What are the 10 biggest news stories from today?

Here's a roundup of the biggest news stories making headlines today, October 21, 2026:

1. France rocked by mass protests and curfews
Following the massive October 17 demonstrations, unrest has continued to grip the country. Hundreds of thousands marched in over 140 cities in France, with property destruction, arson and theft, and damage to symbols of the state including city halls in Lille, Marseille and Limoges. Almost 1,000 police officers were injured and some 2,400 people were arrested, prompting Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez to say police had "lost control" and offer to resign — an offer President Macron rejected. Paris has since imposed curfews to try to prevent further disorder.

2. Ukraine-Russia war escalates after US sanctions waiver
In Ukraine, at least four civilians are dead and 27 wounded after another night of Russian drone and missile attacks, following a Russian drone strike on a park in Kharkiv region that killed six people, including three children. Amid growing tensions, Finland's government said it would purchase 1 million anti-personnel landmines at a cost of more than $100 million. This comes after President Trump waived sanctions on Moscow and reportedly told Zelensky it's "time for somebody else to negotiate" for Ukraine.

3. Deadly drone strike on Abyei market kills over 150
A drone strike on a market in the disputed African region of Abyei killed at least 153 people, marking one of the deadliest incidents in the region recently.

4. Islamic State-affiliated attack in Mali kills dozens
An attack by an Islamic State-affiliated group in Mali killed 48 people, according to officials.

5. Iran's IRGC claims it shot down a US drone over the Strait of Hormuz
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claims it shot down a US MQ-9 drone over the Strait of Hormuz as regional military tensions continue to escalate, raising fresh concerns about US-Iran confrontation in the Gulf.

6. South Korea's Gangnam serial arson case
A man in his 70s set fire to two buildings in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, injuring 19 people, and was found to have attempted to start a fire in the same buildings four years earlier. The suspect has largely admitted to the crimes during police questioning, and police plan to apply for an arrest warrant today.

7. Rubio visits India amid rising regional tensions
US Secretary of State Rubio landed in Mumbai for a two-day India visit to meet with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, with trade and energy ties taking center stage, while Jaishankar also held talks with the UAE foreign minister, calling the West Asia situation a matter of "deep concern" amid rising regional tensions.

8. US government orders removal of China's DeepSeek AI from official systems
The US has ordered government agencies to remove China's DeepSeek AI tools from official systems amid growing concerns over technology security and foreign AI products.

9. Japan launches historic Mars moon sample mission
Japan launched a historic space mission to collect samples from Mars' moon Phobos, aiming to uncover clues about the Red Planet's origins and the early solar system.

10. US midterm election campaign intensifies ahead of record spending
More than $15 billion has been raised in this year's US midterm elections, and France's president is condemning the violent protests erupting across the country. Candidates across the country are engaging in final high-profile campaign stops as early voting opens in many states, representing the peak of political mobilization two weeks before the general election.

Other notable stories today: A driver has been charged with intentionally injuring an Australian federal lawmaker, Houthis attacked a city in Yemen that the UN says is at "grave risk," and markets are watching Meta Platforms and Tesla's third-quarter earnings reports on Wednesday, with focus also on the Federal Reserve's interest rate decision next week.