Ukraine’s emergency service said the death toll from a Russian strike on an aid distribution site in Komyshuvakha, Zaporizhia region, rose to at least 50 after rescuers recovered more bodies. Acting regional governor Mykhailo Semikin later reported 53 deaths, a figure Al Jazeera said it could not independently verify; rescue teams continued searching the rubble.
Key Facts
The strike hit a former school used for weekly aid handouts on Monday.
Ukraine’s emergency service said eight more bodies were recovered, bringing the confirmed toll to at least 50.
Semikin later put the death toll at 53; Al Jazeera could not independently verify that figure.
Local police said 59 people had been listed as missing on Wednesday, though some may have been among the bodies recovered.
Zelenskyy said a second wave of bombs hit an underground shelter where people had taken cover.
Four police officers and two rescue workers were among those killed.
The UN human rights mission in Ukraine said the strike was likely a breach of international law.
Ukrainian and Russian delegations were expected to meet in Abu Dhabi on November 10–11 for US-brokered talks.
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Gadi Eisenkot emerged on November 5 as the frontrunner to be asked to form Israel’s next government. The shift followed a decision by one of the two main parties representing ultra-Orthodox voters, a longtime ally of Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition, not to recommend a candidate.
Key Facts
Eisenkot is an Israeli opposition figure.
He emerged as the frontrunner on Thursday, November 5.
Israel’s president is expected to announce on Sunday who will be tasked with forming a government.
One of the two main parties representing ultra-Orthodox Jewish voters declined to recommend any candidate.
The party had been a longtime ally of Netanyahu’s coalition.
FRANCE 24 correspondent Noga Tarnopolsky reported from Jerusalem.
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U.S. midterm results have raised concern in Israel that political support for the alliance may be weakening across both parties. The article says President Donald Trump’s announcement that he would end U.S. military aid to Israel two years earlier than planned has intensified questions about future arms sales, funding and joint military projects.
Key Facts
Israeli opposition leaders blamed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for damaging Israel’s standing with U.S. voters.
The article reports that Democratic candidates criticized Israel’s actions in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
The joint U.S.-Israeli war on Iran was a campaign issue for many voters, according to the article.
President Trump blamed the Iran war for Republican losses, and Vice-President JD Vance cited the U.S. relationship with Israel as a factor in voters leaving the party.
Trump said he would stop $3.8 billion in U.S. military aid to Israel two years ahead of schedule.
Israel’s president described Trump’s aid announcement as a surprise, while Israeli officials reportedly remained unsure whether it was serious.
U.S. military aid accounts for less than 10% of Israel’s annual military budget, but analysts warned that Congress could complicate future funding, arms sales and joint projects.
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A Kenyan court sentenced Good News International Church leader Paul Mackenzie to 200 years in prison for the murders of 191 people, including 190 children. The court said most victims died after followers were ordered to fast, and investigators have linked the cult to more than 400 deaths overall.
Key Facts
The High Court in Mombasa sentenced Mackenzie on Friday, Nov. 6, 2026.
The court convicted Mackenzie and 28 other people of murdering 191 people; all 29 were found guilty on Oct. 19.
Justice Diana Kavedza said Mackenzie had primary responsibility for moving followers to a remote site and ordering them to fast.
The court classified 183 victims’ deaths as starvation and eight as direct homicide.
Mackenzie’s assistant pastor, Smart Mwakalama, received a 160-year prison sentence.
More than 400 bodies were exhumed in 2023 from shallow graves on Chakama Ranch in coastal Kilifi County.
Kenya’s National Commission on Human Rights reported a death toll of 429 in 2024; many victims remain unidentified.
Mackenzie also faces terrorism, child abuse and torture charges in two other courts.
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Katherine Ryan said she felt both “grief and relief” after Russell Brand was convicted of rape and sexual assault. Brand was found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault, acquitted of other charges, and is due to be sentenced on Monday.
Key Facts
Ryan said survivors came forward despite Brand’s fame, money and supporters.
Ryan said she had not named the man she called a “predator” in a 2022 interview, and has not confirmed that she meant Brand.
Brand was convicted of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault.
The jury acquitted Brand of two other rape charges and one attempted indecent assault allegation.
The judge told Brand to expect a significant prison sentence.
Police are investigating further rape allegations made by two women against Brand.
Bear Grylls said he had attended Brand’s baptism in 2024 and said justice had been served.
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Flávio Bolsonaro, who lost Brazil’s presidential election to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, spoke at a rightwing conference at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property after leaving Brazil. He faces federal police investigations, and analysts say his departure weakened his position as an opposition leader.
Key Facts
Bolsonaro lost the 25 October election to Lula by more than 4 million votes.
At a CPAC event, Bolsonaro said his defeat was not the end for Brazil or America.
In an interview with The New York Times, Bolsonaro made unsubstantiated claims of election fraud and said no one helped him flee Brazil.
Bolsonaro said he would not reveal the full story of how he left Brazil.
He faces federal police investigations for money laundering and corruption.
Bolsonaro’s parliamentary immunity is due to end early next year, which could leave him open to prosecution.
His brother Eduardo Bolsonaro also lives in the United States and faces a four-year sentence if he returns to Brazil.
Four other members of the Bolsonaro family won seats in Congress in the election.
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Operation Black Vote chair David Weaver said Kemi Badenoch’s remarks opposing a British state apology for transatlantic slavery had caused anger and hurt among many Black voters. He urged Prime Minister Andy Burnham to apologise, while criticizing the government’s position that an apology would not involve reparations; Burnham has ruled out reparations.
Key Facts
Badenoch said Britain should not apologise for its historical role in slavery, arguing an apology could be used to seek money.
Weaver described Badenoch’s comments as insulting and said they risked alienating Black voters.
Weaver said Commonwealth nations seek recognition of continuing effects of colonial legacies on development.
Burnham said he was open to a formal apology on behalf of the British state but ruled out reparations.
Weaver said Black voters felt despondent with Labour and taken for granted, particularly over its handling of the Windrush scandal.
Badenoch became the first Black woman to lead a major British political party in 2024.
Operation Black Vote is a non-partisan civil rights group founded in 1996.
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Iran has intensified diplomatic outreach as President Donald Trump threatens possible renewed U.S. strikes. Tehran has sent a proposal through Qatar, set seven conditions for talks and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and pursued closer ties with Russia.
Key Facts
Axios reported that U.S. Central Command was preparing for major operations in Iran and awaiting orders from Washington.
Trump told reporters the United States might have to “destroy” the rest of Iran and said people would “know soon enough” whether he would act.
A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran offered the United States a nuclear and peace proposal through Qatari mediators.
Iran says it will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz or resume negotiations until the United States meets seven demands, including lifting sanctions, unfreezing Iranian assets and ending its naval blockade.
The United States has said any ceasefire agreement must address Iran’s nuclear capacity before broader peace talks can restart.
Iranian security official Mohsen Rezaei met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow and delivered a message from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei; neither side disclosed its contents.
The Financial Times reported that Russia agreed to supply Iran with 90 helicopter-mounted launchers for precision-guided missiles, citing Russian defense production records it reviewed.
The article says Iran has supplied Shahed drones to Russia, which Russia has modified and used in the war in Ukraine.
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The Russian extremist group known as Male State denied involvement in hoax bomb threats that disrupted flights in Europe. More threats were reported on Friday, including to Irish media organisations, as authorities investigated whether the incidents were coordinated.
Key Facts
A Telegram account linked to Male State and its founder, Vladislav Pozdnyakov, told the BBC that the group was not involved.
Male State was banned in Russia in 2021 and has also used the name Male Legion.
Threats were reported on a Ryanair flight from Rome to Lisbon and a Wizz Air flight from Prague to Rome, which was diverted to Venice.
An Aer Lingus flight bound for Rome was diverted to a military base in France after a bomb threat.
The first hoax email described in the report was sent on Thursday to offices and accounts linked to Rome's airport operator and Fiumicino airport.
The email claimed that Male State members had planted explosives on two incoming flights; no explosives were found on the planes or other aircraft that received threats.
Bomb threats to several Irish media organisations prompted evacuations, and the Irish government described them as a possible coordinated campaign of disruption.
Italy's defence minister, Guido Crosetto, warned of a possible strategy to increase chaos.
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A court in Mombasa, Kenya, sentenced Paul Mackenzie to 200 years in prison for the deaths of 191 people, including 190 children, who were starved or killed on his orders. The court also sentenced 28 accomplices, while authorities say more than 400 people died in the wider Shakahola tragedy.
Key Facts
Justice Diana Kavedza imposed 100 years for murder by starvation and 100 years for direct homicide.
The court found that Mackenzie and his church ordered followers to starve themselves and their children to reach heaven before the world ended.
The 191 victims were buried in a forest, and some bodies were found in shallow graves or latrines.
Mackenzie denied forcing victims to starve, but the court rejected his defence.
Twenty-eight accomplices convicted alongside Mackenzie received prison sentences.
Police arrested Mackenzie in 2023 after receiving a tip-off, and investigators later uncovered bodies in Shakahola Forest.
Kenyan authorities say more than 400 people died in the Shakahola tragedy.
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With more than 80% of ballots counted, South Africa’s African National Congress had 31.8% of the national vote in local elections, down nearly 14 percentage points from 2021. The results point to a fragmented political landscape, with coalition talks expected as the ANC faces losses in major provinces and cities; final results are expected Sunday.
Key Facts
The Democratic Alliance had 24.1% of the national vote and the uMkhonto weSizwe party had 9.3%.
The election commission estimated turnout at 54.5% of registered voters, up from 46% in 2021.
The ANC was projected to lose its position as the largest party in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.
In Johannesburg, with just over half the votes counted, the DA led with 40%, followed by the ANC at 17.5% and ActionSA at 15.5%.
The uMkhonto weSizwe party led with 41% in eThekwini, which includes Durban, with half the votes counted.
The DA was leading in all three of Gauteng’s city municipalities and was projected to retain its majority in Cape Town.
After final results, councillors will have two weeks to elect mayors and form municipal governments.
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A France 24 discussion examined how U.S. midterm election results might constrain President Donald Trump at home while leaving him room to act abroad. Guest Craig Copetas speculated that Trump’s ambition could affect dealings with China and Taiwan, while French senator Hélène Conway-Mouret urged Europe to protect its strategic interests.
Key Facts
The program featured author and columnist Craig Copetas and French Senator Hélène Conway-Mouret.
Copetas argued that Democratic gains in the midterms could limit Trump’s influence in the United States without necessarily restraining his actions overseas.
Copetas raised the possibility that Taiwan could become a bargaining point in negotiations between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping; this was presented as speculation.
Copetas predicted greater scrutiny of Elon Musk’s relationship and dealings with the U.S. government.
The discussion identified satellite communications, artificial intelligence and aerospace as areas where European competitors might find opportunities.
Conway-Mouret said Europe should avoid becoming a playing field for three major countries.
Copetas pointed to industrial decline in Pennsylvania, the cost of living and tariffs as concerns affecting U.S. voters.
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Molly, a loggerhead turtle rescued from an Irish beach in 2004, was released into the ocean off Portugal on 28 October 2026 after more than 22 years of care and rehabilitation. Staff fitted her with a satellite tag to track her progress.
Key Facts
A family found Molly injured beneath storm debris on a beach near Castlegregory in County Kerry.
The Dingle Oceanworld Aquarium team took Molly in after she was found cold-stunned, a condition similar to hypothermia.
Molly had severe injuries to her front flippers, which staff believed may have resulted from a shark attack.
She moved from Dingle Oceanworld Aquarium to a rehabilitation centre in Portugal in May 2026.
Staff released Molly about 12 nautical miles off Portugal's Algarve coast on 28 October 2026.
Earlier attempts to fit Molly with prosthetic flippers did not succeed.
A medical check-up found that Molly was carrying eggs.
A satellite tag will let the Portuguese team monitor Molly after her release.
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At Nairobi’s Dandora landfill, waste pickers recover recyclable materials from about 2,000 tonnes of dumped waste each day, often facing injuries from sharp objects and exposure to toxic fumes. The report says only 7 percent of plastic at the site can be recycled, reflecting the challenges of managing waste in Kenya and worldwide.
Key Facts
About 2,000 tonnes of waste are dumped each day at Dandora landfill in Nairobi.
Waste pickers at the site salvage materials for recycling.
Workers face injuries from sharp objects and exposure to toxic fumes.
The report says only 7 percent of plastic at the landfill can be recycled.
The article says 460 million tonnes of plastic are produced worldwide each year.
According to the United Nations, only 9 percent of plastic produced worldwide will ever be recycled.
Kenya has banned plastic bags, but its recycling industry is still in its early stages.
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Austrian police are investigating a 21-year-old German man on suspicion of endangering public safety after his 17-year-old friend was left stranded on Zugspitze in freezing conditions. Rescuers airlifted her from the mountain; she had hypothermia, was treated at a German hospital and later discharged.
Key Facts
The pair set out before dawn from Ehrwald, Austria, on Sunday, hoping to see the sunrise on Zugspitze.
Temperatures had dropped to -12C, and the climbers encountered snow deep enough to reach their knees, according to reports.
The pair separated, and the 21-year-old descended alone; police have not said why they split up.
The teenager called emergency services and was found at about 2,500 metres above sea level.
Seven mountain rescuers responded, and a helicopter airlifted the teenager from the mountain.
Austrian police said they will send a report to prosecutors in Innsbruck after completing their investigation.
Austrian law allows a penalty of up to three months in prison for endangering another person's physical safety.
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Air quality in New Delhi has reached hazardous levels days before Diwali. Residents report breathing difficulties and eye irritation as haze covers the capital, where celebrations often include fireworks.
Key Facts
New Delhi’s air quality has deteriorated to hazardous levels.
The deterioration comes days before Diwali.
Diwali is a Hindu festival of lights.
Diwali celebrations often involve fireworks.
Residents report breathing difficulties.
Residents report eye irritation.
A toxic haze blankets India’s capital.
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A YouGov survey in six European countries found that most respondents believe human activity is changing the climate and want action, but support falls for measures that could raise costs or change daily habits. Most favored international cooperation and said it was not too late to prevent the worst impacts, though doing so would require major changes.
Key Facts
Between 69% of respondents in Germany and 80% in France said the climate was changing.
Between 79% and 89% across Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK said countries could tackle the climate crisis more effectively by working together internationally.
Between 65% and 83% in each country said they were worried about the climate crisis.
In France, the share who said they were worried rose from 74% in April to 83% by mid-August and remained at that level last month.
Across the six countries, 45% to 63% said it was not too late to avert the worst climate impacts, but a drastic change in approach was needed.
Respondents favored measures such as planting trees, subsidizing energy efficiency, banning single-use plastics and taxing major emitters.
Respondents opposed measures such as increasing fuel duty, limiting meat and dairy, taxing air fares and banning new petrol and diesel cars.
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ACLED says suspected Russian sabotage and other hybrid activities have spread across parts of Europe this year and may increase along NATO’s eastern flank. Poland has deployed security personnel near its border with Russia’s Kaliningrad region after reports of unusual movement, while Russia denies conducting hybrid warfare.
Key Facts
ACLED recorded 20 suspected Russian activity events in Poland this year, including sabotage, intrusions, drone surveillance and arson.
ACLED said transportation and defense infrastructure were targeted in half of the recorded Polish events.
ACLED analyst Maksym Beznosiuk said Poland could face more suspected activity against military, aviation and other critical infrastructure over the next six months.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said police were sent to the Kaliningrad border after reports of disturbing movement and people with flashlights near the frontier.
Polish guards and intelligence officers were deployed near Sepopol, and authorities set up a special command center at National Police Headquarters.
An ACLED report covering January 1 to October 22 said Russia had carried out more destructive suspected hybrid events than in the previous year.
The report cited an explosive-laden drone near a Ukrainian cargo plane at Leipzig-Halle airport, a fire at an Estonian robotics facility and a thwarted arson attack on a Slovak drone factory.
Russia has denied conducting hybrid warfare.
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A train worker told Cambridge Crown Court that he used a frying pan to try to knock away a knife during an attack on an LNER train near Huntingdon. Samir Zitouni said he tried to stop the attacker until the train halted; the defendant denies 10 attempted murder charges relating to the train attack, and the trial continues.
Key Facts
Zitouni was working on an LNER service from York to London King's Cross on 1 November last year.
The attack led to an unscheduled stop in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire.
In a video interview played to jurors, Zitouni said he tried to hit the knife and prevent the attacker from passing.
Zitouni suffered punctured lungs and needed blood transfusions, chest drains and a ventilator.
Anthony Williams, 33, denies 10 counts of attempted murder over the train attack.
Williams is also charged with attempted murders in earlier alleged attacks in Peterborough and London.
The court has heard that the attacks themselves are not disputed; jurors must decide whether Williams intended to kill.
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Russell Brand was found guilty at Southwark Crown Court of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault after a three-week trial. The article describes how his sexually explicit comedy and public image as a womaniser became popular during an era when British media often treated casual sexism as humor.
Key Facts
Brand was found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault.
The trial lasted three weeks and took place at Southwark Crown Court.
Brand rose to fame as a stand-up comedian and later worked in television and film.
Broadcasters including MTV, Channel 4 and the BBC hired Brand during his rise to fame.
His stand-up routines included graphic descriptions and simulations of sexual acts.
Brand's 2007 memoir, My Booky Wook, became a bestseller.
The article describes late-1990s and early-2000s British media as widely featuring casual sexism, including in lads' magazines.
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