Top World News
Oct 20, 2026
Trump blisters ally with threat for refusing to 'make a deal’: 'Just going to get worse'
President Donald Trump delivered a stark warning to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday, suggesting his country faces an increasingly grim future unless he reaches a deal with Russia.Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump argued that Russia’s military advantage would only grow as the war drags on.“Ukraine has to want to settle this war. Zelensky has to want to settle this war. And if he doesn’t, I think it’s going to be a very bad thing,” Trump said.The president went on to complain about the billions of dollars the United States has spent supporting Ukraine, arguing that American taxpayers have received little in return.“We want Zelensky to make a deal. He can make a deal,” Trump insisted. The president also suggested Zelensky wasted earlier opportunities to negotiate better terms.“Could have made a good deal then. Could have made a much better deal then, probably, possibly than he can make now,” he said.Trump then pointed to Russia’s larger population while appearing to praise the country’s military’s resources as reasons Ukraine should negotiate.“And if they don’t make a deal, ultimately it’s just going to get, in my opinion, it’s just really just going to get worse.”Trump also claimed that personal animosity between Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin was a major obstacle to ending the war.
Oct 20, 2026
RFK Jr’s ‘deities of vaccine research’ raided by police in Guinea-Bissau
Police seize doses of hepatitis B vaccine from people at center of dispute over research on African newbornsControversial vaccine researchers who have been praised by Robert F Kennedy Jr, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary, had their offices in Guinea-Bissau raided by judicial police, who seized doses of hepatitis B vaccines, officials said on Facebook.The researchers have been at the heart of an ongoing dispute over research on African newborns, supported by $1.6m from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and matched by the Pershing Square Foundation and the Bluebell Foundation for a total of $3.2m. Continue reading...
Oct 20, 2026
Alberta voters overwhelmingly reject plan to leave Canada in referendum
Result is a victory for prime minister Mark Carney and supporters of Canadian unityVoters in Canada’s Alberta have overwhelmingly rejected a proposal to begin the process of independence, delivering a decisive victory for supporters of Canadian unity and deepening divisions within the separatist movement.With nearly 1.9m votes counted, roughly 76% people supported remaining in Canada, while 24% backed beginning a process toward separation, according to unofficial results from Elections Alberta. Continue reading...
Oct 20, 2026
‘Bad decisions’: Man convicted for taking Peachy the flamingo from Las Vegas hotel
Mitchell Fairbarn found guilty of animal cruelty after prosecutors say he hurt and frightened the 27-year-old birdA Canadian man was convicted of animal cruelty charges on Monday for snatching a flamingo named Peachy from its enclosure at an iconic Las Vegas hotel.Prosecutors said it was a malicious prank while a lawyer for the tourist insisted it was drunken foolishness not meant to harm the bird. Continue reading...
Oct 20, 2026
Flavio Bolsonaro’s ‘corrupto’ stunt sparks viral meme before Brazil election runoff
Far-right presidential candidate’s TV debate swipe at rival backfires as people take to social media to parody itTo Flávio Bolsonaro and his publicists, it must have seemed an ingenious idea that would expose his rival’s supposed crookedness on the eve of Brazil’s presidential election.But the far-right politician’s decision to attend a primetime television debate against his leftwing opponent, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, with the word “corrupto” (corrupt) written on the palm of his hand has backfired. Continue reading...
Oct 20, 2026
Billionaire Mukesh Ambani launches India’s biggest-ever IPO
Low-cost broadband provider Jio Platforms aims for £81bn valuation when it floats on the stock market on WednesdayIndia’s second-richest man, Mukesh Ambani, is launching what could be the country’s biggest-ever initial public offering (IPO), despite a stock market downturn.Mumbai-based Jio Platforms, a telecoms company backed by Meta Platforms and Google, is hoping to raise up to 302bn rupees (£2.4bn) and is targeting a 10.3tn rupees valuation when it floats on the stock market from Wednesday. Continue reading...
Oct 19, 2026
China’s economy grows faster than forecast after AI boom boosts exports
Third-quarter GDP up by 4.5% compared with last year as industrial output is buoyed by electronics demandRoaring exports lifted China’s economic growth in the third quarter of this year, with factory output growing much faster than consumer spending.China’s GDP grew by 4.5% year-on-year between July and September, the National Bureau of Statistics of China reported on Monday. The figures were better than economists had expected and up from the second quarter’s growth rate of 4.3%. Continue reading...
Oct 19, 2026
Three deaths from float crushes raise safety concerns over Japanese festivals
Deputy mayor of Saijo died after becoming trapped under float, days after two similar incidents elsewhereThere is mounting concern over the safety of Japan’s traditional festivals after the death of a senior local official who was reportedly crushed beneath a float at the weekend, days after two men died in similar incidents in another part of the country.Akihiro Nabae, the deputy mayor of Saijo, in western Japan, was carrying a giant float with other participants in a festival on Saturday when he became trapped beneath the structure, Agence France-Presse reported. Nabae, 62, was taken to hospital and later pronounced dead, local media said, adding that no one else was injured. Continue reading...
Oct 19, 2026
'A new Axis of Evil?' Fury after Trump invitation to 'treason summit' floated by adversary
President Donald Trump's name was floated as a potential attendee to what some political analysts have described as a "treason summit."The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday that Trump may be invited to an upcoming summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin and China's Xi Jinping to discuss an end to Russia's war in Ukraine. The hypothetical invitation came at a time when Trump had sparked fury for not only buying diesel fuel from Russia and allowing the proceeds to go toward continuing the war in Ukraine and arming America's adversaries in Iran, but also lifting sanctions on Russia that were implemented under legislation passed in honor of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC). The report ignited a firestorm on social media. Grant Stern, executive editor of Occupy Democrats, posted on X that the summit should be known as "Treason Summit 2.0," an ode to the last time Trump met with Putin in Alaska. John Jackson, a military veteran and frequent Trump critic, acknowledged the possibility of the summit happening, even though nothing official has been organized. "Of course. This will play to Trump’s ego," Jackson posted on X. David Corn, a columnist for Mother Jones, argued that the summit would mark the formation of a new, nefarious global alliance. "A new Axis of Evil?" Corn posted on Bluesky.
Oct 18, 2026
Conservative columnist skewers Trump as 'treachery' abounds: 'Sick-making stuff'
Conservative columnist Charlie Sykes skewered President Donald Trump on Sunday as the president's "treachery" abounds. Sykes, who authors "To The Contrary" on Substack, argued in a new essay that Trump's repeated attempts to appease Russian President Vladimir Putin amounted to the president's "October surprise," or one that could ultimately lead to his defeat during the midterm elections. Over the last week, Trump has agreed to buy millions of barrels of Russian diesel fuel and agreed to ease sanctions against Russia as a way of keeping the country "at the negotiating table" to end the war in Ukraine. "Donald Trump’s treachery was predictable and predicted. Even so, watching him throwing a financial lifeline to Putin as the monstrous mob boss murders Ukrainians is sick-making stuff," Sykes wrote. Sykes' new column arrived on the same day that Trump repeated claims that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was responsible for the global rise in diesel fuel costs because Ukraine continues to attack Russian oil infrastructure. Analysts have pointed out that Trump's alleged "energy ceasefire" between Ukraine and Russia has not yet worked, as both countries continue to attack each other. At the same time, Trump has tried to deflect blame for recent Russian attacks against Ukrainian civilians. Last week, reports indicated that a slowdown in Ukraine's Starshield systems, which help identify and defend against ballistic missile attacks, resulted from an order from Trump's White House. Sykes argued that the recent moves are "vindication" of the long-standing belief that Trump is working in Russia's favor. "Would it help if he had the grace to admit that the critics were right from the start? Maybe," Sykes wrote. "But vindication doesn’t mean we don’t feel like throwing up as we watch the United States shiv a brave democratic ally, while Ukrainians die."
Oct 18, 2026
Shock as Trump's 'disgraceful' Russia rant instantly backfires: 'Despicable human being'
President Donald Trump's shocking rants about his turn toward Russia on Sunday sparked immediate backlash across the political spectrum. "My decision on Russia is a very simple one. I am in the process of negotiating Peace in the war between Russia and Ukraine, and don’t want to do anything that will drive, foolishly, Russia away from the bargaining table," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "Great progress is being made, and that includes current hostage negotiations! Signing that document at this time will do that, and I can sign it later, or any time that I want! Perhaps more importantly, Russia is doing very little, if anything, to help the Islamic Republic of Iran, compared to what they could be doing, and I want to keep it that way, and will, unless stupid people get in the way."Trump's comments came after he repeatedly blamed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for rising diesel fuel prices because of his military's attacks against Russian oil refineries. Oil industry experts have said the rising prices are more closely tied to the ongoing war against Iran. The Truth Social post sparked immediate and furious outrage from analysts. Joseph Allen, a professor at Harvard University, described Trump's statement as "disgraceful.""A disgraceful message from Trump. He is not worthy of the position of president of the United States," Allen wrote on X. "He is a corrupt, small-minded fool, setting fire to American ideals that have served us and the world well for decades. He is burning it to the ground while enriching himself and his family."Edin Mujkic, a professor at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, said it was another example of how much of a "despicable human being" Trump is. "He is shifting focus from the disaster in the Strait of Hormuz and making Zelensky a sacrificial lamb to his base. A despicable human being who never took responsibility for anything in his life," Mujkic posted on X. Mike Nellis, a Democratic political strategist, posted on X that Trump's screed is a sign that he's worried about the backlash he's already received. "Trump is clearly freaking out as both parties have universally condemned his decision to remove Lindsey Graham’s sanctions against Russian oligarchs," Nellis wrote. "He’s now trying to argue it’s about some secret plan he has to end the war in Ukraine. You have to be a special kind of stupid to believe this guy’s lies at this point."
Oct 18, 2026
Trump rages at 'stupid people' trying to stop his turn toward Russia amid furious backlash
President Donald Trump defended his latest turn toward Russia in a lengthy Truth Social screed Sunday as outrage over the president's recent moves continues to escalate. Last week, Trump announced that the U.S. would buy millions of barrels of diesel fuel from Russia in an effort to lower gas prices ahead of the midterms. That's despite Russia's weakened oil infrastructure that has been battered by repeated Ukrainian drone attacks. At the same time, the president announced he would lift sanctions on Russia that were included in a bill to honor the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC). Both moves have sparked outrage among Democrats and Republicans alike. Trump defended those moves Sunday by saying he "[doesn't] want to do anything that will drive, foolishly, Russia away from the bargaining table.""Great progress is being made, and that includes current hostage negotiations!" Trump wrote. "Signing that document at this time will do that, and I can sign it later, or any time that I want! Perhaps more importantly, Russia is doing very little, if anything, to help the Islamic Republic of Iran, compared to what they could be doing, and I want to keep it that way, and will, unless stupid people get in the way." "Lastly, Zelenskyy is using Diesel Refineries in Russia as a target, knowing that these attacks are seriously hurting the world diesel markets, including those in the United States. Farmers, ranchers, and businesses of all kinds are suffering greatly from this, but Russia is, nevertheless, sending, at a low price, millions of barrels of diesel to the World," Trump added. "Zelenskyy doesn’t care, and frankly, with all of the money that Europe is famously giving him, and that Crooked Joe Biden gave him in the past, he doesn’t want to end this war, and probably never did. He could have made a better deal two years ago than he can now. His country is in shambles, a large portion of his land is lost, his oceans and seas are gone, and his male population is low, wounded, and/or dead. I WANT THIS WAR END (sic)!"
