The Vatican said Pope Leo will make his South American trip as planned from 6 to 17 November, visiting Uruguay, Argentina and Peru. He had surgery on 13 October to remove a localized tumour from his right lung and has been gradually resuming work while recovering.
Key Facts
The 71-year-old Pope underwent a 90-minute operation in Rome on 13 October.
Doctors discharged him from Gemelli hospital on 17 October.
The Pope's surgeon said his condition was satisfactory and there were no clinical reasons to cancel the trip.
The Vatican said Leo would visit 10 cities during the tour.
The itinerary includes stops in Montevideo, Buenos Aires, Lima, Chiclayo, Cuzco and Pucallpa.
Leo lived and worked in Peru for several years and holds Peruvian citizenship.
The Vatican said Leo would cancel a planned visit to Assisi on 27 October on his doctors' recommendation.
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Walter Koenig, the actor who played Pavel Chekov in the original Star Trek series and films, died Sunday in Los Angeles at age 90, his agent confirmed. He also appeared in Babylon 5 and other screen productions, and received a 2026 Independent Shorts Awards honor for his performance in Mr Fleischmann.
Key Facts
Koenig played Chekov on Star Trek from its second season in 1967 through the series finale in 1969.
He reprised Chekov in six original-cast Star Trek films released from 1979 to 1991 and appeared briefly in Generations in 1994.
He voiced President Anton Chekov in Star Trek: Picard in 2023.
In Babylon 5, he played Alfred Bester, a telepath associated with the Psi Corps.
Koenig was born in Chicago and grew up in Manhattan; his parents were Lithuanian immigrants.
He married Judy Levitt in 1965. She died in 2022.
Koenig is survived by his daughter, Danielle Koenig.
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Senior figures in Keir Starmer’s government said officials discussed moving staff from 10 Downing Street to open-plan offices elsewhere, citing concerns that the historic building’s layout hindered collaboration. The discussions remained at an early stage, and it is unclear whether Starmer was consulted; there was no proposal to change the prime minister’s residence.
Key Facts
James Lyons, who led Starmer’s communications operation from October 2024 to September 2025, said moving out of Downing Street had been discussed.
Two other senior figures confirmed that staff relocation was discussed.
One possible location was an open-plan office in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office building.
Sources said the discussions did not advance beyond an early phase.
The proposed move concerned staff workplaces, not the prime minister’s residence.
10 Downing Street is more than 300 years old and comprises more than 100 rooms.
Lyons and Iceland boss Lord Walker criticized the building’s suitability as a workplace.
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Elon Musk accused Ukraine of using SpaceX’s commercial Starlink service for offensive drone strikes, which he said violated its terms of service. Ukrainian officials denied the accusation, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said satellite speeds had been restored after SpaceX imposed and then lifted restrictions.
Key Facts
Musk said SpaceX closed a loophole that had allowed Ukraine to use Starlink for offensive drone strikes.
A Ukrainian defense technology adviser said speed limits on Starlink terminals made the alleged strikes physically impossible.
The adviser also said Starlink does not work over Russian territory.
Musk pointed to a Zelenskyy post describing the use of Starlink for mid-range strikes in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory.
Ukrainian officials have sometimes used the names Starlink and Starshield interchangeably, complicating claims about which service was involved.
Ukraine officials said satellite connectivity had been restricted for drones traveling faster than 161 kilometers per hour.
Zelenskyy said Starlink and Starshield speeds had returned to their pre-restriction levels.
Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said Starshield was again working at speeds above 400 kilometers per hour.
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Downing Street said Andy Burnham has not proposed restoring freedom of movement with the EU and has not taken a firm position on the option. Burnham said the public should decide the UK’s long-term relationship with the bloc, while ruling out rejoining the EU during the current parliament.
Key Facts
A Downing Street spokesperson said the prime minister was not advocating any specific option for the UK’s long-term relationship with Europe.
The spokesperson said the government had not decided whether the public would vote on proposals to bring the UK closer to the EU.
Burnham said he would not allow the UK to join the EU’s freedom-of-movement scheme without a referendum.
Burnham said he would like to see the UK rejoin the EU in his lifetime but would not get ahead of public opinion.
He ruled out rejoining the EU during the current parliament and said there would not be an early general election on a change of policy.
Burnham said the UK would not rerun the Brexit referendum and that the public would decide what happens next.
Burnham is due to attend the UK-EU summit in Brussels on 20 November to seek a better deal with the bloc.
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María Corina Machado is back in Venezuela while demands for a democratic election continue. CBS News correspondent Lilia Luciano reports on her return, but the provided article text does not explain what may happen next.
Key Facts
María Corina Machado is back in Venezuela.
Demands for a democratic election continue.
CBS News correspondent Lilia Luciano reports on Machado's return.
The headline asks what will happen next.
The provided article text does not describe any next steps.
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The United Nations warned that Israel’s operation in Hebron raises serious concerns of ethnic cleansing after Israeli forces displaced thousands of Palestinians. The operation followed an attack in which two Palestinian gunmen killed two Israeli soldiers near the city; UN officials called for it to end and said displaced residents should be allowed to return.
Key Facts
Hebron’s municipality said 3,189 people had been forced from their homes by the ongoing operation.
Israeli forces entered Ein Deir Baha, the neighbourhood where the two attackers lived, and ordered residents to leave.
The two Palestinian gunmen killed two Israeli soldiers at a checkpoint near Hebron on Friday and were killed in a shootout.
UN rights chief Volker Turk said the operation had demolished homes and commercial property and restricted residents’ movement.
Turk said collective punishment violates international law and called for compensation and reparation for unlawful evictions and demolitions.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was deeply alarmed by Israeli actions in the West Bank and called for them to end.
The operation began days before Israel’s Tuesday elections.
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Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine, Russia and the United States agreed to restart trilateral peace talks next month. He also renewed his call for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss territorial issues.
Key Facts
Zelenskyy said Ukraine, Russia and the United States agreed to hold trilateral talks.
The talks are planned for next month.
The talks concern efforts to reach peace.
Zelenskyy renewed his push for a meeting with Putin.
Zelenskyy said he wants to discuss territorial issues at such a meeting.
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Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won Brazil’s presidential runoff after finishing second in the first round. Student protests, a coordinated social-media campaign, and government benefit payments helped revive his campaign, while voters also expressed concern about a return of the Bolsonaro family to power.
Key Facts
Lula’s first-round total was 53.9 million votes, rising to 64.2 million in the runoff.
Flávio Bolsonaro received 3.7 million more votes in the runoff than his 56.1 million first-round total.
Student protests against a Bolsonaro-family return began in Niterói and spread to other parts of Brazil.
Lula thanked young people who took to the streets to defend democracy.
Congressman André Janones launched the WhatsApp channel “Lula’s Army” two days after the first round.
The channel grew from 60,000 followers on its first day to more than 10 million by election day.
Lula approved expanded and earlier payments from the main cash-transfer program for poor families during the campaign.
Political scientist Camila Rocha said voters feared losing rights and a concentration of power under Bolsonaro.
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More than four months after twin earthquakes struck Venezuela, 24-year-old Ricardo Contreras is recovering from injuries that led to the amputation of his left leg. He and his brother are receiving physiotherapy, while survivors also face family losses and reduced aid as international funding falls short.
Key Facts
Ricardo Contreras was trapped under rubble after the earthquakes on June 24.
A fallen door frame restricted blood flow to Contreras’s left leg, which was later amputated.
Contreras and his 16-year-old brother, Andres, are undergoing physiotherapy.
Contreras is preparing for a prosthetic leg and rehabilitation exercises.
His parents died when their home collapsed.
As of September, UNICEF had secured $29.5 million of the $65.7 million needed for its earthquake support in Venezuela.
The International Red Cross said in September that its Venezuela response effort was 39.8 percent funded.
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Algeria’s president ordered a troop deployment to Niger after both chambers of parliament approved the move. Algeria says Niger requested military assistance, but officials have not said how many soldiers will go or when; the stated goal is to protect shared economic interests and infrastructure.
Key Facts
Algeria’s parliament approved the deployment in an emergency session on Sunday.
Algeria’s presidency said Niger’s authorities requested military assistance.
Senator Belkacem Boulghiti said the troops would protect economic infrastructure, especially Algerian oil facilities in Niger.
Algeria has not announced the number of soldiers or the deployment date.
A 2020 constitutional reform allows overseas military deployments with approval from at least two-thirds of legislators in each parliamentary chamber.
State-owned energy company Sonatrach is working with Niger on a proposed gas pipeline that would carry Nigerian gas through Niger to Algeria for export to Europe.
The deployment would be Algeria’s first overseas military deployment since it sent soldiers to Egypt in 1973, if carried out.
Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso are governed by military leaders and have faced attacks by armed groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIL.
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A jury has been selected at Winchester crown court for the trial of four men accused of sexually assaulting Joanne Young between 2016 and 2023. Her former husband, Philip Young, has admitted multiple offences against her, including rape and drugging; the judge warned jurors that evidence and videos could be upsetting.
Key Facts
The four defendants are Connor Sanderson-Doyle, Richard Wilkins, Norman Macksoni and Mohammed Hassan.
The alleged offences are said to have occurred between the summer of 2016 and the winter of 2023.
Philip Young is named in each charge as having committed the alleged offence with one of the four defendants.
A panel of 14 potential jurors was selected on Monday; the judge asked them to consider overnight whether they could serve.
The judge warned jurors not to research the case or discuss it with others.
Philip Young has pleaded guilty to offences including voyeurism, rape and administering a substance with intent, spanning 13 years.
The trial is expected to last about four weeks, and Philip Young is due to be sentenced after it concludes.
Women gathered outside the court with banners supporting the rights of female victims of sexual crimes.
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The French government met student representatives on Monday, October 26, after weeks of unrest. Student union leaders welcomed progress but called for more demonstrations on October 31 to press for further measures.
Key Facts
The meeting took place on Monday, October 26, 2026.
The French government met with student representatives.
The meeting followed weeks of unrest.
Student representatives had been seeking a meeting with the government for weeks.
Student union leaders said the meeting marked progress.
The leaders called for demonstrations on Saturday, October 31.
They said further demonstrations would press for additional measures.
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The article says settlement expansion and settler violence in the occupied West Bank are likely to continue regardless of the outcome of Israel’s election. It reports that Netanyahu’s opponents have promised some steps against settler violence but mostly oppose a Palestinian state, while settlers have gained greater control over Palestinian communities and land.
Key Facts
Netanyahu’s nearly uninterrupted 17-year rule has been the longest of any Israeli leader, the article says.
The article reports that Netanyahu’s government distributed thousands of firearms to settlers and that armed settlers have increasingly confronted Israeli forces.
The Tubasi family said settlers forced them from their home in Jalud after a 19-day siege; an Israeli court ordered the military to return them, but they had not been brought back.
The family said troops later drove them away as settlers set fire to their home.
Settlers have established more than 250 rustic camps across the West Bank, according to the article.
Researcher Dror Etkes said the camps have helped settlers gain effective control of about one-fifth of the West Bank.
Data gathered by Etkes’ organization show that at least 127 Palestinian herding communities have been displaced since 2023.
The article says Netanyahu’s opponents have pledged to address settler violence but mostly oppose a two-state solution.
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Pope Leo XIV will make his planned Nov. 6–17 visit to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru after doctors found no medical reason to prevent travel following lung cancer surgery. The Vatican said his recovery is progressing and that the trip schedule has no announced changes.
Key Facts
Surgeons removed a lung lobe on Oct. 13 where they found a malignant nodule.
The surgery confirmed Leo had adenocarcinoma, a common type of lung cancer.
The trip will include a dozen flights and two helicopter rides to high altitudes.
Leo has gradually resumed Vatican activities while making time for rest and recovery.
The Vatican said the trip will focus on ties with local churches and messages of faith, hope and peace.
Leo said he looked forward to returning to a region where he had spent important periods of his life.
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The United Kingdom imposed sanctions on 15 Sudanese military commanders, militia leaders and security officials accused of war crimes during the fall of el-Fasher. The measures include travel bans and asset freezes, as the UK also announced funding for survivors of sexual violence and humanitarian aid.
Key Facts
The sanctioned people include members of both the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces.
The UK cited sexual violence, torture and attacks on civilians among the alleged crimes.
The sanctions came one year after el-Fasher fell following a prolonged siege marked by reported mass killings and attacks on hospitals.
UK-funded reporting by the Centre for Information Resilience documented systematic starvation and conflict-related sexual violence, according to the Foreign Office.
The Foreign Office named RSF colonel Hussein Abu Jalak and Al-Nour Ahmed Adam, also known as al-Qubba, among those sanctioned.
The UK allocated £5 million to support survivors of sexual violence and £10 million in humanitarian aid for Sudan.
Amnesty International said tens of thousands of civilians have been killed and 14 million people displaced since the war began in April 2023.
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UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has ordered an independent review into whether authorities missed chances to prevent the murder of 18-year-old Henry Nowak in Southampton. The review will also examine the family’s experience of the criminal justice system and, after the police watchdog concludes its investigation, consider the police response.
Key Facts
Former Conservative lord chancellor Alex Chalk KC will lead the review, which is due to report initial findings within five months.
Nowak was fatally stabbed in December while walking home from a night out.
Vickrum Digwa was jailed for life with a minimum term of 21 years and has permission to challenge the sentence length on 5 November.
Two officers who first arrived at the scene are under investigation for potential gross misconduct over their response to Nowak’s injuries and the decision to arrest him.
Police body-camera footage showed Nowak saying he had been stabbed, while an officer replied, “Don’t think you have, mate.”
Digwa’s mother, Kiran Kaur, was jailed for three years for assisting an offender after removing the knife used in the killing.
The knife was later found at the family home, along with more than 20 other weapons.
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Walter Koenig, who played Pavel Chekov in the original “Star Trek” series and several films, has died at age 90. His representative confirmed his death to CBS News.
Key Facts
Koenig was 90 when he died.
His representative confirmed his death to CBS News.
Koenig played Pavel Chekov.
He appeared in the original “Star Trek” television series.
He also appeared in several “Star Trek” films.
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A United Nations commission said Russia’s repeated attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure amount to war crimes because the attacks deliberately target civilian objects. It reported that strikes during the winter of 2025–2026 left millions facing prolonged outages, and it also accused Moscow of human trafficking linked to recruiting foreign fighters.
Key Facts
The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine submitted its report to the UN General Assembly on Monday.
The commission examined Russian attacks on heating plants, power lines, gas facilities, and other energy infrastructure since autumn 2022.
The report said the attacks grew in frequency, intensity, and geographic reach, involving waves of hundreds of drones and missiles.
During the winter of 2025–2026, temperatures fell to minus 21 degrees Celsius, and millions of people faced lengthy outages of heating, electricity, water, and gas.
The commission said Russian commanders knew the targeted heating facilities were essential to civilians and concluded that attacks on civilian objects constituted war crimes.
Commission chair Erik Mose said attacks had intensified again as the cold season approached, raising concerns about risks to civilian life and health.
The report also accused Moscow of human trafficking in connection with recruiting foreign fighters into Russia’s armed forces, and said many recruits were killed, went missing, injured, or captured.
A Russian strike on Zaporizhzhia injured four people overnight on Monday, according to the regional governor.
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz denied reports that Netanyahu sought an action against Iran before Israel’s Tuesday election. Opposition figures accused Netanyahu of putting political interests ahead of security, while Katz said Israel would respond forcefully if Iran attacked first.
Key Facts
Israel’s election is scheduled for Tuesday and is the first since the Hamas-led attacks of Oct. 7, 2023.
Israel’s Channel 12 reported that Netanyahu and the military chief of staff disagreed over a possible action involving Iran.
Netanyahu’s office called the report fake news, and Katz said Israel had no intention of initiating an attack on Iran before the election.
Katz described reports of a rift between political and military leaders as false and said Israel would respond forcefully if Iran attacked first.
Opposition candidate Gadi Eisenkot warned Netanyahu not to put political interests above Israel’s security.
Avigdor Lieberman asked Israel’s attorney general to investigate Netanyahu over alleged efforts to draw Israel into a war before the election.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said the election’s outcome would make no difference to Iran’s view of Israel.
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