The Breakfast Table, 22 Oct

Top Story The Gulf

Oil Stays Near $109 as Gulf Fears Last

Reports of tanker trouble near the Strait of Hormuz keep prices high.

📍 Strait of Hormuz · Iran, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Yemen

Oil is a fuel that ships carry around the world, and its price is quoted per barrel. On Tuesday, Brent crude, a main world price, ended at $108.82 a barrel. Fears about supply keep the price high.

Two sets of events are behind those fears. The Houthis, a group in Yemen, said on Monday that they attacked several Saudi Arabian sites. Saudi officials did not immediately confirm this, and Reuters, a news agency, said it could not verify it.

The second is about ships. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said their sea mines stopped three tankers near the Strait of Hormuz, and that two caught fire. US Central Command said those claims were false. Meanwhile Iran and the United States are still talking indirectly, through Pakistan and Qatar.

For grown-ups: sources

World United Kingdom

UK Prices Rise 3.5% in a Year as Petrol Jumps

Costlier fuel pushed up the cost of living in Britain.

UK INFLATION RATE Prices compared with a year earlier, per cent

3.1Aug

3.5Sep

Source: Office for National Statistics, via CNBC.

Inflation is how fast prices rise over a year. The UK's Office for National Statistics said prices were 3.5% higher in September than a year before. In August the figure was 3.1%.

Fuel was a big reason. Petrol and diesel prices were up 29.8% over the year. That is the fastest rise in motor fuel prices since August 2022.

Now the Bank of England may act. It sets the interest rate, the price of borrowing money. Bloomberg reports the bank is on track for its first rate rise in more than three years.

🗺️ Where in the world?

📍 London · United Kingdom

For grown-ups: sources

United States Elections

Early Voting Sets First-Day Records in Texas

Voters are choosing members of Congress before 3 November.

Americans vote in the midterm elections on 3 November. Midterms are held halfway through a president's term, and they decide who sits in Congress. Many states let people vote early, in person.

Texas began early voting on Monday 19 October. In Harris County, which includes Houston, more than 100,000 people voted in person on the first day. The old first-day midterm record there was 63,188, set in 2018.

Other places were busy too. Dallas County had 76,069 voters on its first day, a county record. In South Carolina, 97,968 votes were cast on day one, more than double the last midterm.

🗺️ Where in the world?

📍 Houston · United States

For grown-ups: sources

Talk About It

TALK ABOUT IT

Why might fears about tankers near Hormuz raise the price of petrol in countries far away?

Why might a bank raise interest rates when prices are rising quickly?

What might make so many people want to vote early this year?

India Air

Delhi's Air Turns “Poor” as Pollution Curbs Begin

The capital starts its first-stage pollution rules of the season.

Delhi is India's capital. Its air is measured with the Air Quality Index, or AQI. A higher number means dirtier air. On Tuesday 20 October the AQI was 179.

By 2 pm on Wednesday it had climbed to 244, which counts as “poor”. The Commission for Air Quality Management then put Stage I of its pollution plan in force across Delhi and nearby towns. It is the first time this season.

Forecasts from the India Meteorological Department say the air is likely to stay poor for the next few days. The Delhi Metro will add 20 trips on weekdays from Thursday.

🗺️ Where in the world?

📍 Delhi · India

For grown-ups: sources

Sport

FOOTBALL

In the Champions League on Wednesday, Como beat Manchester United 4-1 and Aston Villa beat Viking 3-0.

In brief

More news

Ukraine: Russia's leader Vladimir Putin agreed in principle to restart three-way peace talks after 10 November, the Kremlin said.
Space: Europe's Euclid telescope found its first comet, named C/2026 S1 (Euclid).

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