Ryan Dinnage, who provided security for Nigel Farage during Reform UK campaign events in April and May, was convicted in June of raping a woman in 2022 and sentenced to eight and a half years in prison in July. Reform UK said a third-party contractor supplied Dinnage and had assured the party he was vetted; the party said it stopped using him after learning of the case.
Key Facts
Dinnage accompanied Farage at campaign events in Llandudno, Waterlooville, Worthing and Downham Market.
Dinnage was charged in 2025, three years after the rape.
Police said Dinnage entered a caravan where a woman was sleeping at the Royal Windsor horse show in the early hours of 16 May 2022 and raped her.
The victim reported the crime later that day, and police arrested Dinnage the next day.
Reform UK did not answer questions about whether it continued working with the contractor or took action against it.
Labour called on Farage and Reform UK to explain when they learned about the charge and what steps they had taken to prevent a similar situation.
The article also reports scrutiny of the Conservatives over former election candidate Jack Ross, who was filmed in an undercover investigation discussing contract killers.
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The UK House of Commons Public Accounts Committee urged ministers to consider converting most of the British Council’s £197m debt into a grant or similar support. MPs said the council’s finances remain precarious and called on the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the council to agree on a plan for its future.
Key Facts
The council’s £60m loan from the FCDO, issued during the Covid-19 pandemic, has grown to £197m.
The loan was due to be repaid in 2026 but was restructured for repayment over 15 years.
The council forecasts it will not make an operating surplus until 2029–30.
The council plans further staff cuts, asset sales and closures in nine countries.
More than 2,000 full-time equivalent posts have been lost since 2021, and planned cuts would bring staffing to almost half its 2020 level.
The council operates in just under 100 countries and says it reaches more than 700 million people each year.
FCDO grant-in-aid accounts for about 15% of the council’s annual revenue; most income comes from teaching and exams.
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UK immigration officials barred Swedish academic Andreas Malm from entering the country, saying his presence “may not be considered to be conducive to the public good.” He was due to speak at a London conference about Palestine Action and appear on a BBC Radio 4 programme; Malm urged the government to reverse the decision.
Key Facts
Malm is an associate professor of human ecology at Lund University in Sweden and wrote How to Blow Up a Pipeline.
He was scheduled to headline a Tribune magazine conference next week in London.
Malm was due to speak with Huda Ammori, a co-founder of Palestine Action, which the UK has banned.
The conference was timed to coincide with the start of a Supreme Court challenge to the ban.
Sally Rooney, whose books she withdrew from sale in the UK over her support for Palestine Action, criticized the decision to bar Malm.
The Home Office said it does not discuss individual cases.
US commentators Cenk Uygur and Hasan Piker were also barred from the UK earlier this year on similar grounds.
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Sudanese diaspora members and human rights advocates criticized the UAE’s nomination of diplomat Lana Nusseibeh to become the next UN secretary-general. They cited her denials of allegations that the UAE supports Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces, while Nusseibeh said she would back UN investigations and accountability efforts if elected.
Key Facts
The UAE nominated Nusseibeh to succeed António Guterres, whose second five-year term ends this year.
Rights groups and others have documented allegations of UAE support for the Rapid Support Forces, which has been accused of atrocities in Sudan.
The UN said the RSF attack on El Fasher in October 2025 had “hallmarks of genocide.”
Sudanese activists and advocates said Nusseibeh’s past denials could undermine trust in the UN and accountability for abuses.
Nusseibeh said she had taken leave from her UAE government post and would support UN fact-finding and transitional justice efforts.
A candidate needs at least nine votes in the 15-member Security Council and must avoid a veto by any of its five permanent members.
A recent informal Security Council poll put former Costa Rican vice-president Rebeca Grynspan narrowly ahead, but every candidate received at least two opposing votes from permanent members.
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Illegal gold mining has spread around abandoned mine shafts west of Johannesburg, where miners have taken water from a local animal charity and left nearby communities facing environmental and safety concerns. The activity is driven by gold prices, poverty and unemployment, while experts say enforcement and efforts to secure old mines have not stopped it.
Key Facts
Cora Bailey, founder of the animal charity Claw in Roodepoort, said miners used water from the charity’s tanks for gold processing, leaving the organisation with only about two buckets of water at one point.
Police said on 19 October that they had arrested 71 suspected illegal miners across South Africa during the previous week.
Researchers estimate that illegal miners number in the tens of thousands; a 2019 estimate put illegal gold exports at about $1 billion, or a tenth of South Africa’s gold production.
In 2025, 93 bodies were recovered from a mine shaft in Stilfontein after police blocked food and water deliveries underground.
South Africa’s mining minister said in 2025 that the country had 6,100 derelict and ownerless mines and 1,170 unsafe mine openings.
Mining companies are legally required to seal disused shafts and rehabilitate the surrounding land.
Experts say most illegal miners come from neighbouring countries, mainly Lesotho, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
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The Wildlife Trusts have raised £30 million to buy the 3,800-hectare Rothbury estate in Northumberland. The trust plans to restore and expand habitats, support wildlife and create a nature corridor, while also encouraging nature tourism in the area.
Key Facts
The fundraising campaign began two years ago after the estate was put up for sale by Max Percy, the Duke of Northumberland’s youngest son.
The estate covers more than 3,800 hectares, nearly 15 square miles.
The campaign received £17 million from members of the public, according to Northumberland Wildlife Trust chief executive Mike Pratt.
The estate includes hills, moorland, woodlands, the River Coquet and farmland.
The trust hopes to support species already present and help species such as water voles return.
The long-term plan is for the estate to anchor a 40-mile nature corridor between Druridge Bay and nature reserves near the Scottish-English border.
Volunteers are helping with wildlife monitoring, including recordings of animal sounds and planned earthworm counts.
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Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado returned from exile and called for presidential elections in 2027. She thanked U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration for the January operation that abducted President Nicolás Maduro, while criticizing a recent U.S. oil deal with Venezuela as lacking transparency.
Key Facts
Machado made her remarks at a news conference in Caracas on Thursday.
She said she had returned to mobilize Venezuelan society after more than 10 months in exile.
Machado said U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had outlined steps toward a democratic transition and elections in 2027.
Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s former vice president, has governed Venezuela since Maduro’s abduction in January.
Rodríguez said elections would be held but did not give a date.
Machado criticized a recent oil agreement under which Venezuela is to hand over 20 percent of its oil reserves.
Machado returned to Venezuela on Sunday and was greeted by cheering supporters.
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Israeli actress Chelli Goldenberg criticized Israel’s policies toward Palestinians during a live Channel 13 segment. She reportedly did not realize the segment was being broadcast and was shocked after her remarks were aired.
Sir Patrick Stewart, the British actor known for Shakespeare roles and major science-fiction franchises, died at his home in Los Angeles at age 86. His career spanned more than seven decades, including roles as Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men films.
Key Facts
Stewart was born in Yorkshire in 1940 and grew up in a poor family.
A schoolteacher introduced him to Shakespeare and encouraged him to act.
He appeared in the 1970 production of Two Gentlemen of Verona and the 1976 BBC series I, Claudius.
Stewart began playing Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation in 1987.
He played Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men film series, beginning in 2000.
His honors included a Grammy and two Laurence Olivier Awards; he was also nominated for a Tony, Golden Globes and Emmys.
Queen Elizabeth II knighted Stewart in 2010.
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An unpublished Australian government report says feral deer grew in number and spread across the country between 2020 and 2025, causing more than $91 million in annual production losses and management costs. South Australia was the only state or territory to earn green ratings across all four measures, while advocates say other jurisdictions need sustained funding and action to contain deer.
Key Facts
The report assessed the national feral deer action plan over the five years from 2020 to 2025.
Feral deer cost Australia more than $91 million each year in production losses and management time, according to the report.
Six feral deer species are established in Australia: chital, fallow, hog, red, rusa and sambar.
Deer populations are strongest in south-eastern Australia, with smaller local populations in South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
South Australia received green ratings for abundance, distribution, and environmental and agricultural impacts after starting a statewide eradication plan in 2022.
New South Wales and Tasmania received red ratings in all four assessment categories.
Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory each received three red ratings and one yellow; no jurisdiction other than South Australia received a green rating.
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Actor Sir Patrick Stewart has died at 86 from Alzheimer’s disease. Known for roles including Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek and Professor X in X-Men, he had a seven-decade career spanning classical theatre, film and television.
Key Facts
Sir Ian McKellen called Stewart the most respected and beloved actor of his generation.
Stewart played Captain Jean-Luc Picard in more than 170 Star Trek episodes from 1987 to 1994, four films and the series Star Trek: Picard from 2020 to 2023.
Stewart joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1966 and performed in productions including King John, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Henry IV.
William Shatner, George Takei and Hugh Jackman shared tributes to Stewart.
Marvel Studios described Stewart as a singular talent and generous collaborator.
Huddersfield Town, the football club Stewart supported, called him a titan of his craft.
Stewart was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2010.
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Heavy rains caused flash floods across several Syrian provinces, killing five people, including four children. Flooding damaged bridges and roads, trapped vehicles and forced families to leave camps in the Raqqa countryside.
Key Facts
The four children drowned in Raqqa and Deir Az Zor governorates, according to Syria’s Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management.
A man died after floodwaters caught his car near al-Salmani Bridge in western Raqqa countryside.
Five people, including two children, remained missing as of Thursday.
The flooding damaged infrastructure in Aleppo, Raqqa, Deir Az Zor, Hasakah and Homs.
Al-Salmani Bridge west of Tabqa collapsed, closing the road between Raqqa and Aleppo, state news agency SANA reported.
Emergency teams rescued 15 people whose vehicles were trapped in floodwaters.
Authorities evacuated about 375 families from three camps on the rural outskirts of Raqqa.
UNICEF said flooding had affected 17,000 people in Syria earlier in 2026; 700 families had been displaced, and 49 water treatment plants had gone out of service.
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China expelled 33 Communist Party members at its fifth plenum, a record number, as Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption campaign continued to target senior officials. Only 279 of the 376 Central Committee members named in 2022 attended; the article says many absences were linked to purges, while others were unexplained.
Key Facts
The fifth plenum expelled 33 party members.
The Central Committee had 376 full and alternate members named in 2022, but 279 attended the gathering.
Confirmed expulsions included Zhang Youxia, formerly second in command in China’s military hierarchy, and Ma Xingrui, formerly the party secretary for Xinjiang.
The article reports that purges have reduced the seven-member Central Military Commission to Xi Jinping and Zhang Shengmin.
Zhang Shengmin was promoted to the Communist Party’s Politburo and became its only military member.
The plenum laid groundwork for the 21st Party Congress, expected in the second half of 2027.
Xi is expected to seek a fourth term as party leader at the congress.
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Sam Wood, 46, appeared through a second bail application in Queensland’s Supreme Court while facing charges of assault occasioning bodily harm and strangulation in a domestic setting. His lawyer proposed that he live in Tasmania and follow bail conditions, while prosecutors argued the allegations were serious; the hearing is continuing.
Key Facts
Wood has been in custody since his arrest in Noosa on 4 October.
He was initially denied bail and has indicated he will contest the charges.
The charges relate to allegations that he assaulted and strangled his wife, Snezana Wood, during a family holiday on the Sunshine Coast.
Wood’s lawyer said he could live in Tasmania with his father and agree not to enter Victoria, where Snezana lives.
His legal team proposed that he take a men's behavioural change course if released.
Prosecutors argued the alleged violence included force to Snezana’s neck and banging her head against the floor, and occurred near young children and in front of an adult witness.
Wood is being held at Wolston correctional centre near Brisbane and was not brought to Friday’s hearing.
His lawyer argued that a trial could take more than a year and that he could spend longer in custody before trial than any sentence imposed if convicted.
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Parakala Prabhakar, husband of India’s finance minister, has joined protests against a voter-list revision in India. He says removing millions of registered voters threatens democracy.
Key Facts
Parakala Prabhakar is the husband of India’s finance minister.
He joined mass protests against voter-list revision.
The protests are led by a group called the cockroach movement.
Prabhakar says the revision could remove millions of registered voters.
He argues that removing voters threatens democracy.
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Israel’s prime minister accused Palestinian-Israeli parties of election fraud. A final vote count left those parties in a strong position to influence the formation of the next government, while Netanyahu fell short of a majority.
Key Facts
Netanyahu accused Palestinian-Israeli parties of election fraud.
A final vote count placed the parties in a strong position to help decide the next government.
Netanyahu fell short of a majority.
The article concerns Israel’s election and government formation.
The article does not provide details of the alleged fraud or the vote count.
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Peru’s President Keiko Fujimori toured El Salvador’s mega-prison while considering a proposal to build a similar facility in Peru. The proposal is intended to address rising homicide and extortion rates.
Key Facts
Keiko Fujimori is Peru’s president, according to the article.
Fujimori inspected a mega-prison in El Salvador.
She is considering a proposal to build a similar prison in Peru.
The proposal is aimed at tackling rising homicide and extortion rates in Peru.
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El Salvador’s former president Elias Antonio Saca was released on October 29, 2026, after serving a 10-year sentence for corruption. He admitted to diverting and laundering more than $300 million in public funds during his 2004–2009 administration.
Key Facts
Saca reported to court after completing his sentence, according to his lawyer, Mario Machado.
Saca was arrested in 2016 at his son’s wedding.
In 2018, he received five years for embezzlement and five years for money laundering.
A plea deal reduced his potential sentence from as much as 30 years.
In 2019, a court found Saca guilty of offering $10,000 to a court employee for case information; the sentence was included in his existing 10-year term.
Prosecutors said Saca diverted public budget funds for himself and others, including more than $7 million for his former party, ARENA.
Saca was ordered to repay $260 million to the state.
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Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition won the most seats in Israel’s election but fell short of a parliamentary majority, leaving coalition talks uncertain. Arab party groupings won 19 seats combined and could help determine who forms the next government. Allegations of foreign-funded vote buying remain unsubstantiated, and Israeli authorities said investigations were underway without blaming voters or groups.
Key Facts
Netanyahu’s coalition won 53 of the Knesset’s 120 seats, eight short of a majority.
Likud won 27 seats and remained the largest single party.
The opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot won 48 seats.
Raam and the Joint List together won 19 seats and could become kingmakers in coalition negotiations.
Israel requires at least 61 seats to form a parliamentary majority.
Netanyahu’s camp alleged that Arab-Israeli groups received foreign funding to influence the vote; the article said officials had provided no evidence.
Raam leader Mansour Abbas denied wrongdoing and said he welcomed an investigation.
The Shin Bet investigated suspected irregularities, while the election committee said claims of widespread problems were groundless.
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Former childcare worker Ashley Paul Griffith faces 202 additional charges in New South Wales over alleged abuse of 23 children between 2014 and 2017. Griffith, who is serving a life sentence in Queensland after pleading guilty to more than 300 child sexual offences, was charged while held at a Sydney correctional facility.
Key Facts
The new charges relate to 23 alleged victims aged between one and five.
The charges include 68 counts of rape of a child under 10 and 42 counts of aggravated rape of a child under 10 who was under Griffith’s authority.
Police also charged Griffith with 69 counts of aggravated indecent assault and 23 counts of producing child abuse material.
The alleged offences took place between 2014 and 2017 while Griffith worked at a childcare centre in Sydney’s inner west.
Griffith was extradited from Queensland to New South Wales days before the new charges were laid.
In November 2024, a Queensland court sentenced Griffith to life in prison after he pleaded guilty to more than 300 child sexual offences against nearly 70 victims.
Griffith was held at Silverwater Correctional Complex when police charged him.
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