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Pope Leo’s cancer is ‘game changer’ for papacy, Vatican foreign minister says

27 October 2026 at 18:30
Pope Leo’s lung cancer diagnosis and surgery has affected how Catholics view his health and papacy, the Vatican’s foreign minister said on Tuesday, in an unusual acknowledgement by one of the Church’s most senior officials. “It’s a bit of ‌a game changer,” Archbishop Paul Gallagher told journalists at an event in Rome. Leo, 71, had part of one lung removed in surgery on October 13. His doctors have said the cancer was localised and had not spread, and the pope will not require further...

Flavio Bolsonaro leaves Brazil for US after shock election loss to Lula

27 October 2026 at 17:41
Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro has left the country ⁠for the United States after losing Sunday’s ⁠presidential election, three sources said on Tuesday, with the ⁠US State Department due to grant him and his family entry visas. Bolsonaro, who has yet to concede to leftist incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, left Brazil after refusing to comply with a Supreme Court order to surrender his passports. The ruling relates to a money-laundering probe in which he denies wrongdoing. The location of...

Trump says he will ban term artificial intelligence

WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump said he would ban the term artificial intelligence in documents and everything else, as he questioned why the Wall Street Journal was not using his preferred term, super intelligence. "When will The Wall Street Journal start calling Artificial Intelligence (AI), a very bad and inaccurate name, SI (Super Intelligence), the name which virtually everyone else is using, or soon will be," Trump said in a post on Truth Social. "In short order, we will be officially BANNING the term, “AI/Artificial Intelligence,” in all relevant documents, and everything else, due to its inaccuracy."

WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump said he would ban the term artificial intelligence in documents and everything else, as he questioned why the Wall Street Journal was not using his preferred term, super intelligence. "When will The Wall Street Journal start calling Artificial Intelligence (AI), a very bad and inaccurate name, SI (Super Intelligence), the name which virtually everyone else is using, or soon will be," Trump said in a post on Truth Social. "In short order, we will be officially BANNING the term, “AI/Artificial Intelligence,” in all relevant documents, and everything else, due to its inaccuracy."

Big Tech earnings to test AI boom amid market turmoil

Amazon, Microsoft and Alphabet are expected to report accelerating cloud growth this week, but turbulence in global markets and mounting concerns over the cost of financing AI investments are clouding the outlook. Investors are pressing for evidence that the AI boom can deliver swift returns to justify its enormous price tag. Rising bond yields at AI cloud providers such as CoreWeave and record costs to insure Meta Platform's debt have amplified concerns about how the massive AI infrastructure buildout is being funded, particularly as higher U.S. interest rates loom. Market turmoil has rekindled warnings of an AI bubble from investors, including hedge fund Citadel's founder Ken Griffin, and pushed companies to delay their IPOs. An expected Democratic sweep of the U.S. midterm elections could spell more trouble for data centers that are already a target of protests over their impact on power grids, electricity bills and the environment. China's tech-stock boom has unravelled, wiping out about $480 billion in market value in less than four months as concerns over AI demand and spending an

Amazon, Microsoft and Alphabet are expected to report accelerating cloud growth this week, but turbulence in global markets and mounting concerns over the cost of financing AI investments are clouding the outlook. Investors are pressing for evidence that the AI boom can deliver swift returns to justify its enormous price tag. Rising bond yields at AI cloud providers such as CoreWeave and record costs to insure Meta Platform's debt have amplified concerns about how the massive AI infrastructure buildout is being funded, particularly as higher U.S. interest rates loom. Market turmoil has rekindled warnings of an AI bubble from investors, including hedge fund Citadel's founder Ken Griffin, and pushed companies to delay their IPOs. An expected Democratic sweep of the U.S. midterm elections could spell more trouble for data centers that are already a target of protests over their impact on power grids, electricity bills and the environment. China's tech-stock boom has unravelled, wiping out about $480 billion in market value in less than four months as concerns over AI demand and spending an

UN inquiry says Israel kept committing genocide in Gaza after Oct 2025 truce

27 October 2026 at 15:19

Israel continued to commit genocide in Gaza after last October’s US-brokered ceasefire in the enclave, a UN commission said in a report published on Monday.

The report ​by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel, examined violations ‌against Palestinian civilians, including children, since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas on October 7, 2023, up to September this year.

It said Israeli authorities had kept committing “genocidal acts with the genocidal intent to destroy, in whole or in part, the Palestinians in Gaza”, and that the situation had also continued ​to deteriorate in the occupied West Bank.

Another report by the commission in September last year found that Israel had committed genocide ​in Gaza and that top Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, incited these acts — accusations that ⁠Israel called scandalous.

The Israeli mission in Geneva said the latest report was part of a misinformation campaign to demonise the State of ​Israel.

“The attempt to destroy the Jewish state … continues today through efforts by actors such as the UN Commission of Inquiry to undermine Israel’s ​legitimacy and deny its fundamental right to exist and defend itself,” Ambassador Daniel Meron claimed in a statement.

Heavy munitions hit populated areas, commission says

The commission found that Israeli forces continued using heavy munitions, drones, quadcopters, artillery and sniper fire in densely populated areas during the ceasefire in Gaza.

It said the “Yellow Line”, which was ​presented as a temporary ceasefire demarcation, was encroaching increasingly into Gaza, and becoming a de facto border, which the report said reflected ​Israel’s expanding territorial control of Gaza.

Palestinian authorities say more than 74,000 people have been killed in Israel’s assault on Gaza, launched after Hamas-led fighters killed ‌about 1,200 ⁠people in southern Israel on Oct 7, 2023.

In its report to the UN General Assembly, the commission said the situation in the West Bank had also deteriorated sharply, with the number of Palestinians killed in airstrikes increasing from six between 2008 and Oct 6, 2023, to 254 between Oct 7, 2023 and Sept 30, 2026.

The report said Israeli military operations, alongside sustained settler violence, formed part of a widespread ​and systematic attack against the ​civilian population in the West ⁠Bank since Oct 7, 2023.

“The Commission concludes that the Israeli authorities and forces have committed the crimes against humanity of extermination, torture, rape and other forms of sexual violence in the West Bank, as ​well as persecution based on intersecting discriminatory grounds, with nationality, race and ethnicity at its core.”

Commenting ​on the report, the ⁠Israeli mission said the international community should reject what it described as distortions, and “repudiate the Commission’s findings”.

Commission Chair Srinivasan Muralidhar said the intentional killing of Palestinian civilians and destruction of homes in the West Bank formed part of a broader strategy to exterminate and displace Palestinians.

Military operations ⁠since January ​2025 have led to the largest displacement of Palestinians in the West Bank since ​1967, with 34,176 Palestinians remaining displaced as of August 2026, the report said.

The commission also faulted the Palestinian Authority, saying it had targeted Palestinians who voice dissenting views ​and that journalists and human rights defenders had been killed and injured.

Israel kept committing genocide in Gaza after truce, UN inquiry says

27 October 2026 at 14:48
Israel continued to commit genocide in Gaza after last ⁠October’s US-brokered ceasefire in the enclave, a ⁠UN commission said in a report published on Monday ⁠that Israel dismissed as part of a “misinformation campaign”. The report by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel, examined violations against Palestinian civilians, including children, since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas on October...

2 men charged in UK with helping Iran over air force base incident

27 October 2026 at 14:02
⁠Two men were charged ⁠on Tuesday under Britain’s National Security Act ⁠following last month’s security incident at the RAF Fairford military base, with prosecutors accusing one of them of trying to assist Iranian intelligence operations in Britain. RAF Fairford had been used by US bombers to carry out strikes on Iran, but they were withdrawn ‌on security grounds shortly after five British men were arrested outside the base in southwest England in the early hours of September 27. The...

BC diz que estuda adoção de medidas para crédito de maior risco

27 October 2026 at 13:45

O Banco Central estuda ​adotar medidas macroprudenciais ​voltadas a segmentos de crédito de maior risco, afirmou a autoridade monetária em relatório divulgado nesta terça-feira (27), acrescentando que o objetivo é reduzir o superendividamento ⁠e fortalecer ​a sustentabilidade do crédito e ​a resiliência do sistema financeiro ⁠nacional.

Em seu Relatório de ⁠Estabilidade Financeira, uma publicação semestral, ​o ‌BC apontou que pesquisa da ⁠autarquia indica que a crescente digitalização dos serviços financeiros tem ampliado significativamente a ‌exposição ⁠de consumidores ‌de menor renda a ofertas, contribuindo para intensificar o endividamento.

O presidente ⁠do BC, Gabriel ⁠Galípolo, tem destacado a preocupação com os níveis ‌de endividamento no país, ressaltando a importância da promoção do uso responsável dos instrumentos de crédito e ‌do devido provisionamento por parte dos bancos.

Na semana passada, o BC aprovou ⁠três resoluções sobre as responsabilidades de instituições financeiras na oferta e ​concessão de crédito, com novas salvaguardas ​contra ofertas inadequadas ou abusivas e maior transparência antes da contratação.

AFC to refer Jordan FA chief to judicial bodies over claims about Fifa head Infantino

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) on Tuesday said it ⁠would refer Jordan ⁠Football Association president Prince ⁠Ali bin Hussein to its judicial bodies, after he accused Fifa president Gianni Infantino of hijacking the AFC Congress for political purposes. At the AFC’s extraordinary Congress in Tokyo on Friday, ‌its president, Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa, endorsed Infantino’s bid for re-election as head of football’s governing body. Only three months after the confederation accused...

Nvidia e Meta estreitam laços com investimento de US$ 3 bi na área de IA

27 October 2026 at 12:39

A Nvidia e a Meta anunciaram nesta terça-feira (27) que ​irão aprofundar sua parceria ​em torno do assistente de IA Muse e de modelos de IA relacionados, com a Nvidia investindo US$3 bilhões na oferta de ações da controladora do Facebook.

Os modelos e agentes ⁠Muse da Meta, ​que rodam na infraestrutura da Nvidia, ​trabalharão em colaboração mais estreita com a ⁠fabricante de chips para melhorar ⁠o desempenho e reduzir custos.

O ​Muse, ‌conhecido internamente como Hatch, é fundamental para ⁠o plano do presidente-executivo Mark Zuckerberg de oferecer “superinteligência pessoal” aos bilhões de pessoas que utilizam os ‌serviços da ⁠Meta diariamente.

Inspirado ‌no agente de IA de código aberto OpenClaw, o Muse pode acessar emails, calendário, ⁠pagamentos, informações de saúde, ⁠compras e aplicativos de casa inteligente do usuário, sendo ‌que os usuários podem revogar o acesso a qualquer momento.

A Meta também aumentou sua oferta de ações para US$ 97,5 bilhões, a maior ‌captação de recursos de sua história, à medida que acelera os investimentos em infraestrutura de ⁠IA.

As empresas podem explorar uma colaboração mais estreita na estrutura OpenShell da Nvidia, incluindo o ​uso dessa estrutura para implantar software com segurança ​e o uso de uma ferramenta chamada Sentry para monitorar o comportamento dos agentes de IA.

Singapore, Indonesia to create haze task force, share data amid tensions

27 October 2026 at 12:52
Indonesia and Singapore are looking to set up a joint task force to deal with haze from Indonesia’s wildfires, the countries’ foreign ministers said on Tuesday, as they met to reaffirm their ties after weeks of simmering tensions. The visit to Jakarta by Singapore Foreign Minister ‌Vivian Balakrishnan came amid mounting frustrations in the city state over the transboundary haze generated by Indonesia’s most intense forest fires in 11 years. After a two-hour meeting, Singapore and Indonesia’s top...

Receita do HSBC no 3º tri fica abaixo das estimativas; ações caem

27 October 2026 at 12:31

O HSBC divulgou nesta terça-feira (27) um salto no lucro trimestral, mas a receita ficou abaixo ​das estimativas, em parte devido ao crescimento mais lento ​em seu segmento de gestão de patrimônio, o que levou as ações do banco a uma queda de 6%.

O maior banco da Europa divulgou que o lucro antes dos impostos subiu 32%, para US$ 9,6 bilhões, no trimestre de julho a setembro, em linha com as estimativas, e lançou um programa de recompra de ações de até US$1 bilhão, o mesmo valor do trimestre anterior.

No ⁠entanto, a receita ficou abaixo das ​previsões dos analistas, que apontavam para US$ 19 bilhões, registrando um crescimento de 5%, ​para US$ 18,6 bilhões.

A queda nas ações do banco listadas em Hong Kong ressalta como os recentes ⁠resultados sólidos dos bancos europeus aumentaram as ⁠expectativas dos investidores em relação ao desempenho, mesmo com o impacto da guerra ​no ‌Irã sobre a inflação e as taxas de juros tornando o ambiente mais difícil para ⁠os bancos.

As ações continuam com alta de 9% no acumulado do ano.

“Às vezes, há uma expectativa do mercado de que revisemos para cima nossas orientações ou metas”, disse a diretora financeira Pam Kaur ‌a ⁠repórteres em uma teleconferência, ‌quando questionada sobre a queda das ações.

A receita da divisão de gestão de patrimônio do HSBC ficou estável em US$ 2,7 bilhões. Isso se compara a um crescimento de receita de 15% e 23% ⁠em relação ao mesmo período do ano anterior ⁠nos dois primeiros trimestres.

Banco britânicos se preparam para aumentos de impostos

O HSBC se beneficiou da ausência de provisões legais contabilizadas ‌no mesmo trimestre do ano anterior.

O banco também informou que as perdas de crédito esperadas caíram 17%, para US$ 800 milhões, graças a uma redução nas despesas relacionadas ao setor imobiliário de Hong Kong, bem como aos seus negócios de gestão de patrimônio no Reino Unido ‌e no México.

O HSBC afirmou que está no caminho para atingir suas metas de lucratividade principal até 2028, mais um sinal de como as instituições financeiras da região têm mantido ⁠lucros robustos nos últimos anos.

O forte desempenho intensificou os apelos de ativistas no mercado doméstico do HSBC, no Reino Unido, por aumentos de impostos sobre os bancos no primeiro orçamento do ministro das ​Finanças, John Healey, previsto para quarta-feira (28).

Os executivos dos bancos têm feito forte lobby para evitar tal ​aumento nas tributações do setor, argumentando que isso restringiria os empréstimos e tornaria o Reino Unido menos competitivo.

O HSBC anunciou um dividendo intermediário de US$ 0,1 por ação, o mesmo valor do trimestre anterior.

Citi e BCA rebaixam recomendação de ativos brasileiros após vitória de Lula

27 October 2026 at 12:18

O Citigroup e a BCA Research rebaixaram a recomendação dos ativos brasileiros ​após a vitória eleitoral do presidente ​Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, argumentando que o perfil de risco-retorno para ações, títulos e moeda se deteriorou, à medida que os investidores reavaliam as perspectivas de disciplina fiscal e reformas estruturais sob o novo governo.

Essas avaliações refletem uma mudança mais ampla no posicionamento dos investidores, com estrategistas ⁠alertando que uma política ​fiscal mais flexível, uma dinâmica mais fraca da dívida pública ​e um avanço mais lento nas reformas voltadas para o crescimento ⁠podem pesar sobre os mercados brasileiros, ⁠apesar das restrições impostas por um Congresso mais conservador.

O Citi ​encerrou ‌na segunda-feira (26) suas posições bullish no Brasil após a vitória eleitoral ⁠de Lula, retirando sua recomendação de “overweight” em ações e encerrando sua posição comprada no real.

“Embora os preços possam muito bem cair além dos níveis justos, ‌o ⁠mercado já estava ‌otimista antes disso, o que torna plausível uma queda excessiva. Dado o resultado da eleição, encerramos nossa exposição ao risco no Brasil”, afirmou o ⁠Citi.

Os ativos brasileiros despencaram na segunda-feira, ⁠com o real caindo mais de 11% em relação ao dólar e o índice de ‌ações Bovespa registrando uma queda de 13,9% — sua maior queda em um único dia desde março de 2020.

Os investidores esperam que as recentes apostas em uma mudança de governo sejam revertidas.

A BCA Research rebaixou, ‌na segunda-feira, a recomendação do Brasil em relação aos mercados emergentes, afirmando que a vitória de Lula “acaba com a perspectiva de um governo ⁠ortodoxo que promova melhorias estruturais nas contas fiscais e no crescimento potencial do Brasil”.

A BCA rebaixou as ações brasileiras de “neutro” para “underweight”, citando riscos crescentes ​de inadimplência, perspectivas de crescimento mais fracas e pressões inflacionárias decorrentes de ​uma moeda mais fraca.

A empresa também rebaixou os títulos em moeda local e o crédito soberano do Brasil de “overweight” para “underweight”, alertando para a deterioração da dinâmica da dívida.

Produção de milho na Argentina pode subir com efeitos do El Niño

27 October 2026 at 12:00

A Argentina deve colher 62 milhões de toneladas métricas ​de milho na safra de 2026/27, ​informou o adido do USDA em Buenos Aires (Departamento de Agricultura dos Estados Unidos).

A previsão não oficial contida no relatório do adido, e divulgado pelo Serviço Agrícola Estrangeiro do USDA, supera a última projeção oficial ⁠do Departamento norte-americano: de 55 ​milhões de toneladas para a safra argentina de ​milho de 2026-27. Alta de 7 milhões de toneladas.

“Com as previsões apontando para um forte ⁠fenômeno El Niño e os ⁠atuais níveis de umidade do solo abundantes na ​maioria ‌das regiões de cultivo, os agricultores estão aumentando a ⁠proporção de milho plantado precocemente em relação ao plantado tardiamente”, afirma o relatório.

“Em condições climáticas normais na principal região produtora de ‌milho, ⁠o milho plantado ‌mais cedo geralmente produz mais do que o plantado mais tarde”, acrescentou.

O relatório projetou as exportações argentinas de milho ⁠para 2026/27 em 43 milhões ⁠de toneladas, acima da previsão oficial do USDA de 38 milhões de ‌toneladas.

O adido estimou ainda a produção argentina de trigo para 2026-27 em 23 milhões de toneladas, acima da previsão oficial do USDA de 21,5 milhões de toneladas.

No entanto, “com grande ‌parte da colheita (de trigo) ainda por vir, os contatos do setor estão cada vez mais preocupados com a ⁠possibilidade de um fenômeno El Niño excepcionalmente forte trazer condições climáticas desfavoráveis e atrapalhar a colheita”, afirmou o relatório.

O adido ​previu que as exportações argentinas de trigo em 2026-27 serão ​de 17 milhões de toneladas, acima da estimativa oficial do USDA de 16 milhões de toneladas.

Indian court orders takedown of documentary on billionaire Gautam Adani, PM Modi

27 October 2026 at 10:59

An Indian court has ordered the takedown of an online documentary posted by Hotmail co-founder Sabeer Bhatia accusing Prime ​Minister Narendra Modi and billionaire Gautam Adani of cronyism, after Adani Enterprises sued, calling it defamatory.

Adani’s flagship firm, Adani ‌Enterprises, told the high court in the eastern city of Kolkata that the documentary, which garnered millions of views on social media in recent days, was riddled with false content and had prompted inquiries from some investors in the company, whom the court order did not name.

The documentary “is not a news report or an ​account of proceedings. It is a dramatised narrative,” the court’s takedown order for YouTube, X and Meta issued late on Monday ​said.

Adani Enterprises, Modi’s office and Bhatia did not respond to requests for comment, and neither did the social ⁠media companies.

Modi’s opponents have often accused the prime minister of having close ties with Adani, saying the business tycoon has received favourable ​treatment over the years. The Indian government and the Adani group have repeatedly denied those allegations.

In its challenge, Adani Enterprises told the court ​that it does not seek to restrain constructive criticism of government policy or of business concentration, but Bhatia had suppressed material facts, according to the court order.

Bhatia, who is based in the US, wrote on his X account that the lawsuit demands 500 million rupees ($5.25 million) in damages. In one X post, he wrote: “Truth ​is on my side”.

“I believe the documentary has rattled Adani Enterprises Limited and struck a nerve at the highest levels,” he wrote.

Bhatia is ​the co-founder of the once-popular email service Hotmail, which he sold to Microsoft in 1997.

Order to take down

In an interim order in force until January 31, 2027, the ‌court ordered ⁠YouTube, X and Meta’s Instagram to remove several posts of the 36-minute film, “The Friendship Files”. It also restrained Bhatia from disseminating the video.

Hearings in the case are likely to resume in January.

Ahead of the court challenge, police in the state of Maharashtra, which is led by Modi’s ruling alliance, sent a takedown notice to Bhatia on October 19, saying the content “made serious unsubstantiated allegations”.

Modi’s political opponents have repeatedly been sharing the ​documentary, saying it reflected similar ​allegations they had made about the ⁠two men.

The film used archival footage to trace the history of the relationship between Modi and Adani, starting in the western state of Gujarat, where both men come from.

It raised questions about Adani’s winning ​bid for six airports in 2019 after a government rule change that critics say favoured his enterprise — allegations ​similar to those ⁠levelled by the opposition Congress party.

The Adani group has denied such allegations and the government says all regulations were complied with and there is no favouritism.

Earlier, regional opposition leader and Modi critic Raj Thackeray shared the documentary on his X account, where it garnered 4.8 million views, but took ⁠it down, ​saying he was doing it at the request of the Mumbai police commissioner.

Mahua Moitra, ​another political opponent of Modi and a lawmaker, posted the documentary on October 11 and said it was still online.

“I posted this on Oct 11th. It is still ​on my timeline, so do watch it,” she wrote on X on Monday night.

Average price of gasoline during Trump's term now exceeds Biden's, as midterms loom

27 October 2026 at 05:24

Americans have paid more for their gasoline and diesel at the pump on average during President Donald Trump’s second term than they did under his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA).

Surging fuel prices are a major thorn in Trump’s side as midterm elections loom and the Republican Party looks to defend narrow majorities in both legislative chambers on November 3.

The price of a gallon of regular gasoline has averaged $3.472 since Trump took office almost two years ago, edging out the $3.471-per-gallon average for Biden’s term, according to data from the AAA.

Russia’s war in Ukraine, now in its fifth year, as well as the US-Israeli war with Iran, almost in its ninth month, have both squeezed global crude and fuel supplies and forced emergency oil releases in the US and Europe.

The war in Iran has spilled out across the Middle East, with much of the conflict centered around the Strait of Hormuz, through which around a fifth of global oil and gas supplies flowed before the war broke out in February.

“Once this conflict comes to an end, gas prices will drop drastically… Thanks to the exceptional work of the US military, more oil is now flowing out of the Persian Gulf than before the Iran conflict began,” said White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers.

The seven-day moving average for Middle East oil exports, including Hormuz flows and Gulf of Oman shipments as well as Red Sea shipments, reached 24.6 million barrels per day in the week to October 18, according to Kpler, its highest level since the war broke out in late February, and surpassing pre-war levels.

Sticky inflation

Sticky inflation makes nominal price comparisons misleading, analysts said, with consumer expectations for inflation over the next year nudged up to 4.7 per cent from 4.6pc in September, a survey showed last week.

Twelve-month inflation expectations have surged from 3.4pc in February before the US-Israeli war with Iran started.

“Adjusting for inflation puts this into context as the value of the dollar continues to impact prices over the longer run. Americans are still not paying record amounts of their income on filling up their tanks,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, on average fuel prices under Trump surpassing those under Biden.

Trump’s approval rating fell to a record low this month as Americans worried about high gasoline prices, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll published on October 19.

Some 31pc of Americans approve of Trump’s performance in office, down a percentage point from two weeks earlier and the lowest level in either of his presidential terms, the four-day poll showed.

Just 23pc of adults polled nationwide approve of his handling of the economy.

Prices for diesel, the fuel that powers the global economy from agriculture and heavy industry to shipping, have also surpassed Biden’s national average under Trump, at $4.343 a gallon compared with $4.078 a gallon. US diesel hit a record high on September 22 at $6.523 a gallon.

No pressure from US to cut Russian oil imports, says Indian oil minister

27 October 2026 at 10:10

India has faced no pressure from ​the US to reduce its Russian crude ‌imports, oil minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Tuesday at an industry event.

“I never felt anything,” Puri said when ​asked if there has been pressure to ​cut Russian oil imports.

Puri said Middle East oil ⁠supplies have been rising as the region is ​able to ship out more cargoes.

He said India ​was getting 0.2 per cent of its oil imports from Russia before the Ukraine war, while imports have surged since the war ​started due to discounts on Russian oil.

India’s imports ​of Middle Eastern crude oil surged in September, returning to pre-war ‌levels, ⁠while its refiners cut back purchases of Russian oil amid stiff competition from China, ship-tracking data showed.

The minister said that the purchase of Russian oil ​is linked ​to discounts ⁠and pricing when compared with other grades. Russian oil imports have been reduced ​as the refiners are buying more Gulf ​oil ⁠sold at a discount, he added.

“Whatever people say or do, ultimately it is anchored in their self-interest,” ⁠he ​said.

The minister also said India ​is expanding its refining capacity to help meet local demand and ​export commitments.

Trump invokes 9/11 in urging voters to oppose El-Sayed

27 October 2026 at 01:58
  Senator Bernie Sanders joins hands with Democrat senatorial candidate Abdul El-Sayed at a campaign rally  in Grand Rapids, Michigan.—AFP
Senator Bernie Sanders joins hands with Democrat senatorial candidate Abdul El-Sayed at a campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan.—AFP

PORT HURON: President Donald Trump at a Sunday campaign rally ratcheted up his push to link US Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed to Muslim extremists, comparing him to the 9/11 attackers while saying Democrats would let violent anti-American terrorists into the United States.

“I’m here to keep a jihadist, Muslim Brotherhood member from becoming a United States senator,” the president told a receptive audience in Port Huron, which is in a Michigan area where 66pc of the vote went to Trump in the 2024 presidential election.

If El-Sayed wins, he would be the first Muslim elected to the US Senate. Trump has sought to paint him as an anti-American Muslim radical, and on Sunday he took the rhetoric to a new level, likening El-Sayed to the attackers who took over United Flight 93 during the Sept 11, 2001, attacks.

Michigan has one of the nation’s most competitive US Senate contests going into the Nov 3 midterm elections, with former US Representative Mike Rogers, a Republican, and El-Sayed vying for an open seat that will help to decide control of the chamber.

The president on Sunday compared voting against El-Sayed to the actions of Michigan native Todd Bea­mer and others who fought back aga­i­­nst the Flight 93 hijackers. “Twenty-five years later, Michigan needs to stand up and fight, just like Todd did, to stop a jihadist from walking into the Capitol,” said Trump.

If El-Sayed wins, “he would be the only senator that will have to go through a metal detector before he’s allowed to go in the Senate,” Trump said.

El-Sayed has dismissed the accusations against him, and at a Sunday night event, he suggested that Trump’s frequent emphasis of El-Sayed’s name contains a measure of hypocrisy. “I get that the president of the United States takes personal offence to my first name,” El-Sayed told an audience in Grand Rapids, Michigan. “He doesn’t mind as much when it’s a shared name from the Saudis who are funding his son-in-law’s private equity, doesn’t seem to mind as much when it’s the Qataris who are giving him a $400 million private jet.” Affinity Partners, Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner’s investment fund, has reportedly received billions from a Saudi Government entity. Qatar gifted Trump a Boeing 747 jet.

The mostly White crowd at Sunday’s rally cheered Trump’s comments on El-Sayed. Some attendees yelled traitor and others yelled deport, although El-Sayed was born in Michigan. Terrance Camburn, a 52-year-old disabled Army veteran from Sandusky, Michigan, said he supported Trump’s criticism because of El-Sayed’s political beliefs.

“I’ve been down to Dearborn and I’ve seen many of the things he agrees with,” Camburn said when asked about Trump’s 9/11 comments. Dearborn, Michigan, has the highest per-capita concentration of Muslims of any US city.

As he left the venue after the rally, Rogers did not respond to questions about Trump’s invocation of 9/11. But earlier on Sunday, he said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that he did not agree with the notion that El-Sayed is a violent terrorist. “I’ve never called him a terrorist,” Rogers told NBC.

Rogers has alleged without evidence that El Sayed has ties to the Muslim Broth­erhood, one of the Arab world’s oldest and most influential Islamist groups. El-Sayed has denied affiliation with the Muslim Brotherhood, saying it is “shameful” for Rogers to question his allegiance to the United States.

Rogers told “Meet the Press” that El-Sayed had not sufficiently responded to questions about the allegations. “He’s a Democrat Socialist of America-aligned candidate who has these pretty radical support groups that don’t like America,” he said.

Trump’s speech in eastern Michigan on Sunday came a day after former President Barack Obama campaigned for Democrats in the state, underscoring its importance in next week’s elections. At a Saturday rally in Detroit, Obama framed the attacks by El-Sayed’s opponents as an attempt to make him look “less American than they are.”

The former president compared them to his own experience as the target of false claims that he was born in Kenya. “This stuff didn’t work on me,” Obama said. “Not in Michigan. It’s not going to work on Abdul.” Dem­­ocrats need to gain just a handful of seats each in the US Senate and House of Repr­esentatives to overturn Repu­blicans’ narrow 53-47 and 218-214 majorities.

Published in Dawn, October 27th, 2026

England forward Kane crowned Ballon d'Or winner, Putellas wins women's award

26 October 2026 at 23:20

Harry Kane completed his long quest for football’s highest individual honour on Monday, winning the Ballon d’Or after a record-breaking season that cemented his status as one of the game’s greatest goalscorers.

Kane is the first Englishman to win the prestigious award in 25 years, after Michael Owen won it in 2001.

“Wow, wow, wow!” Kane said after taking the stage. “I am almost speechless. Being here in London made it extra special, and a good omen for me tonight. Thank you to everyone who voted for me. I can imagine it was tough this year.

“Some world-class players in the room tonight. Congratulations to all the winners and nominees tonight, and an impressive showing of determination and hard work can really achieve.”

Spain midfielder Alexia Putellas won the Ballon d’Or Feminin for the third time.

Kane’s move to Bayern in 2023 brought the team trophies that had long eluded him. In 2025-26, he coupled that success with goalscoring numbers that made him the leading Ballon d’Or candidate.

The England captain produced the most prolific campaign of his life, scoring 61 goals in 51 games for Bayern across all competitions as the German giants completed a domestic league and cup double.

By the end of the season, Kane had established himself as Europe’s leading goalscorer, turning every competition into a showcase of his finishing ability.

His influence stretched far beyond club football. As England embarked on another attempt to end decades of hurt at the World Cup, Kane once again emerged as the team’s driving force.

He scored six goals during the tournament and led England to the semi-finals, combining his clinical finishing with the leadership and composure that have defined his international career.

In many ways, the award represents the culmination of a remarkable journey. Few players have experienced a career arc quite like Kane’s.

Once struggling to establish himself at Tottenham Hotspur as a youngster, being sent out on numerous loans, he developed into one of the most complete centre forwards of his generation, capable of scoring every type of goal while also functioning as a playmaker.

The Ballon d’Or has often rewarded players whose success was built on flair and spectacle, but Kane’s triumph is a tribute to consistency, intelligence and productivity on an exceptional scale.

Week after week, he delivered. Match after match, he decided contests. There were no prolonged slumps and few quiet nights.

His numbers were almost impossible to ignore.

Kane finished the campaign with 73 goals for club and country, a total rarely seen in the modern era.

More importantly, those goals arrived in moments of genuine significance, helping Bayern collect trophies and driving England deep into the biggest tournament in the sport.

The competition for this year’s award was fierce.

Kylian Mbappe broke World Cup scoring records. Lamine Yamal helped Spain to World Cup glory. Yet voters ultimately chose Kane, whose excellence lasted the entire season.

At 33, Kane has finally claimed the game’s highest individual honour, adding a Ballon d’Or to a legacy that already places him among football’s greatest strikers as England’s all-time leading marksman and their record World Cup scorer.

Putellas was presented with the women’s award after winning the treble with Barcelona in the 2025-26 campaign, in addition to the Spanish Super Cup. She moved to Women’s Super League side London City Lionesses in July after 14 years at Barca.

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