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Why Zelensky Took the Gloves Off This Time With Trump

Staying quiet is riskier than speaking up, Ukrainian officials say, as President Trump goes further than ever in prioritizing Russia’s interests.

© Ludovic Marin/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine at the European Union summit in Brussels last week.
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UK to Send Fighter Jets to Help Defend Saudi Arabia From Houthi Attacks

R.A.F. Typhoon fighter jets will be deployed to protect infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, Britain said, after a spike in attacks by the Iran-backed Houthi militia.

© Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

A Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jet at a base in Coningsby, England, in February.
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Hegseth Said to Make Unannounced Visit to Israel for Talks With Netanyahu

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel’s defense minister, a week before a pivotal election.

© Kenny Holston/The New York Times

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at an event in Maryland this month. Details of the conversations between Mr. Hegseth and his Israeli counterparts were not immediately clear.
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Iran, Taunting Trump Over Gas Prices, Braces for Aftermath of Midterm Elections

The midterm elections appear to be a factor for both sides in the war as President Trump weighs his next steps.

© Brandon Tauszik for The New York Times

President Trump is wary of military escalation that could drive oil prices even higher and anger voters who already mostly oppose the Iran conflict.
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Cuba Accuses U.S. of Undermining UN Debate on Blockade

Cuban ambassador Ernesto Soberón Guzmán denounces the U.S. blockade and a disputed event at United Nations headquarters.

Havana accuses Washington of using a disputed event at UN headquarters to divert attention from its decades-long economic blockade.


Cuba has accused the United States of staging an unauthorized event at UN headquarters to discredit the island ahead of a General Assembly debate on ending Washington’s decades-long economic blockade.

RELATED: Cuban President Rejects U.S. Arrest Warrant Against Gen. Raul Castro

Cuba’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Ernesto Soberón Guzmán, condemned the gathering, organized by the U.S. Mission to the UN, as a clandestine meeting unrelated to the organization’s official agenda. He also criticized the UN Secretariat for failing to stop the event despite repeated warnings from the Cuban delegation.

According to Soberón Guzmán, the U.S. mission selectively invited a small group of member states to promote what he described as false claims about Cuba. He alleged that the panelists were funded by the U.S. State Department and had criminal records or links to organizations responsible for attacks against the Cuban people.

“This charade is an attempt to distract attention from a simple fact: the United States is acting as an international criminal, imposing collective punishment on the Cuban people. It is inflicting immense suffering on the entire population of a peaceful nation,” Soberón Guzmán said.

Declaraciones del Representante Permanente de Cuba🇨🇺 ante @UN 🇺🇳, @SoberonGuzman, denunciando el provocador y vergonzoso evento realizado por la misión de EEUU en ONU.#CubaNoEsUnaAmenaza, el bloqueo sí! pic.twitter.com/lmDcWv2SAT

— Cancillería de Cuba (@CubaMINREX) October 19, 2026

Text Reads: Statements by Cuba’s Permanent Representative to @UN, @SoberonGuzman, denouncing the provocative and shameful event held by the US mission at the UN. #CubaNoEsUnaAmenaza, the blockade is!

Debate on the blockade

The Cuban protest comes ahead of a formal debate at the UN General Assembly on a resolution calling for an end to the U.S. economic, commercial and financial blockade against Cuba. The assembly is scheduled to consider the issue on October 27 and 28 in an open and inclusive debate, marking the 34th time the body has addressed the resolution.

Soberón Guzmán accused Washington of exploiting human rights concerns to undermine Cuba’s sovereignty and right to self-determination, weaken the Cuban people’s resolve and subvert the country’s constitutional order. He also argued that the U.S.-organized event was intended to divert attention from the consequences of Washington’s policy of maximum economic pressure on the island.

The ambassador expressed confidence that the resolution would again receive broad international support, insisting that Cuba posed no threat to other countries.

“The U.S. government knows very well that the vast majority of countries will once again support our demand, because Cuba is not the threat; the blockade is,” he said.

Soberón Guzmán rejected the prospect that U.S. pressure would force Cuba to abandon its position, saying that efforts to break the determination and unity of the Cuban people would fail.

“If anyone in the U.S. government thinks they will break the determination and unity of the Cuban people, they are wasting their time, their efforts and no small amount of resources. We will never bend the knee. We will not surrender,” he said.

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Trump’s Push for Deals With Russia Powers His Frustration With Ukraine

The series of recent steps by the president that seem to favor Vladimir Putin reflect his intensifying desire to normalize the relationship with Moscow even if it means further undercutting Ukraine.

© Tierney L. Cross/The New York Times

President Trump with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine at Mar-a-Lago in December.
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Saudis Aided Family of Engineer Accused of Bugging OpenAI, Prosecutors Say

Saudi officials paid for his wife and son to fly out of the U.S. and offered to cover his bail, according to court filings. A judge ordered the engineer to remain in custody.

© Aaron Wojack for The New York Times

The San Francisco offices of OpenAI, whose former employee Abdulrahman Alfozan is charged with trying to secretly record conversations.
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Trump Is Pushing Ukraine to Surrender to Russia, Zelensky Says

President Volodymyr Zelensky said he didn’t want to believe that Washington wanted an end to the war at Ukraine’s expense. “But that’s how it looks,” he added.

© Efrem Lukatsky/Associated Press

Damage from a Russian attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Monday. The country has complained about what it describes as lapses in U.S. intelligence sharing before attacks.
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