Melania Trump hosted Russian and Ukrainian officials at the White House after a limited ceasefire enabled an evacuation effort in Oleshky, a Russian-occupied Ukrainian town. She said she had helped with the planning and gave letters to representatives to deliver to Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, while officials from both countries praised her involvement.
Key Facts
The meeting included Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev and Ukrainian negotiator Davyd Arakhamia.
Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman, Dmytro Lubinets, and Russia’s ombudsman, Yana Lantratova, also attended.
The article says about 800 people had lived through a prolonged humanitarian crisis in Oleshky.
Melania Trump said she reviewed de-mining plans and evacuation routes for the effort.
Lubinets presented Trump with Ukraine’s Order of Princess Olga, first class.
Dmitriev delivered a message of thanks from Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Trump gave letters to the Russian and Ukrainian representatives for Putin and Zelenskyy.
Trump had previously worked on a program that reunited more than 30 children displaced from their families during the conflict.
The article reports that Russian attacks continued elsewhere in Ukraine, including a strike in Zaporizhzhia that killed 40 people on Wednesday.
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This weekly quiz tests readers on events from the past seven days. Its introduction mentions comments by King Charles, a discovery at CERN and an apology by Martha Stewart, but does not provide the quiz questions or answers.
Key Facts
The article is a weekly news quiz.
The quiz covers events from the previous seven days.
King Charles described the transatlantic slave trade as a “shameful chapter of history.”
Scientists at CERN discovered what the article calls the “zeptoverse.”
Martha Stewart apologised for her Halloween costume, describing it as “screwed up.”
Ben Fell compiled the quiz.
The article links to last week's quiz and quizzes from the archives.
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Melania Trump hosted Russian and Ukrainian officials at the White House on November 5 and urged both countries to build on a six-day local ceasefire and pursue lasting peace. The truce enabled aid deliveries and the evacuation of nearly 800 people from Oleshky, but it expired without an extension; new U.S.-brokered talks are expected in Abu Dhabi on November 10 and 11.
Key Facts
Attendees included Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev and human rights commissioner Yana Lantratova, as well as Ukrainian lawmaker David Arakhamia and human rights commissioner Dmytro Lubinets.
Melania Trump said written agreements from Russia and Ukraine made her an intermediary and that she took part in planning the truce.
The truce covered Russian-occupied Oleshky and nearby areas in Ukraine’s Kherson region.
The six-day truce allowed aid deliveries and the evacuation of nearly 800 people; an estimated 2,000 civilians remained in Oleshky.
The White House said Melania Trump mediated the truce, while Pope Leo XIV also urged the sides to permit aid and evacuations.
The truce expired the Sunday before the White House meeting and was not extended.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a Russian bombing of an aid distribution point in Komyshuvakha killed at least 40 people the day after the truce expired.
Russia-Ukraine talks brokered by the United States are expected in Abu Dhabi on November 10 and 11.
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A Metropolitan Police detective urged more potential victims to report Russell Brand after a jury found him guilty of rape and sexual assaults. Police are investigating two further rape allegations and have sent files to prosecutors, while a separate civil claim has been filed in the UK.
Key Facts
A jury at Southwark Crown Court found Brand guilty of raping one woman and sexually assaulting three women.
The jury cleared Brand of two other rape charges and one charge of attempted indecent assault.
Police said Brand had been interviewed under caution about two further rape allegations made by two women.
The Metropolitan Police submitted files on both complainants to the Crown Prosecution Service, which decides whether to bring charges.
A woman has filed a civil claim in London alleging that Brand sexually assaulted her at his Los Angeles home in 2008.
The police investigation, called Operation Actinolite, involved more than 100 witnesses, over 1,400 documents and more than 340 statements.
Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy said the investigation was continuing and urged anyone with relevant information to contact specially trained officers.
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U.S. officials say Mexican judge Luiz Benítez Alcántara accepted $2 million in bribes to release Canadian citizen Andrew Clark during extradition proceedings in 2024. Benítez was arrested in Colombia and faces a U.S. indictment; officials say they will seek his extradition.
Key Facts
Benítez is accused of accepting bribes in exchange for releasing Clark from custody in Mexico.
Clark was charged in the United States with helping run a drug trafficking group allegedly headed by former Canadian Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding.
Clark was arrested days after his release and taken to the United States, where he faces drug trafficking and murder charges.
Benítez, 49, was arrested in Colombia on Sunday and is charged in a nine-count indictment with being an accessory after the fact.
U.S. officials said they will request Benítez's extradition from Colombia.
Wedding was arrested in Mexico earlier this year and taken to California, where he pleaded not guilty to murder and drug charges.
Authorities have arrested dozens of people in connection with the alleged network and seized drugs, weapons, cash, vehicles, artwork and jewelry.
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New Zealand voters will go to the polls on 7 November to elect a new government. The article highlights the rising cost of living, unemployment and healthcare as major voter concerns.
Key Facts
New Zealand's election is scheduled for 7 November.
Voters will elect a new government.
The rising cost of living is a key concern for voters.
Unemployment is a key concern for voters.
Healthcare is a key concern for voters.
The article is an explainer by BBC Australia and New Zealand correspondent Katy Watson.
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U.S. First Lady Melania Trump hosted Russian and Ukrainian officials at the White House and called for a lasting ceasefire after a six-day truce enabled residents to evacuate Oleshky in Ukraine’s Kherson region. The officials credited her with helping secure the truce, while acknowledging that broader negotiations to end the war remain difficult.
Key Facts
The six-day ceasefire in the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky allowed hundreds of residents to evacuate.
Melania Trump said she reviewed evacuation routes, demining plans, roadways, hospital access and medical resources during the truce.
The White House meeting included Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets, lawmaker Davyd Arakhamia, Russian ombudsman Yana Lantratova and Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev.
Both Russian and Ukrainian representatives thanked Melania Trump for her role in the ceasefire.
Arakhamia called the truce the biggest de-escalation since 2022 and said political negotiations remained complex.
Melania Trump gave the Russian and Ukrainian representatives letters to deliver to their presidents, Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky.
The White House displayed two historic objects it described as symbols of peace: an 18th-century medicine chest and a cup presented to a French ambassador in 1899.
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Eight people were killed and one was seriously injured in a series of shootings in Afyonkarahisar province in western Turkey on Thursday. Police launched a large-scale search for the suspect, who fled after the attacks.
Key Facts
Victims were found at several locations in three separate vehicles, according to local reports.
Anadolu Agency reported that three people were killed near Ayazini village and three near Kiyir village.
Two women found injured in Yukaritandir later died in hospital.
Two teachers were reportedly among those killed.
Police closed roads leading to the affected villages while searching for the suspect.
Milliyet reported that a vehicle allegedly taken by the attacker became stuck in mud and was abandoned.
The Afyonkarahisar Governorate said state institutions were coordinating their response.
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Paraguayan President Santiago Peña announced his resignation amid a banking crisis and impeachment proceedings. The crisis centered on Ueno Bank, which regulators placed into resolution after finding it insolvent, freezing customer deposits and prompting protests.
Key Facts
Peña announced his resignation in a video on Thursday.
Paraguay’s central bank placed Ueno Bank into resolution on Monday, citing insolvency.
The article says the action froze deposits belonging to about 3 million customers.
Bank executives were arrested, and people protested in the streets.
Peña faced impeachment proceedings filed by opposition lawmakers and members of his Colorado party.
Ueno Bank held between $800 million and $850 million in deposits from state and pension entities, according to the article.
Peña had previously held shares in the group that ran Ueno Bank and said he had sold them.
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More than a dozen flights in Europe received bomb threats on Thursday, prompting emergency landings, diversions and military escorts. Authorities reported finding no hazardous or suspicious materials, and investigations into the threats were ongoing.
Key Facts
Authorities said the threats affected more than a dozen flights across Europe on Thursday.
Some flights made emergency landings or diverted, and some received military escorts.
No hazardous or suspicious materials had been found, according to the report.
Similar threats had targeted planes earlier in the week, leading to searches and diversions.
Officials said it was too early to determine whether the incidents were linked or who sent the threats.
An Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Rome landed safely at a French military air base in Évreux after a threat.
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu's office said warplanes intercepted the Aer Lingus flight because the pilot did not cooperate as expected with authorities.
An EU aviation-security information-sharing mechanism was activated while national investigations continued.
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Iranian military officials said at least five tankers struck naval mines and caught fire near the Strait of Hormuz. Separately, the UK maritime agency reported that a tanker was hit by two projectiles off Qatar, while reported preparations for possible renewed U.S. strikes and ongoing mediation efforts added to regional tensions.
Key Facts
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said two tankers were damaged by fires near the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s army said three other tankers struck naval mines and caught fire east of the strait.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency said a tanker was hit by two projectiles about 50 nautical miles north of Qatar on Wednesday night.
UKMTO did not identify the tanker or its flag, and no group claimed responsibility for the reported attack.
A Qatari LNG carrier was hit by unidentified objects on October 30; its operator said no crew members were injured and the vessel remained operational.
Qatar said both sides were reviewing proposals from mediators to resume talks on ending the war.
Unnamed U.S. officials told The New York Times that U.S. forces were positioned to resume major combat operations against Iran on President Donald Trump’s orders.
Iranian leaders warned of repercussions if the United States or Israel took further military action.
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Ra’am and the Democrats have backed Gadi Eisenkot in his bid to form Israel’s next government. The endorsement comes after Arab-majority lists recorded high turnout in last week’s election and amid attacks on those lists by Benjamin Netanyahu.
Key Facts
Ra’am is an Arab-majority party.
The Democrats also backed Gadi Eisenkot.
Eisenkot is seeking to form Israel’s next government.
The endorsement followed last week’s election.
Arab-majority lists recorded turnout described as a record.
Benjamin Netanyahu has attacked Arab-majority lists.
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More than 20 aircraft across Europe have been targeted by bomb threats, in what the UK has called a “malicious hoax.” BBC Verify analyzed messages sent by an aircraft to examine how a bomb threat is passed on by air traffic control and what happens after a flight receives one.
Key Facts
More than 20 aircraft across Europe have been targeted by bomb threats.
The threats occurred for the second time this week, according to the report.
The UK described the incident as a “malicious hoax.”
BBC Verify analyzed messages sent by an aircraft about a threat.
The report examines how air traffic control passed on the threat.
Thomas Copeland explains the findings in the report.
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Bomb alerts disrupted flights across Europe on Thursday after an email to Rome airport authorities claimed explosives were aboard two flights bound for the city. The sender claimed to represent the “Fighters of the Male State,” but authorities had not confirmed who was behind the threats or whether the group was linked to a Russian misogynist movement with the same name.
Key Facts
The email named a Finnair flight from Helsinki and an Aer Lingus flight from Dublin as targets.
The Finnair plane landed at Rome’s Fiumicino airport with an Italian fighter jet escort; the Aer Lingus flight diverted to a French military base.
At least 20 flights were affected by bomb alerts at airports including those in Madrid, Prague, Sofia and Brussels.
An unnamed airport official told the Associated Press that another airport received a message from a self-described anti-feminist group; it was not clear whether the messages came from the same source.
Authorities had not formally identified a suspect, and the investigation was in its early stages.
A Russian court banned the Male State social media movement as extremist in 2021.
The movement was founded in 2016 by Russian far-right activist Vladislav Pozdnyakov and promoted nationalism, white supremacy and opposition to feminism and gay rights.
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Israeli President Isaac Herzog was due to meet Benjamin Netanyahu and opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot as he prepares to choose which one should first try to form a government. Neither bloc won a majority in last month’s election, and Arab-led parties could influence whether Eisenkot can build a coalition.
Key Facts
Netanyahu’s coalition won 53 of the 120 Knesset seats, down from 68.
The Change bloc led by Eisenkot won 48 seats.
The Joint List won 11 seats, while the Islamist Ra’am party won eight.
Turnout among Arab Israelis rose to about 80%, more than twice the previous level.
Eisenkot said potential Arab-party partners must recognize Israel as a Jewish state, accept compulsory national service, and denounce Hamas as a terrorist organization.
The Joint List said it could support an opposition government from outside, while Ra’am said it would join an Eisenkot-led government.
Netanyahu remains prime minister in a caretaker government until a new coalition forms or another election is held.
Israel’s Central Election Committee said the election’s integrity had not been compromised.
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Philippe Jaenada said he used artificial intelligence three times while writing the novel that won France’s Prix Goncourt. His admission followed the removal of another author’s book from the prize longlist after claims it was largely AI-generated, a claim the author denied before his publisher later said new evidence showed AI had been used.
Key Facts
Jaenada won the Prix Goncourt for L’Inconnue du quai de Javel.
He told France Inter that he used AI three times while writing the novel: to insert a ChatGPT sentence, include AI-generated text mocking the tool’s answers, and assist with research.
Jaenada said he disclosed the ChatGPT sentence to the Goncourt jury on the day he received the award.
The Goncourt academy removed Thélyson Orélien’s C’était ça ou Mourir from its longlist in September, saying it was likely largely produced by AI.
Orélien denied that a machine created any sentence in the book, but later admitted plagiarism in earlier work.
Orélien’s Canadian publisher, Boréal, said new evidence showed AI was used in the writing process and ended its relationship with him.
Jaenada won in the first round, receiving six votes to Sylvain Prudhomme’s three.
The article reports online accusations that Jaenada received more lenient treatment than Orélien, who is a writer of colour.
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The Court of Appeal increased Vickrum Digwa’s minimum term for murdering 18-year-old Henry Nowak from 21 years to 25 years, finding the original sentence unduly lenient. After credit for time spent on remand, Digwa must serve at least 24 years and 190 days before he can be considered for parole.
Key Facts
Digwa fatally stabbed Nowak with a large dagger in Southampton on 3 December 2025.
Digwa was sentenced to life imprisonment at Southampton Crown Court in June.
The Attorney General referred the 21-year minimum term to the Court of Appeal for review.
The Court of Appeal said the original term did not reflect the seriousness of the murder, including the repeated use of the dagger and the suffering and obstruction that followed.
The trial judge found Digwa’s claim that Nowak had attacked and racially abused him was a lie.
Digwa carried a small kirpan around his neck and a larger one on his belt; the court said lawful initial possession did not lessen the seriousness of the knife’s lethal use.
Digwa also sought permission to appeal his sentence as excessive, but the court refused permission.
Nowak’s family called the decision an important step toward justice and said no sentence could restore their son’s life.
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Myanmar’s military launched an offensive in Rakhine State on September 4, seeking to retake territory largely controlled by the Arakan Army. Airstrikes on November 1 killed 12 people and injured 32, including civilians at a bridge and a makeshift clinic; residents also described attacks on displacement camps in October.
Key Facts
The military began its “Yan Naing Min” offensive in Rakhine State on September 4, according to the article.
The Arakan Army reportedly controls nearly 90% of Rakhine State.
Airstrikes across Rakhine State on November 1 killed 12 people and injured 32 civilians.
A strike on Yo Chaung Bridge killed seven people and injured seven others, according to the article.
A bombing at a temporary clinic in Mrauk-U killed five people, including a newborn baby, and injured nine.
A resident said an October 4 attack on a displacement camp near Thayet Cho killed six civilians and injured 11.
The article says the UN’s Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar has documented the military’s use of double-tap strikes, in which a second attack follows the first.
ACLED reported that more than 100,000 people had been killed in Myanmar’s conflict as of figures published in July 2026.
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Philippine authorities are investigating child sexual abuse allegations involving Thomas Markle Sr. and have described his son, Tom Markle Jr., as a person of interest, not a suspect. Police say they found files they believe contain child sexual abuse material and are analyzing evidence; Markle Sr. denies the allegations.
Key Facts
Tom Markle Jr. reported his father to police in Cebu, saying he found suspected child abuse material among his father’s belongings.
Philippine Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said investigators were examining whether Markle Jr. was involved and described him as a person of interest, not a suspect.
Philippine police said seized files appeared to include images or videos involving minors and were undergoing digital analysis.
Thomas Markle Sr. denied the allegations and called them “sick lies.”
Mexican police raided a storage unit after a newspaper reported finding additional material there; authorities confirmed finding magazines and computer equipment but did not say whether the items were criminal evidence.
Markle Jr. told The Sun that he had informed FBI agents about two storage units in Los Angeles; the article said there was no official confirmation that they had been searched.
The article said Meghan Markle had expressed concern after the investigation first became public.
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A British health worker who tested positive for Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been flown to the UK and taken to a specialist unit at the Royal Free Hospital in London. It is the first confirmed case among UK nationals in the latest outbreak; UK officials say the risk to the public is low.
Key Facts
The health worker arrived at RAF Northolt before being taken to the Royal Free Hospital.
The man has not been identified.
The latest outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo began in May and has recorded more than 10,000 confirmed cases.
The reported fatality rate for the outbreak was 48.6% at the end of last month.
The outbreak is driven by the Bundibugyo variant of Ebola.
Cases linked to the outbreak have also been confirmed in Kenya, Nigeria and Uganda.
Candidate vaccines from the University of Oxford and the Serum Institute of India, and from Moderna, may join a clinical trial if Congolese health authorities approve them.
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