French 10-year bond yield rose to 5.084%, exceeding the U.S. 10-year Treasury yield for the first time since 2013.

On Oct. 21 in Havana, Cuban foreign minister Bruno Rodriguez said at a press conference that the U.S. government is pressuring other countries and attempting to influence the upcoming UN General Assembly vote on a resolution concerning the U.S. blockade of Cuba.

China's Premier Li met Russian President Putin in St. Petersburg on the afternoon of Oct. 21. Li said China is willing to better leverage bilateral economic complementarities and to maintain the current positive momentum in cooperation, with a focus on deepening practical ties in energy and resources, trade and investment, and transport to secure more tangible results and boost mutual prosperity. He also urged closer communication and coordination with Russia on major international issues and stepped-up cooperation within multilateral platforms including the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and BRICS to rally greater Global South support in defence of shared interests and fairness.