frontpage: mon oct 19

A frontpage overview of the news from The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times for October 19. Russian leader Vladimir Putin has proposed a summit with President Trump and Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to negotiate an end to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine under terms favorable to Moscow, deliberately excluding Ukrainian leadership. Meanwhile, holiday air travelers face the highest ticket prices in a decade due to escalating fuel costs following recent Middle Eastern conflicts. In international news, France is dealing with severe nationwide riots and widespread property destruction stemming from cost-of-living protests, leading political figures to trade mutual accusations regarding the unrest. Additionally, Pavel Prigozhin has successfully maintained and expanded the operations of the Wagner mercenary group in Africa following his father's death, generating substantial annual revenue through various enterprises. Finally, Coca-Cola successfully secured a major supply agreement to provide beverages for over 3,000 KFC locations across the United States, replacing its longtime competitor PepsiCo.