Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,342
Here are the key events from day 1,342 of Russia’s war on Ukraine. Published On 28 Oct 202528 Oct 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Here is how things stand on Tuesday, October 28, 2025: Fighting Russian attacks on Ukraine’s southern Zaporizhia killed a 44-year-old man and wounded several others, Governor Ivan Fedorov said on Monday, as the death toll from other assaults on Sunday continued to rise. Ukrainian officials said the attacks on Sunday killed two people in the eastern Donetsk region and a 69-year-old man in the northern Sumy region. Fifteen others, including two children, were wounded in Sumy, police there said. Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR) claimed the killing of Lieutenant Vasily Marzoev, the son of a Russian general, using a guided aerial bomb. Al Jazeera could not independently verify the report. A Ukrainian drone attack on a Russian minibus in the village of Pogar in the Bryansk region killed the driver and injured five passengers, Russia’s state TASS news agency reported, citing Governor Alexander Bogomaz. The Russian Ministry of Defence said its forces seized the Ukrainian village of Yehorivka in the Dnipropetrovsk region. However, the Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform reported that Ukrainian forces had cleared Russian troops out of the village. Neither claim could be independently verified by Al Jazeera. Russia’s Defence Ministry also said its forces captured the villages of Novomykolaivka and Privolnoye in Ukraine’s Zaporizhia region, according to TASS. TASS also reported the ministry as saying that Russian forces shot down 350 Ukrainian drones, two guided missiles and seven rocket launchers in the past 24 hours. A report by the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine found that Russian drone attacks were used as “part of a coordinated policy to drive out civilians from [Ukrainian] territories”, amounting “to the crime against humanity of forcible transfer of population”. The report described civilians who were chased over long distances by drones with mounted cameras, and sometimes attacked with fire bombs or explosives while seeking shelter. Advertisement Politics and diplomacy United States President Donald Trump said that his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, should end the war in Ukraine instead of testing nuclear-powered missiles, adding that Washington had a nuclear submarine positioned off Russia’s coast. The comments came a day after Putin said that Russia had successfully tested its nuclear-powered Burevestnik cruise missile. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there was nothing in the test of the missile that should strain relations with Washington, and that Russia was guided by its own national interests. Norway’s military intelligence service said that Russia’s test of the Burevestnik missile was launched from the Barents Sea archipelago of Novaya Zemlya. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the US-based Axios news outlet that Kyiv and its allies have agreed to work on a ceasefire plan in the coming 10 days, following Trump’s recent proposal to stop the war at the current lines. Putin signed a law on Monday terminating an already defunct plutonium disposal agreement with the US that aimed to prevent both sides from building more nuclear weapons. North Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs Choe Son Hui met Putin at the Kremlin on Monday to discuss strengthening cooperation with Russia, North Korean state media KCNA reported on Tuesday. “Many future projects to constantly strengthen and develop” the bilateral relationship were discussed during the meeting, KCNA said, with Choe also conveying North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s “brotherly regard” to Putin. The Russian leader, in turn, asked Choe to tell Kim that “everything was going to plan” during the meeting. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban will discuss US sanctions on Russian oil companies, among other issues, when he meets Trump in Washington next week, Hungary’s foreign minister, Peter Szijjarto, said on Monday. Regional security Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene said on Monday that her country will begin to shoot down smuggler balloons crossing the border from Belarus, a close Russian ally, after the balloons repeatedly interrupted the Baltic nation’s air traffic. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that helium balloons over Lithuania were a “provocation” and “a hybrid threat”, adding in a post on X that the balloons are another reason to accelerate the European Union’s Eastern Flank Watch and European drone defence initiatives. Weapons Ukraine’s military intelligence published a list detailing the origins of 68 foreign components used in Russian missiles and other weapons, which it says came from China, Japan, the Netherlands, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and the US. Advertisement Adblock test (Why?)
NGOs note 28 new ‘carbon bomb’ projects since 2021
Potential CO2 emissions from new projects 11 times global “carbon budget” remaining to hit Paris Agreement targets. Published On 27 Oct 202527 Oct 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Twenty-eight new “carbon bomb” projects have launched across the globe over the past five years, according to a report issued by NGOs. Despite global efforts to phase out the use of fossil fuels, known to have catastrophic climate effects, the report, published on Monday by a quartet of environmental nonprofits, details that dozens of new fossil fuel extraction projects that will pump out enormous emissions have been started since 2021. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list Carbon bombs were defined in a 2022 research article as oil, gas or coal facilities capable of generating more than a billion tonnes of CO2 over their lifetime. At that time, the NGOs Lingo, Data for Good, Reclaim Finance, and Eclaircies counted 425 such projects worldwide. The report said some 365 projects are still producing more than one billion tonnes each, with the fall from the 2021 total due to operations that have either cut their output or been re-evaluated. That is despite the International Energy Agency having said in 2021 that launching new oil and gas projects was incompatible with reaching climate targets set out in the Paris Agreement. The landmark agreement reached in 2015 included the aim of keeping global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) compared with the pre-industrial era. Two years later, at COP28, countries around the world agreed to begin a phase-out of fossil fuels. Despite that, between 2021 and 2024, the world’s 65 largest banks financed more than $1.6 trillion to the companies involved in the projects pinpointed in the report. Advertisement Barclays Bank is the most involved in supporting companies behind carbon bombs, providing $33.7bn to 62 companies, including Eni, ExxonMobil and TotalEnergies. “Major global banks are exacerbating climate change and future emissions by continuing to give carte blanche to these fossil fuel companies that are destroying the planet,” said Louis-Maxence Delaporte, energy research manager at Reclaim Finance, one of the NGOs involved in the study. China accounts for 43 percent of “carbon bombs”. Russia accounts for 9 percent, the United States for 5 percent. Western oil majors have the most such projects, although Saudi Arabia’s Aramco and China’s CHN Energy produce the most total emissions. The report also identified more than 2,300 smaller extraction projects, approved or launched since 2021, whose potential emissions exceed five million tonnes of CO2 each, equivalent to the annual emissions of a city like Paris. Combined, the potential CO2 emissions from all these projects are 11 times greater than the global “carbon budget” remaining to keep global warming below 1.5C (2.7F) compared with the pre-industrial era, according to the authors’ calculations. Adblock test (Why?)
Fact check: Do quarter of US’s ‘drug boat’ searches find nothing?
President Donald Trump says US military strikes on eight vessels in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, mostly targeting boats from Venezuela, were legal because they carried drugs being delivered to the United States. But Republican Senator Rand Paul, Kentucky, who is also chair of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, said maritime law enforcement statistics show that not all boats suspected of carrying drugs actually have drugs onboard. He said the military’s strikes were not in line with usual US policy. “When you stop people at sea in international waters, or in your own waters, you announce that you’re going to board the ship and you’re looking for contraband, smuggling or drugs. This happens every day off of Miami,” Paul said on October 19 on NBC’s “Meet the Press” programme. “We know from Coast Guard statistics that about 25 percent of the time the Coast Guard boards a ship, there are no drugs. So if our policy now is to blow up every ship we suspect or accuse of drug running, that would be a bizarre world in which 25 percent of the people might be innocent.” Paul made a similar statement in an October 12 interview. More than 30 people have been killed so far in the strikes, and the Trump administration has provided no evidence that the vessels contained drugs. We rated Trump’s recent statement that each strike saved “25,000 American lives” false. Paul’s office pointed PolitiFact to the US Coast Guard’s 2024 fiscal year report, which said that year the agency intercepted drugs in about 73 percent of cases when they boarded boats, with about 27 percent of vessel interceptions yielding no drugs. Advertisement Experts said the data supports Paul’s point, but noted that it’s unclear how the Coast Guard defines the term it uses to describe intercepting drugs – “a drug disruption”. “If the (Coast Guard) boards a vessel and finds a known drug trafficker but no drugs, and that individual gets arrested and convicted, does that count as a ‘drug disruption’?” said Jonathan Caulkins, a Carnegie Mellon University drug policy researcher. “Or suppose they approach the vessel, it jettisons the drugs overboard, and so the Coast Guard seizes the vessel but the drugs have disappeared into the water. Is that a successful disruption?” Paul’s figure might not translate directly to the recent boat strikes, experts said, since the US could have had intelligence about those specific vessels. PolitiFact contacted the Coast Guard about its data collection process but did not hear back. Coast Guard report details the agency’s drug interceptions The Coast Guard reports data about how often it intercepts drugs to the Department of Homeland Security. Its 2024 fiscal year report, which covers October 2023 to September 2024, summarises the agency’s performance in various programmes. During that period of time, the Coast Guard disrupted drug runs in 91 out of 125 boat interdictions, the report says, which was a rate of about 73 percent. “The quality of searches performed by Coast Guard boarding teams is high,” the report said, adding that its metrics depend on the quality and timeliness of the intelligence the agency receives. The rate has varied in recent years. The agency started reporting this drug interception data in fiscal year 2021, according to the report, which shows a drug disruption rate that year of 59 percent – meaning 41 percent of boats searched yielded no drugs. The interception rate rose to 64 percent in 2022 and 69 percent in 2023. The 2024 drug interception rate of 73 percent represents the Coast Guard’s highest since it started tracking the data. It lists an 80 percent interception rate as its annual goal. The Coast Guard didn’t answer our questions about its data collection process or what amounts to a drug disruption. A 2025 Coast Guard report evaluating agency data from fiscal years 2021 through 2023 found it didn’t accurately reflect all drug interdictions as some reports didn’t contain drug seizure results or the required documentation. Experts said we don’t know whether the 2024 Coast Guard statistic directly translates to the recent strikes in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean. “The people with fingers on the trigger may demand a much higher certainty rate before shooting,” Caulkins said. “So, even if the senator’s figure were correct when looking across all the many, very diverse operations over the course of a year, that doesn’t mean it applies to the special case of boats of Venezuela. Perhaps it does, but perhaps not.” Advertisement The Trump administration’s lack of information about the type or quantity of drugs it says were on the boats makes it impossible to know if every or any of the boats carried lethal drugs, and if they were en route to the US. Drug experts previously told us that Venezuela plays a minor role in trafficking drugs that reach the US. Most illicit fentanyl in the US comes from Mexico, not Venezuela. It enters the country mainly through the southern border at official ports of entry, and is smuggled in mostly by US citizens. Our ruling Paul said, “About 25 percent of the time the Coast Guard boards a ship, there are no drugs.” A 2024 Coast Guard report said the agency boarded and intercepted boats with drugs on them about 73 percent of the time, which means 27 percent of the interceptions yielded no drugs. This drug disruption statistic, however, might not translate directly to the recent boat strikes, experts said, since we don’t know what kind of intelligence the US had about those vessels. Paul’s statement is accurate but needs clarification. We rate it Mostly True. Adblock test (Why?)
UK journalist Sami Hamdi detained in US after pro-Israel pressure
NewsFeed UK journalist Sami Hamdi has been detained by US immigration officials after his visa was revoked, seemingly for unsubstantiated ‘national security’ reasons. Civil rights groups say it’s due to his criticism of Israel’s war on Gaza, after US far-right activists and pro-Israel influencers called for his deportation. Published On 27 Oct 202527 Oct 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Adblock test (Why?)
Embattled Milei faces critical midterm elections in Argentina
Voters in Argentina are heading to the polls in midterm legislative elections that will gauge support for President Javier Milei’s sweeping free-market reforms, which have caused austerity pains for many, at a critical juncture in his presidency. Elections are being held on Sunday for half of Argentina’s lower Chamber of Deputies, or 127 seats, as well as a third of the Senate, or 24 seats. The outcome could determine whether Milei’s libertarian programme of hefty budget cuts and bids to deregulate the country’s struggling economy will endure. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list Milei’s La Libertad Avanza party, a relatively new political force in Argentina, has only 37 deputies and six senators, amounting to less than 15 percent of seats in Congress. The party is aiming to boost that share to at least a third of seats in Congress – to help defend against opposition attempts to thwart the president’s agenda, to shore up investor confidence and, crucially, to retain Milei’s support from fellow right-winger United States President Donald Trump. “Don’t give up because we’re halfway there,” Milei told supporters at a closing campaign event in the port city of Rosario on Thursday. “We’re on a good path.” US backing on the line Earlier this month, Washington pledged a $40bn potential bailout, including a $20bn currency swap to stabilise the value of the peso, and a possible $20bn “facility”. But Trump has threatened to pull away if his populist ally performs poorly, warning that “if he doesn’t win, we’re not going to waste our time, because you have somebody whose philosophy has no chance of making Argentina great again.” Advertisement Trump’s bailout plans have infuriated US farmers struggling amid his trade war with China, and many have questioned his “America First” credentials. US Senator Chuck Grassley from Iowa recently summed up the concerns: “Why would the USA help bail out Argentina while they take American soybean producers’ biggest market???” On October 19, a reporter asked Trump why he decided to aid Argentina despite concerns among US soya producers. “Argentina is fighting for its life,” Trump answered. “Young lady, you don’t know anything about it. … They have no money. They have no anything.” Currently, both chambers in Argentina are controlled by the left-wing and centrist opposition to Milei’s party, with the Peronist opposition movement currently holding the largest minority in both houses. War on inflation Milei, a brash, self-declared “anarcho-capitalist”, came to power in December 2023, promising to revitalise Argentina’s long-ailing economy, wielding a chainsaw as a symbol of his intention to radically cut state spending. His presidency has seen tens of thousands of public sector jobs disestablished, spending on education, health and pensions slashed, and public works frozen. The austerity policies have been blamed for pushing millions deeper into poverty, but have slowed monthly inflation – down from 12.8 percent before Milei’s inauguration to 2.1 percent last month – albeit while economic growth and consumption have faltered. Meanwhile, many of Milei’s signature policies, including bids to privatise state-owned enterprises, have been blocked by Congress. Adding to his woes, members of Milei’s inner circle have been implicated in scandals, including one tied to his sister, who also serves as his chief of staff. Approval ratings down With Milei’s approval numbers down, and following losses for his allies in bellwether provincial elections in Buenos Aires last month, pundits predict his party will struggle to achieve its target of a third of the seats up for grabs. Mauricio Monge, Latin America economist at Oxford Economics, told AFP that the US bailout was “not enough to counteract the growing likelihood that the election results will prevent further reforms”. “If history has taught us anything about Argentina, it’s that previous bailouts, when political support wanes, have proven futile,” he said. Adblock test (Why?)
Trump meets Brazil’s Lula at ASEAN summit, touts ‘pretty good deals’
Both countries’ negotiating teams will start ‘immediately’ to address US tariffs and sanctions, says Brazil’s President Lula. Published On 26 Oct 202526 Oct 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share United States President Donald Trump and Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva have held what Brazil described as a constructive meeting on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Kuala Lumpur, raising hope for improved relations after stinging US tariffs. Lula said the Sunday meeting with Trump – who is an ally of his political rival, embattled former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro – was “great” and added that their countries’ negotiating teams would get to work “immediately” to tackle tariffs and other issues. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list “We agreed that our teams will meet immediately to advance the search for solutions to the tariffs and sanctions against Brazilian authorities,” Lula said in a message on X following the meeting. Trump had linked the July tariff move – which brought duties on most Brazilian goods entering the US to 50 percent from 10 percent – to what he called a “witch hunt” against Bolsonaro, far-right leader who has been sentenced to 27 years in prison for attempting a coup after losing the 2022 presidential election. Bolsonaro’s supporters rioted in the political centre of the country’s capital, evoking a riot by Trump’s supporters in Washington, DC on January 6, two years earlier. The US government has also sanctioned numerous Brazilian officials, including Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who oversaw the trial that led to Bolsonaro’s conviction. Ahead of the meeting on Sunday, though, Trump said he could reach some agreements with Lula and expected the two countries to enjoy strong ties despite his concerns about Bolsonaro’s fate. Advertisement “I think we should be able to make some pretty good deals for both countries,” Trump said. Lula previously described the US tariff hike as a “mistake”, citing a $410bn US trade surplus with Brazil over 15 years. ‘Conclude negotiations in weeks’ Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira said that negotiations would start immediately and that Brazil had requested a pause in tariffs while talks proceed, though it was unclear whether the US had agreed. “We hope to conclude bilateral negotiations that address each of the sectors of the current American [tariffs on] Brazil in the near future, in a few weeks,” Vieira said. He added that Lula also offered to help mediate between the US and Venezuela, where Washington has deployed its largest warship and threatened ground strikes targeting alleged drug cartels, operations Caracas has denounced as “fabricated” pretexts for war. Bolsonaro was not mentioned during the Trump-Lula meeting, said Marcio Rosa, the executive secretary for Brazil’s Foreign Ministry. Higher US tariffs on Brazilian goods have begun reshaping the global beef trade, pushing up prices in the US and encouraging triangulation via third countries such as Mexico, while Brazilian exports to China continue to boom. Adblock test (Why?)
Estonia’s top diplomat: Russia testing NATO resolve amid Trump uncertainty
For the first time since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a NATO member has formally invoked Article 4 of the alliance’s founding treaty after a major airspace breach. Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna tells Talk to Al Jazeera why repeated Russian provocations are more than isolated incidents – they’re a test of NATO’s credibility. As United States President Donald Trump questions the value of collective defence, Tsahkna warns that Europe’s security consensus is fraying and hesitation could invite danger. Published On 26 Oct 202526 Oct 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Adblock test (Why?)
What is Trump’s strategy to tackle the US’s illegal drug problem?
US military strikes abroad win local support but critics say the issue is more complex. The United States has carried out strikes near Venezuela that President Donald Trump says are targeting drug gangs. That is disputed, but the major military mobilisation has brought the issue of narcotics front and centre. How bad is the problem in the country, and what’s Trump’s strategy? Presenter: Adrian Finighan Guests: Sanho Tree – Fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies and director of the Drug Policy Project Carrie Sheffield – Senior policy analyst at the Independent Women’s Forum Ernesto Castaneda – Director of the Center for Latin American and Latino Studies at American University Published On 25 Oct 202525 Oct 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Adblock test (Why?)
Trump announces additional 10 percent Canada tariff over Reagan ad brouhaha
US president says Ontario government’s anti-tariff ad featuring Ronald Reagan needed to be taken down ‘immediately’. Published On 25 Oct 202525 Oct 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Donald Trump has announced an additional 10 percent tariff on Canada as the United States president continues to slam his country’s northern neighbour over a contentious anti-tariff advertisement featuring former US President Ronald Reagan. In a social media post on Saturday, Trump said the advertisement “was to be taken down, IMMEDIATELY, but [Canada] let it run last night during the World Series, knowing that it was a FRAUD”. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list “Because of their serious misrepresentation of the facts, and hostile act, I am increasing the Tariff on Canada by 10% over and above what they are paying now,” he said. The advertisement, produced by the Canadian province of Ontario, features a 1980s speech by Reagan in which the former Republican leader had warned against the ramifications that high tariffs on foreign imports could have on the US economy. Al Jazeera reviewed the text of the original speech and found that it contained all the statements used in the Ontario commercial. However, they appeared to be in a different order. Washington suspended trade talks with Ottawa this week over the advertisement, accusing the Ontario provincial government of misrepresenting Reagan’s position and seeking to influence a looming US Supreme Court ruling on Trump’s tariff policy. On Friday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced that, after consulting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, the province would “pause its US advertising campaign effective Monday so that trade talks can resume”. “Our intention was always to initiate a conversation about the kind of economy that Americans want to build and the impact of tariffs on workers and businesses. We’ve achieved our goal, having reached US audiences at the highest levels,” Ford wrote on X. Advertisement “I’ve directed my team to keep putting our message in front of Americans over the weekend so that we can air our commercial during the first two World Series games.” The Canadian government did not immediately comment on Trump’s announcement of additional tariffs on Saturday. It is unclear whether the advertisement will run again as planned during the second World Series game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers, set to begin at 8pm local time in Toronto on Saturday (00:00 GMT on Sunday). Since taking office in January, Trump has unveiled sweeping tariffs against several countries, including Canada, straining relations with the US’s longtime ally. Carney said this week that his government aims to double non-US exports over the next decade in response to Trump’s trade policies. More than three-quarters of Canadian exports currently go to the US. Adblock test (Why?)
Brentford condemn Liverpool to fourth straight Premier League loss
Premier League holders Liverpool’s title defence continues to stutter as Brentford’s recovery persists. Published On 25 Oct 202525 Oct 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Champions Liverpool suffered a fourth successive Premier League defeat as they lost 3-2 at Brentford to continue their miserable run of form in London. Arne Slot’s stumbling side fell behind after five minutes on Saturday when Dango Ouattara volleyed in following a long throw, and Kevin Schade went through to make it 2-0 in the 45th. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list Milos Kerkez replied for the visitors in first-half stoppage time with his first Liverpool goal from Conor Bradley’s cross. Liverpool’s expected second-half siege never really materialised, however, and Igor Thiago restored Brentford’s two-goal advantage from the penalty spot on the hour mark. Mohamed Salah gave Liverpool hope with a clinical finish in the 89th minute, but they had left it too late. It is the first time since 2021 that Liverpool have lost four successive league games, with three of those matches being in London after defeats at Crystal Palace and Chelsea. They are now sixth in the table on 15 points, four points behind leaders Arsenal, who could extend that margin on Sunday when they host Crystal Palace. Brentford’s second win in a row moved them up to 10th place, two points behind Liverpool. Brentford fans taunt Liverpool manager Slot The home fans took delight in taunting Liverpool manager Arne Slot with chants of “you’re getting sacked in the morning”, and while the Dutchman need not worry about that, the sense of his side’s title defence wilting was palpable. They looked fragile at the back and were often out-muscled by Brentford. Doubts about Salah’s lack of impact will also continue, despite him slamming home a fine late goal to end a more than a month-long scoreless run in the Premier League. Advertisement Brentford’s threat from long throws could not have escaped Slot’s attention, but his side were caught cold by the tactic on a chilly night in southwest London. Michael Kayode wound up a long delivery into the box, and when Kristoffer Ajer flicked it on, Ouattara reacted superbly to hook his volley past Giorgi Mamardashvili. Liverpool responded with chances for Florian Wirtz and Cody Gakpo, but they were not convincing and were undone again as halftime loomed. Mikkel Damsgaard’s superb long pass sent Schade away, and he kept his composure to beat Mamardashvili. Kerkez fired home from close range in the fifth minute of stoppage time, despite fierce Brentford protests about an infringement. Brentford earned a penalty when Virgil van Dijk clipped Ouattara’s foot on the edge of the area, and after a long VAR check, referee Tim Robinson awarded a spot-kick, and Thiago coolly slotted his shot down the middle. Salah’s instant control and finish set up a chaotic period of stoppage time that took the game into its 100th minute, but Brentford held on for a thoroughly deserved three points. Adblock test (Why?)