News without the noise
World news from every region: conflicts, elections, diplomacy, disasters and the people at the centre of them.
7590 articles · page 24 of 159 · The World front page
The Trump administration on Friday released its seventh tranche of documents related to Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena, including a recent report of a silent matte black triangle observed near a sensitive US facility and a declassified 2010 file on Utah's Skinwalker Ranch.
· 2 sourcesEight years after Saudi women were barred from football stadiums, the women's game has developed into a professional league with prize money quadrupling since its 2022 launch. However, attendance remains low, and clubs are recruiting foreign players with tax-free salaries and expat perks to build the sport.
Gulf economies are expected to contract by 4.8 percent this year, a blow almost matching the shock of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the International Monetary Fund. The regional conflict has disrupted energy production, shipping, tourism and trade, driving a reversal in non-oil output across four countries.
Ukrainian armed forces struck five data centres belonging to Russia's largest technology companies in October, hitting three Yandex facilities, a Sber centre and a VKontakte server farm across five regions. The attacks triggered persistent failures in cloud services, payment systems and navigation apps across Russia, and experts say recovery could take months or years. The strikes also dealt a significant blow to Russia's artificial intelligence ambitions, as Yandex's supercomputers, among the world's most powerful, were damaged or destroyed.
The European Union is pressing for a direct role in peace talks to end Russia's war on Ukraine, aiming to turn the current trilateral format involving the US, Ukraine and Russia into a multilateral process with European representation. The move comes as Washington prepares to resume technical-level talks in November after its midterm elections, following a months-long stalemate triggered by the US war on Iran.
A man has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 35 years after being convicted of murder at a court in England. The victim was Carla Georgescu.
The number of people feared trapped under a collapsed building in Nairobi has been revised to seven, all believed to have been in shops that had opened at the base of the structure, as rescuers halted the use of excavators over concerns they could reduce the air supply to survivors. Interior ministry official Kipchumba Murkomen said 66 of the 67 construction workers on site escaped largely unharmed, while one suffered non-life-threatening injuries. The building, variously reported as 16 or 18 storeys, came down Friday afternoon in the Eastleigh district.
· 7 sourcesA mother who killed her three children at their Bristol home has been sentenced to an indefinite hospital order, with a judge saying her actions were “almost entirely attributable to mental disorder”. Yasmeen Ali, 44, admitted three charges of manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility at Bristol Crown Court on Friday, after police found the bodies of Fares Bash, seven, Joury Bash, three and nine-month-old Mohammed Bash at the family home in Sea Mills on 18 February 2024.
· 6 sourcesEstonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna has warned that Europe is facing a rising wave of organised sabotage, terrorist attacks and cyberattacks orchestrated by Russia, citing a recent attack on an Estonian defence industry company that was attributed to Russian secret services. In an interview with France 24, Tsahkna said Russia was 'increasing the pressure on Europe' through hybrid tactics aimed at dividing societies and weakening unity, while its conventional military capabilities had been degraded by the war in Ukraine.
Ukraine and Russia carried out a prisoner swap on October 23, the first exchange in two months, with 270 Ukrainian service members returning home and an equal number of Russian prisoners returned to Russia, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced. Most of the Ukrainians freed had been captured during the Siege of Mariupol in spring 2022, including members of the Azov regiment, Ground Forces, Navy, and Air Assault Forces. Five of those released had survived the 2022 Olenivka prison massacre, in which a thermobaric munition was detonated inside a barracks housing Ukrainian prisoners of war. In addition, several civilians were also brought back from Russia, though accounts of the exact number varied.
· 2 sourcesPrime Minister Andy Burnham has declined to commit to implementing the full scope of Home Secretary Yvette Mahmood's immigration reforms after senior cabinet ministers voiced opposition, with Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh initially failing to back the proposals before later expressing full support.
A British teenager pleaded guilty on Friday to a series of terrorism charges, including sharing a livestream of the Christchurch mosque shootings and possessing manifestos of far-right mass murderers from Norway, the United States, and Germany.
Denmark will end mink farming by August 2029 after the government decided to drop its application for an exemption to an EU-wide ban on keeping the animals, reversing the previous government's position. The ban takes effect next year, followed by a two-year transition period.
· 2 sourcesJames Blair and Chris LaCivita, who jointly managed Donald Trump's 2024 presidential campaign, have donated their consulting fees from a controversial contract in Bosnia and Herzegovina to the president's library fund, a move announced Thursday as they sought to repair damage from Trump's public criticism earlier this month.
A serious collision in Aberdeen has led to the closure of several roads, including parts of Victoria Road, after the incident occurred shortly after 10:00 on Friday. Police Scotland and the Scottish Ambulance Service dispatched emergency resources to the scene.
· 3 sourcesRegional mediators led by Qatar are pressing Iran to allow UN inspectors back to its nuclear sites in an effort to head off a renewed US bombing campaign after next week's midterm elections, according to US, Israeli and regional sources cited by Axios. President Donald Trump, who told a rally in Lubbock, Texas that military action could resume, told Axios he does not know whether the negotiations will succeed.
· 4 sourcesA man in his 30s is in hospital with life-threatening injuries after being shot near the Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich, south-east London, on Thursday evening. The Metropolitan Police are searching for a suspect and have appealed for information.
· 3 sourcesUkrainian outlet Slidstvo.info has identified Russian officers it says are responsible for the blockade of the occupied city of Oleshky in Kherson Oblast, where around 2,000 civilians remain trapped amid severe shortages of food, water and medicine and aid is being kept out.
Both Ukraine and Russia formally confirmed on Oct. 23 a US-brokered localised ceasefire in and around the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky in Kherson Oblast, with officials on each side naming the negotiators behind the deal even as they gave different start dates for the pause.
· 20 sourcesDenmark has delivered 50,000 rounds of 20mm ammunition for the autocannons on Ukraine's F-16 fighter jets, Ukraine's Defense Ministry said on Oct. 23, as Kyiv continues to seek additional munitions for the U.S.-made aircraft.
Ukraine is learning to operate without reliable access to Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite service, which has become increasingly unpredictable amid disruptions tied to the billionaire’s political stance. The shift is prompting both Kyiv and European partners to reconsider long-term dependence on the network that has been vital for civilian communications and military drone operations.
The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued a safety warning to Holtec International, the company racing to reopen the Palisades nuclear power plant in Michigan, after a contractor fell into a reactor cavity and a bundle of fuel rods nearly tipped over during refuelling. The warning highlights concerns that political and financial pressures to revive nuclear power for AI-driven energy demand may be compromising safety.
Jordanian security forces arrested three suspects on Monday over the gun attack on a church funeral in Karak that killed at least eight people, after a dawn raid in which all three were wounded, one critically, officials said. Interior Minister Mazin al-Farrayeh said the suspects, all Jordanians from one family including two brothers, were identified early in the investigation and had offered fierce resistance before being taken into custody.
· 19 sourcesThe European Public Prosecutor's Office is investigating the centre-right European People's Party over alleged misuse of funds in contracts with two Greek consultants, a media consortium has reported. The investigation focuses on payments totalling more than €500,000 awarded ahead of the 2024 European election, with the European Parliament refusing to reimburse the full amount after deeming the costs excessive.
· 2 sourcesAlberto Núñez Feijóo, leader of Spain’s center-right People’s Party (PP), has pledged to rewrite abortion and euthanasia laws and scrap the Equality Ministry if his party wins the November 29 general election, while leaving open the possibility of governing with the far-right Vox. Interviewed on Cadena SER radio on Friday, Feijó said his main objective was to remove Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez from office and begin “a new chapter” for Spain. The PP has consistently led opinion polls but is expected to need Vox’s support to form a parliamentary majority.
California's cap-and-invest program faces a turbulent handover to the state's next governor, after a year of regulatory changes that critics say put the state's climate targets out of reach and a gubernatorial race in which neither leading candidate has made the program a priority.
Japanese journalist Yuki Imai has been arrested by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) on spying charges, prompting condemnation from Tokyo and raising fears over the deteriorating state of bilateral relations. Imai, a 34-year-old correspondent for the Hokkaido Shimbun newspaper, was detained on October 14 in the city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk on Sakhalin Island. Russian authorities transferred him to Lefortovo Prison in Moscow, where a court ordered him held in pre-trial detention until at least December 12. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.
Andy Burnham's strategy of announcing a stream of micro-policies aimed at everyday annoyances, from filling potholes to banning loud music on public transport, has drawn criticism from opponents who accuse him of neglecting big issues, but government insiders and some pollsters say it is a deliberate approach that resonates with voters.
· 2 sourcesGuillermo Zuany Portillo, the former special prosecutor for strategic operations in Mexico's Chihuahua state who is accused of giving CIA agents broad access to the state attorney general's office, has been on the run since mid-May and faces charges of unlawful exercise of public office and making false statements, according to investigative documents obtained by EL PAÍS. The case has fueled a political firestorm between the federal government of President Claudia Sheinbaum and Chihuahua's opposition governor, María Eugenia Campos, after two CIA agents and two Mexican officials died in a road accident following an April anti-drug operation in which the U.S. agents participated.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport has cleared Japanese Olympic silver medallist Koki Ikeda of anti-doping violations, overturning a four-year ban and making him immediately eligible to compete. In a separate case, the Athletics Integrity Unit handed Ethiopian marathon runner Ruti Aga a six-year ban for using a prohibited steroid and attempting to cover it up.
The deputy prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has said new US sanctions are beginning to affect staff through banking difficulties, but insisted the court's investigations, including into the Gaza war, have made 'significant progress' and remain unaffected. Nazhat Shameem Khan said the court was working to insulate itself from the measures imposed by Washington, which has labelled the ICC a 'rogue court'.
· 2 sourcesUkrainian officials said on Friday that Starlink and Starshield speed restrictions remain in place along the front line, directly contradicting US President Donald Trump's assertion that Elon Musk had restored full service. The ongoing disruptions have pushed Kyiv to sign a letter of intent with Finnish firms Nokia and ICEYE to develop an independent satellite communications system.
· 11 sourcesU.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday he expects the United States to do business with both Ukraine and Russia after their war ends, as the first tanker carrying Russian diesel under a controversial supply agreement sailed for New York.
· 8 sourcesThousands of demonstrators gathered in the French city of Orléans on Saturday to protest against the National Rally party's national congress, as left-wing politicians, trade union leaders and activists joined the demonstration. The protest comes ahead of Marine Le Pen's expected launch of her 2027 presidential campaign on Sunday, and amid heavy security deployments that included nearly 3,000 police officers and gendarmes, armored vehicles, helicopters and drones. Businesses had boarded up windows and public transport was suspended, while the city imposed a nighttime curfew for children under 15.
· 2 sourcesAn Israeli airstrike struck a building in Gaza's Nuseirat refugee camp on Wednesday night, with dramatic video showing a powerful explosion lighting up the sky. No deaths were reported, though a wounded person was seen being carried away.
Just four years after being feted by world leaders and riding a wave of oil wealth, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is confronting a crippling convergence of crises: a regional war he warned against, a deteriorating economy, and the waning appeal of his signature transformation project, Vision 2030, according to a Semafor analysis.
Israel and Iran have escalated their war of words, raising the prospect of a return to open conflict after months of relative quiet. Israel’s prime minister, facing a tight reelection battle, argued this week for overthrowing Iran’s regime, while the US ambassador to the UN signaled Washington’s readiness for a protracted conflict. Iran, meanwhile, claimed to have struck multiple tankers and threatened US bases across the Middle East, with a senior general warning that 'action against Iran carries a cost.'
Chancellor John Healey is preparing to deliver his first Budget on 28 October, under pressure to fund Prime Minister Andy Burnham's policy agenda while tackling household energy costs. Speculation surrounds potential tax reforms, including a crackdown on online retailers and changes to capital gains and inheritance taxes.
· 2 sourcesFrench riot police fired teargas at the Orchestre du Nouveau Monde (ONM) during a protest in central Paris last Saturday, forcing conductor Étienne Jarrier to stop a performance the orchestra had coordinated with authorities. Jarrier told the Guardian that police failed to warn the musicians before gassing the square, with canisters landing among instruments and starting small fires.
Oil prices climbed to their highest level in more than five months on Friday, with Brent crude rising 1% to $114.72 a barrel, after Tehran warned it would strike oil facilities, undersea cables, datacentres and AI infrastructure across the Gulf if the US and Israel launched a fresh attack on Iran.
· 2 sourcesA 36-year-old man has been convicted of raping a woman while she slept after his victim secretly recorded his confession in a cafe. David Smyth, an IT operative and former charity worker from Brightons, Falkirk, was found guilty by a jury at the High Court in Stirling on Thursday. He admitted having sex with the woman while she was unconscious after a night out in 2019.
· 2 sourcesA BBC investigation has uncovered evidence that Sudanese paramilitary fighters systematically destroyed el-Fasher's healthcare system during their siege and subsequent takeover of the city in Darfur a year ago, with doctors recounting the deliberate targeting of hospitals and medical staff.
· 3 sourcesThe number of Texans receiving food stamps has fallen to a 17-year low, with enrollment in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program dropping to 2.8 million in September, according to data from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. The decline follows the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed by Congress last year, which tightened work requirements and eligibility rules, while the state faces a growing backlog of applications and risks losing federal funding for failing to process them on time.
The Welsh government has announced plans to ban traditional steel pylons for new electricity lines it controls, favouring underground cables, and launched a consultation on the policy on Friday. The move follows a fierce backlash against a proposed pylon network in the Towy Valley, with developer Green Gen Cymru warning that burying cables would be significantly more expensive.
· 2 sourcesPolice Scotland has found nothing to warrant further investigation into the finances of Yes Scotland, the campaign group that fought for Scottish independence in the 2014 referendum, following a complaint about how income of more than £1.5m was spent.
· 4 sourcesMalaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has banned civil servants from using the navigation app Waze, citing risks to national security and data sovereignty. Anwar warned that the app, which was developed in Israel and remains subject to Israeli law despite being a Google subsidiary, could expose government information and personal data to misuse. He encouraged Malaysians to adopt local alternatives like Tuju, developed by the Malaysian Highway Authority.
Austria has ordered the expulsion of four Russian diplomats, including an OSCE delegate, saying they carried out activities incompatible with their diplomatic status. Russia's Foreign Ministry has promised an "inevitable" response.
In northeastern Nigeria, the vigilante group Pulaku has become both a lifeline for kidnap victims and a source of controversy, with accounts of a daring rescue and allegations of serious abuse emerging from Adamawa State.