Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told PBS News that Ukraine hacked Russia’s emergency alert system in response to a cyberattack on Ukraine’s system. Ukrainian authorities said false nuclear-threat warnings appeared on emergency alert apps Sunday; Russia said hackers later accessed its emergency app and sent fake alerts.
Key Facts
Zelenskyy said Ukraine acted in response to Russia’s attack on Ukraine’s alert system.
Ukrainian authorities said users received false warnings of an imminent nuclear threat on Sunday.
Ukraine’s emergency alert system was suspended and later restored.
Zelenskyy described the incident as a cyberattack.
Russian authorities said hackers accessed Russia’s emergency mobile app on Monday.
Russian authorities said the hackers sent fake emergency alerts.
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Nine men are on trial in Manchester, accused of taking part in the abuse of a woman who prosecutors say her husband drugged and sexually assaulted over more than two decades. Prosecutors allege seven men visited the couple’s home and two encouraged the abuse online; the husband and several other men have pleaded guilty to offences.
Key Facts
The alleged offences involving the nine defendants took place between 2015 and the husband’s arrest in 2025.
Prosecutors say the husband drugged his wife without her knowledge and abused her while she was asleep or unconscious.
Seven defendants are accused of visiting the couple’s home in Stockport and participating in the abuse.
Two defendants are described by prosecutors as non-contact offenders accused of encouraging the abuse online.
Prosecutors say the husband began inviting other men to the home by 2023 at the latest and filmed the abuse.
The husband has pleaded guilty to a number of offences against his wife; his identity is withheld to protect her anonymity.
Four other men have admitted offences in separate hearings, including Karl Lindsay, who pleaded guilty to non-contact offences.
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UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced changes that would generally double the qualifying period for permanent settlement from five years to 10. The plans set shorter or longer timelines for certain workers, refugees and other migrants, and would also apply to people already in the UK who have not received settlement.
Key Facts
Indefinite leave to remain lets people live, work and study in the UK indefinitely; eligible holders can apply for benefits.
Under the proposed standard route, migrants would need 10 years in the UK and earnings of at least £12,571 in five of the preceding seven years.
Some groups, including qualifying public service workers and certain care workers, would be eligible after five years.
People earning over £125,141 a year and some highly skilled migrants would qualify after three years.
Migrants who claimed certain benefits or breached immigration rules could face a wait of at least 20 years.
Refugees arriving through an official government scheme would qualify after five years; other refugees would generally face 10 years if they work or study, or 20 years if they do not.
Refugees who arrived by small boat or another illegal route would face a 20-year wait if they work or study, and 30 years if they do not.
Applicants would also need to meet conditions including having no criminal record, strong English skills, no taxpayer debt and a record of National Insurance contributions; the changes would not affect people already granted settlement.
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Carla Lockhart has left the Democratic Unionist Party over its response to the Drumcree parading dispute. The Upper Bann MP will continue in the UK House of Commons as an independent unionist after the DUP leadership declined to follow her call to remove First Minister Michelle O’Neill from the Northern Ireland Executive.
Key Facts
Lockhart said she was leaving the DUP on a point of principle.
She had urged the DUP to withdraw its deputy first minister, a move she said would force O’Neill from the joint office.
The dispute followed protests on Garvaghy Road that blocked an Orange Order parade in Portadown, County Armagh.
O’Neill and other senior Sinn Féin figures have been interviewed by police investigating the demonstrations.
The DUP said it would block official engagements involving O’Neill in response to the dispute.
Lockhart said she would keep representing Upper Bann in the House of Commons as an independent unionist.
The article reports that Lockhart’s departure leaves the DUP with four MPs.
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Prosecutors told a jury at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court that a man drugged and raped his wife over many years and invited other men to abuse her while she was unconscious. The husband and four men have pleaded guilty to offences; nine other defendants deny the charges and are on trial.
Key Facts
The woman believed she had not had sex for nine years, prosecutors told the court.
Prosecutors said the husband had shared images and videos of the abuse online since 2004.
They said he began inviting men to the couple’s home to rape his wife from at least 2023.
Police found more than a million photographs and videos on the husband’s Samsung Galaxy phone, according to the prosecution.
The nine defendants on trial include seven accused of abusing the woman at her home and two accused of encouraging or assisting the abuse without attending.
The husband and four other men have already pleaded guilty to a series of offences.
The husband cannot be named to protect his wife’s legal right to anonymity.
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Iran said it is holding intensive indirect talks with the United States through mediators Qatar and Pakistan to prevent a return to war. Tehran said it could reopen the Strait of Hormuz within two days if Washington meets its demands, which include ending the war and lifting sanctions; President Donald Trump continued to threaten Iran.
Key Facts
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said consultations with the United States were intensive and that Qatar and Pakistan were mediating.
Iranian officials said the Strait of Hormuz could reopen within two days if the United States accepts Iran’s demands.
Iran’s demands include ending the war on all fronts, unfreezing Iranian assets, lifting oil sanctions and ending the U.S. counter-blockade of Iranian ports.
The Axios news outlet reported that Vice President JD Vance sent a letter to Iranian security official Mohsen Rezaei about possible talks.
China urged a return to negotiations, while Iran’s security chief discussed the conflict with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Oil prices fell by more than six percent on Monday amid hopes for steps to end the eight-month conflict.
President Donald Trump told a campaign rally that the United States would eventually have to give Iran “the hammer.”
The diplomatic push came ahead of the U.S. midterm elections scheduled for Tuesday, November 3.
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British adventurer Karl Bushby returned to his childhood home in Hull on Monday, completing a 28-year journey of about 50,000km on foot. He began in southern Chile in 1998 and reached England through an unbroken route that included crossing the Bering Strait and swimming the Caspian Sea and English Channel.
Key Facts
Bushby, 57, was welcomed by his mother, Angela, outside her home in Hull.
He began the Goliath Expedition in Punta Arenas, Chile, in November 1998.
His goal was to reach Hull by an unbroken route without using motorised transport to advance his journey.
His route crossed the Americas, the Bering Strait, Mongolia and China before continuing toward Europe.
He crossed the Darien Gap jungle, was detained after entering Russia, and faced visa and funding problems.
The 2008 global financial crisis cost him major sponsors and contributed to delays.
Last month, he swam across the English Channel, the final major obstacle before his walk home.
A feature-length documentary about the journey is in production, and Bushby plans to give talks around England.
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A brief ceasefire that began Oct. 27 let Ukrainian officials, aid workers and volunteers reach civilians in riverside communities near Kherson, including residents cut off for nearly two years. The ceasefire ended Sunday night, leaving those who remain exposed again to Russian drones, artillery, glide bombs and mines.
Key Facts
The village of Kozatske lies less than 2 kilometers from a Russian-controlled area in Kherson region.
Nataliia Diadiuk, 53, survives with rainwater, gathered firewood and limited food while staying in the village.
The Associated Press visited the area during a localized ceasefire tied to a humanitarian mission in Russian-occupied Oleshky.
Ukrainian officials said 180 people, including 23 children, were evacuated from riverside communities and the city of Kherson.
About 140,000 people remain in the Ukrainian-held part of Kherson region.
Nearly 70% of the region is under Russian control; the region had about 1 million residents before the war.
The riverside is designated a red zone, the highest level of military danger, and contains mines, damaged homes and unexploded weapons.
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Fighting resumed in Ukraine’s Kherson region on Monday, ending a six-day ceasefire that allowed hundreds of people to leave Russian-occupied Oleshky. Local authorities reported a strike on a medical facility and two people injured in a drone attack. The Kremlin said the truce was an isolated case and ruled out similar initiatives.
Key Facts
The six-day truce was described as the longest ceasefire since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022.
Hundreds of residents from Oleshky and nearby areas were evacuated during the ceasefire.
Kherson authorities said strikes resumed Monday, including a hit on a medical facility in the city centre.
Authorities said a Russian drone attack on a car injured a 62-year-old woman and a 73-year-old man.
Ukraine’s General Staff accused Russian forces of using the pause to reinforce positions, rotate units and deliver ammunition.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was reasonable to assume Ukrainian forces also regrouped during the pause.
Russia’s and Ukraine’s human rights ombudsmen oversaw the ceasefire and called for similar initiatives to be repeated.
Peskov called the Oleshky ceasefire an isolated case and said there were no similar plans or initiatives.
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Dutch authorities are offering a record €2 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Jos Leijdekkers, a fugitive accused of major cocaine trafficking and other crimes. Prosecutors say his capture is a top priority; he is believed to be in Sierra Leone, which has not cooperated with Dutch extradition requests.
Key Facts
The reward was increased ten-fold to €2 million, according to Dutch authorities.
Dutch police describe Leijdekkers as a key figure in international cocaine trafficking.
Europol lists Leijdekkers among Europe’s most-wanted fugitives.
Dutch police said in January 2025 that he was believed to be living in Sierra Leone under the name Omar Sherrif.
A Rotterdam court sentenced Leijdekkers in absentia to 24 years in prison in 2024 for smuggling more than seven metric tons of cocaine.
He has also been sentenced to 79 years in prison in Belgium.
Dutch authorities accuse him of money laundering and involvement in extreme violence.
The EU cut some aid to Sierra Leone after it refused to cooperate with Dutch extradition requests.
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Emergency alert apps in Ukraine and Russia sent false warnings about nuclear, chemical and other attacks after hacks on Sunday night. Officials said the alerts were false, and the affected services were disabled or isolated while developers addressed the incidents.
Key Facts
Ukraine’s Air Alert app began sending false notifications at 10:47 p.m. local time on Sunday.
The false Ukrainian alerts mentioned radiation, chemical threats, a nuclear attack and street fighting in Kyiv.
The Ukrainian Air Force said the notifications were false and urged people to follow official updates.
Russia’s Emergencies Ministry app sent false alerts in 33 regions at 2:45 a.m. Moscow time.
Russian messages warned of nuclear warheads and told residents to stock up on food and shelter in basements.
Russia’s Emergencies Ministry said attackers exploited a vulnerability in the app’s administrative panel and officials isolated affected services.
Air Alert’s developers said they temporarily disabled push notifications and the app after unauthorized interference.
A temporary ceasefire near the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky expired Sunday night; Ukraine’s human rights commissioner said the sides had observed it and discussed further humanitarian measures.
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The Royal Navy monitored Russian naval vessels near the U.K. during and after NATO’s Exercise Strike Warrior. The deployments included helicopters tracking the spy ship Viktor Leonov and warships monitoring two Russian frigates in the English Channel.
Key Facts
Exercise Strike Warrior took place in the Outer Hebrides and involved eight warships, 19 aircraft and more than 2,000 personnel from six nations.
The Royal Navy deployed Wildcat and Merlin helicopters as part of Operation Iceblast to track the Viktor Leonov.
Merlin helicopters monitored the Viktor Leonov from September 29 to October 8 after deploying from Cornwall to Scotland.
HMS Tyne and HMS Dauntless monitored the Russian frigate Neustrashimy from October 1 to 14.
HMS Dauntless also monitored the Russian frigate Aleksandr Shabalin from October 11 to 14.
The article says both frigates escorted sanctioned cargo ships through the English Channel.
The U.K. has sanctioned more than 600 vessels, according to the article.
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Drone strikes reportedly hit three electricity substations in eastern and northern Sudan on Monday, causing widespread power outages. Sudan’s military government accused Ethiopia of helping the RSF carry out a campaign against power facilities, but the reported strikes and claims have not been independently verified.
Key Facts
The reported targets were facilities in New Halfa and Aroma in Kassala state and the al-Ghazali substation in Northern State.
The attacks brought the number of reported strikes on Sudan’s electricity network to 18 over the past week.
Al Jazeera said it could not immediately verify reports or footage showing fires at the sites.
Sudan’s government said it had filed complaints against Ethiopia with the UN Security Council and the African Union’s Peace and Security Council.
Sudan’s army said a group of RSF members surrendered to its forces in Damazin, the capital of Blue Nile state.
The army said the group’s commander provided information about military operations and alleged Ethiopian support for the RSF.
Sudan’s army and the RSF have been fighting since April 2023.
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Buckingham Palace said King Charles’s role in the Commonwealth is to bring people together, not make policy, as leaders meet in Antigua and Barbuda. The King is expected to speak about slavery’s legacy, but any formal UK apology or decision on reparations belongs to political leaders.
Key Facts
The Commonwealth summit is taking place in Antigua and Barbuda.
The Palace said the King’s role is to inspire and convene, rather than make policy.
The King is expected to deliver a speech on Tuesday that recognises slavery’s legacy.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said the UK must face its history and has left open the possibility of an apology, while ruling out financial reparations.
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch called further discussion of apologies a distraction from current problems.
Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne wants reparations discussed and said slavery’s consequences remain.
The article says the UK government has never formally apologised for slavery or offered reparations.
The King speaks on the advice of ministers, and any formal apology or reparations decision would be for political leaders.
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British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he is open to considering a formal apology for the British state’s role in slavery, but rejected financial reparations. King Charles III is expected to address the issue at the Commonwealth summit in Antigua and Barbuda, though he is not expected to apologize and the U.K.’s policy has not changed.
Key Facts
Burnham shared his position in an opinion article published by The Guardian.
Burnham said the U.K. should listen to calls for a formal apology related to the trans-Atlantic slave trade.
He said he does not believe British people today should be held liable for historical wrongs through reparations.
Charles is due to speak at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua and Barbuda.
The summit brings together leaders from 56 Commonwealth countries.
Charles is Britain’s ceremonial head of state and does not set government policy.
The article says the king will speak as head of the Commonwealth, rather than as a representative of Britain.
Charles is not currently expected to apologize in his summit speech.
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Iran said it had a two-day plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and resume nuclear talks with the United States, shortening a process that had been expected to take seven days. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he wanted to “finish the job” first.
Key Facts
Iran announced the plan on Monday, November 2, 2026.
The plan would reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
The plan would also resume nuclear talks between Iran and the United States.
Iran’s proposed timeline was two days.
The process had originally been expected to take seven days.
Netanyahu said he wanted to “finish the job” first.
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Ukraine accused Russia of using a localized ceasefire in the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky to strengthen its military positions. The truce, brokered by first lady Melania Trump, was intended to allow critical aid deliveries and ran from Tuesday until late Sunday.
Key Facts
Ukraine accused Russia of using the ceasefire to shore up military positions around Oleshky.
The ceasefire applied to the town of Oleshky in southern Ukraine.
Russia occupies Oleshky, according to the article.
First lady Melania Trump brokered the localized ceasefire agreement.
The truce began on Tuesday and ended late Sunday.
The agreement was intended to allow critical aid to reach the town.
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Connor Sanderson-Doyle told a court he believed Joanne Young had agreed to sex when he responded to an advert placed by her husband. He denies sexual assault by penetration and sexual touching, while the trial continues at Winchester Crown Court.
Key Facts
Sanderson-Doyle, 32, is from Swindon and denies the charges relating to an encounter in June 2016.
He told the court he had no indication that Joanne Young was drugged or acting against her will.
He said he understood the advert to have been placed by a couple who both wanted other men to take part in their fantasy.
Sanderson-Doyle said he kept a balaclava on after noticing that Young was filming with a camcorder.
Philip Young, a former Tory councillor, has pleaded guilty to 56 charges of drugging and sexually abusing his wife over 13 years.
Three other men on trial have pleaded not guilty to charges including rape, sexual touching and assault by penetration.
A sixth defendant, Dean Hamilton, has admitted charges including rape, sexual assault and assault by penetration.
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Israeli forces ended a 10-day lockdown of Hebron in the occupied West Bank. The article says Israeli forces continued to attack a school in al-Mughayyir.
Key Facts
Israeli forces ended the lockdown of Hebron.
The lockdown lasted 10 days.
Hebron is in the occupied West Bank.
Israeli forces continued to attack a school in al-Mughayyir.
Al Jazeera’s Mohammad Saleh reported on the developments.
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Dan Harrison has resigned as leader of Leicestershire County Council after leaked remarks about council staff prompted criticism. He apologized, said staffing decisions were not based on gender, and will remain a councillor; deputy leader Kevin Crook is acting leader.
Key Facts
Harrison had led the council since May 2025.
A recording from a Reform party meeting captured Harrison saying 76 council solicitors would be made redundant and calling them incompetent.
In the recording, Harrison also said he wanted to look at women in the context of staffing changes.
Harrison said he decided to step down after speaking with senior Reform colleagues.
He apologized to council staff and officers for any hurt, distress, or offence caused by the remarks.
Harrison said he had not instructed officers on staffing changes and rejected the suggestion that decisions were based on gender.
Conservative councillors had called for an emergency vote to remove Harrison as leader.
Reform remains the council's largest party and runs it as a minority administration.
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