Briefing

Residents evacuated from Russian-occupied Oleshky have reached Ukrainian-held territory after a rare local truce. They recounted years of isolation, food shortages and regular shelling; some said they had been forced to eat grass and dogs to survive.

UkraineOleshkyevacuationRussia-Ukraine war

Russian and Ukrainian forces began a ceasefire along the Dnipro River front in Kherson Oblast on Oct. 27, as part of a U.S.-mediated humanitarian mission to occupied Oleshky. The lull let Kherson residents move around more freely, visit homes and repair infrastructure, though landmines remained dangerous and locals feared the quiet would not last.

KhersonOleshkyceasefireRussian attacks

Hospital sources said Israeli attacks killed at least eight Palestinians in Gaza, including a four-year-old boy. Five people died in a drone strike in al-Mawasi near Khan Younis, while at least three were killed in Gaza City’s Rimal neighbourhood. Hamas condemned the attacks as a “deliberate war crime.”

GazaPalestiniansIsraeli attacksdrone strikes

Israel has again killed Palestinians in Gaza as what the headline calls Israel’s genocide of Palestinians continues.

GazaIsraelPalestinians

Iran says it could shorten the time needed to partially reopen the Strait of Hormuz from seven days to two if conditions are met. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says Tehran is prepared for all scenarios, while Donald Trump says the US still has one or two Iranian sites to “take care of”. Qatar-mediated contacts continue amid disagreements over concessions and Iran’s nuclear programme.

IranUnited StatesStrait of Hormuzdiplomacy

Trump says the latest talks are “going fine,” while Iranian leaders say they prefer diplomacy but are ready to respond if the US attacks again. Iranian officials are discussing with Qatari mediators a plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within two days and resume peace talks with Washington, even as both sides warn of possible renewed military escalation.

US-Iran talksQatar mediationStrait of Hormuzmilitary escalation

Tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in Germany’s biggest cities, demanding better education and lower living costs. Hooded rioters later looted stores in Frankfurt.

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Several hundred young people assembled by Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate. GenZ regelt! urged protests nationwide over political and social concerns, voicing solidarity with student actions elsewhere in Europe.

youth protestBerlinstudent demonstrations

Youth-led protests across Germany have been eclipsed by riots, looting and violent confrontations with police. Shops were ransacked in Frankfurt and police were targeted with Molotov cocktails; disturbances also broke out in Berlin, Hamburg and Cologne. Tens of thousands of young people protested rising living costs, poor education and Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government.

Germanyyouth protestsriotslooting

The European Commission reaffirmed that Poland’s parliament has the constitutional authority to appoint eight new members to the Constitutional Tribunal, aligning with Donald Tusk’s government. President Karol Nawrocki has refused to hear the judges’ oaths, prolonging the standoff over their taking office.

PolandEuropean CommissionConstitutional Tribunaljudicial independence

As tensions over Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal escalated, Donald Tusk addressed the nation, accusing PiS and President Nawrocki of undermining the rule of law. He pledged to back the newly elected judges and the court’s work, promising “no compromise.”

Polish politicsDonald TuskConstitutional Tribunalrule of law

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called an apology for Britain’s role in the transatlantic slave trade a “navel-gazing distraction” and warned it could be used to press for financial compensation. She also questioned the value of future leaders attending a Commonwealth summit dominated by reparations demands. Andy Burnham is considering a formal apology but rules out cash reparations; Chancellor John Healey said discussing an apology would not make current Britons financially liable.

UK politicstransatlantic slave tradereparationsCommonwealth

Ahead of a Commonwealth leaders’ meeting in the Caribbean, Andy Burnham said Britain should acknowledge its complicated history but rejected financial reparations. Cabinet minister Emma Reynolds said a formal apology would carry symbolic weight without leading to payments. Kemi Badenoch also criticised the prime minister’s consideration of an apology.

UK politicsslave tradehistorical apologyfinancial reparations

Binance has begun restoring customer withdrawals in stages after about $6.3bn in cryptocurrency was stolen. The FBI blamed North Korean hackers for the record theft. Binance said it would absorb the financial impact and that its investigation and efforts to trace the assets were continuing.

Binancecrypto theftNorth Koreawithdrawals

The FBI is investigating a multibillion-dollar cryptocurrency theft from Binance allegedly carried out by North Korean hackers. Authorities are working to freeze and recover the stolen assets.

North KoreaBinancecrypto theftFBI

Binance said hackers stole more than $6 billion on Friday in what may be the largest cryptocurrency heist on record. Blockchain firms have attributed the attack to a North Korean hacking unit.

Binancecryptocurrencycyberattack

The Youth Olympic Games officially opened in Senegal’s Dakar region on Saturday, with 30,000 people attending the ceremony. It is the first Olympic competition held on African soil. The event brings together 2,700 athletes aged 14 to 17 and will run across three Senegalese cities, featuring 25 sports.

SportsYouth Olympic GamesSenegal

The Youth Olympics opened in Dakar, marking the first Olympic event in Africa in more than 130 years. Senegal’s president opened the Games, where 136 Senegalese athletes are competing with support from 6,000 local volunteers.

Youth OlympicsSenegalDakar

The 2026 Youth Olympic Games have opened in Senegal. Crowds watched Saturday’s ceremony, where hundreds of drummers and dancers celebrated Senegalese and broader African culture. The Games are the first Olympic sporting event to take place on the African continent, as Senegal faces an economic crisis.

Youth Olympic GamesDakarSenegalopening ceremony