Today's briefing, ranked.

Russia launched a fresh missile and drone blitz on Ukrainian civilian areas Tuesday, killing at least seven people in the Kyiv region, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy traveled to Norway seeking emergency support from European allies. The attacks come as relations between Washington and Kyiv sink to what former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine John Herbst called a new low, with President Donald Trump easing sanctions on Russia even as Moscow intensifies strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure and residential areas.

Zelenskyy's own adviser, Serhii 'Flash' Beskrestnov, told the BBC that Ukrainians have died because Kyiv is not receiving reliable U.S. warnings of incoming ballistic missile attacks, despite the White House's denial that any changes have been made to intelligence sharing. Beskrestnov said restrictions on Ukraine's Starlink and Starshield satellite networks, which power its drone operations, remain in place and have hampered the country's ability to intercept Russian attack drones. He suggested the timing of both disruptions may be a deliberate pressure tactic to push Kyiv toward negotiations with Moscow, though U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, have given conflicting explanations for the restrictions.

The diplomatic rupture follows Trump's decision to waive sanctions on Russia under the Graham-named bill Congress passed overwhelmingly, and a separate deal to import Russian diesel fuel that drew bipartisan criticism. Trump has also floated ending the war without Zelenskyy at the table, suggesting 'it's time for somebody else to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine,' and said he would be open to a three-way summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping focused on denuclearization.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas questioned Tuesday whether U.S. negotiators have acted as honest brokers, saying Europe's sustained support is the only reason Ukraine has not capitulated to Russian terms. European nations and EU institutions have allocated roughly $266 billion to Ukraine, compared to about $129 billion from the United States, according to Germany's Kiel Institute. With Ukraine nearly out of Patriot interceptors and facing delayed deliveries of missiles purchased by allies, the stakes of any further U.S. pullback are rising as the war approaches its fifth year in February.

French authorities imposed overnight curfews in parts of central Paris, including Place de la République and the Les Halles shopping district, along with several other major cities after a weekend of rioting and looting caused what officials estimate as hundreds of millions of euros in damage. Partial curfews restricting youth movement and public gatherings were also announced in Marseille, Bordeaux, Nice, Lyon, Lille and other towns. More than 2,500 people have been arrested, and about 1,000 police officers were injured, according to officials.

The unrest began last month as student protests over school conditions but escalated into broader demonstrations over fuel prices, cost of living, and deteriorating public services, drawing an estimated 550,000 demonstrators over the weekend. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez admitted police had 'lost control' in some cities and offered his resignation, which President Emmanuel Macron rejected, citing the need for continuity in law enforcement command amid intelligence and preparedness failures.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said the government would set aside recovery funds for affected businesses, to be recouped from those responsible for the violence, and announced a partial unemployment fund for workers unable to work due to the unrest. More than 2,000 businesses were directly affected, according to France's Chambers of Commerce and Industry, with some looted goods reportedly appearing for resale on online platforms like Vinted, which said it is removing such listings.

The scale of destruction, including the gutting by fire of the 19th-century Limoges city hall, has intensified scrutiny of the Macron government's preparedness and crisis response. The U.S. Embassy in France has advised citizens to avoid affected areas, underscoring international concern about the stability of the unrest even as officials deploy hundreds of investigators to identify ringleaders using CCTV footage.

Gangs in Haiti opened fire on an armored vehicle in Croix-des-Bouquets on Sunday, leaving four Salvadoran soldiers unaccounted for in what officials describe as the biggest attack since an international gang suppression force began operations in the country. The soldiers, aviation technicians returning to camp, fled their vehicle after it was struck with explosives and set ablaze; rescue helicopters dispatched to the area also came under fire, according to the Armed Forces of El Salvador.

The attack occurred in territory controlled by gangs including Kraze Barye and 400 Mawozo, both led by figures sanctioned by the U.N. and the U.S. No group has claimed responsibility. Romain Le Cour of the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime said some gangs under pressure from the new force 'want to show that they can strike back,' and that any soldiers held captive would give gangs leverage in negotiations with security forces.

The U.N. Security Council authorized the 5,550-member gang suppression force in September 2025 to replace a struggling Kenya-led mission; more than 1,500 troops from countries including Chad, Jamaica, Guatemala and El Salvador are currently deployed. The attack comes as Haiti prepares for its first general elections in more than a decade and as gangs control an estimated 70% of the capital, Port-au-Prince.

Gang violence has displaced a record 1.5 million people across Haiti, with more than 5,700 killed or injured between January and mid-September and over 230 people kidnapped, according to U.N. figures. The Security Council was scheduled to meet Monday on Haiti, with the attack expected to dominate discussions about the force's capacity to stabilize the country ahead of elections.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation projected that Alberta voters rejected a referendum measure that could have put the oil-rich province on a path toward independence, a result seen as a win for Prime Minister Mark Carney's push for national unity amid President Trump's trade war and annexation threats. The vote asked Albertans whether to remain in Canada or begin a legal process that could lead to a future referendum on separation.

More than 1.35 million Albertans, or 43% of eligible voters, cast advance or special ballots, with results delayed after more than 100 polling stations extended voting hours. Alberta, home to the world's fourth-largest proven oil reserves, has long harbored resentment toward Ottawa, but that frustration has not traditionally translated into majority support for outright separation.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith called the referendum under pressure from separatists within her own United Conservative Party, despite personally opposing independence; she cited polling showing only 22% support for separation, which she said was still too high. Carney campaigned heavily against the measure, telling an Edmonton rally to 'vote like Canada's future depends on it because it does.'

Even with the measure's defeat, separatist leaders say they have built a movement that will persist. Advocate Jeff Rath said he would be satisfied if 30% of Albertans backed the separation process and called for Smith's ouster, raising the possibility of a new pro-independence party splintering from the UCP. Former Premier Jason Kenney noted that separatist support had historically been limited to 1-2% before COVID-era anger and Trump's trade threats mobilized the movement.

Japan and the United States began one of their largest joint military exercises on Monday, deploying about 45,000 Japanese troops and 12,000 American service members in drills focused on defending Japan's southwestern islands amid rising regional tensions with China. The biennial Keen Sword 27 exercises, running through October 29, include participation from seven other nations, with France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand and the Philippines joining for the first time.

A key focus is Yonaguni, Japan's westernmost island just 68 miles from Taiwan, where Japan's Self-Defense Force introduced its first long-range Type-25 land-to-ship missile, capable of reaching mainland China, though no test-firing is planned. The U.S. also deployed its NMESIS anti-ship missile system and MADIS air defense system to Yonaguni for the first time, alongside a HIMARS rocket launcher on the nearby island of Ishigaki.

Japanese officials denied the drills target any specific country, but the exercises come amid heightened strain with China following Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks that Chinese military action against Taiwan could justify Japanese involvement. The drills also follow the arrest of a U.S. Marine in a murder case on Okinawa, which has renewed local anti-base sentiment near the site of the largest concentration of American troops in Japan.

The scale of this year's exercises, including new missile systems capable of striking mainland China, signals deepening military cooperation between Tokyo and Washington as both nations seek to counter China's expanding military activity in the region. The drills also come as Japan-China economic tensions spill over following the Takaichi controversy, underscoring the broader geopolitical stakes of the Indo-Pacific buildup.