The localised ceasefire for the Russian-occupied city will reportedly begin on October 29
Oct 24, 2026
WASHINGTON — First lady Melania Trump has brokered a coming ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in the ravaged, Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Oleshky to allow for humanitarian aid and the evacuation of civilians, the White House announced on Friday. The localized ceasefire is set to begin Thursday, with the American first lady saying in a written statement that the situation there is “on the brink of disaster.” The White House said Melania Trump had initiated discussions after learning about the situation during an event she held during the U.N. General Assembly session last month. It said she and a representative worked directly with Russian and Ukrainian leadership to define the terms of the ceasefire. Ukraine’s lead negotiator for the agreement thanked Melania Trump for her involvement and said the deal would be tough to accomplish. Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman, said the agreement calls for a ceasefire, followed by the delivery of much-needed humanitarian aid. Lastly, civilians will be allowed to leave Oleshky, he said in a video message posted onl
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Treasury Department has proposed expanding restrictions on American investments in sensitive technologies to include North Korea and several other countries, as Washington seeks to prevent adversaries from using U.S. capital to develop advanced military capabilities. The proposed regulations, detailed in a notice scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on Thursday, would expand the existing Outbound Investment Security Program, which currently covers China, including Hong Kong and Macau, to include North Korea, Russia, Iran and Cuba, according to the Treasury Department. The proposal seeks to implement the Comprehensive Outbound Investment National Security Act, enacted in December last year as part of the fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act. Under the proposal, certain investments by U.S. persons involving covered foreign entities engaged in specified sensitive technologies would be prohibited, while other transactions would be subject to notification requirements. The regulations would cover specified activities in key technology sectors, in
PARIS — France will deploy some 70,000 police nationwide as it braces for new protests this weekend after some of the worst urban violence in years erupted on the sidelines of demonstrations a week ago, the government said Friday. President Emmanuel Macron, who according to aides is postponing a visit later this month to Nigeria and Senegal amid the crisis, held a meeting of his defence council of top ministers and officials and was to meet security forces. He also hosted for the first time representatives of high school pupils, whose protests over conditions at their schools sparked the movement that has broadened into a nationwide show of anger against the government at the rising cost of living. Some 70,000 security personnel will be deployed on Saturday, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said at a press conference in Paris, warning that calls for violence and looting were circulating on social media. The protests have come at a critical moment for France six months ahead of elections to replace Macron, with a new poll underlining far-right candidate Marine Le Pen as the frontrunner a
NAIROBI, Kenya — Many people were feared trapped as a tall building collapsed Friday in Kenya’s capital, leaving a huge mound of concrete and more than a dozen floors stacked like pancakes, with little space between them. The building was under construction when it collapsed at about 1 p.m. along a busy commercial street in Nairobi's Eastleigh area, which is often crowded with thousands of traders and residents. Nairobi police chief Issa Mohamud said the building had more than 10 upper floors under construction. Rescue operations were complicated, with police firing tear gas at people who had begun looting neighboring shops, as officers sought to clear the area and provide access to emergency response teams. Joseph Kaula made it out just in time. A plasterer working on the fifth floor, he said he heard screams and spotted other workers rushing outside, shouting that the building was collapsing. “I was the last person to walk out before it collapsed and the whole area was filled with dust,” Kaula said. Kaula suspects a few of his colleagues were trapped in the basement. One injured
U.S. consumer sentiment edged down to near a record low in October as rising prices because of the Middle East conflict soured households' views of the economy on the doorstep of midterm congressional elections centering on affordability issues, a survey showed on Friday. The University of Michigan's Surveys of Consumers said its Consumer Sentiment Index dropped to 48.0 this month from a final reading of 48.1 in September. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast the index at 46.3, which had also been the index's preliminary reading for October. October's reading marked the second-lowest on record after the all-time low of 44.8 set in May, not long after the Iran war began. "Purchasing power continues to dominate consumer views of the economy," said Joanne Hsu, the director of the Surveys of Consumers. "Sentiment is now 10 percent below a year ago and 15 percent less than February, just prior to the Iran conflict." The survey results dovetail with political polling data showing voters have a dim view of the economy and President Donald Trump's and the Republican Party's stewardship over
NEW YORK — Stocks slipped on Wall Street Friday under increasing pressure from rising oil prices. The S&P 500 fell 0.2 percent, adding to its decline from a day before. The index is on track for a second-straight week of losses. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 541 points, or 1 percent, as of 11:12 a.m. Eastern time. The Nasdaq composite rose 0.2 percent, bolstered by gains for several big tech stocks that also helped ease losses elsewhere. Rising oil prices weighed heavily on the broader market, where three out of every four stocks within the benchmark S&P 500 index fell. The price for a barrel of Brent crude oil rose 2.4 percent to $115.86. It has surged from less than $97 at the start of October and is now at its highest level since March. Several AI-related companies made big moves. Micron Technology jumped 3.4 percent and Microsoft rose 0.8 percent and helped ease the impact on major indexes from a broad drop for most stocks. Even a relatively small 0.3 percent gain from Nvidia went a long way to help offset losses elsewhere in the market. The tech sector's influence is also c
Typhoon Champi made landfall in Taiwan, resulting in one casualty and more than 500 injuries reported. The storm brought heavy rain and strong winds, leading to widespread power outages affecting over 167,000 homes. Over 240 flights were canceled due to severe weather conditions impacting transport services. Schools and offices were closed for an extended period as a precautionary measure against the storm.
Northeast monsoon began over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal, Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Rayalaseema, South Interior Karnataka, and Kerala and Mahe.
Trump’s Justice Department seeks to block Alaska Senate election certification if Dan Sullivan loses, citing voter confusion over a similar-named candidate.
Typhoon Champi swept past Taiwan on Saturday killing one person and injuring more than 500, downing trees and severing power, as it continues to weaken and head north towards the Chinese coast.
The State Department says it will reduce staffing at four U.S. embassies in the Middle East after receiving intelligence that Iran has stepped up efforts to target American personnel in the region and elsewhere
The FBI has arrested Himanshu Bhau, a 24-year-old Indian gangster wanted in Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh for crimes including murder, extortion and kidnapping. Accused of leading a major gang and operating from abroad, Bhau is a rival of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi.