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Tundu Lissu, Chadema leader, has been convicted of incitement to unrest over remarks on electoral reform. Judges acquit him of treason, but sentence is four years in prison. Protests and international criticism have intensified as security is tightened around Dar es Salaam.
Alberta has voted to remain a province of Canada in a nonbinding referendum held 19 October. Unofficial counts show roughly three‑quarters of ballots favoured staying; about one quarter voted to begin a legal process toward a future binding referendum on separation. Prime Minister Mark Carney and Premier Danielle Smith have welcomed the result; separatist leaders say their movement will continue.
A judge in Ensenada has found Jesús Gerardo García, Irineo Francisco and Ángel Jesús guilty of killing Australians Callum and Jake Robinson and their American friend Carter Rhoad during a 2024 trip to Baja California. The court has also convicted the men of armed robbery and carjacking after testimony described a violent, premeditated attack and the victims' bodies were recovered from a well.
Since mid-October, Ukraine has criticised a US decision to restrict Starshield satellite speeds and has condemned President Trump’s deal to lift temporary limits on Russian diesel exports. Zelenskyy has told EU leaders the Starshield capability has not yet returned to previous levels and has asked the EU for €70bn in defence funding for 2027, while European capitals have publicly reassured Kyiv.
The Times of Israel reports continued Israeli strikes in Gaza targeting Hamas operatives, including leaders in the Nukhba Force and weapons production, as Israel seeks to dismantle Hamas capabilities. The operations follow Oct. 7 and ongoing ceasefire violations, with casualty updates from multiple sites.
A landslide has blocked the Budhi Gandaki River in Gorkha district and caused flash floods that have swept away homes, bridges and hydropower construction camps. Authorities have reported at least five people missing, rescued dozens of residents and trekkers, and evacuated hundreds while damage to roads and energy sites is hampering relief.
Pope Leo XIV has undergone surgery at Rome's Gemelli Hospital to remove the lower lobe of his right lung after doctors found a small, localized nodule. Surgeons have confirmed lung adenocarcinoma; doctors have said postoperative blood tests and a chest X‑ray are within expected ranges and the pope has begun physiotherapy and walking in his room.
Russian authorities have arrested a Japanese reporter identified as Yuki Imai of the Hokkaido Shimbun on Sakhalin and flown him to Moscow on suspicion of gathering information on Russia's defence capabilities for Japanese intelligence. Tokyo has demanded consular access, summoned Russia's ambassador and called for the reporter's fair treatment; Moscow says the case is not isolated.
The Louvre has accelerated its security reform after a high-profile 2025 heist, with a new security chief and an 83-million-euro masterplan moving forward. Paris officials warn that without repairs and modernization, the world’s most-visited museum could soon fall behind and risk closure. The plan also seeks private funding to support long-term infrastructure upgrades.
The Iran-backed Houthis have intensified attacks on Saudi energy facilities and airports, with Aramco sites in Dhahran and Riyadh targeted. Saudi-led forces are escalating operations along Yemen's Red Sea coast as regional tensions rise and a major Riyadh conference looms.
Brazil's electoral court has ordered Meta to apply identical rules to posts and advertising for President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and challenger Flávio Bolsonaro after Lula's campaign alleged the company limited his reach and biased AI tools. Meta has denied political favouritism, said it fixed technical problems and faces potential daily fines if it does not comply before Sunday’s runoff.
Istanbul has faced record rainfall with authorities confirming multiple flood-related deaths. Officials say thousands are being evacuated and more rain is expected over the weekend, prompting continued emergency response and school closures.
The floods in Istanbul have worsened, with multiple deaths and thousands evacuated. Rainfall has reached record levels since 1942, causing widespread damage and flight disruptions. Authorities warn of ongoing danger as the weekend forecast remains unsettled.
A three-story Al-Khair Education Center in central Peshawar collapses, killing a teacher and dozens of students aged 4–14. Authorities blame weak infrastructure and are investigating building safety, with more casualties feared as rescue teams search the rubble.
Houthi forces have launched missile and drone strikes on the al‑Maashiq presidential palace in Aden, hitting command centres and killing and wounding guards and civilians. Yemen’s prime minister and most ministers have been reported safe. The strikes mark a sharp escalation as the Iran‑aligned rebels press attacks on Saudi targets and government positions in Yemen.
Masked Israeli settlers have attacked Palestinian olive pickers and foreign visitors during this month’s harvest, seriously injuring Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine and wounding dozens of Palestinians. Israeli police have detained 10 people and seized vehicles, while rights groups say prosecutions for settler violence are rare and incidents have surged across the West Bank.
France has seen a third consecutive weekend of large protests over the cost of living and school conditions, with authorities reporting about 320,000 demonstrators nationwide and 70,000 in Paris. Most marches were peaceful; clashes later erupted in Paris, Lyon and Toulouse, where police used tear gas and water cannon and arrested hundreds.
The Bureau of Prisons has moved Sean 'Diddy' Combs from Fort Dix to Allenwood Low. The transfer, confirmed by officials, follows reports of a drawn-out confinement and ongoing questions about safety and inmate conditions, as Combs serves a four-year, two-month sentence for prostitution-related charges.
Protests across France have expanded nationwide as thousands rally against high living costs, inequality and perceived cuts to public services. Demonstrations began in Paris suburbs and have spread to cities including Marseille, with clashes reported and arrests continuing as authorities warn of possible violence.
Protests led by UGTT and opposition groups have converged in Tunis amid an economic crisis, demanding freedom, the release of critics, and an end to restrictions on trade union rights. Police are deployed as demonstrators call for the president’s limits on power to be rolled back.
Masked Israeli settlers have attacked a diplomatic delegation visiting olive harvesters near Taybeh, pelting consular vehicles with stones, smashing a Belgian car window and assaulting a French mayor. The EU and several foreign ministries have called for accountability; Israeli authorities have opened investigations while the prime minister has questioned elements of the footage.
European diplomats and a veteran American journalist have been assaulted by settlers in the occupied West Bank during olive harvest protests. The EU has condemned the violence and called for accountability, while Israel says the incidents require compelling evidence. The attacks come ahead of parliamentary elections in Israel.
Ukraine has resumed strikes on Russian energy facilities, targeting oil terminals and depots in St. Petersburg and other infrastructure as Moscow escalates its response. The attacks follow a stalled energy ceasefire and a surge in drone activity that has disrupted diesel exports and raised regional tensions.
Protests in Tirana have escalated over the past week, driven by demands for better university conditions and anger over corruption. Prime Minister Edi Rama has rejected calls to resign, attributing violence to external interference. Authorities report hundreds injured, with police sustaining the majority of casualties as clashes with demonstrators intensify.
The World Food Programme has cut monthly food assistance in Gaza from 1.6 million to 1.1 million people and halved some rations after a sharp funding shortfall; hot meals and cash support have been reduced while border closures and stalled commercial shipments are driving prices up and deepening hunger ahead of winter (28 Oct 2026).
Arab and Gulf states strengthen security coordination amid regional tensions. Egypt pledges defensive support to Saudi Arabia, stressing that Saudi security is tied to Egyptian and wider Arab stability. Qatar moves toward defence autonomy, while Gulf states push to blunt Houthi attacks and secure maritime routes.
Humanitarian groups warn Taiz’s residents face a humanitarian disaster as siege cuts wells, fuel and food deliveries. Water is increasingly scarce, prices soar, and aid routes are blocked. UN and Amnesty call for immediate access to the city.
France has imposed curfews, local protest bans and increased police deployments after riots on October 17 that saw looting, arson and widespread clashes. President Emmanuel Macron has convened a defence council and blamed organised ultra-left groups for sedition. Authorities have arrested thousands and have promised a larger security operation for upcoming demonstrations.
The Department of Homeland Security has ordered federal civilian agencies to remove DeepSeek products and any tools built with its models from government IT systems and to stop new purchases. The order, issued in late July and made public Monday, cites risks that sensitive U.S. data on systems used by government employees could be accessed from servers in China.
A drone strike has flattened Amiet market in the disputed Abyei area, killing at least 153 people and wounding dozens, local officials and aid agencies have said. South Sudan has summoned Sudan’s ambassador and the United Nations has condemned the attacks; the Sudanese military has not acknowledged responsibility.
The Guardian, Al Jazeera, France 24 and Arab News report that Boreal has announced new information indicating AI was used in the writing process of the novel and has ended its professional relationship with Orelien. The publisher behind the Goncourt shortlist says it will not know the full extent of AI involvement, while the author defends his honesty. The controversy surrounds a migration-themed novel and its removal from prize consideration.
A Tunisian court has sentenced former Ennahda acting leader Mondher Ounissi to nine years and journalist Zied El Heni to four years in a case connected to leaked audio and terrorism charges. Several defendants tried in absentia receive long terms. The cases follow President Kais Saied’s consolidation of power and mounting pressure on dissent.
Anthropic has guided investors toward a lower IPO valuation after a sharp post-election selloff in AI and big-tech stocks. Institutional buyers have pushed the company and bankers to reconsider targets that had ranged as high as $2 trillion, with new investor feedback clustering around roughly $1.4–$1.6 trillion as the company readies a roadshow.
The US State Department has ordered non-emergency government employees and their families to depart Saudi Arabia after a sharp rise in Houthi missile and drone attacks that have hit airports and energy sites, killed civilians and disrupted flights. Washington says the order applies only to Saudi Arabia and that other Gulf embassy withdrawals reported by some outlets are inaccurate.
Shark Bukangi, a three-meter female dusky shark, has been guided toward open water after weeks in Busan’s canal. Authorities report health concerns due to cooler waters; a final attempt to ensure safe release is underway as the animal remains near the canal mouth. The incident has drawn millions of visitors and raised questions about warming seas.
Serbia’s student-led “Student List” has mobilised across the country, fielding 250 candidates in a snap election aimed at unseating Vučić’s SNS. Protests and a 2024 Novi Sad canopy collapse are driving a push for reform, amid concerns about media fairness and civil freedoms.
A strong earthquake has struck northern Tibet, collapsing at least 339 homes and damaging dozens more. Authorities have deployed thousands of rescuers, sent prefabricated housing and tents, and closed roads as aftershocks and rockfalls complicate operations. Communications and rail services are disrupted; intermittent snow is forecast for the next three days.
The Israeli military has launched a large-scale operation in Hebron following a deadly attack at a West Bank checkpoint. Netanyahu has ordered house-to-house searches and the demolition of suspected militant infrastructure, in a move framed as a security response ahead of elections. Palestinian residents face displacement and movement restrictions as tensions rise.
Gunmen attacked a Greek Orthodox church in Hamoud, Karak, during a funeral, killing eight or nine people and injuring dozens. Jordanian authorities describe the attack as extremist terrorism. The government has ordered security forces to pursue attackers as national mourning is observed and communities pledge unity across Muslims and Christians.
Drones attributed to the SAF and RSF have repeatedly struck civilians, markets, hospitals and displacement sites in Sudan, driving mass displacement and deepening a humanitarian crisis. The UN rights office has documented dozens of deaths and numerous injuries in October as fighting intensifies and the war economy sustains itself.
Israeli forces have launched a large operation in Hebron after two soldiers were killed at a checkpoint, displacing roughly 3,000 people, demolishing homes and infrastructure, and imposing a citywide lockdown. Israeli leaders have defended the raids as counterterror measures; UN officials and rights groups have warned the steps amount to collective punishment and risk ethnic cleansing.
A 39-year-old man identified as Kevin T. has carried out shootings in Trappes and La Verrière, killing one person and injuring several others. Macron labels it a racist terrorist attack; authorities pursue psychiatric evaluation for the suspect amid ongoing investigations.
Lisbon and Porto saw police dismantle protest encampments early Sunday amid housing-crisis protests. Dozens were injured and 13 arrests were made as officers cleared tents in Rossio Square and Dom Joao I Square. Campaigners demand government action against evictions and rent caps; protests echo Spain’s housing-movement.
Thousands attend funerals in Karak after a terrorist attack on St. George Greek Orthodox Church, as Jordanians unite across faiths. Crown Prince, PM and other officials vow accountability and a steadfast response to extremism; the crisis prompts nationwide mourning and calls to confront sectarianism.
Authorities in the Philippines are analyzing a trove of suspected child sexual abuse material found at Thomas Markle Sr.’s Cebu home, with a forensic report due within a week. Markle Sr. denies the accusations as he awaits official findings amid ongoing police inquiries and a separate probe in Mexico and the United States related to past allegations.
Drone strikes have targeted power stations across Khartoum and eastern states, triggering widespread outages. Officials say multiple transformers, including the Al-Markhiyat station in Omdurman, have been damaged, disrupting electricity and water supplies as fighting between RSF and the army continues. UN reports warn of civilian harm amid the disruption.
Devin Jacob Ballard, a 20-year-old Lance Corporal stationed at MCAS Futenma, has been indicted on suspicion of strangling Anna Yagi, 39, in a Naha hotel and stealing her backpack and wallet. Prosecutors say he denies the charges; investigations include surveillance footage. Protests have followed the case, intensifying scrutiny of the U.S. military presence in Okinawa.
Mahmoud Khalil, a central figure in Gaza-war protests, has returned to Columbia University for a memoir event, his first appearance since detention in 2025. He accuses the university of erasing Palestinian voices and cites ongoing legal battles over deportation. Columbia defends its stance, emphasizing academic freedom and dialogue.
Kylian Mbappé has apologised after a clip circulated in which he joked about a meme that appeared to reference Mao Zedong. China Media Group has suspended broadcasts of La Liga matches, and Chinese firms including Dongpeng, Mengniu and Milkground have ended partnerships. Real Madrid and La Liga have also issued apologies.
France-bound IS suspects transferred from Syria are being tried in Iraq. A number have been handed life sentences while others receive long terms; several cases involve young defendants. Trials highlight ongoing Iraqi efforts to prosecute foreign fighters linked to the ISIS caliphate decades after its rise.