Wednesday 28 October 2026 · No. 10
Top Story Israel
A majority needs 61 of the Knesset's 120 seats, and exit polls suggest nobody is there yet.
Israel held a national election on 27 October to choose its parliament, the Knesset. The Knesset has 120 seats, so a party or group of parties needs 61 to hold a majority. That number is the key to the whole story: with 61, a government can pass laws; without it, it cannot.
Exit polls, which ask voters as they leave polling stations, suggest the result is not clear. CNN reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his main rival, former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, appear short of outright victory. Channel 12's exit poll projected the prime minister's bloc falling from 68 seats in the previous Knesset to 50 seats. Turnout, the share of people who voted, was reportedly the highest since at least 1999.
Exit polls are estimates, not results. Official results come from Israel's Central Elections Committee, and the numbers can move as real votes are counted. So the main facts are still to come: the final seat totals, and which parties can join together to reach 61.
Israel held an election on 27 October. Its parliament has 120 seats. A majority needs 61 seats.
Exit polls suggest nobody won a clear victory. Exit polls ask people as they leave the polling place.
Exit polls are only estimates. Official results will come later from the election officials, and the count can change. A party or group needs 61 seats to have a majority and to form a government.
World Ukraine
Zelenskyy says they agreed to meet next month; Moscow says fighting will go on.
Selected reports · last 30 days · oldest → newest
12 Oct 2026 · Published report
President Trump says Russia and Ukraine agreed to stop hitting each other's energy sites. Neither has confirmed it.
What changed? Mr Trump announces an "energy ceasefire", effective immediately. Neither Moscow nor Kyiv confirms it.
The Global Citizen Plus · Ages 12–14
Earlier report · Published 12 Oct 2026
The Global Citizen Plus · Ages 12–14
President Trump says Russia and Ukraine agreed to stop hitting each other's energy sites. Neither has confirmed it.
On Sunday President Trump said Russia and Ukraine had agreed to an "energy ceasefire", effective immediately. A ceasefire is an agreement to stop fighting. He gave no details, and neither Moscow nor Kyiv immediately confirmed it. Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said Ukraine would stop striking Russian refineries if Moscow stopped attacking Ukraine's energy system.
A White House official said a deal to stop hitting power plants and energy grids could come next if refinery attacks stop. The announcement followed a deal Mr Trump struck on Friday for Russia to supply diesel to the US, which Ukrainian and European officials criticised as funding Russia's war. On Saturday Mr Trump said it was time for Ukraine to get a new president.
Mr Zelenskyy said a vote during the war would be unlawful, as Ukraine's constitution bars elections under martial law, in place since February 2022. He said elections could be held if Russia agreed to a 60-day ceasefire, with security guarantees so people could vote safely.
Both countries are fighting a long-range war from the air while their armies remain largely deadlocked on the ground. On Sunday a Ukrainian drone attack shut a data centre run by the Russian tech company Yandex, the third strike on its facilities in four days. Roughly a fifth of Ukraine is under Russian occupation, and millions of Ukrainians have been displaced abroad.
Geography and economics meet here. Crude oil is pumped in one place, refined in another and burned in a third, so a strike on a refinery in one country can change prices in another. On the latest AAA figure, US diesel averaged $6.28 a gallon, against $3.68 a year earlier. That is why a deal for Russian diesel is controversial: it may ease prices at home while, critics say, paying for the war.
14 Oct 2026 · Published report
Eleven sailors are missing in the Black Sea.
The Global Citizen Plus · Ages 12–14
Earlier report · Published 14 Oct 2026
The Global Citizen Plus · Ages 12–14
Eleven sailors are missing in the Black Sea.
On Sunday 11 October President Trump said Russia and Ukraine had agreed to an energy ceasefire, a promise to stop hitting each other's energy sites, effective immediately. By Monday both sides had denied it. Ukraine's President Zelenskyy said Ukraine had refrained from attacking Russian energy sites since the announcement, while Russia kept attacking Ukraine's.
A Russian strike on a residential high-rise in a Kyiv suburb killed at least two people on Monday evening, and other Russian attacks killed six more. US envoys told Ukrainian officials that a deal allowing Russian diesel exports is meant to draw Russia back to talks, though they said Mr Putin was not ready to negotiate an end to the war.
The war also reached the Black Sea. Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said drones struck two ships off Bulgaria's coast, and one sank. Rescuers evacuated 15 crew (seven Ukrainian, eight Azerbaijani) and rescued one sailor from the sunken ship, while 11 sailors are missing. Bulgaria summoned Russia's ambassador without formally accusing Russia. Mr Radev said there is no solid evidence against a specific party but that the outcome favours Russia.
Other warnings came from Europe. Czech intelligence chief Michal Koudelka said Russia could pursue riskier operations in NATO states that support Ukraine within months, and NATO's top commander, Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, said the alliance would be ready to fight tonight if attacked.
Geography: Ukraine, Russia and Bulgaria all have Black Sea coasts, so a war between two of them can put ships from other countries at risk.
16 Oct 2026 · Published report
The ‘energy ceasefire’ announced by President Trump has not held.
What changed? Russian strikes kill at least nine and cut power to over half a million; on 15 October Zelenskyy says Kyiv is done with the energy pause and refinery strikes will resume.
The Global Citizen Plus · Ages 12–14
Earlier report · Published 16 Oct 2026
The Global Citizen Plus · Ages 12–14
The ‘energy ceasefire’ announced by President Trump has not held.
Overnight into Wednesday 14 October, Russian air attacks killed at least nine people in Ukraine and left more than half a million without power, according to Al Jazeera. Russia’s Defence Ministry said it hit two plants supplying power and heating in Kyiv, a substation, and a heat-and-power plant in Kharkiv. Winter makes power a matter of life and death, because homes, hospitals and water pumps all need electricity.
The strikes came days after Mr Trump announced an “energy ceasefire”, a pause in attacks on power plants and oil sites. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of breaking it. On Thursday he told the Financial Times that Kyiv was “done” with the pause and that strikes on Russian refineries, which turn crude oil into fuel, would resume. Russia said Ukraine hit a refinery in Ryazan, 180 km south of Moscow. Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia launched 580 Shahed-type and other drones overnight, and that 536 were neutralised.
The US had pressed Ukraine to stop the refinery strikes, citing a deal to buy 1.8 million tonnes of diesel from Russia to ease fuel prices. Mr Zelenskyy said he would pause again only if the US supplied Patriot interceptors, and he asked European leaders in Brussels for tougher sanctions. The EU has pledged $50 billion for Ukraine next year, against the $175 billion Kyiv plans to spend on defence.
Economics and geography meet here: refineries and power plants are valuable because modern economies run on fuel and electricity, and winter raises the stakes.
20 Oct 2026 · Published report
An oil terminal in St Petersburg burned; Russia struck Kyiv overnight.
What changed? Ukraine launches more than 1,000 drones at Russia, setting an oil terminal and depot ablaze in St Petersburg; Russia says it destroyed 1,015. A Russian strike kills a woman in Kyiv.
The Global Citizen Plus · Ages 12–14
Earlier report · Published 20 Oct 2026
The Global Citizen Plus · Ages 12–14
An oil terminal in St Petersburg burned; Russia struck Kyiv overnight.
On Sunday Ukraine launched more than 1,000 drones at Russia, one of its largest air attacks of the war. Strikes set an oil export terminal and a depot ablaze in St Petersburg. Russia's Defence Ministry said it destroyed 1,015 Ukrainian drones over 15 Russian regions, Crimea and the Black Sea.
Russia struck Kyiv overnight. An air strike killed a woman, hit a subway station and damaged a 25-storey apartment building, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. Three others were injured. Earlier, on Friday, Russian attacks on nine regions had cut power to hundreds of thousands of households.
US President Donald Trump criticised Kyiv's strikes on Russian oil sites. He said US-Ukraine intelligence sharing, which had been blocked for some period of time, had resumed. Trump announced an “energy ceasefire” on October 11 without details; Kyiv says attacks on energy sites continued.
Economics: both sides are hitting each other's oil and power sites, which ties this war to fuel prices, as the attacks near Saudi Arabia do.
24 Oct 2026 · Published report
Russia says talks with the US and Ukraine could resume after 10 November.
What changed? Witkoff meets Zelenskyy and European leaders in Oslo; at the White House Trump presses Zelenskyy to make a deal with Russia, saying the US has got “absolutely nothing back” from Ukraine.
The Global Citizen Plus · Ages 12–14
Earlier report · Published 24 Oct 2026
The Global Citizen Plus · Ages 12–14
Russia says talks with the US and Ukraine could resume after 10 November.
Russian President Vladimir Putin met US envoy Steve Witkoff in St. Petersburg on Wednesday 21 October for about three hours. Afterwards the Kremlin's foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, said Putin agreed “in principle” to resume trilateral talks with the US and Ukraine after 10 November. Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner joined by video link.
Ushakov said the talks would focus on building a security system for Russia and Ukraine after the conflict ends. Earlier rounds, in Abu Dhabi in January and February and in Geneva in February, produced little progress beyond prisoner exchanges. Witkoff said there was “some degree of momentum”. Russia also freed American Stephen Hubbard, a retired teacher imprisoned on mercenary charges, which Witkoff called a goodwill gesture. Putin also said he was ready to consider restoring US-Russia economic ties, and Witkoff thanked him for lifting Russia's ban on diesel exports.
Ukraine's position differs. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a freeze in the fighting is the “minimum” Russia must accept, and that only a leaders' summit can break the impasse. The fighting goes on: Russian strikes in Kyiv killed three people and wounded 12, and Russia's Defense Ministry said it intercepted 373 Ukrainian drones overnight. Ukraine launched more than 1,000 drones at Russia in one of its largest attacks of the war, and an oil export terminal in St. Petersburg caught fire.
The US role is under strain. Witkoff met Zelenskyy and European leaders in Oslo on Tuesday and plans to return there; Norway's prime minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, said Russia may be looking for diplomatic options. On Tuesday Trump pressed Zelenskyy to make a deal and said the US had gotten “absolutely nothing back” from Ukraine. Trump had said on 11 October that Russia and Ukraine agreed to an energy-infrastructure ceasefire, but attacks have continued.
Geography and history: St. Petersburg and Oslo, where Witkoff also met Zelenskyy, sit on the Baltic and North Sea coasts of Europe. Past rounds of talks have been held in Abu Dhabi and Geneva.
28 Oct 2026 · Published report
Zelenskyy says they agreed to meet next month; Moscow says fighting will go on.
What changed? Zelenskyy says Ukraine, Russia and the US have agreed to trilateral talks next month and renews his call to meet Putin on territory; Russia says it will not halt hostilities during the talks.
The Global Citizen Plus · Ages 12–14
Earlier report · Published 28 Oct 2026
The Global Citizen Plus · Ages 12–14
Zelenskyy says they agreed to meet next month; Moscow says fighting will go on.
Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said on 26 October that Ukraine, Russia and the United States have agreed to hold talks next month. These are called trilateral talks because there are three sides. No date or location has been announced.
The two warring sides want different things. Zelenskyy has renewed his call for a meeting with Putin on territorial issues, meaning who controls which land. Putin said talks should aim for lasting security through final agreements, not a short-lived ceasefire, and Russia says it has no intention of halting hostilities while the talks run.
Geography explains why the land question is so hard: the war is being fought over territory, so any deal must say where lines are drawn.
A negotiation over land links this story to history lessons on treaties and borders.
Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said on 26 October that Ukraine, Russia and the United States have agreed to hold talks next month. These are called trilateral talks because there are three sides. No date or location has been announced.
The two warring sides want different things. Zelenskyy has renewed his call for a meeting with Putin on territorial issues, meaning who controls which land. Putin said talks should aim for lasting security through final agreements, not a short-lived ceasefire, and Russia says it has no intention of halting hostilities while the talks run.
Geography explains why the land question is so hard: the war is being fought over territory, so any deal must say where lines are drawn.
Ukraine's president says Ukraine, Russia and the US will hold talks next month. No date or place has been given.
He wants to meet Russia's president, Putin, to talk about land.
Russia says it wants lasting peace deals, not a short pause. It also says it will not stop fighting during the talks. The date and place of the talks are not yet known.
India Geography
Landfall is forecast in the small hours of 28 October.
Geography helps explain why India's east coast is so often in the path of storms. Al Jazeera notes that the Bay of Bengal is a major breeding ground for tropical cyclones. Arnab grew there and is now classed as a very severe cyclonic storm.
Look at the forecast as a map. The weather office expects the centre to come ashore close to Visakhapatnam, between 2 am and 4 am on 28 October. Odisha, further north along the coast, should feel weaker winds of 60 to 80 km/h, while Andhra Pradesh could see 125 to 135 km/h, with gusts up to 150. More than 12 million people live along the projected path.
Preparation is under way on both sides of the state border: over 84,000 people moved in Andhra Pradesh and over 30,000 in Odisha, about 4,000 shelters are open, and 16 of Odisha's 30 districts closed schools.
Cyclone Arnab is a very severe storm over the Bay of Bengal. It should reach land between 2 am and 4 am on 28 October.
More than 84,000 people have moved away from the coast in Andhra Pradesh. More than 30,000 have moved in Odisha. About 4,000 shelters are open.
Odisha closed schools in 16 of its 30 districts. More than 12 million people live along the storm's path.
United States Economy
Traders put about an 11% chance on a hike this week.
HIKE ODDS Traders' chance of a Fed rate rise
The Federal Reserve is the United States' central bank. Its two-day policy meeting began on Tuesday 27 October, and its decision is due on Wednesday 28 October at 2 pm US Eastern time. The interest rate it sets influences how much it costs to borrow money.
According to Reuters, traders put about an 11% chance on a rate hike this week and about 82% on a hike by December. In other words, most traders expect no change now, but many expect a rise later in the year.
Interest rates matter beyond the United States. A stronger dollar was one reason the Indian rupee slipped past 95 per dollar in early trade on Tuesday, according to DT Next.
The Federal Reserve is the US central bank. It will announce its decision on Wednesday 28 October.
Traders think there is about an 11% chance it will raise rates this week.
They think there is about an 82% chance of a rise by December. The decision comes at 2 pm US Eastern time. A hike means the Fed raises its rate, so borrowing costs more.
Science & Tech Space
2026 ED138 sits about 46 au from the Sun and is roughly 1,000 km wide.
Space distances need their own unit. One astronomical unit (au) is the average distance from Earth to the Sun. A possible dwarf planet found with the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, provisionally called 2026 ED138, is about 46 au out. Pluto, for comparison, averages 40 au.
Its width is not yet pinned down: the estimate runs from 600 to 1,500 km, and Mario Juric, who leads Rubin's solar system team, puts it at about 1,000 km.
The key was a program, not a lens. Matthew Holman and Kevin Napier wrote search code that links billions of moving-object detections that belong to the same object. Holman ran Rubin data through it on 13 October. Confirmation would make 2026 ED138 the sixth dwarf planet after Pluto, Ceres, Eris, Haumea and Makemake.
Astronomers found a possible dwarf planet far beyond Neptune. It is named 2026 ED138 for now.
It is about 1,000 km across. It is about 46 au from the Sun, and Pluto is about 40 au away.
If it is confirmed, it will join five known dwarf planets, such as Pluto and Ceres. It still needs more study to be confirmed.
Economy Currency
The currency was about 95.22 in early trade on Tuesday.
An exchange rate tells you how much of one currency buys another. On Tuesday 27 October the rupee fell 7 paise to 95.22 against the US dollar in early trade, according to DT Next, weighed down by high oil prices and a stronger dollar. HDFC Sky reported a provisional close of 95.12.
India buys oil from abroad, and oil is priced in dollars, so a weaker rupee makes the same barrel cost more. On Monday a barrel of Brent crude settled at $115.81, per FinanceFeeds.
The Reserve Bank of India raised its repo rate to 5.5% on 7 October, according to BBN Times.
The rupee fell to about 95.22 for one US dollar on Tuesday. High oil prices and a strong dollar pushed it down.
India buys oil from other countries and pays in dollars. A weaker rupee makes oil cost more.
On Monday a barrel of Brent oil closed at $115.81. Brent is a price many countries follow. The rupee was also pushed down by a stronger dollar.
Did you know?
Explainer
In a parliament, a majority means more than half the seats. Israel's Knesset has 120 seats, so 61 is a majority.
When no party reaches 61 alone, parties must join together to form a government. This is called a coalition. The parties bargain over who gets which job and which policies come first, and that can take time.
Discuss
Why might exit polls and final results differ?
Why might a country hold talks while fighting continues?
How can shelters and early warnings help a coastal community stay safe?
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