Hundreds of residents from Russian-occupied Oleshky arrived in Gomel, Belarus, aboard four planes as part of an evacuation under a temporary regional truce. Ukrainian lawmaker David Arakhamia said they were expected to travel onward to Ukrainian-controlled territory within hours; the evacuation effort also offered residents the option of going to Russia or staying in Oleshky with supplies.
Key Facts
David Arakhamia said four planes carrying Oleshky residents arrived in Gomel on Saturday.
Belarusian state media reported that rescue workers, medical teams and Red Cross volunteers met the evacuees.
Arakhamia said the evacuees were due to continue to Ukrainian territory within hours.
Residents began travelling out of the region by bus on Friday under a truce expected to last through Sunday.
About 2,000 residents were offered the choice of travelling to Ukrainian- or Russian-held territory, or remaining in Oleshky with food and medical supplies.
Russia and Ukraine have not said how many residents chose to leave.
Melania Trump said the humanitarian convoy could evacuate more than 750 people, while Russia’s representative Yana Lantratova said buses also carried residents who wanted to live in Russia.
The White House said Melania Trump helped broker the truce; Pope Leo XIV also urged Russian and Ukrainian leaders to permit aid deliveries and civilian evacuations.
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Switzerland’s Independent Complaints Authority for Radio and Television ruled that French-language broadcaster RTS commentary about Israeli bobsledder Adam Edelman during the February Winter Olympics breached discrimination rules. The panel voted 5-4, finding that the commentary singled him out and suggested he should be excluded because of his political views.
Key Facts
The commentary aired on RTS during the Israeli team’s bobsleigh run on February 16.
Commentator Stefan Reina described Edelman as “a Zionist to the core” and discussed his social media statements about the war in Gaza.
The authority said the commentary focused on Edelman’s social media statements throughout the run.
Four members of the public filed complaints about the broadcast, and the nine-member panel upheld them by a 5-4 vote.
The authority said the commentary conveyed a stigmatizing and discriminatory message and treated Edelman differently from the other athletes competing that day.
RTS removed the segment from its website after it circulated on social media.
The authority said it would publish its full reasoning and requested measures at a later date; appeals may be filed with Switzerland’s Federal Supreme Court.
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UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said he began storing food and water weeks ago to prepare for a national emergency and urged households to keep basic supplies. He discussed rising threats to the UK, increased defence spending and the need to prepare the armed forces while ensuring public money is spent carefully.
Key Facts
Streeting said he keeps bottled water, a first aid kit and a battery-powered torch ready.
His food supplies include baked beans, sweetcorn, kidney beans, tuna, protein bars and nuts.
Streeting said he began stockpiling to lead by example and encouraged people to prepare household supplies.
Chancellor John Healey said defence spending should reach 3% of GDP by 2030 and 3.5% by 2035.
Healey said his government is fully funding the defence investment plan.
Healey left details of how the government will reach its spending target until next year’s spending review.
Streeting said the UK must be able to deter adversaries and be ready to defeat them if deterrence fails.
Streeting said lawmakers on the Intelligence and Security Committee could be trusted to scrutinize special forces and the UK’s nuclear weapons.
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Haworth in West Yorkshire has seen more visitors this autumn, with social media posts helping draw people to its scenic streets and shops. A popular shop says it has had queues on weekends and during school half-term, while residents and businesses point to problems including limited parking and increased litter.
Key Facts
The Cabinet of Curiosities, a shop with a Victorian-style apothecary theme, has drawn visitors who want to see or photograph its Halloween display.
Shop assistant Karen Roberts said queues began forming about six weeks before the report and appeared every weekend.
Roberts said the shop had visitors waiting outside daily during the school half-term week.
Visitors interviewed said social media images and videos helped inspire their trips to Haworth.
The village’s Brontë connections and the 2026 film adaptation of Wuthering Heights have also contributed to interest in the area.
Roberts cited limited parking and litter as downsides of the increase in visitors.
The Torres sisters travelled from Gran Canaria, while Ella and Brian Thomas came from Greater Manchester.
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Israeli strikes and gunfire have killed and wounded students and teachers in Gaza as children return to makeshift schools, the article reports. The account describes the death of 14-year-old Mohammed Hamad and the shooting of fourth-grade student Suad Abd Rabbo, as well as continuing dangers near the Yellow Line.
Key Facts
Mohammed Hamad, 14, was killed in an Israeli strike on October 17 while walking home from a makeshift school in Deir el-Balah; his 10-year-old brother survived.
Mohammed’s father said the boy’s death has left his brother Abdullah afraid to go to school alone.
Gaza’s academic year resumed on September 19 after nearly three years of disruption caused by the war, according to the article.
The article says 10 children aged six to 16 and one teacher were killed between October 18 and 24.
Gaza’s Ministry of Education said two girls were wounded during morning assembly at Muradiya School on October 21.
The ministry also said five students were injured, some critically, in an attack on the Islamic University campus in Gaza City.
The article says at least 66 Palestinian children have been killed near the Yellow Line, which the United Nations says now leaves Israel controlling more than 65 percent of Gaza.
Fourth-grade student Suad Abd Rabbo was shot while standing in a school queue on October 21, according to her family.
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The UN Security Council failed to renew the mandate of MINURSO, the peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara, after Russia vetoed a US-backed draft and a rival Russian draft fell short of the votes needed. The US proposal would have extended the mission for a year and made Morocco’s autonomy plan the sole basis for further talks; the mandate was due to expire on Saturday.
Key Facts
Russia vetoed the US-backed resolution, which had support from 11 of the council’s 15 members.
The Russian draft to renew MINURSO without changes failed to win the nine votes required for adoption.
The United Nations established MINURSO in 1991 to monitor a ceasefire and prepare a referendum on Western Sahara’s future.
Disagreement over who could vote has prevented the planned referendum from taking place.
Morocco claims Western Sahara, while the Algeria-backed Polisario Front seeks an independent Sahrawi Republic.
Morocco’s autonomy proposal would leave the territory under Moroccan sovereignty while allowing it to manage internal affairs.
Morocco’s royal palace said UN personnel and equipment should leave the territory; the Polisario representative welcomed Russia’s veto.
Low-level fighting has continued since the Polisario Front said it was resuming armed struggle in 2020.
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Dozens of protesters gathered Friday at Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal to oppose the government’s suspension of the tribunal president. The protesters said the suspension was unlawful, and police increased security around the court.
Key Facts
The gathering took place at Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal.
Dozens of protesters opposed the government’s suspension of the tribunal president.
Protesters said the suspension was unlawful.
Police stepped up security around the tribunal.
Police said several people were detained.
Some demonstrators breached the court’s perimeter fence.
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G20 foreign ministers ended two days of talks in the United States without agreement on several major global security issues. The meeting was marked by European ministers’ confrontation with Russia’s Sergei Lavrov over the war in Ukraine, while U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced two diplomatic initiatives on the sidelines.
Key Facts
The G20 foreign ministers’ meeting took place in the United States.
The two-day talks ended without agreement on several key global security issues.
European ministers confronted Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov over the war in Ukraine.
European ministers refused to join Lavrov for the traditional group photo.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio signed an Arctic cooperation deal with Japan and South Korea.
Rubio confirmed that the United States will take part in Riyadh’s World Expo in 2030.
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France planned another nationwide day of demonstrations over the cost of living and conditions in schools on Saturday, October 31. Authorities deployed 70,000 security personnel and imposed curfews in some areas, while the interior minister warned that covering one’s face at a demonstration is illegal.
Key Facts
The protests, called “Act Three,” brought together Yellow Vest activists and student demonstrators.
France’s highest administrative court upheld a ban on the planned route for the Paris march.
Protesters were required to remain on the eastern outskirts of Paris.
Authorities deployed 70,000 security personnel.
Some areas faced curfews, repeating measures used the previous weekend.
The interior minister issued a Halloween-themed warning that face coverings at demonstrations remain illegal.
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The article title refers to two rallies against racism near Paris, but the text focuses on planned protests over the rising cost of living across France. It says a court ruling restricted a march in Paris to the capital’s eastern outskirts.
Key Facts
The article was issued on October 31, 2026.
Protests over the rising cost of living were planned across France for a third consecutive weekend.
The article said nearly 500,000 people were expected to demonstrate.
The government planned to deploy 70,000 police officers to maintain order.
A last-minute court ruling restricted a march in Paris to the city’s eastern outskirts.
The article title describes two rallies against racism near Paris, but the text does not provide details about those rallies.
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A Lebanese military court charged 13 people it says are linked to Hezbollah over a shipment of explosives seized at a checkpoint. Hezbollah said the explosives belonged to it and were intended for use against Israel; investigators have not established that the shipment was meant for an attack on the group’s opponents.
Key Facts
The charges include possessing weapons, undermining state security and forming illegal associations, according to Lebanese state media.
Authorities seized a truck carrying 780kg of explosives at the Dahr al-Baydar checkpoint earlier this month.
The shipment included 250kg of TNT and 250kg of C-4, judicial officials said.
Two people were arrested during the seizure; the other 11 people charged remain at large.
Five of those charged have been identified only by nicknames because their real names are unknown.
Hezbollah acknowledged owning the explosives and asked authorities to return them and release the two detainees.
A June framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel tied Israel’s gradual withdrawal from occupied areas in southern Lebanon to Hezbollah’s disarmament and the deployment of the Lebanese army in the south.
Hezbollah has rejected calls to disarm, while Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said state authorities would act firmly against weapons outside the legal framework.
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Flávio Bolsonaro said he would continue defending his father’s political agenda. He urged supporters to remain strong and backed Rogério Marinho to lead Brazil’s Federal Senate.
Key Facts
Flávio Bolsonaro pledged to continue his father’s political fight.
He said he would keep defending his father’s political agenda.
He urged supporters to remain strong.
He backed Rogério Marinho for president of Brazil’s Federal Senate.
The article identifies the Senate presidency as the role Marinho is seeking.
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The author reflects on how the Spice Girls’ five exaggerated personas shaped her childhood and considers whether a group built around those identities could emerge today. She argues that fans once treated the personas as playful possibilities, while noting that the group’s names, especially “Scary” for its only Black member, raise questions about race and stereotypes.
Key Facts
The Spice Girls are preparing a 30th-anniversary collection.
The group sold more than 100 million records worldwide, according to the article.
The five Spice Girls personas were Posh, Baby, Ginger, Sporty and Scary.
The author says she identified with different members at different times.
The article notes that Melanie Brown was the group’s only Black member and was called Scary.
The author describes the nickname as carrying both a stereotype and a sense of fearless confidence.
The author says she has urged the group on Instagram to reunite at the Sphere in Las Vegas.
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The article argues that an international protection force should be deployed to protect Palestinian civilians and essential services in Gaza, the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. It describes widespread damage and displacement, pressure on healthcare and education, and loss of livelihoods since October 2023, citing figures from aid groups and other sources.
Key Facts
The article says more than 74,000 people have been killed in Gaza and that tens of thousands more may die from indirect effects of the war.
It reports that about 81 percent of structures in Gaza have been destroyed and 1.9 million people displaced.
The article says 19 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals and 73 of its 158 primary health centres remain partially functional.
It cites UNICEF data saying 98 percent of Gaza’s schools were destroyed or damaged during the war.
According to Al-Haq, 46 Palestinian communities were forcibly displaced by Israeli forces and settlers between 2023 and mid-2025.
The article says at least 84 schools in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, faced pending demolition or stop-work orders.
It reports that Israeli movement restrictions and settler violence have limited access to schools, farmland and livelihoods.
The article says the World Food Programme announced cuts to monthly food rations for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.
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Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has harmed Black Sea wildlife through military noise, naval mines, pollution and disrupted fishing, according to researchers and environmental groups cited in the article. A Ukrainian researcher estimated that more than 120,000 dolphins and porpoises had died by 2026, though observers in other countries said they could not determine the cause of every stranded animal’s death.
Key Facts
Fishing and poaching along Black Sea coasts fell after Russia’s 2022 invasion, which included an effort to occupy Ukraine’s Black Sea coast.
Ivan Rusev, a researcher at Ukraine’s Tuzly Lagoons national park, estimated that about 50,000 dolphins died in 2022 and more than 120,000 had died by 2026.
Rusev said military explosions, missile launches and sonar can disrupt cetaceans’ echolocation, which they use to navigate, communicate and hunt.
The article links dolphin deaths to starvation, pollutants accumulated in blubber and respiratory infections caused by morbillivirus.
The 2023 destruction of the Kakhovka dam released water contaminated with fertiliser runoff, heavy metals and machine oil into the Dnipro River system.
Environmental groups in Bulgaria, Romania and Turkiye also reported increased dolphin deaths, but said decomposition often made the cause difficult to establish.
The article says naval mines, fishing restrictions and pollution have contributed to declines in fish such as mullet and bluefish.
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The State Department approved a $2.1 billion sale of 500 Patriot missiles to Ukraine, with funding from Canada and European allies and no U.S. funds. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the decision but said delivery could take years and urged allies to provide missiles from their current stockpiles while awaiting the new purchase.
Key Facts
The State Department announced the approval on Friday.
Canada and European allies, including Germany and Norway, will fund the purchase.
The department said the sale would not adversely affect U.S. defense readiness.
Lockheed Martin is the agreement’s principal contractor.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine had faced more than 30 Russian strikes on energy infrastructure in the preceding two weeks.
Ukraine uses Patriot missiles to intercept Russian attacks and has warned that its supplies are dwindling.
Zelenskyy asked the United States and European allies to transfer Patriot systems from their own stockpiles and replenish them with the purchased missiles later.
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RSF senior commander Siddiq Ander says he has defected from the paramilitary group, accusing the family of leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo of controlling its finances, weapons, troop movements and promotions. His departure follows several other senior defections this year as Sudan’s war continues to displace millions and cause civilian deaths.
Key Facts
Al Jazeera published video footage on Friday showing Ander announcing his defection and making accusations about the RSF leadership.
Ander said people who speak out within the RSF risk expulsion, imprisonment or death.
Hemedti’s brother, Abdul Rahim Hamdan Dagalo, is the RSF deputy commander.
Other senior RSF members who left this year include Mohammed Azraq al-Fanjari, Al-Tayeb al-Wahidu, Ali Rizqallah and al-Nour Ahmed Adam.
The war between Sudan’s armed forces and the RSF began in April 2023 after a power struggle that included disputes over integrating the RSF into the regular military.
The conflict has displaced about 13 million people and pushed parts of Sudan into famine.
Drone strikes hit a market and residential area in Nyala on October 26; a Sudanese rights group reported more than 100 deaths, while other medical organizations recorded lower figures.
The United Nations says drone strikes have become the leading cause of civilian deaths in Sudan’s war.
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A report by Geneva-based AURORAH GeoSignal Intelligence says Russian government and military satellites observed areas targeted in 40 Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia between July 1 and October 19. The firm says Russian intelligence may have supported Houthi targeting, including attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure, but the article presents these as the investigation’s findings and assessments.
Key Facts
AURORAH examined 40 Houthi missile and drone attacks against Saudi Arabia between July 1 and October 19.
The firm reported a pattern of Russian satellite observations before and after each of the attacks it studied.
AURORAH identified Russian systems including Bars-M, Persona, Lotos-S1, Pion-NKS and Kondor-FKA satellites, as well as the EKS/Tundra early-warning constellation.
The firm’s founder said the investigation found Russian intelligence supporting an Iran-led intelligence network assisting Houthi operations in Yemen.
The report linked Russian-derived intelligence to Houthi operations along Yemen’s western coast and assessed it was relevant to attacks on Saudi Arabia.
The article says three pumping stations on Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline were struck last month: PS8 at Afif, PS9 at Al-Dhekra and PS11 at Al-Mesba’ah.
The article describes the conflict between the Houthis and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government as ongoing since July, with the Houthis taking control of Yemen’s Red Sea coast in September.
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A plan to pedestrianise nearly 1km of London’s Oxford Street reminded Helen Davey of her father, John, who took part in a 1971 protest against traffic and pollution. Dressed as Father Christmas, he and fellow campaigners briefly chained off the road before police arrested them; his family says he would have welcomed the street’s transformation.
Key Facts
John Davey and his wife, Lizzie, were members of the youth wing of the Liberal Party.
In the early 1970s, Oxford Street had four lanes of traffic, and police used loudspeakers to keep shoppers from spilling into the road.
The Daveys and other campaigners formed the Oxford Street Action Committee.
On 18 December 1971, campaigners staged a protest on the last Saturday before Christmas.
John Davey, celebrating his 28th birthday, wore a Father Christmas outfit and carried a pole with balloons.
A campaigner disguised a heavy chain and padlocks in a pram, then used them to block the road at traffic lights.
Police removed the chain and arrested campaigners, including John, on suspicion of obstruction.
Nearly 1km of Oxford Street has now been pedestrianised.
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Russell Brand denied all charges as he gave evidence in his trial at Southwark Crown Court, while acknowledging that he had misused his fame to facilitate sexual activity. His wife, Laura Brand, testified about their relationship, and jurors heard extracts from his book and past media appearances. The article describes changes in Brand’s manner during cross-examination and reports on evidence presented in the trial’s third week.
Key Facts
Brand faces three rape charges, three sexual assault charges and one attempted indecent assault charge involving six women; he denies all charges.
The allegations cover a period of 10 years, from 1999.
Brand told the court that consent was essential and said he was innocent of the charges.
Brand said he had misused his fame and success to facilitate sexual activity with women.
Laura Brand testified that they began a relationship in 2006, split in 2007, reunited in 2015 and married in 2017.
Laura Brand described her husband as a wonderful father and attentive husband.
The article says Brand used florid language in his evidence and paused for long periods during cross-examination.
The prosecution presented extracts from Brand’s 2007 book, My Booky Wook, and comments he had made in media appearances.
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