Friday, 23 October 2026
Tension around the Strait of Hormuz set the tone. Iran's IRGC says seven vessels were hit near Hormuz, and the New York Times reports US-Israeli plans for renewed strikes after the 3 November midterms. Brent rose above $110, a five-month high, on Gulf escalation fears, and global stocks fell.
Houthi attacks hit a Saudi airport and an oil field this week, and both Aramco and Washington scaled back their presence in the kingdom. Russia struck Kyiv with ballistic missiles, some with cluster warheads, hours after Witkoff met Putin, and Ukraine sent hundreds of drones toward Moscow. Russia nonetheless says it will resume talks with the US and Ukraine, possibly in Abu Dhabi, after Putin freed an American prisoner.
French 10-year yields stayed above 5% on Thursday, with the spread over German Bunds the widest since 2011, driven by budget deadlock and unrest. Worries about how the AI boom is financed also hit markets, and Meta's credit risk gauge rose to a record after its results.
Largely overlooked, a drone strike on Amiet market in the disputed Abyei region on Monday, 19 October, killed at least 153 people, according to local authorities. They and South Sudan blame the Sudanese army. Tomorrow, watch France, where several big cities have banned all protests on Saturday.
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Houthi attacks hit a Saudi airport and an oil field this week, and both Aramco and Washington scaled back their presence in the kingdom. Russia struck Kyiv with ballistic missiles, some with cluster warheads, hours after Witkoff met Putin, and Ukraine sent hundreds of drones toward Moscow. Russia nonetheless says it will resume talks with the US and Ukraine, possibly in Abu Dhabi, after Putin freed an American prisoner.
French 10-year yields stayed above 5% on Thursday, with the spread over German Bunds the widest since 2011, driven by budget deadlock and unrest. Worries about how the AI boom is financed also hit markets, and Meta's credit risk gauge rose to a record after its results.
Largely overlooked, a drone strike on Amiet market in the disputed Abyei region on Monday, 19 October, killed at least 153 people, according to local authorities. They and South Sudan blame the Sudanese army. Tomorrow, watch France, where several big cities have banned all protests on Saturday.
Important today
Iran says seven ships hit near Hormuz as US and Israel reportedly plan post-midterm strikes
Aramco evacuates headquarters and US pulls diplomats as Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia intensify
Russia strikes Kyiv after Witkoff-Putin talks as Ukrainian drones target Moscow
Ebola reaches Nigeria as WHO warns of a more complex outbreak
Millions of exploit attempts follow AI-found PHP flaws as sites return online
Oil climbs to five-month high as global stocks fall
French risk premium hits euro-crisis levels as borrowing costs pass US
Death toll passes 150 after drone strike on Abyei market
Trilateral Ukraine talks eyed for November as Witkoff's Putin remark angers allies
Magnitude 7 earthquake kills at least 16 in northern Tibet
France bans non-union protests ahead of Saturday demonstrations
Lula accepts Bolsonaro's terms for record disclosure before Brazil run-off
All stories
Global · 3
Middle East · 6
- Iran says seven ships hit near Hormuz as US and Israel reportedly plan post-midterm strikes
- Aramco evacuates headquarters and US pulls diplomats as Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia intensify
- Israel's race stays tight as Netanyahu courts right-wing voters
- Israel frees nine settler suspects to house arrest as UN calls West Bank violence out of control
- Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan and Indonesia sign defence industry pact
- Israeli fire kills four in Gaza as hospitals face fuel and medicine shortages
Europe · 14
- Russia strikes Kyiv after Witkoff-Putin talks as Ukrainian drones target Moscow
- French risk premium hits euro-crisis levels as borrowing costs pass US
- Trilateral Ukraine talks eyed for November as Witkoff's Putin remark angers allies
- France bans non-union protests ahead of Saturday demonstrations
- Serbia's student list rallies in Belgrade as campaign closes before Sunday's vote
- Germany arrests Ukrainian man suspected of spying for Russia
- Italian truckers ease fuel-price protests as government lines up aid
- Trump asked Musk to lift Starlink limits in Ukraine, as Rubio says access is Musk's call
- Ankara rejects Greek and EU criticism of Libya maritime deal
- ICC wins EU Sakharov Prize while under US sanctions
- Nestlé removes Russian business from accounts after Kremlin takeover
- Albanian lawmakers scuffle in parliament as street protests continue
- NATO agency to let Ukraine buy weapons through its procurement system
- Barclays to cut 5,000 jobs as it steps up AI adoption
Africa · 2
Asia · 9
- Magnitude 7 earthquake kills at least 16 in northern Tibet
- Taiwan and China prepare as Super Typhoon Champi approaches
- North Korea to restart border propaganda broadcasts as tensions rise
- DeepSeek reportedly raises $15bn as TSMC seeks rare-earth workarounds
- Protests in Indonesia demand action as haze blankets Southeast Asia
- Afghanistan-Pakistan conflict turns to proxy groups after eight months
- Indonesia moves to shore up markets ahead of MSCI index change
- Retail investors fully subscribe Jio Platforms IPO
- Aung San Suu Kyi speaks to son for first time in over five years
South America · 1
North America · 2
Geopolitics · 25
- Iran says seven ships hit near Hormuz as US and Israel reportedly plan post-midterm strikes
- Aramco evacuates headquarters and US pulls diplomats as Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia intensify
- Russia strikes Kyiv after Witkoff-Putin talks as Ukrainian drones target Moscow
- Ebola reaches Nigeria as WHO warns of a more complex outbreak
- Death toll passes 150 after drone strike on Abyei market
- Trilateral Ukraine talks eyed for November as Witkoff's Putin remark angers allies
- Magnitude 7 earthquake kills at least 16 in northern Tibet
- France bans non-union protests ahead of Saturday demonstrations
- Lula accepts Bolsonaro's terms for record disclosure before Brazil run-off
- Taiwan and China prepare as Super Typhoon Champi approaches
- Israel's race stays tight as Netanyahu courts right-wing voters
- Israel frees nine settler suspects to house arrest as UN calls West Bank violence out of control
- Serbia's student list rallies in Belgrade as campaign closes before Sunday's vote
- North Korea to restart border propaganda broadcasts as tensions rise
- Germany arrests Ukrainian man suspected of spying for Russia
- Italian truckers ease fuel-price protests as government lines up aid
- Protests in Indonesia demand action as haze blankets Southeast Asia
- Ankara rejects Greek and EU criticism of Libya maritime deal
- Afghanistan-Pakistan conflict turns to proxy groups after eight months
- ICC wins EU Sakharov Prize while under US sanctions
- Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan and Indonesia sign defence industry pact
- Albanian lawmakers scuffle in parliament as street protests continue
- NATO agency to let Ukraine buy weapons through its procurement system
- Aung San Suu Kyi speaks to son for first time in over five years
- Israeli fire kills four in Gaza as hospitals face fuel and medicine shortages
Economy · 7
- Oil climbs to five-month high as global stocks fall
- French risk premium hits euro-crisis levels as borrowing costs pass US
- AI debt worries weigh on markets as Meta credit risk hits record
- Indonesia moves to shore up markets ahead of MSCI index change
- Retail investors fully subscribe Jio Platforms IPO
- Nestlé removes Russian business from accounts after Kremlin takeover
- Barclays to cut 5,000 jobs as it steps up AI adoption
Technology · 5
- Millions of exploit attempts follow AI-found PHP flaws as sites return online
- Experts expect Meta to fight $25bn New Mexico penalty on appeal
- DeepSeek reportedly raises $15bn as TSMC seeks rare-earth workarounds
- Trump asked Musk to lift Starlink limits in Ukraine, as Rubio says access is Musk's call
- Tesla profit falls as analysts debate SpaceX merger