El Salvador has sent more than 2,000 soldiers to Haiti to search for four air force technicians who went missing nearly two weeks ago and to support efforts against gangs. El Salvador’s president rejected Haiti’s handover of four bodies as a match for the missing soldiers, while the UN says gang violence has killed more than 5,700 people in Haiti this year.
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El Salvador’s foreign ministry said President Nayib Bukele informed Haiti’s Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime of the deployment earlier this week.
The four missing technicians were serving with the UN-backed Gang Suppression Force.
They were travelling in an armoured vehicle when armed groups ambushed it in Croix-des-Bouquets, an area controlled by gangs.
No gang has claimed responsibility for the ambush.
Haiti handed four bodies to special forces, but Bukele said they were not the missing servicemen.
Bukele said one body was that of a child and another wore a military uniform from a different country.
The UN Security Council approved expanded powers for the Gang Suppression Force in October last year.
The UN says more than 5,700 people have been killed in gang-related violence in Haiti this year.
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European officials and Ukraine have accused Russia of expanding sabotage and other disruptive operations across Europe, including alleged airspace violations, drone activity, border incidents and attacks on shipping. Experts say European countries should strengthen defenses and impose greater costs on those behind such operations, as officials warn that European infrastructure and defense supply chains could face further threats.
Key Facts
European officials have alleged that Russian fighter planes entered Polish, Lithuanian and Estonian airspace.
Suspected Russian drones have been downed over Poland, Finland and the Baltic states.
Ukraine accused Russia of using aerial and surface drones in October to sink four cargo ships near Bulgaria’s territorial waters.
Latvia’s ambassador said masked individuals on the Belarusian side tried to push migrants into Latvia, threatened border personnel and damaged border infrastructure.
Ukraine’s Independent Anti-Corruption Commission head Olena Tregub said European governments should identify and disrupt the networks, financing and logistics behind suspected operations.
The article says two Ukrainian counteroffensives blunted Russia’s advance toward capturing parts of Donetsk and left Russia without territorial gains that year.
Czech intelligence chief Michal Koudelka warned in September that Russia could attempt a military attack on a NATO member within months.
The Financial Times reported that representatives of five EU intelligence agencies said Russia was seeking to kill European defense executives and target their supply chains.
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Amnesty International alleges that Cambodian police and military personnel worked as guards at online scam compounds where trafficked people faced confinement and abuse. Its investigation linked five private security companies to the compounds, including Leap Somnang, which the report says had ties to at least 15 sites; the company’s alleged controller denied holding an ownership or management role.
Key Facts
Amnesty based its findings on interviews with 151 survivors, visits to 82 compounds and social media videos from guard accounts.
The report alleges that guards controlled exits, pursued people who escaped and used violence to enforce compliance.
Survivors told Amnesty that guards used electric shocks and beatings, held people in dark rooms and guarded women during rapes.
Amnesty said it identified more than 20 military and police members with an active presence at compounds, including as guards.
The report links Leap Somnang to at least 15 compounds across eight Cambodian provinces.
Amnesty alleges that Ban Sophat, a colonel, controlled Leap Somnang; a letter quoted by the group says he denied ownership, director or management roles and described himself as an adviser.
The UN says hundreds of thousands of people have been trafficked into scam operations in south-east Asia.
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Labour MPs are urging Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Chancellor John Healey not to overrule Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh if she rejects environmental approval for the Rosebank oilfield. Fahnbulleh’s aides say she alone will decide, while ministers have expressed support for developing North Sea oil and gas fields.
Key Facts
Sources told the Guardian that Fahnbulleh was minded to refuse environmental permission for Rosebank, but no decision has been made.
Labour MPs have raised concerns with party leadership and Healey about the possibility of ministers intervening in Fahnbulleh’s decision.
MP Catherine Fookes said approving Rosebank would undermine Labour’s green credentials and conflict with the direction of its manifesto.
Fahnbulleh’s aides circulated a memo saying she is the sole decision-maker and will consider all relevant factors through a quasi-judicial process.
Burnham has said the Rosebank decision belongs to Fahnbulleh, while describing the recently approved Jackdaw gasfield as a bridge to the future.
The Treasury says forecast tax revenues from Rosebank, estimated at about £500 million by the end of the parliament, do not prevent Fahnbulleh from blocking the project.
The Office for Budget Responsibility’s forecast includes estimated production from Rosebank and other new fields.
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Diana Simpson is seeking a judicial review of Westminster City Council’s approval for a Pimlico home to become Montenegro’s embassy, arguing the council failed to consider the effect on her mental health. The council denies her claims and is seeking a summary judgment without a hearing.
Key Facts
The embassy occupies a five-bedroom family home on Cambridge Street in Pimlico, central London.
Simpson, 35, lives next door with her parents and has lived on the street for more than three decades.
She says the embassy’s arrival has worsened her anxiety and disrupted her sleep.
Simpson has been diagnosed with clinical anxiety, long Covid and a functional neurological disorder, and receives disability benefits.
Her legal claim concerns the council’s handling of planning permission for the home’s change of use and a flagpole.
Simpson alleges the council failed to consider her health conditions and conducted a flawed public consultation.
Westminster City Council denies that the embassy interferes with her home or private and family life.
The dispute has drawn attention to conflicts between embassies relocating to London and residents of nearby streets.
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Analysts say a Democratic victory in the U.S. midterms would not fundamentally change European elections, but could affect political debates in Europe. They warn it might make some Europeans less concerned about far-right movements and could lead President Donald Trump to increase pressure on Ukraine to accept a deal with Russia.
Key Facts
Polls cited in the article give Democrats an average eight-point lead in both the House and Senate.
Catherine Fieschi of Carnegie Europe said a Democratic win could encourage the view that democracies can recover from far-right or authoritarian politics.
French politician Marine Le Pen is leading polls for the presidential election scheduled for April 18, with surveys putting her at about 34 percent.
An ECFR poll conducted in June 2025 found that majorities in Western Europe viewed the U.S. political system as broken; majorities in Eastern Europe viewed it as working well.
Greek Migration Minister Thanos Plevris said European shifts toward tighter migration policies developed independently, while U.S. actions influenced the tone of the debate.
The article says Le Pen has proposed reducing France’s contributions to the EU budget and military aid to Ukraine, and has raised the possibility of replacing the euro with a devalued franc.
The article cites the Kiel Institute’s Ukraine Support Tracker for an estimate that France provides 3.5 percent of Ukraine’s foreign military aid.
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Emails obtained by Guardian Australia show that Defence Secretary Meghan Quinn backed Deputy Secretary Celia Perkins’ plan to ask a Senate committee not to share edited clips of public servants’ testimony on social media. Perkins cited concerns about bullying and security risks, but the committee rejected the request after advice from the Senate clerk.
Key Facts
Perkins made the request during a 4 September Senate committee hearing.
Perkins said edited or out-of-context clips could lead to personal abuse and ridicule of staff.
She also warned that online posts could increase risks from cyber and foreign intelligence actors.
Emails show Perkins said Quinn and Assistant Defence Minister Peter Khalil supported her plan.
The offices of Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles and Khalil were informed about the proposal, but neither gave an on-record response to the newspaper.
Greens senator David Shoebridge objected that the hearing was public and witnesses could not censor what Australians saw.
The committee rejected Perkins’ request on the Senate clerk’s advice.
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Spain began a three-day mourning period after a high-speed train collision killed 68 people and injured many others. Officials are investigating the cause as emergency crews search the wreckage and relatives seek information about missing loved ones.
Key Facts
A Renfe train struck the rear of an Iryo train near Urda in Castilla-La Mancha.
The two trains were traveling in the same direction on the line between Madrid and Andalusia.
Officials said 107 people received hospital treatment, including 15 in serious condition.
Emergency crews searched the wreckage overnight, and regional officials said more victims might be found.
Authorities opened offices in Madrid, Toledo, Córdoba, and Seville to collect DNA samples and help identify victims.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said investigators were examining the cause and that any security failures or negligence would be addressed.
The article reports that 46 people died in a separate collision on the same line in January.
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Turkiye is building closer political and military ties with eastern Libya after Libya’s eastern-based parliament approved a 2019 maritime agreement between Ankara and the Tripoli government. Ankara has renewed an offer for a maritime boundary agreement with Egypt, but Egypt, Greece and Cyprus have objected to the Libya-Turkiye deal, saying it infringes on their rights.
Key Facts
Libya’s eastern-based parliament in Tobruk approved the maritime agreement eight days before Turkiye renewed its offer to Egypt.
The 2019 agreement sets out maritime jurisdiction areas claimed by Turkiye and Libya.
Turkiye says the agreement complies with international law; Greece, Cyprus and Egypt say it infringes on their sovereign rights.
Turkiye’s Ministry of National Defence said an agreement with Ankara could give Egypt more than 15,000 square kilometres of maritime jurisdiction; that figure is Turkiye’s estimate.
Turkiye helped repel a 2019–2020 offensive on Tripoli by forces loyal to eastern military leader Khalifa Haftar.
Turkish officials have held meetings with Khalifa Haftar, his son Saddam Haftar, and officials from the Tripoli government.
On October 6, Libya’s eastern parliament replaced speaker Aguila Saleh with Al-Salhin Abdelnabi al-Obeidi, who previously chaired the Libyan-Turkish parliamentary friendship committee.
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Russian officials said air defenses neutralized 613 drones launched toward Moscow between Wednesday evening and Thursday morning. Ukraine’s Kharkiv mayor said a Russian attack damaged an educational institution in the city.
Key Facts
Russian state news agency TASS reported that 613 drones were launched toward Moscow overnight.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said air defenses destroyed 231 drones as they approached the city.
Sobyanin said the remaining drones were neutralized farther away from Moscow.
The attack followed a reported record assault in September, when Russian air defenses said they shot down more than 1,600 drones.
Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said a Russian attack damaged an educational institution in Ukraine’s second-largest city.
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With 91% of votes counted, Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc is projected to win 53 seats, while Gadi Eisenkot’s bloc is projected to win 48 and Palestinian parties 19. No bloc has the 61 seats needed for a Knesset majority, and coalition talks are expected to begin as leaders weigh whether Palestinian lawmakers will support an opposition-led government.
Key Facts
Israel’s Central Elections Committee has counted 91% of votes.
Netanyahu’s bloc is projected to receive 53 seats, Eisenkot’s bloc 48, and Palestinian parties 19.
No grouping has reached the 61 seats needed for a Knesset majority.
Yair Golan said he would meet Eisenkot and Yair Lapid on Thursday for coalition talks.
Joint List leader Yousef Jabareen said he was open to supporting an opposition-led government but not joining it.
President Isaac Herzog urged parties to avoid another election and keep an open mind.
Israel’s Central Elections Committee said it would review Likud’s complaint alleging that Arab parties compromised election integrity.
UN rights chief Volker Turk urged Israel’s next government to respect international law.
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North Korea fired around a dozen short-range ballistic missiles from near Wonsan toward the East Sea on Thursday, South Korea’s military said. The launches came amid rising tensions over landmines near the border and followed South Korea’s proposal for military talks, which Pyongyang had not answered.
Key Facts
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missiles traveled about 250 kilometres.
South Korea and the United States were analyzing the missiles’ specifications, and Seoul said it had increased surveillance for further launches.
South Korea’s National Security Office said the launches violated UN Security Council resolutions.
A landmine explosion near the border wounded three South Korean soldiers.
A joint South Korean and UN investigation concluded that North Korea planted the mines more than a year ago.
South Korea proposed talks to confirm the border’s location and discuss restoring communication channels.
North Korea and South Korea remain technically at war because the 1953 Korean conflict ended with a truce, not a peace treaty.
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A New South Wales Supreme Court jury heard evidence that police tried for four days to contact Beau Lamarre-Condon after the alleged killings of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies in February 2024. Lamarre-Condon, who has pleaded not guilty to both murders, told an officer he was not avoiding police and said he would come in the next day.
Key Facts
Lamarre-Condon is accused of murdering his former partner Jesse Baird and Luke Davies on 19 February 2024.
A police colleague messaged him on Instagram on 21 February, asking him to contact a crime manager; the message remained unread.
Police were unable to reach Lamarre-Condon for four days before he turned himself in, according to evidence heard in court.
In a 22 February phone call, Lamarre-Condon said he was not avoiding police and would come in the next day.
He later led officers to a rural property where the bodies were found in surfboard bags, the court heard.
A friend testified that Lamarre-Condon came to her home crying three days after the alleged murders and said he had “done something bad.”
The prosecution alleges the killings were planned; Lamarre-Condon says he acted in self-defence while retrieving his belongings.
The trial is continuing before Justice Natalie Adams in the New South Wales Supreme Court.
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Queensland MP Amanda Stoker’s appointment as the state’s minister for the prevention of domestic violence has drawn concern because of past comments questioning calls to believe people who report violence. Stoker has argued that allegations should be assessed against evidence, while advocates say her comments could discourage victim-survivors from reporting abuse.
Key Facts
Stoker was appointed Queensland’s minister for the prevention of domestic violence on Saturday.
In a 2023 article, Stoker said calls to “blindly” believe complainants rather than assess evidence could harm innocent defendants.
Stoker has also said that false allegations can harm people accused of sexual assault.
Former Australian of the Year Grace Tame called Stoker’s appointment disappointing.
Several Queensland workers who support victims told Guardian Australia they had private concerns about Stoker’s appointment but would not speak publicly.
The Queensland Police Service says there is no evidence that many women make vexatious sexual-violence reports and describes false allegations as very rare.
Full Stop Australia CEO Karen Bevan said victim-survivors need to know they will be believed, supported and taken seriously if they come forward.
Stoker took her seat in the Queensland parliament in 2024 after leaving the federal Senate in 2022.
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Spain began three days of national mourning after a collision between two trains killed at least 68 people and injured dozens. Officials are investigating why a train stopped because of a computer failure was told to move again; rescue crews continued searching the wreckage and identifying victims.
Key Facts
The collision happened Wednesday on the Madrid-to-Seville rail line.
The stationary train, operated by private company Iryo, had 147 passengers and reportedly stopped because of a computer failure.
Transport Minister Óscar Puente said a control centre in Madrid instructed trains to move again without speed restrictions after the system failure.
The other train was operated by state-owned Renfe and carried 397 passengers; the impact sent several carriages down an embankment.
Hundreds of personnel used drones and helicopters to search the crash site and clear debris.
Many victims had not yet been identified, and the Civil Guard opened missing-person bureaus in Madrid, Toledo, Seville and Córdoba.
Most political parties suspended election campaigning; Vox said it would continue campaigning.
Rail drivers planned to strike Thursday, saying the action was in defence of railway safety.
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Healthcare workers sang and danced at an Ebola treatment centre in Mongbwalu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, after its last patient recovered and left. Doctors Without Borders runs the centre, where the latest outbreak began.
Key Facts
The last patient at the Mongbwalu treatment centre made a full recovery.
Healthcare workers celebrated by singing and dancing.
Doctors Without Borders runs the treatment centre.
The latest Ebola outbreak began at the centre in Mongbwalu, DR Congo.
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With 90.4% of ballots counted in Israel’s parliamentary election, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc had 53 seats, while the opposition had 67. Israel’s president urged parties to form a coalition and avoid another election.
Key Facts
The results were based on more than 90% of ballots counted as of Thursday, October 29, 2026.
Netanyahu’s bloc had 53 seats in the projections.
The opposition had 67 seats, including 48 for Gadi Eisenkot’s centrist bloc and 19 for Arab-majority parties.
The Central Electoral Commission began counting mail-in ballots at 1 a.m. Thursday.
Israel’s president called on parties to do everything they could to form a government coalition.
Protesters in Tel Aviv called for Arab parties to be included in the next government coalition.
Netanyahu’s Likud party accused Arab parties of stealing the election, according to the article.
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Sanrio apologized and ended its merchandise collaboration with the Japanese spy drama Vivant after criticism in China. The backlash focused on scenes in the show’s second season depicting Chinese agents torturing a Japanese spy, amid strained relations between China and Japan.
Key Facts
Sanrio said it ended the collaboration because the project contained elements inconsistent with its core values.
Hello Kitty, My Melody and Cinnamoroll appeared in merchandise dressed as characters from Vivant.
Vivant’s second season premiered in July and depicts Chinese agents cutting a Japanese spy’s fingers and stabbing his abdomen.
Chinese state media and social media users criticized the show’s portrayal of Chinese agents.
Sanrio said it would strengthen reviews of future collaborations.
TBS president Masamine Ryuho said the drama was fictional and was not intended to disparage any country.
China-Japan relations have been strained since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comments about Taiwan last November.
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Activist Adele Shoko said Israeli settlers assaulted her, U.S. journalist Jasper Nathaniel, and activist Andrey X in Umm al-Khair in the occupied West Bank. She said Nathaniel and Andrey X were detained by Israeli authorities, and that Andrey X was injured and denied hospital care; videos she posted appeared to show men beating the two activists.
Key Facts
Shoko said settlers beat and threatened her and her two colleagues and took equipment and personal belongings.
Shoko said Nathaniel was pepper-sprayed and taken away by Israeli forces.
Shoko said Andrey X suffered a concussion, lost consciousness several times, and was taken to a police station instead of a hospital.
Videos posted by Shoko showed men beating Nathaniel and Andrey X, and authorities leading Nathaniel away.
The article also describes an October 16 attack on Palestinian olive harvesters in Abu Falah, northeast of Ramallah.
Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine said settlers beat and robbed her during that attack; she was hospitalized.
A Palestinian man was shot in the leg by Israeli soldiers who arrived at the scene and fired live ammunition and tear gas.
The Washington Post’s executive editor condemned the attack on Levine, and several U.S. lawmakers called for an investigation and an end to settler violence.
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Student activists in Serbia backed a slate of candidates that won an election, ending Aleksandar Vučić’s 12-year rule, according to the article. The podcast examines how the movement achieved its victory and how it might choose a prime minister and govern the country.
Key Facts
Record numbers of voters went to the polls on Sunday.
Voters chose candidates put forward by student activists.
The Student List’s candidates included people with PhDs.
Student protests had shaken Serbia for two years.
The article describes Vučić’s government as increasingly authoritarian.
The podcast features journalist Ana Milosavljevic, student activist Tara Blagojević and incoming MP Milica Jovanović.
The movement faces the challenge of choosing a prime minister and governing despite having no leader.
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