Pope Leo XIV celebrated his first Mass in South America on Saturday in Paysandú, Uruguay. More than 30,000 people had registered, including visitors from Argentina and Brazil, as Leo began a 12-day tour of Uruguay, Argentina and Peru and urged Uruguayans to engage with the Catholic faith.
Key Facts
The Mass took place at Parque París Londres in Paysandú, a city no pope had previously visited.
People began entering the park when its gates opened at 5:30 a.m.
Leo arrived in Uruguay on Friday and was scheduled to visit a Montevideo neighborhood affected by drug trafficking and gang violence.
Church and municipal programs in the neighborhood are working to provide housing and addiction rehabilitation.
Leo was also scheduled to hold a prayer vigil at Montevideo’s Centenary Stadium.
Uruguay has a population of 3.5 million and is described in the article as South America’s most secular country.
The report said the tour had been in doubt after Leo underwent lung cancer surgery on Oct. 13.
After Uruguay, Leo’s itinerary included stops in Argentina and Peru.
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Russian overnight drone and ballistic missile attacks damaged Ukrainian energy infrastructure across 12 regions, causing power cuts and disrupting water and heating supplies. Ukrainian officials reported nine people injured and said Kyiv was hit hardest, as delegations prepare for talks in Abu Dhabi next week.
Key Facts
The attacks involved more than 30 ballistic missiles and over 170 drones, according to the article.
Nine people, including one child, were reported injured across Ukraine.
Kyiv suffered damage to residential buildings, the North Bridge and a kindergarten.
Substations were damaged in the Kyiv, Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, Rivne, Kharkiv and Dnipro regions.
Ukraine's energy minister said power cuts affected five regions but did not specify how many homes lost electricity.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the city's water system was operating normally and about 60% of apartment buildings had heating.
Ukrainian and Russian delegations are due to take part in trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi next week.
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A 17-year-old boy suffered a superficial wound in a suspected sword attack near St Peter’s High School in Gloucester on Friday morning. Police arrested a 19-year-old man and an 18-year-old man, while a woman arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender was released on bail. Two nearby schools went into lockdown, and police said they did not believe there was a wider threat.
Key Facts
Police were called to Chalford Road in Tuffley shortly after 8:50 a.m. Friday.
Witnesses reported two men chasing two 17-year-old boys, with one man carrying a sword.
One boy sustained a superficial wound believed to have been caused by the sword; the other was not physically injured.
A 19-year-old man was arrested overnight, and an 18-year-old man turned himself in on Saturday morning.
Both men are from Gloucester and remain in police custody for questioning.
A woman arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender was released on police bail pending further inquiries.
St Peter’s High School and nearby Willow Primary Academy went into lockdown after the incident.
Police used armed officers, a drone unit and the National Police Air Service to search and are asking witnesses to share information or footage.
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Italian Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani said cybercriminals had published his personal data on the dark web and were seeking more information about him and his family. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni blamed pro-Russian hackers, while Tajani said Italy’s support for Ukraine may have made him a target and that the Foreign Ministry was coordinating its response with allied countries.
Key Facts
Tajani said his personal data had been published on the dark web for several days.
He said the people behind the leak were seeking more information about him and his family.
Meloni expressed solidarity with Tajani and attributed the activity to pro-Russian hackers.
Meloni called efforts to sell confidential information about government officials a serious concern.
Tajani said Italy’s position in support of Ukraine may be a reason he was targeted.
Tajani did not specify what information had been published.
The Foreign Ministry was coordinating its response with allied countries.
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The United States struck Iran’s Qeshm Island after attacks on vessels in and around the Strait of Hormuz, while mediators sought to prevent a wider conflict. Iran said it had shot down U.S.-made drones and warned that it had lifted limits on the range of its ballistic missiles.
Key Facts
Two projectiles hit Qeshm Island on Friday night in strikes targeting Iranian air defences and launchers.
President Donald Trump described the strikes as “minor.”
Iran’s army said it destroyed a U.S.-made MQ-9 drone; the IRGC separately claimed it intercepted an MQ-1 drone.
UKMTO reported attacks on at least 11 ships in and around the Strait of Hormuz during the week ending November 6, with three ships sinking.
UKMTO recorded 170 outbound and 155 inbound Strait of Hormuz transits, about 65 percent below pre-conflict levels.
Iran’s military said a tanker with its transponder switched off caught fire after hitting a naval mine in the eastern Strait of Hormuz; Washington said the mines had been cleared.
IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohebbi said Iran had lifted its self-imposed limit on ballistic missile range, previously about 2,000 kilometres.
Mohebbi said the IRGC planned to reveal another underground missile facility and might display some combat systems in public spaces.
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Paraguay’s Senate unanimously voted to remove President Santiago Peña over a banking scandal, and he was placed under house arrest. The collapse of Ueno Bank left nearly three million customers unable to access their savings. Peña denies wrongdoing, while his successor, Pedro Alliana, has promised compensation for those affected.
Key Facts
The Senate unanimously voted to remove Santiago Peña from office.
Peña was placed under house arrest after his removal.
The case centers on the collapse of Ueno Bank.
Nearly three million Ueno Bank customers could not access their savings.
Peña denies any wrongdoing.
Pedro Alliana succeeded Peña as president.
Alliana pledged to compensate customers affected by the bank’s collapse.
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Bantu-speaking communities began expanding from western Africa about 6,000 to 4,000 years ago, spreading farming, livestock raising, pottery-making, and metalworking across much of eastern and southern Africa. Their migration reshaped the region’s languages, cultures, and populations, though researchers still debate details of its origins and routes.
Key Facts
Great Zimbabwe was the capital of a southern African kingdom between about 1000 and 1700 AD.
Iron-smelting furnaces near Great Zimbabwe used natural-draft designs that drew air through the furnace without bellows.
Researchers say the furnaces’ size and number point to intensive iron production.
Bantu-speaking communities expanded across the continent’s southern half beginning about 6,000 to 4,000 years ago.
The migration introduced farming, livestock raising, pottery-making, and metalworking to areas previously dominated by hunter-gatherer communities.
Around 350 million Africans speak one of roughly 500 Bantu languages, including Zulu and Swahili.
Researchers use evidence from linguistics, archaeology, and genetics to investigate the migration.
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Russia launched a large overnight strike on Kyiv as Ukraine prepared for another round of talks with Russia and the United States next week. At least five people were injured, and the strikes damaged buildings and disrupted services and transport.
Key Facts
Russian missiles struck Kyiv overnight.
At least five people were injured in the city.
The strikes damaged residential and commercial buildings.
Authorities closed a bridge over the Dnipro River.
The attack caused new power and water outages.
Ukraine is preparing for another round of talks with Russia and the United States next week.
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After inconclusive elections in Israel, opposition candidate Gadi Eisenkot said he was confident he could secure the mandate to form a government. President Isaac Herzog was preparing to nominate the first candidate, while Eisenkot said he was making progress toward replacing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Key Facts
Israel's recent elections did not produce a conclusive result.
Gadi Eisenkot is seeking the mandate to form a government.
Eisenkot said he was confident he could secure the mandate.
President Isaac Herzog was preparing to name the first candidate to try to form a government.
Eisenkot said he was making progress in efforts to oust Benjamin Netanyahu.
Netanyahu is described in the article as Israel's long-serving prime minister.
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Kenyan cult leader Paul Mackenzie was sentenced to 200 years in prison over the deaths of 190 children in Shakahola Forest. Prosecutors said he ordered followers to fast to reach heaven before the apocalypse; the wider investigation has identified 448 confirmed bodies and about 500 suspected victims.
Key Facts
Mackenzie was sentenced in Kenya to 200 years in prison.
The case involved 190 children who prosecutors said were starved to death on Mackenzie's orders.
Prosecutors said Mackenzie urged followers to fast to reach heaven before the apocalypse.
Some victims were reportedly beaten, buried alive or dumped in latrines.
Twenty-eight accomplices were also jailed.
The wider investigation has found 448 confirmed bodies and about 500 suspected victims.
The case has raised questions about authorities' response to warning signs dating back to 2017.
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A missile strike on a market in Taiz governorate killed dozens on Friday, and Yemen’s government and Houthi rebels blamed each other. The government’s month-old “Dawn of Yemen” offensive has made reported territorial gains, but fighting and displacement continue, and an expert cited in the article said government forces are not close to retaking Sanaa.
Key Facts
Yemen’s internationally recognised government launched Operation Dawn of Yemen on October 5 under Presidential Leadership Council head Rashad al-Alimi.
The operation aims to retake Houthi-held areas, including Sanaa, and weaken the group’s military capacity.
The campaign has used Saudi-led coalition air support alongside ground operations by government forces and allied units.
The government says its forces regained positions near Dhubab and Bab al-Mandeb and in parts of Taiz and Lahij; the article says the extent of some claimed gains could not be confirmed.
The Houthis captured the port city of Mocha in September, and securing the Bab al-Mandeb strait is a stated government objective.
The article reports that hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced as the humanitarian crisis worsens.
A University of Aberdeen expert said government forces are spread across multiple fronts and are not likely to retake Sanaa soon.
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The article says Paraguay’s Congress impeached President Santiago Peña after a banking collapse left nearly 3 million people without access to their money. It reports that Peña was placed under house arrest and that Vice President Pedro Alliana took over as president through August 2028.
Key Facts
The article links the banking crisis to the collapse of digital lender Ueno, which it describes as one of Paraguay’s largest banks.
It says nearly 3 million people, or about 60 percent of Paraguay’s adult population, lost access to their money.
Impeachment charges reportedly accused Peña of conflicts of interest, misuse of pension funds and cover-ups tied to Ueno.
The article says lawmakers rejected Peña’s attempted resignation and voted unanimously to impeach him.
Peña was reportedly placed under house arrest at his residence in Asunción after the impeachment vote.
Prosecutors planned to question Peña over alleged breach of trust, influence peddling and misappropriation of funds.
Vice President Pedro Alliana was sworn in and is expected to serve until the presidential term ends in August 2028.
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A flash flood of rock and ice struck Nepal on August 26, 2026, destroying homes, villages and bridges. Rescuers are searching for missing people as aid workers provide shelter and support to affected families and children.
Key Facts
The flood came from a high Himalayan mountain and swept through Nepal’s valleys.
At least 1,400 people were killed, according to the article.
More than 5,000 people remain missing.
The disaster destroyed homes, villages and bridges.
Rescuers are searching for missing people despite risks to their own lives.
Aid workers are helping affected families and children with refuge and support.
The article describes the flood as the latest in a series of natural disasters to hit Nepal in recent years.
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Heavy rain and strong winds flooded thousands of tents sheltering displaced Palestinians across Gaza on Saturday, leaving families exposed to cold and waterlogged belongings. Gaza’s emergency services reported about 1,500 distress calls in 10 hours, while officials and aid groups warned that shortages of tents and other supplies leave more than one million displaced people vulnerable as winter begins.
Key Facts
Water levels at several shelter sites rose by 30–40 cm, according to Gaza’s Civil Defence agency.
Civil Defence said some shelter centres were completely flooded and their occupants had to leave.
Premature babies, older people and people who are sick face particular risks, Civil Defence spokesperson Mahmoud Basal said.
Civil Defence said rescuers evacuated residents from a partially collapsed building in Nuseirat; Wafa reported that two people were injured when a wall collapsed in northern Gaza.
Gaza’s emergency committee said more than one million displaced people face winter risks and the territory needs about 200,000 tents and heating supplies.
A Palestinian NGO Network director said 180 to 200 trucks were entering Gaza daily, compared with 600 under the humanitarian protocol, and that about 40 carried aid.
The NGO Network director said 50,000 tents were waiting on the Egyptian side of the border.
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Andy Burnham said the government should examine how rape trials are conducted so complainants do not feel they are on trial. His comments followed Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley’s criticism of remarks reported from Russell Brand’s trial; the government has no current plan to change the law, according to BBC News.
Key Facts
A jury found Russell Brand guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault after a four-week trial in London.
The jury found Brand not guilty of two other rape counts and one count of attempted indecent assault.
Brand was refused bail and was due to be sentenced on Monday.
Rowley said reported comments by Brand’s defence barrister came close to victim blaming.
Rowley backed a proposal for judges to address rape myths and misconceptions in every rape trial.
Burnham said he would study the case and would not rule out changes, while stressing the need to encourage reporting and raise conviction rates.
The Victims’ Commissioner and the Centre for Women’s Justice called for trials to challenge myths about sexual violence.
Former Conservative MP and barrister Anna Soubry said judges already give juries directions on these issues and urged people to trust juries.
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A British soldier was court-martialed after he ignored an order to remove his phone’s SIM card before a deployment in Estonia. His phone was hacked, and attackers used stolen nude photos to blackmail him; an appeals court rejected his challenge to his sentence in August 2026.
Key Facts
Corporal Daniel Barton-Kennedy served with the 1st Battalion of the Duke of Lancaster Regiment.
His unit deployed to Tapa, Estonia, for Exercise Eastern Warrior in January 2026.
Before deployment, soldiers were ordered to remove SIM cards, disable location settings and use a trusted virtual private network on personal devices.
On January 19, Barton-Kennedy told his platoon commander that an unknown party had stolen nude photos from his phone and identified him on social media.
He initially agreed to pay £100 but declined when the demand rose to £250.
Barton-Kennedy pleaded guilty to disobeying a lawful command at a hearing on July 30 and received a 10-month detention sentence and a reduction in rank.
He said he had wanted to contact his daughter on her birthday and his pregnant partner, and he expressed regret for the incident.
A British appeals court denied his appeal in August 2026.
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Monty Don presented his final episode of the BBC gardening series Gardeners’ World after joining the show in 2003. He will appear in two winter specials and remain part of the presenting line-up for next year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show; the BBC has not yet named his successor.
Key Facts
Don signed off from Longmeadow garden, where the show has been based for 16 years.
He thanked viewers and his dog Ned, calling it a privilege to share his gardening experiences.
Don said the current series would be his last in September, saying it was the right time for a change.
He replaced Alan Titchmarsh as presenter in 2003.
The BBC said it will announce details of the next series later; Don’s successor has not been named.
Don will feature in two winter specials expected to air before Christmas.
He will remain part of the presenting line-up for next year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
Don received an OBE in 2018 for services to horticulture, broadcasting and charity.
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Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of France Unbowed and a candidate in the 2027 French presidential election, has attracted support from many young voters. His climate, wealth-redistribution and political-participation proposals, along with his party’s outreach to young people, help explain his appeal, though he remains a polarising figure among the wider electorate.
Key Facts
Mélenchon won the support of voters aged 18 to 34 in the 2022 presidential election, according to the article.
Recent polls cited in the article suggest he could reach the 2027 election’s second round.
The article says Marine Le Pen is leading polls ahead of the 2027 election.
Mélenchon’s platform includes proposals to fight climate change, redistribute wealth and increase public participation in government.
The France Unbowed youth group reaches voters online and in person.
The party holds an annual summer gathering for people under 26; this year Mélenchon attended a meeting there.
Young supporters say the party takes their political concerns seriously.
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Police arrested two men after a 17-year-old boy suffered a superficial wound in a suspected sword attack in Tuffley, Gloucester. Two nearby schools went into lockdown, and both men remain in custody for questioning.
Key Facts
Police attended the incident on Chalford Road at 08:50 GMT on Friday.
Police said two males, one carrying a sword, were seen chasing two boys.
A 17-year-old boy suffered a superficial wound believed to have been caused by a sword.
The second boy was not injured.
A 19-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and affray.
An 18-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possessing an offensive weapon, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and affray.
St Peter's High School and Willow Primary Academy were placed in lockdown.
A woman previously arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender was released on police bail.
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Sudan’s war, displacement and economic hardship are worsening child malnutrition, with health workers reporting rising admissions and crowded treatment wards. Food and disease risks are also compounded by environmental conditions, while an IPC estimate projects that 825,000 children under five will suffer severe acute malnutrition in 2026.
Key Facts
The conflict between Sudan’s armed forces and the Rapid Support Forces began in April 2023.
The IPC estimates that 825,000 children under five will suffer severe acute malnutrition in 2026, 7 percent more than in 2025.
UNICEF and its partners treated 174,700 children for severe acute malnutrition across Sudan in the first six months of 2026.
Port Sudan Teaching Hospital recorded 433 malnutrition cases from January through August 2026.
The hospital’s 17-bed malnutrition unit has at times placed three children in one bed, raising concerns about disease transmission.
The hospital provides therapeutic milk and other nutrition supplies free with support from WHO and UNICEF, but families often struggle to pay for intravenous fluids and medicines.
A hospital nutrition counsellor said flies can contaminate food and water, while mosquitoes spread malaria; malnourished children face particular risks from disease.
Displacement and economic hardship have also limited pregnant women’s nutrition, putting babies at risk of poor growth and malnutrition.
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