Hello,

French President Emmanuel Macron has announced new protest restrictions as France prepares for further demonstrations on 24 October.

The International Criminal Court won the EU's Sakharov Prize, and Turkey announced seven-country talks in Istanbul.

The full briefing is below ⤵️

1️⃣ 🇮🇷 Iran reports tanker damage: Iranian state television, citing the Revolutionary Guard, said seven oil tankers caught fire or were damaged after attacks or mine strikes near the Strait of Hormuz. The report remains unverified. The vessels and their flags were not identified.

2️⃣ 🇷🇸 Serbian students close campaign: Hundreds of thousands joined a student-led opposition rally in Belgrade ahead of Serbia's parliamentary election on 25 October. Polls suggest the Students' List is running close to Aleksandar Vucic's Serbian Progressive Party, which held its own closing rally.

3️⃣ 🇪🇺 ICC wins EU award: The European Parliament awarded its Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to the International Criminal Court. Parliament President Roberta Metsola said the decision recognised its role in international justice, as the court faces sanctions announced by US President Donald Trump's administration.

4️⃣ 🇹🇷 Turkey announces seven-country talks: Turkey will host foreign ministers from Britain, France, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt in Istanbul today, a Turkish foreign ministry official said. The first meeting in this seven-country format will cover Palestine, Yemen, the Strait of Hormuz and the Russia-Ukraine war.

5️⃣ 🇬🇧 Britain launches resilience campaign: Britain launched its Be Ready campaign, asking households to prepare for three days without services such as electricity, water or phone connections. The Cabinet Office said people should build supplies gradually through normal shopping, rather than stockpiling.

ChatGPT is insanely powerful.

But most people waste 90% of its potential by using it like Google.

These 1,000+ proven ChatGPT prompts fix that and help you work 10X faster.

Sign up for Superhuman AI and get:

Claim your free prompts

🇫🇷 France restricts new protests

French President Emmanuel Macron has announced new protest restrictions after demonstrations were banned in Paris, Lyon, Lille and Grenoble.

President Macron said gatherings requested by individuals or groups with no legitimate authority would be prohibited.

Union applications would still be considered under French law, with alternative routes proposed to protect city centres.

Student groups said they would continue to mobilise.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu planned a large security operation for further demonstrations on 24 October.

1️⃣ 🇪🇨 Opposition leader detained: Ecuador arrested opposition leader Luisa Gonzalez over alleged campaign-finance irregularities. She denies wrongdoing, and her party called it political persecution.

2️⃣ 🇬🇧 Britain urges arms expansion: Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said Britain must expand domestic weapons production and replenish stockpiles to sustain a prolonged conflict. Speaking at the opening of a gun factory in Telford, he also called for closer industrial cooperation with allies.

Want weekly updates as well as daily?

Subscribe to our sister publication Geopolitics Weekly here ⤵️

Ukraine Phone Wallpaper Pack