2026-10-19

Google says attackers hijacked the update servers of Windows backup software maker AOMEI in short bursts between April and July

Each tampering window lasted only five to ten minutes, and any customer whose software checked for updates during one was redirected to download malware.

Starting October 19th, companies selling AI tools that handle US government data must report a material violation of a new clause from the General Services Administration, the US government's buying agency, within 72 hours

The report goes to the contracting officer, the official who manages the contract. The clause applies only where an AI model, such as a chatbot, assistant or agent, is a material feature of the purchase and government data goes into or comes out of it, and it does not cover a contractor's internal use. The General Services Administration issued it ahead of formal rulemaking, which comes later.

Belgian investigators searched properties in Brussels in a money-laundering inquiry tied to a complaint against nine people close to Congo's president Felix Tshisekedi

Jeune Afrique reports searches on October 14th in Brussels and elsewhere in Belgium, under a judicial inquiry opened at the federal prosecutor's request after non-governmental organizations filed complaints in 2025.

A Trump-Putin deal covers about 2.3 million barrels of Russian diesel this month for the US and other countries, and 7.6 million in November, alongside a US order lifting sanctions on Russian energy

Analysts quoted by OilPrice say the volumes are nowhere near enough to shift the global diesel balance, and traders are unsure how well the deal will work or how long the order stays in place.

Ukraine is in talks with Turkey, India and Egypt on letting ships under their flags carry grain from Black Sea ports, where shipments have been halted since August

Ukraine's agriculture ministry says the country's grain exports are now running at 38 percent of normal after Russian strikes on port infrastructure and ships.

Some tankers in Russia's sanctions-evading shadow fleet now transmit their true and false positions at the same time

The Financial Times found at least 12 tankers doing this.

Italian police arrested more than 200 people in two days of cost-of-living clashes in Milan, with disorder also in Bologna and Turin

Mostly black-clad groups ransacked stores around Milan's central Duomo plaza after an authorized cost-of-living demonstration, Italia in Piazza, on Saturday. On Sunday police used tear gas and water cannons.

Indonesia's main stock index hit a six-year low after MSCI, the company whose indexes global funds track, said it is considering moving the country out of the emerging-market category

The index fell 11.6 percent on October 16th and more than 5 percent on October 19th, a record two-day drop, and the exchange halved the most shares may fall in a day to 7 percent. The "standalone" category MSCI is considering holds markets such as Lebanon and Zimbabwe.

Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso have launched a joint television channel, Tafouk TV, with Russian backing

El Pais reports the three military-led Sahel states began broadcasting in September under a cooperation deal signed with Russia's RT on July 8th, covering content exchange and journalist training.

Gulf foreign ministers called for the Houthis to be classified as a terrorist group and for Gulf states to have a place in any talks with Iran

Asharq Al-Awsat reports the Gulf Cooperation Council ministers want any deal with Iran to cover its nuclear, missile and drone programs and its backing of armed proxies.

Ecuador's grid operator says the country needs 1,391 megawatts more supply it can count on for the coming dry season, and about 8,900 firms on medium-voltage connections are being cut off up to 72 hours a week

A government decree requires large firms to generate their own power by December 15th, and the outlet Primicias counted 135 firms at risk of missing that date.

A German state, Rhineland-Palatinate, has recorded 13 politically motivated offenses against military, infrastructure, justice and business targets since 2024, its interior minister says

Interior Minister Achim Schwickert, answering a parliamentary question, said the 13 were recorded through the end of September, most at military sites, and that state security agencies advise defense companies on protecting against physical and digital attacks. The offenses included blockades, trespass, property damage at protests, drone overflights, spying with photos and video, theft of military property and lasers aimed at fighter pilots. The question followed attacks on the Koblenz site of Thales, the French defense contractor: unknown people burned three vehicles in January, which police attributed to the far left, and smeared the building's outer walls with red paint in September.

A fake startup accelerator called Apex Accelerator, aimed at crypto founders, is distributing an AI coding assistant rigged to steal their files, logins and wallets

A ransomware crew called The Gentlemen named Deloitte, KFC and MoneyGram among seven claimed victims in 32 hours; none has confirmed an intrusion

Angola, Nigeria and Kenya recorded the most weekly cyberattacks per organization in Europe, the Middle East and Africa in September, security vendor Check Point says

The US SEC's proposed crypto rules would create two new exemptions from registering with the agency, and the comment period closes October 20th

The African Union was due to launch AfCRA, the continent's first credit rating agency, on October 7th in Port Louis, Mauritius

The UAE emirate of Fujairah sits at the center of the Gulf push to move oil around the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran has attacked its ships, tank farms and port