Just under three weeks after the ceasefire began, the Israeli Air Force has bombed targets in the Gaza Strip, killing more than 90 people according to local reports. Israel's government described the strikes as a response to an attack by Hamas in which a soldier was killed. The terrorist organisation ruling Gaza has denied responsibility for this incident.
In the tariff dispute between the US and China both sides are now saying they are close to reaching a deal, and Presidents Trump and Xi are scheduled to meet in South Korea on 30 October. On Monday, however, Trump concluded rare earths deal with Japan which in view of China's recent export restrictions can be seen as a pact against Beijing.
Argentinian President Javier Milei's party La Libertad Avanza (LLA) has won the midterm legislative elections with around 41 percent of the vote. The right-wing populist president who has been in office for two years sees this as confirmation of his radical austerity policy. Before the elections, US President Donald Trump had made a billion-dollar aid package aimed at bolstering the peso contingent on a victory for the LLA.
Vilnius Airport had to suspend operations four times last week due to several unidentified objects entering its airspace. According to government sources, they turned out to be helium-filled balloons like those used by meteorologists, coming from Belarus. In recent times such balloons have been used to smuggle cigarettes into the EU. Lithuania has responded by almost completely closing its border with Belarus.
Media investigations have revealed that the Swedish government diverted 5 million kronor (approx. 450,000 euros) from development aid funds to the Somali government to ensure that it would allow it to send Somali migrants back to the country. The money was used to finance three well-paid civil service positions.
After 15 years of construction, the People's Salvation Cathedral, the world's biggest Orthodox church, was consecrated in Bucharest on Sunday. An estimated 200 to 315 million euros went into its construction, but the exact figure is not known even though most of the money came from public funds. A good investment?
In much of Europe and North America and in many countries around the world, clocks were set back to standard time on Saturday night. People were able to sleep an hour longer - or reflect on whether moving the time back and forth makes sense. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has announced a push for its abolition in the EU and claims he has the support of a majority of Europeans. The commentaries reflect a more nuanced perspective.
Catherine Connolly has won the presidential election in Ireland, securing a clear victory over her rival Heather Humphreys from the ruling centre-right Fine Gael party. Connolly ran as an independent candidate but was supported by left-wing parties such as Sinn Féin, Labour, the Social Democrats, People Before Profit, and the Greens. She has made waves with her harsh criticism of Nato, the EU and Israel.
The US has already carried out several strikes against boats belonging to suspected drug smugglers in international waters in the Caribbean, killing the crew in the process. Now the world's largest aircraft carrier, U.S.S. Gerald Ford, is to be deployed to the region as military reinforcement. US President Donald Trump had accused both Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and Colombian President Gustavo Petro of being involved in drug trafficking.
The US is upping the pressure on Russia's oil industry: Donald Trump has imposed sanctions on its two top companies Rosneft and Lukoil and their numerous subsidiaries. According to the US Treasury Department, not only US companies but also foreign banks and business partners will now be prohibited from doing business with them. The media discuss whether this could force Putin to back down on Ukraine.
Negotiations among European leaders on using frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine have produced a minimum compromise. The EU Commission has been instructed to examine the options and draw up a corresponding legal proposal after Belgium, which had expressed doubts about the legality of accessing the funds, indicated it would no longer stand in the way. An important first step or unnecessary caution?