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Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met in Baghdad on Saturday with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein. The 52nd session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers also opened there, at which Turkey handed over the Council chairmanship to Iraq.
Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance Khurshed Mustafayev said that from 2023 to 2025 the average monthly electricity consumption per subscriber fell from 212 to 184 kWh (−13%), and gas from 431 to 342 cubic meters (−21%). Deputy Director of the National Agency for Social Protection Jamshid Abruev explained the shift to targeted support by the fact that the previous subsidies benefited higher-income families more. Over a year and a half, about 470 thousand families received compensation totaling 156 billion soums.
According to Similarweb data cited by Visual Capitalist, in September 2026 the Gemini website was visited 2.6 billion times, and Claude about 1 billion. From October 2025 to September 2026, only Gemini and Claude increased their share among major chatbots, while the combined share of DeepSeek, Grok, Copilot and Perplexity fell from 11.4% to 8.1%.
A fire at a wooden resort and restaurant on Inani Beach in Cox's Bazar, southeastern Bangladesh, killed at least 10 people, believed to be tourists, and injured nine others. The blaze was extinguished by firefighters, border guards and police. The cause of the fire has not been determined, and an investigation committee has been formed.
Vinnytsia mayor Serhii Morgunov reported that the city was left without electricity on the morning of October 17 following a Russian strike. According to the State Emergency Service, at least five people were injured in Zaporizhzhia region, including a child; in Kharkiv — 15 people, including three children. The Ukrainian Air Force reported intercepting four Kalibr missiles and 289 drones.
The EU adopted one of the largest sanctions packages since the start of the war, covering 1,569 entities — 826 companies and 743 individuals. According to political scientists Jahongir Akramov and Anvar Yoʻldoshev, the total number of sanctioned entities grew from roughly 3,000 to 4,600. The restrictions affected GAZ, nickel enterprises, railway organizations, and suppliers of components for missile production.
Two passenger planes flying from Tashkent and Samarkand to Moscow were diverted to other cities due to temporary flight restrictions at Moscow airports. There were reports of the 'Carpet' regime due to a possible drone threat, but the official link between the restrictions and drones has not been confirmed. Uzbekistan Airways announced changes to routes and schedules for October 17–18.
Hong Kong favourite Ka Ying Rising lost for the first time in his career, finishing second in the Sydney race The Everest on a soft track. The mare Tempted, ridden by Chad Schofield, took victory and the Aus$7 million prize.
North Korea reported testing the Zam-2.0 torpedo system with AI guidance. This comes amid a series of recent missile tests, including launches of cruise missiles from a submarine, and against the backdrop of Trump's statements about plans to meet with Kim Jong Un.
As part of the $9 billion Ellinikon project, the 200-meter Riviera Tower is being built on the Athens Riviera. Its height sharply exceeds the usual 32-meter limit in place to preserve the view of the Acropolis: the skyscraper received an exception to the current rules. According to a 2025 survey, 63% of respondents oppose the tower's construction, and 41% do not support the entire Ellinikon project.
The UK Home Office announced the deportation of Stanislav Carpiuc, a 28-year-old Romanian citizen of Ukrainian origin, sentenced to two years for taking part in a conspiracy to commit arson against property linked to Sir Keir Starmer. His accomplice Roman Lavrynovych received seven years. According to a BBC investigation, the attacks were commissioned on behalf of Russia through a handler using the pseudonym EL.
The Central Bank of Uzbekistan, based on the results of the third quarter of 2026, compiled an anti-ranking of banks based on 12,307 customer complaints. Hayot Bank topped the list with an index of 5.71. InFinBank and Ipoteka bank left the anti-ranking, while Hayot Bank and Turonbank entered it for the first time.
An Israeli drone struck a crowd of people in the Tuffah neighborhood in the northeast of Gaza City, the WAFA agency reported citing medics. A young man whose identity has not been established was killed. There were also reports of gunfire south of Khan Younis and artillery strikes in the eastern part of Gaza City.
In the Jarkurgan district of Surkhandarya region, a video spread on social media showing a 5th-grade student of school No. 19 driving a neighbor's Spark car. The regional Road Safety Department (UZAVTODOR/UBDD) reported that a preventive talk was held with the child and his mother, and lawful measures were taken. The boy said he regrets what happened.
According to The New York Times, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez transferred $1 million to the campaign fund of Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed. The race is considered one of the most competitive in the 2026 cycle and could be key to control of the Senate.
According to the government Taiz Siege Mitigation Office, Houthi shelling in the south and west of the province killed three civilians and wounded five. The Yemeni army reported repelling a major Houthi attack on the al-Shaqab front and carrying out airstrikes on their positions. The Houthis did not comment on the army's statements.
On Saturday, October 17, the 'No Kings' movement organized more than 3,000 events across the US under the slogan 'No Kings: Vote Early'. Unlike previous actions aimed against Donald Trump's policies, this time the emphasis is on mobilizing voters for the midterm elections on November 3. Organizers call the day nonpartisan; Trump's opponents fear attempts to challenge the results.
The British maritime agency UKMTO reported that a tanker was struck by an unknown projectile approximately 68 nautical miles northeast of Al Jubail in Saudi Arabia. The incident occurred on Friday at 09:00 GMT, but the report arrived with a delay. All crew members were evacuated and, according to the operating company, are safe. No environmental impact was reported.
