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Monthly Archives: October 2026

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15 Oct 2026
Gaza ceasefire one year

A Year Into the Gaza Ceasefire, the UN Says the Killing Never Stopped

Categories World

A year after the guns were meant to fall silent, the Gaza ceasefire one year mark has arrived with a grim verdict from humanitarian groups. More than 100 of them, in a joint statement issued October 9, warned that the truce “exists in name only.” Signatories include Amnesty International, the Norwegian Refugee Council, Save the Children, Oxfam and Greenpeace. Their statement lands alongside separate figures from the United Nations Human Rights Office documenting over a thousand deaths since the ceasefire took effect.

The ceasefire itself began on October 10, 2025, under a US-backed framework known as the Gaza Board of Peace. One year on, two sets of casualty figures are circulating this week. They tell a similar story from different angles: a truce that stopped the heaviest fighting without stopping the killing.

What the Gaza Ceasefire One Year Mark Has Actually Verified

The UN Human Rights Office, OHCHR, says it has verified 1,076 Palestinian deaths in Gaza between the ceasefire’s announcement and the end of July 2026. Of those, 268 were children and 126 were women, meaning women and children made up 37% of verified fatalities. Ajith Sunghay, the OHCHR’s head for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, described continued violations during what was supposed to be a ceasefire as appalling. He said Palestinians continue to face attacks in what he called an “ever-shrinking area.”

The Palestinian Ministry of Health has put the toll higher, at more than 1,400 killed since the truce began. The OHCHR has verified 1,076 of those cases and says its own count is likely conservative, since it does not capture every civilian death among adult men. Separately, the 100-plus NGOs behind this week’s joint statement cited more than 1,400 deaths including at least 327 children in the year since the deal. Save the Children said nearly one child has been killed in Gaza every day since the ceasefire was announced.

Gaza ceasefire one year illustration

The “Yellow Line” Keeps Moving

Central to the dispute is the so-called Yellow Line, a buffer zone established under the ceasefire framework that marks how far Israeli forces have withdrawn. Humanitarian groups say Israel has shifted the line further into Gaza than the original agreement intended, crowding Palestinians into smaller areas. The OHCHR recorded 331 deaths near the Yellow Line alone, including 66 children, 27 women and 238 men. Violence has continued in the days immediately around the anniversary. At least eight Palestinians were reportedly killed on October 8, and heavy tank fire was reported in Khan Younis on October 9.

A Health System Still Running on Fumes

None of Gaza’s 36 hospitals is currently operating at full capacity, hampered by shortages of medicine, equipment and fuel, according to the NGO coalition’s statement. More than 18,500 patients are said to need medical evacuation out of Gaza, including at least 4,000 children. More than 1,000 people have died while waiting for one to be arranged. The World Health Organization estimates roughly 24% of the wounded from the broader war have sustained life-changing injuries requiring long-term rehabilitation, a quarter of them children.

Those figures sit on top of a much larger total. The Palestinian Ministry of Health’s running count since October 2023 stands at 74,254 people killed, including at least 21,000 children, or roughly 3% of Gaza’s pre-war population. About 175,000 people have been wounded, the equivalent of 1 in every 13 residents. The ministry’s methodology counts only hospital-recorded or officially registered deaths, so the true toll is likely higher.

Shelter and Food Are Still a Crisis, Not an Afterthought

Nearly 2 million Palestinians need shelter, with about 80% of structures in Gaza damaged, the NGO statement says. Humanitarian groups blame Israeli restrictions on construction materials and equipment for blocking reconstruction and repair work. On food, the coalition projects that 1.4 million people will face crisis-level hunger or worse through the end of 2026. Amnesty International’s Secretary General, Agnes Callamard, framed the stakes bluntly: “Accountability cannot be buried under the rubble.” The signatory groups are calling on Israel to comply with the International Court of Justice’s binding orders related to humanitarian access.

What Comes Next for Gaza’s Reconstruction

None of this week’s reporting points to an imminent resolution. The ceasefire framework remains in place on paper, but the gap between its terms and conditions on the ground is now the subject of UN verification reports and NGO monitoring, rather than active negotiation. Reconstruction funding, movement of materials, and accountability for the Yellow Line’s position are all likely to remain open questions well into next year. For related coverage of how international accountability and sanctions pressure is playing out elsewhere this month, see Tamara News’ reporting on the UK’s sanctions against Iranian nationals and the new torture charges filed against Venezuela’s Maduro and Flores.

Questions Readers Are Asking About the Ceasefire’s First Year

When did the Gaza ceasefire actually start?
It took effect on October 10, 2025, under the US-backed Gaza Board of Peace framework.

How many people has the UN confirmed were killed since the ceasefire began?
The UN Human Rights Office has verified 1,076 deaths between October 2025 and the end of July 2026, while cautioning that its count is likely incomplete.

Why do the casualty numbers from different sources not match?
The Palestinian Ministry of Health’s count (over 1,400) and the UN’s verified figure (1,076) cover different methodologies and time windows. The UN has formally confirmed a subset of the ministry’s reported cases.

What is the Yellow Line and why does it matter?
It’s the buffer zone marking the extent of the Israeli military withdrawal under the ceasefire deal. Humanitarian groups say it has moved further into Gaza than agreed, and nearly a third of verified deaths since the ceasefire have occurred near it.

Is Gaza’s humanitarian situation improving a year on?
Not according to the NGOs and UN agencies cited here. None of Gaza’s hospitals are at full capacity, almost 2 million people need shelter, and 1.4 million are projected to face crisis-level hunger through the end of 2026.

What are humanitarian groups asking Israel to do?
The coalition of over 100 organizations is calling for compliance with the International Court of Justice’s binding orders on humanitarian access and accountability for ceasefire violations.

Sources

Featured image for illustration: war-damaged buildings in Aleppo, Syria (not Gaza), credit: EU Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid / Flickr (CC BY 2.0). In-content image: Zaatari refugee camp, Jordan, credit: DFID – UK Department for International Development / Flickr (CC BY 2.0).

15 Oct 2026
EU frozen Russian assets

Europe Is Sitting on €210 Billion of Frozen Russian Money. It Still Won’t Touch It

Categories EU, World

European Council leaders gathered in Brussels on October 15-16, 2026, for a summit that put EU frozen Russian assets back on the agenda. Once again, they left without resolving what to do with them. A senior European diplomat briefed reporters on condition of anonymity ahead of the meeting. Ukraine’s financing needs beyond 2026 would be discussed, the diplomat said — but no funding decision was expected this time around.

That holding pattern has defined the debate for the better part of a year. Roughly €210 billion in Russian central bank assets remain frozen across European institutions, most of it held through the Brussels-based clearing house Euroclear. Using that money to fund Ukraine’s defense and reconstruction has obvious appeal on paper. In practice, the EU has been unable to agree on how, or whether, to do it.

Why the EU Frozen Russian Assets Question Keeps Resurfacing

The idea came close to a breakthrough at the European Council’s December 2025 summit. The Commission proposed a so-called “reparations loan”: EU governments would advance Ukraine funds backed by the frozen Russian assets, to be repaid once Russia compensates Ukraine for the war. Belgium, which hosts most of the frozen holdings through Euroclear, blocked it. Belgian officials have repeatedly warned that unilaterally seizing sovereign assets, rather than merely freezing them, could expose Euroclear and the eurozone to legal and financial retaliation. That risk includes claims from Moscow and knock-on damage to confidence in European asset custody more broadly.

Instead of the reparations loan, the EU adopted a conventional €90 billion support package for Ukraine covering 2026 and 2027, approved in December. Officials say that package was expected to cover only around two-thirds of Ukraine’s financing needs over that period. That leaves a gap that frozen Russian assets were meant to help close — and still might, if Belgium’s objections can eventually be overcome.

EU frozen Russian assets illustration

What EU Leaders Actually Discussed in Brussels

According to the diplomat who briefed Interfax-Ukraine ahead of the summit, the October 15-16 talks were expected to revisit Ukraine’s financing gap without producing a concrete decision. Positions on using the frozen assets “have not changed” since December, the diplomat said. It remained unclear how the discussion among the 27 heads of state and government would unfold once they sat down.

A separate EU spokesperson confirmed that the €90 billion package was never meant to be the whole answer. Work with international partners is continuing to help close the remainder of Ukraine’s funding needs, the spokesperson said. Those partners include the United Kingdom, Canada and Norway. The spokesperson gave no timeline for when, or whether, the asset question itself would be resolved.

Belgium’s Objection Is the Real Obstacle

Belgium’s position matters disproportionately because of where the money physically sits. Euroclear’s Brussels headquarters makes Belgium the custodian of most of the EU’s frozen Russian holdings. That gives Brussels effective veto power over any scheme that touches the underlying assets, rather than just the interest they generate. EU governments have so far relied on windfall profits from the frozen assets, interest income rather than the principal, to help fund Ukraine. It’s a far more legally conservative approach than the reparations loan Belgium rejected.

That caution reflects a genuine legal question EU lawyers have not fully settled. Is seizing a sovereign state’s central bank reserves defensible under international law, even in response to an illegal invasion? Or would it set a precedent that other states, and markets, come to see as confiscation rather than enforcement? The EU has not answered that question yet.

What Happens Next on Ukraine’s Funding Gap

Nothing in the Brussels talks suggests the stalemate breaks soon. The €90 billion package keeps Ukraine funded through 2027 on paper, but officials acknowledge it falls short of the full bill. The reparations loan idea has not been formally withdrawn, only shelved pending a legal and political fix that satisfies Belgium. Expect the topic to return at the next European Council meeting. Expect the UK, Canada and Norway to keep absorbing some of the gap in the meantime through bilateral support, rather than a unified EU mechanism.

For Ukraine, the practical effect is a financing plan built one summit at a time, rather than the multi-year certainty a resolved asset question would provide. For more on how the EU’s internal politics are shaping Europe’s response to the war, see Tamara News’ coverage of France’s 2027 budget cuts and the IMF and World Bank’s October meetings in Bangkok, where Ukraine’s financing also featured on the sidelines.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much Russian money is actually frozen by the EU?
EU officials put the figure at roughly €210 billion, most of it held through the Euroclear clearing system in Belgium.

What did EU leaders decide about EU frozen Russian assets at the October summit?
No new decision. A diplomat briefed on the talks said positions remain unchanged from December, when Belgium blocked a plan to use the assets as collateral for a “reparations loan.”

Why does Belgium object to using the frozen assets?
Belgium hosts most of the holdings through Euroclear. It has warned that seizing the underlying assets, rather than just their interest income, carries legal and financial risk that a windfall-profits approach avoids.

Does the EU’s €90 billion package cover all of Ukraine’s needs?
No. EU officials have said it was expected to cover only about two-thirds of Ukraine’s financing needs for 2026-2027, with the rest meant to come from partners or an eventual resolution on the frozen assets.

Who else is helping fund Ukraine besides the EU?
The United Kingdom, Canada and Norway are named as continuing partners working alongside the EU, though no unified mechanism has replaced the stalled reparations loan.

Is a decision on the frozen assets likely before the end of 2026?
Nothing from the October summit suggests an imminent breakthrough. Officials describe the legal and political questions as unresolved, rather than close to agreement.

Sources

15 Oct 2026
October 2026 Visa Bulletin

October 2026 Visa Bulletin: EB-2 and EB-3 Dates Move Back

Categories Immigration, Visa Updates, Work Permits

The October 2026 Visa Bulletin, the first for fiscal year 2027, moved several employment-based green card cut-off dates backwards. The State Department says some categories for applicants from the rest of the world retrogressed to keep issuances within the quarterly and annual limits. According to the bulletin itself, the worldwide final action date is 1 January 2025 for EB-2, 15 May 2024 for EB-3 and 1 January 2022 for Other Workers. EB-1 remains current.

In this report

The October final action dates

These are the employment-based final action dates for applicants charged to all countries other than those listed separately, taken from the State Department table:

  • EB-1: current.
  • EB-2: 1 January 2025.
  • EB-3 (skilled and professional workers): 15 May 2024.
  • Other Workers: 1 January 2022.

The bulletin says only that some categories “retrogressed” to hold issuances within the fiscal year 2027 limits and that the department will monitor demand and adjust as needed. The pages I could read do not state what the earlier dates were, so this report does not quantify how far they moved. Grape Law describes EB-2, EB-3 and Other Workers as the categories affected.

India and China

Applicants born in India and mainland China have their own dates. For India, the October table shows EB-1 at 1 February 2023, EB-2 at 1 November 2013, EB-3 at 1 January 2014 and Other Workers at 1 January 2014. For mainland China it shows EB-1 at 1 July 2023, EB-2 at 1 October 2021, EB-3 at 8 January 2022 and Other Workers at 1 October 2019. The bulletin also notes that the annual Other Workers limit is reduced under NACARA, by about 150 numbers for fiscal 2027, and that the religious workers category is extended through 11 December 2026.

What a final action date means

A date in the table means the category is oversubscribed, and visa numbers are available only to applicants whose priority date is earlier. Consider a hypothetical case. Maricel is a Filipino nurse whose employer filed an EB-3 petition and whose priority date is 1 March 2024. Because the Philippines is charged to the worldwide column, that date is earlier than 15 May 2024, so her number would be available if everything else is in order. A colleague with a priority date of 1 August 2024 would wait. Which chart applies to an applicant can differ, so check the State Department bulletin and your own case.

The bulletin governs when a visa number is available. It does not replace the other rules affecting green card applicants. For those, read our reports on the public charge rule for I-485 filers and the H-1B $100,000 payment.

What to watch next

The State Department publishes a new bulletin each month and says it will keep adjusting dates. Dates can move forward as easily as back, and a retrogression does not mean a petition is denied. Employers and applicants should ask their attorney whether to file for adjustment of status now or wait, since that depends on the chart USCIS accepts for the month. Our visa eligibility checker can help you compare routes if the US wait does not suit you.

October 2026 Visa Bulletin questions

What changed in the October 2026 Visa Bulletin?

The State Department says some employment-based categories for rest-of-world applicants retrogressed to keep fiscal year 2027 issuances within limits.

What is the EB-2 date for most applicants?

The worldwide EB-2 final action date is 1 January 2025.

What is the EB-3 date for most applicants?

The worldwide EB-3 final action date is 15 May 2024, with Other Workers at 1 January 2022.

Is EB-1 affected?

EB-1 is listed as current for all chargeability areas, though India and China have dates.

Does retrogression cancel my petition?

No. It affects when a visa number is available. Your priority date is kept, and dates can advance again.

Where can I check my own priority date?

On the State Department’s monthly Visa Bulletin page, or with an immigration attorney who can read your case.

Sources

15 Oct 2026
Australia student visa changes

Australia Student Visa Changes From 2 October 2026

Categories Study Abroad, Visa Updates

New Australia student visa changes took effect on 2 October 2026. Most temporary visa holders can no longer apply for a Student visa from inside Australia, and most new international students can no longer include family members in their application. The rules are set out on the Australian government’s Study Australia site. Current Student visa holders are not affected, and applications lodged before 2 October are assessed under the old rules.

In this report

Who can no longer apply from inside Australia

According to Study Australia, working holiday and Skills in Demand visa holders are among those who must now apply from overseas, and they must also be outside Australia when the visa is granted. Student visa holders generally cannot lodge another Student visa application onshore either. The exemptions listed include students sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) or Defence, doctoral, primary and secondary study, students who need up to 12 more months with the same provider, those moving from a completed course to a higher level, and cases where a provider has defaulted. ICEF Monitor reports that the list of affected visa classes widened between the 17 September announcement and the start date.

Family members

For a first or further Student visa, family members generally cannot be included unless an exemption applies. Study Australia lists doctoral students, nationals of Pacific and ASEAN countries, recipients of fully funded foreign government scholarships, and DFAT or Defence-sponsored students. Families already in Australia can be included in a new application if they were on the earlier visa or application before 2 October and the student is eligible to apply onshore. Family members cannot be added after a Student visa is granted, and that rule has no exemptions. ICEF notes that one source describes the dependant restriction as having “no exceptions” while listing exemptions, so rely on the government wording.

Consider a hypothetical case. Arjun is an Indian master’s applicant who planned to bring his spouse. Unless he qualifies for an exemption, such as a doctoral place or a qualifying scholarship, the new rules mean he should plan on applying without her. He should confirm his category on the government site or with a registered migration agent before paying any fee.

Changing providers

ICEF reports that non-school students must now stay with their principal course provider for 12 months before transferring, up from six, until a new transfer stream begins on 1 July 2027. Transfers are limited to courses at the same level or higher, and moving from higher education to vocational training onshore is no longer allowed. Business Today reports the same 12-month rule. If a course or provider turns out to be unsuitable, you may have to stay enrolled longer before moving.

What is still to come

Study Australia says a Transfer stream within the Student visa is planned, with details still in development. Family restrictions for Temporary Graduate (subclass 485) applicants will also be introduced, with no timing given. The page adds that the 485 application charge rose to A$5,750 on 1 July 2026, with applicants from Pacific Island countries, Timor-Leste and ASEAN states excluded from the increase. For earlier changes, see our reports on Australian visa application charges and the skilled visa salary thresholds.

What applicants should do

Check whether you are inside or outside Australia when you plan to lodge, whether you fit an exemption, and whether your family can travel with you. Keep evidence of any earlier lodgement date. If you are comparing destinations, our visa eligibility checker can help you check your options. Anything that depends on your own circumstances is a question for a registered migration agent.

Australia student visa questions

When did the Australia student visa changes start?

They took effect on 2 October 2026 for applications lodged from that date. Applications lodged earlier are assessed under the rules at lodgement.

Can a visitor or working holiday maker apply for a Student visa in Australia now?

Generally no. Study Australia says most temporary visa holders can no longer apply for a Student visa while in Australia and must apply from overseas.

Can I bring my family on a Student visa?

Generally not, unless an exemption applies. Study Australia lists doctoral students, Pacific and ASEAN nationals, some fully funded foreign government scholarship holders and DFAT or Defence-sponsored students.

Can I add family after my visa is granted?

No. Study Australia says family members cannot be added after a Student visa is granted and that this rule has no exemptions.

How long must I stay with my provider before switching?

ICEF reports 12 months for non-school students until 1 July 2027, when a new transfer stream starts.

Are current Student visa holders affected?

Study Australia says current Student visa holders are not affected by these changes.

Sources

14 Oct 2026
Oman free zone regulations

Oman Free Zone Regulations: What Foreign Investors Get

Categories Business

Oman has issued new Oman free zone regulations that bring its 2025 law on special economic and free zones into operation. Gulf News reported on 20 September 2026 that the Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones (OPAZ) issued them as Resolution No. 81/2026, implementing Royal Decree No. 38/2025. For foreign founders and property investors, the rules cover ownership, residency, licensing and buyer safeguards. The report does not state an effective date, so confirm that with OPAZ.

What this covers

Ownership and capital

The underlying law lets foreign investors hold 100 percent of operators, enterprises and real estate developers, according to a KPMG Oman summary of the law. Enterprises and developers are exempt from a minimum capital requirement, subject to approvals. Developers may sell units to non-Omanis on a freehold basis. Gulf News says the new regulations let expatriates acquire freehold ownership of units in qualifying developments and cover licensing for projects and off-plan sales.

Tax and customs incentives

KPMG describes a 10-year income tax exemption from the start of commercial operations. It may be extended twice for activities of a special nature, which the executive regulations are to specify. The exemption excludes banks, financial institutions, insurers and reinsurers, telecommunications companies, construction companies, and land and maritime transport companies. Goods moving into or out of the zones are not subject to customs duties. Existing incentives and approvals for current operators stay in place until their operating periods end.

Gulf News says the new framework also covers incentives and exemptions, but its article gives no figures. Founders should read the Royal Decree text on the OPAZ website and the resolution itself rather than rely on summaries.

Licensing and residency

A digital one-stop shop is the main channel for investor services. According to Gulf News, applications for land, property, licences, approvals, permits and certificates go through it, with electronic links to government authorities. KPMG adds that a branch of the Directorate General of Passports and Civil Status will sit in each zone to issue visas, permits and clearances to non-Omanis on site.

The residency provisions apply to expatriate investors, foreign property owners and their spouses and first-degree relatives, subject to the applicable legislation. The article gives no thresholds, durations or fees, so none can be quoted here.

Buyer safeguards

For anyone buying off plan, the safeguards matter most. Gulf News reports that developers must meet financial and technical conditions before marketing units, and that withdrawals from escrow accounts are regulated. These are conditions on the developer, not guarantees to the buyer, so due diligence on the developer and the project licence is still necessary.

What is still unclear

Several points remain open. The Gulf News report gives no effective date and no numerical thresholds. KPMG notes that the law’s executive regulations were expected within one year of issuance and would set timelines, transitional rules and qualifying conditions. A hypothetical founder, such as a Nigerian entrepreneur planning a logistics or light-manufacturing business, would need to check three things before committing: which zone is open for licensing, whether the planned activity falls under an excluded sector, and what residency route applies to the founder’s family.

For comparison with other Gulf jurisdictions, read our guides to the UAE commercial companies law amendments and Saudi company registration for non-Saudi firms. Our company formation page explains the setup options we cover, and the visa eligibility checker can help with the residency side.

Oman free zone questions

Who issued the new Oman free zone regulations?

The Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones issued them as Resolution No. 81/2026, according to Gulf News.

Can foreigners own 100 percent of a company in Oman’s free zones?

KPMG’s summary of Royal Decree 38/2025 says foreign investors may hold 100 percent of operators, enterprises and real estate developers.

Is there a tax exemption?

KPMG describes a 10-year income tax exemption from the start of commercial operations, extendable twice for special activities, with exclusions such as banks, insurers and telecoms.

Can expatriates buy freehold property?

Gulf News says the regulations let expatriates acquire freehold ownership of units in qualifying developments.

When do the regulations take effect?

The Gulf News report does not state an effective date. Check with OPAZ.

Sources

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