Wednesday, 7 October 2026

Elsewhere the map shifted on several fronts. Zelensky warned that Russia is preparing a massive attack, while strikes hit Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia and Kyiv. In Yemen, the government claims gains near the Bab el-Mandeb strait, which the Houthis deny, and the Houthis hit Saudi airports; Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey invoked their Mecca defence pact on Monday. Iran keeps attacking tankers in Hormuz, even as Shell's chief executive says Gulf oil exports are back near 80% of prewar levels. Kenya confirmed its first Ebola death, a man who returned from Congo, and Mali's army, backed by Russia's Africa Corps, entered Kidal after Tuareg rebels withdrew.

Markets were split. The S&P 500 hit a record high as AI chip stocks rallied, while Treasury yields eased from their highest since 2002. The euro fell on Monday to its weakest since May 2025 as French borrowing costs neared 5 per cent, and Marine Le Pen presented a spending-cut plan on Tuesday. In the tech race, Mistral released Mistral Large 4 and DeepSeek is reported to be raising at least $12bn.

Less noticed was the arrest of former BND president August Hanning on Tuesday on suspicion of treasonous espionage, a rare case for a former intelligence chief. Tigray also deserves attention: witnesses say Tigrayan groups are forcibly recruiting boys as young as 15, and an analyst warns of rising risk of war between Ethiopia and Eritrea. Tomorrow, watch how Israel and Gaza pass the 7 October anniversary, after Defense Minister Katz put the army on alert.