Nine Meetings
On 21 October 2026, US envoy Steve Witkoff met Vladimir Putin in a palace in Saint Petersburg. It was his ninth in-person meeting with the Russian president.
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Analysis
Written breakdowns and context behind each cartoon.
87% Were Children
On 6 October, France's Justice Ministry reported 5,060 arrests in the school protests, and said 87% of them were minors. On 19 October, after the worst weekend of unrest in years, Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said…
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It Started In One Classroom
On 17 October, tens of thousands marched in Paris. The CGT claimed more than 500,000 nationwide — its own figure, with no independent count behind it. Protests ran in Marseille, Lyon, Rennes, Toulouse and Angers.
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The Ad Was The Attack
On 15 October 2026, Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto published a report it calls AdFection. It is the first public technical confirmation that mercenary spyware has been delivered through ordinary targeted…
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The Bridge To A Field
China began building the New Yalu River Bridge in December 2010 and completed its side in October 2014 — a 3,026-metre, four-lane cable-stayed span from Dandong to Sinuiju, reportedly about 2.2 billion yuan (≈US$350m)…
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This Boat Was Sailing To Yemen
On the evening of 8 October 2026, three hundred and five people boarded a boat on the coast of Djibouti. It sank soon afterwards, close to shore, near Guehere, north of the town of Obock.
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One Village Chose Oman
Madha is a province of Oman that does not touch Oman. It sits in a stretch of rocky valley between the Musandam Peninsula and the Omani mainland, entirely surrounded by the United Arab Emirates.
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One Front Door, Two Countries
There is a house on the Dutch–Belgian border with two addresses. It is Loveren 2, in Baarle-Hertog, Belgium. It is also Loveren 19, in Baarle-Nassau, the Netherlands.
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The Nowhere People
The Geopolittoon · The field that belonged to a country it could not reach There was a patch of farmland in northern Bangladesh, about 1.7 acres — roughly the size of a football pitch. Nobody lived on it.
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India Paid 50% For This
On 9 October, the US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control issued General Licence 135, authorising transactions relating to the sale, delivery, offloading or importation — "including into the United States" — of…
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Who Actually Closed Saudi Airspace
On Monday, around a hundred energy ministers and some five hundred chief executives are due in Riyadh for the 25th WPC Energy Congress. On Thursday afternoon, just under half of Riyadh's departures were cancelled.
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The War Now Has an Election Date
On 8 October 2026, in a post on Truth Social, President Trump wrote: "We will not be attacking Iran at any time prior to the midterm elections to be held in the United States on November 3." He added that "we are…
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India's Plan Leaves Out the Hardest Part. That May Be Why It Is Working.
On 7 October 2026, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "We are grateful to our Indian friends for such readiness and the ideas that are being offered." A week earlier, Ukraine's foreign minister Andrii Sybiha had…
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Forty Percent of Russia's Refining Is Offline. That Is the War Now.
Standfirst: Zelensky says he will intensify strikes on Russian refineries in response to what he calls Moscow's "new doctrine" of hitting civilian infrastructure.
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The Door Was Designed Never to Open. He Opened It.
Standfirst: After 9/11 the cockpit became a fortress. After Germanwings we learned what that costs when the threat is already inside. On 30 September, a wounded Indian captain reached for the one control that undoes…
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Putin Warns Russia Could Use ‘All Types of Weapons’ if Kaliningrad is Attacked
Tensions Escalate as Moscow Pushes Back Against Alleged Blockade Threats On Thursday, October 1, 2026, Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a stark warning to Western nations, declaring that Moscow would inevitably…
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UK PM Andy Burnham Cites ‘Strong Indications’ of Iranian Involvement in RAF Fairford Security Incident
LONDON — British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has stated that there are "strong indications" pointing to Iranian involvement in a suspected terrorism plot near RAF Fairford, a critical military airbase in…
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Eiffel Tower Chief to Step Down Following Controversy Over Sidelining of Women Staff During BAPS Visit
Paris’s most iconic landmark has found itself at the center of a major controversy involving gender equality, labor rights, and international religious delegations.
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US Considers Easing Pressures: Trump Offers Iran Sanctions Relief and Frozen Funds Release for Nuclear Concessions
In a significant diplomatic development amidst an ongoing military standoff, US President Donald Trump is reportedly prepared to offer economic sanctions relief and authorize the release of frozen funds to Iran.
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US Military Weighs Preparations for Possible Action Around Cuba, Says Report
In recent days, new revelations have emerged suggesting an escalation in the United States' military posture toward Cuba. According to a recent media report, the US military is laying the groundwork for potential…
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Tajikistan Declares UNSC Bid is “About Responsibility, Not Status” in High-Stakes Contest Against India
At the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, a significant diplomatic contest has taken center stage. Tajikistan, actively competing with India for the sole Asia-Pacific non-permanent seat on the UN…
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Seven Days to Reopen the Strait. Here Is What It Would Have Cost.
Standfirst: Iran offered to reopen Hormuz inside a week. Washington said no. The interesting part is not the refusal — it is the price tag, which almost nobody has printed.
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The Word That Stopped the Clock
Standfirst: Venezuela's constitution says a presidential vacancy triggers elections within 30 days. A court decided there wasn't a vacancy — there was an absence. Nine months later, there is still no date.
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You Cannot Become a Country by Post
On 23 September a letter went to the President of the UN Security Council asking it to recognise the Republic of Balochistan. It was correctly addressed, courteously written, and had absolutely nowhere to go.
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