The Financial Times reports that the Houthis attacked Saudi Aramco’s headquarters. The Guardian earlier reported that Saudi Arabia struck oil depots in Yemen and said missiles had been launched toward the location of Aramco’s headquarters.
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October 2026 news
Venezuela is withdrawing from the International Criminal Court as it investigates a campaign of police raids that killed thousands, according to The New York Times. Crime in Caracas plunged after the raids, the paper reports.
Anthropic has flagged a revenue surge to investors ahead of a stock market debut, the BBC reports. The BBC says this comes as some investors have become concerned about spending on AI infrastructure.
Spain’s prime minister has called an early election after opposition parties rejected his government’s proposed housing measures in Parliament. The proposals included automatic renewal of tenancy contracts and restrictions on evicting vulnerable tenants. The Hindu reports that the defeat angered people protesting rising housing costs and highlighted the minority coalition government’s difficulties passing legislation.
The United States is considering using its biggest non-nuclear bomb against Iran if President Donald Trump decides to renew combat, France 24 reports, citing CNN. The conflict erupted with U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran in February, and diplomatic efforts to end it have been at an impasse since the summer, according to France 24 and The Hindu.
Reform UK says it has improved and prioritised its vetting procedures after undercover filming prompted questions about how the party vets candidates, the BBC reports.
Tesla unveiled its next-generation Roadster, a sports car with thrusters that can send it airborne, at an event in Texas. BBC Turkish reports that Tesla introduced the redesigned flying model at a presentation on Oct. 15; The Verge says a demonstration in Waco also showed it driving upside down and accelerating to 60mph in under a second, while TechCrunch reports it leapt over several Tesla vehicles. The Financial Times says the debut came after a decade in development as Tesla seeks to revive its image as a brash innovator.
The New York Times reports that Russia is not winning on the battlefield and sees an opening this winter to inflict immense human suffering in Ukrainian cities. The headline describes Russia’s perceived opportunity, not an accomplished outcome.
Manchester United is veering towards a crisis after Lisandro Martinez apologized for his criticism, Al Jazeera reports, as the on-field spotlight shifted to United from Manchester City. The BBC reports that Keane called United a circus after Martinez's comments.
Indonesian stocks plunged 11% as MSCI considered reclassifying the country from emerging-market to standalone status, a move that could force funds tracking its emerging-market indexes to sell Indonesian holdings, Euronews reports. The New York Times says the potential downgrade adds to a deepening crisis of investor confidence in the economic policies of President Prabowo Subianto.
EU leaders gathered in Brussels on Thursday for a two-day summit and voiced strong opposition to a proposal for the bloc’s next long-term budget, France 24 reports, raising doubt that the spending package will be agreed by the end of the year. Euronews says several leaders rejected the presumed December deadline, and Council President António Costa is expected to take over negotiations, with a new compromise due in a few weeks. ABC News reports that leaders’ pushback puts a deal by 2027 in doubt.
The Guardian reviews Penguin Colony, a PC adventure from Origame Digital in which players guide a penguin across Antarctica in search of an eldritch entity. The game is described as a retelling of H.P. Lovecraft’s novella At the Mountains of Madness, with players collecting words as they explore.
Food and fuel are running low in besieged Taiz as the south-western Yemeni city braces for a Houthi breakthrough, The Guardian reports. Former prime minister Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed, now an adviser to Yemen’s president, says it would be catastrophic if Iran-backed Houthi rebels took the city, because control of the strategic Bab al-Mandab strait and the road to Aden would be lost. Saeed also says the militia’s use of drones represents a new era of radical terrorism.
EU leaders backed developing a trade tool that could shut Chinese goods out of the market, the South China Morning Post reports. The outlet says European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen signalled her trade team could work on the tool, and that leaders requested a proposal by year-end, citing Bloomberg News for the latter detail. This follows earlier reports that EU leaders would urgently call for new trade tools to tackle the China shock.
The Guardian features homes for sale in England with striking interiors, including a brick stable block renovated into an eco home and a Georgian townhouse painted in atmospheric shades of grey.
Senior banking executives expect banks to face higher taxes in the chancellor’s Budget later this month, according to the BBC. The Financial Times reports that Healey pointed to looming decisions as the financial services sector braces for higher levies. The Financial Times earlier reported that Badenoch sounded the alarm over a potential Budget tax raid on banks.
President Trump said he would not use nuclear weapons against Iran or send ground troops, while the U.S. reportedly weighs new strike options, CNBC reports. In its Iran war liveblog, Al Jazeera reported that Iran’s President Pezeshkian called on the world to pay more serious attention to the environmental impacts of military conflicts.
Russian authorities say Ukraine struck a major oil refinery southeast of Moscow on Thursday in response to Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, NPR reports. This follows reports that Kyiv resumed strikes after Zelenskyy declared an end to an energy ceasefire announced by Trump, who called Ukraine's renewed strikes a disgrace.
Met officers say the force needs to move away from criminalising sex workers following failings involving Levy. The force is piloting a two-officer female team in north London to engage with street sex workers and improve trust, the BBC reports.
The building housing Rules, described as London's oldest restaurant, has been donated to the National Trust. The New York Times identifies the charity as the recipient, while ABC News describes it as Europe's biggest conservation charity.