Haiti’s government said Thursday that rescuing four Salvadoran soldiers kidnapped by armed gangs last Sunday on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince is its absolute priority.

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The office of Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé said in a statement that the government is fully mobilized and intends to assert state authority with the greatest firmness against armed groups. It called the soldiers’ release an absolute priority and said all necessary resources are being mobilized to achieve that goal.

RELATED: Salvadoran President Bukele Issues Stern Warning to Haitian Gangs

The prime minister met with competent authorities to assess the situation comprehensively and to determine, in close collaboration with the Salvadoran Gang Suppression Force (GSF), measures to reinforce ongoing operations against the armed gangs that attacked the vehicle carrying the Salvadorans.

Haitian security forces and the GSF have conducted an intense search since Sunday for the four Salvadoran aviation technicians, with whom contact was lost after the ambush in the Santo area of the Croix-des-Bouquets commune, within the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area.

#Haiti | The UN Security Council reaffirms its commitment to the Gang Suppression Force despite armed attacks and the kidnapping of four Salvadoran personnel. Rescue efforts continue as international forces maintain their security mission.#UnitedNations #teleSUREnglish pic.twitter.com/kKX5oDtQ0i

— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) October 23, 2026

In its first official statement on the attack, the Prime Minister’s Office said that given the seriousness of the act, the State reaffirms its authority and determination, and that security forces are continuing operations firmly to secure the soldiers’ release and protect human life.

The GSF reported Tuesday that several members of the gangs controlling most of Port-au-Prince were killed and others wounded in clashes with forces searching for the Salvadoran military personnel. The GSF also reported that four of its own personnel were wounded during the operation and received medical care.

Argentina’s Chambern of Deputies approved the Disability Emergency Law in the early hours of Thursday, after more than a year of protests against Javier Milei’s austerity policies.

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The final text passed with 237 votes in favor, 9 against and 4 abstentions from left-wing sectors, in a session that began Wednesday afternoon.

RELATED: Argentina Rights Group Files Complaint Over Police Crackdown

The law maintains non-contributory pensions, compatibility with formal employment and access to health benefits. It also establishes specific budget items to finance the system and mechanisms to prevent arbitrary removal of beneficiaries.

Among its central points are new conditions for accessing non-contributory disability pensions, the possibility of keeping the benefit while working within certain income limits and a control system based on cross-referencing data between public agencies. It also sets obligations for budget transparency, training for service providers and deadlines to complete pending compensations.

#Argentina | Human rights groups filed a criminal complaint over a police crackdown on university protesters in Buenos Aires that reportedly left more than 550 people injured or affected.
The complaint seeks accountability for alleged excessive force during demonstrations… pic.twitter.com/yrEWJjPhA7

— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) October 19, 2026

The law stipulates the return of all funds owed to providers for more than a year, settling the accumulated financial deficit, and sets strict peremptory deadlines for the Executive Branch to make these obligations effective.

The changes were incorporated after weeks of negotiations and set aside the cuts that the Executive Branch had included in the 2027 Budget for the disability area.

Hundreds of Spanish students gathered at Rey Juan Carlos University (URJC) to protest the visit of far-right Argentine President Javier Milei, who was scheduled to participate in a forum during his stay in Madrid.

Armed with pots and pans, whistles, Palestinian flags, and… pic.twitter.com/LGGFyeYpe6

— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) October 21, 2026

Various organizations of people with disabilities in Córdoba denounced not having been convened to the legislative debate, and expressed skepticism about the Government’s real willingness to comply with what was voted.

The approval comes after more than a year of permanent protests, marches and mobilizations led by people with disabilities and their families, who expressed in the streets their rejection of Milei’s adjustment policies. During that period, the affected sectors suffered neglect, mistreatment and harsh episodes of police repression near the legislative palace, images that were widely disseminated and generated deep repudiation in society.

A key factor in unblocking the legislative scenario was intense lobbying by Pastoral Social Argentina, whose representatives went directly to Congress to dialogue deputy by deputy. Added to this was strong international pressure from Vatican diplomacy, after a monsignor gave various interviews in local media to warn about the Holy See’s deep concern for the health and quality of life of the group.

Venezuelan acting President Delcy Rodríguez received Thursday at the Miraflores Palace Jorge Rodríguez, head of the government delegation, and Dinorah Figuera, coordinator for the 2015 National Assembly, for the political dialogue table, seeking institutional rapprochement and consensus between the State and the sectors represented.

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The meeting presented the balance and details of the third cycle of conversations held in Caracas, a process that included six working sessions structured in two plenary sessions and fifteen meetings. On Wednesday, the delegations held the final plenary of the third cycle, focused on reviewing compliance with agreements on institutional matters and renewal of the judicial system.

RELATED: Venezuela Reaffirms Sovereign Control of Oil Revenue as Deals Advance

The acting president contrasted that willingness with the actions of small groups that insist on blocking streets and violence, and said the majority of the country supports joint work, as demonstrated by mobilizations of Venezuelan women during breast cancer awareness month. She said that when common interests such as women’s health and lives unite people, that is the Venezuela she recognizes.

The formal negotiation process began on August 12, when both parties agreed on a working methodology and installed technical tables to address care for victims of the June earthquakes, democratic strengthening and judicial reforms. The third cycle was installed on Wednesday the 14th with the central goal of advancing renewal of the Supreme Court of Justice and setting participation guarantees for political organizations.

As part of the commitments, the installation of the new Table 4 on Political, Economic and Social Guarantees was formalized, highlighting mediation and conciliation mechanisms under the Program for Peace and Democratic Coexistence and the start of discussions to create an Ombudsman for Political Guarantees and Citizen Participation. A deep review was also agreed of key legal instruments, including the Law on Political Parties, Public Meetings and Demonstrations; the Liberator Simón Bolívar Organic Law; the Organic Law against Organized Crime and Financing of Terrorism; and the Organic Law of the Comptroller General and the National Fiscal Control System, to evaluate matters related to political disqualifications.

In the institutional and judicial sphere, the work of the Preliminary Commission of the Judicial Nominations Committee was recognized after it interviewed 127 candidates from different sectors. It was announced that the next National Assembly session will appoint the 12 members of the nominations committee, allowing publication of the constitutional schedule and subsequent activation of the Credentials Review Council.

On economic and patrimonial matters, the parties reaffirmed the urgency of recovering Venezuela’s international reserve assets at the Bank of England, the Venezuelan gold, to assist the population affected by the June 24 earthquakes. They agreed to form a parity delegation to manage these actions and promote economic and social prosperity in health, education, food and workers’ income.

UK public debt crossed the £3 trillion mark for the first time at the end of September 2026, the National Statistics Office reported on Wednesday, October 21.

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The accumulated public sector liabilities stood at £3.005 trillion, equivalent to €3.57 trillion, according to the provisional estimate released by the National Statistics Office. The figure represented 94 percent of UK gross domestic product and marked a historic high, the agency reported.

The balance grew by £91.7 billion compared with the level recorded twelve months earlier, about €109.074 billion, according to the provisional estimate.

RELATED: U.K. Slashes International Aid Budget by 56% to Fund Defense

Despite the nominal record, the weight of the liabilities on the economy as a whole fell by seven tenths compared with the 2025 level, the agency reported. The agency recalled that net debt exceeded £2 trillion in June 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, and had surpassed £1 trillion in February 2010, following the global financial crisis.

September public borrowing amounted to £24.5 billion, or €29.142 billion, and was the second highest recorded for that month, according to the National Statistics Office. Only the September 2020 figure, unadjusted for inflation, was higher. Compared with the previous year, the imbalance increased by £1.8 billion, or 7.7 percent, because spending growth outpaced income growth, the agency reported.

Britain’s national debt has climbed above £3tn for the first time, underlining the pressure on the public finances before John Healey’s maiden Budget next week

🔗 https://t.co/xKIQKqOhib pic.twitter.com/ExKxQ7hI95

— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) October 21, 2026

Central government debt interest reached £10.9 billion in September, the highest figure recorded in the ninth month of the year since monthly records began in 1997, according to the National Statistics Office.

Annual inflation stood at 3.5 percent in September, four tenths above the August figure and the largest increase since October 2025, according to the National Statistics Office. The price of goods rose 3.2 percent year on year, compared with 2.7 percent in August, while services became 3.7 percent more expensive. Core inflation, which excludes energy, food, alcohol and tobacco, advanced to 2.8 percent, two tenths more than in August.

Humanity will exceed the Paris Agreement’s 1.5 °C global warming threshold, but the temperature peak can still be contained between 1.7 and 1.8 °C by mid-century, UNEP warned in its most recent report.

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To return to 1.5 °C by the end of the century, countries must cut global emissions by 18 percent by 2030, 45 percent by 2035 and 69 percent by 2040, according to the report.

Global warming will overshoot 1.5°C in the coming years.

There’s still a chance to bring temperatures back down, but the window is closing fast.

This is the point of return. #EmissionsGap pic.twitter.com/VDXkg0JPtQ

— UN Environment Programme (@UNEP) October 21, 2026

UN Secretary-General António Guterres declared that surpassing the limit did not mean giving up, referring to the need to maintain ambitious climate targets despite the overshoot.

RELATED: Venezuela and OPEC Fund Assess Partnerships to Address Climate Change

UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen stressed that each additional fraction of a degree and each extra year of warming above 1.5 °C would worsen climate impacts and risks, including deadly floods, heat waves and wildfires that have swept numerous countries this year, and said all possible efforts were needed to limit the peak and return to 1.5 °C by the end of the century, which she said was possible.

The chance to keep global warming below 1.5°C with no overshoot is gone.

But urgent action can still limit the overshoot and bring warming back to 1.5°C by 2100.

Current policies, however, put the 🌎 on course for up to 2.8°C this century.

New #EmissionsGap Report:… pic.twitter.com/4VanweT5Hj

— UN Environment Programme (@UNEP) October 21, 2026

Continuing current policies will cause a catastrophic increase of 2.8 °C over this century, with a sustained rise in subsequent years, the document warns.

Ahead of the start of the second Global Stocktake at COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, UNEP set concrete fossil fuel reduction targets relative to 2025 levels.

By 2035, the agency proposes reducing coal supply by 55 percent, oil by 15 percent and gas by 5 percent; by 2040, it proposes raising the cuts to 75 percent for coal, 30 percent for oil and 35 percent for gas.

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s campaign confirmed that the Brazilian president accepted lifting the bank and telephone secrecy of the candidates and their families before Sunday’s runoff election, a proposal aimed at his opponent, Flávio Bolsonaro.

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At a press conference, Camilo Santana, campaign coordinator for the Workers’ Party (PT), explained that the head of state seeking reelection has no problem with the conditions imposed by the other side. Santana said that regarding all the conditions Flávio has set, the president’s response is that he does not oppose anything proposed, as long as Flávio complies with and discloses everything contained in the request filed with the Superior Electoral Court (TSE).

The PT team specified that Thursday at 11:00 a.m. local time is the deadline for the far-right Liberal Party candidate to release his financial data and that of his circle, adding that Bolsonaro cannot wait until after the elections and that the deadline expires tomorrow.

RELATED: UN Experts Raise Concerns Over Meta’s Handling of Political Expression During Brazil Elections

The topic stems from last Sunday’s televised debate, in which Lula challenged the far-right senator to disclose the bank accounts of both candidates to show “who is honest and who is a thief.”

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said he would submit authorization to the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) to lift bank secrecy protections on his accounts and those of his family members.

However, Lula said the measure depended on his presidential rival, Flavio… pic.twitter.com/c1kkaSNQuX

— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) October 20, 2026

After the debate, the president presented a formal authorization before the electoral body on Tuesday to release his data and that of his wife and children, but Bolsonaro responded that he would only agree if the review were extended to people linked to the government’s circle.

The PT has accepted the conditions and added to the review the finances of former chief of staff Marco Aurélio Santana Ribeiro and of the president’s brother, José Ferreira da Silva, as well as the record of businesswoman Roberta Luchsinger’s access to the Presidential Palace.

After accepting the requests, the Workers’ Party team questioned the opposition’s delay in joining the initiative. Santana said that if Bolsonaro owes nothing, he should have accepted President Lula’s challenge last Sunday.

LULA CHALLENGES FLÁVIO BOLSONARO to open their BANK ACCOUNTS & PHONE RECORDS to prove who is ‘CORRUPT’ ahead of elections

‘I OPEN MINE, MY ENTIRE FAMILY’S — AND YOU OPEN YOURS’

‘BECAUSE I ASKED ABOUT THE HOUSE, AND YOU DIDN’T EXPLAIN’ https://t.co/ViNL9bR6Kh pic.twitter.com/c1OzNRWevE

— RT (@RT_com) October 19, 2026

The U.S. denied entry to Puerto Rico to former Barcelona mayor and left-wing Frente Amplio presidential candidate Ada Colau, who had planned to attend the Ciudades Valientes municipalist gathering in Caguas on November 3 and 4, a decision sources close to her attribute to ideological reasons and her pro-Palestine activism.

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Colau’s delegation was cleared through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) required due to the island’s colonial status, but her own application was denied. She was then advised to attend a personal interview at the embassy in Madrid. During that meeting two weeks ago, diplomatic staff focused their questions on her position on the conflict, with sources close to her saying the entire interview dealt with the Flotilla and her pro-Palestinian activism, with repeated insistence on the three days she was detained in Israel.

RELATED: Spain Suspends Voting Rights for Some Naturalized Cuban Citizens Abroad

After the interview, U.S. authorities issued a definitive denial, citing suspicion that she wants to illegally migrate to the country.

Colau rejected the measure and denounced it as evident political censorship, pointing out that while Javier Milei can travel freely to Spain to insult the press and the public, Donald Trump prohibits her from entering Puerto Rico, which she described as a colony occupied by the United States. She made the statement in response to the ban.

Es inaceptable e injustificado negarle la visa para Puerto Rico a @AdaColau por ser pacifista y defensora de derechos humanos. El @DeptEstadoPR deberia intervenir al igual que el Comisionado Residente @RepPabloJose exigir una investigación (congressional inquiry) sobre este…

— Eva Prados (@evapradospr) October 21, 2026

The former mayor, who governed Barcelona between 2015 and 2023, visited the Caribbean archipelago in April 2024 to address urban planning, access to housing, human rights and the role of women in politics.

Puerto Rico has remained under U.S. dominion since 1898 after the Treaty of Paris, and although since 1952 it has held the status of Free Associated State with its own constitution, the United States maintains exclusive control over immigration, customs, defense and currency.

A U.S. court ordered Meta, the owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, to pay $25 billion for deceiving the public about how it protects personal data, in a case tied to the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

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Judge Francis Mathew set the fine on Wednesday after a jury determined that Facebook made misleading promises about who could access user data and how that information was protected, according to the ruling. The jury found 26 statements by Meta made between 2010 and 2021 to be misleading, including some by CEO Mark Zuckerberg and then-chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg.

RELATED: US Supreme Rejects Trump’s Bid to End Gender-Affirming Care for Trans Inmates

In his ruling, Mathew wrote that Facebook’s misconduct, developed over years and systematically disseminated to the public, went to the core of its business practices. According to the ruling, the company maintained those promises despite internal warnings that it could not fulfill them, and allowed certain business partners to retain access to data it had announced it would stop sharing in order to avoid losing revenue. The judge concluded that the messages sought to build trust and attract users, whose data are essential to the company’s personalized advertising business.

The case is deeply tied to Cambridge Analytica, a British consulting firm that worked for Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and obtained data from millions of Facebook users without consent to promote political advertising, according to a statement from the New Mexico Department of Justice. Revelations about the firm, made public in 2018, affected up to 87 million profiles and sparked an international scandal over the use of personal information by social networks and their role in electoral campaigns. The trial also examined what Facebook said publicly about its efforts to combat disinformation and hate speech.

#UnitedStates | Meta's global affairs chief Joel Kaplan is set to leave after more than 15 years, amid allegations of political bias on the company's platforms ahead of Brazil's presidential runoff.
Meta denies the allegations.#Meta #BrazilElections #ElectionIntegrity… pic.twitter.com/d4fnlFLEmH

— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) October 22, 2026

Although the judge initially calculated a fine of more than $219 billion, he ultimately reduced the amount to $25 billion, which will accrue annual interest of 15% until effective payment. The money will go to New Mexico’s education system, although the attorney general warned that an appeal by Meta could delay the availability of the funds.

New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez presented the decision as one of the largest financial penalties against a company in U.S. history.

Venezuela’s national government and former deputies of the 2015 National Assembly held the final plenary of the third cycle of talks in Caracas on Wednesday, centered on reviewing compliance with agreements on institutional matters and renewal of the judicial system.

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This phase covered the review of commitments from the second cycle, which concluded Sept. 25 with partial agreements on lifting restrictions on digital news portals, adding guarantees for the right to information and progress in judicial renewal.

RELATED: Venezuela Sets Youth Popular Consultation for February 2027

The agenda also included installing the Credentials Review Council for applicants to the Supreme Court of Justice as part of discussions on the judicial system.

En desarrollo la última plenaria del tercer ciclo de conversaciones. pic.twitter.com/n46lLsSMaC

— Jorge Rodríguez (@jorgerpsuv) October 21, 2026

The government delegation was headed by National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez and included deputies Pedro Infante, Jorge Arreaza and América Pérez, Minister of University Education Ana María Sanjuan and Deputy Minister Génesis Garvett. The 2015 Assembly delegation included Dinorah Figuera, accompanied by Juan Miguel Matheus, Sergio Vergara, Marco Aurelio Quiñones and Ramón López.

The formal talks began Aug. 12, when both parties agreed on a working methodology and installed technical tables on care for earthquake victims, democratic strengthening and judicial system reforms.

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) urged the United States and Iran on Monday to resume dialogue to overcome their bilateral crisis and called for restoring security and freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, during its 168th Ministerial Council session in Manama, Bahrain.

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The foreign ministers also demanded that GCC member states participate in any negotiation or agreement that could affect their security and interests.

According to the final resolution, the ministers highlighted the need to address pending issues related to Iran’s nuclear program, missiles, drones and Tehran’s support for allied groups, while calling for respect for state sovereignty and non-interference in internal affairs.

RELATED: Iran: Supertanker Catches Fire After Striking a Naval Mine in the Strait of Hormuz

The statement comes amid the confrontation between Washington and Tehran that began on February 28, and the stagnation of diplomatic efforts due to differences over Iran’s nuclear program, U.S. sanctions and maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. In that context, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi reiterated Iran’s willingness to reopen the maritime route within a week, provided Washington accepts Tehran’s conditions, including lifting the blockade on Iranian ports and sanctions on its oil exports.

BREAKING: Iran announces an oil tanker has hit a naval mine while exiting the Strait of Hormuz through the US-backed southern Omani corridor, with a massive fire in the engine room. pic.twitter.com/kzMnoJr4Q0

— The Hormuz Letter (@HormuzLetter) October 18, 2026

On navigation, the GCC ministers called for the situation in Hormuz to return to the conditions existing before February 28, in accordance with international law, the sovereignty of coastal states and the rights of affected countries. They stressed the importance of guaranteeing maritime transit through the Strait of Hormuz, Bab el-Mandeb and the Red Sea, and warned against closing those routes, obstructing traffic, attacking merchant ships and crews, laying mines and imposing illegal fees or restrictions on passage. They also rejected making navigation subject to prior authorizations or imposed routes in contradiction with the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and customary international law.

Marco Rubio on Iran:

They chose to take the straits hostage. They would have done it anyway.

Imagine if Iran had a nuclear weapon.

At that point, they could say, "And by the way, we own the Strait of Hormuz, and you guys can't do anything about it because we won't just hit… pic.twitter.com/OUgeE88qon

— Clash Report (@clashreport) October 19, 2026

The meeting was chaired by Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al-Zayani, with the attendance of his counterparts from member countries and the organization’s secretary-general.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s approval rating has fallen to a new low of 33% two weeks before the U.S. midterm elections, amid cost-of-living concerns, according to a new poll conducted by Ipsos, The Washington Post and ABC News.

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Disapproval stood at 66%, including 52% who strongly disapprove. The rating was four percentage points lower than in July and 12 points below February 2025, when approval was 45%. It marked a lower level than at any point in his first term. Among likely voters, 38% approved and 62% disapproved.

RELATED: No Kings Rallies Push Early Voting Ahead of U.S. Midterms

Voters were concerned about the cost of living and about the president’s decision to start the war against Iran, which affected fuel prices. 71% of respondents called gasoline unaffordable, up from 28% in February before the war in Iran raised fuel costs. 72% said the country is heading in the wrong direction, an increase of five points from April.

Trump's declining approval ratings are exposing a growing divide within the Republican Party ahead of the midterm elections.

A Fox News poll shows Trump retains 95% approval among MAGA Republicans, compared with just 47% among non-MAGA Republicans.

Source: Axios pic.twitter.com/of19EunI4p

— Clash Report (@clashreport) October 19, 2026

Approval ratings traditionally serve as a key factor in anticipating midterm results in the United States, and several Republican members of Congress are struggling in districts that were once conservative strongholds.

Likely voters surveyed backed the Democratic congressional candidate over the Republican, 52% to 44%. Among all registered voters, the margin was 50% to 42%, an improvement for Democrats from July, when the gap was barely three points.

Trump has redoubled his participation in campaign events around the country to maintain control of Congress.

U.S. Ambassador to the EU Andrew Puzder warned that European companies could face devastating retaliation in the U.S. market if the bloc proceeds with a proposal to reserve much of a key satellite-to-smartphone spectrum band for European operators, according to an interview with a specialized financial print publication.

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The EU plan could limit access for foreign companies, including SpaceX, and the proposal could restrict U.S. companies such as SpaceX and Amazon.

RELATED: European Union Leaders Pledge Continued Support for Ukraine

SpaceX, which operates the Starlink satellite network, has criticized the proposed changes, warning they could undermine connectivity in Ukraine, where Starlink has played a fundamental role in civil and military communications since Russia’s special military operation.

Zelensky says Starlink terminals shut down at speeds above 161 km/h in Ukraine, while tests show they continue working above 180 km/h in the EU.

He calls the restrictions a “planned operation,” saying they prevent Ukraine from using some interceptor drones against jet-powered… pic.twitter.com/aC5mPr7UnG

— Clash Report (@clashreport) October 17, 2026

Puzder acknowledged Europe’s right to protect sensitive government information but argued that legislation should not be used to harm U.S. competitors. He also questioned whether the EU’s enforcement of its Digital Markets Act was aimed at promoting competition or generating revenue through fines imposed on US technology companies. Puzder urged Brussels and Washington to cooperate in the race against China in artificial intelligence and quantum computing, warning that regulatory disputes risk undermining shared interests.

French President Emmanuel Macron rejected Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez’s resignation on Monday, after violent riots in several cities, BFM TV reported, citing the Élysée.

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Nuñez’s handling is being questioned amid the violent unrest, the report said. The riots were the most violent France has seen in years and left one protester dead, 600 police officers, gendarmes and firefighters injured and 2,000 people detained, according to the Interior Minister.

RELATED: France Reports 855 Arrests in Paris After Protests

The riots followed protests over the high cost of living.

Macron cited failures in anticipation and intelligence that led to the violence on Oct. 17, according to the report. In a televised appearance on Sunday, he condemned the violence and said those who tried to bring down the Republic would have to answer for it.

Minister Sebastien Lecornu confirmed the number of people detained during the police crackdown on protests in various parts of the country.

The Ministry of the Interior reported that 550,000 people took to the streets nationwide, 110,000 of them in Paris.

The demonstrations,… pic.twitter.com/nPUxeRBPwI

— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) October 18, 2026

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said the government would not be “intimidated” by violence and attributed the riots to the “far left” and criminals. The unrest has increased pressure on Macron ahead of presidential elections scheduled for next year.

Israel has arrested more than 2,000 Palestinian children since the start of the genocide in the Gaza Strip, with at least 350 still detained in severe conditions, the Palestinian Prisoners Society said in a report this week.

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The organization warned of an escalation in attacks on Palestinian children through practices including intimidation, arrest, torture, starvation, isolation and denial of medical care. It said information on the number of children detained in Gaza since the war began remains unclear, particularly due to missing-person figures in the enclave and the continued practice of forced disappearance by Israeli forces.

RELATED: U.S. Photojournalist Heidi Levine Beaten by Masked Israeli Settlers

The group said Israel’s administrative detention policy, under which Palestinians are held without publicly filed charges or a clear release timeframe, leaves children facing an uncertain future and deprives them of family and educational stability. It added that Zionist courts contribute to continued violations against children amid a lack of effective accountability.

Palestinian Prisoner’s Society reports dozens of repression raids in Israeli prisons since October 7https://t.co/4zeHJcDpsE pic.twitter.com/tHMSRkUrrJ

— WAFA News Agency – English (@WAFANewsEnglish) October 18, 2026

The report cited the case of Walid Khaled Ahmad, who died in Megiddo prison in March 2025 amid medical findings indicating severe emaciation and signs of malnutrition and dehydration. The group questioned accountability for his death, noting the investigation had been closed.

It also highlighted Mohammed Hamid, 15, who contracted scabies while detained in Ofer prison, leading to severe infections affecting vital organs. He underwent heart surgeries and was admitted to intensive care in critical condition before one of his legs was amputated. The group said Hamid continued receiving treatment for about three months after Israeli authorities released him following his health deterioration, a measure it described as an evasion of responsibility for his medical care.

The Palestinian Prisoners Society called for international action to secure the release of arbitrarily detained children, end administrative detention and coercive interrogations, and stop torture, starvation and denial of medical treatment. It said protecting Palestinian children requires firm international intervention to guarantee respect for their rights, lives and dignity.

According to UN reports and the Gaza Ministry of Health, Israeli forces have killed at least 21,638 children in the Strip since October 2023, including more than 1,000 infants under one year old.

A report by an independent UN commission of inquiry released in June said continued attacks have caused unprecedented deaths, injuries and trauma to children, consolidating the legal characterization of these acts as war crimes and crimes against humanity through deliberate violations of global treaties prohibiting extermination and collective punishment.

Since October 2023, more than 74,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 175,000 wounded by Israeli fire in Gaza, where around 90% of infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed by massive bombardment. Israeli Army raids and settler attacks against Palestinians and their property have intensified in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since the start of Israel’s genocide against Gaza in October 2023.

Four Canadian military personnel were killed and dozens seriously injured in a fire at the Wainwright base in western Canada, Prime Minister Mark Carney confirmed Sunday.

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In a televised statement, Carney described a violent fire that spread rapidly as among the worst tragedies suffered by the Canadian Armed Forces on its territory. He said relatives had been informed and ordered flags on all federal buildings flown at half-mast, expressing solidarity with the families of victims and the injured.

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Among those affected were reservists and soldiers from Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, one of the best-known infantry regiments in the Canadian Army.

Carney promised Canada would support victims and families for as long as needed, care for the injured throughout recovery and back Armed Forces members bearing the loss, saying they would not carry it alone because Canadians take care of one another.

LIVE: Statement on CFB Wainwright • EN DIRECT : Déclaration concernant la BFC Wainwright https://t.co/bMaGN3Xvl7

— Mark Carney (@MarkJCarney) October 18, 2026

The Department of National Defence previously reported that the fire began around 4:00 p.m. local time Saturday in a training area of the base, located about 200 kilometers southeast of Edmonton, and spread rapidly beyond its boundaries, forcing military and civilian emergency services to deploy.

Global News, citing several military sources, reported that the explosion occurred during a live-fire exercise and may have originated when a projectile hit a gas pipeline or natural gas well. The account has not been officially confirmed. The toll given by Carney was the first official death figure.

The Canadian Armed Forces said Sunday that while the investigation continues, there is no indication the incident resulted from terrorist activity. NASA satellite images from its forest fire monitoring system captured at least seven clusters of fires at the camp in the early hours of Saturday.

At least 29 people were detained Sunday during a march in Santiago marking the seventh anniversary of Chile’s 2019 social outburst, the largest wave of protests since the return to democracy.

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The march brought several thousand people to Plaza Italia, organized by social and student groups to remember the roughly thirty victims who died during the unrest and the thousands injured by security forces during the 2019 demonstrations.

The protests were originally triggered by a public transport fare increase during Sebastián Piñera’s government, adding to decades of accumulated discontent with the country’s neoliberal model.

RELATED: Centinela Mine Strike: 5 Critical Facts as Chilean Miners Escalate

This was the first commemoration of the social outburst during the term of far-right President José Antonio Kast, who has consistently criminalized the 2019 protests and refers to them as a “criminal outburst.” Slogans at the march targeted his government’s fiscal adjustments, and demonstrators called for a fairer economic model and greater social rights.

The government has decreed cuts in health, education, science, culture, scholarships, bonuses and subsidies, the closure of a program for women and the end of a plan that for 17 years provided computers to low-income schoolchildren.

🟥 Más de 5 horas llevan los manifestantes en Santiago de Chile, tras la fuerte represión contra la marcha en conmemoración por los 7 años de la revuelta popular de 2019, esta vez, en el marco de la grave situación social y económica que enfrenta el pais a la que se suman los… pic.twitter.com/7ysqKHDQOG

— Pao Dragnic (@PaolaDragnic) October 18, 2026

Kast, seven months into his term, has a 64% disapproval rating, driven by unfulfilled promises, falling economic indicators and rising unemployment, while rejection of social and public assistance cuts grows.

A poll by the firm Criteria published Sunday found that 68% of respondents believe the demands that sparked the 2019 unrest remain unresolved in Chile.

French police repressed protesters in Paris on Saturday, detaining dozens during unauthorized demonstrations demanding better education conditions and opposing budget cuts and the high cost of living, authorities reported.

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The Paris police prefecture said law enforcement forces intervened to disperse two unauthorized demonstrations that had formed mid-morning.

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By 11:00 local time, 61 people had been detained, 589 preventive checks had been carried out and four fines imposed under the security operations, an official report stated.

The first protest consisted of a union gathering of about 100 people in the Gare du Nord area, while the second was made up of high school students on rue de Rennes.

The PSOE’s Federal Committee on Saturday unanimously proclaimed Pedro Sánchez as its candidate for reelection and ratified its candidacies for the Nov. 29 elections.

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Territorial leaders showed unity and confidence that they can defeat the polls’ bad omens at the meeting, according to EFE.

For the first time, more women than men will head the lists for the Congress of Deputies, at 52%, and in the Senate the party is also moving toward parity by increasing ten points the percentage of women leading candidacies compared with 2023.

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The party’s federal leadership introduced few changes this time to the candidacies submitted by the territories, and the noise generated was much lower than in 2023.

The Federal Committee met shaken by the resignation of its spokesperson, Montse Mínguez, who on Friday decided to leave all her posts after the controversy generated by her partner’s real estate businesses.

Sánchez revealed at a press conference in Brussels that he had asked Mínguez not to resign, but that she was “broken,” and he called her an extraordinary spokesperson and an immense politician. He lamented that politics sometimes mistreats good people.

U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday temporarily suspending the application of a broad package of sanctions against Russia, arguing before Congress that the measure responds to the national interest.

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The decision affects a law named after the late Republican senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, which seeks to toughen sanctions against the Russian economy and limit the flow of financial resources.

Trump had enacted that legislation on September 18 but has now temporarily exempted the application of several of its provisions, according to the order.

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The order exempts sanctions against persons and entities linked to the Russian government; financial and trade restrictions and tariffs planned for Russian products, and those from certain countries that buy Russian hydrocarbons, according to the order.

The decision does not eliminate the sanctions the United States had already imposed on Russia through previous executive orders.

The exemptions from the new law will remain in force until Trump or the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury and the U.S. Trade Representative,

BIG: Trump waived sanctions targeting Russian fossil fuel sales just days before they were due to take effect.

The measures would have imposed tariffs of up to 100% on goods from major importers of Russian oil and gas.

Russian officials welcomed the waiver, while U.S. lawmakers… pic.twitter.com/j5DGn28Ml8

— Clash Report (@clashreport) October 17, 2026

The decision comes after Washington temporarily authorized commercial operations with Russian-origin diesel until April 7, 2027, including its import into the United States, despite the sanctions in force against Moscow.

Trump announced on October 9 that he had agreed with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on the supply of diesel to international markets, with the aim of easing energy and fuel prices.

The Republican president said Russia would initially deliver more than 300,000 tons of fuel and would later supply additional quantities, conditioned in part on the state of its refineries, he said.

The agreement has drawn criticism from lawmakers of both parties, who question its possible effects on economic pressure against Moscow and its compatibility with U.S. legislation, according to the critics.

Detractors warn that revenue from the sale of Russian fuel could help finance the war against Ukraine, while the Administration defends the need to contain energy costs, according to the critics and the Administration.

The Global South Academic Forum is being held in Shanghai this Saturday and Sunday, bringing together prominent political leaders, academics, researchers and media representatives from Asia, Africa and Latin America.

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Inspired by the spirit of the historic Tricontinental Conference held in Havana in 1966, the forum commemorates that legacy six decades on and warns that the task of decolonizing the Global South has not yet been completed, according to the forum.

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The event’s debates will focus on how to strengthen state governance capacity, social mobilization and institutional innovation through party organizations, according to the forum.

Today in Shanghai, China, I addressed the 2026 Global South Academic Forum, convened under the theme “Global South Political Parties: Governance and Modernisation.”

At the opening, I reflected on the historical struggles that shaped the Global South, particularly the pursuit of… pic.twitter.com/T54hZxJ91R

— Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang (@NJOAgyemang) October 17, 2026

The official program includes a rigorous analysis structured around various high-level panels, including Governance and Institution Building, highlighting the importance of state capacity and institutional strength as cornerstones of national development in the Global South, according to the program.