Briefing

A Ukrainian national has been arrested on suspicion of spying for Russia. Federal prosecutors allege the person collected information related to defence.

GermanyUkraineRussiaspying

Germany’s Federal Prosecutor’s Office says a Ukrainian citizen, Vadym Y., was arrested in Brandenburg on suspicion of working for Russian intelligence. Prosecutors say he had contact with Russian intelligence through an intermediary since at least July 2025 and allegedly gathered information related to the war against Ukraine, including on weapons production and NATO’s eastern-flank personnel and facilities.

GermanyespionageRussiaUkraine

US media reports say Washington is considering strikes on Iran after the midterm elections, and that the US and Israel have developed options for an operation targeting nuclear facilities, energy infrastructure and weapons. Tehran says it is preparing to preserve the regime and impose regional costs, including a broad response if attacked again.

IranUnited StatesIsraelmilitary strikes

Sources cited by The New York Times report that plans are being made for fresh strikes on Iran after the US midterm elections.

United StatesIsraelIranmilitary strikes

Fox News' Stephanie Bennett reports on the latest regarding renewed strikes against Iran, as the Houthis continue to escalate attacks.

United StatesIsraelIranHouthis

Governments and companies seeking an alternative to SpaceX’s Starlink have few options, with Amazon, Eutelsat and others still far behind.

StarlinkSpaceXsatellite internet

Russia struck Kyiv with ballistic missiles while Ukraine sent hundreds of drones toward Moscow overnight, just hours after the warring sides agreed to peace talks. The barrage continued despite the latest U.S. push to end the conflict.

Russia-Ukraine warKyivMoscowmissile and drone attacks

Russia launched a large ballistic-missile attack on Kyiv hours after Vladimir Putin said he had agreed in principle to resume trilateral talks. At least two people were killed and 22 injured, including four children. Ukraine said the strikes showed Moscow was not serious about peace and called for stronger air defences and more sanctions.

KyivRussiaUkraine warmissile strikes

Zelensky said Russian forces fired 21 ballistic missiles at Kyiv in three waves overnight on October 22, damaging sites across the city. One person was killed and more than 20 injured. He said the strikes came soon after another round of talks and urged allies to speed up air defense deliveries and increase sanctions pressure on Moscow. Ukrainian drones also struck several Russian regions, including Moscow and the Moscow region; two people were injured in New Moscow.

Russia-Ukraine warKyiv attackballistic missilesdrones

Stephen Hubbard is back in the U.S. after more than four years in a Russian prison. His aircraft landed at San Antonio's Kelly Field in Texas.

Stephen HubbardRussiaprisoner releaseSan Antonio

Trump said he asked Putin during their latest phone call to release Stephen Hubbard, and Putin agreed. Trump called the move “an amazing thing” and said the United States greatly appreciated it. Hubbard was convicted in Russia for fighting alongside Ukrainian forces; the Kremlin said his release was a goodwill gesture.

Donald TrumpVladimir PutinStephen HubbardUS-Russia relations

Fox & Friends co-host Brian Kilmeade discusses on The Will Cain Show President Donald Trump’s announcement that American Stephen Hubbard has been released from a Russian prison.

Donald TrumpStephen HubbardRussiaprisoner release

The United States is directing some diplomats to leave Saudi Arabia as Houthi attacks intensify against civilian sites, including airports and other facilities in the country.

United StatesSaudi ArabiaHouthisdiplomats

Diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict appear to be faltering. President Donald Trump says the US is not negotiating with Iran and was vague about possible further military action before next month’s midterm elections. Iranian negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has spoken with the Supreme Leader about the war with the US and Washington’s economic sanctions, state media reports.

Strait of HormuzUS-Iran relationsdiplomacyeconomic sanctions

The International Criminal Court and officials working there have received the EU’s top human rights honor, the Sakharov Prize, an official said Thursday. The award followed by days the Trump administration’s sweeping sanctions on the court, imposed as part of a campaign to dismantle it over investigations involving the United States and its allies, including Israel. European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said the prize recognizes the court’s work upholding international law and justice.

International Criminal CourtEuropean UnionSakharov Prizesanctions

The International Criminal Court has received the European Union’s 2026 Sakharov Prize, the EU’s top award for human rights work.

International Criminal CourtEuropean UnionSakharov Prize

The International Criminal Court has won the European Union's Sakharov human rights prize.

International Criminal CourtEuropean UnionSakharov Prize

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney arrived in Turkey on Thursday for a three-day trip to deepen political and economic ties. He met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara, in what Carney’s office says is the first bilateral visit to Turkey by a Canadian prime minister; a joint statement is expected.

CanadaTurkeybilateral meetingdiplomacy

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan is hosting Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in Ankara and Istanbul on the first dedicated bilateral visit to NATO ally Turkey by a Canadian leader. They are expected to sign a declaration deepening cooperation in four areas, including defense and energy. A Turkish diplomatic source says ties will be upgraded to a “strategic partnership.”

CanadaTurkeyMark CarneyTayyip Erdoganstrategic partnership

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney arrived in Turkey on Thursday for a historic visit focused on closer trade and defence ties with the strategically important NATO ally. The trip reflects Ottawa’s push to diversify beyond the United States while handling sensitive concerns over human rights and Ankara’s recent crackdown on civil society groups.

CanadaTurkeytradedefence cooperationdiplomacy

Italy and Spain agreed to lift controls on each other’s citizens, Rome’s interior ministry said Friday, ending a three-month dispute set off by migrants rushing into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta.

ItalySpainborder controlsmigration

AI found vulnerabilities in PHP technology that hackers could exploit, prompting governments and cybersecurity agencies worldwide to work to contain the threat. PHP powers more than 70% of websites, including Wikipedia and shopping sites, and developers have released patches. Wiz called the flaw the most severe ever detected, while OpenAI described the discovery as highly impactful.

AIcybersecurityPHPsoftware vulnerabilities

AI models uncovered a security bug hidden in PHP for more than a decade, which OpenAI called one of the most impactful in recent memory. Websites worldwide, including a Pokémon sleep tracker and the Dutch parliament, went offline to get ahead of hackers.

PHPcybersecurityartificial intelligence

Serious vulnerabilities in PHP, an open-source technology underpinning much of the internet, went undetected for more than a decade. AI brought them to light, prompting a global cybersecurity alert. BBC Cyber Correspondent Joe Tidy examines how AI found the issue, which companies were affected and hackers’ attempts to exploit it.

artificial intelligencePHPcybersecurityhackers

US software company Palantir sought to reassure Europeans that the military AI system NATO uses has no “kill switch.” Disruptions to Ukraine’s Starlink services have heightened concerns about reliance on US technology firms.

PalantirNATOmilitary AIUS tech dependence

A UN nature-adviser assessment coordinated by the IUCN finds that global heating puts 96% of coral reefs across more than 80 countries at risk, up from 24% already classed as critically endangered. Scientists say rapid cuts to fossil fuel use and strong local conservation could still help reefs survive.

coral reefsglobal heatingecosystem collapseIUCN

Barclays plans to reduce its workforce by about 5,000, or 5% of its global staff, by the end of the year. The cuts are focused on its UK retail bank, with a significant share expected in India, where some UK back-office work is handled. The bank said the changes form part of an ongoing modernisation plan involving greater use of AI.

Barclaysbankingjob cutsartificial intelligence

Barclays said it plans to eliminate 5,000 jobs to reduce costs, adding that AI is beginning to deliver efficiencies. The cuts would affect about 5% of its workforce, according to a Thursday presentation; the bank had about 93,000 employees worldwide at the end of 2025. Stocks fell as megacap earnings failed to reassure investors about the AI trade’s rebound, Chinese equities neared a bear market and Middle East tensions escalated.

Barclaysjob cutsartificial intelligencestock markets

British bank Barclays said on Thursday it plans to eliminate about 5,000 jobs—roughly 5% of its global workforce—by the end of 2026, using AI and other technology to streamline operations and improve efficiency.

Barclaysjob cutsartificial intelligencebanking

France has reported the first known human case of Shamonda virus, in a patient who died. The livestock virus was first detected in Nigeria decades ago and reached Europe this year, prompting questions about the risks it poses to people and animals.

Shamonda virushuman caselivestock virus

French officials confirmed the first known human case of Shamonda virus in a severely immunocompromised patient who died early this month. They said no risk to the public has been identified and suspect transmission by a biting midge in eastern France; investigations are underway.

FranceShamonda virushuman infectionpublic health

France has reported the first recorded human infection with Shamonda virus, which is most commonly found in cattle. Public health authorities said it did not appear to pose a risk to the public and described the infection in a person with a severely compromised immune system as an exceptional case.

FranceShamonda virushuman infectionpublic health

Truck drivers protesting soaring fuel prices in southern Italy are disrupting transport and deliveries, leaving supermarket shelves empty and airports without fuel. The government has warned that drivers blocking roads could face criminal penalties as authorities move to clear the demonstrations.

Italytruckers’ protestsfuel pricestransport disruption

Truck drivers protesting high fuel prices are disrupting supermarket deliveries across southern Italy. Some shelves are partly empty, and some petrol stations have run out of fuel.

Italytruckers' protestsfuel pricessupermarket deliveries

Italian truck drivers protesting soaring fuel prices have blocked roads, disrupting transport and deliveries in the south and leaving supermarket shelves empty and airports short of fuel. The government warned that drivers blocking roads could face criminal penalties as authorities moved to clear the demonstrations.

Italytruckers' protestsfuel pricestransport disruption