Trump and Putin's Donbas pressure: Ukraine's red line

Russian President Vladimir Putin is once again trying to obtain through political and diplomatic pressure what he failed to conquer by force.

Louvre heist: Royal jewels worth €88m stolen in Paris robbery

The Louvre Museum reopened on Wednesday, 22 October, three days after a heist in which royal jewels valued at €88m were stolen, France24 reports.

Ukraine extends martial law and general mobilisation until 2026

Ukraine's parliament on Tuesday approved a budget amendment that boosts the defence budget by $7.7bn, and extended martial law and general mobilisation until February 2026.

Russia to nationalise 'ownerless' homes in occupied Ukraine

Russia has approved plans to nationalise homes considered "ownerless" in the occupied Ukrainian regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.

Romanian Foreign Minister: "Putin must ask for permission to fly over airspace"

No flight has been confirmed, and no request has been submitted to allow Russian President Vladimir Putin access to Romanian airspace for his trip to Budapest, said Bucharest Foreign Minister Oana Țoiu.

Ceasefire between Pakistan and Afghanistan after border clashes

Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to an immediate ceasefire following lengthy talks in Qatar, after the worst border clashes in decades. The agreement was reached on Sunday, October 19.

Putin demands Donetsk surrender in Trump call, sources say

Vladimir Putin demanded the complete relinquishing of the Donetsk region during a phone call with President Donald Trump this week as a condition for a ceasefire, two senior officials familiar with the discussion told the Washington Post.

Gaza accuses Israel of 47 truce violations; Netanyahu limits Rafah aid

Gaza authorities have accused Israel of violating the armistice with Hamas 47 times since it came into effect, with 38 Palestinians killed and 143 others injured, The Guardian reports.

Zaporizhzhia Power Plant: Repairs begin after outage

Repair work has begun to restore off-site power to the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) after a four-week outage, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced.

Ukraine says 25,000 Russian soldiers have deserted since late 2024

More than 25,000 Russian soldiers and officers have deserted the Russian army since late 2024, Ukraine's Defence Intelligence (HUR) reported on Saturday.

Zelensky-Trump talks: The difficult path to a ceasefire before Putin meeting

The talks between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump were very difficult; they were neither a failure nor a success.

Belarus seeks EU talks to end isolation, sources say

Belarus has proposed talks with European Union countries to normalise relations, in a bid to end the political isolation it has faced since 2020, European diplomatic sources told Reuters.