NatWest’s request that staff work from the office at least two days a week drew sharp criticism on Tuesday from British union Unite, which cited potential costs for employees and disruption to family arrangements.
Investigative outlet Slidstvo.Info reported that the Kyiv building where Mayor Vitali Klitschko owns an apartment is exempt from scheduled power cuts. DTEK Kyiv Grids said the building and 10 others are connected to a critical infrastructure facility and cannot be disconnected separately. Most city residents face scheduled outages amid Russian strikes on energy infrastructure.
KyivVitali Klitschkoscheduled power outagesenergy infrastructure
Brent crude futures for December 2026 delivery turned lower on London’s ICE, according to trading data. At 5:30 p.m. Moscow time, Brent was down 3.02% at $106.24 a barrel, while November WTI futures fell 2.95% to $95.62.
Omer Celik, spokesperson for Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party, said the Mecca Agreement with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan complements the international security architecture rather than replacing NATO, and welcomes participation by other countries. Turkey will honor it following parliamentary approval and constitutional procedures.
Akhmat commander Lieutenant General Apty Alaudinov said American journalist Christopher Helali, who signed a contract with the Russian Defense Ministry’s commando unit and completed training, will perform standard combat duties effectively. Helali has applied for Russian citizenship but has not received it.
Gazprom said construction of the Belogorsk-Khabarovsk pipeline, linking the Power of Siberia and Sakhalin-Khabarovsk-Vladivostok pipelines, is 94% complete and has been connected to both. The interconnector is the first stage of the Eastern Gas Supply System trunk pipeline project, and Gazprom plans to finish construction by year-end.
The Philadelphia Eagles said Monday that doctors diagnosed quarterback Jalen Hurts with deep vein thrombosis and blood clots in his lungs. He may be out for the rest of the season.
American footballPhiladelphia EaglesJalen Hurtsblood clots
At the Global Security Forum in Doha, Qatar’s intelligence chief said the war with Iran compelled the country to urgently redeploy its defensive assets. The US ambassador to Turkey also discussed a fundamental shift in Washington’s presence in the Middle East.
QatarIran wardefence deploymentMiddle East security
Severstal has revised its forecast for Russia’s 2026 metal consumption decline from 7% to about 0.5%. CEO Alexander Shevelev said demand rose roughly 1% year on year in the first nine months, leaving the market below pre-downturn levels; the company expects seasonal cooling in the fourth quarter.
Diesel prices are higher than desired, and the United States is working with refiners to find ways to increase production, Energy Department official Kyle Haustveit said at a conference on Tuesday.
US President Donald Trump’s approval rating has fallen to a record-low 31%, intensifying Republican concerns ahead of November’s midterm elections. Republicans risk losing control of the House of Representatives, while the scale of potential Democratic gains remains a question.
US midterm electionsDonald Trumpapproval ratingRepublicans
A Bitquery study covering September 19 to October 18 separates automated transaction counts from billions of dollars in larger transfers, including flows from the issuer.
Libya’s eastern-based parliament, backed by Khalifa Haftar, unanimously approved the 2019 maritime-boundary agreement with Türkiye, reversing its 2020 rejection and break in political ties with Ankara. Greece and Cyprus had denounced the deal, saying it breached international law and disregarded other eastern Mediterranean countries’ rights.
Libya’s parliament unanimously approved a maritime deal with Türkiye, endorsing a memorandum of understanding signed by Türkiye and Libya’s former Government of National Accord in November 2019.
Zelensky has intensified diplomatic efforts to repair strained relations with US President Donald Trump, the Rapporteur portal reported. In the past 24 hours, he spoke with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, met online with US senators and talked with Lockheed Martin representatives. He is also due to meet Trump envoy Steve Witkoff in Oslo.
Severstal said steel production rose 2% year on year to 8.24 million tons in January-September 2026, while pig iron output also grew 2%, to 8.47 million tons. Metal product sales were nearly flat at 8.26 million tons. Third-quarter sales fell 9% as semi-finished products were redirected to finished-goods production, increasing inventories.
Severstal said net profit under IFRS fell 61% year on year to 19.29 billion rubles ($233 million) in the first nine months of 2026. Revenue declined 10% to 488.41 billion rubles, while EBITDA fell 28% and investment dropped 39%. Third-quarter net profit rose 17%, but revenue slipped 3%.
The Bank of Russia set the official dollar rate for October 21, 2026, at 82.8879 rubles, up 3.75 kopecks from the previous rate. The euro rate fell 18.99 kopecks to 93.0417 rubles, while the yuan rate dropped 1.61 kopecks to 12.3708 rubles.
With Brazil’s presidential runoff less than a week away, polls show left-wing incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and right-wing challenger Flavio Bolsonaro effectively tied. PoderData projected 50% support for each candidate.
Brazil electionpresidential runoffLulaFlavio Bolsonaro
A US-registered NATO Bombardier Artemis II reconnaissance aircraft flew from its permanent base in Constanta, Romania, to the area around Russia’s Kaliningrad Region and circled there for nearly four hours, using Polish and Lithuanian airspace and airspace over neutral Baltic Sea waters.
The European Commission said it is examining ways to align procedures for posting workers and issuing social-security certificates, following the European Parliament’s approval of an EU-wide electronic declaration system.
An AI agent’s appearance on a 7,500-member listserv for internet researchers has set off an ongoing reply-all frenzy. The uproar reveals that internet experts hold outdated ideas about privacy.
The EU presented a new Arctic strategy on Tuesday, reflecting the region’s security importance. It pledged to strengthen satellite surveillance, monitor undersea cables more closely and help member states buy icebreakers.
The European Commission unveiled a new EU Arctic strategy that, for the first time in more than 30 years, puts military development at its center. Presented to the European Parliament by Kaja Kallas, it calls for stronger Arctic preparedness, protection of critical infrastructure and improved maritime security.
European UnionArctic strategymilitary developmentmaritime security
The EU’s updated Arctic strategy puts security at its centre, citing increased Russian and Chinese activity in the region. It calls for stronger European security capabilities, military mobility with NATO, icebreakers, satellite surveillance and a maritime security hub.
Women are joining the youth-led “Cockroach” protests in Indian cities despite online harassment and police detentions, refusing to be portrayed as victims amid a broad crackdown. The movement is demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, while student leader Neha Bora has become a prominent figure in the demonstrations.
Yemeni government forces have launched major offensives on several fronts as Houthi forces tighten their blockade of Taiz, threatening millions. The UN warns that the siege has cut humanitarian supplies, and ongoing fighting has killed at least 32 civilians. The death toll from a Houthi attack on a military base in Shabwah has risen to 73.
Prince Harry said he hoped to make peace with King Charles and the rest of his family, from whom he became estranged after moving to the United States six years ago.
Prince HarryBritish royal familyfamily reconciliation
A jury found a Canadian tourist guilty of animal cruelty after he drunkenly took Peachy, a flamingo, from its enclosure at a well-known Las Vegas hotel during a visit in March.
A Canadian man was convicted of animal cruelty for taking a flamingo from its enclosure at a well-known Las Vegas hotel. Prosecutors called it a malicious prank, while his lawyer said the tourist’s drunken foolishness was not intended to harm the bird.
A new study by Virginia Tech scientists, published in Water Resources Research, finds that groundwater in the Colorado River Basin is falling rapidly and in unexpected ways.
groundwaterColorado River Basinscientific research
Igor Dodon, Moldova’s former president and leader of the Socialist Party, said some EU leaders are not interested in peace in Ukraine and use the conflict to conceal domestic economic and social problems. He warned that politicians losing support at home might seek to provoke a larger conflict between Europe and Russia, saying this must not be allowed.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Poland would ask Ukraine to explain a drone incident. Lithuania said the drone entered its airspace from the Polish side on Oct. 18, then exploded, damaging a moving car; nobody was hurt. Ukraine apologized and said Russian jamming may have diverted a Ukrainian drone from its intended target.
Hours after US-based Chinese dissident Xie Wanjun claimed without evidence that Kim Jong Un was unconscious and had died in a Beijing hospital, North Korean state media published photos of him with his daughter at a reported clothing and footwear exhibition. The article examines recurring death rumors and speculation over succession, noting his daughter has not been formally designated as heir.
North Korean state media published photos of Kim Jong Un with his daughter at an exhibition after an unsupported online claim said he had died in Beijing. South Korean intelligence officials said they had heard nothing to support the claim. Uncertainty over succession helps explain why rumours about his health draw attention.
France will deploy more officers at the October 24 protests than at the October 17 rallies, Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said. He described the rioters’ violence as unprecedented and said their actions were coordinated through digital tools; authorities will investigate the weekend’s events.
French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said authorities would mobilise a “massive” security presence next weekend as organisers announced new protests following riots on the sidelines of nationwide demonstrations. He acknowledged last weekend’s security operation had been too static and insufficiently mobile.
Natalia Nikonorova, deputy chair of the Federation Council’s Foreign Affairs Committee, said protests across the EU stem from a deep socio-economic crisis, partly caused by the rising tax burden linked to years of support for the Kiev regime. She also pointed to recent protests and unrest in France and Italy.
This edition of France in Focus follows Pascaline Lepeltier’s meticulous training for the World’s Best Sommelier competition and explores how sommeliers are adjusting to changing drinking habits, including one who has chosen to give up alcohol.
Russia’s embassy in the UK said the EU was showing a neocolonial attitude by seeking to curb other countries’ Arctic cooperation. The statement responded to Kaja Kallas’s interview saying the West must prevent China and Russia from controlling a new Arctic sea route.
Polestar is working with University of Oxford researchers to assess how a high-performance car affects its driver. Car performance is usually measured through acceleration, top speed, and lap times, while performance EVs compete to reach 60 mph faster.
carselectric vehiclesdriving experienceUniversity of Oxford
Durham police say former major-leaguer Richard Butler and his wife, Michelle, were charged after an investigation into the Ontario Devil Rays training program. The program allegedly collected thousands of dollars for training it did not provide.
Over the past decade, the Starmus Festival has brought together Nobel laureates, astronauts and artists to spark creativity and curiosity and deepen understanding of the universe. Co-founder Garik Israelian says its central aim is to inspire the next generation.
More than 200 packages of graded trading cards being returned to their owners were stolen last week from a FedEx truck outside Professional Sports Authenticator’s headquarters in Santa Ana, California. The cards are valued at over $963,000 so far. PSA’s parent company is working with police and FedEx, has deactivated certification numbers for identified stolen cards, and says affected customers will be compensated based on fair market value up to their chosen insurance limits.
The two-day APEC Finance Ministers’ Meeting opened in Hong Kong, aiming to advance financial-sector outcomes before November’s leaders’ meeting in Shenzhen. Chair Lan Fo'an called for stronger policy dialogue, economic transformation and supply-chain stability. Delegates will discuss fiscal support for livelihoods, digital infrastructure financing and inclusive finance, among other topics.
A drone operator with the Battlegroup Dnepr’s 18th Combined Arms Army said European countries are providing Ukraine with drones and helping develop them, while Russia is finding ways to counter Western technology. He said Ukrainian UAV operators cannot counter Russia’s Knyaz Veshchy Oleg reconnaissance drones.
Russia has widened its attacks on Ukraine’s energy grid, leaving thousands without electricity. Rescue workers are shown extinguishing a fire at an energy facility in Odesa after a Russian strike on June 8, 2026.
Heavy rain brought by a Mediterranean weather system has flooded parts of southeastern France, inundating roads and streets in the Bouches-du-Rhône department.
France’s Yellow Vests say they will continue protesting despite overnight curfews. Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said authorities detained 2,513 people and imprisoned 67 after the unrest.
Vyacheslav Nikonov, a United Russia lawmaker, said Volodymyr Zelensky chose the worst possible future by describing the Russia-US deal as a sign of weakness in Washington. Nikonov said calling Donald Trump weak was the last thing anyone should do and claimed Zelensky had effectively signed his own death warrant.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian appointed IRGC Brigadier General Majid Ebn al-Reza as his defense adviser. Pezeshkian said he hoped the appointee would help advance government goals and address national challenges with practical recommendations. Ebn al-Reza had served as acting defense minister since March 2; Mehrdad Akhlaghi was named defense chief on October 18.
US single-family homebuilding dropped sharply in September, while permits for future construction fell to a 3-1/2-year low. Higher mortgage rates dampened demand, suggesting residential investment returned to a downward trend in the third quarter.
US housinghousing startsbuilding permitsmortgage rates
Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said import substitution in Russia’s electric power sector currently stands at 80–85%, with the government targeting 90–95% in the coming years. At a meeting at Power Machines, he discussed domestic equipment production and gas turbine development.
China's Ministry of Commerce urged the United States to recognize Chinese companies' progress, stop smearing and suppressing them, and ensure fair competition. Responding to US sanctions on five Chinese firms over alleged trade-secret theft, the ministry said the allegations were used to stigmatize Chinese companies, firmly opposed the move and warned Beijing would take necessary measures to protect their rights.
Alberta voters chose to remain part of Canada in the province’s first-ever independence referendum. Preliminary results showed 76 percent backed staying and 24 percent supported a future referendum. Prime Minister Mark Carney called it a clear choice for unity, while separatist leaders said they would continue their cause.
Unofficial results released Tuesday showed Alberta voters rejected a proposal for a binding independence referendum. With more than 1.5 million votes counted, 76% backed remaining in Canada and nearly 24% supported starting a process toward separation.
Preliminary results show more than two-thirds of Alberta voters rejected pursuing separation through a binding referendum. Separatist leaders vowed to continue their campaign, while Prime Minister Mark Carney said Albertans had made a clear choice.
Alberta separatists say they will continue their push for independence after the Canadian province rejected a plan for a binding vote on leaving the country.
About 76 percent of Alberta voters rejected a proposal to hold an independence referendum, according to unofficial results. The outcome is a victory for Prime Minister Mark Carney, though more than 300,000 supported the proposal and separatists say their grievances remain.
Mark Carney attended a Forever Canadian rally in Edmonton ahead of a non-binding referendum on Alberta sovereignty. The headline says Canada won the vote, while separatists and the American far right lost.
In Alberta’s first referendum on separation, early results showed about 76 percent of more than one million counted votes favored staying in Canada, while 23 percent backed starting a process that could lead to separation. The vote was not a direct independence referendum, but could have set the province on a path to a future vote.
More than 76% of Alberta voters chose to remain a Canadian province in Monday’s referendum, CBC reported, citing early results. A quarter of ballots from about 1 million voters had been counted: 76.4% supported staying, while 23.6% favored starting an independence process.
Alberta voters overwhelmingly rejected a proposal to start the legal process toward independence from Canada. CBC projected a decisive win for the federalist side; results showed more than 76% backing continued union after about a third of votes were counted.
CBC projected that Alberta voters overwhelmingly rejected a proposal to begin a process toward independence. Of more than 1 million votes counted, about 76% supported remaining in Canada and 23% backed starting a process that could lead to separation. The result was a victory for Prime Minister Mark Carney and supporters of Canadian unity.
Alberta voters rejected a move toward independence in a referendum, delivering a victory for Prime Minister Mark Carney and supporters of Canadian unity amid U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war and annexation threats.
Alberta voters are expected to reject separation from Canada, marking a victory for Prime Minister Mark Carney after a lengthy referendum campaign that divided the country’s energy heartland.
People’s Bank of China Governor Pan Gongsheng said the central bank will support AI industry financing, cautiously integrate AI into financial operations and closely assess its effects on the economy and markets. He said AI could raise inflation in the short term but boost productivity over time, while changing job structures and contributing to correlated, volatile global stock markets.
China’s central bankartificial intelligencefinancial policy
The report examines who was responsible for the violence that erupted in France on October 17, who the lawbreakers were, and how a proposed bill would make them pay for the damage. It also looks at the French government’s mea culpa, the ongoing political blame game and controversy over whether the vandals were “ultra-left” members.
Companies pledged investments worth more than €225 billion ($252 billion) at the inaugural 2026 Invest in Germany Summit in Berlin, the Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy said on Tuesday.
Companies pledge more than €225 billion in investments at 2026 Invest in Germany Summit
FlashTranslated by Minutes
📉 Iran shopkeepers struggle as war dims demand
At a Tehran bazaar, shopkeeper Nasir says locals once bought his nuts by the kilos, but soaring prices caused by the US-Iran war have eaten into sales, leaving businesses like his fighting for survival.
📉 Iran shopkeepers struggle as war dims demand
At a Tehran bazaar, shopkeeper Nasir says locals once bought his nuts by the kilos, but soaring prices caused by the US-Iran war have eaten into sales, leaving businesses like his fighting for survival.
Pakistan army chief Asim Munir arrived in Tehran for talks with Iranian officials as Islamabad seeks to revive negotiations and prevent renewed fighting with the United States and Israel, without alienating Tehran, Riyadh or Washington. Analysts say signs of possible military escalation have added urgency to diplomacy.
Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said this weekend’s rioting in France exposed failings in security services’ handling of threats from looters. He pledged extremely firm punishment for rioters.
Blockchain.com now offers call and put options on BTC, ETH, SOL, HYPE, AVAX, XRP and TRX, with expirations of up to one week. The company is pursuing US derivatives licenses.
Analysts say Brazil's poultry industry is unlikely to suffer lasting harm if authorities contain the Newcastle disease outbreak quickly. Uncertainty over trade restrictions, especially those from China, remains a key risk for exporters.
A review of Calgary police’s response to the high-profile disappearance and search for 11-year-old Parker Wells this summer found that existing systems were not built to handle the investigation’s “unprecedented” volume of information.
Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary forecasts European air fares could climb 10% to 20% next year as the Middle East conflict raises jet-fuel costs. He says many airlines lack protection against higher prices, potentially leading to bankruptcies and takeovers.
BlackRock’s proposed fund aims to protect bitcoin investors from losses. Similar products from Calamos helped investors avoid steep losses during bitcoin’s selloff.
Alexey Belogoryev, research director at the Institute for Energy and Finance, says the EU has not changed its Russian gas embargo decision despite the unfavorable timing. Poland, the Baltic states and Finland would likely oppose reversing it, risking a split in the bloc. The EU still plans to ban Russian LNG from January 1, 2027.
European UnionRussian gasenergy embargoliquefied natural gas
Trump said late Monday in Kansas that he does not intend to harm Canadian jet maker Bombardier, more than a month after threatening to bar the company from the U.S. market.
Dutch filmmaker Wytse Koetse’s AI-generated video shows tourists sightseeing amid protests in Paris. Real visitors have shared similarly surreal moments during demonstrations fueled by anger over poor school conditions and rising living costs.
Sources say Sudanese army drone strikes killed more than 200 people, including people travelling to a funeral. One target was a market in Abyei alleged to supply fuel to the Rapid Support Forces. South Sudan summoned Sudan’s ambassador to lodge a formal protest.
Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu said bilateral trade reached $1.5 billion in the first seven months of this year, a 22-fold increase and the highest figure in a decade. He said the two countries could expand trade further and set new records.
Russian drones repeatedly struck Kyiv on Oct. 20, damaging a hospital in Solomyanskyi District and another medical facility in Holosiivskyi District, with five people injured. Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi said a strike hit the operating room at the Strazheska Institute, injuring a patient. Other damage included commuter traffic, a market and buildings; city officials said the Northern Bridge was not hit.
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
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