At an expanded meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said Russia was ready to share its innovation experience through the organization’s newly established pool of technology parks. He said creative industries account for about 4% of Russia’s GDP and urged stronger cooperation to develop the sector.
Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said Russia wants to advance practical projects and achieve concrete results within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. He called for stable, transparent and predictable conditions for mutual investment and invited national institutions to join Russia’s InvestRussia platform.
Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said Russia and the US have been and will remain systemic adversaries, with their relations set back by decades. He described the Graham Act as a systemic act of Russophobia intended to last for decades.
France did not merely erupt in protests on Saturday; it exploded. Cost-of-living demonstrations drew two and a half times the crowd police had expected, overwhelming officers. Police also faced determined flash mobs, including radical militants intent on fighting and others who came to loot. Attacks on symbols of the Republic, including Limoges’s 19th-century city hall, were watched around the world.
In 1935, local Yi communities in Sichuan helped the Red Army navigate difficult terrain. Tibetan communities there also value this history, and local leaders are passing accounts of the army’s sacrifices to younger generations. On the Long March’s 90th anniversary, these stories highlight ethnic minorities’ role in this pivotal chapter of China’s revolutionary history.
Long MarchRed ArmyYi communitiesTibetan communities
More US capital is flowing into Germany’s traditional industrial and family-owned firms as owners struggle to find successors, putting more companies up for sale. In 2025, US investors took part in 76 acquisitions and investments in German industrial and manufacturing companies, worth about $29.5 billion—nearly double the 2022 total.
German companiesUS investmentfamily businessesacquisitions
Five commissioners, including EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, warn that Ireland’s proposed 17% cut to Global Europe would weaken the bloc’s influence and security. Council President Costa is preparing a new compromise ahead of a 26 November summit.
EU budgetGlobal EuropeEuropean Commissionforeign policy
German mortgages are now at their most expensive since 2009, with average rates on ten-year loans nearing 4.5%, broker Interhyp says. Inflation concerns stoked by the Iran war are driving up borrowing costs.
Seventeen pine trees overlooking Huawu were planted by young men who left for the Long March and never returned. More than 90 years later, the village has new homes, fruit greenhouses and fresh ways for residents to earn a living.
Open enrollment for Medicare, the nationwide federal health insurance program primarily serving people aged 65 and older, began last week, with some changes this year.
Expert analysis indicates that Rade Bajić, a Serbian prosecutor who investigated an allegedly illegal scheme to help the Trumps build a tower in Belgrade, was targeted with advanced spyware. Citizen Lab has not identified who was behind the apparent attack; Bajić said he believed his role in the case was the reason.
Panasonic Holdings is speeding up plans to mass-produce solar cells that can be embedded in glass, supporting Japan’s push into next-generation technology and expanding renewable energy deployment.
Russia’s Battlegroup North said its artillery units carried out more than 200 fire missions overnight in the Kharkov and Sumy regions, killing 64 Ukrainian personnel and destroying six all-terrain vehicles, among other targets.
A major Berlin exhibition examines Genghis Khan and his successors. The report describes how his conquests created a vast empire and reshaped warfare, government, law, trade and religious policy, while also bringing mass executions and other cruelty.
More than half a million young people are set to vote for the first time in Israel’s election next week. Polls indicate that over 16% plan to back far-right parties, with National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir attracting support from young voters who say he offers security. Critics accuse him of sowing discord.
Victoria police charged Brendan Nugent, 43, with dangerous driving causing serious injury, intentionally causing serious injury and harming a Commonwealth public official. He allegedly struck independent MP Helen Haines with a vehicle outside her Wangaratta electorate office; police said the attack appeared targeted. Haines is in critical but stable condition, has lost one leg and doctors are trying to save the other.
Reports say Australian lawmaker Helen Haines lost a leg in a car attack described as deliberate. People laid flowers outside her office on October 20 after she underwent surgery overnight.
Police said Helen Haines, a 65-year-old independent lawmaker, was hit by an SUV outside her electoral office in Wangaratta, Victoria, on Monday afternoon. Australia’s prime minister said it was “no accident.”
Australian Federal Police said the alleged targeting of independent MP Helen Haines outside her Wangaratta office appeared to be an isolated incident, with no known further threats. A 43-year-old man accused of deliberately hitting her is in custody. Haines underwent surgery and remains in critical condition.
Independent Australian MP Helen Haines was seriously injured when a car hit her outside her electorate office in Wangaratta. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called it a “deliberate act”; police said the driver was a 43-year-old man.
Guardian Australia identified Brendan Nugent, 43, as the man accused of attacking Helen Haines. Police allege the Tarrawingee man, who was driving a Toyota LandCruiser, was arrested at the scene in Wangaratta. Nugent has long campaigned on forestry issues; environmental campaigners who worked with him expressed shock at his arrest.
Australian politicsHelen HainesBrendan Nugentpolice investigation
Amnesty says Israeli settler violence aims to “ethnically cleanse” the occupied West Bank. Israeli soldiers and illegal settlers gathered near an olive grove on October 19 after a settler attack on a Palestinian home.
Protests have deepened divisions in France and turned young people into an angry voting bloc. After nationwide demonstrations turned violent, Macron acknowledged students’ demands for education changes while condemning rioters. Students have sought better schools, more teachers and greater equality since mid-September, with the movement also drawing broader social and economic anxieties into political debate.
French politicsstudent protestsEmmanuel Macronpresidential election
French student union spokesperson Alice Cohen-Morzadec says education protests reflect mounting anger over Macron’s policies, which have left students in poverty and facing housing insecurity.
Amnesty International Turkey campaigner Milena Buyum says the state takeover of Halk TV, one of Turkey’s most-watched news channels, is more than an isolated clash between authorities and an independent broadcaster. She describes it as part of a wider erosion of media pluralism, alongside state trustee appointments, journalist detentions and growing restrictions on independent digital platforms, calling the intervention a “brutal attack on media freedom in Turkey.”
The United States has barred the Chinese AI platform DeepSeek from federal civilian agency networks. The directive said its interactive structure could expose sensitive operational queries to interception by foreign parties.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has barred DeepSeek-related technology from federal civilian agency IT systems, amid a wider AI rift with China.
Domestically developed innovative medicines accounted for 80% of new drug approvals in China during the first three quarters of 2026, a Tuesday press conference said. Wang Weiming, chief engineer at the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said research had made breakthroughs in several disease areas, including cancer and rare diseases.
Chinainnovative drugsdrug approvalspharmaceutical research
Foreign nationals made 23.272 million border crossings in China in the third quarter of 2026, a 15.6% rise from a year earlier, the National Immigration Administration said. Visa-free arrivals totaled 8.992 million, or 77.5% of foreign arrivals, up 24.1%.
The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service says the United States found that Mexican criminal groups have long sent operatives to Ukraine for training in assembling and using UAVs in combat. It says at least 80 people trained within Ukraine’s armed forces, with payments allegedly funded by drug sales in the United States and routed to officials close to Vladimir Zelensky.
Mexican criminal groupsUkraineUAV trainingRussian Foreign Intelligence Service
After the US government ordered its agencies on Monday to stop using AI tools from Chinese startup DeepSeek, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said China opposes broadening the concept of national security and politicizing science, technology and trade issues. She said China would protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies.
The US has ordered DeepSeek technology, including tools built on its models, removed from most government systems and barred civilian agencies from using it. The Department of Homeland Security did not specify the security concerns. DeepSeek’s free, low-cost models have gained users and been integrated into services by US technology companies.
China opposes what it calls an overextension of the national security concept and the politicization of science, technology and trade, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Tuesday. Responding to reports that the U.S. government ordered agencies to remove Chinese-developed AI tools and services, including DeepSeek, she said China would safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies.
China diplomacytechnology policyU.S.-China relations
China opposes politicization of science, technology and trade, spokesperson says
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🇦🇱 Still smiling at 117, Albanian may be world's oldest woman
At 117, Qamile Marra is not concerned with proving she may be the world's oldest woman, but official documents suggest she is two days older than Ethel Caterham, who holds the title according to Guinness World Records.
🇦🇱 Still smiling at 117, Albanian may be world's oldest woman
At 117, Qamile Marra is not concerned with proving she may be the world's oldest woman, but official documents suggest she is two days older than Ethel Caterham, who holds the title according to Guinness World Records.
Vladimir Putin proposed a meeting of the US, Chinese and Russian leaders during the APEC summit. Donald Trump said he would take part, with denuclearization—not ending the war in Ukraine—as the focus. Beijing has not stated a position, while Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said such a meeting would inflate Putin’s status and encourage him to continue the war.
US-China-Russia summitDonald TrumpVladimir PutinUkraine war
Trump said he is willing to meet Putin and Xi in China. He also renewed his criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, saying it was time for someone else to negotiate on Ukraine’s behalf.
Trump said he would meet with Putin and Xi and criticized Zelenskyy. Tensions between Trump and Zelenskyy have risen steadily in recent weeks, while Russia, which invaded Ukraine, has received multiple concessions from the U.S.
The PLA Southern Theater Command Navy said the USS Charleston entered waters near Xianbin Jiao in China’s Nansha Qundao without Chinese government approval early Tuesday. Chinese forces tracked and monitored the ship, while a spokesperson said the move infringed China’s sovereign interests and endangered maritime security and regional peace and stability.
South China SeaChina-U.S. relationsmaritime security
A Chinese military spokesperson said the USS Charleston entered waters near Xianbin Jiao in China's Nansha Qundao early Monday without Beijing's approval. The PLA Southern Theater Command Navy tracked and monitored the ship. China said the move infringed its sovereign rights and threatened maritime security, and called on the United States to stop such activities.
China-US relationsSouth China Seamaritime security
Suzhou Dongshan Precision Manufacturing raised less than expected in its Hong Kong IPO. Analysts cited investor concerns about possible US trade restrictions on its optical modules business and the city’s cautious appetite for mega listings. The company has opened orders for 113.7 million shares, priced at up to HK$93.80 each; its prospectus says 20 cornerstone investors have agreed to participate.
Hong Kong IPOSuzhou Dongshantrade risks
SSouth China Morning PostOriginal★★☆☆☆2026-10-20 08:37
Suzhou Dongshan’s US$1.8 billion Hong Kong IPO falls short of expectations
Embodied-intelligence robots are rapidly entering workplaces and daily life in Xinjiang. A one-stop robot service center launched on Sept. 16 displays more than 100 devices across 25 categories. A local company is also building a training and testing base, with its robot assembly line scheduled to launch in April 2027.
Anti-Palestinian rhetoric from Israeli politicians is intensifying ahead of elections. Hate speech, amplified by AI and social media, is shaping everyday attitudes in Israel.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said Tuesday that curfews would continue in some areas following violent rioting over the weekend. Macron is also facing criticism over his trip to the Gulf.
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said targeted curfews in parts of Paris and other major cities helped bring calm overnight and suggested more could be imposed if needed. A helicopter swept a searchlight over Paris’s Place de la République, while some restrictions in Bordeaux and Nice were to last several days.
The first phase of the 140th Canton Fair ended Monday in Guangzhou, drawing 189,000 overseas buyers from 214 countries and regions, 13.3% more than during the same phase of the previous fair. The fair is held in three phases, with the first focused on advanced manufacturing.
Israeli financial newspaper Calcalist reports that Israel and Cyprus are expected to sign an agreement in the coming weeks, after their defence ministries finalise the terms.
Trump brought his midterm campaign pitch to Kansas on Monday night, announcing a new fuel relief program for farmers contending with record-high diesel prices.
UEFA has given FIFA until November 2 to produce documents about Gianni Infantino’s abandoned World Cup investment plan and other governance matters, alongside answers to 42 questions. UEFA says Infantino’s apology and explanation did not resolve core concerns; FIFA lawyers have accused UEFA of harassing him.
Shanghai Ballet Company has begun a 31-day U.S. tour, with performances of its original production The Love Eterne and the classical ballet Giselle in 13 cities across eight states. The company will also hold master classes and pre-show talks at universities and in communities.
Bitcoin ETFs had their biggest single-day showing in a month, entirely thanks to BlackRock. Fidelity's FBTC and Grayscale's GBTC recorded outflows of $83.6 million and $54.9 million, respectively.
The diplomatic push comes as the rift between Kyiv and Washington deepens. The US is pressing Ukraine to stop strikes on Russian oil infrastructure, while Patriot missile deliveries to Kyiv are delayed and intelligence-sharing and satellite communications are reportedly restricted.
Siemens says young employees could miss out on essential hands-on experience and skills, including the ability to check AI-generated work, if AI takes over routine tasks. Executive Judith Wiese said AI could also help workers learn faster, but its effect on employment remains unclear. Germany has also agreed to deepen AI cooperation with Nvidia.
Jenner’s testnet release separates the ability to create CAS20 assets from issuer powers. Shared compliance lists would rely on a separate network switch.
A Russian drone struck commuter traffic in Kyiv’s Holosiivskyi District early in the morning, killing at least one person and injuring six, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. The drone crashed near a gas station.
Russian forces struck a building used for manufacturing and storage in the Obukhiv district of Ukraine’s Kyiv region overnight on October 20, causing a fire, the State Emergency Service said. Three people died and six were injured. In a separate attack on Khmelnytskyi region on October 19, two people were killed and two injured; two businesses and several homes were damaged.
Russia-Ukraine warRussian attackKyiv regionKhmelnytskyi region
The International Organization for Standardization and the International Electrotechnical Commission have published a China-led international standard for brain-computer interface reference architecture, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation said Friday. Developed with experts from multiple countries, it aims to align system components, functions and implementation approaches, and provide a shared technical reference for BCI development and future standards.
Japan is making a major effort to revive its chip sector, but its latest investments indicate that Tokyo is also being drawn into efforts to expand the U.S. semiconductor industry.
Former People's Bank of China governor Zhou Xiaochuan said AI applications could boost productivity, while heavy investment in AI infrastructure could threaten financial stability. Speaking at the 2026 Bund Summit in Shanghai, he called for international cooperation and warned failed investments could cause financial turbulence or a crisis.
Storm Adam has battered eastern Spain, killing at least five people and forcing thousands to evacuate. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is due to visit Valencia on Tuesday to see the storm’s impact.
Torrential rain from Storm Adam caused severe flooding in eastern Spain, killing four people and prompting shelter-in-place orders for tens of thousands. Flooding isolated coastal towns, while security forces carried out hundreds of rescues and more than 2,000 people were evacuated.
Torrential rain along Spain’s eastern Mediterranean coast caused severe flooding that killed at least four people and left more than 450 stranded on rooftops, in buildings or in vehicles. Valencia and Alicante were among the worst-hit areas, and rescue teams brought those trapped to safety.
Torrential rain struck eastern Spain on Monday, with flooding killing at least four people in recent days, sweeping away cars, inundating roads and leaving residents stranded. Emergency crews carried out more than 400 rescues in Valencia, where some areas received 700 litres of rain per square metre in 24 hours.
Ukraine’s 92nd Assault Brigade says it has used an aerial drone for the first time to evacuate a wounded soldier. Mines and Russian drone activity made a conventional rescue from his position impossible.
Khabarovsk Region specialists have developed helmets for military personnel that detect enemy drones and automatically display their distance, Governor Dmitry Demeshin said. He added that the region regularly supplies equipment and vehicles for Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine.
Two stone lions at Tokyo’s Yasukuni Shrine were looted by Japanese forces from Sanxue Temple in Haicheng during the First Sino-Japanese War. A Japanese civil society group has made five requests for their return without reaching agreement. Its representative, Tsuguo Tokairin, also challenges the shrine’s account of wartime history and says it now bars outside guides at its museum.
Yasukuni ShrineChinese cultural relicsstone lionswar history
Brent crude remained at a five-month high as uncertainty over when energy supplies will return to normal amid the war with Iran continued to keep oil prices elevated.
The Cittaslow initiative spotlights lesser-known towns around the world that celebrate local food, culture and history. Türkiye has 29 such towns, offering visitors access to many aspects of Turkish culture.
Gen Z protesters have taken up a symbol from the popular manga One Piece. The flag has become a recognised emblem of revolt during protests in France and beyond.
French protestsOne Piecepop cultureprotest movements
Facing an EU import quota targeting their hybrid electric vehicles, Chinese carmakers are preparing to expand local production in Europe to support their global growth. They plan either to spend billions of yuan on their own factories or use idle plants belonging to international marques, seeking to sustain a sales boom in a major automotive market.
Chinese carmakersEuropean productionimport quotasauto tariffs
SSouth China Morning PostOriginal★★☆☆☆2026-10-20 08:00
Chinese carmakers prepare to ramp up European production to sidestep tariffs and import quotas
Weather and wildfire experts say a dangerous mix of conditions prevailed Saturday afternoon when a deadly fire engulfed a training exercise at CFB Wainwright in east-central Alberta, killing four soldiers and severely injuring dozens more.
After a contractor knocked on his door last spring, an elderly Scarborough man ended up living out of a suitcase, with his home roofless and in ruins. Police are investigating possible fraud, and he says he cannot afford to rebuild after his insurance claim was denied.
Stelco's U.S. owner says the steelmaker's third quarter this year was its strongest since the 2024 acquisition. Meanwhile, hundreds of workers in Hamilton and Nanticoke, Ontario, are set to lose their jobs, with layoff notices beginning earlier this month.
In a letter sent Monday to Lt.-Gov. Manon Jeannotte, the Parti Québécois leader said his incoming government would not let a representative of the British Crown preside over the cabinet's swearing-in.
South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said it would withdraw some staff from its diplomatic missions in Ukraine because of security challenges amid threats of airstrikes across the country. Spokesman Park Doo-soon said Ukraine had taken no constructive steps after South Korea recalled its ambassador. Consular staff will continue assisting South Korean citizens, while diplomatic communication between the two countries will continue.
The variety show Natural High filmed in Jiuzhaigou has circulated widely on social media, prompting visitors to seek out the locations featured. The project pairs entertainment with local cultural tourism, and included a National Day carnival in Yibin featuring activities, games and regional food.
Beijing’s hills and forests turn red and gold in autumn, with several scenic sites holding red-leaf festivals from October to November. Visitors can hike at Pofengling, explore Fragrant Hills Park or walk along the Mutianyu Great Wall. Peak viewing is expected from late October to early November, varying by location and weather.
Russian airlines have carried more than 80 million passengers since the start of the year, Federal Agency for Air Transport chief Dmitry Yadrov told the State Duma. He said they carried almost 109 million last year and that international connections currently link Russia with 38 countries.
Four irrigation projects in Henan, Gansu, Jiangxi and Fujian have been added to the World Heritage Irrigation Structures list, taking China's total to 46. They were recognized during the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage's 77th International Executive Council Meeting in Marseille, France.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko said Moscow had noted South Korean statements expressing a desire to normalize relations, while Seoul says full normalization can come only after the geopolitical situation changes and the Ukraine conflict ends. He said Russia would welcome practical steps, adding that Seoul joined sanctions against Russia first and Moscow did not initiate the break in ties. South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has said Seoul considers ties with Moscow important and will keep communication channels open.
Russia notes South Korean officials’ statements on normalizing ties
FlashTranslated by Minutes
Swimmers brandishing short, curved sticks hold their breath as they somersault and dive towards a weighted puck at the bottom of a Hong Kong swimming pool.
The annual underwater hockey tournament, ominously advertised as "physical hell", draws a roster of hardcore enthusiasts from across Asia
Swimmers brandishing short, curved sticks hold their breath as they somersault and dive towards a weighted puck at the bottom of a Hong Kong swimming pool.
The annual underwater hockey tournament, ominously advertised as "physical hell", draws a roster of hardcore enthusiasts from across Asia
A University of Science and Technology of China team estimates that Earth’s earliest oceans formed within 10,000 years after the global magma ocean solidified. In baseline conditions, the surface reached water’s critical temperature in about 1,800 years, with oceans forming roughly 2,500 years later. The model may also aid studies of Mars, Venus and other terrestrial planets.
Four people familiar with the Bank of Japan’s thinking said it may lift its inflation outlook for the next fiscal year in forecasts due this month, while leaving rates unchanged as rising oil prices keep price pressures elevated for longer than expected.
Bank of Japaninflation forecastinterest ratesoil prices
A fire reportedly broke out at an oil pumping station near Michurinsk after an overnight drone attack on Oct. 20. Governor Yevgeny Pervyshov said a Ukrainian attack caused a fire at an unspecified enterprise and that four drones were downed, with no casualties reported. Ukraine has not confirmed an attack, and The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify the station fire.
U.S. Treasury yields slipped slightly on Tuesday as investors awaited economic data and assessed the inflation backdrop ahead of next week’s rate decision.
Ryanair will cut one million seats from Belgium this winter. CEO Michael O’Leary warns fares will rise sharply in 2027 and says foreign airlines should pay their share.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces struck Ukrainian logistics facilities, port infrastructure and vessels overnight. It said targets included the Grand Import hub in Khmelnytskyi, a logistics center in Kovel, and cargo ships and loading facilities at Reni port. Ukrainian officials separately reported damage to a warehouse or energy facilities in the Kyiv, Lviv, Ternopil and Odesa regions.
The Minutes Reader extension turns the original page into a focused reading view and translates articles and video subtitles on demand. It is in limited beta.
TASSOriginal★★★★☆2026-10-20 09:09
