Morning Briefing — October 24, 2026
Morning Briefing — October 24, 2026
World News
Carney criticizes restrictions on Ukraine's access to Musk's Starshield network — Prime Minister Mark Carney condemned a decision that limited Ukraine's access to Elon Musk's military-grade satellite network, saying that the restrictions are producing 'direct casualties' on the battlefield. Carney said curtailing access is costing lives as Ukraine depends on the system for communications. CBC
Trump suggests US warships could make a 'stopover' in Cuba — At a South Florida rally, President Donald Trump told supporters that American warships could 'do a little stopover' in Cuba, following rising tensions involving Iran. The remarks come amid broader US military posturing in the hemisphere. CBC
Netanyahu orders West Bank closure after deadly exchanges — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a closure of the West Bank after Israeli soldiers and Palestinian gunmen were killed in exchanges of fire. The move follows a sharp escalation in violence between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants. CBC
Melania Trump and Pope Leo broker humanitarian ceasefire in Oleshky — US First Lady Melania Trump and Pope Leo helped broker a humanitarian ceasefire for Oleshky, a Ukrainian city badly damaged in the ongoing war. The deal is intended to allow aid access and civilian evacuations. CBC
Canadian woman dies in US after avoiding medical care over detention fears — Paige Adamson, a Canadian woman living in the United States, died after reportedly refusing to call paramedics because she feared being detained by immigration authorities. A neighbour told CBC News she declined help even when seriously ill. CBC
Brazil heads to polarized presidential vote with economy and corruption in focus — A deeply polarized Brazil is preparing for a presidential vote on Sunday, with voters citing the economy and corruption as their top concerns. The campaign has highlighted sharp divides over the direction of the country. CBC
Business
Trump to roll back tariffs on some Canadian goods amid midterm pressure — President Donald Trump is preparing to remove tariffs on select Canadian products, driven by political pressure heading into the US midterm elections. The affected goods are seen as important to a politically sensitive swing state. CBC
Toronto-area cybersecurity executive arrested by FBI over fraud allegations — Edward Dubrovsky, a Canadian cybersecurity executive, was arrested by the FBI amid a high-profile hacking probe. US prosecutors allege he colluded with cybercriminals to extort money from his own clients. CBC
Bank of Canada increasingly expected to hike rates on October 28 — Market odds of a 25-basis-point rate hike from the Bank of Canada next week have climbed to about 87% from 70% earlier in the week. BMO, RBC and Desjardins have flipped from predicting a hold to predicting a hike as fuel-driven inflation pressures build. CBC
Wall Street slips as rising oil prices weigh on equities — US stocks fell on Friday as crude oil surged, with the S&P 500 down about 0.2% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average off 541 points. The index was on track for a second straight weekly loss as big tech swings pulled markets lower. BNN Bloomberg
Swiss stocks emerge as haven from AI-driven market turbulence — Investors are increasingly turning to Swiss equities as a refuge from volatility in markets caused by concerns about an AI-driven bubble. Defensive sectors in Switzerland are benefiting as traders rotate out of high-flying tech names. Bloomberg
Alberta business leaders cheer referendum result keeping province in Canada — Business leaders in Alberta expressed major relief after voters rejected a proposal to begin a separation process from Canada. The Calgary Chamber of Commerce said the result will restore investor certainty and support the broader Canadian economy. CBC
Barclays to cut 5,000 jobs as it leans on AI to lower costs — Barclays announced it is cutting around 5,000 jobs this year, roughly 5% of its workforce, as the bank uses AI and other technology to slash fixed costs. The lender is seeking to improve returns through a leaner cost base. Reuters
Blackstone closes $8.7bn energy-transition fund at hard cap — Blackstone has closed its fifth Energy Transition Partners fund at $8.7 billion, more than 50% larger than its predecessor. The fund invests in companies providing cleaner, more reliable and affordable energy, including Kindle Energy, Fisterra and transmission utility Viridon. SustainabilityOnline
Technology
Freenow and Baidu's Apollo Go unveil RT6 robotaxi for London launch — Lyft's European unit Freenow and Baidu's Apollo Go unveiled the RT6 autonomous vehicle in London, with plans to launch a driverless robotaxi service in the city in 2027. The partnership aims to bring Chinese autonomous driving technology to western Europe. Reuters
Navigate360 confirms hacker breach potentially exposing sensitive personal data — School safety software firm Navigate360 said hackers accessed its systems and may have exposed sensitive personal information. The company is investigating the scope of the breach and notifying affected users. Reuters
EU weighs response to 'China Shock 2.0' in technology and manufacturing — A Reuters explainer examines how the EU can limit the impact of a wave of cheap Chinese exports in technology and advanced manufacturing. Analysts warn the bloc faces difficult trade-offs between protectionism and consumer prices. Reuters
Anthropic sued by major Canadian news publishers over copyright claims — Several major Canadian news publishers have filed a copyright lawsuit against AI firm Anthropic in an Ontario court. The complaint accuses the company of using copyrighted journalism without permission to train its large language models. CBC
BioWare shuts down after more than 30 years — Edmonton-based video game studio BioWare, known for franchises including Mass Effect and Dragon Age, is shutting down after more than three decades. Its closure caps a difficult period for the Canadian games industry. CBC
BMO CEO warns against sharing banking information with AI agents — The chief executive of the Bank of Montreal cautioned consumers against giving autonomous AI agents direct access to their banking credentials. The warning reflects growing concerns about security as agentic AI tools become more widespread. CBC
Waymo prepares to launch in Toronto, raising questions about winter driving — Alphabet-owned Waymo is bringing its self-driving cars to Toronto, prompting questions about whether its autonomous vehicles are ready for Canadian winter conditions. Snow, ice and salt pose challenges that have slowed robotaxi rollouts elsewhere. CBC
Renewable Energy
Ofgem launches £3.5bn tender for Hornsea 3 offshore transmission — UK energy regulator Ofgem has launched its largest-ever Offshore Transmission Owner tender round, worth an estimated £3.5 billion, for the transmission assets connecting the Hornsea 3 wind farm to the national grid. The project, located more than 100km offshore, is due for completion by the end of 2027 and is expected to generate enough electricity to power 3.3 million UK homes. SustainabilityOnline
Europeans turn driveways into mini solar farms — A growing number of Europeans are retrofitting driveways and patios with photovoltaic surfaces, effectively turning them into mini solar farms. The trend is contributing to the push for a cheaper and more secure energy system across the continent. Euronews Green
Sweden awards SEK 9.3 billion to three bio-CCS projects — Sweden has awarded SEK 9.3 billion in state support to Renova, SYSAV and Öresundskraft to develop bioenergy carbon capture and storage projects. The three winners of the Swedish Energy Agency's second reverse auction aim to permanently store a combined 5.75 million tonnes of biogenic CO₂. SustainabilityOnline
Global South spends over $235bn on Chinese clean-energy tech since 2024 — Countries across the Global South have spent more than $235 billion on Chinese-made clean energy equipment since 2024, according to analysis cited by Reuters. The spending highlights China's dominant role as a supplier of solar panels, batteries and electric vehicles to developing economies. Reuters / SustainabilityOnline
Grid constraints likely to hamper Canada's clean power expansion — A new assessment warns that transmission bottlenecks and slow interconnection processes could significantly slow Canada's expansion of clean electricity generation. Operators say reforms to grid planning are needed to unlock renewable project pipelines. SustainabilityOnline
Italy reaches only 15% of 2030 energy-transition targets, climate think tank finds — Italy has achieved just 15% of the energy-transition targets it set for 2030, according to a monitoring report from climate think tank ECCO. Reuters reported the finding places Italy significantly behind schedule on its clean energy and climate goals. Reuters / ECCO
Ireland commits €500m to support industrial decarbonisation — Ireland has made €500 million available through Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and SEAI to back industrial energy efficiency and renewable-energy projects through 2030. A government report says €163 million has already been allocated to 43 projects expected to cut emissions by about 214,210 tonnes of CO₂e. SustainabilityOnline
Carbon Brief: Coal power dropped in China and India for first time in 52 years — Carbon Brief analysis cited in the Energy Transitions Commission's 2026 monitor shows record clean-energy growth helped drive coal generation lower in both China and India, the first simultaneous decline in 52 years. Renewables growth in 2025 was 2.3x faster than overall energy supply. Carbon Brief
UK's clean-power transition depends on grid connections and market reform — Analysts warn that the UK's drive toward a clean-power grid by 2030 hinges on faster grid connections and reforms to electricity market design. Delays in connecting new renewables and storage are becoming a major constraint on the energy transition. SustainabilityOnline
Soil Science
Chinese Academy study: soil texture and moisture as important as crop diversification for soil carbon — A new study led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Soil Science finds that soil texture and moisture conditions can be as critical as crop diversification practices in building soil organic carbon. Researchers say physical soil properties may matter as much as, or more than, management choices for carbon sequestration. Agroforestry Partners / Institute of Soil Science
Global agricultural productivity growth slows to weakest pace in 50 years — Virginia Tech's 2026 Global Agricultural Productivity report finds global farm productivity grew just 0.63% per year from 2015 to 2024, the slowest pace in half a century. The report highlights worries about meeting food demand without expanding farmland and emissions. Virginia Tech GAP Report
USDA launches $180 million Seed Sovereignty Initiative — US Agriculture Secretary Brooke L. Rollins announced a $180 million investment to launch the Seed Sovereignty Initiative. The programme aims to strengthen national agricultural security by protecting plant genetic resources that underpin future crop innovation. USDA
FAO backs crop diversification to mitigate El Niño impacts in the Philippines — The UN Food and Agriculture Organization said farmers must manage El Niño impacts by diversifying crops and adjusting production cycles. FAO's Dulce Carandang said the aim is to maintain continuity in agricultural output through dry spells and droughts. Reuters / BusinessWorld
New soil test could reveal how microbes help feed plants — Scientists have streamlined a method for measuring DNA-bound phosphorus in soil, making it cheaper and simpler while preserving accuracy. The technique could help reveal how soil microbes recycle phosphorus and support more sustainable fertilizer use. ScienceDaily
Discover Soil review: diversified cropping systems can rebuild degraded soils and suppress pests — A new review in Discover Soil argues that diversified cropping systems can simultaneously rebuild degraded soils and suppress pests. The authors find these systems can also conserve water and stabilize farmer incomes, offering a multi-benefit path for regenerative agriculture. Discover Soil
Rothamsted review of 422 studies reconnects agriculture with soil biodiversity — A review of 422 published studies by Rothamsted Research, the UK's largest agricultural research institute, highlights the critical links between underground genomes, soil biodiversity and crop health. The authors argue that returning organic matter and supporting microbial life are essential for productive soils. Global Agriculture
FOI request reveals UK missed opportunity to gather vital soils information — A Freedom of Information request by the Sustainable Soils Alliance found that UK authorities missed an opportunity to collect critical soil health data during a recent monitoring exercise. Campaigners say the gap undermines efforts to track soil degradation and progress toward targets. Sustainable Soils Alliance
FAO Food Outlook warns of rising geopolitical and weather risks to global food markets — The FAO's latest Food Outlook forecasts that global cereal output will fall 2.0% in 2026 to 2,982 million tonnes, even as human consumption continues to rise. The agency warned that El Niño, fertilizer market volatility, conflicts and trade uncertainty remain major risks to the food system. FAO
FAO honours 100 Women Heroes transforming global agrifood systems — To mark the International Year of the Woman Farmer and World Food Day, FAO recognized 100 women leaders from 131 countries for their contributions to agriculture, biodiversity and rural development. Honorees included China's Yin Yuzhen, who has planted more than eight million trees to restore nearly 5,000 hectares of degraded land in the Mu Us Sandy Land. FAO