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Fresh Protests to Hit Spain after Housing Measures Defeated

Demonstrators carry red flags during a march which began in Puerta del Sol square, where a protest camp has been set up, demanding political action to stop evictions and address the housing crisis, following the eviction of an 87-year-old woman from her home, in Madrid, Spain, October 2, 2026. REUTERS/Alejandro Martinez Velez
Demonstrators carry red flags during a march which began in Puerta del Sol square, where a protest camp has been set up, demanding political action to stop evictions and address the housing crisis, following the eviction of an 87-year-old woman from her home, in Madrid, Spain, October 2, 2026. REUTERS/Alejandro Martinez Velez
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Fresh Protests to Hit Spain after Housing Measures Defeated

Demonstrators carry red flags during a march which began in Puerta del Sol square, where a protest camp has been set up, demanding political action to stop evictions and address the housing crisis, following the eviction of an 87-year-old woman from her home, in Madrid, Spain, October 2, 2026. REUTERS/Alejandro Martinez Velez
Demonstrators carry red flags during a march which began in Puerta del Sol square, where a protest camp has been set up, demanding political action to stop evictions and address the housing crisis, following the eviction of an 87-year-old woman from her home, in Madrid, Spain, October 2, 2026. REUTERS/Alejandro Martinez Velez

Fresh protests over housing are due to take place in Madrid and other Spanish cities on Saturday, a day after parliament rejected two government measures to strengthen protection for tenants.

The government introduced the measures after nationwide protests following the eviction, on a stretcher, of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal from a Madrid apartment she had occupied for around seven decades, said AFP.

The defeat was another political setback for Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and has renewed questions over whether his minority government can survive until the next scheduled general election in 2027.

Catalan separatist party Junts -- whose support was essential to approve the two decrees -- voted against them, arguing they lacked rigor.

After the vote, the leader of the main opposition conservative Popular Party (PP), Alberto Nunez Feijoo, urged Sanchez to "call elections as soon as possible".

After eight years in power, Sanchez had the backing of "neither the streets nor parliament", he added.

Recent opinion polls have generally placed the opposition Popular Party ahead of the Socialists.

The Tenants' Union, which has been coordinating the protests, has called for demonstrations on Saturday in more than 50 cities.

"There is an irreparable disconnect between what the people want and what the parties vote for," it said in a statement.

In Madrid, activists and protesters have been camping for about a week in Puerta del Sol, one of the capital's main tourist squares.

Demonstrators are due to set off from several locations around the city at noon before converging on Plaza de Cibeles in central Madrid.

The package of measures defeated on Friday included the automatic renewal of rental contracts when they expire, as well as measures aimed at restricting the eviction of vulnerable tenants.

They also targeted so-called vulture funds -- investment firms that buy properties at low prices in pursuit of higher returns.

Housing has for years been a top concern for Spaniards as supply falls short of demand, with rents and house prices soaring as elsewhere in the European Union.

Average rents in Spain have almost doubled over the past decade, while asking prices for homes have risen by about 90 percent, according to real estate website Idealista.

Abascal's eviction catalyzed long-running anger about runaway housing costs.

She was forced to leave the Madrid flat where she had lived after it was acquired by an investment company that sought to increase her rent by 275 percent, according to housing campaigners.

The backlash led the property's new owners to reach a deal allowing her to return to the flat at a low rent.

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World

Melania Trump Helps Forge a Ceasefire Deal in a Russian-Occupied Ukrainian City, White House Says

In this undated image from video provided by the Ukrainian 34th Separate Marine Brigade "Borysfen" on Sept. 30, 2026, destroyed cars are seen on a highway from the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky in the Kherson region of Ukraine. (Ukrainian 34th Separate Marine Brigade "Borysfen" via AP)
In this undated image from video provided by the Ukrainian 34th Separate Marine Brigade "Borysfen" on Sept. 30, 2026, destroyed cars are seen on a highway from the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky in the Kherson region of Ukraine. (Ukrainian 34th Separate Marine Brigade "Borysfen" via AP)
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Melania Trump Helps Forge a Ceasefire Deal in a Russian-Occupied Ukrainian City, White House Says

In this undated image from video provided by the Ukrainian 34th Separate Marine Brigade "Borysfen" on Sept. 30, 2026, destroyed cars are seen on a highway from the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky in the Kherson region of Ukraine. (Ukrainian 34th Separate Marine Brigade "Borysfen" via AP)
In this undated image from video provided by the Ukrainian 34th Separate Marine Brigade "Borysfen" on Sept. 30, 2026, destroyed cars are seen on a highway from the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky in the Kherson region of Ukraine. (Ukrainian 34th Separate Marine Brigade "Borysfen" via AP)

First lady Melania Trump has brokered an upcoming ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in the war-ravaged Ukrainian city of Oleshky to allow for humanitarian aid and the evacuation of civilians, the White House announced on Friday.

The localized ceasefire is set to begin Thursday, with the American first lady saying in a news release that the situation there is “on the brink of disaster.”

The White House said Melania Trump had initiated the discussions and that she and a representative worked directly with Russian and Ukrainian leadership to define the terms of the ceasefire.

There was no immediate confirmation of the ceasefire from Ukraine, but Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow was grateful to the first lady for helping organize the Oleshky mission. The effort was discussed during the latest call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump, he said.

“The military are dealing with coordination of the timing of a ceasefire in that area to support this humanitarian mission,” Peskov said. “Those who want to leave it would be able to do so.”

He would not say whether those who evacuate will be taken to Russia- or Ukraine-held territory. He also demurred when asked how long the evacuation will last, saying only it would likely take several days.

Melania Trump has made helping children in conflict one of her signature issues and hosted a UN Security Council meeting on the issue earlier this year. She has written Putin to work on efforts to reunite families with children who have been displaced by the war.

“What she wants to do is save children, and that’s her focus,” the president said of the first lady during a question-and-answer exchange with journalists in Washington.

The development comes as tensions have increased to new highs between the Trump administration and Ukraine’s government. Kyiv has faced restrictions on the satellite internet system that it relies on to knock down Russian attacks, with Trump and other top US officials sending mixed messages about who was responsible for throttling the Elon Musk-made Starshield system.

Trump also has recently waived new Russian sanctions, reached an agreement with Russia to import diesel and pushed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to make a deal to end the war that began in February 2022. In renewed efforts to revive the peace process, Trump envoy Steve Witkoff traveled to Norway this week for talks with Zelenskyy before meeting with Putin in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Zelenskyy did not mention the ceasefire in Oleshky during a remote appearance at the Hudson Institute, a Washington think tank. He did note that American Patriot missile interceptors were still on hold and Starshield and Starlink speed limits were still in place.

He also spoke of the importance of the United States to renewed diplomatic efforts to end the war, including a possible joint meeting with Trump and Putin.

Food and medical supplies have been scarce for months in Oleshky, which sits on the Dnipro River that separates Ukrainian forces from the city’s Russian occupiers. There is no electricity, heat or running water. Roads leading from town are mined and dotted with burned-out cars. Drones buzz overhead.

Once a city of about 24,000 residents, Oleshky was captured by Moscow’s forces on the first day of their full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Its buildings were shelled and burned, and its infrastructure damaged. In June 2023, floodwaters inundated the city after the Kakhovka Dam collapsed from an explosion that an Associated Press investigation found was likely caused by the Russian military. Hundreds of residents were killed.

Those left in the city along Ukraine’s southeastern front face death from hunger or disease as another harsh winter looms. Ukraine has appealed repeatedly for a local ceasefire to organize evacuations. Russia, as the occupying power, is obligated by international law to ensure civilians under its control have what they need to survive.

Melania Trump said in the White House news release that civilian leaders from Ukraine and Russia will visit Oleshky residents to determine the level of assistance they require.

“Residents who wish to evacuate will receive coordinated support and transportation to their preferred destination,” she said. “I anticipate some will want to go to Russia, and some to Ukraine.”

Melania Trump also said “an impartial American media organization” will accompany and document Russian and Ukrainian teams on the ground throughout the process.

"This will play a significant role in ensuring that the wishes of each family are faithfully respected,” she said.

The statement did not identify the media organization.

World

Trump Says He Will Fix Any Starlink Access Problem in Ukraine

An artilleryman of the Special Rifle Police Battalion of Zaporizhzhia region sets up Starlink satellite internet system, at a position, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near the frontline in Donetsk region, Ukraine, October 16, 2026. (Reuters)
An artilleryman of the Special Rifle Police Battalion of Zaporizhzhia region sets up Starlink satellite internet system, at a position, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near the frontline in Donetsk region, Ukraine, October 16, 2026. (Reuters)
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Trump Says He Will Fix Any Starlink Access Problem in Ukraine

An artilleryman of the Special Rifle Police Battalion of Zaporizhzhia region sets up Starlink satellite internet system, at a position, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near the frontline in Donetsk region, Ukraine, October 16, 2026. (Reuters)
An artilleryman of the Special Rifle Police Battalion of Zaporizhzhia region sets up Starlink satellite internet system, at a position, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near the frontline in Donetsk region, Ukraine, October 16, 2026. (Reuters)

US President Donald Trump said on Friday that if there was still a problem with access to Starlink communication systems in Ukraine, he would get it straightened out.

Trump told reporters at the White ‌House that ‌he had not spoken to ‌SpaceX ⁠CEO Elon Musk ⁠about the matter but, if access was not fixed, he would speak to him.

"If there is a problem, I'll get it straightened out," Trump said. ⁠The caps have been ‌in place ‌since October 13 as relations between ‌Kyiv and Washington deteriorated

Ukrainian officials ‌said on Friday that speed restrictions on Starlink communication systems in Ukraine remained in place, contradicting Trump's previous ‌statement that the services had been fully restored.

"Elon will never ⁠do ⁠anything wrong. I know him very well. He's a fair person, and you know it's an unusual situation where they're talking to a private company. But he's not going to do anything that's wrong," Trump said.

World

France, Britain Stage First Joint Nuclear Air Strike Simulation

Britain's Defense Minister Wes Streeting speaks during a meeting with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia, US, October 15, 2026. (Reuters)
Britain's Defense Minister Wes Streeting speaks during a meeting with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia, US, October 15, 2026. (Reuters)
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France, Britain Stage First Joint Nuclear Air Strike Simulation

Britain's Defense Minister Wes Streeting speaks during a meeting with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia, US, October 15, 2026. (Reuters)
Britain's Defense Minister Wes Streeting speaks during a meeting with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia, US, October 15, 2026. (Reuters)

French and British air forces have for the first time staged a joint exercise simulating a nuclear strike, the countries' defense ministries said in a statement on Friday.

The exercise, codenamed "Rummy" and which took place on Tuesday, involved RAF Typhoon fighter jets alongside French Rafale aircraft over the Mediterranean Sea, it said.

The exercise was conducted in compliance with security procedures, did not involve any actual nuclear weapons and was aimed at enhancing coordination between western Europe's two nuclear powers, the statement added.

After taking off from a base in northeastern France, "the French Rafales, escorted by RAF Typhoons, conducted a simulated nuclear strike", it said.

The exercise comes with tensions remaining high between NATO powers and nuclear-armed Russia some four-and-a-half year's into Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

French President Emmanuel Macron has offered to extend the protection of France's nuclear deterrent to other European allies, as the European Union's only nuclear power since Brexit.

French Defense Minister Catherine Vautrin noted that "possessing independent nuclear forces does not preclude coordination".

The joint exercise with Britain showed "our nuclear forces demonstrate that they can contribute even more significantly to the overall security" of NATO, she added.

Quoted in the French-language version of the joint statement, UK Defense Minister Wes Streeting said the exercise marked a "new chapter" in the relationship between Britain and France on nuclear defense.

"This exercise demonstrates the depth of our partnership, the credibility of our deterrents and our determination to remain united in the face of emerging threats," he said.

Writing on his X account, Streeting added: "It's a landmark step in UK-France defense cooperation, and a clear signal that we stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies on European security and credible deterrence."