News
Zelenskiy leaves Washington empty handed, Trump and Putin head to Budapest to talk business
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy went into a White House meeting with US President Donald Trump on October 17 hoping for a big arms deal. He came out of the meeting empty handed.
Taiwan’s KMT elects new leader
Cheng Li-wun, the only female contender among six candidates, defeated former Taipei mayor Hau Lung‑bin by a wide margin, winning over 50% of the ballot in the leadership race for Taiwan’s opposition Kuomintang on October 18.
Gold price in Sri Lanka plunges
The sudden drop of around LKR20,000 in both 22- and 24-carat sovereigns adds to a volatile recent run for precious-metals pricing in the island nation: only days earlier, gold prices were noted to be climbing.
US warns Serbian banks over sanctions breach involving NIS
US sanctions on NIS prohibit transactions with the Serbian oil company involving US-linked financial instruments, including payments using Visa, Mastercard and other foreign-issued cards.
Mongolia’s PM ousted as party infighting topples government
Right to challenge sacking means battle may not be over. Observer says confrontation is linked to desire for control of country’s vast coal resources.
Ex-chairman of Istanbul-listed Sisecam hit with travel ban in Can Holding investigation
Company is controlled by "Ataturk" bank Isbank, which has previously been in the crosshairs of Turkish president Erdogan.
No Tomahawks for Ukraine, Trump to meet Putin in Hungary
The US cannot deplete its own stockpile of Tomahawk cruise missiles by supplying them to Ukraine, President Donald Trump said at a press conference on October 16 following a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Bangladesh seeks death penalty for former Prime Minister Hasina
Bangladesh’s interim administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has requested the country’s criminal tribunal impose the death penalty on former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
US ambassador thanks Turkey for role in "coordinated squeeze" that forced Hamas to surrender
Ankara, Cairo and Doha took part in tactics that made Palestinian group accept deal it did not want.
Trump authorises CIA covert operations in Venezuela to topple Maduro
The White House has acknowledged granting the Central Intelligence Agency sweeping powers to conduct covert operations aimed at unseating President Nicolás Maduro, the NYT reported.
India’s finance minister to miss upcoming IMF and World Bank meetings
India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will not attend this week’s annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank in Washington, as trade negotiations between New Delhi and Washington remain unresolved.
Young Ukrainians asylum seekers fleeing the war for Germany surges
The number of young Ukrainian fleeing the war and seeking asylum in Germany has surged, following Ukraine’s decision to partially lift its travel ban for men aged 18 to 22, according to figures from the German Interior Ministry.
US may double support for Argentina to $40bn conditional on policy reforms
Washington buys Argentine pesos and mulls creating a new private sector-led $20bn debt facility, which would bring total support to $40bn with the existing swap line, Treasury Secretary Bessent said.
Malaysia plans social media ban for children under 13, following Singapore's lead
Under Kuala Lumpur’s proposal, all social media platforms will be required to implement mandatory identity verification systems to prevent underage users from creating accounts.
Following airstrikes, Pakistan and Afghanistan agree peace deal
In just the past few hours, Pakistan and Afghanistan have reportedly agreed to a temporary ceasefire following several days of cross-border clashes.
Turkey widens doorway to workers from Turkic-speaking countries
Move coincides with decision by Russia to kick out hundreds of thousands of largely Central Asian nationals.
Lawmakers of Turkey’s main opposition party urge Nato nations to sharpen focus on threats posed by Iran
Report presented to annual session of defence bloc's parliamentary assembly.
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Syria’s al-Sharaa seeks to rebuild ties with Russia in first Kremlin talks
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa met with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time since assuming power in Syria, marking a significant moment in the political trajectory of the war-torn nation.
Iranian oil tankers begin shutting off locations after mass reveal
Most Iran-flagged oil tankers have, for the first time since 2018, begun transmitting genuine location signals over the Automatic Identification System (AIS),but others are going "dark" again.
New clashes erupt on Pakistan–Afghanistan border
Fresh violence has broken out along the Pakistan–Afghanistan frontier, as forces aligned with the Taliban engaged Pakistani border guards in what sources say was a heavy exchange of fire.