Mark Rutte meets Vodolymyr Zelensky in Brussels ahead of European Union summit.

During a meeting on Thursday, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte tacitly asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to implement the “energy ceasefire” announced by U.S. President Donald Trump.

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“Good to see President Zelensky in Brussels. We talked about the importance of implementing an energy ceasefire,” Rutte said in a social media message accompanied by a photograph with the Ukrainian leader, who is in the Belgian capital to attend a European Union summit on Friday as a guest.

Rutte also said they discussed “NATO allies’ continued support for Ukraine,” among other things through the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) mechanism, launched by the alliance so that allies can buy U.S. military materiel to send to Kyiv.

Through social media, Zelensky said the meeting with Rutte served to continue coordinating with NATO “greater protection and security for Ukraine.” He took the opportunity to blame Russia for having broken the energy ceasefire through attacks on energy infrastructure.

⚡️ On October 15 in Baku, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov directly rejected any potential ceasefire in Ukraine, explicitly countering US President Donald Trump’s October 11 announcement of an energy truce. pic.twitter.com/CB4Md9VTkN

— UNITED24 Media (@United24media) October 15, 2026

He also complained about restrictions on Starlink satellite operations in Ukraine, asked that arms supplies to Ukraine continue, and insisted on the need to receive ballistic missile interceptors and ammunition for F16 aircraft.

The Brussels meeting comes a day after Russia launched an attack against three thermal power plants operating in the Kiev region and an attack against energy facilities in Kharkiv.

In statements to the Financial Times, Zelensky reaffirmed his willingness to continue the conflict and announced that “the ban (on attacking Russian refineries) has been lifted. That is enough.”

On Thursday, Russia confirmed that Ukraine attacked a refinery in Ryazan, a region 200 kilometers from Moscow. Yesterday, Russian authorities also denounced Ukrainian attacks on two other refineries in the Saratov and Ryazan regions.

The Kremlin assured that Russia has not violated any agreement given that the energy truce between Russia and Ukraine was never finalized.

teleSUR/ JF

Source: EFE

A train and a bus have collided at the entrance to the Channel Tunnel in Pas-de-Calais, France

A migration ecologist called the discovery of the barn owls’ nest ‘shocking’

© AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura

A spike in diesel prices is hammering broad sectors of the US economy – especially agriculture and shipping – and becoming a flash point ahead of the November 2026 midterm elections. This squeeze has prompted Republicans from hard-hit farm states to call for a ban on US diesel exports, with President Donald Trump reportedly weighing […]

The post Is the world pricing the risk of a US diesel export ban? appeared first on Asia Times.

The Maison de l’Amérique Latine (MAL) celebrated its 80th anniversary this Thursday against a backdrop of uncertainty: the Bank of France has put up for sale the two 18th-century mansions that have housed the institution since 1965, with a valuation of 100 million euros.

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The 6,791-square-meter property consists of the hôtels particuliers of Varengeville and Amelot de Gournay, located on Boulevard Saint-Germain in the heart of Paris. The bidding process could be concluded before the end of 2026, and the future buyer will be under no obligation to maintain the MAL’s cultural activities at the site.

According to reports from French media, potential interested parties include businessman Xavier Niel and Bernard Arnault, owner of the LVMH group.

A Call from Latin America

La Maison de l'Amérique latine ne doit pas disparaître ! – Signez la pétition ! https://t.co/dbyIjq5dOI via @ChangeFrance

— Stéphanie LAVIGNE (@lunedemoins) October 11, 2026

Several Latin American embassies in France have launched a public petition to ensure that the Latin America House does not cease its operations. The diplomatic missions emphasized that the institution is particularly vital for smaller embassies, which lack the resources to organize exhibitions or cultural events in a city with such high real estate costs.

Mexico’s Ambassador to France, Blanca Jiménez Cisneros, and Panama’s representative, Joanna Villarreal, attended the event commemorating the MAL’s 80th anniversary.

The petition has garnered over 25,000 signatures, including those of former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet and former French Prime Ministers Dominique de Villepin, Bernard Cazeneuve, and Jean-Marc Ayrault.

“It would be a tragedy for the institution to disappear in the very year we mark our 80th anniversary. We will fight until the end,” stated the institution’s president, Jean-Marc Laforêt. Cultural and Diplomatic Space

Founded in 1946 on the initiative of then-French President Charles de Gaulle, the House of Latin America (in spanish Casa de América Latina) was established in recognition of the support provided by Latin America and the Caribbean to Free France during the Second World War.

For eight decades, the institution has served as a meeting point between France and the region, hosting exhibitions, conferences, and cultural activities. Among the notable figures it has welcomed are former Bolivian President Evo Morales and Commander Hugo Chávez.

Former French ambassador Alain Rouquié, the long-standing president of the House of Latin America (in spanish Casa de América Latina), has championed the entity’s autonomous and independent nature. He noted that while the institution receives public funding from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, its primary source of revenue comes from renting out the rooms within its historic mansions.

“We have sought to remain free, and that has required significant effort,” stated Rouquié, who considers it essential to remain in the current premises and maintain the model of renting out space to ensure the institution’s continuity.

Rouquié reported that the Bank of France has been attempting for 23 years to evict the institution from the premises it has occupied since 1965. He recalled that in 2003, the then-president Jacques Chirac intervened to halt a sale, requesting that Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin stop the transaction.

Latin American art specialist Christine Frérot compared the situation of the MAL (Latin American House) to that of the Arab World Institute, which receives greater support from public funds. According to 2025 data from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Latin American House receives an annual subsidy of 25,000 euros.

Former French-Argentine deputy Paula Forteza, founder of the collective Artivistas, linked the defense of the institution to the international political climate. “As the far-right grows globally, spaces like this become especially important,” she stated.

Bolivian visual artist Kenia Almaraz Murillo also voiced her support for the continued existence of this cultural space, joining Frérot and other prominent figures from the artistic and diplomatic spheres.

#LaMercè | Barcelona is celebrating its biggest annual festival with five days of culture and tradition, featuring castells, giant figures, traditional music and the iconic correfoc fire runs across the city.#Barcelona #Spain #Culture #Tradition #teleSUREnglish pic.twitter.com/Xou0byuaf6

— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) September 24, 2026

The EU is preparing to curb Chinese imports of chemicals and industrial machinery, following a successful deal with Beijing that capped hybrid car exports to the bloc.

The European Commission “showed openness” to proposing safeguards, referring to an emergency brake on imports that can cover entire sectors, an EU diplomat told EUobserver on Thursday (15 October).

And there was “broad support” for the idea among member states for the commission to proceed, the diplomat said.

Last week, trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič agreed with Beijing to cap imports of Chinese hybrid cars at 350,000 next year, which was less than half the amount expected this year.

He called the deal a “blueprint” for other sectors, a view which was publicly echoed by EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, also on Thursday. 

Under World Trade Organization (WTO) and EU rules, anti-dumping and anti-subsidy cases require Brussels to prove that Chinese firms sell at unfairly low prices or receive subsidies.

Safeguards do not need evidence under WTO rules, which allows them to be used as an emergency measure.

And the commission only has to show that a surge in imports is seriously harming European producers. 

“We like the idea, chemicals, machinery where there’s still a lot of Chinese overproduction needs to be managed,” said another EU diplomat.

The instrument had its limits: Safeguards have to apply to all countries, not just China, and can last no more than eight years.

The EU rarely uses WTO safeguards, but did so on steel, also aimed at China, which expired in June, after reaching the eight-year limit, and which have since been replaced by a separate EU steel regime.

And the Centre for European Reform, a prominent think-tank in Brussels, previously suggested exempting the EU’s 76 free-trade partners from safeguards so that the measures fell mainly on China.

It was a legal moot point in the WTO if that was OK, but the EU has done something similar before. 

Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and 10 other countries were left out of the steel safeguard, but using this tool to address Chinese imports was still seen as a temporary solution.

Before the end of the year, the EU commission aims to present diversification tools to reduce reliance on Chinese goods, as well as a mechanism to compensate companies hit by Chinese countermeasures.

And the package would include an instrument to shut Chinese companies out of the EU market if need be, in a measure first proposed in a Franco-German paper last week.

Gadi Eisenkot accused PM Netanyahu of a "strategic failure" in Gaza, where he said "Hamas is still the sovereign... armed, arming itself, and militarily active" after three years of war

Blockades Continue at Schools Across France Ahead of Third Meeting with Education Ministry.

On Thursday, thousands of French people continued protesting and blocking educational centers just hours before student organizations hold a new meeting with the Education Ministry, the third since the start of the protests more than two weeks ago.

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Among the blocked institutions is the Paris School of Commerce (HEC), a symbolic place in these protests given that it is one of the most elitist and prestigious institutions in France.

This action shows its solidarity with the student movement, on the eve of a major day of demonstration scheduled for this Saturday, which will be joined by other movements related to the protest over the rising cost of living or agricultural demands. Some French media have described this expression of unity among social groups as a resurgence of the “yellow vests.”

So far, over 1,000 demonstrations are expected to take place across the country on the first day of the two-week “All Saints” school holidays, a date on which President Emmanuel Macron’s government hoped the protests would ease.

"When you see that 98% of news channels' airtime is devoted to burning rubbish bins and only 2% to our demands, of course it makes us angry!”

Thousands of students, teachers, and supporters rallied in Nantes on Tuesday to demand more funding for public education.

Demonstrators… pic.twitter.com/mGUgmL44A1

— BreakThrough News (@BTnewsroom) October 14, 2026

On Thursday morning, HEC directors closed their offices to mark their exasperation with the current situation and with the attacks suffered by some teachers. Meanwhile, the Macron administration is trying to control the student protest through negotiations.

Initially, the French government announced the deployment of 3,000 additional teachers, of whom 2,000 are already in their posts, to try to alleviate the teacher shortage, one of the most widespread demands among high school students.

Education Minister Edouard Geffray will receive the student organizations this afternoon for a third meeting, although the French are skeptical of achieving positive results.

“We will go to the meeting with little hope; the Education Ministry is not responding to our demands. We want to meet with the prime minister, who is the one who appears to have budgetary room,” said the vice president of the ‘Les Lyceens!’ union, Louis Letoubon.

🇫🇷Interesting Footage from France captures the moment a brave French student single-handedly takes on a dozen French riot police. This is the kind of spirit that can bring the cowardly French riot police to their knees; imagine if you had a hundred guys like this leading a… pic.twitter.com/9AsCpFT1aD

— Blackrussian (@Blackrussiantv) October 15, 2026

There Is a Moment of Fatigue in the Country: Lecornu

As expected, the calls for dialogue have been accompanied by attempts to delegitimize the social protest. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu lashed out against the students while symbolically defending “the right” of citizens to peacefully express their discontent.

“This no longer seems like a student movement. We are facing an urban violence movement,” declared Lecornu, who admitted that the intensity of the protests has increased in Paris, Creteil, and Lyon.

The prime minister denounced the firing of pyrotechnic mortars from the street against high schools or “absolutely horrifying calls to violence.” According to him, around 200 of the country’s 3,700 high schools are experiencing episodes of “entrenched” violence, sometimes carried out by people outside the centers.

“We must clearly distinguish between urban violence and legitimate demands,” said the prime minister, who expressed his fear of new disturbances on Saturday during the demonstrations called against the cost of living, in which the Yellow Vests could be present again.

Lunettes étanches, eau, masque FFP2 : France 3 Alsace publie un tuto pour se protéger des lacrymogènes avant les manifestations lycéennes. Les interna… https://t.co/qdgyr3eFAZ pic.twitter.com/iWBVkbQd57

— Tribunal du net (@Letribunaldunet) October 15, 2026

The text reads, “Waterproof goggles, water, FFP2 mask. France 3 Alsace publishes a tutorial on how to protect oneself from tear gas before the high school student demonstrations. The boarding school students”

Lecornu acknowledged that France is going through a period of social exhaustion marked by crises and uncertainty. “We are in a kind of permanent crisis situation: wars, uncertainty about purchasing power and inflation… It is evident that there is a moment of fatigue in the country. I perceive it deeply,” he said before immediately insinuating that left-wing organizations are trying to take advantage of that malaise to “turn it into electoral fuel.”

The prime minister promised to respond to student demands. He said the platform enabled to collect their proposals has received over 92,000 contributions so far.

Among the main demands are the improvement of school facilities, the replacement of absent teachers and the adaptation of educational resources to the needs of each territory.

The Macron administration plans to work with regional councils to evaluate the state of the buildings and the needs of the centers, according to Lecornu, who defended the mobilization of 3,000 teachers from a substitute reserve to cover absences.

He also proposed opening a broader debate on the consequences of demographic decline for the education system. France will have 1.6 million fewer students by 2035, an evolution that will force a review of the organization of educational centers, especially in rural areas.

teleSUR/ JF

Source: EFE

Ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores have pleaded not guilty on to a new US indictment accusing them of conspiring to torture political opponents.

Slovak prime minister Robert Fico appears to have become Russia’s most prominent ally in the European Union, following the demise of Hungary’s pro-Kremlin leader.

Juraj Blanár, Slovakia’s foreign minister, announced controversial plans to revive a joint committee with Russia back in August – just a day before the anniversary of the Soviets occupying Czechoslovakia in 1968.

His announcement also came before Fico headed off to meet his counterparts at a summit in Brussels on Thursday (15 October).

And “so that there are no surprises, on the 25th [of October] there will … be a meeting of the joint economic commission with the Russian Federation,” Fico told the European affairs committee in Slovakia’s parliament on Wednesday.

The central European leader announced the closer ties with his aggressive neighbour immediately after planning a trip to Lviv in Ukraine early next month.

But if Fico does actually go to Lviv, just over the border from Poland, it would be the deepest he has travelled in the war-torn country so far.

And while he has not visited Kyiv in three years since returning to power, Fico has made plenty of time to go to Moscow during this time.

Many factors point to Slovakia now openly supporting the Kremlin, even as Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilians intensify, killing dozens of people.

The Institute for European Security Studies (IESS), a Kyiv-based think tank, noted, in its analysis, that a recent statement by Slovak defence minister Robert Kaliňák did not consider Russia a threat, despite Russian intelligence services having been linked to attacks in Slovakia including, potentially, a drone attack on a manufacturer near Prešov.

The IESS also highlighted the renewed Slovak-Russian cooperation at the level of military attachés, with two Slovak military personnel sent to the Russian capital while a Russian officer went to Bratislava.

This swap of soldiers was promised by Fico to Putin when they met in the Kremlin on 9 May.

And to make matters worse, a Russian military attaché was captured on video handing cash to an associate of the Slovak fake news site Hlavné správy.

The Ukraine think-tank warned that Slovakia’s magnetism towards Russia should not be ignored.

“In the end, by lowering Nato’s guard and reopening the doors to Russian intelligence, Slovakia is doing exactly what Moscow needs: disabling the West’s defences from the inside out,” it said.

Pro-Kremlin all around

This article continues, but the full version is available only to EUobserver.com subscribers. Visit account.euobserver.com/membership

Lawmakers in Somerville, Massachusetts, are considering an ordinance that would bar the US city from awarding contracts to companies accused of complicity in Israel’s violations of international law, amid growing pressure to sever financial ties with firms linked to Israel's genocide in Gaza.

The proposal follows a November 2025 ballot measure backed by 55.7% of voters, calling for the city to end existing business with, and prohibit future contracts and investments in, companies linked to Israel’s “apartheid, genocide, and illegal occupation of Palestine”.

The City Council has delayed a decision to assess the ordinance’s scope and financial impact, with a vote expected on 27 October, according to local reports.

Following renewed discussions on Tuesday led by Somerville’s Legislative Matters Committee, councillors said more time was needed to assess which businesses would be affected and the potential financial implications for the city.

Two Jewish councillors have raised concerns about the proposal, particularly over which companies would fall within its scope.

If enacted, Somerville would join a growing number of US cities adopting divestment measures in line with the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which seeks to hold Israel accountable for its violations of Palestinian rights through economic pressure.

However, the passage of last year's ballot measure prompted a backlash from pro-Israel groups, which have been pressuring the city to reject the proposed ordinance, citing Somerville’s longstanding Jewish community, which is made up of around 84,000 residents.

Jewish opposition to Israel's policies has grown in the US, with many challenging attempts to portray criticism of Israel or support for Palestinian rights as inherently antisemitic.

An October 2025 survey, reported by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, found that 39% of American Jews believed Israel was committing genocide in Gaza.

More recently, a July 2026 Associated Press-NORC poll highlighted deep divisions within Jewish communities over Israel's military actions. Around four in ten religiously unaffiliated Jewish respondents believed Israel had committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, compared with around a quarter of religiously affiliated Jewish respondents.

A separate September 2026 survey by the Jewish Electorate Institute found that 61% of American Jewish voters held an unfavourable view of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while 60% wanted him replaced.

The findings underline the diversity of Jewish opinion on Israel, even as pro-Israel groups continue to challenge divestment campaigns.

Somerville for Palestine (S4P), a local organisation that spearheaded both the ballot initiative and the proposed ordinance, has continued to press the council to implement the measure.

The group supports the BDS movement, which has long called for boycotts and divestment from companies it considers complicit in Israeli apartheid and genocide in Gaza.

Pro-Palestine activists have accused the city of maintaining financial ties with companies targeted by the BDS movement.

They point to city records showing that its pension fund has more than $500,000 invested in Lockheed Martin, a weapons manufacturer whose fighter jets and Hellfire missiles have reportedly played a significant role in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.

Activists have also highlighted more than $1.7 million in contracts Somerville has awarded to Hewlett-Packard over several decades.

According to the BDS movement, HP-linked technology has been used in biometric surveillance systems at Israeli checkpoints in the occupied West Bank, which Palestinians and rights groups have condemned as part of Israel’s system of apartheid.

The ballot initiative and proposed ordinance have received backing from several Somerville councillors, including Ben Ewen-Campen, Ben Wheeler, Wilfred N. Mbah and Jon Link. Jewish Voice for Peace Boston has also voiced support for the measures, demonstrating that Jewish organisations are among those backing efforts to hold Israel accountable through divestment.

The campaign comes amid growing calls for local councils across the US, North America and the wider Western world to recognise the Gaza genocide and sever financial ties with companies accused of facilitating violations of international law.

Pro-Palestine campaigners are urging councils to divest from arms manufacturers supplying Israel with weapons and military technology, as well as companies involved in financing or constructing illegal Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territory.

Somerville’s debate follows a decision by Montreal’s city council in Canada to pass an amended motion in August expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people and civilians affected by hostilities across the Middle East.

The move followed a backlash from pro-Israel groups against an earlier proposal calling on the city to recognise and condemn “apartheid” and “genocide” in Palestine and immediately suspend institutional ties with the Israeli government, its institutions and municipalities.

The royal couple arrived at the Community Recording Studio in Nottingham, in central England, which offers music, performance and athletic programs to youth people.

The royal couple arrived at the Community Recording Studio in Nottingham, in central England, which offers music, performance and athletic programs to youth people.

Turkish police raided the Istanbul headquarters of an important pro-opposition television station on Wednesdazy, the day that jailed Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was set to start his defense against corruption charges.

Meanwhile, Russia detained a Swedish national accused of plotting attacks on military facilities.

On Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told British media that Ukraine would restart strikes on Russia’s oil refineries and described recent U.S. moves as a betrayal of Kiev.

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“The block (on attacking refineries) is out. We’re done,” Zelensky said in an interview with the Financial Times, arguing that Ukraine had paused energy strikes for three days to comply with the U.S.-announced “energy ceasefire,” while Moscow continued to attack Ukrainian energy infrastructure.

Zelensky also said the U.S. cutting off intelligence and restricting Starlink internet service has been “dangerous” for Ukraine. On Wednesday, Ukraine said U.S. aerospace company SpaceX restricted Starlink services, hampering the country’s attack and air-defense drone missions. Zelensky admitted to British broadcaster Piers Morgan he felt “betrayed” by the recent U.S. moves.

“They (the United States) wanted us not to attack diesel. My opinion was it’s not fair,” he said, adding that it was “really strange” and “something absolutely crazy” for the United States to restrict Starlink services.

“I think he is not right. It’s a big mistake,” replied Zelensky when asked if he was angry at SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. “I don’t know him or (if) somebody pushed him to… I don’t know really.”

❗️ New video shows aftermath of Ukrainian attack on Russian oil refinery in Ryazan — RT EXCLUSIVE

The refinery was hit by a Ukrainian drone

Zelensky earlier ignored Trump's request to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries, hitting them as Trump tried to broker an energy truce https://t.co/S04pRlWeeg pic.twitter.com/4rsBk6KMoA

— RT (@RT_com) October 15, 2026

Russia Detains Swedish National Accused of Plotting Attacks On Military Facilities

On Thursday, , the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) informed that a Swedish citizen allegedly heading to Russia to commit attacks on military sites was detained for illegally crossing the border in the country’s western Pskov region. The detainee was traveling to Russia to commit acts of sabotage at military facilities under the pretext of joining the Russian Armed Forces.

The Swedish citizen had previously served as a squad commander of unmanned aerial systems of the Ukrainian 24th Separate Assault Regiment “Aidar,” with documents confirming his participation in hostilities against Russia as part of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The detainee has admitted that he signed a contract with the Aidar banned in Russia in a video released by the FSB. He testified to being sent for training, during which he learned to operate first-person view drones for reconnaissance and surveillance, and to train others.

teleSUR/ JF

Source: Xinhua

A cargo ship that participated in the search located the 44-year-old woman and she found conscious while floating inside a lifebuoy, according to the Hellenic Coast Guard.

A cargo ship that participated in the search located the 44-year-old woman and she found conscious while floating inside a lifebuoy, according to the Hellenic Coast Guard.

Youths protesting Albania's long-serving Socialist government hurled rocks at a police cordon outside the Education Ministry. Riot police responded with tear gas and water cannons.

Youths protesting Albania's long-serving Socialist government hurled rocks at a police cordon outside the Education Ministry. Riot police responded with tear gas and water cannons.