Zelensky condemns 'horrific' Russian strike on boat carrying corn in Black Sea

Russia's government played down concerns Monday sparked by media reports that a female scientist in Siberia might have died of exposure to the plague after a lab accident. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stressed that the state health watchdog known as Rospotrebnadzor was the "lead agency with expertise in this area," and he urged Russians to "listen to official information" from its "highly qualified professionals." The researcher who died has been identified by the Russian reports as Darya Shipilova, 28, who worked at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Institute more than 2,500 miles east of Moscow.

Brent crude hovers around $100 a barrel despite news of increased Mideast oil flows, as Iran's Houthi allies battle over control of Red Sea shipping lanes.

LONDON — A British Airways passenger jet from London to Chicago descended 27,000 feet in just seven minutes on Monday after declaring an emergency because of an unspecified “technical issue,” the airline said. The Boeing 777 took off at 12:15 p.m. local time (7:15 a.m. ET) but made the descent just 30 minutes later while flying over Ireland, according to flight tracking website FlightAware . It turned around and spent around four hours zig-zagging over the Bristol Channel, to the west of England, before landing back at London Heathrow Airport at 5 p.m. local time (noon ET).

Progressive voters and supporters of incumbent president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva left reeling after far-right surge Flávio Bolsonaro is in pole position to win Brazil’s presidential election, after a far-right tsunami propelled him to a shock first-round victory over the incumbent, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, leaving progressive voters reeling. The 45-year-old rightwing candidate received 56.1m votes to Lula’s 53.8m – 47.03% to 45.16% – meaning the 80-year-old leftwinger has a mountain to climb if he is to bounce back in the second round on 25 October.…