The Breakfast Table, 20 Oct

Top Story Saudi Arabia and Yemen

Houthi Attacks Push Oil Above $109 a Barrel

Saudi Arabia has put off a big investor conference until 2027.

🧵 New to this story? Read the story so far →

📍 Riyadh · Saudi Arabia, Yemen

The Houthis, a group from Yemen, are still attacking Saudi Arabia, the country just north of Yemen. On October 10 a strike hit the main airport in Riyadh, the Saudi capital. Saudi Arabia says at least 12 people were killed and more than 300 were wounded.

The fighting is now reaching the oil market. Saudi Arabia is a giant oil producer. After the Houthis claimed new attacks on Saudi airports and sites of the oil company Aramco, Brent crude rose above $109 a barrel. Brent is the price traders use to compare oil. UK maritime monitors also said two tankers were attacked off the Saudi coast on Friday.

Daily life and business are changing too. The Kingdom Centre, a famous office tower in Riyadh, ordered its office staff to work from home. On Monday Saudi Arabia postponed a large investor conference, due on October 26 to 29, until 2027.

For grown-ups: sources

World France

Half a Million March in France as Protests Turn Violent

Curfews have been set in parts of Paris and in northern towns.

MARCHERS ON SATURDAY In thousands, according to authorities

550All of France

110Paris

Figures are from the authorities, as reported by CNBC.

About 550,000 people marched in scores of French cities on Saturday, say the authorities. About 110,000 of them were in Paris, the capital. They were protesting against rising living costs and falling public services, such as health care and schools.

Some protests turned violent. Some demonstrators set fire to city halls, and in Limoges a city hall from the 19th century was gutted. On Sunday President Emmanuel Macron spoke to the nation. He promised an uncompromising response to what he called ultra-left troublemakers, but he did not declare a state of emergency.

The government is now using curfews, which are rules to stay off the streets at night. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu asked regional authorities to set partial, local curfews. Parts of Paris, Lille and three other northern towns have them.

🗺️ Where in the world?

📍 Paris · France

For grown-ups: sources

United States Prices

US Prices Rose 3.7% in a Year as Petrol Costs Weigh on Voters

Midterm elections are on November 3.

Prices in the United States rose 0.6% in September and 3.7% over the whole year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. In August the yearly figure was 3.4%. A rise in prices over time is called inflation.

Fuel is a big part of the story. Gasoline, which Americans call petrol, costs $4.29 a gallon, and oil is about $107 a barrel, U.S. News reports. CNN says attacks on tankers and oil sites have pushed oil and diesel prices higher.

That matters for the midterm elections on November 3, when Americans vote for members of Congress. U.S. News reports that President Trump's approval among US adults has fallen to a record low of 33%.

🗺️ Where in the world?

📍 Washington · United States

For grown-ups: sources

Talk About It

TALK ABOUT IT

Why might an attack on Saudi Arabia change the price of petrol in a country far away?

Why do you think rising prices make some people join marches or change how they vote?

Which story today do you think a younger child would find hardest to understand, and how would you explain it?

India Medicines

India Caps Shop Margins on 137 Cancer Medicines

Prices of some could fall by up to 70% from November 9.

India's drug price regulator, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority, has capped trade margins on 137 anti-cancer medicines. A trade margin is the extra amount that sellers add on top of what they pay for a medicine.

The cap is 30% of the maximum retail price. The rule is in a government notice dated October 17, and the new prices take effect on November 9. Reports say prices could fall by up to 70%, but the real fall will differ from medicine to medicine.

The government estimates that patients could save around 2,500 crore rupees a year. In 2019 a similar cap was placed on 42 cancer drugs, and afterwards the prices of 526 brands were cut by up to 90%.

🗺️ Where in the world?

📍 New Delhi · India

For grown-ups: sources

Sport

FOOTBALL

On Sunday, Brighton beat Crystal Palace 5-0 in the Premier League, and Arsenal won 1-0 at Nottingham Forest.

In brief

More news

Ukraine: Ukraine launched more than 1,000 drones at Russia, and an oil port in St Petersburg caught fire.
Money: NPR reports that more than $15 billion has been raised to influence the 2026 US midterms.

You read today's paper! 🎉

Ready for a game?

See my pebble tower and badges