Saudi Arabia has postponed its annual Future Investment Initiative conference to 2027 after Iran-backed Houthi forces escalated attacks on the kingdom. The Houthis have launched repeated missile and drone strikes on Saudi territory since a deadly airport attack earlier this month.

Houthi forces attacked a government security training camp in Yemen's Shabwa province on Monday, killing at least 53 people and wounding roughly 200, local authorities said. The strike is among the deadliest in weeks of intensifying fighting between the Iran-aligned group and the internationally recognized, Saudi-backed government.

Taiwan's coastguard said it warded off 16 mainland Chinese vessels in a single day after they entered the island's self-declared restricted waters near Hualien, Pingtung, Kaohsiung and the Dongsha Islands. The coordinated, multi-pronged operation involved twelve coastguard and research ships alongside four fishing boats operating simultaneously. Analysts said the scale and coordination point to a shift in Beijing's maritime pressure tactics toward Taiwan.

At least 84 people were killed in Sudan on Monday after a drone strike hit a market in the southern West Kordofan state and a separate attack struck the capital Khartoum. A medical source and a witness said roughly 80 died in the West Kordofan strike, one of the deadliest single attacks since Sudan's war began in 2023, while the Khartoum attack killed four people, including three children.

French President Emmanuel Macron is growing increasingly isolated after a weekend of violent protests and looting swept across France, reigniting questions over his authority. Criticism from allies and opposition figures alike has deepened the uncertainty around his remaining term.

Brazil's currency strengthened to about 5.05 per US dollar on 19 October as two separate runoff polls pointed to a tight race between President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro. Economists trimmed their year-end forecasts for the real as investors weighed the outcome of the 25 October vote. The currency move highlights how closely markets are tracking Brazil's presidential runoff.

Bangladesh's government says it was not informed in advance of the execution of two of its citizens in Saudi Arabia. Saudi authorities said last week they had executed the two Bangladeshi nationals over what they described as an "indecent act" committed in a mosque.

The UN's World Food Programme says funding shortages are forcing it to scale back its aid operation in Gaza. The agency says the number of people it reaches will fall by about a third, from 1.6 million to 1.1 million.

Human Rights Watch says Mali's military and several armed groups, including separatist fighters, have committed abuses against civilians during the country's ongoing conflict. The rights group's report cites violations of the laws of war in multiple regions and urges the African Union to act to prevent further atrocities. Mali is grappling with both a jihadist insurgency and demands from northern separatist movements.

A court in Mombasa, Kenya, is due to deliver its verdict on Monday in the trial of self-proclaimed pastor Paul Nthenge Mackenzie, who faces 191 murder charges linked to the Shakahola cult deaths. Mackenzie and 30 co-accused are accused of forcing followers, including children, to starve to death. Kenya's human rights commission has documented 448 deaths connected to the case, which first emerged three years ago.

An Austrian Airlines flight traveling from Tel Aviv was diverted to Bulgaria on Monday after a bomb threat, authorities said. Bulgaria's air force scrambled a MiG-29 fighter jet to escort the airliner as part of standard emergency procedure, the transport ministry confirmed. No injuries were reported and the aircraft landed safely.

European stock markets opened lower on Monday after a weekend of violent protests and looting across France left shopfronts smashed and vehicles burned. French business owners are tallying the cost of the damage and say authorities failed to protect their properties during the unrest. The selloff adds financial pressure to a government already facing scrutiny over its handling of nationwide cost-of-living demonstrations.

The United States has told Argentine President Javier Milei's government it is concerned that a bill toughening sanctions over resource exploitation in the Falkland Islands could also reach American companies. The concern was conveyed as Argentina's Congress considers the National Sovereignty Defence bill, according to unnamed Washington officials cited by the newspaper Clarín.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and rival candidate Flávio Bolsonaro traded accusations of lying and corruption in their first televised runoff debate on Sunday. The clash, broadcast a week before the October 25 vote, centered on public spending, the economy, security and healthcare.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly proposed a three-way summit with US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping to settle the war in Ukraine. The report surfaces as tensions rise between Kyiv and Washington, Ukraine's largest military backer.

US President Donald Trump said American forces could stay in the region a bit longer, arguing recent strikes had eliminated Iran's nuclear capabilities. The remarks came amid ongoing tension between Washington and Tehran.

Gulf Cooperation Council ministers condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia as fighting in Yemen intensified. The council said the renewed violence has displaced more than 233,000 people across the country.

Indonesia is dropping dry ice into clouds in an effort to trigger rain and clear toxic haze caused by seasonal forest and peat fires. The smog has blanketed parts of the country and drifted across neighbouring South East Asian nations. Authorities describe the weather-modification effort as an emergency measure while fire-fighting teams continue working on the ground.

Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali held their first formal talks with the West African bloc ECOWAS since quitting the organisation in 2024, delegates confirmed. Burkina Faso's foreign minister Karamoko Traoré led the delegation from the Alliance of Sahel States, while Senegal's Cheikh Niang headed the ECOWAS team. The meeting marks a tentative step toward repairing ties severed after military takeovers in the three countries.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has arrived in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, to meet the foreign ministers of five Central Asian countries under the C5+1 format. Trade, investment, critical minerals and security are expected to top the agenda, with more than 200 American business executives accompanying the visit. The trip underscores Washington's push for closer economic and strategic ties with the region.