Saudi Arabia cancels 2026 ‘Davos in the Desert’ amid Houthi attacks

Al Jazeera - Oct 20, 2026

Riyadh postpones flagship investment conference until 2027, orders government staff to work from home.

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Deadly fire at Canada military base moved a kilometre 'in 30 to 60 seconds'
Oct 20, 2026
Deadly fire at Canada military base moved a kilometre 'in 30 to 60 seconds'

The blaze that killed four men and injured dozens of others spread with alarming speed, accounts suggest.

Crude holds near $110 per barrel as Middle East tensions keep supply concerns alive
Oct 20, 2026
Crude holds near $110 per barrel as Middle East tensions keep supply concerns alive

Currently hovering around $110 a barrel, oil prices are influenced by escalating geopolitical tensions involving Russia and Saudi Arabia. Washington's recent move to relax restrictions on Russian energy exports has shifted market impressions. Attacks claimed by Yemen's Houthis on Saudi facilities have further heightened stability concerns. As a result, prices remain resilient above $100, prompting traders to carefully evaluate the ramifications for global energy security.

'Our worst nightmare': Threats to Australian politicians were rising before MP hit by car
Oct 20, 2026
'Our worst nightmare': Threats to Australian politicians were rising before MP hit by car

In the wake of the apparent attack on MP Helen Haines, MPs have described locking their office doors, and scanning every crowd for potential threats.

Milan luxury shops close for fear of further unrest, gov't prepares new crackdown
Oct 20, 2026
Milan luxury shops close for fear of further unrest, gov't prepares new crackdown

MILAN — Shops in central Milan closed early and boarded up their windows on Monday, fearing a new wave of unrest after two days of protests that saw demonstrators clash with police, loot stores and vandalise property. Most stores in Milan's Via Montenapoleone luxury shopping district, home to brands including Chanel, Tiffany and Dior, had removed merchandise from their windows as a precaution, while police patrolled the street and a handful of tourists looked on. Several hundred hooded protesters, many believed to be minors, set bins ablaze and looted shops in the city centre over the weekend after an initially peaceful demonstration on Saturday over poor public services and rising costs. Among the stores ransacked were sports retailers Decathlon and Arc'teryx and mobile phone operator Vodafone, television footage showed. Stores such as clothing brands Levi's and Under Armour, as well as Decathlon, covered their shop windows with cardboard and wooden panels. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who faces a national election next year, condemned the violence and chaired a meeting with

What's behind Egypt's move towards possible military involvement in Saudi-Yemen conflict?
Oct 20, 2026
What's behind Egypt's move towards possible military involvement in Saudi-Yemen conflict?

CAIRO — Egypt's parliament is expected to vote next week on whether to authorise the armed forces to help defend Saudi Arabia against attacks by Yemen's Houthis if Riyadh requests its support. The move would bring the Arab world's most populous country closer to direct military involvement in the widening conflicts unleashed by the U.S.-Israeli air assault on Iran in February. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi requested the approval in a speech on Saturday, saying Egypt would "never, never forget our brothers in the Gulf" and telling Saudi Arabia's leaders that Cairo would "take any measure to protect you". Like the Gulf states that have come under attack from Tehran in the Iran war, Egypt is a longstanding partner in the U.S.-led security order that is being tested by the conflict. What is Egypt's stance on the Iran war? Sisi's comments marked a clear escalation from the more measured tone authorities have tended to adopt since the Iran war started. Though Egypt has repeatedly voiced strong support for its Gulf allies, Cairo has stopped short of publicly committing itself to a direct comb

Kenyan starvation cult leader convicted in deaths of nearly 200 children
Oct 20, 2026
Kenyan starvation cult leader convicted in deaths of nearly 200 children

MOMBASA, Kenya — A Kenyan court on Monday found starvation cult leader Paul Mackenzie and about 30 others guilty of murder over the deaths of 190 children and one adult in one of the world's worst cult-related disasters in recent history. Mackenzie and his co-accused will be given their sentence on November 6. He was arrested in 2023 after police received a tip-off, and weeks later authorities began uncovering bodies in shallow graves in the Shakahola Forest near the coast in southeastern Kenya. Prosecutors say Mackenzie and his Good News International Church organised a Christian doomsday sect in which they ordered followers to starve themselves and their children to death to go to heaven before the world ended. Mackenzie denied murder charges, saying he did not force the victims to starve, but the court rejected that argument. In total, more than 400 bodies have been recovered from the Shakahola Forest. Many were severely decomposed, with only 26 bodies able to be identified. Monday's judgment covered 191 deaths while investigations into the other deaths are ongoing. Families in court t

France in turmoil: What might follow a weekend of riots?
Oct 20, 2026
France in turmoil: What might follow a weekend of riots?

PARIS — France saw some of the worst unrest in years at the weekend as huge protests across the country over the cost of living and underfunded public services descended into riots and looting. Limoges town hall was torched and more than 3,000 shops were pillaged or damaged, according to the government, as violent groups clashed with police in cities across the country. While mayors of France's biggest cities demanded answers from the government on Monday over what they say was a lack of preparation, authorities rushed to set up support measures for impacted businesses and bolster security as calm returned to the streets. Here is the latest on the situation in France: What will the government do to quell the violence, compensate victims? Some 2,400 people were arrested during the weekend and police investigators are poring over online videos and images to track down looters. Partial curfews are being organised in some municipalities while the government has said it will increase police numbers on the ground, especially for next weekend if it sees renewed protests. It has not specified h

France urges curfews in some areas after weekend of riots
Oct 20, 2026
France urges curfews in some areas after weekend of riots

PARIS — France's central government asked some local authorities to impose curfews as it faced pressure over security failings on Monday after a weekend of riots and looting stemming from nationwide anti-government protests. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu ruled out a blanket curfew in Paris but not a state of emergency. But he said it was more appropriate for now to apply partial and localised curfews, without providing details. "My determination to restore order is absolute," he told reporters. Ariel Weil, the Socialist mayor of central Paris, said on BFM TV he favoured a curfew. Marseille banned gatherings and demonstrations. French unions meanwhile called for a new round of strikes and rallies on November 5. The weekend of looting and violence between some protesters and police followed weeks of student demonstrations, rocking France six months ahead of its next presidential election and highlighting pressures from a weak economy and surging debt. Minister blames far left Lecornu blamed far-left groups for some of France's worst unrest in years. "There is, after all, a far-left move

Zelenskyy says Ukraine got no early warning from partners as Russia hits power grid again
Oct 20, 2026
Zelenskyy says Ukraine got no early warning from partners as Russia hits power grid again

KYIV, Ukraine — Russia launched new attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure using ballistic missiles and jet-powered drones, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday, adding that Kyiv again received no early warning of the attack from partner countries that previously shared their intelligence. Zelenskyy is grappling with recent Washington moves benefiting Russian President Vladimir Putin, including waiving U.S. sanctions on Moscow and signing a deal to import diesel from Moscow. Moscow and Kyiv, meanwhile, were discussing the possible evacuation of the Russian-occupied front-line city of Oleshky in the southern Kherson region, where about 2,000 people have been cut off from food and medical supplies for months, according to a Ukrainian human rights official. Vital US supplies are running late, Zelenskyy says Zelenskyy said speed restrictions are still in place on Kyiv’s use of the military-grade version of U.S. company SpaceX’s satellite internet service. Full service was being restored at the end of last week, but Zelenskyy said Monday that the restrictions are still slowing U

Governments warn citizens over security in France after riots
Oct 20, 2026
Governments warn citizens over security in France after riots

ROME/BERLIN/WARSAW — Governments in Europe and Asia, including China, on Monday advised citizens travelling to France to avoid large crowds and exercise caution, warning of a deterioration in security conditions after thousands were arrested and shops looted in protests over the weekend. Demonstrations across France over high prices and declining public services erupted into riots on Saturday, with a town hall torched as violent groups clashed with police. In response, the foreign ministries of several European countries issued fresh travel warnings. Italy Italy said its citizens should register their presence in France on a website or an app to enable them to be located, as it warned them to avoid large crowds and exercise extreme caution. Germany The German foreign ministry said further riots in the coming days couldn't be ruled out and urged German nationals to follow instructions from local police. It warned citizens that they could face fines or claims for damages if they failed to leave unauthorised demonstrations when asked to do so. Czech Republic Czechs in France are advised to av

Trump signals uncertainty about meeting N. Korean leader in China next month
Oct 20, 2026
Trump signals uncertainty about meeting N. Korean leader in China next month

WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday expressed uncertainty about the possibility of meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in China next month, saying he was not sure whether anyone had requested such a meeting. Trump made the remarks when asked by a reporter whether he expected to secure a meeting with Kim during his planned attendance at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in China, scheduled for November 18-19 in Shenzhen. "Oh, I don't know. I don't know," Trump said at the White House. "I'm not sure that anybody's asking for a meeting." The president nevertheless emphasized his personal ties with the North Korean leader. "I get along with him very well," Trump said. "But my relationship with Kim Jong-un is very good." In August, Trump said that he hoped to meet Kim later this year, adding to speculation that he might seek to rekindle his personal diplomacy with Kim that led to three bilateral in-person meetings: the first in Singapore in June 2018, the second in Hanoi in February 2019 and the third at the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom. Last Monday,

Trump says he is open to joining trilateral meeting with Xi, Putin
Oct 20, 2026
Trump says he is open to joining trilateral meeting with Xi, Putin

WASHINGTON —U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he is open to participating in a trilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin and that it could be focused on denuclearization. "We would have it to talk about nuclear weapons and denuclearization," Trump told reporters outside the White House. "If President Xi wants to have it, I'd have it." Earlier Monday, the Kremlin said that Putin, Trump and Xi could hold a three-way meeting on the sidelines of next month's APEC summit in China and that a potential meeting had come up in talks.

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