Tankers burning in the Strait of Hormuz, ballistic missiles over Kyiv hours after a handshake in St. Petersburg, a deadly quake in Tibet, and drone massacres in Sudan and Abyei — the world has had another brutal 48 hours. Here is what happened, what is confirmed, and what to watch next.
Seven tankers hit in the Strait of Hormuz as war fears spike
Seven oil tankers caught fire or were damaged in the Strait of Hormuz overnight, Tehran claimed on Thursday, the largest single-night toll on the waterway since the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran began on February 28, the Associated Press reported. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps navy said four vessels were transferring oil when they were struck and caught fire, while three others were disabled after hitting naval mines; the AP said it could not independently verify the claims, and no casualties were reported.
The IRGC warned that if the U.S. keeps escorting commercial ships through the strait, "the conflict will extend to its bases in the region." The claims land days before Israel's October 27 election, in which Benjamin Netanyahu could lose power, and weeks before U.S. midterm elections where war-linked price rises have angered voters. Analyst Danny Citrinowicz of Israel's Institute for National Security Studies told the AP that "Netanyahu wants to attack Iran, that's not even a question," and that a clear Netanyahu victory makes another round of strikes "almost guaranteed."
Separately, India's shipping minister Sarbananda Sonowal confirmed on October 21 that the Kuwait-flagged oil products tanker M/T Al Dasma, carrying 21 Indian seafarers, was struck by an unknown projectile about 11 nautical miles west of Bukha, Oman. A fire broke out but was brought under control, and all crew are safe, the UK Maritime Trade Operations office reported. It follows an October 16 strike on another tanker carrying 15 Indian seafarers. October has seen the most reported attacks on commercial shipping since March, UKMTO said.
Russia pounds Kyiv hours after agreeing to resume peace talks
Russia launched one of its heaviest attacks of the war on Kyiv overnight — 21 missiles and 210 drones — killing at least two people and injuring 34, including five children, Ukrainian officials said. The strikes hit central Kyiv, homes, a shopping center, monastery buildings, energy sites, and metro infrastructure at the Pivdenny Bridge.
The timing stunned diplomats: the attack came hours after U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff's three-hour meeting with Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg, where Putin said he would be willing to resume trilateral talks with Ukraine and the U.S. after November 10 — and where Witkoff controversially called Putin a "humanitarian" after Moscow freed detained 74-year-old American Stephen Hubbard. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said "three waves of ballistic strikes" showed "no real change" in Russia's attitude, and accused Moscow of firing three ballistic missiles with cluster warheads that scattered bomblets across areas some 400 meters wide. Cluster munitions are banned by more than 100 countries under the 2008 convention; neither Russia nor the U.S. is a party.
Moscow, meanwhile, said its air defenses intercepted some 630 to 808 Ukrainian drones overnight, with two people wounded in the Moscow region, and that a crowded market in Lozova in eastern Ukraine was among the targets hit by Russian strikes.
Tibet earthquake: death toll holds at 16, injuries rise
The number of people injured in the magnitude 7 earthquake that struck Tibet's high-altitude Nagqu region has risen to 65 (Al Arabiya reported 76 from a later briefing), while the death toll remains at 16, Chinese local authorities said Friday, per Reuters. It is the strongest quake to hit China since January 2024.
More than 300 police officers were sent to the epicenter for rescue and relief work, and state outlet Xinhua reported that more than 12,000 people have been safely relocated. The China Earthquake Networks Center recorded 413 aftershocks, and officials warned that homes cracked in the main shock could collapse in the aftershocks. Videos from local media showed residents fleeing into streets and sleeping in cars.
Sudan and Abyei: drone strikes kill hundreds of civilians
The African Union on Thursday condemned a wave of deadly drone strikes across Sudan and the disputed Abyei area, amid reports that more than 250 people have been killed over several days, Radio Dabanga reported. AU Commission chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.
The deadliest reported strike hit the Amiet market in Abyei on October 19: local authorities say the toll has exceeded 150, while the UN peacekeeping mission UNISFA — which has doubled patrols and is treating the wounded — confirmed at least 80 killed and 27 injured. Separate strikes killed about 80 people in El Dibb, West Kordofan (October 18), 23 in Nyala, South Darfur (October 16), and at least three children in Khartoum (October 19).
The International Committee of the Red Cross warned Thursday that aerial attacks — likely carried out by armed drones — are causing a "worrying increase" in civilian harm across residential areas, markets, and displacement camps, and urged all sides to respect international humanitarian law. A BBC investigation published this week also found that Sudan's RSF fighters deliberately targeted at least 43 hospitals during the siege of el-Fasher — evidence, the report says, of potential war crimes. On the diplomatic front, Sudan's army recaptured the strategic Bukuri base near the Ethiopian border, while Geneva hosts a sixth round of international consultations on ending the war.
France: protest bans spread as Macron slams the "ultra-left"
France's unrest continues to harden. Paris authorities extended curfews and banned further demonstrations, with Marseille and Lyon following suit, while President Emmanuel Macron blamed a "seditious" ultra-left for orchestrating the violence — the latest chapter in a week of clashes that have dominated French politics. The bans, which rights groups say risk choking lawful dissent, come as the government prepares tougher public-order measures.
What to watch next
- October 27: Israel's election — the outcome decides whether Netanyahu, accused by analysts of rushing toward another round with Iran, stays in power.
- After November 10: the proposed resumption of trilateral Ukraine talks — and whether Moscow's missiles keep answering diplomacy with fire.
- Strait of Hormuz: whether the IRGC's threat against U.S. bases materializes, and whether the tanker tally keeps climbing.
- Abyei: whether UNISFA's doubled patrols and the upcoming Joint Political and Security Mechanism meeting can stop retaliation.
Sources: Associated Press via Military.com; Times Now; CNN; Times Now; Reuters; The Juba Mirror; UNISFA via ReliefWeb; ICRC via ReliefWeb.