Lead Story
Iran claims seven tankers struck in Strait of Hormuz as fears grow of renewed war with US
Iran's Revolutionary Guard said seven tankers were hit in the Strait of Hormuz overnight on October 22, describing it as the heaviest single-day toll on the waterway since fighting with the United States began, though the claim could not be independently verified. Tehran said four vessels caught fire while transferring oil and three more were disabled after striking mines, and it warned it could strike US bases across the Middle East if Washington helps tankers transit other parts of the strait. US Central Command disputed that mines remain in the shipping lanes, saying its forces have cleared them and that roughly 95 percent of vessels are still getting through, while President Trump accused Iran of fabricating hits to drive up oil prices ahead of next month's US midterm elections. Oil prices have climbed toward five-month highs on the dispute, and Trump said any new US strike on Iran would wait until after the midterms.
Read more →Lead Story
Iran claims seven tankers struck in Strait of Hormuz as fears grow of renewed war with US
Iran's Revolutionary Guard said seven tankers were hit in the Strait of Hormuz overnight on October 22, describing it as the heaviest single-day toll on the waterway since fighting with the United States began, though the claim could not be independently verified. Tehran said four vessels caught fire while transferring oil and three more were disabled after striking mines, and it warned it could strike US bases across the Middle East if Washington helps tankers transit other parts of the strait. US Central Command disputed that mines remain in the shipping lanes, saying its forces have cleared them and that roughly 95 percent of vessels are still getting through, while President Trump accused Iran of fabricating hits to drive up oil prices ahead of next month's US midterm elections. Oil prices have climbed toward five-month highs on the dispute, and Trump said any new US strike on Iran would wait until after the midterms.
Netanyahu orders West Bank lockdown preparations after deadly Hebron checkpoint shooting
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a closure of Hebron and told security chiefs to prepare a full lockdown of the occupied West Bank on October 23, after two gunmen opened fire at a temporary checkpoint on the city's outskirts. The gun battle lasted more than 20 minutes, wounding five Israelis, two critically, before both attackers were killed; the military said it believes the pair, identified as 27-year-old Hebron residents, had planned a larger mass-casualty attack and found a substantial amount of ammunition in their vehicle. Troops have since imposed closures on several Palestinian towns around Hebron, operated at the gunmen's homes with plans to demolish them, and arrested 36 Palestinians in raids across the West Bank, according to Israeli media. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called for Israel to take full control of the West Bank, as the clampdown lands amid separate reports of rising settler attacks on Palestinian farmers during the olive harvest and just days before Israel's October 27 election.
Read more →Netanyahu orders West Bank lockdown preparations after deadly Hebron checkpoint shooting
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a closure of Hebron and told security chiefs to prepare a full lockdown of the occupied West Bank on October 23, after two gunmen opened fire at a temporary checkpoint on the city's outskirts. The gun battle lasted more than 20 minutes, wounding five Israelis, two critically, before both attackers were killed; the military said it believes the pair, identified as 27-year-old Hebron residents, had planned a larger mass-casualty attack and found a substantial amount of ammunition in their vehicle. Troops have since imposed closures on several Palestinian towns around Hebron, operated at the gunmen's homes with plans to demolish them, and arrested 36 Palestinians in raids across the West Bank, according to Israeli media. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called for Israel to take full control of the West Bank, as the clampdown lands amid separate reports of rising settler attacks on Palestinian farmers during the olive harvest and just days before Israel's October 27 election.
Magnitude 7 earthquake kills at least 16 in China's Tibet, with toll expected to rise
A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck a mountainous area of the Tibet Autonomous Region at about 10:33pm local time on October 22, killing at least 16 people and injuring 32 others, according to Xinhua and Nagqu City's emergency management bureau. The US Geological Survey placed the epicentre roughly 190km east-northeast of Nagqu and about 390km northeast of the regional capital Lhasa; local officials said at least 339 homes and 20 livestock sheds collapsed. More than 1,600 personnel have been deployed for search and rescue, but efforts are being slowed by blocked and rockfall-damaged roads, with intermittent snow forecast across the quake zone over the next three days. Authorities warned the death toll is likely to climb further as rescuers reach more remote, sparsely populated areas.
Read more →Magnitude 7 earthquake kills at least 16 in China's Tibet, with toll expected to rise
A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck a mountainous area of the Tibet Autonomous Region at about 10:33pm local time on October 22, killing at least 16 people and injuring 32 others, according to Xinhua and Nagqu City's emergency management bureau. The US Geological Survey placed the epicentre roughly 190km east-northeast of Nagqu and about 390km northeast of the regional capital Lhasa; local officials said at least 339 homes and 20 livestock sheds collapsed. More than 1,600 personnel have been deployed for search and rescue, but efforts are being slowed by blocked and rockfall-damaged roads, with intermittent snow forecast across the quake zone over the next three days. Authorities warned the death toll is likely to climb further as rescuers reach more remote, sparsely populated areas.
Europe heads into winter with lowest gas reserves on record, IEA chief warns
International Energy Agency head Fatih Birol warned on October 23 that the European Union is entering winter with gas reserves far below historical norms and little room to absorb another supply shock, as the US-Israel conflict with Iran continues to disrupt global energy flows. EU gas storage currently stands at about 72 percent full, well short of the usual 90 percent target for this time of year, and a report from the bloc's gas transmission operators published earlier this month found Europe could face a shortfall of 12 to 15 percent of demand if a severe cold snap hits. Brussels has temporarily relaxed its storage target to 75-80 percent by November 1, and the EU's energy commissioner has called the situation serious but manageable, while Birol cautioned that a harsh winter could still push European gas prices sharply higher.
Read more →Europe heads into winter with lowest gas reserves on record, IEA chief warns
International Energy Agency head Fatih Birol warned on October 23 that the European Union is entering winter with gas reserves far below historical norms and little room to absorb another supply shock, as the US-Israel conflict with Iran continues to disrupt global energy flows. EU gas storage currently stands at about 72 percent full, well short of the usual 90 percent target for this time of year, and a report from the bloc's gas transmission operators published earlier this month found Europe could face a shortfall of 12 to 15 percent of demand if a severe cold snap hits. Brussels has temporarily relaxed its storage target to 75-80 percent by November 1, and the EU's energy commissioner has called the situation serious but manageable, while Birol cautioned that a harsh winter could still push European gas prices sharply higher.
Serbia heads into tense October 25 election pitting Vucic against student-led movement
Serbia votes on October 25 in a snap election that pits President-turned-prime-ministerial-candidate Aleksandar Vucic against a student-led opposition movement, in the most serious challenge to his rule in over a decade. Vucic resigned as president on September 27 to run for prime minister, with parliament speaker Ana Brnabic serving as acting president, after nearly two years of protests that began following the collapse of a railway station canopy in Novi Sad that killed 16 people in November 2024. On October 22, tens of thousands rallied in Belgrade at the students' final campaign event while Vucic held a separate rally across the city; independent polling is scarce, but observers describe the race as close and warn of possible unrest if both sides claim victory. Vucic's opponents accuse his government of corruption, organised-crime ties and media repression, while he has accused the student movement of mounting a foreign-backed coup attempt, and has said he would congratulate the opposition if they won.
Read more →Serbia heads into tense October 25 election pitting Vucic against student-led movement
Serbia votes on October 25 in a snap election that pits President-turned-prime-ministerial-candidate Aleksandar Vucic against a student-led opposition movement, in the most serious challenge to his rule in over a decade. Vucic resigned as president on September 27 to run for prime minister, with parliament speaker Ana Brnabic serving as acting president, after nearly two years of protests that began following the collapse of a railway station canopy in Novi Sad that killed 16 people in November 2024. On October 22, tens of thousands rallied in Belgrade at the students' final campaign event while Vucic held a separate rally across the city; independent polling is scarce, but observers describe the race as close and warn of possible unrest if both sides claim victory. Vucic's opponents accuse his government of corruption, organised-crime ties and media repression, while he has accused the student movement of mounting a foreign-backed coup attempt, and has said he would congratulate the opposition if they won.