US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump promised on October 22 to foil a proposed deal for AT&T to buy Time Warner if he wins the Nov. 8 election, arguing it was an example of a "power structure" rigged against both him and voters.

Fierce fighting and air strikes broke the third day of a four-day unilateral Russian ceasefire in the divided Syrian city of Aleppo on October 22, a monitor said.

Syria's army and Russia's air force halted their bombardment of rebel-held eastern Aleppo on October 21, a monitoring group said, on the second of four consecutive daytime unilateral ceasefires in the city that have been rejected by insurgents.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump gained on his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton among American voters this week, cutting her lead nearly in half, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling released on October 21. 

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte announced his "separation" from the United States on October 20, declaring he had realigned with China as the two agreed to resolve their South China Sea dispute through talks.

The Syrian military said on October 20 a unilateral ceasefire backed by Russia had come into force to allow people to leave besieged eastern Aleppo, a move rejected by rebels who say they are preparing a counter-offensive to break the blockade.

A 72-hour truce in Yemen came under pressure on October 20 when missiles fired from Yemen killed two civilians in Saudi Arabia, the United States said, while a Saudi-led coalition launched air strikes that Iran-allied Houthi fighters said killed three people.

The US partnership with Turkey in countering Islamic State is "very strong," US Defense Secretary Ash Carter said at a news conference on October 20.

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton go head to head on October 19 night in a third and final debate as Trump tries to reverse momentum in a US election that opinion polls show is tilting away from him.

US Secretary of State John Kerry played down expectations of a new Syrian ceasefire deal with Russia after talks in Geneva aimed at agreeing on how to separate al Qaeda-linked militants from opposition fighters in the besieged city of Aleppo.