Elon Musk accuses Ukraine of breaking Starlink’s terms as speeds come back; France logs nearly 1,000 arrests after another big protest day; and Brazil and Serbia both vote tomorrow. Ten stories as of Saturday evening, October 24.
1. Kyiv / Ukraine. Hours after Kyiv said its Starlink and Starshield links were back to pre-restriction speeds, Elon Musk weighed in. “Ukraine military violated Starlink terms of service and used it for offensive drone strikes to kill people. That loophole was closed last week,” he posted, The Guardian reported. A week earlier he’d said any limits were “decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS.” Presidential adviser Serhiy Beskrestnov says Ukraine is now “physically unable” to use Starlink for long- and medium-range attack drones. The cap of 160 km/h led to the failure of several combat missions earlier this month. Zelenskyy thanked Trump and the State Department, and the defence ministry says links are now stable at more than 400 km/h, per DW.
2. Paris, Marseille and across Europe. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said nearly 1,000 people were arrested in France on Saturday, a number he expected to rise, after a largely peaceful day turned into late clashes, BBC News reported. Police used tear gas and water cannon in several cities including Paris, barricades burned in Marseille, and two people were seriously hurt, in Toulouse and Clermont-Ferrand. The ministry counted about 410,000 marchers; unions said about 800,000. The looting of last weekend wasn’t repeated. Elsewhere, riot police in Tirana fired tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets, and more than 300 protesters and police were injured as crowds hit the Education Ministry, Al Jazeera reported. Hundreds of soldiers helped police keep protesters from gathering in Milan, and about 25,000 rallied for state pensions in Madrid ahead of Spain’s general election next month, per Al Jazeera.
3. Tehran, Aden and Saudi Arabia. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian blamed Washington for the collapse of the interim deal to end the war, but said both sides should return to it and “conclude it,” Al Jazeera reported. The Revolutionary Guards warned even limited U.S. strikes would bring a response “several times greater.” In Yemen, the government says the Houthis fired two ballistic missiles at Aden International Airport, the fourth such attack this month, and hit the coastguard headquarters. Saudi civil defence said two ballistic missiles were launched toward Mecca and Medina and intercepted; the Houthis called that a “huge lie” and said they aimed at three Saudi airports, oil infrastructure and an airbase, per Al Jazeera.
4. Tel Aviv and Hebron / Israel and the West Bank. Thousands rallied in Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square three days before Tuesday’s election, demanding a state inquiry into the October 7 failures, with Netanyahu’s main rival Gadi Eisenkot and Democrats leader Yair Golan in the crowd, Al Jazeera reported. Polls show the two blocs neck and neck. In Hebron, Defence Minister Israel Katz confirmed “about 2,000” people have been displaced and said they won’t return “until we’ve finished dealing with all the Hamas issues,” while the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society says about 70 people were arrested in the raids, per Al Jazeera. The military says crossings in and out of the West Bank will be fully closed on election day.
5. Rio de Janeiro / Brazil. On the last day of campaigning, Lula waved a flag from a truck on Copacabana Beach and told supporters voters must choose between “someone who kisses the national flag or someone who kisses the American flag,” Al Jazeera reported. Flávio Bolsonaro’s backers, including hundreds of motorcyclists in yellow shirts, gathered in Minas Gerais. A CNT/MDA poll released Saturday has Bolsonaro on 46.3% and Lula on 45%, inside the 2.2-point margin of error. Brazilians vote Sunday, per BBC News.
6. Belgrade / Serbia. Serbia also votes Sunday, in a snap parliamentary election that looks like the toughest test yet for Aleksandar Vučić, who stepped down as president to run for prime minister, BBC News reported. His main challenge is the Student List, 250 candidates picked by university assemblies after two years of protests over the Novi Sad station canopy collapse that killed 16. A reported 150,000 turned out for its final Belgrade rally. One political scientist told DW it’s the first competitive election since 2012, with polls suggesting the students could top 40%.
7. Taraba / Nigeria. Gunmen on about 50 motorcycles attacked Binnari village after Friday prayers, looting shops and food. Police say 10 bodies were recovered, survivors told AFP at least 20 died, and Amnesty International puts the toll at 40, Al Jazeera reported. Also Saturday, President Bola Tinubu launched his bid for a second term at a rally in Kaduna, ahead of a January 2027 vote, blaming his rivals for Nigeria’s hunger and poverty, per DW.
8. Nairobi / Kenya. Rescuers pulled two people alive from the rubble of the 16- or 18-storey building that collapsed in Eastleigh on Friday, and five are still missing, BBC News reported. Police have launched a manhunt for the building’s owner and its contractor. Officials say 66 of the 67 construction workers got out unharmed; those missing are thought to have been in shops at the base.
9. Pacific coast / Mexico. Hurricane Vance was about 335 miles southwest of Acapulco Saturday afternoon with 90 mph winds, weakening as it crawls north-northwest, the National Hurricane Center said. No coastal watches are up yet, but a tropical storm watch may be needed for Mexico’s southwest coast tonight or Sunday. Forecasters expect 4 to 6 inches of rain, up to 10 in places, across Colima and western Michoacán and Jalisco through Thursday, with possible life-threatening floods and mudslides.
10. Vanuatu. More than 20 earthquakes have rattled the sea off northern Vanuatu since Saturday afternoon, after a magnitude 6.9 quake about 197 km west-northwest of Port-Olry, Pacific Media Network reported. The tsunami warning was cancelled, and there are no confirmed reports of major damage or casualties. The USGS first put the main quake at 7.2, per RNZ.
Coming Up
Confirmed dates on The Watch: October 25, Brazil’s presidential runoff (Flávio Bolsonaro vs Lula) and Serbia’s snap parliamentary election. October 27, Israel’s election for the 26th Knesset, as the Fed’s two-day meeting opens in Washington (October 27–28). November 3, U.S. midterms. Full board at the link.
