While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, Oct 31, 2026
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(From left) European Council President Antonio Costa, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Montreal, Canada, on the concluding day of the 21st EU-Canada Summit.
PHOTO: EPA
‘Anchor the ground’: Canada, EU launch new alliance
The EU and Canada announced an alliance on Oct 30 aimed at cementing their own relations in the face of President Donald Trump’s moves to tear up US ties with its old partners.
Canada agreed to contribute to a €90 billion (S$128 billion) support loan for Ukraine and work closer with Brussels on anything from critical minerals to artificial intelligence, after a two-day summit in Montreal.
“The world’s becoming more dangerous and divided. Our societies are being shaken by new storms,” Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told a press conference, mentioning eroding democratic norms and “the weaponisation of trade.”
“Together, Canada and the European Union are anchoring the ground. Anchoring our ground to uphold our values while forming a protective canopy under which our citizens can all thrive,” he said, after talks with EU chiefs Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa.
Nations agree push to get nature goals on track
PHOTO: AFP
Nearly 200 nations on Oct 30 adopted hard-fought agreements at a UN biodiversity summit aimed at putting the world back on track in efforts to halt nature’s destruction by 2030.
Delegates cheered as the crucial texts were approved in overtime following two weeks of tense negotiations at the COP17 conference in Armenia’s capital Yerevan.
“And that’s it. Perfect,” said COP17 president Hambardzum Matevosyan to applause, as he brought down the gavel on the documents, the final versions of which were not immediately available.
US midterm early voting hits record 48 million
PHOTO: EPA
A record 47.9 million Americans have already voted in next week’s US midterm elections, with participation surging in key battleground states and registered Democrats outpacing Republicans, figures showed Oct 30.
The University of Florida’s Election Lab had recorded 47,922,669 early votes nationwide by midday, surpassing the previous midterm record of 45.9 million cast ahead of Election Day in 2022.
The surge is especially pronounced in states with fiercely contested Senate races that could determine control of the chamber during the final two years of President Donald Trump’s presidency.
G-20 ministers skip photo-op over Russia’s presence
PHOTO: AFP
Foreign ministers from the Group of 20 (G-20) skipped a traditional group photo ahead of their meeting in Atlanta on Oct 30 after European representatives objected to the presence of Russia.
The US State Department agenda for the meeting did not include the so-called family shot and ministers – including Russia’s Sergei Lavrov – began the first session without having posed for photographers.
“In no case will there be a family photo with European partners and Mr Lavrov together because... there is no normalcy with Russia,” German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told reporters earlier on Oct 30.
US approves US$2.1b Patriot missile sale to Ukraine
PHOTO: REUTERS
The US State Department said on Oct 30 it had approved the sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 missiles to Ukraine for an estimated US$2.1 billion (S$2.6 billion).
Ukraine will pay for the defensive interceptor missiles with contributions from Canada, Germany and Norway routed through the US JUMPSTART programme, along with national funds financed by the European Union’s Ukraine Support Loan, the State Department said in a statement.
Delayed missile deliveries added to Ukraine’s tensions with the US after President Donald Trump announced a diesel deal with Russia and criticised Zelensky for Ukraine’s unwillingness to stop attacks on Russian refineries.