British author M. John Harrison won the 2026 Booker Prize for his novel “The End of Everything.” The near-future, post-apocalyptic story features mysterious objects that imitate humans and explores themes including artificial intelligence and social collapse.
Key Facts
Harrison, 81, became the oldest Booker Prize winner.
The award carries a £50,000 prize.
“The End of Everything” is Harrison’s 13th novel and his first book to be shortlisted for the Booker Prize.
The novel follows beachcomber Phillip Tennent and his aunt Marnie on the English coast.
The story depicts an unnamed catastrophe and mysterious objects called the iGhetti that can imitate people.
Harrison beat five other shortlisted authors: Marlon James, Douglas Stuart, Elizabeth Strout, Luke Kennard and Rebecca Perry.
The judges selected the winner from 163 entries.
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President Donald Trump said a renewed U.S. military campaign against Iran was “quite unlikely” and did not seem necessary. He did not say the war was over; the article said his remarks were his clearest indication since February that further attacks might not happen.
Key Facts
Trump made the comments Monday on Truth Social and at an impromptu press conference.
Trump said renewed military action against Iran was “quite unlikely.”
Trump said further attacks did not seem necessary.
Trump did not declare the war over.
The remarks came less than a week after Trump said the war was one reason Republicans lost the midterm elections.
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South Africa’s ruling African National Congress won about 30% of the vote in local elections, its worst-ever result, and faces coalition talks. The program also reports allegations of secret detention and torture in Uganda and a Senegal initiative offering young people free tickets to sporting events.
Key Facts
The ANC secured about 30% of the vote in South Africa’s local elections.
The ANC’s result was its worst-ever in local elections.
Coalition talks are expected after the South African election.
Former Ugandan military intelligence officer Herbert Matanda Mabonga accused the army of secretly detaining and torturing opponents.
Videos related to the allegations in Uganda sparked national outrage, according to the article.
Senegal is offering more than 200,000 free tickets to young people to attend sporting events.
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Negotiators from Russia, Ukraine and the United States are scheduled to meet for two days in Abu Dhabi starting Tuesday, in their first trilateral talks since February. Security guarantees are expected to lead the agenda, but Moscow and Kyiv remain divided over territory, Ukraine’s NATO ambitions and whether to agree to an immediate ceasefire.
Key Facts
The talks are aimed at ending the full-scale war that began with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Previous negotiations early in 2026 produced no visible progress toward ending the war.
A week-long local truce near Russian-occupied Oleshky last month enabled some residents to leave and humanitarian supplies to enter, according to the article.
Fighting has continued along a roughly 1,200-kilometre front line, while both sides have increased long-range drone and missile attacks.
Russia has intensified attacks on Ukraine’s power system as winter approaches, and the article says Ukraine faces a shortage of US-made Patriot interceptors.
Vladimir Putin demands that Ukraine withdraw from four regions Russia claims to have annexed, abandon its NATO bid and accept limits on its military.
Volodymyr Zelensky rejects ceding territory or accepting military limits, and says an immediate ceasefire should come before broader negotiations.
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COP31 has opened in Turkiye amid war-related energy disruptions and renewed reliance on fossil fuels. Delegates are discussing electrification and climate action, while activists outside the summit are calling for an end to greenwashing and a move away from industrial agriculture.
Key Facts
COP31 has opened in Turkiye.
The summit is taking place amid war-driven energy disruptions.
The disruptions have prompted renewed reliance on fossil fuels.
Delegates are discussing electrification.
Delegates are also discussing climate action.
Activists outside the summit are demanding an end to greenwashing.
Activists are calling for a shift away from industrial agriculture.
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France blamed Iran’s Revolutionary Guard for an Oct. 12 cyberattack that disrupted refrigeration systems at about 700 supermarkets and stores. France summoned Iran’s ambassador, said it would seek European sanctions, and opened a judicial investigation; prosecutors are also seeking international arrest warrants.
Key Facts
The attack remotely raised temperatures in refrigeration systems across France, reaching 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) for about six hours.
Stores had to discard fresh and frozen goods, and Intermarché reported losses of tens of millions of euros in one day.
France’s national cybersecurity agency attributed the attack to the Shahid Kaveh group, which it described as affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Paris prosecutors said investigators found Farsi use and IP addresses linked to devices in Iran.
The investigation targets the group’s leader, two deputies and other people who may be identified.
France’s foreign minister said the country would seek European sanctions against those responsible and consider other measures.
A separate attempted attack on French blood banks was stopped before it damaged blood products or samples.
French authorities have also attributed other attacks since 2020 to a different Iran-affiliated group, including attacks targeting Charlie Hebdo and the 2024 Paris Olympics.
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French judoka Teddy Riner announced that he will run in France’s 2027 presidential election. He said he was concerned about the rise of the far right and warned that France could become deeply divided.
Key Facts
Riner made the announcement on social media on Monday.
Riner is 37 years old and a multiple Olympic judo champion.
He said he wanted to appeal to voters who do not want to choose between the far right and the hard left.
Riner made the announcement in a video lasting about two minutes and 37 seconds.
France will hold its next presidential election in 2027.
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Malaysia’s king has warned the government not to challenge his authority over an order to transfer jailed former prime minister Najib Razak to house arrest. The move was suspended after the attorney general asked a court to clarify the order, leaving a dispute over how it should be carried out.
Key Facts
Najib Razak is a former Malaysian prime minister serving a prison sentence.
Najib was expected to leave prison after his party paid a $12 million fine under the conditions of his royal pardon.
The transfer to house arrest was suspended after the attorney general sought clarification from the court.
Malaysia’s king warned the government against challenging his authority over the order.
Najib is appealing a separate 15-year sentence for abuse of power and money laundering.
The dispute centers on the monarchy’s authority and the government’s role in implementing the order.
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Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman agreed to open two crossings, coordinate emergency responses and share archival materials. The UN-backed agreement aims to build confidence and restart reunification talks, which have been stalled since the last official round collapsed in 2017.
Key Facts
The leaders met with UN special envoy Maria Angela Holguin in the UN-controlled buffer zone.
The UN described the meeting as positive and said the leaders would meet again in the coming weeks with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
The two new crossings would raise the number of open crossings on the island to 11, according to Cypriot media.
Cyprus was divided in 1974 after Turkey invaded and took control of the island’s northern part in response to a coup.
A UN peacekeeping force has monitored the ceasefire line between the two sides since the 1963 collapse of a power-sharing administration.
Turkey is the only country that recognizes the northern part of Cyprus as an independent republic.
The two sides disagree over the ground rules for talks and Turkey’s role in a possible settlement.
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Smog blanketed New Delhi on Monday after a weekend of Diwali celebrations. Air quality monitors reported hazardous pollution levels that pose health risks to nearly everyone.
Key Facts
New Delhi was covered by hazy smog on Monday.
The smog followed a weekend of Diwali celebrations.
Air quality monitors reported hazardous pollution levels.
Cooler autumn weather and light winds can trap pollutants near the ground.
Vehicle fumes contribute to seasonal air pollution in the Delhi region.
Smoke from field burning by farmers in neighboring states also contributes to poor air quality.
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U.S. officials said they are cautiously optimistic about Russia-Ukraine peace talks scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday in Abu Dhabi, the first U.S.-mediated meeting since talks paused in February. The sides remain far apart on territory, and Russian attacks and the lack of a ceasefire cloud prospects for progress.
Key Facts
White House envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held frequent calls with Russian and Ukrainian officials to prepare for the talks.
The negotiations will include a military working group on ceasefire monitoring and security arrangements, and a political working group on territorial demands.
Russia wants control of all of Donbas, while Ukraine says territory should be divided along current front lines.
U.S. officials said both sides have shown some flexibility on territory, but a territorial agreement depends on reaching security guarantees.
U.S. officials said Witkoff and Kushner may travel to Moscow and Kyiv after the Abu Dhabi meetings to speak with Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky.
Senior officials from NATO, the European Union, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy were invited to hold separate discussions in Abu Dhabi.
The United States also wants to begin a separate track of talks between European countries and Russia on reducing tensions, an idea many European countries view with suspicion.
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An explosion at an iron and steel plant in Izmir province, Turkiye, killed at least 16 workers and injured 13 others, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said. Search and rescue operations are continuing, and local officials said some workers remain trapped beneath rubble.
Key Facts
The explosion occurred at an iron and steel plant in Izmir province, Turkiye.
At least 16 workers were killed.
Thirteen people were injured.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed the reported deaths and injuries.
Search and rescue operations are continuing.
Local officials said some workers remain trapped under rubble.
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Russell Brand was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison after a jury convicted him of rape and three counts of sexual assault. Judge Joel Bennathan said Brand had shown a “casual arrogant disregard” for women’s right to refuse sex.
Key Facts
Brand was sentenced on Monday at Southwark Crown Court.
The jury found Brand guilty last week.
The charges involved four women and incidents between 2004 and 2009.
The court imposed a nine-year sentence for rape.
The article lists additional sentences of 18 months, nine months and eight months for the sexual assault charges.
Brand is 51 years old.
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Russell Brand was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison after being convicted of raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others. The offenses took place between 2004 and 2009.
Key Facts
Brand was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison.
He was convicted of raping one woman.
He was convicted of sexually assaulting three other people.
The offenses occurred between 2004 and 2009.
The judge said Brand abused his celebrity status.
The judge described Brand as a sexual predator and said he showed casual disregard for women.
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The Paris prosecutor has opened an investigation into Shahid Kaveh, a cyber unit linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The probe concerns cyberattacks that targeted French supermarket refrigerators in October, which the prosecutor described as unprecedented.
Key Facts
The Paris prosecutor announced the investigation on November 9, 2026.
The investigation focuses on Shahid Kaveh, described in the report as a cyber unit of the IRGC.
The attacks targeted refrigerators at French supermarkets in October.
The prosecutor characterized the attacks as unprecedented.
The article says little is publicly known about Shahid Kaveh.
Analysts have observed the IRGC expanding its cyber warfare activity in recent years.
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Jemima Goldsmith accused Russell Brand of violence, coercive control and abuse during their relationship in 2014. Brand was sentenced to 10 and a half years in prison after being convicted of rape and three counts of sexual assault.
Key Facts
Goldsmith said she called police to remove Brand from her home during a violent incident in 2014 but did not press charges.
She said she avoided legal action because she worried about the effect of press attention on her teenage children.
Goldsmith said she had not seen or spoken to Brand since 2014 and had helped journalists investigating allegations against him.
She said a woman, Szilvia Berki, visited her home in June 2014 to give Brand a massage, but the massage did not take place.
Goldsmith said police reviewed her statement and CCTV footage and concluded there was no case to answer in relation to Berki's allegations.
Goldsmith said she pursued an injunction to prevent harassment after receiving threatening messages and facing allegations on social media.
Brand was convicted of raping a woman at his home in 2009 and sexually assaulting three other women.
At sentencing, the judge said Brand showed disregard for women's right to refuse him.
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Israeli pollster and political analyst Dahlia Scheindlin discussed Gadi Eisenkot’s effort to form a government after President Isaac Herzog tasked him with the job. She said coalition arithmetic, reluctance to work with Arab parties, and strained U.S. ties could limit the opposition’s chances and deepen Israel’s political crisis.
Key Facts
President Isaac Herzog tasked Gadi Eisenkot with forming a government.
Eisenkot has 45 days to try to assemble a parliamentary majority.
Scheindlin said Israel’s opposition leaders remain reluctant to cooperate with Arab parties.
Scheindlin described that reluctance as a self-imposed constraint on efforts to replace Benjamin Netanyahu.
The discussion linked the erosion of bipartisan support for Israel in Washington to Netanyahu’s focus on one U.S. political party and leader.
Scheindlin said the immediate result could be parliamentary deadlock or a fragile minority government.
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Tommy Walsh, the builder and television presenter known for the BBC gardening show Ground Force, has died aged 69 after a long illness. He appeared on Ground Force from 1997 to 2005 and later presented programmes including Clean It, Fix It and Homes Under the Hammer.
Key Facts
Walsh’s agent, Debbie Schiesser, said he died peacefully surrounded by his family.
He rose to fame on Ground Force with Alan Titchmarsh and Charlie Dimmock.
At its peak, Ground Force attracted 12 million viewers.
Walsh began his career as a professional builder and ran a property business before working in television.
He joined Homes Under the Hammer in 2021.
Walsh was from Hackney in east London and attended Parmiter’s grammar school in Bethnal Green.
He was married to Marie Walsh and had three children: Charlotte, Natalie and Jonjo.
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An explosion at the HABAS steel plant in Aliaga, western Turkiye, killed at least 16 people and injured 13. Local officials said an overhead crane fell into an industrial furnace during boiler replacement work; President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced an investigation.
Key Facts
The blast occurred at 11:46 a.m. local time on Monday at the plant in Aliaga, about 60 kilometers north of Izmir.
At least 16 people died and 13 were injured; two of the injured were in serious condition, according to Erdogan.
Izmir’s governor said an overhead crane fell into a large furnace while workers were replacing a boiler.
Izmir Mayor Cemil Tugay said the full toll would be known after workers cleared the rubble.
An eyewitness described seeing thick black smoke and a fire near the factory chimney after the blast.
The Izmir chapter of Turkiye’s Labour Party said the explosion was the factory’s third fatal incident in three weeks and cited seven employee deaths in accidents there over the past 10 years.
The European Union and Azerbaijan sent condolences.
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South African police arrested nine foreign nationals at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo Airport and a nearby hotel as they prepared to travel to Russia. Authorities suspect they intended to join Russian forces in the war in Ukraine; the men face possible charges under a law regulating foreign military assistance.
Key Facts
Police arrested the nine men late Sunday night at the airport and a nearby hotel.
The suspects are between 20 and 26 years old.
The investigation involved Interpol and South African law enforcement agencies.
Police did not disclose the suspects’ nationalities or their plans in Russia.
The men are expected to appear in court on charges related to South Africa’s Regulation of Foreign Military Assistance Act.
The law prohibits mercenary activity and regulates military assistance, recruitment, and training connected to foreign conflicts.
Amnesty International has accused Russia of luring foreign nationals with civilian job offers and then forcing them to fight in Ukraine.
South Africa said earlier this year that it had secured the return of 11 men who were lured into fighting for Russia.
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