Animal rights activists have begun evacuating lionesses Sima and Simba from a private zoo in Khmelnytskyi, from which they previously escaped. After a veterinary examination, the animals will travel to a rehabilitation center in Kyiv, and then to South Africa.
Germany is urging the European Union to reach an agreement with the United Kingdom on access to the EU defense fund by the end of the month. This would allow the UK to participate in the €150 billion fund designed to strengthen European defense.
In Nigeria, armed men attacked a church in Eruku, killing two people and abducting the pastor and several parishioners. President Bola Tinubu canceled trips and ordered increased security, as well as intensified searches for abducted schoolgirls.
Gaza residents paid $2,000 each for a seat on a flight organized by a group offering departure from the enclave to South Africa. Two Palestinians said that 130 people flew from Israel to Johannesburg via Nairobi.
South Africa stated that the flight to Johannesburg is a cleansing of Gaza and the West Bank of its inhabitants.
China's unofficial gold purchases could be 10 times higher than official figures, as the country seeks to diversify its assets away from the US dollar. China's total purchases in 2025 could reach 250 tons, more than a third of the total global demand from central banks.
Africa is experiencing its largest cholera outbreak in 25 years, with nearly 300,000 cases and over 7,000 deaths recorded. The crisis is linked to the degradation of water systems, conflicts, and lack of access to clean water.
A five-meter bull shark, a species previously not found in the archipelago's waters, has been recorded off the island of Cabrera, near Mallorca. This discovery has become the main sensation of the shark and ray research in the Cabrera National Park.
Chinese President Xi Jinping will not participate in the G20 summit, which will be held in November in Johannesburg; he will be represented by Premier Li Qiang. This decision means that the event will take place without the leaders of the US, China, and Russia.
South Africa has begun clinical trials of the first local cholera vaccine, developed by pharmaceutical company Biovac. The oral vaccine is initially being tested for safety in adults and will subsequently be compared with existing drugs on the market.
In Britain, the government is reducing its contribution to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria by 15%, allocating 850 million pounds sterling for the period 2026–2028.
Sergei Lavrov risks losing his post as Russian Foreign Minister if he fails to prevent the strengthening of the US position in relations with Russia. The recorded absence of the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry at important events may indicate disapproval in the Kremlin of the "deterioration" of relations with the Trump administration.
US President Donald Trump said that US representatives will not participate in the G20 summit in South Africa. He called holding the summit there a "total disgrace" due to the killings of Afrikaners and the seizure of their lands.
Kremlin spokesman Peskov denied media reports that Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov had lost Putin's favor, stating that the minister continues to lead Russia's diplomacy. However, Lavrov was absent from an important meeting in Moscow, and the 75-year-old minister will not attend the G20 summit, which was previously his prerogative.
Trump announced successful talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and confirmed his intention to visit India in the near future. The visit is expected to strengthen the strategic partnership between the countries, especially against the backdrop of shared economic and security interests.
Off the coast of Somalia, a Maltese-flagged tanker was fired upon with machine guns and grenade launchers, after which armed attackers boarded the vessel. The Greek shipping company confirmed the attack, stating that all 24 crew members are safe.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has ordered an investigation into how 17 South Africans ended up on the front line in the Donetsk region. They appealed to the government for help, presumably having been recruited as mercenaries.
Donald Trump said that South Africa does not deserve a place in the G20 and refused to participate in the summit, which will take place on November 22-23. He believes that the country should no longer be part of the group.
Orcas hunt great white sharks for their energy-rich livers. Research shows that these predators use sophisticated tactics, attacking young sharks off the coast of Mexico.
Putin will not participate in the G20 summit in South Africa; the delegation will be led by Deputy Head of Administration Maxim Oreshkin. Donald Trump's participation is also in question due to diplomatic tensions between Washington and Pretoria.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb suggested that Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin could meet at the G20 summit at the end of November. He believes that the peace plan for Ukraine should move to concrete actions.
Donald Trump has cut refugee admissions to a record low of 7,500 for the 2026 fiscal year, prioritizing white Africans from South Africa. The decision also includes transferring oversight of the refugee program from the State Department to the Department of Health and Human Services.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the finalization of negotiations on a trade agreement with the United States, which is expected to ease high tariffs imposed by the Donald Trump administration. The agreement could be concluded in the near future, affecting thousands of jobs in the automotive and citrus industries.
A new UN-backed forum has been launched to tackle debt problems in developing countries. Global public debt reached $102 trillion in 2024.
The Kremlin leader, Vladimir Putin, will not personally participate in the November G20 summit in South Africa. This was announced on October 22 by Dmitry Peskov, the representative of the Russian president, who noted that the Russian Federation would be represented at the event at a decent level.
Today, October 19, marks LGBT Center Awareness Day, All-Ukrainian Human Responsibility Day, and Food Industry Workers' Day. Also on this day, World Humanitarian Action Day and International Gin and Tonic Day are celebrated.
Air Live has shown the alleged route of Vladimir Putin's plane to Budapest, where a summit with Donald Trump is planned. The 5000 km route will pass through the Caspian Sea, Iran, Turkey, the Mediterranean Sea, Montenegro, Serbia, and Hungary, which will increase the flight time by 3 hours.
South African authorities are investigating how electronic equipment manufactured by Lightware Optoelectronics Ltd. was used in Russian drones. The company blames "unscrupulous" buyers for the illegal use of their civilian devices.
The Ukrainian youth national football team suffered its first defeat at the World Cup, losing to Spain 0:1 in the 1/8 final match. The winner of this match will play in the quarterfinals on October 11 against the winner of the Colombia - South Africa pair.
Ukraine's U-20 youth national team will play against Spain in the 1/8 finals of the 2026 World Cup in Chile. The match will take place on October 7 at 22:30 Kyiv time in Valparaíso.
