The US has resumed sharing intelligence on Russian ballistic missile launches with Ukraine after a pause of several days, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told NBC News on 18 October. The blackout fell on days when Russia was firing ballistic missiles at Ukraine. Limits on the Starlink satellite service that Ukraine’s forces rely on remain in place, he said.

Russia has leaned on ballistic missiles in this month’s strikes on Ukraine’s grid, firing 39 in a single attack, and Ukraine is short of interceptors to stop them. Washington has used its support as leverage, reportedly telling Kyiv to spare Russian refineries or lose US intelligence and arms.

Three days without warnings

The sharing had been blocked for some period of time before it was restored, Zelenskyy said on Meet the Press.

“We are very thankful for this. Now it works,” he said.

Ukraine gets other intelligence from Europeans and dozens of other partners, he explained. But only the United States has the data that tells Kyiv when Russia launches ballistic missiles.

“We didn’t get it during ballistic attacks during three days,” Zelenskyy said.

A timely warning gives Ukraine’s air defenses extra minutes to prepare and lets authorities alert civilians, Liga noted. Late on 12 October, Russian ballistic missiles hit Kyiv before the air-raid alert reached people, with no advance data on launches from Russian territory. The next day, US President Donald Trump said Washington was still sharing intelligence. Two days later, Zelenskyy said Kyiv had received no US warnings of incoming ballistic missiles while it paused its strikes on Russian refineries at Washington’s request. That pause followed the energy ceasefire Trump declared on 11 October, which Russia never confirmed.

Starlink still capped, Kyiv says

Starshield, the military version of Starlink, still cuts out above 161 km/h, Zelenskyy said, too slow for Ukraine’s interceptor drones to catch Russia’s jet-powered Shahed-type drones. NBC News, which aired the interview, separately reported that Starlink services had resumed at normal speed. He said Ukraine’s generals and government believe the order came from the US government and SpaceX carried it out, though he did not know who exactly made the call. Ukraine had instead asked SpaceX and Trump to open Starlink over Russia so it could hit ballistic missile launchers, he said.

“If [Trump] will personally decide to lift this decision, it will immediately work as it was before,” he said.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who appeared on the same show, called Zelenskyy’s charge “very reckless” and said Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio had denied any administration role. Asked about the break in intelligence sharing, he said he did not know anything about it but that Zelenskyy should be “very careful about making statements like this that aren’t true.” Reuters had reported, citing three officials, that White House officials ordered the Pentagon to limit the service.

Asked whether Ukraine could win without the United States, Zelenskyy said it would be very difficult.

“But if the United States will support Putin, I mean, it’s unbelievable, it’s tragedy. It’s historic mistake and big tragedy,” he said.

He also said his team had received word that US negotiators wanted to meet, and that he had offered to meet in Brussels or London, hoping the US team would be ready this week.

The warnings are back, but they stopped once without explanation. Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s missiles still runs through decisions made in the US.

The matter has achieved some urgency since NASA has officially issued a request for private companies to propose their own space stations.

Alberto Núñez Feijóo y Santiago Abascal mantienen líneas de comunicación y una relación que en Génova califican de civilizada y cordial. No siempre fue así, no al menos de forma pública cuando el PP acusaba a los ultras de hacerle el juego a Pedro Sánchez y los de Vox aseguraban que las siglas populares en nada se diferenciaban del PSOE. Los pactos en las Comunidades autónomas, la mala convivencia interna, la espantada de los voxistas en julio de 2024 son algunos de los hitos que contribuyeron a enturbiar una relación que no fue nunca fácil.

Antes del desembarco de Feijóo en la presidencia nacional del PP, le tocó a Pablo Casado, su antecesor, lidiar con Abascal. Aún se recuerda el discurso demoledor que pronunció el líder popular en la tribuna de oradores del Congreso de los Diputados durante el debate de la moción de censura que Vox presentó en octubre de 2020, en plena pandemia. Su "hasta aquí hemos llegado", resonó en las paredes del viejo edificio de la carrera de San Jerónimo. "Quería cortar las dos orejas del PP y ha acabado de monosabio de Pablo Iglesias", le espetó a Abascal. Incluso bajó al terreno de lo personal cuando le acusó de que "esta moción no la dispara contra el Gobierno sino contra el partido que le ha dado trabajo durante 15 años y lamento decirle que el tiro le ha salido por la culata. Pero acepto el órdago. Es la hora de poner las cartas boca arriba y hasta aquí hemos llegado".

Si de algo presumió Feijóo siendo presidente de la Xunta fue de su capacidad para desactivar a Vox

Se puede especular respecto a cuál hubiera sido la posición de Casado si la aritmética electoral le hubiera puesto en el brete de pactar con Vox o despedirse de cuotas de poder. De qué diría ahora cuando todas las encuestas -mejor obviar al CIS de Tezanos- hablan de un sólido bloque de centro-derecha para desalojar a Pedro Sánchez de Moncloa. Ojo, tampoco Feijóo era un entusiasta de los pactos con Vox. De hecho, si de algo presumió siendo presidente de la Xunta gallega fue de su capacidad para servir de contención a los de Vox, sin un solo diputado autonómico y con una concejala en la localidad orensana de Avión (Lilian Cerdeira) que acabó dejando el partido.

Vox era para Feijóo una especie de "cuerpo extraño" con el que nunca había tenido que lidiar. Hasta que llegó a Madrid y encontró a un partido que había convertido al PP en el objeto a abatir. La hemeroteca está llena de recriminaciones directas e indirectas a Vox por hacerle el juego a los socialistas, hasta el punto de acusar a los ultras de ser "aliados del sanchismo". Y Vox, por su parte, ha culpabilizado no pocas veces a Génova de mover los hilos en medios de comunicación amigos para perjudicarles.

"Complejos" y "miserias" de Vox

Ocurrió, por ejemplo, este mismo año durante la campaña aragonesa, cuando ABC publicó unos audios de dirigentes voxistas de Aragón criticando a Bambú. "El PP se lanza a la guerra sucia contra Vox para que no se hable de su estafa y de su corrupción reciente en Almería y en Alicante", dijo Vox.  "Que no focalice ni sus complejos ni las miserias de su partido en el PP", le replicaron los populares.

Este ha sido hasta no hace mucho el clima entre ambos partidos. Incluso cuando se sentaron a negociar los gobiernos autonómicos de Extremadura, Aragón, Castilla y León y Andalucía. Pero la interlocución ha dado un giro más que llamativo. Hay tregua, acaso producto de esos contactos entre ambos líderes tras años de desencuentros. Una tregua que, como reveló El Independiente, se ha trasladado incluso a esos ejecutivos autonómicos. Los vicepresidentes y consejeros de Vox han optado por un perfil bajo, sin ir a la confrontación con sus socios "siguiendo instrucciones de Bambú", afirman algunos barones autonómicos.

Abascal asegura que Feijóo y él tienen "diagnóstico similar de lo que está pasando", pero "recetas distintas"

A lo más lejos que llegó Feijóo el pasado 12 de octubre durante la recepción en el Palacio Real fue a decir que con Vox "no habrá cordón sanitario, pero tampoco cordón umbilical", según comentó a los periodistas. Ahora todos se preguntan si esa contención se mantendrá a lo largo de la campaña electoral del 29 de noviembre. En una reciente entrevista de Abascal en el ABC dio "garantías" sobre su voluntad de entendimiento con Feijóo con el objetivo de desalojar a Sánchez del poder.

Interrogado sobre el estado de sus relaciones con Feijóo, la calificó de "cordial y hablamos todo lo que es necesario. Mantenemos esas conversaciones discretas, pero hablamos y tenemos un diagnóstico similar de lo que está pasando con este Gobierno. También recetas distintas. Eso es lo que tienen que elegir los españoles que quieren un cambio. Y tendrán que decir cuál es la mezcla, o si no hay mezcla y le dan todo el poder a uno u otro". En todo caso "sí puedo dar la garantía de que nosotros tenemos una voluntad de entendimiento". Nada de 'derechita cobarde' ni de 'PPSOE'.

El PP asume que Vox es "la respuesta emocional de un país que está hasta los cojones (sic)".

Dicha tregua no significa que cada uno no juegue sus cartas electorales, pero sin necesidad de saltarse el 'pacto de no agresión'. El presidente del PP ha escogido para su equipo electoral a Miguel Tellado, Alma Ezcurra y Ester Muñoz. También se baraja el nombre de Cayetana Álvarez de Toledo de dos de la lista por Madrid. No se puede decir de ninguno de ellos que tengan un perfil poco batallador. Tellado es uno de los interlocutores habituales con el partido ultra. Además, las fundaciones de ambas formaciones políticas, eso es, Reformismo21 y Disenso, sirven también de escenario "neutral" de comunicación.

En cuanto al crecimiento exponencial que parece estar viviendo la formación de Abascal sin apenas intervenir en el debate político, los sentimientos del PP son contradictorios. Por un lado entienden que ese crecimiento es "la respuesta emocional de un país que está hasta los cojones (sic)". Significa que, en ese contexto, "es complicado votar con la cabeza". Pero el PP "es un partido de Estado y no puede cometer según qué excesos", por lo que entienden que no pueden competir en ese terreno a pesar del endurecimiento del discurso popular en materias como la inmigración.

El vaticinio de Iván Redondo sobre Yolanda Díaz

De otro, la evidencia de que un Vox fuerte le permitirá  a Feijóo tener los votos suficientes para ser investido presidente del Gobierno. Pero el riesgo reside en que ese crecimiento llegue a impedir al PP ser la primera fuerza política, por delante del PSOE. Lo auguran spin doctor como Iván Redondo, viejo conocido de los populares. Pero ahí Génova tira de ironía: "También vaticinó que Yolanda Díaz iba a ser la primera mujer presidenta del Gobierno".

Renato da Silva (Team BMX Quarteira) e Rita Xufre (Núcleo Bicross de Setúbal/VSPublicidade), estiveram em destaque na sétima prova pontuável da Taça de Portugal de BMX Race ao vencerem as provas das categorias principais.

Na primeira de duas jornadas no Parque Verde da Bela Vista, em Setúbal, Renato da Silva voltou a mostrar-se o mais forte em competição ao vencer Leonardo Carmo (Team BMX Quarteira) e Bernardo Rocha (Team BMX Quarteira), que completaram o pódio.

Nas atletas femininas, por sua vez, Rita Xufre foi a mais rápida, tendo superado a algarvia Íris Moraru (Clube Bicross de Portimão), segunda classificada, e Maria Pinto (Casa do Povo do Alqueidão), que foi terceira.

Nas categorias mais jovens, Martim Reis (Linda a Pastora Sporting Clube) venceu em sub-17, Guilherme Carolino (Clube Bicross de Portimão) e Mafalda Piedade (Team BMX Quarteira) em sub-15, Tomás Cardoso (Linda a Pastora Sporting Clube) e Adélia Pereira (Clube Bicross de Portimão) em sub-13, Francisco Gil (Clube Bicross de Portimão) em sub-11, Vicente Cardoso (Linda a Pastora Sporting Clube) e Luna Alves (Team BMX Quarteira) em sub-9 e Lourenço Bento (Linda a Pastora Sporting Clube) em sub-7.

Nota ainda para os triunfos de Carlos Rosado (Clube Bicross de Portimão) em Cruiser 40+ e Michelle Smith (Clube Bicross de Portimão) em Cruiser feminina.

A Taça de Portugal de BMX prossegue este domingo, com a oitava e última prova pontuável. A ação terá lugar a partir das 10h30, novamente no Parque Verde da Bela Vista, em Setúbal.

Para aceder à classificação completa clique aqui, para aceder ao ranking da Tala de Portugal clique aqui.

Com colaboração da Federação Portuguesa de Ciclismo (FPC)

Development by UK firm Nscale heralded by ministers as largest of its kind in country loses anchor tenant

The development of a huge AI datacentre hailed by the UK government has received a fresh setback after Microsoft pulled out of the project over concerns about power supplies.

The development by the British company Nscale, heralded by ministers as the country’s largest AI datacentre when it was announced in 2025, was planned to open at Loughton in Essex next year.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Nscale

© Photograph: Nscale

© Photograph: Nscale

By Bill ASTORE

A strange conceit of American exceptionalism is the naked ambition of full-spectrum dominance. The idea is this: America must dominate every realm of potential conflict, land-sea-air as well as space and cyber and any other realm you can imagine, for that is the only way Americans can truly be “safe.” Such a conceit comes with a hefty price tag as Pentagon spending soars toward $1.5 trillion a year. But money is the least of it. The heftiest price tag is the constant state of warfare (and preparations for yet more war) that has characterized U.S. foreign policy since 1945.

That, and the erosion of personal liberty and freedom and the hollowing out of the American middle- and working classes as money flows upward to war contractors in the service of boundless imperial ambition.

There’s a god-like quality to this ambition, the idea America must be omnipotent, dominating all realms of warfare, and omniscient, sweeping up all data everywhere, in an unapologetic quest for global reach and global power together with the unapologetic exercise of that murderous power against peoples generally having brown or black skin and therefore treated as inferiors.

With only slight exaggeration, the U.S. government can be said to be projecting power everywhere and helping ordinary Americans nowhere. Destruction is favored over construction. Enriching the already rich is the goal even as the impoverished are made poorer.

The U.S. taxpayer, in the old days known as citizens, are paying through the nose for unneeded weapons systems (Sentinel ICBMs, B-21 nuclear bombers, Golden Dome), unwanted wars (Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran), and an imperial structure of force projection that virtually guarantees the violence will be unending. This imperial structure, with its goal to control all, to know all, to dominate all, is supported by Democrats and Republicans. Critics of this structure, present in both parties but in small numbers, are attacked and otherwise kept on the margins.

None of this is new. In the early 1960s, Senator George McGovern, a decorated bomber pilot during World War II, argued against the pursuit of nuclear “overkill” and called for substantial cuts to defense spending and reinvestment in civilian infrastructure. In support of this initiative, he cited Republican President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s military-industrial complex warning of January 1961. McGovern’s initiative was quickly abandoned as the Johnson administration ramped up its disastrous war in Southeast Asia.

Nearly a decade later, with Southeast Asia ravaged if not defeated, McGovern urged his fellow citizens to “come home,” to stop the folly of overseas wars and ever-increasing military budgets. He was overwhelmingly defeated by Richard Nixon in the 1972 Presidential election.

Ever since that defeat, the Democratic Party has conspired to silence candidates who are antiwar and who dissent from the idea of imperial dominance. Dennis Kucinich comes to mind here. Even moderate calls for reform from candidates like Bernie Sanders are dismissed as naive or dangerous. The result has been Democrats like Obama, Biden, Hillary Clinton, and Harris who openly embrace “good” wars (Afghanistan, for Obama) and who eagerly celebrate military lethality (Harris).

Meanwhile, the Republican Party never met a military budget increase it didn’t like. Rare indeed are voices like Ron and Rand Paul and Thomas Massie who question the wisdom of endless wars and their adverse impact on rights and freedoms here.

What is to be done? Bernie Sanders called for a political revolution, surely a correct call, but he was neutered by the establishment of both parties. Elizabeth Warren spoke of “big, structural changes,” but that was for the domestic economy; her foreign policy was basically that of Biden/Harris. A few rogue Republicans speak up against the Iran war today, but rare indeed are those who openly call for major cuts to war spending.

In short, electing our way out of imperial dominance and colossal war and weapons spending is unlikely in the extreme. Many many people (myself included) have written sensible articles calling for deep cuts to military spending, but good ideas that go against the grain gain little traction without a strong and concerted movement behind them.

America desperately needs a coordinated mass movement against endless war and massive military spending, yet the “powers that be” keep doubling down on yet more wars and even more massive war spending. That same establishment continues to multiply U.S. “enemies.” It may be Iran today, but Russia and especially China always loom, with North Korea and other “rogue” states held in reserve just in case.

The sheer folly and massive expense of it all will likely lead to the end of the (however imperfectly practiced) American democratic experiment. That’s a grim conclusion, I know, but I’m less than hopeful as the tools America has used in its unjust wars overseas are now increasingly applied in the “homeland” against alleged dissenters.

Remember when “dissenters” used to be called concerned citizens? Remember when war was considered to be bad and weapons spending was seen as the unwisest of ways to spend our resources?

America doesn’t have to be a warrior-state or in a state of constant war. A “silent majority” of Americans clearly doesn’t want endless war and outspokenly wants better lives for their children. But better days will not come if this majority remains silent or otherwise demobilized.

The Main Obstacle

As Ike said in 1961, the main obstacle is the military-industrial complex (MIC), to which he added Congress as an abetter and accomplice. That complex in 65 years has greatly added to its power and cultural penetration. The term MICIMATT adds the intelligence “community,” the media, academe, and think tanks. To that we might add the sporting world, Hollywood, video games, and now wildcard tech billionaires. All these interests conspire to absorb trillions of dollars from U.S. taxpayers, ostensibly in the name of national security, while waging or supporting endless war.

Ike said only alert and knowledgeable citizens, actively participating in democracy, could compel the MIC to curb its worst and most grandiose ambitions. Sadly, this is precisely why the American people are constantly lied to, especially about wars, why so much is kept hidden or “classified,” and why people are encouraged to salute smartly and let the military experts handle everything.

Even worse, the very idea of active citizenship is now degraded; the only “duty” apparently left is voting, where you’re encouraged to vote Democrat or Republican and otherwise to reject any third-party candidate who may be antiwar as irrelevant if not invalid (and possibly un-American).

Our ultimate security doesn’t reside in guns or other weapons or in boundless violence. It resides in strong institutions committed to the rule of law in which individuals of character stand up and speak out against abuses of power. Come home, America, to a land of generosity and hope and peace.

Be an alert and knowledgeable citizen. And act.

Original article:  bracingviews.com

A quasi vent’anni dall’omicidio di Meredith Kercher a Perugia, il peso del passato continua a segnare il presente di Raffaele Sollecito. Ospite nel salotto di Silvia Toffanin a “Verissimo“, nella puntata in onda domenica 18 ottobre, l’ingegnere pugliese traccia un bilancio crudo della sua esistenza, divisa tra i postumi giudiziari di ieri e le scelte personali di oggi. “Mi sento ancora prigioniero di uno stigma che mi perseguita e che, di fatto, ha condizionato tante cose nella mia vita”, ammette, aprendo un’intervista che spazia dal suo rapporto attuale con Amanda Knox al netto giudizio sul caso di Garlasco.

Sulle recenti iniziative dell’ex fidanzata statunitense, in particolare sullo spettacolo di stand-up comedy intitolato “Cartwheel” (ruota), Sollecito esprime una chiara presa di distanza. La scelta del nome fa riferimento alla ruota ginnica eseguita dalla Knox in questura durante le fasi concitate degli interrogatori. “Quel titolo mi arriva un po’ come una provocazione“, dichiara a Toffanin. “Mi ha un po’ colpito lo stomaco sapere che lo ha intitolato così, richiamando la ‘ruota’ fatta in questura. Quella era stata una ragazzata che in quel contesto si poteva risparmiare, come io portarmi un coltellino a serramanico. Ecco, io non la porterei come una bandiera”. Una mossa che giudica irrispettosa, aggiungendo una riflessione diretta all’ex compagna: “Mi sono chiesto: prova a metterti dalla parte della famiglia di Meredith”.

L'articolo “Ho scritto una lettera a Stasi, per me è innocente. Io ancora prigioniero di uno stigma che mi perseguita. Amanda Knox? Ci volevamo bene, chissà cosa sarebbe successo tra noi”: così Raffaele Sollecito proviene da Il Fatto Quotidiano.

The post Today Currency Exchange Rates in Pakistan, Dollar, Euro, Riyal, Dirham – 18 October 2026 appeared first on Daily Pakistan English News.

"I think the President wants to take the 60-day period of time to sort of analyze what imposing both sanctions and tariffs will mean to the global economy and even to the U.S. economy," said Rubio.

Recently, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who leads the world’s most powerful military, declared that he will be restricting who can join the ranks: “No fatties, no trannies, no beardos, no weirdos, no wimps, no radicals. Just warriors.” And, not long before that, Trump proclaimed that there are only “two sexes, male and female. These sexes are not changeable.”

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© Martine Franck (Magnum Photos / CONTACTO) (EL PAÍS)

Showrunner Debora Cahn and actor Rory Kinnear break down the realistic reasons for the Netflix series' latest political shakeup, which plays out amid a surreal episode replete with hallucinations, costumes and an aria.

The veteran actor speaks with The Hollywood Reporter about his debut as Papa Legba in the Ryan Murphy universe, the witches' fight against Satan and the "magical" experience of sharing the screen with Jessica Lange and the returning Coven cast.

Tragedia a Cassano Magnago, il figlio della vittima accusa: “È stata inseguita dal suo ex”

“È stata inseguita dal suo ex, si è fatto giustizia da solo. E’ stata seguita ed è stata pure aspettata, dai video che ho in tasca risulta così”. E’ l’accusa lanciata dai microfoni del Tg3 da Danny Ruocco, figlio di Pierina Buffon, la donna di 69 anni morta in un frontale con l’auto guidata dall’ex compagno, Fulvio Ielmini di 73 anni, sulla tangenzialina industriale di Cassano Magnago, vicino Varese.

L’incidente poco prima delle 9.30 di ieri. In un primo momento non era noto che il conducente dell’altra auto fosse l’ex della donna e si era ipotizzato che alla base dello scontro ci fosse un malore della 69enne.

LEGGI LE NOTIZIE DEL CANALE NEWS

L'articolo Varese, si scontra con l’auto dell’ex compagno e muore: per il figlio non è stato un incidente proviene da Affaritaliani.it.

Zelensky called the restrictions a "planned operation" targeting Ukraine, noting that Starlink speed limits remain in effect in Ukraine but not in EU countries.

Ahead of election, former central bank deputy governor Zvi Eckstein says outgoing government's decisions have impacted country's growth, with economy at risk unless changes are made

A new exhibition in Belgium brings together a 1956 painting by Paul Delvaux and its original preparatory drawing, revealing how the artist transformed his composition and concealed elements beneath the finished work.

Scientific examination of a painting by Belgian surrealist Paul Delvaux has revealed significant changes to its original composition, including figures and other details concealed beneath layers of paint. The findings are being presented in a new exhibition opening on 16 October at Musée L in Louvain-la-Neuve.

The exhibition, La Ville lunaire II: The Hidden Side of Paul Delvaux’s Painting, examines a work completed in 1956 and held in the museum’s permanent collection. Through X-ray imaging, infrared reflectography and ultraviolet examination, researchers have been able to investigate the artist’s working methods and compare the finished painting with an original preparatory drawing.

The exhibition, which runs until 7 February 2027, follows the acquisition of the drawing by the King Baudouin Foundation in 2024. Its subsequent deposit at Musée L has made it possible to examine the two works together and reconstruct the development of a composition that underwent substantial alterations.

A Painting Concealing Its Own History

Completed in June 1956, La Ville lunaire II depicts a mysterious nocturnal landscape, with a long avenue, buildings, streetlamps and figures arranged within an unsettling architectural setting.

The painting measures approximately 89 by 139 centimetres and was executed in oil on a fibreboard panel. It entered the museum’s collection in 1990 through a bequest from Dr Charles Delsemme.

Its carefully constructed perspective and unusual treatment of space reflect Delvaux’s interest in creating scenes that appear familiar while remaining detached from ordinary reality.

The museum’s collection records describe the work as a strange nocturnal landscape, with wooden barriers and a sequence of streetlamps establishing its distinctive spatial arrangement.

Yet the painting visible today differs considerably from the composition Delvaux originally envisaged.

Earlier technical examinations had already established that important details were covered during the painting process. The new exhibition brings those findings into direct comparison with the preparatory drawing, enabling visitors to see how the artist’s intentions changed.

An auction catalogue published in 2024 identified several elements present in the drawing and concealed in the painting, including a moon in the right-hand sky, a seated figure on the right and two figures wearing robes near the centre.

These changes are significant because they suggest that Delvaux did more than adjust minor details. He altered the population and lighting of the scene, potentially changing how the composition would be experienced by the viewer.

The reasons for those decisions remain uncertain.

How Scientific Technology Reveals Hidden Paintings

Modern conservation techniques allow researchers to examine works of art without removing the paint that covers earlier stages of their creation.

Infrared reflectography can reveal underdrawings and certain changes concealed beneath surface paint, depending on the materials used by the artist. X-ray imaging can detect differences in the composition of pigments and structures below the visible surface.

Ultraviolet examination provides further information about surface materials and alterations, including some later interventions.

When combined with documentary evidence, these methods help researchers distinguish between an artist’s initial design, revisions made during painting and changes introduced after completion.

The Musée L exhibition uses these techniques to investigate what art historians call pentimenti — visible or detectable alterations that record an artist changing their mind during the creative process.

The preparatory drawing, measuring approximately 28 by 45 centimetres, provides an additional reference point. Executed in ink and pencil, it contains elements that were subsequently revised or painted over in the final composition.

Displayed alongside the finished work, it allows visitors to follow the artist’s decisions from the preliminary design to the version that eventually entered the museum’s collection.

The technical findings also demonstrate the importance of preserving preparatory studies, which can contain information absent from completed paintings.

Paul Delvaux and the Belgian Surrealist Tradition

Born in Antheit in 1897, Paul Delvaux became one of Belgium’s best-known twentieth-century painters, developing a distinctive artistic language associated with surrealism.

His paintings frequently depict classical buildings, railway stations, deserted streets and solitary figures, often arranged in environments where architectural precision contrasts with an atmosphere of uncertainty.

He was influenced by the Italian painter Giorgio de Chirico, whose deserted urban spaces and dramatic perspectives helped establish the visual language of metaphysical painting.

Delvaux’s relationship with de Chirico has been examined extensively by art historians, including Joël Roucloux, whose study of La Ville lunaire II analysed its architectural perspective, shadows and the psychological effect of its composition.

The painting’s apparently moonlit setting is particularly interesting in light of the concealed moon identified by technical examination.

The absence of that celestial body from the final visible composition changes the relationship between the painting’s title and its visual content, leaving the viewer to interpret the source of its unusual illumination.

This approach distinguishes Delvaux from other Belgian surrealists, including René Magritte, whose work frequently relied on recognisable objects placed in logically contradictory situations.

For Delvaux, architecture, perspective and the arrangement of human figures were equally important in constructing a world that appears coherent but resists conventional interpretation.

A New Examination of a Familiar Work

The exhibition forms part of Musée L’s programme devoted to research into its permanent collections, rather than a conventional retrospective of the artist’s career.

Its central purpose is to explain how a single painting developed, from its first drawn composition through successive revisions to its completed form.

The research has been supported by the Jacqueline Delcourt-Nonkels Fund, managed by the King Baudouin Foundation.

For visitors, the opportunity is to examine not only a painting by one of Belgium’s leading surrealists, but also the evidence of the artistic decisions that shaped it.

The exhibition is open at Musée L in Louvain-la-Neuve from 16 October 2026 to 7 February 2027. By presenting the original drawing, technical images and finished painting together, the museum offers a detailed examination of Delvaux’s methods and the changes he made to one of his most carefully constructed nocturnal scenes.

Omani footwear label Luvashk unveiled its new Polka Dot collection during Paris Fashion Week. Here is what to know.

KARACHI – Forex rates in Pakistan recorded slight changes on October 17, 2026. According to currency rates provided for local exchange market, US Dollar is being bought at Rs277.40 and sold at Rs280.35. UK pound sterling is available at buying rate of Rs366.82 and a selling rate of Rs371.56, while Euro is quoted at Rs310.64 for buying and Rs315.74 for selling.

UAE Dirham is being bought at Rs75.5 and sold at Rs76.3. Saudi riyal stands at Rs73.85 for buying and Rs74.50 for selling.

Latest Forex Rates in Pakistan Today

Following are buying and selling rates of major international currencies in Pakistan.

US Dollar Rate in Pakistan Today

The US dollar is being bought at Rs277.40 and sold at Rs280.35 in the provided exchange rate list. The buying rate represents the price at which an exchange dealer buys dollars from customers, while the selling rate is the price customers pay to purchase dollars.

Pound and Euro Rates in Pakistan

The British pound is being sold at Rs366.82, while its buying rate stands at Rs371.56. Meanwhile, the euro is being bought at Rs310.64 and sold at Rs315.74.

Both currencies are closely watched by Pakistanis travelling to Europe and the United Kingdom, as well as students, overseas workers and businesses making payments abroad.

Saudi Riyal and UAE Dirham Rates

Saudi riyal is available at Rs74.55 for selling, compared with a buying rate of Rs73.85. The UAE dirham is being sold at Rs75.50 and bought at Rs76.14.

These currencies are particularly important for Pakistani expatriates working in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, as their exchange rates affect the rupee value of remittances sent to families in Pakistan.

 

The post Forex Rates in Pakistan Today – October 17 2026 – US Dollar, Euro, Pound, Dirham Riyal (Copy) appeared first on Daily Pakistan English News.

Commercials promoting a gambling platform and endorsing male enhancement have rankled fans, and even athletes. Who is in charge?

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South Korean memory chipmakers must secure new United States licenses by year-end to keep shipping top-end American tools to their Chinese factories, after the Trump administration scrapped blanket permits last year. To win the permits, SK Hynix and Samsung must promise to build or expand factories in the US. SK Hynix’s one-year license to ship […]

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