Former Palestine Liberation Organisation official Xavier Abu Eid said strong Palestinian voter turnout highlighted how Arab citizens are treated in Israel’s democracy. The article also refers to allegations surrounding the vote and says Benjamin Netanyahu was seeking to remain in power, but it gives no details about the allegations or election results.
Key Facts
Xavier Abu Eid is described as a former Palestine Liberation Organisation official.
Abu Eid said Palestinian voter turnout was strong.
Abu Eid said the turnout highlighted the treatment of Arab citizens in Israel’s democracy.
The article refers to allegations surrounding the vote but does not specify them.
The article says Benjamin Netanyahu was seeking to remain in power.
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Qatari officials returned to Tehran on Friday to promote a deal ending the war between Iran and the United States, with the talks coordinated with Washington. The effort comes as President Donald Trump maintains the threat of renewed major strikes and reports emerge of incidents involving tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.
Key Facts
Qatar's delegation was led by a senior adviser to the country's prime minister and foreign minister and was scheduled to meet senior Iranian officials.
A U.S.-coordinated Qatari draft deal was presented to Iran, but a senior Iranian official described the ideas as unacceptable.
Iran wants the United States to lift its blockade of Iranian ports and remove sanctions limiting Iranian oil and gas sales.
Iran has said it will not change its position on the nuclear issue, which Washington wants included in negotiations.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard said two oil tankers encountered unspecified incidents and were halted while using a route Tehran considers unauthorized.
Iran said four ships had hit sea mines while attempting to use shipping lanes promoted by the United States.
The U.K. Maritime Trade Operations center reported that a tanker was struck by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday evening.
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Novaya Gazeta, a prominent independent Russian newspaper, says it is shutting down after receiving an eviction order and losing access to a system for collecting reader donations. The outlet blames Russian authorities for forcing it to stop work, following years of restrictions that included the revocation of its licence and the blocking of its website.
Key Facts
Novaya Gazeta announced that it was closing after about three decades of publication.
The newspaper said it received an eviction order and could no longer collect reader donations.
Russian authorities had revoked the newspaper's licence and blocked access to its website.
The newspaper said six journalists connected with it had been killed for their work, including Anna Politkovskaya.
After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia adopted laws that the article says were used to punish dissent and criticism of the war.
Police searched the newspaper's office earlier this year, and investigative journalist Oleg Roldugin was arrested and charged with unlawful access to computerised information.
Editor-in-chief Sergei Sokolov was questioned by police, and authorities searched his home.
Novaya Gazeta co-founder Dmitry Muratov received the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize and was designated a foreign agent by Russian authorities in 2023.
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France, Spain and Germany are preparing for Halloween-weekend demonstrations and possible unrest on Oct. 31. French authorities plan to deploy 70,000 security personnel, Barcelona police are monitoring calls for another gathering after recent violence, and German organizers expect more than 100,000 young protesters in at least 23 cities.
Key Facts
France’s Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said Oct. 31 carries a high risk of public disorder and said demonstrations would be barred from city centers.
France plans to deploy 70,000 police officers and security personnel on Saturday.
Authorities said 410,000 people joined marches across France the previous Saturday.
In Barcelona on Oct. 24, more than 600 young people gathered; authorities reported at least 23 businesses looted or vandalized and 33 small fires.
Authorities reported 130 arrests in weekend unrest in Spain, including 76 minors; about 20 more people were arrested after disturbances in Bilbao.
A Telegram group using the name Blocus BCN circulated calls for another gathering in Barcelona on Oct. 31, according to the article.
Germany expects more than 100,000 people to attend youth-led demonstrations in at least 23 cities.
The German demonstrations are organized by Gen Z Regelt and will address education, healthcare, climate action, living costs, military conscription and austerity.
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Russian independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta says it will shut down after pressure from authorities. Editor-in-chief Sergei Sokolov said the outlet plans to turn off its servers and close its offices on November 9.
Key Facts
The newspaper’s editorial board said Russian authorities and intelligence services forced it to cease operations.
Novaya Gazeta said it would shut down its servers and offices on November 9.
Authorities searched Sokolov’s home and questioned him on October 15.
The search was linked by authorities to a criminal case involving colleague Oleg Roldugin, who was arrested in April and charged with unlawful access to computerised information.
Moscow has designated Novaya Gazeta a “foreign agent,” a label the article says is used to stifle dissent.
The paper had already reduced its operations in Russia after authorities revoked its media licence following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Former editor-in-chief Dmitry Muratov shared the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize for efforts to safeguard freedom of expression.
Reporters Without Borders said six Novaya Gazeta journalists and staff members had been murdered.
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More than 1,400 Africans have been recruited to fight for Russia in Ukraine since 2023, according to the report. As African and Russian officials meet at a summit, families in Tunisia are seeking information about men who went to Russia for work or study and whose fate is unknown.
Key Facts
The report says more than 1,400 Africans have been enlisted since 2023.
The recruits are fighting for Russia in Ukraine.
African leaders and Russian officials are meeting at an Africa-Russia summit.
The summit agenda covers security, trade and political cooperation.
Recruitment of Africans to fight in Ukraine is not on the summit agenda.
Families in Tunisia are searching for several men who travelled to Russia for work or study.
The article reports that the families have not received answers about the men’s fate.
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Michoacan state authorities arrested Uruapan welfare secretary Rosa Alejandra Vargas over alleged concealment related to the killing of Mayor Carlos Manzo. Prosecutors say investigators believe the Jalisco New Generation Cartel ordered the attack; authorities have arrested 34 people in connection with the case.
Key Facts
Prosecutors said Vargas was arrested on suspicion of concealing a crime.
State prosecutor Israel Vega said Vargas is related to several people already arrested and had not appeared when investigators summoned her.
Assassins killed Manzo in Uruapan during Day of the Dead celebrations in November 2025.
Investigators believe the Jalisco New Generation Cartel ordered the attack, according to the article.
Authorities have arrested 34 people over Manzo's killing.
Manzo had spoken out against organized crime in Michoacan and led the Sombrero Movement.
At least 13 mayors have been killed in Mexico since President Claudia Sheinbaum took office, according to an Associated Press tally based on official reports.
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Beijing’s annual Love Queer Film Week was cancelled shortly before it was due to begin after authorities reportedly increased pressure on organizers through repeated phone calls. Founded in 2001, the festival provided a public forum in mainland China for films and discussions about LGBTQ+ issues.
Key Facts
Organizers announced the cancellation in an Instagram post late Thursday.
The festival was scheduled to begin Friday in Beijing.
The festival was founded in 2001 by Peking University students.
It was described as one of China’s oldest independent film festivals and the only mainland Chinese festival offering a public forum for LGBTQ+ films and discussions.
Several international filmmakers whose work was selected for the festival had travelled to China to attend.
In June, police harassment led to the cancellation of Beijing screenings of LGBTQ+-themed films at the Institut Français.
Beijing’s public security bureau could not be reached for comment.
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At least 60 Christians were killed in an attack in Ethiopia that the Orthodox Church described as religious violence. Responsibility remains unclear, as rebels and local government officials blame each other; about 20 houses were burned.
Key Facts
At least 60 Christians were killed in Ethiopia.
The Ethiopian Orthodox Church described the killings as religious violence.
It is unclear who carried out the attack.
Rebels and local government officials blame each other.
About 20 houses were burned.
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Tanzania is marking one year since the October 29, 2025 election and the violence that followed. President Samia Suluhu Hassan won 98 percent of the vote after most opposition candidates were excluded; security forces suppressed days of protests, and government critics say they still fear abduction, arbitrary arrest, and politically motivated prosecutions.
Key Facts
The election took place on October 29, 2025.
Samia Suluhu Hassan won 98 percent of the vote.
Most opposition candidates were excluded from the election.
Days of protests followed the vote.
Security forces suppressed the protests.
Government critics say they continue to fear abduction, arbitrary arrest, and politically motivated prosecutions.
Tanzania marked the first anniversary of the election violence on October 30, 2026.
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Serbia’s Student List, which the article says won a decisive election victory, says it will prioritize anti-corruption measures and reform public institutions. Its candidates called for senior security officials to be dismissed and for cases linked to a railway-station canopy collapse that killed 16 people to be reopened or expedited.
Key Facts
The Student List is described as a direct-democracy movement, not a traditional political party.
The movement’s candidates called for the dismissal of several senior law-enforcement officials, including chiefs of criminal police, the gendarmerie and an anti-terrorism unit.
Candidate Svetlana Stanarević called for the head of Serbia’s internal intelligence agency to resign, accusing the agency of acting as a party security service.
The canopy at a renovated railway station in Novi Sad collapsed two years earlier, killing 16 people; the article says there had been no convictions.
Candidate Iva Marković said police and prosecutors should be able to do their jobs without political pressure.
The students chose the parliamentary candidates, but the article says they will not directly control them after they take office.
Borko Stefanović, a candidate who had opposed Slobodan Milošević, said he did not want a new democratic coalition to lose its early promise.
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Israel’s October 27 election left no bloc with the 61 seats needed to form a government. Coalition talks are under way, but major leaders have ruled out working with Arab-led parties, and another election could follow if efforts to form a government fail.
Key Facts
Final results gave Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc 53 seats in the 120-member Knesset.
The opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot won 48 seats.
The United Arab List (Ra’am) and the Joint List won 19 seats combined.
Voter turnout was 77.9 percent, and the final count included at least 500,000 double-envelope ballots from soldiers and diplomats.
A governing coalition needs support from at least 61 Knesset members.
If coalition efforts fail, President Isaac Herzog can ask a candidate to form a government, initially allowing about 28 days, with a possible extension.
If the first candidate fails, Herzog can choose another; after that, a 21-day period allows 61 Knesset members to ask him to assign the task to a legislator.
Israelis may have to vote again if all government-formation efforts fail.
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An aid convoy entered Russian-held Oleshky in Ukraine’s Kherson region during a six-day U.S.-brokered local ceasefire. Officials said evacuation buses were ready for residents, while Russia said the truce was limited to Oleshky and did not signal a broader ceasefire.
Key Facts
The convoy brought food and medical supplies to Oleshky, according to Russian newspaper Izvestia.
Russian and Ukrainian officials said demining around the town was complete and aid delivery and evacuations could begin.
Russian official Yana Lantratova said 25 buses with at least 750 seats were ready to evacuate residents.
Lantratova said two people were killed during the demining effort.
Ukraine’s human rights commissioner, Dmytro Lubinets, said remaining residents would be able to leave safely and stressed the need to maintain the ceasefire.
The White House said First Lady Melania Trump mediated the local ceasefire; the Vatican separately credited the pope’s calls with the Russian and Ukrainian presidents.
Oleshky had about 24,000 residents before the war; the article said it lacked electricity, heat, and running water, with up to 2,000 people still there.
Russian and Ukrainian forces continued attacks elsewhere, according to statements from both sides.
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The United States is preparing for possible renewed strikes on Iran while keeping a diplomatic channel open. Reports say Vice President JD Vance proposed direct talks, and Qatari mediators have returned to Tehran, but the article says it is unclear whether diplomacy can prevent further attacks.
Key Facts
CENTCOM chief Admiral Brad Cooper briefed President Donald Trump on options for renewed attacks on Iran, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The New York Times reported that the United States and Israel prepared joint attack plans for after the November 3 U.S. midterm elections.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the United States increased air defenses and munitions in the region and moved some troops away from bases vulnerable to Iranian retaliation.
Israel’s public broadcaster Kan reported that U.S. military cargo planes landed in Israel and that others were sent to Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
The New York Times reported that Vance sent Iran’s Supreme National Security Council secretary, Mohsen Rezaei, a proposal for direct talks covering Iran’s nuclear program.
A Qatari official told Reuters that mediators returned to Tehran for talks coordinated with the United States.
Analysts cited in the article differed on how much influence Vance or Rezaei could have over decisions in Iran, and said the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps may have a central role.
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An evacuation is under way from Russian-occupied Oleshky in Ukraine’s Kherson region during a ceasefire that began Tuesday. Residents can leave by bus and continue through Russian-occupied territory, Belarus and into Ukraine; some have chosen to stay, despite severe shortages and damage.
Key Facts
The evacuation corridor is open for four hours, until 14:00 local time.
A convoy of 25 buses can carry up to 750 people, with ambulances available for people with limited mobility.
Residents leaving will travel first to Russian-controlled territory, then to Anapa, Russia, and by plane to Gomel, Belarus, before entering Ukraine’s Chernihiv region.
Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets and Russia’s ombudsman Yana Lantratova visited Oleshky and worked on the evacuation.
Several hundred residents are understood to have chosen to remain in the city.
Oleshky has widespread damage and lacks gas, electricity and running water.
Russia said it had prepared food, medicine, hygiene products and generator fuel for residents who stay.
The ceasefire is due to last until the end of Sunday, 1 November.
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Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party alleged, without providing evidence, that voter fraud helped Arab parties make record gains in Israel’s election this week. The Arab-led parties could become kingmakers in forming the next government, while Netanyahu’s bloc has lost its majority.
Key Facts
Likud made the voter-fraud allegation on Thursday.
The party did not provide evidence for its allegation.
Arab-led parties made a historic showing in the election.
Their gains could give them a kingmaker role in forming the next government.
The article describes Netanyahu’s accusations as an escalation of anti-Arab rhetoric.
Netanyahu’s bloc lost its majority.
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Israel’s final election results show that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc won 53 parliamentary seats, short of a majority. The opposition bloc won 48 seats, leaving negotiations among parties with different religious and political positions to determine how a government can be formed.
Key Facts
Israel released the final election results early Friday, October 30, 2026.
Netanyahu’s bloc won 53 seats.
The main opposition bloc won 48 seats.
Netanyahu’s bloc did not secure a parliamentary majority.
Negotiations are expected among parties ranging from ultra-Orthodox Jewish to secular and Arab-led groups.
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A helicopter carrying six people, including five pilgrims, crashed near Joshimath in Uttarakhand, India, after taking off from Badrinath on Friday. Rescue teams are searching the mountainous area, but officials have not confirmed the passengers’ condition or the cause of the crash.
Key Facts
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said the crash occurred near a village in Chamoli district.
The helicopter reportedly lost contact after departing Badrinath on Friday afternoon.
Rescue teams from the district administration, disaster management department and State Disaster Response Force are involved.
Officials said heavy rain and poor visibility were reported in the region.
India’s weather department had issued an orange alert warning of thunderstorms, hail and strong winds.
Dhami said he ordered that anyone seriously injured be airlifted for treatment.
A helicopter crash near Kedarnath killed seven people in June 2025; another crash on the pilgrimage route killed seven in October 2022.
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Heavy rain and strong winds have prompted flood warnings in central Greece and western Turkey, where another 100–150mm of rain is expected this week. The article also reports severe weather from Cyclone Arnab in India, Super Typhoon In-fa in the western Pacific, and Tropical Storm Vance in Mexico.
Key Facts
A tornado during a thunderstorm in Antalya, Turkey, killed four construction workers on Tuesday.
Authorities in Greece and Turkey issued severe rainfall and flood warnings.
Forecasters expect 100–150mm of rain in central Greece and western Turkey this week, with locally higher totals possible.
Cyclone Arnab made landfall in the Indian regions of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, bringing wind gusts above 85mph and more than 200mm of rain in some areas.
More than 180,000 people were evacuated in India as Cyclone Arnab disrupted energy and transport infrastructure.
Typhoon In-fa was upgraded to super typhoon status, with sustained winds of 150mph and gusts above 185mph; it was expected to affect the Mariana Islands.
Tropical Storm Vance weakened to a tropical depression after bringing heavy rain and hazardous coastal conditions to parts of western Mexico.
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Police Scotland said it has received information and is making early-stage inquiries into time Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell spent at Balmoral with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. The Daily Express reported that the inquiries concern claims that women were trafficked to the estate; police did not confirm details.
Key Facts
Police Scotland described its inquiries as being at a very early stage.
The inquiries concern time Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor spent at Balmoral with Epstein and Maxwell.
The Daily Express reported claims that women were trafficked to the Scottish estate.
Police said its inquiries are evidence-led and consider the needs of victim survivors.
Police declined to comment further on the ongoing inquiries.
Images released earlier by the U.S. Department of Justice appear to show Mountbatten-Windsor and Epstein on a shooting trip at the estate.
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