Oct 21, 2026, 09:30 AM UTC

Tensions remained high in Portadown, Northern Ireland, after police halted a restricted Orange Order parade on Sunday following a mass counter-protest on Garvaghy Road. The parade marked the first time since the late 1990s that the Protestant order was granted permission to march along the predominantly nationalist route.

An early-morning Belfast High Court ruling had upheld a Parades Commission decision permitting a silent procession of 35 members between 8:00 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. However, thousands of demonstrators, including Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O'Neill, gathered to block the road, prompting police to halt the procession on public safety grounds.

As the designated timeframe expired without the march taking place, crowds from both sides remained in the area while police, parade organizers, and local representatives engaged in discussions to resolve the standoff.

Sources: BBC Northern Ireland, France24, STV News, Sweden Herald, The Guardian

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda has advised the public to remain calm after troops were deployed near the border with Russia, calling the move a preventive effort to reduce potential operational risks. He stressed that early preparation is preferable to responding after a security breach takes place.

Addressing broader defense concerns, Nausėda admitted that Lithuania's air defense system requires further improvement and noted delays in joint drone production initiatives with Ukraine. The president also expressed frustration over a recent controversy at the Ministry of National Defence, cautioning that internal disputes and poor conduct have harmed the institution's standing. In addition, Nausėda urged systemic infrastructure upgrades after a recent storm revealed operational weaknesses in national emergency preparedness.

Sources: 15min, LSM.

Ukraine’s outgoing Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko announced criminal charges against Semen Kryvonos, director of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU). In a video statement, Kravchenko stated he signed a notice of suspicion accusing Kryvonos of document forgery for large-scale financial gain and arranging a fake adoption to evade trial. Following the announcement, Kravchenko reportedly left Ukraine in an official vehicle.

NABU and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP) stated that Kryvonos was never formally served a suspicion notice. The anti-graft authorities dismissed Kravchenko's claims as an attempt to disrupt an active investigation into a criminal enterprise involving current and former lawmakers alongside senior officials in the President’s Office. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged parliament to rapidly approve Kravchenko’s dismissal.

Sources: NEXTA, OCCRP, The Insider, Радіо Свобода, Українська правда