From a missile barrage over Kyiv hours after Putin agreed to resume talks, to seven burning tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, to tear gas in Tunis and a pivotal election in Serbia — here are the biggest global developments of the last 48 hours, reported as of October 24, 2026.
Ukraine: Barrage Over Kyiv, Ceasefire for Oleshky
Overnight October 21–22, Russia fired 21 ballistic missiles in three waves and 210 drones at Ukraine, killing 2 and injuring 34, including 5 children, according to President Zelensky and Ukrainian officials. Central Kyiv was struck with an Iskander cluster warhead; Zelensky said none of the ballistic missiles targeting Kyiv were intercepted, citing a critical shortage of US-made Patriot interceptors. A separate strike on a market in Lozova, Kharkiv region, killed at least 2 and injured dozens. Russia claims Ukraine launched 630 drones toward Moscow in retaliation.
The barrage came hours after a three-hour meeting in St. Petersburg on October 22, where Putin and US envoy Steve Witkoff agreed in principle to resume trilateral talks after November 10; Putin also released 74-year-old detained American Stephen Hubbard. Separately, the White House announced on October 23 that Melania Trump had brokered a localized ceasefire for Russian-occupied Oleshky in the Kherson region, to begin October 29 — a temporary halt to allow humanitarian aid and civilian evacuation via a safe corridor for the roughly 1,700 remaining residents, mostly elderly. Ukraine confirmed the arrangement.
Middle East: Seven Tankers Hit in Hormuz, Oil at Five-Month High
Overnight October 22–23, seven oil tankers caught fire or were damaged in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's IRGC said four were hit during oil transfer and three struck naval mines, calling it the largest single-day toll since the war began — a claim Iran state TV reported that the AP could not independently confirm. The Houthis attacked Saudi targets this week: 2 people died in a drone strike on Aramco's Shaybah oil field, and there were further casualties at King Fahd International Airport in Dammam. The US ordered non-emergency staff and families out of Saudi Arabia, and several airlines suspended Saudi flights through October 24.
Brent crude hit a five-month high near $114–115 per barrel, up more than 80% in 2026. The New York Times reports the US and Israel have drawn up plans for renewed strikes on Iran after the November 3 midterms, while indirect US–Iran talks continue around a 7-day ceasefire proposal from foreign minister Araghchi. The IRGC warned that continued US naval escorts could trigger direct action against American bases.
West Bank: Two Soldiers Killed, Netanyahu Vows Operation Not Seen Since 1967
Two Israeli soldiers were killed and three lightly wounded on October 23 when two Palestinian gunmen opened fire at the Farsh al-Hawa military checkpoint near Hebron, sparking a 20-minute firefight that left both attackers dead. Israeli media named them as Hamouda and Firas Jua'ba, both 27-year-old Hebron residents; Hamas praised the attack without claiming responsibility.
Visiting Hebron in a bulletproof vest, Prime Minister Netanyahu ordered an immediate cordon of the city, extensive arrest waves and a full West Bank lockdown, declaring a "very extensive IDF operation" — "such as has not been carried out since the Six Day War" — was "on the way." Finance Minister Smotrich ordered demolitions near the site; National Security Minister Ben Gvir called for dismantling the Palestinian Authority. The crisis lands four days before Israel's general election on October 27; final polls show both blocs short of a majority, with Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar leading Netanyahu's Likud.
France: Bans and Curfews Ahead of Saturday Protests
President Macron on October 22 imposed sweeping gathering bans and municipal curfews in major cities ahead of fresh Saturday protests — all Saturday demonstrations were banned in Marseille and Lyon. The Louvre, Art Basel Paris and the Louis Vuitton Foundation are closing at the start of the week, and Marseille's Chamber of Commerce urged businesses to shut.
The measures follow the October 17 nationwide demonstrations, which drew 550,000–800,000 people over the cost of living and school conditions. About 2,400 people were arrested that day; the Interior Ministry says 997 police and gendarmes were injured, 7 seriously, and over 100 protesters were injured in Paris. Separately, a shooting in a Paris suburb near Trappes killed one person on October 23; a suspect was detained and the anti-terrorism prosecutor's office is monitoring the case.
Tibet: M7.0 Earthquake Kills 16, Rescue Underway
A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Tibet on October 22 at 10:33pm local time, with its epicenter 191 km east-northeast of Nagqu at a depth of 18 km, according to the USGS. At least 7 aftershocks of magnitude 4.3–5.2 followed. At least 16 people died and 65–76 were injured; 339 homes collapsed and 12,489 residents were evacuated.
More than 5,000 rescuers from three counties plus 300 police completed three rounds of household-by-household searches by Friday afternoon, while freezing temperatures, rockslide fears and downed communications complicated the work. Authorities delivered 2,000 prefab housing units, about 3,400 tents and 2,000 folding beds. President Xi Jinping ordered an "all-out" rescue; the Qinghai-Xizang Railway resumed at reduced speed. It is the strongest earthquake in China since January 2024.
Sudan: 306 Killed by Drone Strikes in October, UN Warns
UN human rights chief Volker Türk said on October 23 that the UN documented at least 306 deaths and hundreds of injuries from drone strikes in the first three weeks of October — drones now account for the majority of conflict-related civilian deaths in Sudan this year. Strikes attributed to both the SAF and the RSF hit homes, markets, hospitals, displacement sites, power stations and water sources across Kordofan, Darfur, Blue Nile and Khartoum.
Separately, UN peacekeepers confirmed that drone strikes on Amiet Market in Abyei on October 19 killed at least 80 people, with 27 injured — the worst single drone attack, still being verified. On the humanitarian front, the UK and 31 partners warned that 19.5 million people — 41% of Sudan's population — face acute food insecurity, with severely malnourished children possibly exceeding 825,000.
Serbia: 150,000 Rally Before Pivotal Election
Around 150,000 supporters of the student-led "Student List – Students Win" movement rallied in Belgrade's Slavija Square on October 22, according to the independent Archive of Public Gatherings via AFP — seeking to end more than 14 years of Aleksandar Vučić's SNS rule in Sunday's October 25 snap parliamentary elections. Vučić, who stepped down as president to run for prime minister, held a rival rally across town.
Civil society groups warn of intimidation, arrests, misuse of public resources and a distorted media environment ahead of the vote, described as the biggest threat Vučić has faced. The movement grew from the November 2024 Novi Sad railway canopy collapse that killed 16.
What to Watch Next
Israel's election on Tuesday and any formal West Bank operation order; whether the Hormuz tanker toll disrupts oil flows further into next week; Saturday's banned protests in France and any renewed unrest; the October 29 Oleshky ceasefire holding; and Serbia's Sunday vote.