What are the 10 biggest news stories from today?

Based on news from today, October 19, 2026, here are 10 of the biggest stories making headlines around the world:

1. Deadly explosion at Canadian military base
Multiple people were killed and dozens more were injured when an explosion erupted at a Canadian military base, according to authorities. The four service members killed were identified as Sergeant Morgan Wong, Private Shaun Farrell, Private Aidan Goulding and Private Hayden Lykkemark, with 39 Canadian Armed Forces members sustaining injuries. Canadian PM Mark Carney called it "one of the worst tragedies for the forces on Canadian soil in peacetime."

2. France rocked by violent unrest over cost of living/fuel prices
Large-scale protests across France over the weekend escalated into looting, arson, and violence, resulting in the arrests of more than 1,800 people, with some radical demonstrators looting department stores and setting a city hall building on fire. President Macron has condemned the violence while vowing dialogue with protesters.

3. South Korea's Chief Justice faces impeachment push
The Rebuilding Korea Party has unveiled an impeachment motion against Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae, with the Democratic Party formalizing discussions while the People Power Party strongly opposed it.

4. Deadly Durga Puja stampede in Kolkata, India
A pandal stampede killed 19 people in Kolkata, leading to seven arrests and a 10-Day Police Custody for 7 Accused In Kolkata Durga Puja Pandal Stampede, along with a ₹25 lakh compensation package for victims' families.

5. Gwalior temple tragedy, India
A truck ran over devotees near a temple in Gwalior, killing 15 people in a major road accident during religious festivities.

6. Russia-Ukraine conflict escalates
Russia and Ukraine traded fresh strikes on military and energy infrastructure, with a Russian air strike damaging a Kyiv subway station. Separately, Putin reportedly proposed a summit with Trump and Xi.

7. Middle East tensions rise over Houthi attacks
Following fresh Houthi attacks, India urged its nationals in Saudi Arabia to follow updated safety directives amid heightened security concerns, while Iran warned of a "more devastating" response if the U.S. and Israel launch new strikes.

8. Ebola outbreak spreads in East Africa
Kenya confirmed its eighth Ebola case as a regional outbreak continues to spread across the region.

9. U.S. 2026 midterm election season intensifies
With the November 3 midterms approaching, political activity is ramping up, including a Pennsylvania U.S. Senate candidate debate in Philadelphia, as all 435 House seats and 35 Senate seats are being contested.

10. AI industry developments make business headlines
Anthropic announced it is committing 5% of its shares, subject to stockholder approval, to a new wholly-owned LLC called the Anthropic Public Benefit Fund, while OpenAI CEO Sam Altman confirmed the company is building a humanoid robot and expects to show a demo in 2027.

Note: News coverage varies significantly by region, so "biggest" stories depend heavily on location — this list blends major international, political, and business stories trending across multiple global outlets today.