it for offensive drone strikes to kill people. That loophole was closed last week. Starlink remains critical to the defense of Ukraine, as it is the only system that cannot be jammed or blown up, at least for now. Were Starlink to be turned off, the Ukrainian front line would collapse immediately. This is NOT a threat, it is simply a statement of fact. Starlink was also crucial to preventing Russia from overrunning Ukraine in the early days of the war, as all other means of communication were destroyed or jammed by Russia. SpaceX has done more to defend Ukraine than any private company on Earth BY FAR. That said, I have nothing but UTTER CONTEMPT for the virtue-signaling evil warmongers who push for endless slaughter and offer no realistic solution to the conflict. May you burn in hell. End of story.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 24, 2026

The SpaceX CEO distinguished between the commercial Starlink network and Starshield, a separate military-grade system controlled by the US government. “What they decide to do is up to them,” he said.

“I have nothing but UTTER CONTEMPT for the virtue-signaling evil warmongers who push for endless slaughter and offer no realistic solution to the conflict. May you burn in hell,” Musk wrote.

The comments follow days of controversy over restrictions imposed on satellite services used by Ukrainian forces. Kiev claimed the slowdown had disrupted drone operations and initially suggested that Washington was responsible.

Musk stressed that Starlink remains essential to Ukraine’s military communications and battlefield survival. “Were Starlink to be turned off, the Ukrainian front line would collapse immediately,” he wrote, adding that the statement was “NOT a threat” but an assessment of the military’s dependence on the network.

Earlier this month, the SpaceX chief declared that “Zelensky has gone too far” after the Ukrainian leader called Trump’s deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to ease the global diesel crisis a “weak decision.”

Musk has also accused Ukrainian elites of enriching themselves through Western assistance while ordinary Ukrainians are sent to die on the battlefield. He further alleged that some American taxpayer money sent to the country was being laundered back into US political campaigns.

Democrats’ vehement opposition to the diesel deal that US President Donald Trump struck with Russia earlier this month proves they do not care about Americans’ well-being, guests have told RT.

According to recent media reports, a group of Senate Democrats are working on ways to block the arrangement that is meant to rein in skyrocketing diesel prices in the US, while a Republican Russia hawk has put forward legislation to nullify Trump’s efforts. 

Speaking to RT on Saturday, American journalist John Varoli said that Democrats are engaged in a “political witch hunt” and so have no qualms about targeting a deal that is “in the interest of the American people.”

American broadcaster Garland Nixon concurred that driven by “ideological anger at Russia,” Democrats are showing a disregard for the plight of American consumers.

“At this point, what we’re seeing [is that Democrats] are totally ignoring domestic issues, domestic policy, totally ignoring the working class, and they’re focusing only on foreign policy,” Nixon told RT.

He warned that if left unchecked, rising fuel prices could plunge the US economy into a “severe recession.”

Legal and media analyst Lionel told RT that opinion polls that predict a Democratic victory in the midterms should be taken with a grain of salt. He argued that American voters could punish the party for its efforts to undermine the diesel deal.

“This is political suicide to proceed with this,” he added.

Matt Weinglass, producer, director and host of The Homeless Left, argued that opposition to the diesel deal is driven by a decade-long political narrative vilifying Trump, which has taken precedence over the economic interests of ordinary Americans.

“It’s not going to help the American people. It’s going to help the billionaire class and the donor class, the people that have wanted to keep this conflict alive as long as possible,” Weinglass told RT. He also suggested that European leaders could join forces with Trump’s domestic opponents ahead of the midterms.

Former Democratic Congressman Dennis Kucinich argued that his former colleagues should abandon their longstanding hostility toward Russia and focus instead on ending the Ukraine conflict and the war with Iran, both of which have disrupted global energy markets and driven up fuel prices for ordinary Americans.

“There’s this animosity that has built up. And some Democrats are just having trouble letting it go, and they seize on every opportunity,” he told RT, dismissing the proposed legislation to block Russian fuel imports as “going nowhere.”

Rather than trying to derail Trump’s diesel deal, Kucinich urged Washington to redirect its resources toward domestic priorities. “We have problems here in America to take care of health care, retirement security, education, on and on and on,” he said. “That’s what we’ve got to be focused on, not on war.”

Since diesel is extensively used in agriculture and freight, its price has a direct impact on the cost of numerous other goods. Farmers and truckers are particularly vulnerable to diesel price spikes.

Amid global energy supply chain disruptions caused by the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran, as well as the Ukraine conflict, diesel prices have risen considerably in the US, hitting a record $6.50+ per gallon in September, with prices in parts of California topping $8 per gallon.

Earlier this month, the US president stated that Washington and Moscow had struck a deal for Russia to immediately supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel to American and global markets, followed by 500,000 tons in November, another million tons shortly thereafter, and potentially another three million tons. Shortly afterward, the US Treasury Department announced a temporary waiver of sanctions on Russian diesel, allowing the fuel to be sold, delivered, and imported into the US until April 7, 2027.

Mass protests have swept across Europe over the weekend, with demonstrators clashing with riot police amid widespread anger over soaring living costs and government policies.

The unrest has largely been inspired by the protests in France, which began in September. Spearheaded by students, they were originally aimed at rising education costs, a lack of teachers, and the poor condition of educational facilities. They eventually morphed into widespread violence and now carry a broader anti-government undertone.

France remains the hotbed of the protests, with at least 410,000 people hitting the streets nationwide on Saturday, including some 110,000 in Paris, according to Interior Ministry figures. The CGT union, one of the key organizers of the demonstrations, put the estimate nearly twice as high, at about 800,000.

The French authorities have implemented strict security measures in an effort to avoid a repeat of widespread rioting over the past weekend. In Paris, the demonstrators were banned from gathering at several central locations, ending up confined to the city’s southeastern edge.

The protests nevertheless turned violent in multiple locations, including Paris, where clashes between police and rowdy demonstrators were observed after the march concluded. Violence has been reported in Clermont-Ferrand, Lyon, Marseille, Strasbourg, Nice, Nantes, and other cities, where law enforcement used riot control measures to repel protesters.

🔴 Marseille Les forces de l'ordre sont visées par un mortier de feu d'artifice. #24octobre https://t.co/E0yOMFTTvI

— confrontation française (@confrontfr) October 24, 2026

Nearly 1,000 people were arrested across France on Saturday, according to authorities, as several cities reported looting, vandalism and attacks on police. Some 70,000 officers were deployed nationwide to contain the unrest.

A Grenoble, en marge de la mobilisation du 24 octobre, des casseurs sont entrés et ont pillés un magasin alimentaire. En plus des canettes, des chips, des pizzas, et tout autre type d’aliments sont jetés à la foule. Certains récupèrent les aliments et s’enfuient en courant. La… https://t.co/JyckQUAPAj

— Le Dauphiné Libéré Grenoble Sud Isère (@LeDL_Grenoble) October 24, 2026

🚨🇫🇷 MONTPELLIER : des manifestants tentent de FORCER un barrage de police, sans succès ! (Aury Bouzar) https://t.co/fnR9GRDc7P

— Cpasdeslol (@cpasdeslol_X) October 24, 2026

Albania

Albania is another hotspot. Riot police repeatedly clashed with demonstrators in Tirana on Saturday as thousands gathered for renewed anti-government protests. Months of unrest have escalated into a nationwide movement fueled by soaring living costs, unemployment, corruption and deteriorating public services. Student-led demonstrations demanding cheaper education and better university conditions have intensified pressure on Prime Minister Edi Rama, whose resignation has become a central demand of the protesters.

Italy

Mass protests have also been held across Italy, which endured a wave of violence last weekend. Bracing for renewed unrest, the government deployed an additional 500 troops to Milan, where luxury boutiques were boarded up in an effort to prevent a repeat of looting and clashes.

Italy sends 500 military troops to Milan and business have boarded up in preparation for more riots. https://t.co/UxACjcaEBK

— Emily Schrader - אמילי שריידר امیلی شریدر (@emilykschrader) October 24, 2026

Still, violence erupted at many locations across the country, including Rome, Naples, and Bologna, with police seen deploying water cannons and using tear gas to try to disperse rowdy protesters. 

A group of protesters forced their way into the Colosseum in Rome, briefly occupying the ancient landmark before being forced out by security guards. Elsewhere in the capital, demonstrators hurled bottles and firecrackers at police barricades.

Chaos in Rome. Masked rioters storm the Colosseum, forcing the entrance barriers. "Peaceful protest" they say. Unbelievable. https://t.co/9KROPmUWTe

— RadioGenoa (@RadioGenoa) October 24, 2026

Belgium

Major anti-government demonstrations have been held in Brussels, Belgium. The country was one of the first to feel the spillover effects of the French unrest, with local youth also embarking on violent protests for the sake of better conditions in the education system. 

The clashes in Brussels appeared to be less violent and much smaller compared to the previous weekend. Still, police were seen using pepper spray and tear gas to disperse demonstrators, even though they had reported no major incidents by the end of Saturday afternoon.

Spain

Spain has joined the weekend of protests too, with a massive pensioners’ demonstration held in Madrid. Thousands took to the streets of the Spanish capital, demanding better pensions and closing the gender gap, as well as regular indexation to inflation. 

🚨 BREAKING: THOUSANDS PROTEST FOR HIGHER PENSIONS IN MADRID Retirees marched in central Madrid demanding stronger public pensions, higher minimum payments and protection against a shift toward private pension funds. Attendance estimates ranged from 25,000 to 50,000. https://t.co/XikzAZDifO

— Richard Shelby (@Richardcshelby) October 24, 2026

While the pensioners' protest was orderly and peaceful, violence hit Spain’s second-largest city of Barcelona, where an unauthorized youth protest was staged. The rally was reportedly organized and coordinated through social media. While law enforcement managed to break up the main gathering, the protesters dispersed in smaller groups across the city, engaging in looting and arson, chaotic footage from the scene suggests.

Portugal

Lisbon also saw mass demonstrations on Saturday, with thousands marching against soaring rents and unaffordable housing. Protesters erected dozens of tents in the capital’s central Rossio Square despite police warnings and a crackdown earlier in the week, when officers dismantled a previous encampment and arrested 55 activists.

Grupos de extrema izquierda vuelven a montar la acampada en la plaza del Rossio, en Lisboa, tras días de su desalojo por la Policía portuguesa. https://t.co/cz4PCMz0el

— Rafael Alejandro Escalona (@rafaescalonaf) October 24, 2026

The Pentagon has designated cultural programs linked to China’s Confucius Institute as a national security threat, according to US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. He claims that the centers, which largely offer Chinese language courses on American college and university campuses, serve as a front for Beijing’s “propaganda” campaign – an allegation Chinese officials have previously denied.

In a video posted on Facebook on Friday, Hegseth said that while the US Congress had previously “banned” the Confucius Institutes from American educational institutions, they “came back disguised in new forms” and under new names.

Hegseth was apparently referring to several measures passed by Congress in recent years that stripped universities that hosted Confucius Institutes of federal funding. The pressure from the lawmakers has led to the closure of multiple centers on US soil.

According to Hegseth, over the past two months, the Department of War has “systematically dismantled” 80 new Chinese-backed cultural centers across 30 universities, adding “these sleeper organizations to our list of institutions that threaten our national security.”

The official alleged that the targeted entities had sought to “steal intellectual property and to infiltrate the minds of American students,” but stopped short of providing any concrete evidence.

Later that year, then-US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo alleged that the centers were working to recruit “spies and collaborators” at US colleges, and expressed hope that “we will get them all closed out.”

China’s Foreign Ministry at the time accused Pompeo of deliberately undermining cultural and educational exchanges “by discrediting Confucius Institutes… [out of] ideological bias and political expediency.”

Beijing urged Washington to “abandon the Cold War zero-sum mentality… [and to] stop interfering with normal people-to-people and cultural exchanges.”

Confucius Institutes have similarly come under government pressure in several other Western countries in recent years.

Last year, Australian media reported that six local universities had shut down Beijing-backed cultural centers amid government scrutiny, reducing the number of such entities in the country by half.

In 2020, several media outlets, including The Times, claimed that Sweden had become the first European nation to close all Confucius Institutes and related classrooms.

With Americans struggling from soaring energy prices, and businesses across the country trying to keep their heads above water, the Democrats’ apparent priority is to threaten companies that might help ease the pressure.

According to an October 22 Washington Post report, Senate Democrats are preparing to investigate American companies involved in US President Donald Trump’s decision to ease sanctions on Russian diesel. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has reportedly asked businesses to preserve relevant documents ahead of possible congressional investigations, should Democrats regain control of Congress in the November midterms.

For a party that claims to champion working Americans, this is a peculiar way of demonstrating its concern.

Diesel is the lifeblood of the American economy. It powers the trucks that carry food to supermarkets, the tractors that harvest crops, the machinery that builds homes and roads, and the locomotives that move freight across the vast country.

Yet the people who depend on it have too often been treated as an afterthought by the Washington establishment. They live and work in the industrial towns, farming communities and sprawling rural counties that coastal political elites dismiss as flyover country.

Just recall Hillary Clinton’s infamous 2016 description of millions of Trump supporters as a “basket of deplorables” – a perfect crystallization of the contempt that many ordinary Americans felt was directed at them by the Democrats.

A decade later, that perception is unlikely to be helped by the Democratic lawmakers’ threats to investigate businesses for participating in an arrangement intended to bring additional fuel to the market.

But recognizing that responsibility does not mean opposing every subsequent attempt to alleviate the damage.

Trump’s decision to temporarily ease restrictions on Russian diesel represents an effort to increase available supplies at a time when the market desperately needs relief. It is a pragmatic response to an immediate economic problem, whatever one thinks of the circumstances that created it.

And now Democrats are determined to make that response costly for the companies willing to participate.

Congress has every right to examine whether the administration acted within its legal authority. But threatening private businesses with investigations for engaging in transactions authorized by the federal government is another matter entirely. If those companies comply with the law, why should they have to fear becoming targets of a future congressional majority?

The actual volume of Russian diesel involved is almost beside the point. Moscow initially pledged to release some 300,000 metric tons of diesel, with further shipments promised in the following months – a modest quantity compared to America’s enormous fuel consumption.

Just imagine the chilling effect.

Today, the dispute concerns a relatively small quantity of fuel from one supplier. Tomorrow, the same approach could be applied to other commodities, trading partners or commercial arrangements that fall afoul of Washington’s shifting ideological priorities.

In effect, the Democrats want to hold American energy security hostage to domestic political warfare.

And for what? The ostensible objective is to keep pressuring Russia.

For years, Moscow has faced sweeping Western sanctions, restrictions on financial transactions and efforts to shut its energy exports out of international markets. None of this has forced Russia to accept any of the West’s demands.

Russia has shown it can adapt and endure economic pressure. While not entirely painless, sanctions have consistently failed to produce the political outcome their advocates have called and hoped for.

Meanwhile, Moscow has repeatedly signaled that it remains prepared to negotiate to reasonable counterparts that would take Russia’s own security concerns and national interests into account. Whether those positions are acceptable to Washington is a matter for diplomacy – and refusing to talk altogether is not diplomacy.

Trump is willing to acknowledge that Russia remains a major power with which the US must eventually find a workable relationship. It’s the baseline level of recognition of political reality one expects from the leader of a major world power.

What the Democrats are doing is the international-politics equivalent of pressing their hands to their ears and shouting ‘La La La’ at the top of their lungs.

The truck driver paying more at the pump, the farmer counting operating costs for the next season and the small-business owner watching expenses climb have little interest in Washington’s political theater. They want affordable fuel, predictable costs and a government that remembers whom it is supposed to serve.

Threatening investigations to discourage companies from helping supply the American market is not sending the message the Democrats seem to think it’s sending. It suggests that, to them, political obedience matters more than keeping the country running.

And ordinary Americans could once again be left paying the bill.

France’s presidential hopefuls are turning burning streets, smashed storefronts, and accusations of police brutality into campaign ammunition, RT’s Oumaima Ichchar has reported.

While right-wing firebrand and potential front runner Marine Le Pen blames collapsing state authority, her left-wing rival, Jean-Luc Melenchon, accuses the government of failing to hear the voice of the people.

Nationwide protests began in September over underfunded schools and rising living costs, and escalated into widespread violence last week. Rioters have torched cars, looted or damaged thousands of businesses, and set fire to Limoges’ 143-year-old city hall. The clashes have also left hundreds of protesters and law enforcement officers injured and led to thousands of arrests.

In some of the most brazen incidents, a 15-year-old boy lost a hand to a police grenade, while a 17-year-old girl permanently lost sight in one eye after being struck by a projectile in Mulhouse. Macron, meanwhile, blamed radical-left militants and criminals for much of the destruction, and on Thursday ordered the local authorities to ban protests and restrict officially organized marches.

Le Pen has urged a tougher crackdown on rioters to restore order. “Our country is caught in a vice, if not held hostage, between violence and powerlessness,” Le Pen said, pledging support for police and demanding tougher penalties for rioters. National Rally president Jordan Bardella blamed far-left militants and criminals from the suburbs for the unrest, proposing to suspend family benefits for repeat offenders and make vandals pay for damage.

On the left, Melenchon backed the protests while pointing to a growing disconnect between the public and the institutions. “French democracy is in a very bad way,” the ‘France Unbowed’ leader said, calling for greater public participation and constitutional change.

Meanwhile, Gabriel Attal and Edouard Philippe, two former prime ministers under Macron, sought to distance themselves from their ex-boss, whose approval rating has sunk to a record low of 15%, according to an October Ipsos survey. While Attal insisted that the priority should be the defense of people and property, Philippe called for the “reestablishment of the authority of the state, the punishment of looters and vandals, as well as a detailed method for restoring discussion with high school students and trade union organizations.”

The Eagle’s Nest mountainous retreat built for Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler in the Bavarian Alps has been devastated by a blaze, the German police have said.

The former tea house for the leader of the Third Reich, which was constructed on the peak of the Obersalzberg in southern Germany in 1938, sits at an altitude of 1,834 meters (6,000 feet).

A fire alarm at the Eagle’s Nest went off on Friday evening, and it was completely engulfed in flames by the time emergency services arrived, the police said.

The high elevation complicated the work of some 200 fire fighters, who were only able to extinguish the blaze on Saturday morning, they added.

“It is damaged to a large extent. The house is unlikely to be saved,” a police spokesperson told Bild tabloid.

According to Bild, the detained person was a motorcyclist whom the officers encountered on their way to the burning retreat, but his involvement in the case currently remains unclear. Investigators believe arson caused the fire, the paper’s sources claimed.

Following reports of the blaze, the Bavarian authorities announced plans to rebuild the structure, Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann said.

“We will not allow ruins to remain there,” DPA quoted him as saying.

The Eagle’s Nest was one of the few historic building from Hitler’s era to avoid damage by bombing during the World War II. The retreat hosted a museum and a restaurant since the 1950s, becoming a popular tourist destination. It was preserved as “a cautionary reminder of the abysses of the inhumane Nazi dictatorship,” according to its website.

A number of American lawmakers intend to block the Trump administration’s deal to ease sanctions on Russian diesel through April and are threatening action against US companies involved in the trade. The bipartisan group is also planning to block the US Treasury from issuing such a waiver in the future. 

US President Donald Trump announced the deal earlier this month, as US diesel prices hit a record $6.50+ per gallon in September and prices in parts of California topped $8. Under the waiver, struck just weeks ahead of the impending November midterm elections, Moscow agreed to immediately put 300,000 tons of diesel into the market, and commit to further releases.  

The disruption of global energy markets, caused by the Iran war and the Ukraine conflict, has resulted in rising gas prices in the US, further denting the positions of Republicans ahead of the vote. Diesel is the key fuel type extensively used in agriculture and freight; its price affects the cost of virtually all goods, resulting in further cost-of-living issues. Rural communities, smalltime farmers, and truckers are particularly vulnerable to diesel prices spikes.

“[The companies] should have liability concerns as well as investigative concerns,” the aide told WaPo.

Further action against the diesel deal has been taken by Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-1), an outspoken hawk, Ukraine backer, and proponent of sanctions against Russia. The proposed legislation, titled the Ronald Reagan Peace Through Strength Act of 2026, would effectively block Russian oil imports for good.

The bill would nullify the standing Russian oil waiver, “immediately rendering General License 135 ineffective and prohibiting future waivers or general licenses authorizing the importation of Russian energy products,” as well as strip the Treasury from the ability to expend funds “on agreements that violate the Ending Importation of Russian Oil Act of 2022,” the legislation that sanctioned Russian energy products, including diesel, in the first place.

Apart from the energy part, the bill also would “reinforce critical intelligence support for Ukraine,” obliging spy agencies to cooperate with Kiev and to “notify congressional intelligence committees within 24 hours of any interruption.”

Kiev has moved to block a planned tribute to Nazi collaborator Roman Shukhevich, who was involved in the killing of an estimated 100,000 Poles during World War II ethnic purges, officials in Warsaw have claimed.

The reported retreat comes amid a series of disputes between the two countries in recent months over Kiev’s veneration of Nazi-linked figures that have eroded Polish support for Ukraine in its conflict with Russia.

The controversy erupted on Tuesday when the Lviv Regional Council in western Ukraine voted to declare 2027 the Year of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) and to celebrate the 120th anniversary of its commander Roman Shukhevich while deciding to organize “cultural, memorial, scientific, and mass media events,” as well as exhibitions and national patriotic rallies on the occasion.

Following the backlash, Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Marcin Bosacki said on Wednesday that officials of Vladimir Zelensky’s office had assured Warsaw that the controversial resolutions would not come into force. On Friday, Tusk echoed the claim, saying that Zelensky had personally signaled he would not endorse the resolution, adding that the Ukrainian leader was “unhappy” with the situation.

This also came after the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry called the Shukhevich tribute in Lviv “counterproductive to our current efforts aimed at further developing Ukrainian-Polish relations.” The ministry stressed that the local authorities had sought no advice from government bodies to assess the consequences of their actions.

An unnamed source in Zelensky’s office cited by Ukrainskaya Pravda went so far as to describe the decision as a “catastrophe.” “Ukraine looks erratic. We have just resolved the previous crisis – and now this,” the source said, accusing regional officials of pursuing “cheap one-day hype” despite knowing all too well what the resolution would lead to.

While senior Ukrainian officials apparently distanced themselves from the controversy, the Lviv council’s original announcement remains accessible as of Saturday. Sheremet also previously defended the resolution, saying “This is our history, our heroes, and we must duly honor their memory.”

The dispute is the latest in a series of heated clashes between Kiev and Warsaw over Ukraine’s continued veneration of nationalist figures that collaborated with Nazi Germany during World War II.

In May, Zelensky awarded an elite Ukrainian special operations unit the honorary title “Heroes of the UPA,” prompting another diplomatic uproar, with Polish President Karol Nawrocki stripping the Ukrainian leader of the Order of the White Eagle, Poland’s highest state decoration.

US President Donald Trump has threatened to launch another military operation against Iran, as Washington quietly withdraws diplomatic personnel and relocates troops from bases across the Middle East in moves resembling preparations ahead of the initial US-Israeli strikes in February.

“We may do another little Epic Fury, or they’ll agree,” Trump declared during a campaign rally in Florida on Friday, referring to the military offensive launched against Iran on February 28.

“If they’re smart, they’ll just say, let’s get down to business,” he added, before expressing doubt that Tehran would agree to Washington’s demands.

The Pentagon officially declared Operation Epic Fury over on May 5, despite the continuation of the conflict. The administration has sought to avoid formally characterizing the hostilities as a war, maintaining that the fighting had diminished. Trump reiterated on Friday that previous US strikes had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear enrichment capacity and defeated the country “militarily, financially and otherwise.”

The diplomatic missions in Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates will remain open but operate with fewer personnel. Unlike in Saudi Arabia, where nonessential staff and their families were ordered to leave earlier this week, personnel at the other embassies are not required to depart.

A separate intelligence memo sent to Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday claimed that Tehran had intensified efforts to target Americans abroad.

The memo did not publicly identify specific targets or provide evidence substantiating the alleged plots. US officials have denied that the diplomatic withdrawals are connected to preparations for renewed strikes against Iran.

However, the drawdowns coincide with reports that the Pentagon has quietly begun relocating troops from bases in Jordan, Qatar and Kuwait. NBC News reported the movements on Wednesday, with CBS subsequently confirming the reductions.

The Pentagon reportedly presented Trump with options for renewed strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities, underground military installations and strategic islands, including Kharg Island, a major oil export hub.

Trump has pledged not to launch new attacks before the November 3 midterm elections, while keeping military action on the table if Tehran refuses Washington’s demands.

A Syrian migrant arrested in Germany on suspicion of raping a teenage girl was released after just 40 days in pre-trial detention and later accused of raping another woman, local media reported on Thursday.

In the wake of the latter episode, the man went into hiding but was eventually captured by the authorities several months later. He was subsequently convicted of raping the teenager and is still standing trial over the second allegation.

The 26-year-old, identified by Bild as Ahmad A., was initially apprehended in late February 2025 over the rape of a 16-year-old girl at a Munich asylum center. However, the teenager could not undergo judicial questioning in time due to her psychological condition.

The delay prompted the Munich Public Prosecutor’s Office to request the suspect’s release in early April. Bild quoted prosecutor Juliane Grotz as saying that continued detention would have violated the “principle of expedited proceedings in detention cases” and would have been “no longer proportionate.”

Without the victim’s testimony, authorities could not determine how much longer the investigation would take, they told Süddeutsche Zeitung.

In July 2025, Ahmad A., who was required to report to police twice a week and barred from approaching the teenage victim, allegedly lured a 29-year-old woman to a secluded location, where he and two Yemeni nationals took turns raping her.

Police arrested the suspects in September 2025, with Ahmad A. subsequently convicted of raping the 16-year-old girl. He was sentenced to two and a half years in prison in November 2025.

The trial over the alleged rape of the 29-year-old woman is still underway, with the next hearing scheduled for October 27.

Also in Munich, local police reported in June that they had arrested two young Syrian migrants on suspicion of raping an 18-year-old German woman they had met at a nightclub.

There have been multiple similar cases involving migrants across Germany in recent years.

Under former German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s open-border policies, more than a million people arrived in Germany from Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq at the height of the 2015 immigrant influx. In recent years, the country has also granted temporary protection to an estimated 1.2 million Ukrainians. Germany ranks as the European Union’s top destination for migrants and the world’s third-largest refugee-hosting country, according to UN data.

Amid rising crime rates and a series of terrorist attacks perpetrated by migrants, public discontent with the German government’s handling of illegal immigration has been steadily growing.

The opposition right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which advocates stricter immigration controls, has consistently polled as the country’s most popular party in recent months. According to a recent INSA survey, the AfD enjoys the support of 30% of respondents – 12 percentage points ahead of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s ruling CDU/CSU bloc.

US President Donald Trump made “totally false” statements when he blamed rising diesel prices in America on Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries, Vladimir Zelensky has claimed, accusing him of “deflecting the focus away from Iran.”

Zelensky’s remarks came amid a growing spat with Trump, who has repeatedly accused Kiev of exacerbating the global energy crisis with continued attacks on Russian oil infrastructure.

Russia has historically been the world’s second-largest exporter of diesel fuel, behind only the United States, accounting for roughly 10% of global exports.

Disruptions to Russian supplies have tightened the global market, driving up prices even in countries that do not directly import fuel from Russia, including the US.

“The volume of diesel exports is so negligible from Russia that it has zero impact on prices in the US. That is totally false information,” the Ukrainian leader claimed during an appearance on Steven Bartlett’s The Diary of a CEO podcast on Thursday.

Zelensky accused Trump of unfairly “deflecting the focus away from Iran” and lamented that “everything gets shifted onto us and I’m made the target as the leader of our country.”

According to Zelensky, “the root of the problem” lies in the Strait of Hormuz, where crude exports and other maritime traffic have dwindled to a trickle following the start of the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran in February.

Earlier this month, Zelensky similarly hit out at what he described as a “weak decision” by the Trump administration after Washington temporarily waived sanctions on Russian diesel exports to ease the global fuel crisis.

Washington struck the deal with Moscow after Zelensky had repeatedly ignored Trump’s requests to stop strikes on Russian refineries. “We said, you can do whatever you want to Russia, don’t hit the refineries, because that’s a world problem that’s caused,” the US president recounted earlier this month.

“And what does he do? He goes and hits the diesel fuel,” Trump lamented, accusing Zelensky of wanting to “make problems for the world.”

Trump also said he found it more difficult to deal with Zelensky than with Russian President Vladimir Putin, suggesting that Ukraine should get a new leader who would not obstruct Washington’s mediation efforts.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said last week that Zelensky was directly challenging Trump by refusing to accept a deal aimed at easing the global diesel shortage.

In recent months, Ukraine has ramped up long-range strikes on targets inside Russia, including civilian and energy infrastructure, amid continued setbacks at the front. Moscow has denounced the attacks as acts of terrorism and responded with strikes on military-related Ukrainian facilities.

‘Cambridge Analytica’ is by now a byword for the social media Wild West of 2016, when regulations were non-existent and unscrupulous brokers sold personal user data to advertisers and political operatives. RT explores the scandal that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg still can’t dodge.

The judge concluded that Meta’s misconduct warranted a penalty exceeding $219 billion under state law, but reduced the amount to $25 billion, making it one of the largest fines ever imposed on an American corporation.

Meta, operating at the time as Facebook, knowingly and systematically deceived users about how it managed their personal data and allowed its harvesting by third-party companies like Cambridge Analytica. The jury also found Meta’s senior executive team knew of, and lied about, deceiving users about how it planned to investigate data-harvesting companies after the Cambridge Analytica scandal became public.

To understand how Meta ended up owing an eighth of its annual revenue in just one judgment, it’s necessary to go back to 2013, when Cambridge Analytica emerged from Britain’s shadowy private intelligence sector.

What was Cambridge Analytica?

Cambridge Analytica was founded in 2013 as a subsidiary of SCL Group, a London-based private intelligence firm that has provided data analytics and “behavioural analysis” services to the British Defense Ministry and Foreign Office. 

Cambridge Analytica CEO and SCL Group Director Alexander Nix has admitted under oath that his companies worked with American and British intelligence agencies, provided psychological warfare training to several Western militaries, employed multiple staff with security clearances in the UK and US, and hired former Israeli spies.

SCL Group’s work for NATO, Israel, Ukraine, and other governments and militaries was extensive, and Cambridge Analytica drew on its parent company’s experience in military psyops to become one of the world’s most effective election influence operations, according to whistleblower Christopher Wylie. On the other hand, SCL insists that its military and political wings were separate entities. Whichever account is true, Cambridge Analytica had been hired by political candidates in 200 elections by 2018, according to company documents. These included parliamentary elections in the Czech Republic, India, and Italy, the Brexit referendum in the UK, and most infamously, the 2016 presidential election in the US.

What did Cambridge Analytica do in 2016?

How did this become a scandal?  

Cambridge Analytica did not break any laws to obtain this data. It was scraped from tens of millions of Facebook users who had, unbeknownst to themselves, given a third-party Facebook quiz application access to their messages, their profile data, and that of their friends.

Cambridge Analytica hired a Cambridge University professor, Aleksandr Kogan, to develop a personality quiz app, named ‘This is Your Digital Life’. Between 250,000 and 270,000 American Facebook users took the quiz in 2015, and by accessing their data, but crucially, under Facebook terms, accessing the data of all of their friends on the platform, Cambridge Analytica was able to compile detailed psychological profiles on roughly 87 million users.

Cambridge Analytica employee Christopher Wylie revealed the workings of the scheme to The Observer in 2018, telling the British newspaper that “we exploited Facebook to harvest millions of people’s profiles, and built models to exploit what we knew about them and target their inner demons. That was the basis the entire company was built on.”

Was Cambridge Analytica the only data-scraper doing this?

“Facebook never cared,” Kogan told NBC News in 2018, explaining that “tens of thousands” of developers created apps like his quiz, and sold user data to companies like Cambridge Analytica. Among the developers were CubeYou, which used a “one-click personality test” app to gather information for commercial use, and LocalBlox, which scraped data from 48 million users, which it then sold to marketers.

AggregateIQ, Global Science Research, and Eunoia Technologies all used data gleaned by Kogan for political ends. However, long before these companies existed, Blue State Digital, an American political consultancy, surreptitiously harvested Facebook data, including friends’ data, for use by Barack Obama’s 2012 campaign.

Cambridge Analytica, however, had its work for the Trump campaign exposed at the height of the ‘Russiagate’ hoax, at a time when Democrats and liberal media outlets were convinced that Russia intervened in the election on behalf of Trump. Cambridge Analytica’s data-scraping dovetailed neatly into a narrative of “Facebook bots” and “Russian military hackers” working with the Trump campaign, and the company became a whipping boy for an industry that transcended partisan lines.

I wrote this in Nov 2017. Days after FBI revealed multiple strands of Trump-Russia investigation ran through London & I pulled them apart further. It was also when the attacks against me began in earnest. From Cambridge Analytica, LeaveEU & Russian govt 1/ https://t.co/YQB5slJhe8

— Carole Cadwalladr (@carolecadwalla) February 25, 2022

US Special Counsel Robert Mueller and the Senate Intelligence Committee eventually investigated claims that Cambridge Analytica helped the Russian government target political ads at American voters, but both determined that these claims were untrue, and neither investigation found any proof of “collusion” between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin.

Has Facebook been punished?

At the time that the information was collected, Facebook had stopped allowing third-party apps to access friends’ data. However, a loophole allowed apps active on the platform before this change to continue harvesting information through 2015. Within days of Wylie’s revelations hitting the headlines, SCL Group and Cambridge Analytica were suspended from Facebook. Two months later, both companies ceased operations, leaving Facebook to handle the fallout.

Facebook initially went into damage control mode, insisting that “People knowingly provided their information” to Kogan’s app, and that “everyone involved gave their consent.” 

However, the US Federal Trade Commission determined that Facebook made its privacy settings deliberately opaque, spreading them out over 20 separate screens and opting users into sharing data with third-parties by default. Facebook settled with the FTC for $5 billion in 2019, setting the stage for a series of similar payouts in the following years.

In 2018, Zuckerberg told lawmakers on Capitol Hill that Facebook was aware that user data had been transferred from Kogan to Cambridge Analytica (this transfer was in breach of its policies) since 2015, but opted not to inform users. He said that Facebook asked Cambridge Analytica to delete the data, but never followed up and made sure the company did. “We considered it a closed case,” he told Congress.

In 2022, Meta settled a $725 million class-action lawsuit brought by a group of Facebook users, who alleged that the company violated privacy and consumer protection laws by misrepresenting its data-sharing laws and failing to protect their personal information.

Meta attempted to shut down further legal action over the Cambridge Analytica scandal this August, when it reached an $18 billion settlement with 51 attorneys general across US states, territories, and the District of Columbia. Although the cases concerned the addictive design of Meta’s platforms and their effect on children’s mental health, the settlement included a clause resolving a multistate investigation into Facebook’s sharing of user data with third parties “whether known or unknown,” including Cambridge Analytica.

Even if participating states were to discover new facts about the data sharing, they have now waived their right to sue Meta. New Mexico was one of two states that was not party to this agreement, hence the $25 billion penalty.

Ten years after the fact, it remains unclear how prominent a role Cambridge Analytica played in Trump’s victory over Clinton. The Trump campaign’s use of Facebook and X (then called Twitter) is widely cited as instrumental in his win, but the campaign’s digital director, Brad Parscale, has since said that he stopped using the company’s data several months before election day, considering it inaccurate.

What about Brexit?

Cambridge Analytica worked with Nigel Farage’s Leave.EU organization in late 2015 and early 2016, and carried out some preliminary data analysis for the campaign. However, the data was never used, and the UK Information Commissioner’s (ICO) office concluded in 2020 that the company had no impact on the referendum. As in the US, the ICO found no links between Cambridge Analytica and Russia, and no evidence that Russia interfered in the vote.

Is Zuckerberg in the clear?

The $25 billion judgement handed down on October 22 may be the largest fine ever imposed on Meta, but it does not mark the end of Zuckerberg’s legal woes. In addition to a Washington DC lawsuit holding him personally responsible for the Cambridge Analytica debacle, Zuckerberg’s company is being sued by investors in California over Facebook’s alleged efforts to conceal the misuse of user data by the company.

woah, it gets worse. In the Meta securities lawsuit for Cambridge Analytica cover-up, plaintiffs just posted deposition list. If they have the courage to 'go to the mat' (as Zuckerberg says) like New Mexico AG has done for over $25B, this could be very, very bad for Team Zuck. 1/3

— Jason Kint (@jason_kint) October 22, 2026

Meta will likely settle the latter case, just as it did with the similar SEC case in 2019. However, should Zuckerberg fight the lawsuit, he could find himself in the dock, as the plaintiffs have sought recorded depositions from him, former COO Sheryl Sandberg, and former CFO David Wehner – all of whom could be forced to shed more light on just how much Facebook knew about the scandal, and when.

French President Emmanuel Macron has described a deadly shooting near Paris as the country’s first “racist terrorist attack,” appearing to overlook decades of Islamist terrorism, including the deliberate targeting and murder of Christians and Jews.

A gunman opened fire from a car in Trappes and neighboring La Verriere on Friday morning, killing 26-year-old aspiring MMA fighter Pengo Bossio Wangi and injuring five others, including a 12-year-old girl who was shot eight times. Other victims reportedly included a woman wearing a headscarf, a man of North African origin and two school cleaners of African origin.

The suspect, identified as 39-year-old Kevin T., was arrested after a shooting spree lasting approximately 15 minutes. Police recovered a submachine gun from his vehicle and discovered three gas cylinders wired to a timer in his apartment. He reportedly had 13 previous criminal-record entries but was not on a terrorism watchlist.

Visiting Trappes on Friday evening, Macron declared the shooting a historic “turning point” for France.

“This is the first time there has been a terrorist act aimed at killing our compatriots and our children for the color of their skin or what their religion is thought to be,” he claimed. Macron also alleged that the suspect deliberately spared certain people because of their skin color, citing statements allegedly made after his arrest.

In March 2012, Islamist gunman Mohamed Merah murdered a rabbi and three Jewish children at a school in Toulouse. In January 2015, ISIS-linked terrorist Amedy Coulibaly stormed a kosher supermarket in Paris, killing four Jewish hostages.

Christians have also been targeted. In 2016, two ISIS terrorists slit the throat of 85-year-old Catholic priest Jacques Hamel during Mass at a church in Normandy. In 2020, a Tunisian Islamist attacker murdered three people inside the Notre Dame basilica in Nice, beheading one woman.

Jihadists have also attacked broader symbols of French secular society. In November 2015, ISIS terrorists killed 130 people in coordinated attacks across Paris, including 90 concertgoers at the Bataclan music venue. In 2020, an Islamist extremist beheaded schoolteacher Samuel Paty for showing caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad during a lesson on freedom of expression.

Following the backlash, the Elysee sought to clarify Macron’s remarks, telling TF1 that he had specifically meant the first racist terrorist attack motivated by skin color, despite his explicit reference to religion.

The Trappes shooting has also intensified political tensions ahead of next year’s presidential election. Communist presidential candidate Fabien Roussel accused the far right of spreading “racist hatred,” while National Rally leader Marine Le Pen condemned the shooting and its “abject motive of racism.”

France’s anti-terrorism prosecutors have opened an investigation into suspected terrorist murder with a racist motive. The suspect’s precise ideological affiliations remain under investigation.

At least seven people have been killed and some 34 others wounded in a terrorist attack on a Greek Orthodox church in Jordan. The authorities have described the suspects as “extremists” who fled the scene and are still on the loose.

The slaughter unfolded on Friday afternoon in the village of Hmoud in western Karak Governorate, which is home to a sizable Christian community in the majority-Muslim country.

A group of at least three assailants arrived at the local St. George’s Church, where a funeral ceremony was underway. The gunmen attacked the mourners, with the shooting reportedly lasting for about 15 minutes before the suspects drove away from the scene unhindered. No group has claimed responsibility.

CCTV footage from the scene shows the attackers, two of whom were armed with handguns and the third with an assault rifle, firing at people desperately trying to flee the scene, tripping over pews and each other in the process. Highly graphic footage shows the suspects repeatedly shooting wounded victims in the head as they lay on the ground, apparently to finish them off.

Jordanian King Abdullah II has vowed to “confront the terrorist act that targeted Karak with the harshest penalties.” The country’s interior minister, Mazen al-Faraya, confirmed during a news conference that the suspects still remain at large, describing the attackers as a “group of extremists” without providing any further detail. 

The massacre has prompted a major response from the authorities, with Hmoud flooded by assorted security forces. Tightened security measures have also been implemented in the city of Karak, where the bulk of the wounded were transferred for treatment.

The king visited the victims at a hospital later on Friday to show support, promising to punish the perpetrators. Abdullah could be seen arriving at the facility in a military field uniform, accompanied by a large security detail.

Serbia is heading into a snap parliamentary election on October 25 following nearly two years of anti-government protests sparked by a deadly railway station canopy collapse.

Former Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic is running for prime minister against a fragmented opposition seeking to capitalize on the protest movement. The result could reshape Serbia’s political landscape and its delicate balancing act between Russia and the EU.

What is Serbia voting for, and why does it matter?

Voters will elect 250 members of the National Assembly, with 126 seats needed for a majority. A total of 18 electoral lists, comprising 2,418 candidates, are contesting the election, including the ruling coalition, student-backed candidates, established opposition parties and representatives of national minorities.

The vote will test whether the protest movement can challenge the ruling coalition at the ballot box.

What led to the snap election?

The crisis began after a concrete canopy at the Novi Sad railway station collapsed on November 1, 2024, killing 16 people. Protesters blamed the disaster on alleged corruption and failures of government oversight.

Demonstrations intensified after students and lecturers involved in a vigil commemorating the disaster at Belgrade’s Faculty of Dramatic Arts on November 22, 2024 blocked traffic, prompting drivers to clash with the crowd; some of the motorists were later identified from photos posted online as Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) officials.

Students began blockading university faculties, demanding the release of documents relating to the station’s renovation, accountability for attacks on protesters, an end to the prosecution of detained demonstrators and increased funding for public universities.

Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic resigned in January 2025 following another attack on students, but the protests continued. A major rally in Belgrade on March 15 attracted an estimated 275,000 to 325,000 people, according to the organization Arhiv javnih skupova.

Parliament elected a government headed by Djuro Macut in April, but the student movement demanded snap elections on May 5.

Vucic has accused foreign organizations and intelligence services of financing the protests, alleging on Thursday that outside actors were seeking to remove him from power.

Serbia was the victim of perhaps Europe’s first ‘color revolution’ in 2000, when the opposition, having received extensive funding and training from the National Democratic Institute (NDI), International Republican Institute (IRI), and USAID, as well as support from George Soros’ Open Society Foundations (operating in 2000 as the Fund for an Open Society – Yugoslavia), brought down the government.

Has Vucic lost power, or is he trying to hold on to it?

Vucic resigned as president on September 27, saying he intended to campaign in the parliamentary election without holding the presidency.

He now heads the ruling coalition’s electoral list and is running for prime minister.

Who is running, and who could form a government?

The ruling camp is led by the ‘Aleksandar Vucic – United Serbia’ coalition, built around the SNS. Its longstanding partner, Ivica Dacic’s Socialist Party of Serbia, is running separately under the ‘Factor of Stability’ banner.

The main challenger is the ‘Student List – Students Are Winning,’ which emerged from the protests and includes lecturers, professionals and public figures.

Marinika Tepic and Zdravko Ponos’s ‘European Serbia’ and Milos Jovanovic’s ‘Authentic Right’ are also running independently. Some opposition groups have backed the students rather than fielding their own candidates.

The latest opinion polls offer conflicting assessments of support for the two main contenders.

An Ipsos survey published on October 22 put Vucic’s coalition at 47.4%, compared with 40% for the Student List and 3.2% for Dacic’s Socialists. The poll surveyed 3,624 respondents between October 20 and 22.

Latest Serbia Ipsos Poll modelled out 🔵SNS: 125 seats 🔴STU: 105 seats ❤️SPS: 8 seats 🟦NADA: 0 seats 🟢SVM: 6 seats 💚SDAS: 2 seats 💠SPP: 2 seats 🔹KSLP: 1 seat 🟤RUS: 1 seat 🔵SNS largest party, 1 short of a majority https://t.co/9pjH9MA8Ts

— Poliwave Europe (@PoliwaveEU) October 22, 2026

A survey published on October 20 by Nova srpska politicka misao (NSPM) instead gave the Student List 44.5% and Vucic’s coalition 42.7% among decided respondents. The telephone survey of 1,050 people was conducted between September 25 and October 5.

Serbia, NSPM poll: Student list-*: 45% (+5) SNS+-EPP: 43% (+5) SPS/JS~S&D: 3% (-2) ES-S&D: 3% (-1) NADA~ECR: 3% (+1) +/- vs. July 2026 Fieldwork: 25 September - 05 October 2026 Sample size: 1,050 ➤ https://t.co/ekzxpjD9df https://t.co/9EKrcxnWOe

— Europe Elects (@EuropeElects) October 20, 2026

An online survey published by Nacija TV on October 21 showed a much narrower gap, with Vucic’s coalition at 42.9% and the Student List at 42%. The poll surveyed 1,204 respondents between October 16 and 18.

An earlier Faktor Plus survey, published on September 21, put Vucic’s coalition at 48.6% and the Student List at 37.1%, based on 986 respondents interviewed between September 16 and 20.

National minority and smaller parties could become important in coalition negotiations if no major group wins a majority.

What unites the opposition, and what divides it?

The groups challenging Vucic differ on key foreign policy issues, particularly relations with the EU, NATO, and Russia.

The Student List has said it would maintain Serbia’s refusal to impose sanctions on Moscow. Its representative Jovo Bakic has proposed a referendum on EU membership and opposed joining NATO.

European Serbia supports alignment with EU foreign policy, including sanctions against Russia, a position advocated by Tepic.

Jovanovic opposes EU membership and sanctions against Moscow, while Socialist representative Snezana Paunovic supports EU accession but has criticized the bloc’s current policies.

Territorial tensions: Where do the parties stand on Kosovo and Republika Srpska?

Kosovo remains one of Serbia’s most sensitive political issues. The province declared independence in 2008, a move recognized by the US and many of its allies. Belgrade still considers Kosovo part of Serbia, as do Russia and China, and some 90 other countries.

The declaration followed NATO’s 1999 bombing campaign against Yugoslavia, conducted without authorization from the UN Security Council. Belgrade’s relations with the ethnic Albanian-led authorities in Pristina remain tense.

The Student List has also rejected recognizing the so-called Kosovo precedent. In a memorandum published in May, it described Kosovo as an integral part of Serbia and called for a negotiated settlement in accordance with the Serbian Constitution and international law.

Republika Srpska, the Serb-majority constituent entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, whose autonomy is guaranteed under the 1995 Dayton peace agreement, is another touchstone.

Vucic has maintained close ties with its leadership while supporting Bosnia and Herzegovina’s territorial integrity. Former Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik has openly backed Vucic’s coalition, urging Serbian citizens living there to vote for it.

The Student List has sought support among Serbian voters in Republika Srpska but has not outlined a comparably detailed policy toward the entity. Some Bosnian Serb opposition politicians have backed the students, while others have refused to take sides.

Belgrade and Brussels: The beatings will continue

Serbia applied to join the EU in 2009 and received candidate status in 2012. Accession negotiations began in 2014, but no new negotiating chapters or clusters have been opened since 2021.

Brussels has made further progress toward EU membership conditional on the normalization of relations with Kosovo and alignment with the bloc’s foreign policy, including sanctions against Russia, as well as other judicial, media, and governmental reforms.

Serbia’s accession process has remained stalled while other candidates have moved forward. In July, eight EU member states opposed advancing talks with Belgrade, while Montenegro, Albania, Ukraine, and Moldova have made progress toward membership.

Vucic has expressed frustration with the slow pace of EU enlargement, warning in July that candidate countries should not expect major breakthroughs in the coming years.

Kos has also warned against allowing prospective EU members to develop dependencies on outside powers that could conflict with the bloc’s interests.

“We should not risk our future members building dependencies on others that run counter to our long-term interest,” she said.

The commissioner identified Russia as an adversary in the enlargement process and criticized the influence of US President Donald Trump’s MAGA movement on European politics.

Vucic has maintained that Serbia intends to pursue EU membership while preserving its independent foreign policy.

What makes the ties between Serbia and Russia so strong?

Serbia and Russia share longstanding historical and cultural ties, reinforced by their Orthodox Christian traditions and Slavic heritage.

Relations were further shaped by NATO’s 78-day bombing campaign against Yugoslavia in 1999, which Moscow strongly opposed. Russia has since backed Belgrade’s position on Kosovo at the UN Security Council and refused to recognize the province’s independence.

Under Vucic, Serbia has maintained diplomatic and economic cooperation with Moscow while refusing to join Western sanctions over the Ukraine conflict.

In an interview with Russian journalist Ksenia Sobchak published on Tuesday, Vucic said European leaders regularly pressed him on the issue.

”We are not sitting on two chairs; our only chair is Serbia,” he said.

Do Russia and Serbia have an energy deal?

Energy remains central to the relationship. On September 30, Russia’s Gazprom extended its gas supply agreement with Serbia for another three months, until December 31, on unchanged terms, according to Srbijagas CEO Dusan Bajatovic.

Following talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in September, Vucic said Serbia was paying around €318 per 1,000 cubic meters of gas, compared with a market price of approximately €868 at the time.

The latest extension secures supplies through the beginning of winter but leaves arrangements for 2027 unresolved.

The future of NIS, which operates Serbia’s only oil refinery, also remains uncertain following US sanctions over its Russian majority ownership. Hungarian oil and gas company MOL has been negotiating the purchase of the Russian stake.

Where would each party take Serbia if they win?

Vucic has emphasized his determination to preserve Serbia’s sovereignty and keep the country out of a war with Russia, which he said he believes the EU is preparing for.

”I do not want Serbia to be part of that war, and I would not allow Serbia to be part of that war,” he said in an interview with TV Prva on Wednesday.

He accused Western governments of seeking to install politicians who would follow their instructions.

How could the election affect relations with Moscow?

The next Serbian government will face decisions on future Russian gas supplies, the ownership of NIS, and the country’s military exports.

Russian observers will monitor the election at Serbia’s invitation, according to Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. The delegation will include representatives of both chambers of the Russian parliament and the Central Election Commission, with Russian officials also participating in international monitoring missions.

Moscow has said it hopes to maintain close ties with Belgrade after the election. Zakharova described the relationship as rooted in “strong fraternal traditions, a shared worldview, and respect for genuine values.”

She added that “continuity in these ties will serve the national interests of both countries and help strengthen peace and stability in the Balkans.”

Witkoff returns to Russia

US envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in St. Petersburg on Wednesday to present a new set of peace proposals to Russian President Vladimir Putin. As was the case in every round of talks so far, Moscow found little to agree with in the terms put forward by Kiev and its European backers, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov told reporters afterwards. 

That the US would even consider meeting with Putin rubbed the Europeans the wrong way. Speaking after Witkoff met Zelensky in Oslo on Tuesday, EU chief diplomat Kaja Kallas accused US President Donald Trump and his envoys of “trying to push Ukraine into surrender.”

Kallas is in an unenviable position. Trump has proven able and willing to negotiate with Putin above the Europeans’ heads, as he did when he waived sanctions on Russian diesel. Faced with the prospect of being cut out of an eventual peace deal, the EU is reportedly searching for an envoy to represent Brussels’ interests at the negotiating table. As anti-Russia hardliners, Kallas and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have essentially ruled themselves out; French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz are drowning in domestic turmoil and watching their legitimacy collapse in real time; and the supposed ‘compromise candidate’ trumpeted by EU media, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, is a potentially toxic choice.

EU leaders, Putin remarked on Thursday, suffer from “a kind of political schizophrenia.” The Europeans “now go so far as to constantly speak of a ‘Russian threat’ and even discuss preparations for a war with Russia” against the will of their citizens, he explained. “They will hopefully realize that it is better to live in harmony with Russia – a path that truly serves the interests of their own peoples.”

The only European official present at the St. Petersburg meeting was von der Leyen’s chief of staff, Bjorn Seibert.

Zelensky scorned again

Zelensky signaled his disapproval with the Witkoff-Putin meeting in as clear a manner as possible; firing drones at St. Petersburg and the surrounding Leningrad Region. His own meeting with Witkoff in Oslo didn’t go so well either. The New York Times reported that the US envoy “reproached Zelensky for his sharp responses” to Trump’s recent assertion that Zelensky “doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” and “should have this war settled a long time ago.” Zelensky spent the rest of the week trying to dress up a ceasefire as a new idea that hadn’t been discounted dozens of times already by Moscow.

The deepening rift between Kiev and Washington is one of multiple diplomatic crises facing Zelensky. 

South Korea pulled diplomats from the Ukrainian capital over Ukraine’s refusal to apologize for exposing the secret transfer of North Korean POWs to Seoul, a move that the South Koreans warned could endanger the POWs’ relatives in North Korea and undermine stability on the Korean Peninsula.

Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) confirmed on Wednesday that it is investigating National Bank of Ukraine chief Andrey Pyshny in a graft probe reportedly aimed at Zelensky’s inner circle. One day earlier, NABU accused Ukraine’s cybersecurity agency of stealing $5 million by purchasing drones at inflated prices.

RT has covered the rampant graft in Kiev extensively in our ‘State of Corruption’ series, which you can read here. 

France fails

Just as corruption has come to define Zelensky’s Ukraine, the fiery collapse of the social contract now defines the closing stages of Emmanuel Macron’s presidency in France. After mass protests over rising prices and deteriorating social conditions degenerated into riots last week, almost 3,000 people were arrested this week as violent unrest continued to plague the streets of French cities.

Macron has refused to accept that his migration policies may be to blame for the riots, which Trump claimed are being led by “migrants, jihadists, and communists.” His government has also refused to change course on an austerity budget that will do little to alleviate the protesters’ economic concerns.

Instead, the French president has ordered military personnel into the streets, banned “illegitimate” protests, and imposed localized curfews. Whether he can count on the police to enforce these measures for much longer is unclear: France’s largest police union said on Thursday that it intends to sue the French state for creating the conditions that led to the riots, and leaving officers “betrayed and abandoned” to handle the violence without adequate training or protection. 

The EU’s Cold War in the Arctic

The Starlink wars return

The EU and its member states may be Ukraine’s leading backers, but the US provides Zelensky with something that the Europeans don’t have: access to SpaceX’s Starlink satellite constellation. Ukraine depends on Starshield, SpaceX’s military-grade version, to guide its drones, connect to NATO headquarters, and receive real-time updates from Palantir’s battlefield management software.

As long as this dependence exists, the US holds a powerful instrument of leverage over Zelensky. While nobody in SpaceX or the US government has taken responsibility for throttling Ukraine’s access to the network earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal claimed this week that SpaceX CEO Elon Musk – who has condemned Ukraine’s drone strikes on Russian oil refineries – personally ordered that the Ukrainian military’s access to the network be restricted.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied that the government played any role in the slowdown, saying that “it sort of happened” accidentally. However, a turn of phrase by Rubio suggested that the connection problems may have been deliberate, and intended as a warning to Zelensky: “Ukraine,” he said on Wednesday, “would not exist as a sovereign state” without US support.

Moscow is well aware that Kiev uses Starlink to strike civilian targets as well as military ones. Russia’s Investigative Committee confirmed this week that two of the seven drones that struck a female dormitory at a college in Starobelsk in May – killing 21 people – were guided by SpaceX’s network. As long as Kiev continues to use this system, it remains a potential source of escalation between Russia and the US.

What we’re watching

We’re keeping a close eye on three consequential elections over the coming days, starting on Sunday with a presidential election in Brazil and parliamentary elections in Serbia. The showdown between Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Flavio Bolsonaro is an intensely personal battle between two bitter rivals, with the potential to pull another Latin American nation into the orbit of the US and reshape the future of the BRICS group. 

In Serbia, former President Aleksandar Vucic is now running for prime minister, in a snap election pitting his ruling coalition against a new political faction put together by the organizers of anti-government protests raging in Serbia since 2024. Vucic’s coalition has a narrow lead, but accusations of foreign interference are flying, and we’ll know by Monday whether Vucic’s gambit paid off.

Few world leaders have been as consequential as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Perennially on the verge of prosecution over multiple corruption scandals and facing mass protests, Netanyahu’s political fortunes changed with Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel in 2023. Three years later, Netanyahu has managed to achieve almost all of his war aims – leveling Gaza, diminishing Hezbollah in Lebanon, neutering Syria, and leading the US into war with Iran. 

However, with the Iran war stalled and Netanyahu offering no plan for a post-conflict Gaza, dissent has returned, and polls suggest that his right-wing coalition will fall up to 10 seats short of the 61 needed to govern. The closing of polls on Tuesday night may signal the start of a lengthy process of political horse-trading, with Netanyahu’s future no clearer than it is now.

For more on these stories as they develop, stick with RT.

Former BBC Radio 1 DJ Tim Westwood has appeared in a London court on two additional sex offense charges, British media reported on Friday.

The 69-year-old faces a total of 17 charges involving nine women, including allegations of rape and sexual assault. The alleged offenses span more than three decades, from 1983 to 2016.

The two additional charges were announced by London’s Metropolitan Police in September. They concern the alleged indecent assault of a girl aged 16 or 17 in west London in 1991 and the alleged sexual assault of an 18-year-old woman in south London in 2004.

Former Radio 1 DJ Tim Westwood in court charged with two further offences https://t.co/1OAT99G8aq

— ITV News (@itvnews) October 23, 2026

During Friday’s hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, Westwood indicated that he would plead not guilty to both charges, according to court officials cited by British media. He has already pleaded not guilty to the original 15 charges, including four counts of rape.

Among the earlier allegations is the rape of a woman in a hotel in 1996. Westwood is also accused of several indecent assaults on BBC premises during the 1990s, as well as sexual offenses at other locations in London and elsewhere in England.

Westwood was one of Britain’s best-known hip-hop DJs, working for BBC Radio 1 and Radio 1Xtra between 1994 and 2013.

In February 2025, the BBC apologized after an independent investigation found evidence of bullying and misogynistic behavior by Westwood. The broadcaster admitted it had been “too deferential to high-profile individuals” and missed opportunities to address complaints about his conduct.

Cut through the corporate damage-control flimflam – ‘technical’ issues and ‘mistakes’ but no politics, they say – and the Oversight Board of Meta, the parent company of Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram, has just had to deny but really admit that its platforms have been caught trying to influence Brazil’s upcoming presidential elections.

In essence, they have favored the challenger and US favorite Flavio Bolsonaro, commonly referred to as ‘Flavio’ in Brazil, and harmed the incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, usually called ‘Lula’.

Meta, to be clear, hasn’t (sort of) fessed up because Mark Zuckerberg’s behemoth has suddenly discovered a conscience. Instead, it was pressure from Brazilian investigative reporting that forced the company’s hand.

Whatever effect the American meddling will have on the election result, one thing is already certain: It has made the contest and the fierce political struggle behind it even more polarized than before. A few days before the decisive and very close final round, Lula and Flavio are trying to have each other excluded from the election; when dealing with a badly divided country, just leave it to Washington to make everything even more vicious.

The crude attack on Brazil’s electoral integrity is anything but a surprise. Historically speaking, it’s the bad old normal rejigged for the social-media age. In Brazil, as throughout Latin America, the US has a long history of brutally intervening in domestic politics, featuring highlights such as a full-blown coup in 1964 and massive subversion by a lawfare-spying-propaganda campaign in the 2010’s.

Brazil’s post-coup dictatorship was no short intermission either. It ended only in 1985. Washington to Brasilia: Regime change plus two decades of military rule – that’s what you get for not knowing your place in our backyard.

And the lawfare-spying-propaganda campaign of the 2010s – in part disclosed by whistleblower Edward Snowden – targeted and removed two Brazilian presidents. One of them, Lula, even ended up in prison, before his convictions were annulled in 2021.

Yet, while there is a long, sad history of American attacks on Brazilian democracy and sovereignty, the stakes are especially high now, perhaps as high as they have not been since the 1964 coup. For one thing, the choice Brazil’s voters are facing is stark: Flavio Bolsonaro, the favorite not only of the US but Donald Trump personally, stands for the Bolsonaro family empire itching to strike back. His father Jair Bolsonaro is currently doing time for trying to instigate a coup. If his son comes to power, Brazil will face a great, dirty settling of scores and severe danger of sliding into authoritarianism again.

Politically, Lula and Bolsonaro Jr. could not be more different: Lula is on the left; Flavio – like his father – very solidly on the right. More importantly, the rivals represent diametrically opposed ideas of Brazil’s place in the world. Brazil is not only an important G20 member, but Lula belongs to the founding generation of BRICS and is a proponent of the rising multipolar world order in general. He demands reform at the UN, especially its Security Council, and openly challenges the predominance of the US dollar, arguing for alternatives for payments, investments, and reserves.

Lula has also castigated Israel’s genocide in Gaza and compared it with the Nazi Holocaust, for which Israel has declared him persona non grata, while Brazil has joined South Africa at the International Court in accusing Israel of genocide.

The only other country cherished with equal fervor by the whole Bolsonaro family is – surprise, surprise – Israel. Go to a Bolsonaro rally and you are likely to see three flags: Brazil’s, that of the US, and of Israel.

And then there is China. Due to its demographic and territorial heft, its location, and its rich agricultural and industrial resources, Brazil is the prime prize in Washington’s dialing up to 11 of its traditional backyard colonialism. Lula has not only been bold enough to openly call it out but to declare that his country will never be a US colony when defying a typically Trumpian tariff attack.

What is worse from Washington’s perspective, he has worked hard to increase Brazil’s resilience by seeking connections beyond Latin America and especially with China. Beijing has been Brasilia’s main economic partner since 2009, with their trade volume reaching a record $171 billion last year. Brazilian exports to China exceed its combined exports to the US and the EU; and Brazil is now at the top of Chinese investment abroad.

The recent American de facto conquest of Venezuela was also a lesson in what Washington likes to do to those in its backyard daring to engage with America’s favorite hate object across the Pacific. But Brazil is no Venezuela; subduing it in one rapid cloak-and-dagger operation is impossible.

Yet the dark arts of interference have worked before. Recall that, in 1964, one of Joao Goulart’s unforgivable sins was to talk to China. By comparison, Lula’s determined policy of deep engagement with Beijing is off the American scale of intolerable rebelliousness. And for a reason: Without breaking Brazil once again, the continental cage the Donroe Doctrine is designed to rebuild sturdier than ever remains, at best, half-finished. And an unsubdued Brazil will always be an example of resistance.

The stakes could not be higher: sovereignty and, most likely, democracy itself for Brazil; strategic imperial triumph or failure for the US.

This article was first published on Substack

Anduril Industries CEO Palmer Luckey is working to clone and genetically engineer dogs for the American military, in a venture backed by the CIA and a biotech billionaire who plans on resurrecting prehistoric creatures.

Texas-based startup Warhound unveiled the project on Thursday, announcing $200 million in funding and a $1.2 billion valuation. The venture brings together Luckey, a major player in the burgeoning defense-tech sector, and Ben Lamm, whose biotechnology company has promised to revive the long-extinct wooly mammoth.

Warhound will be headed by David Spirk, the Pentagon’s first chief data officer and a former senior adviser at Palantir, a major US defense-tech company supplying AI and data analytics software to military and intelligence agencies. Its backers include In-Q-Tel, the CIA’s in-house venture capital firm and one of Palantir’s first investors.

“This is the sci-fi future we were promised,” Lamm said, describing the prospect of producing genetically enhanced working dogs.

Despite its billion-dollar valuation, Warhound has yet to secure a customer or determine how much its genetically engineered dogs will cost. Luckey and Lamm are no strangers to hawking vaporware, however. As RT explored in our ‘Wired for War’ series, Anduril Industries – which is valued at $90 billion – has produced only two combat-tested weapons systems, which failed during US military trials and were rejected for use by the Ukrainian armed forces.

Lamm’s company, Colossal Biosciences, is valued at $10-12 billion. Although the company succeeded in birthing three extinct dire wolf puppies last year, it is unclear how long the pups will survive, and Lamm admitted in August that he would likely be unable to resurrect the wooly mammoth for at least another decade.

Luckey and Lamm plan to outfit their designer dogs with advanced body armor and sensors linked to Anduril’s battlefield awareness system, which unlike Palantir’s flagship ‘Gotham’ system, is still in its prototype stages. The company is reportedly considering a subscription-style model under which the Pentagon would pay for a continuous supply of trained animals rather than purchase them individually.

In 2019, Chinese scientists unveiled Kunxun, a cloned police dog produced from the genetic material of an animal renowned for its crime-solving abilities. The project aimed to reproduce elite working dogs while reducing training costs.

The push to engineer military animals raises ethical and welfare concerns. Animal cloning has been linked to pregnancy complications, developmental abnormalities, and health problems in newborns. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has documented such risks in livestock cloning, although healthy clones that survive their first weeks generally develop normally.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered a blockade of the occupied West Bank in the aftermath of a deadly shootout between IDF troops and two suspected Palestinian gunmen at a security checkpoint.

The incident unfolded on Friday in the southern West Bank at the temporary checkpoint at the Judea Junction on Route 35. An AFP photographer who witnessed the shootout reported the two Palestinian suspects armed with a handgun and an automatic rifle exchanged fire with Israeli soldiers. Five Israelis were wounded in the attack, with two servicemen succumbing to their wounds in hospital, while the gunmen were killed on the site of the shootout, which lasted more than 20 minutes, according to a preliminary Israeli military investigation.

The Israeli military described the incident as a thwarted “terror attack” without specifying the intended target of the suspects. Netanyahu vowed a “very extensive” retaliatory operation in the aftermath of the incident, announcing the demolition of the entire neighborhood the attackers come from and displacing its residents, as well as requesting the cancellation of all political meetings on October 23.

Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir demanded even more severe retaliation, calling for the dissolution of the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority (PA). No evidence, however, has emerged thus far linking the PA to the incident.

“The Palestinian Authority must be dissolved and demilitarized, and all terrorist infrastructure must be completely wiped out,” Ben-Gvir, known for extremely hostile anti-Palestinian rhetoric and assorted controversial stunts, said.

The deadly shooting comes ahead of the high-stakes legislative election in Israel scheduled for October 27. The upcoming polls are the first voting to take place since the October 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel and the ensuing Gaza war. The prolonged conflict has prompted repeated allegations against Netanyahu of deliberately dragging out the hostilities to keep his grip on power. The latest opinion polls put the incumbent PM in a tight race with Gadi Eisenkot, a former head of the IDF, and the prospects of Netanyahu losing his post remain high.

Millions of Palestinians living under Israeli control are unable to vote in the upcoming parliamentary election that will shape their lives, RT correspondent Charlotte Dubenskij reports.

Ahead of the October 27 vote, Dubenskij visited East Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank to examine Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s description of Israel as the Middle East’s “only true democracy.”

In East Jerusalem, which Israel captured in 1967 and later annexed in a move rejected by the UN, many Palestinians hold permanent residency rather than Israeli citizenship. They pay taxes, social security, and VAT, but cannot vote for the Knesset, Israel’s parliament.

“We are really helpless, voiceless,” one resident told RT. Another described the frustration of facing the consequences of an election without being able to influence it.

Although Palestinian residents who obtain Israeli citizenship can vote, those who spoke to RT opposed taking that step, arguing it would amount to recognizing Israeli sovereignty.

Palestinian politician Mustafa Barghouti argued that the occupation and different legal systems applied to Palestinians and Israeli settlers contradict Israel’s democratic claims.

“Two different laws for two people in the same area is nothing but the description of apartheid,” he told RT.

Settlements and National Missions Minister Orit Strook, meanwhile, has advocated allowing Palestinians to remain while denying them a parliamentary vote. “They can stay here as human beings, of course,” she said, but stressed that they “shouldn’t be able to vote for the Knesset.”

Barghouti further accused Israel of obstructing internal Palestinian elections. The Palestinian Authority cited Israel’s refusal to guarantee voting in East Jerusalem when it canceled elections in 2021.

For Palestinians interviewed in Ramallah, the priority is to be allowed to hold their own elections rather than voting under occupation.

Watch the full report below.

US troops have been warned against using inside information to bet on prediction markets, the Associated Press has reported, citing a directive issued by US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, who said such wagers could expose military plans and influence operational decisions.

The memo, dated Tuesday and reviewed by AP, covers platforms such as Polymarket and Kalshi, where users wager on real-world events, including elections and military action.

The directive bars the use of both classified material and other official information unavailable to the public, with violators facing disciplinary action or criminal charges under military or federal law.

“Our enemies watch movements in these markets,” Hegseth wrote. “When an American service member, intelligence professional, or other Department civilian engages in a financial transaction on a military outcome, they create a signal.”

The directive follows the prosecution of a US Special Forces soldier accused of profiting from advance knowledge of the January operation to kidnap Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

Prosecutors allege that Master Sergeant Gannon Ken Van Dyke used information obtained through his involvement in planning and executing the raid to place more than $32,500 in Polymarket bets, earning over $400,000.

Most of the wagers were allegedly placed on January 2, hours before the attack on Caracas. Van Dyke has pleaded not guilty.

The controversy has extended beyond the military. Newly created Polymarket accounts placed suspiciously timed bets shortly before Trump announced an April US-Iran ceasefire, generating hundreds of thousands of dollars in profits. The White House later warned staff against trading on confidential information.

The scandals have intensified scrutiny of prediction markets, which several US states have accused of sidestepping gambling laws and consumer protections. The Trump administration, however, has argued that the platforms should remain regulated by federal financial authorities rather than under individual states’ gambling laws.

The president’s family also has business ties to the industry. Donald Trump Jr. serves as a strategic adviser to Kalshi and holds an investment in Polymarket through his venture firm, 1789 Capital.

Moscow and Kiev have agreed to a temporary ceasefire in the frontline town of Alyoshki in Russia’s Kherson Region to allow humanitarian aid deliveries and civilian evacuations following mediation co-ordinate by US First Lady Melania Trump, the Kremlin has confirmed.

Located near the front line in Kherson Region, which voted to join Russia in a 2022 referendum, Alyoshki has been largely cut off from essential supplies and basic services for months under a Ukrainian siege. Drone attacks and remotely laid mines have hampered aid deliveries and evacuation efforts, leaving an estimated 1,500 to 2,000 civilians in the town trapped, many of them elderly.

The White House announced the agreement earlier on Friday, saying both sides had agreed to suspend all military operations in Alyoshki from October 29 to allow humanitarian aid deliveries and prepare for civilian evacuations through a designated safe passage.

Melania Trump, who had previously expressed willingness to support humanitarian efforts in Alyoshki, described the situation as “dire,” calling the town a “frontline war city on the brink of disaster.”

“The remaining population is comprised primarily of elderly residents who urgently need medical attention, medicine, food, and clean water,” she said.

Civilian representatives from Russia and Ukraine will assess residents’ needs and help organize evacuations to either country, depending on the residents’ wishes, the first lady said.

Peskov also acknowledged the work of Russian human rights commissioner Yana Lantratova and her Ukrainian counterpart Dmitry Lubinets in arranging the operation.

Moscow has accused Kiev of deliberately creating the humanitarian crisis by targeting civilian supply routes and obstructing aid deliveries. Russian Foreign Ministry envoy Rodion Miroshnik previously described the situation as a “medieval blockade using modern methods,” accusing Ukrainian forces of preventing residents from leaving.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart, Donald Trump, discussed the crisis during a phone call earlier this month. According to the Kremlin, the two leaders agreed that Russian human rights commissioner Yana Lantratova would maintain contact with Melania Trump’s office over humanitarian efforts.

European governments should stop worrying about their growing dependence on American AI, US tech giant Palantir’s top executive for the UK and Europe has said. Instead, they should focus on the advantages the products offer, particularly against Russia, Palantir UK CEO Louis Mosley believes.

The European Commission is frantically trying to reduce reliance on American tech and the US in general.

“Europe is going to have to accept some dependency,” Mosely told Bloomberg News this week.

The Commission estimates that the bloc relies on foreign providers for over 80% of its digital products, services, infrastructure, and intellectual property. However, many are skeptical that replacement is possible. In a Wire’s 2025 survey cited by the European Parliament, only 16% of regional IT leaders said the bloc could achieve digital sovereignty within five years, with almost 60% citing US dominance as a key obstacle.

“We cannot depend on the goodwill of certain partners who, as we’ve seen in recent days, are capable of cutting off access to models,” Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said when announcing the decision in June.

Berlin has reportedly chosen the same French competitor over Palantir for Germany’s domestic intelligence agency BfV.

Similar moves to ostracize the American firm have been reported in Spain and Denmark, as well as the non-EU nations of Switzerland, Norway, and the UK.

One of Palantir’s flagship products is Maven, an AI-powered system that processes vast amounts of intelligence data to help identify targets and generate strike recommendations for troops. It accelerates the so-called “kill chain,” allowing the military to consider substantially more potential targets than human personnel previously could.

Originally developed as a Pentagon project, Maven involved Google until 2018, when employee protests prompted the company to withdraw from the initiative. NATO purchased its own version of the system for use at its European headquarters in March 2025.

“I can provide categorical reassurance that where customers have bought our software, they are in full operational ‌control of ⁠that software,” Mosley assured in a separate interview with Reuters concerning NATO’s purchase.

There are no kill switches. There’s no ability for Palantir or the US government to reach in and switch it off.

The US government has a track record of restricting foreign access to flagship AI models. The French prime minister’s remark about a lack of goodwill was a reference to Washington’s blockage of Anthropic’s Mythos 5 tool, which lasted for almost three weeks.

US President Donald Trump has invoked a Cold War-era national security law to boost domestic oil production and refining, as rising fuel prices threaten the Republicans’ chances in November’s midterm elections.

Speaking on Thursday at a Republican campaign rally in Iowa – an agricultural state where farmers have been hit hard by the oil crisis – Trump announced that his administration would use the Defense Production Act (DPA) to provide up to $150 million to expand American refining capacity and produce diesel and gasoline “at record levels.”

He also predicted that the Iran and Ukraine conflicts would end soon, sending gasoline and oil prices “tumbling down.” 

Enacted in 1950, the DPA allows Washington to financially support industries deemed essential to national defense. In a presidential memorandum, Trump designated domestic petroleum production, refineries, pipelines, and storage facilities as critical to national security, arguing that private companies could not expand capacity quickly enough without federal intervention.

Vice President J.D. Vance had earlier announced plans to invoke the law to expand a Delek-operated refinery in Tyler, Texas, although such projects typically take months, if not years, to complete.

Fuel prices in America sharply rose after the US and Israel launched their war against Iran in late February, disrupting global energy supplies. According to the US Energy Information Administration, average gasoline prices have climbed from $2.94 per gallon immediately before the conflict to $4.28 in the week ending October 19, while diesel has jumped from $3.81 to $6.28 over the same period.

The Trump administration has sought to tackle the fuel crisis through several emergency measures, including releasing 172 million barrels from strategic oil reserves, relaxing gasoline-blending requirements, temporarily easing diesel regulations, and announcing additional subsidies for struggling farmers.

In early October, Trump also announced a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to release more than 300,000 tons of Russian diesel onto global markets, with additional supplies expected later. He has also repeatedly pressed Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries, which he blamed for rising fuel prices.

The president’s pressure sparked pushback from Zelensky, who called Trump’s diesel deal with Moscow “a weak decision” and “not fair and not honest” while refusing to comply with the refineries ultimatum. In response, Trump suggested that Ukraine should “get a new president” instead of Zelensky, whose term expired more than two years ago, while calling continued Ukrainian strikes a “disgrace.”

An employee of a German immigration office and her husband have been arrested for allegedly assisting a human smuggling ring which brought Indian men into the country through sham marriages in exchange for hefty payments, Bild has reported.

The Cologne branch of the immigration office told the tabloid on Thursday that it has revoked the residence permits illegally issued by the criminal group, which involved two other people.

According to Bild, the smuggling ring exploited the EU’s family reunification program to bring in the Indians.

The foreign nationals arrived in Cyprus, where they entered fictitious marriages with Bulgarian women whom they had never met before, it said.

A member of the Cologne immigration office, identified as Subha L., then processed and approved the applications for residence permits by the Indian males despite the irregularities in their paperwork, the report read.

A lawyer for one of the suspected smugglers told the WDR broadcaster that the scheme had allowed more than 20 Indian men to enter the EU.

Subha L. was arrested along with her husband in December 2025 and remains in per-trial detention. She has been dismissed from her job, the Cologne immigration office said. The trial for the four suspected members of the criminal group is scheduled to begin in February.

The immigration office said it tightened workflow controls following the scandal to ensure any suspicious cases are identified more promptly.

An MP for German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party accused the Cologne immigration office of failing to execute its duties and called for it to be audited by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees.

“We are witnessing a growing loss of control within an agency that views itself as a ‘welcoming authority’ rather than an immigration authority,” Seif told the Kolner Stadt-Anzeiger newspaper.

Illegal immigration has again become a contentious topic in the EU this year after more than 72,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into the Spanish North African enclave of Ceuta in late July. Up to 8,000 foreigners still remain scattered throughout the territory, straining local resources and prompting protests by residents.

Despite the number of arrivals subsiding since the EU migrant crisis of 2015, the foreign-born population in the bloc reached a record 64.2 million last year, expanding by 20.2 million since 2010, according to a report published by the Center for Research and Analysis on Migration at RFBerlin in April.

Germany continues to have the largest number of immigrants in the EU, with 18 million foreign-born citizens, making up 21.2% of the country’s population, the paper said.

The US has accused Canadian officials of attempting to interfere in American elections, citing politically targeted trade measures, anti-Trump advertising campaigns and meetings with Democratic politicians ahead of next month’s midterms.

In a fact sheet published on Wednesday, the US Embassy in Ottawa accused Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government of openly seeking to influence American politics.

“The Canadian government brushes off concerns about potential interference in US elections, even as its ministers and premiers openly describe plans to influence American politics in official documents and public appearances,” the embassy stated.

The document singled out Canadian Industry Minister Melanie Joly, citing her remarks about deliberately targeting Republican-leaning states with retaliatory tariffs in response to US President Donald Trump’s trade policies.

Washington also questioned Joly’s meetings with Democratic officials in Boston and Chicago in September, as well as an anti-tariff advertising campaign launched by Ontario Premier Doug Ford featuring former US President Ronald Reagan criticizing protectionist trade policies.

The embassy also highlighted a recent appearance by Canadian Consul General Bernadette Jordan alongside two Democratic congressmen at a Vermont roundtable on trade tensions, just three weeks before the midterms. It also cited a Canadian government billboard campaign targeting 12 mostly Republican-voting states and Washington, DC.

The embassy also cited Liberal lawmaker Anthony Housefather’s campaigning for Democratic Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz in Florida, and listed 11 Canadians who had been charged or sentenced in 2026 for illegally voting in previous American elections.

The accusations followed a warning from US Ambassador Pete Hoekstra, who said Washington was closely watching Canadian political activities ahead of the November 3 congressional elections.

“We’re monitoring it, we’re evaluating it and if some of it becomes election interference then America will respond to it,” Hoekstra said.

Ottawa has rejected the allegations. Carney insisted that Canada’s measures were intended to protect its workers and businesses from American tariffs, while Ford denied any interest in meddling in US elections. Joly defended her meetings with American politicians as normal diplomacy, pointing out that she had engaged with both Republicans and Democrats.

In September, Carney revealed that his government had examined the possibility of US military action against Canada, describing the scenario as an “extreme tail risk” that nevertheless warranted contingency planning. Ottawa, meanwhile, has been seeking closer military and economic ties with Europe to reduce its dependence on Washington.

Hundreds of houses have collapsed after a powerful earthquake struck Tibet, killing at least 16 people and injuring dozens more, according to local authorities.

The magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck the Nagqu region of northern Tibet at 10:33 PM local time on Thursday. 

The death toll stood at 16 on Friday morning, with 46 people injured, including 11 seriously, according to the latest figures released by local disaster relief authorities. At least 339 houses and 20 livestock sheds collapsed, the Associated Press reported, citing government officials.

Videos circulating on Chinese social media showed residents rushing into the streets as buildings shook.

🇨🇳⚡️ — Emergency authorities report that a magnitude 7.0 earthquake in Tibet's Nagqu City has caused the collapse of 339 homes, triggered severe infrastructure and transit disruptions, and prompted the activation of a Level-II emergency response. #China #Tibet #Earthquake #BreakingNews

— X-K (@ConflictRadarME) October 22, 2026

The shallow tremor struck at a depth of approximately 10 kilometers, according to Chinese seismologists. The US Geological Survey estimated its depth at 18 kilometers, placing the epicenter in a sparsely populated mountainous area.

Sixteen people were killed and 32 others injured after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Baqen County of Nagqu City in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, according to the city's emergency management bureau. https://t.co/BERNm8mcXy

— China Xinhua News (@XHNews) October 23, 2026

More than 1,600 local personnel have been mobilized for search-and-rescue operations. Emergency supplies, including 1,000 prefabricated housing units, some 3,000 tents, beds and winter clothing, have been dispatched to assist displaced residents.

Xi orders all-out rescue efforts after Xizang earthquake https://t.co/GrKXDa8oGE

— China Xinhua News (@XHNews) October 23, 2026

The earthquake also triggered rockfalls that forced the closure of a major highway, while railway services were temporarily suspended for safety inspections. Communications were disrupted in parts of the affected region, complicating rescue operations.

The latest disaster comes less than two months after a massive ice-and-rock avalanche near the Tibet-Nepal border unleashed catastrophic flooding, killing more than 1,450 people in Nepal and dozens in China.

Thursday’s tremor was the strongest to hit the Nagqu region in five years, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.

Authorities have warned that the casualty figures could rise as rescue teams continue searching damaged buildings and assessing the destruction.

French President Emmanuel Macron has announced a crackdown on public demonstrations, ordering authorities to ban protests and restrict even officially organized marches as nationwide unrest over soaring living costs and deteriorating public services continues.

The restrictions, announced Thursday following an emergency meeting with intelligence chiefs and senior ministers, come ahead of another wave of demonstrations planned for Saturday, after some of France’s worst street violence in years.

Macron said local authorities would prohibit deemed “illegitimate” gatherings organized by individuals or groups deemed to lack authority, while demonstrations arranged by recognized organizations, such as trade unions, would be considered for approval but could be required to use alternative routes.

“The general recommendation is that there should be no demonstrations in the coming days,” Macron declared, insisting the measures were necessary to restore calm and protect businesses and public buildings.

The announcement significantly tightens restrictions on mass gatherings in a country where the right to protest is constitutionally protected. Under French law, authorities can prohibit demonstrations if they are believed to pose a threat to public order, although such decisions must be proportionate and can be challenged in court.

A Paris administrative court overturned a police ban on a student demonstration on Thursday, allowing thousands of protesters to gather despite official objections. The rally proceeded peacefully under heavy police presence, according to AP.

France has been gripped by escalating unrest since protests over teacher shortages and deteriorating school conditions spread into a broader movement against rising prices, inequality and cuts to public services.

Around 550,000 people joined demonstrations last Saturday, which descended into clashes with police, arson and widespread looting. Nearly 2,500 people have since been arrested, while approximately 1,000 police officers and gendarmes were injured, according to figures reported by French media.

Even police unions have turned against the administration. Alliance Police Nationale has announced plans to sue the state, accusing officials of abandoning officers during the riots and failing to provide adequate equipment and clear instructions.

Macron has also clashed with US President Donald Trump, who blamed France’s turmoil on uncontrolled immigration and radical groups. The French leader dismissed comments by foreign politicians about the unrest as “stupid” and “unacceptable.”

A British museum has removed ancient Egyptian mummies from public display, citing a lack of “consent” from the deceased and drawing accusations of excessive political correctness.

The Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow, Scotland, is one of the country’s most popular cultural attractions, drawing more than 1.3 million visitors annually. Its collections include Egyptian antiquities and mummified remains that have been exhibited for years.

Among the items taken off display were a painted coffin containing the remains of an Egyptian priest named Nekht, a mummified male head, a right foot, and a right hand recovered from the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, Egypt, the Glasgow Times reported on Thursday.

My daughter has a book on the ancient Egyptians and has been quite animated by it so we took her to Kelvingrove Museum to see their mummy. Except, it’s no longer there. All ‘human remains’ gone with the following sign up in place of exhibits that have been there for years. https://t.co/DKGOx4VjpR

— Jonny McFarlane (@jonnyrmcfarlane) October 17, 2026

The changes came to public attention after a visitor said he had taken his daughter to see an Egyptian mummy, only to discover that it was no longer there. He shared a photograph on X of a museum notice stating that the remains had been removed “as a mark of respect.”

Mummies have been removed from display at the Kelvingrove Museum in Glasgow because of a 'lack of consent from the deceased individual'. A Glasgow Life spokesman said: ‘The removal of human remains from display at Glasgow Life museums reflects contemporary museum practice. ‘The International Council of Museums’ revised Code of Ethics, published in June 2026, states that museums “should uphold the inherent dignity of human remains and promote respect for their significance”. ‘The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Afrikan Reparations 2025 report, “Laying Ancestors to Rest”, also raises ethical concerns about the display of ancient Egyptian human remains due to the consistent disregard of the potential wishes of the ancestors and the intention of the communities that originally laid them to rest.

— UNN (@UnityNewsNet) October 22, 2026

Glasgow Life, which operates the museum, said the move reflected contemporary museum practices, citing revised ethical guidelines published by the International Council of Museums in June. The guidelines call for human remains to be treated with dignity and respect.

“In the absence of such consent, we believe removing ancient Egyptian human remains from display is more respectful to the deceased individuals,” a Glasgow Life spokesperson said.

The decision drew criticism from Scottish Conservative politician Murdo Fraser, who described it as “woke madness.”

Chris McGovern, chairman of the Campaign for Real Education and a former adviser to the British prime minister’s policy unit, also condemned the move as “virtue-signaling, woke nonsense.”

“It is not possible to seek permission from those who died thousands of years ago,” he said, adding that museums in Egypt continue to exhibit mummified remains.

Glasgow Life said it is also working to remove further archaeological human remains from Kelvingrove and plans to remove a coffin and mummified remains from the nearby St Mungo Museum afterward.

The controversy follows a similar decision by Manchester Museum, which removed the 2,700-year-old mummified remains of an Egyptian woman named Asru in September after more than two centuries on public display.

Major US banks have detected outside artificial intelligence agents operating inside customer accounts, with some appearing to attempt actions beyond users’ instructions, Axios reported on Thursday.

AI agents are designed to complete tasks on users’ behalf, potentially making purchases, paying bills or moving money. Customers often give them permission and login credentials, but this can violate banks’ rules requiring account holders to log in themselves.

Lenders including JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo are racing to contain the risks, according to Axios, citing people familiar with the matter. Some have tracked agents contacting call centers or apparently acting independently of customer instructions.

Bank executives described the situation as “horrifying,” according to the outlet. One said lenders struggle to distinguish between authorized assistants and agents that have gone rogue.

JPMorgan, Bank of America, and Citi have now started restricting outside agents’ access, while Morgan Stanley has reportedly begun blocking them from its platforms. Chase has also urged customers not to share usernames and passwords with AI agents.

The banks have also expressed fear of losing profitable deposits. The Financial Times reported last week that AI assistants could move customers’ cash to banks offering better rates, forcing lenders to pay more interest to keep those customers.

The concerns come amid a string of reports of AI agents acting beyond their instructions and accessing outside systems without permission. The Wall Street Journal reported last month that OpenAI shelved its planned GPT-6.1 Astra model after testing revealed more deceptive behavior than its predecessors. The system sometimes failed to disclose its actions to human operators and attempted to use potentially unsafe external tools.

Financial regulators have warned that autonomous systems could also destabilize markets. Bank of England Deputy Governor Sarah Breeden warned in June that agents reacting alike to the same signals could buy or sell simultaneously, making market swings more severe.

She urged regulators to consider emergency “kill switches” that could halt trading if faulty AI systems triggered a market meltdown.

European countries will inevitably resume economic cooperation with Russia, following Washington’s lead, Russian presidential aide Kirill Dmitriev has predicted. Politicians who continue to blame Moscow for their domestic problems rather than address them risk losing power, he warned.

Dmitriev, who also heads Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, made the remarks on Thursday at the 19th Verona Eurasian Economic Forum in Istanbul.

The Russian official hailed Trump’s readiness to restore dialogue with Russia and reverse a “very dangerous situation where top nuclear powers don’t communicate.”

Commenting on Europe’s problems, including high energy costs and mass migration, Dmitriev accused European politicians of “using Russia as a boogeyman” to distract from more fundamental issues, warning that they have come to believe their own narratives and are unwilling to correct their mistakes.

However, Dmitriev argued that attitudes within the EU were beginning to shift, with more voices calling for renewed dialogue with Moscow. “Cooperation with Russia economically will be inevitable,” he said, adding that “as soon as we do more deals with the US, European companies” will want a piece of the action, too.

“Once people start paying double, triple their bills of energy in Europe, the resumption of energy supplies from Russia is absolutely inevitable and politicians who refuse that will lose in any way possible,” Dmitriev argued.

“Once people are rational, once people stop reading fake stories in the media, once they stop sort of living in this matrix of fake narratives…, they’ll understand that only through dialogue, through cooperation, through working together, we can go forward successfully.”

Dmitriev also argued that many of today’s “great leaders,” including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, US President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, prioritize national sovereignty over what he described as the “failed policy of globalism.”

On October 18, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited Manama, where he attended the ninth ministerial meeting of the Russia-Gulf Cooperation Council strategic dialogue and held separate talks with the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. The following day, he traveled to Tehran to meet with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and President Masoud Pezeshkian.

In Manama, discussions centered on de-escalation in the Persian Gulf, maritime security, and Russian proposals for a collective security framework, while bilateral meetings provided an opportunity to clarify individual countries’ positions. Lavrov and his Kuwaiti counterpart stressed the need to reduce tensions quickly and agreed that a political and diplomatic settlement is the only viable way forward. In Tehran, regional affairs featured alongside Russian-Iranian cooperation, with Moscow reaffirming its commitment to economic and investment agreements despite the deteriorating security environment.

Diplomacy between the Gulf’s two shores

The trip aimed to prevent a new divide between Iran and the Arab monarchies from becoming entrenched, as the consequences of the US-Israeli aggression against Iran are affecting the security of the entire region. Yet rebuilding trust also requires acknowledging that the Gulf states have their own grievances against Tehran over strikes on their territory and threats to maritime routes.

During the Manama talks, Arab representatives explicitly said they hope Moscow would use its relationship with Iran to convey their concerns. Discussions also covered Yemen, maintaining the ceasefire in Gaza, humanitarian access, and the resilience of energy and food supply chains – the various and interconnected sources of instability plaguing the Middle East.

Russia could mediate efforts to de-escalate tensions and mitigate the deterioration in relations between Tehran and the Gulf monarchies, since it maintains close ties with Iran while developing political, economic, and energy cooperation with the Arab states. These relationships allow Moscow to relay messages, identify the scope for compromise, and facilitate direct dialogue, which can easily give way to competing ultimatums during a crisis.

However, this two-way access does not mean Moscow can dictate what its partners actually decide, and its closeness to Tehran may raise questions among Arab participants. The effectiveness of Russian mediation will ultimately depend on whether the parties themselves are willing to negotiate, acknowledge one another’s concerns, and take practical steps to address them.

Inclusive security as an alternative to permanent crisis

In Manama, Lavrov once again presented Russia’s updated concept of collective security in the Persian Gulf as a potential contribution to a lasting settlement. The proposal continues a longstanding initiative rather than a document developed solely for this visit. As early as June, he reported that updated proposals had been circulated to regional capitals and that Moscow was receiving initial responses.

The approach rests on the premise that the Arab monarchies and Iran must take part in a shared framework, because attempts to secure one group of states by isolating another reproduce the causes of confrontation. Confidence-building measures and regular contact are intended to reduce uncertainty gradually, while the Gulf countries and their immediate neighbors should have the decisive voice in shaping the regional order.

An earlier Russian concept circulated at the United Nations in 2019 already envisaged a gradual normalization of conditions, respect for sovereignty, the peaceful settlement of disputes, and the development of collective security mechanisms. The current proposals can be assumed to carry over the same spirit, even if specific provisions have changed or been updated.

The practical value of this model will depend on whether broad principles can be translated into agreed procedures for preventing incidents, protecting civilian infrastructure, and keeping maritime routes open. These arrangements could provide the first steps towards a more stable order, whereas an attempt to resolve every political disagreement at once could obstruct even limited measures to ease tensions.

Why expensive oil does not make war good for Russia

Western media and expert debates, including those focused on Middle Eastern politics, frequently portray Russia as a beneficiary of the war, arguing that disruptions to Gulf supplies drive up energy prices and create opportunities for Russian exporters.

A short-term price benefit is certainly possible, but to assume that war gives Russia a strategic advantage is analytically unsound, because the country’s national interests are not limited to a single source of export revenue. Additional income from commodity sales says little about the cost of damaged partnerships, postponed investment, and worsening conditions for long-term projects.

The Middle East matters to Russia as a political and economic partner, and stable relations depend on predictable institutions, transport routes, and financial transactions. A prolonged war raises shipping and insurance costs, complicates infrastructure agreements, and forces partners to divert resources from development toward immediate security needs.

This is evident in Russia’s cooperation with Iran, where its projects require a stable operating environment. In Tehran, Lavrov spoke of Russian specialists gradually returning to the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, as well as prospects for cooperation in hydrocarbon production and transportation. A protracted war creates additional risks for these activities, and higher oil prices cannot remove them.

Moreover, a sustained energy shock can weaken the global economy, while the resulting decline in demand limits exporters’ initial gains. Even if some consequences of a Middle East war can benefit Russian suppliers in the short term, claims that Moscow wants endless war in the region are superficial at best. Russia’s strategic interest lies in the region’s long-term stability, which would allow it to preserve partnerships, markets, and opportunities for economic engagement.

The transformation of the world order and the erosion of Western hegemony give Middle Eastern states greater scope to pursue independent policies, but a redistribution of international influence does not in itself resolve regional disputes. If dependence on external guarantees is merely supplemented by new competing patrons, while mechanisms for direct dialogue remain weak, the Middle East will continue to serve as an arena where local conflicts intersect with rivalry among major powers.

Regional autonomy requires that neighboring states agree on rules for coexistence, even when their foreign policy priorities and perceptions of threats differ substantially. A durable system will require mutual respect for sovereignty, a rejection of imposed military solutions, and recognition that lasting security cannot be built on another state’s permanent vulnerability.

Russia can support this process by providing diplomatic channels and helping identify a workable sequence of agreements, but only the countries of the region can build a peaceful future. External mediation delivers results when it supports an existing willingness to compromise, while even substantive initiatives can remain on paper if that willingness is absent.

Lavrov’s visits to Manama and Tehran highlighted an opportunity to connect urgent de-escalation with discussions about a more durable regional order. Seizing this opportunity will take time and difficult political decisions, because the parties will need to constrain their own use of force, rebuild damaged trust, and accept reciprocal obligations. Moscow can mediate this process, but its outcome will depend on the desire and readiness of the Gulf states and Iran to reach an agreement.

Billionaire tech investor and Palantir co-founder Peter Thiel has expressed regret over the US war against Iran, warning that it could ultimately lead to International Criminal Court warrants for the Trump administration and have broader implications for the US, Politico reported on Thursday.

The outlet cited a transcript of a lecture given by Thiel earlier this month, part of the series of private events held in Nashville.

Thiel, a staunch backer of US President Donald Trump, has expressed doubts over the Iran war, which was launched by the US and Israel earlier this year, suggesting that it has exposed America’s weaknesses.

“I’m skeptical of [the war], I think we should not have done it. There were a lot of mistakes that were made,” Thiel said, as quoted by Politico.

Maybe we don’t have the hard power. Maybe we’re going to lose the soft power war.

While reiterating his support for Trump, he warned that the war could backfire for the administration and lead to legal troubles with the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The Trump administration has had a hostile relationship with the ICC, particularly over the decision to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes in Gaza.

“I have come to suspect that the threat of an ICC arrest warrant is the sword of Damocles hanging over the Trump administration as it tries to persecute this war in Iran,” Thiel said.

He also claimed that George W. Bush-era neocon figures such as Donald Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney have been colluding with the ICC against Trump. “I read the Cheney family’s Trump derangement syndrome as an attempt to buy favor with the [ICC] and avoid prosecution. Probably too late,” he said.

Palantir has been heavily involved in the hostilities, as its products have been used by the US military. The use of AI products was reportedly linked to one of the worst mass-casualty events of the war – the strike on a school in Minab on the first day of the conflict, which killed at least 156 civilians, predominantly schoolchildren. According to media reports, the facility was targeted based on outdated data used by Palantir’s analysis and surveillance software.

The world’s first documented human infection with the Shamonda virus has been reported in France, where a hospitalized patient later died, according to the health authorities.

The insect-borne disease, which has circulated among livestock for decades, was previously believed to be incapable of infecting humans.

In a joint statement on Thursday, the French Health and Agriculture Ministries confirmed that the patient, who had a severely weakened immune system, died in early October after being hospitalized in Lyon.

“Until now, the Shamonda virus was considered non-transmissible to humans,” the ministries said, according to AFP. They described the infection as the first confirmed detection of the pathogen in a person.

The patient developed severe neurological complications that the authorities believe were linked to the infection. However, investigators have still not established conclusively whether the virus was responsible for the death.

Despite the unprecedented case, the French authorities said there is currently no indication of a wider threat to public health. They stressed that the patient was severely immunocompromised and that no other human infections have been identified.

The Shamonda virus belongs to the orthobunyavirus group and was first identified in Nigeria in the 1960s. It is transmitted by tiny biting insects known as Culicoides midges and has been detected in livestock in Africa and Asia.

Other viruses that have crossed from animals to humans include HIV, Ebola, and bird flu. The Covid-19 pandemic was caused by a virus widely believed to have originated in bats.

The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control has confirmed the unprecedented human case and is working with the French authorities to assess its implications.

Health officials are continuing epidemiological and laboratory investigations to determine how the patient became infected and whether other cases may have gone undetected.