Ukraine fires more than 1,000 drones at Russia and sets St Petersburg's oil terminal on fire, as Trump says Zelensky does not want the war to end

The rest of the day

43 more stories on this beat.

Each with its own sources. None of these is a link to the story above.

1. 02

   Putin offers Trump a summit with Xi

   Russia's President Vladimir Putin has proposed a meeting next month with Trump and China's leader, Xi Jinping, the Wall Street Journal reported. [10][11] The aim would be to end the war in Ukraine on terms that favour Russia. [10] The idea came in the same 9 October phone call that produced the diesel deal. [10] Russia's government wants the talks held at the Asia-Pacific summit in Shenzhen, China, on 18-19 November. [10] A senior US official said Trump had not agreed but could be open to it. [10]

   Why it matters — Ukraine would not be one of the three leaders at the table. [10] Dmitry Peskov, Putin's spokesman, said all three sides accept that such a meeting is possible, but nothing about it is settled. [10]

2. 03

   Macron refuses his police minister's resignation

   France's President Emmanuel Macron went on television on Sunday and called for 'calm and order' after Saturday's protests over prices turned to looting and fires. [17] About 550,000 people marched, police arrested about 2,400, about 1,500 shops were looted or wrecked, and about 1,000 police officers were hurt. [17][18] Interior Minister Laurent Nunez, who runs the police, offered to resign on Sunday. [19] On Monday Macron blamed security 'failures' but refused the resignation. [20] Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu holds a crisis cabinet meeting on Monday. [18]

   Why it matters — France elects Macron's successor next spring, and analysts call the riots a gift to Marine Le Pen's far right, the front-runner. [20] Unions have announced new mass marches in about two weeks. [18]

3. 04

   Trump endorses Netanyahu nine days before Israel votes

   Trump gave Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu his 'Complete and Total Endorsement' on Sunday, for the election on 27 October. [28] He had refused for months to say whether he backed him. [27] It is Israel's first national election since Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October 2023. [28] Netanyahu's party, Likud, quickly posted a 35-second video of the two men together. [27] Many Israelis are unhappy that the war with Iran ended without reaching its main goals. [27]

   Why it matters — Trump is popular in Israel, and Netanyahu has sold his closeness to Trump as a reason to keep him. [27] The race is expected to be tight, and nobody yet knows how much the endorsement will move it. [27]

4. 05

   Egypt agrees to help defend Saudi Arabia

   Egypt's National Defence Council, chaired by President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, agreed on Sunday to give Saudi Arabia 'all possible forms of support' against the Houthis, a rebel group in Yemen backed by Iran. [45][46] It gave no details. [45] Egypt's parliament met in an emergency closed session, because sending troops abroad needs a two-thirds vote. [46] The Houthis warned Egypt that joining in would 'pose a grave danger' to its own security. [46] Houthi drones and missiles have killed at least 19 people in Saudi Arabia. [45]

   Why it matters — Saudi Arabia has been asking its allies for military help, and Egypt's pledge came a month after a visit by the Saudi crown prince. [45] Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan already signed a joint defence pact in August, and Egypt is weighing whether to join. [46]

5. 06

   Riyadh's tallest tower sends its staff home

   The Kingdom Centre, a 99-storey tower in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia's capital, told the people who work there to work from home 'until further notice'. [44] It gave no reason, but Houthi attacks on the city have grown. [44] Tenants include the International Monetary Fund. [44] On Sunday a Saudi air strike in Saada, in northern Yemen, killed at least nine people, five of them children, the Houthi health ministry said. [43] A Houthi strike hurt at least six people in Saudi Arabia. [43]

   Why it matters — Yemen's civil war has restarted after four years of ceasefire, and the Houthis now hit Saudi airports and energy sites almost every day. [43] Schools in Riyadh are teaching online for a second week. [44]

6. 07

   Gulf states ask Russia to press Iran

   The Gulf Co-operation Council, the club of six Gulf monarchies, asked Russia's foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, to use Russia's seat on the UN Security Council to push Iran to stop attacking them. [47] They met in Manama, Bahrain's capital, on Sunday. [47] The council says Iran has fired more than 7,000 ballistic missiles and drones at its members since the war began on 28 February. [47] Lavrov offered a new plan for talks among the Gulf states and their neighbours. [47]

   Why it matters — The Gulf states want Russia to use its power at the UN on their side against Iran. [47] Lavrov's plan would bring in neighbours such as Iraq and Jordan too. [47]

7. 08

   Iran names a new defence minister

   Iran's parliament approved Mehrdad Akhlaghi Ketabchi as defence minister on Sunday, with 237 votes in favour. [48][49] The last minister, Aziz Nasirzadeh, was killed on the first day of the US-Israeli war on Iran, almost eight months ago. [48] Akhlaghi is a long-time weapons official, and the US and the UN have both put sanctions on him over Iran's missile programme. [49] He warned that a US attack would cause 'enormous damage' to the US and its allies. [48]

   Why it matters — He spoke after CNN reported US plans to strike Iran's energy and nuclear sites with the 'Mother of All Bombs', one of the largest non-nuclear bombs. [49] President Masoud Pezeshkian nominated him on 5 October. [49]

8. 09

   Alberta votes on starting to leave Canada

   Voters in Alberta, an oil-rich Canadian province, decide today whether to start the legal process for a second, binding vote on independence. [40][42] A yes would not make Alberta independent. [42] Polls say less than a quarter of Albertans want to leave. [40] So both sides are watching how many people turn out to vote. [40] Two former premiers from rival parties, Jason Kenney and Rachel Notley, have campaigned on one stage to stay. [41] Premier Danielle Smith called the vote but did not campaign to leave. [41]

   Why it matters — Prime Minister Mark Carney says a yes would bring dangerous uncertainty in the middle of a trade war with the US. [40] Smith has put the cost of setting up a new country at about C$400bn. [41]

9. 10

   Rubio says Ukraine cannot use Starshield

   US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Saturday that Ukraine does not have Starshield, the military version of SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet. [12] Ukraine asked for it to carry out strikes deep inside Russia, and Rubio said that request is 'under conversation'. [12] He said Starlink is a commercial product, while Starshield is a military one. [12] On Sunday Zelensky told NBC that last week's slowdown of Starlink in Ukraine was 'a message from the American government', and that SpaceX carried it out. [8]

   Why it matters — Ukraine says the speed limit is still slowing its fight against Russian drones. [13] Rubio's answer means the US government, not SpaceX, decides whether Ukraine gets the military system. [12]

10. 11

    Ukraine says sorry to Lithuania for a drone

    A drone crashed in northern Lithuania on Sunday and its debris damaged a moving car, though nobody was hurt. [16] People in the area were told to take shelter, and NATO sent two Italian fighter jets. [16] Ukraine's foreign ministry said it regretted the incident, which it said may have been caused by Russian jamming pushing its drones off course. [14] The same night, someone tried to set fire to a Starlink base station near Vilnius, Lithuania's capital. [15]

    Why it matters — Lithuania called the arson Russia-linked sabotage aimed at Ukraine, which steers many of its drones through Starlink. [15] Similar fires hit Starlink sites in Bulgaria on 10 October and in Poland in September. [15]

11. 12

    Taiwan drives away 16 Chinese ships

    Taiwan's coastguard said on Sunday it had driven away 16 Chinese coastguard, research and fishing ships. [53][54] It said an 'unusually large' number took part at the same time, off Taiwan's east, south and south-west coasts and around Pratas, a disputed island to the south-west. [54] Some entered Taiwan's restricted waters. [54] The coastguard called it 'hybrid warfare', meaning pressure that stops short of open fighting. [54] China says Taiwan is part of its territory and claims the waters around it. [54]

    4 of 16

    of the 16 Chinese ships were fishing boats

    Why it matters — China has long threatened to use force to take Taiwan, and this was an 'unusually large' move by its ships. [53][54]

12. 13

    Lula and Bolsonaro trade insults in a debate

    Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Senator Flavio Bolsonaro held their first runoff debate on Sunday, a week before the vote on 25 October. [57][58] They called each other liars and traded claims of corruption. [57] Bolsonaro led the first round with 47% to Lula's 45%. [57] He is the son of Jair Bolsonaro, a former president under house arrest for trying to overturn the 2022 election. [57] Bolsonaro admitted his father's government did not get 'the best results' on Covid-19. [57]

    Flavio Bolsonaro47%

    Lula45%

    Why it matters — Polls point to a close runoff, and the result decides whether Lula, who is 80, gets a fourth term. [57][58] Bolsonaro kept to the cost of living and crime, which Al Jazeera calls Brazilians' top worries. [57]

13. 14

    Venezuela's opposition names Machado its leader

    An alliance of Venezuela's opposition parties, the Unitary Democratic Platform, agreed on Sunday to back Maria Corina Machado as its leader. [55][56] Machado won the Nobel Peace Prize and has lived in exile since 2025. [55] Her party says she has been stopped from coming home at least seven times. [55] US forces captured the old leader, Nicolas Maduro, in January, and his deputy Delcy Rodriguez now runs the country. [55] The alliance asked for prisoners to be freed and for elections, but set no date. [55]

    Why it matters — One opposition group is holding US-backed talks with Rodriguez's government without Machado, so the alliance is trying to speak with one voice. [55]

14. 15

    Netanyahu's office doubts the settler attack

    After masked Israeli settlers attacked European diplomats and beat a French mayor in the occupied West Bank on Saturday, Netanyahu's office said the images did not prove who did what. [30] It warned of 'a coordinated campaign to smear Israel'. [30] The EU 'strongly condemns' the attack and asked for accountability. [32] The US ambassador, Mike Huckabee, called an attack on Washington Post photographer Heidi Levine 'a despicable act of terror'. [33] Levine said she felt 'insulted' that Netanyahu called it alleged. [31]

    Why it matters — Israel's president and several former security and intelligence chiefs told Levine they were ashamed of the attack. [31] Netanyahu has blamed settler violence on a small number of troublemakers. [31]

15. 16

    Netanyahu warns of a hostile future US president

    Netanyahu said on Sunday that within two years a US president 'very hostile to Israel' could take office. [29] He was setting out his security plan nine days before Israel's election. [29] He said Israel must use the rest of Trump's time in office to make itself stronger. [29] He also said it should build alliances with other countries, naming India and Latin America. [29] Hours later, Trump endorsed him. [29]

    Why it matters — Netanyahu has sold his closeness to Trump as a reason to re-elect him. [27] Here he told voters that the closeness may not outlast Trump. [29]

16. 17

    Leaders abroad blame migration for France's riots

    Trump wrote that 'France is burning' and blamed immigration, telling France to 'close your borders'. [21] Vice President JD Vance had written a similar post the day before. [21] Hungary's Prime Minister Peter Magyar said the riots showed why Hungary keeps the 'toughest possible' line on migration. [22] Poland's Donald Tusk said Poland would not pay for other countries' mistakes. [22] At an EU summit last week, Macron warned against blaming immigrants, and Spain's Pedro Sanchez praised what they give. [22]

    Why it matters — Macron blamed groups from the far left, joined by 'numerous delinquents', who came to marches about prices and schools. [19] Vance tied his post to the US midterms on 3 November. [21]

17. 18

    Milan sees a second day of clashes

    Young people and police clashed for a second day in Milan, Italy, on Sunday, around the main square by the cathedral. [23] Police have arrested more than 200 people since Saturday, according to the Ansa news agency. [23] Saturday's trouble began beside a legal march about the cost of living, and spread to Turin, Bologna and Bergamo. [24] About half of the first 50 arrested were children. [24] Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called a security meeting for Monday. [23]

    Why it matters — Milan's mayor said the same thing is happening in many cities and feeds on itself. [23] Italy is already tightening the rules on protest. [24]

18. 19

    Albania's prime minister will not quit

    Student protests in Albania reached a sixth day on Sunday, with crowds outside Albania's Education Ministry in Tirana, the capital, chanting for Prime Minister Edi Rama to resign. [25][26] Protesters threw rocks and petrol bombs and set fire to a police station; police used tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets. [26] Sixteen police officers were hurt. [26] Rama refused to go and blamed 'an outside hand'. [25] The students want cheaper fees, better universities and an end to corruption. [26]

    Why it matters — Albania hopes to join the EU by 2030, and Rama says the protests put that at risk. [25] The European Commission condemned the violence. [25]

19. 20

    A grass fire killed four soldiers in Canada

    Four Canadian soldiers died and 19 people are in critical condition after a fire at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, an army training base in Alberta, on Saturday. [38] Officials said it began as a smouldering grass fire in a training area during an exercise. [38] Winds of up to 96km/h then drove the flames 1km in 30 to 60 seconds. [38] Thirty-nine people went to hospital. [38] Canada's defence ministry says there is no sign of terrorism. [39]

    In hospital39

    Critical19

    Dead4

    Why it matters — Prime Minister Carney called it one of the worst peacetime tragedies for Canada's military at home. [38] The four dead were named as Sergeant Morgan Wong and Privates Shaun Farrell, Aidan Goulding and Hayden Lykkemark. [38]

20. 21

    Jihadists kill soldiers in north-east Nigeria

    Fighters from Islamic State West Africa Province, a group linked to Islamic State, overran an army base at Mairari, near Lake Chad, last week. [65] They killed 15 soldiers and five members of a local militia that helps the army, and burned the base. [65] On Saturday night, suspected Boko Haram fighters are feared to have killed four soldiers and a forest guard in two villages in Adamawa State. [66] Nigeria's army chief of staff visited troops in Borno on Saturday. [65]

    Why it matters — The violence in Nigeria's north-east began in 2009, eased a decade ago, and has been rising again for two years. [65] Residents in Adamawa said the attackers tried to push on to the nearby town of Gombi. [66]

21. 22

    Nigeria's opposition will not unite

    Rabiu Kwankwaso is running mate to Peter Obi for the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC). [67] On Sunday he said the NDC will not step aside for another opposition party, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), in the 2027 presidential race. [67] He called talk of a last-minute deal 'unfounded'. [67] He complained that the other party's campaign had attacked him and Obi. [67] He said the opposition should not fight among itself while it challenges the ruling All Progressives Congress. [67]

    Why it matters — Two opposition tickets will now split the votes of people who want the ruling party out. [67] Kwankwaso said his party would never work for the ruling party either. [67]

22. 23

    Drone strikes kill civilians across Sudan

    A drone strike blamed on the Rapid Support Forces, the paramilitary group fighting Sudan's army, killed several people, six of them women, in Bir Saliba in West Darfur on Saturday. [59] Most were displaced people working on farms. [59] In West Kordofan, an army drone hit a lorry carrying patients and shoppers and killed four civilians, a local monitor said. [59] On Sunday drones also targeted army sites in eastern Sudan, and several were shot down. [59]

    Why it matters — Sudan's war is in its fourth year and has driven about 14 million people from their homes. [60] Money for aid has fallen by more than 47%. [60]

23. 24

    Congo accuses Kabila of planning an attack

    Congo's government accused former president Joseph Kabila on Friday of planning a 'general attack' on the country. [63] Last Monday Kabila became head of a new armed group with the M23, a rebel force backed by Rwanda that fights the army in eastern Congo. [63] Its name is the Front for the Refoundation of the Nation. [63] Kabila ruled Congo from 2001 to 2019, and a court sentenced him to death in his absence last year for helping the M23. [63]

    Why it matters — The new group says its aim is 'putting an end to tyranny by any means, including force'. [63] Government spokesman Patrick Muyaya said taking up arms 'means killing Congolese'. [63]

24. 25

    Kenya's starvation cult case reaches a verdict

    A court in Mombasa, Kenya, rules on Monday on preacher Paul Mackenzie and his co-accused, charged with murdering 191 children. [61][62] Prosecutors say his cult made children starve to death so they could 'meet Jesus'. [61] More than 400 bodies were found in shallow graves in Shakahola forest from April 2023. [61][62] Kenya's human rights commission recorded 448 deaths. [62] All the accused have pleaded not guilty. [61]

    Why it matters — It is the first time Mackenzie faces a verdict on the most serious charges. [61] Fewer than one in ten of the bodies has been identified and given to families. [62]

25. 26

    Rights group accuses Mali's army of killings

    Human Rights Watch said on Monday that Mali's army and the Russian-controlled Africa Corps have killed and wounded scores of civilians since July. [69] It said this happened in attacks and in custody in central and northern Mali. [69] The Africa Corps used to be called the Wagner Group. [69] The group said Islamist and separatist fighters also torture and execute captured soldiers. [69] It asked the African Union's security council to hold a special session. [69]

    Why it matters — Human Rights Watch said international bodies and governments 'largely stand by'. [69] It said the abuses grew as armed groups stepped up their attacks from July. [69]

26. 27

    Islamic State targets civilians in Mozambique

    Islamic State Mozambique attacked civilians more often in August and September in three districts of Cabo Delgado, the northern province, a report by ACLED says. [68] ACLED is an independent project that records conflicts. [68] It said the group has tightened its hold around Mocimboa da Praia, which limits trade and aid. [68] It warned that ransom paid for hostages freed in early October may lead to more kidnappings of foreigners. [68]

    Why it matters — Aid groups, mining firms near Montepuez and tourism in Niassa province are the targets ACLED names as most at risk. [68]

27. 28

    Cameroon's main opposition picks a woman leader

    Cameroon's main opposition party, the MRC, elected Tiriane Balbine Noah as its president on Saturday, the first woman to lead it. [64] She replaces Maurice Kamto, who led the party for 14 years and resigned last month. [64] Kamto and his deputy stepped down to save the party, amid suspicions that Cameroon's government wanted to break it up. [64] Noah stood unopposed after her only rival pulled out, and won more than 96% of 1,200 delegates' votes. [64]

    Why it matters — The party says it is persecuted, and the meeting went ahead despite pressure to ban it. [64] It now aims at local elections in 2027. [64]

28. 29

    Iraq hosts a rare Muslim ministers' meeting

    Foreign ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation met in Baghdad, the first such meeting in Iraq's capital in 45 years. [50] Iraq's foreign minister, Fuad Hussein, again called for a security pact of the six Gulf states, Iraq and Iran. [50] 'We cannot buy security from abroad,' he said. [50] Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said Iran backs 'a political process' to end the Saudi-Houthi war. [51] Pakistan's foreign minister urged dialogue in a call with Araghchi. [52]

    Why it matters — Iraq talks to the Gulf states, Iran and the US at once, which few countries can. [50] Saudi Arabia has not answered Iran's offer to mediate. [51]

29. 30

    A bomb threat diverts a Tel Aviv flight

    An Austrian Airlines plane flying from Tel Aviv to Vienna landed in Sofia, Bulgaria's capital, on Sunday night after a bomb threat. [34] Bulgaria sent a MiG-29 fighter jet to escort it. [34][35] The 51 passengers and six crew got off safely, and police searched the plane. [34] The airline confirmed a threat was made but gave no details. [34] Bulgaria has opened an investigation. [34]

    Why it matters — It came a month after a co-pilot attacked the captain on a flydubai flight to Tel Aviv. [34] Last week Croatia and Germany also sent up fighter jets when a holiday flight from Corfu sent a hijack alert by mistake. [34][35]

30. 31

    The flydubai captain tells his story

    Captain Smit Machchhar has described the attack on flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv last month. [36][37] He said his co-pilot hit him on the head with the cockpit's emergency axe. [36] He tried to block the blows and reached for the door while screaming for help, then passed out. [36] The UAE's chief prosecutor says the co-pilot meant to crash the plane into Tel Aviv's airport. [36] Crew and passengers overpowered him and landed safely in Saudi Arabia. [34]

    Why it matters — Machchhar spoke from a hospital bed in Abu Dhabi, his head and arm bandaged. [36] He has been hailed as a hero for stopping the attack. [37]

31. 32

    Pakistan loses a major in Balochistan

    An army major, Wajahat Waheed, was killed by a roadside bomb during operations in Pasni, in Pakistan's Balochistan province, the army said on Monday. [79] It said four fighters were killed in a separate raid in Kalat district. [79] On Sunday, armed men kidnapped 18 workers and a mine owner's son from a marble mine near Khuzdar, also in Balochistan. [80] No group has said it did it. [80]

    Why it matters — Pakistan's army calls Baloch armed groups 'Fitna al Hindustan' to say India is behind them. [79] The marble mine belongs to the son of a tribal chief who has served as a minister in Balochistan. [80]

32. 33

    Pakistan keeps its skies closed to India

    Pakistan extended its ban on Indian aircraft flying over it for another month, to 24 November. [81] The ban covers Indian airlines, planes they lease and military flights. [81] It began on 23 April 2025, as relations between the two countries soured, and has been renewed again and again since. [81] Airlines have to fly longer routes on some international flights. [81]

    Why it matters — Eighteen months on, the two neighbours still do not let each other's planes cross their skies. [81]

33. 34

    Gunmen fire at a Bollywood star

    At least two gunmen fired several shots at the car of Tiger Shroff, a Bollywood actor, in Juhu, a Mumbai suburb, on Sunday evening. [70] Shroff, 36, was not hit. [70] His driver and a bystander were hurt. [71] Maharashtra's deputy chief minister, Eknath Shinde, promised to stop 'this hooliganism'. [70] A film workers' union listed earlier attacks on stars and said gangsters want to scare them into paying money. [71]

    Why it matters — Attacks on India's film stars have become a pattern, and the union says the police have not stopped it. [71]

34. 35

    Sri Lanka loses power across the island

    All of Sri Lanka lost power from about noon on Saturday, and the blackout lasted more than three hours. [72] Water supply, internet and mobile phones were hit. [72] Energy Minister Anura Karunatilaka said a fault at a hydropower station in the hills, found a day earlier, may have caused it. [72] He asked people with rooftop solar panels to stay off the grid until it was balanced. [72]

    Why it matters — Sri Lanka's government named only a possible cause, and said a fault at one power station could have blacked out the whole island. [72]

35. 36

    Fire at a Bangladesh beach resort kills 10

    A fire at a seaside resort in Cox's Bazar, south-east Bangladesh, killed at least 10 people and injured nine on Saturday morning. [73] It broke out at about 6:30am at a three-storey resort built mostly of bamboo and wood. [73] Fire crews confirmed the toll by early afternoon. [73] Five of the injured were treated for burns. [73]

    Why it matters — About 30 people were at the resort when the fire started, and only four or five were known to have escaped, the Dhaka Tribune reported. [73]

36. 37

    Syria and the World Bank set up a rebuilding fund

    Syria and the World Bank agreed on Sunday to set up a fund that many donors can pay into, to help rebuild Syria after more than a decade of civil war. [77] The World Bank puts the cost of rebuilding at $216 billion, one of the most expensive rebuilds ever. [77] Damage to infrastructure makes up 48% of the total. [77] Saudi Arabia has promised a $2 billion package, and Qatar is paying for power, water and airport repairs. [77]

    Why it matters — Gulf states have already promised money, and the fund gives other donors one place to pay into. [77] Syria's finance minister called it 'an important milestone'. [77]

37. 38

    Vietnam signs a trade deal with four European states

    Vietnam signed a free trade deal on Sunday with the European Free Trade Association: Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Liechtenstein, which are not in the EU. [76] Talks began in 2012, stopped in 2018 and restarted last year. [76] The deal cuts or ends taxes on goods such as factory products, fish and food. [76] About half of Norway's exports to Vietnam will be tariff-free, and more than 98% within seven years. [76]

    Why it matters — Vietnam is South-East Asia's fastest-growing economy, and the deal took 14 years from first talks to signing. [76]

38. 39

    Rubio courts Central Asia in Samarkand

    US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on Sunday for talks with Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. [78] More than 200 American business leaders came with him. [78] He will also meet officials from all five countries one by one. [78] He told reporters it was 'an important relationship' when asked why he was going while other crises go on. [78]

    Why it matters — The US wants more trade, investment and security ties with the region, and the business leaders are there to look for deals. [78]

39. 40

    Trump aide says Omar could lose her citizenship

    Tom Homan, Trump's 'border czar', said the US government could 'of course' strip Ilhan Omar, a Democratic congresswoman, of her US citizenship and deport her. [83] It is looking into the papers her father filled out when the family came from Somalia, when she was a child. [83] Former president Barack Obama said the full weight of the US government was being brought down on 'a law-abiding elected official' for criticising Trump. [83]

    Why it matters — Obama warned that if it becomes normal, future presidents of either party could do the same. [83] Omar is on the ballot in the November midterm elections. [83]

40. 41

    Vance says sorry for his H-1B words

    US Vice President JD Vance said his 'rhetoric' had been 'imperfect' when he called foreign workers on H-1B visas 'indentured servants'. [84] H-1B visas let US firms hire skilled foreign workers. [84] He said he meant to criticise the visa system, which gives employers too much power over those workers, not the workers. [84] He spoke at a CBS town hall after a question from an Indian-born voter. [84]

    Why it matters — India's government had called the words 'deeply offensive', so a remark in a US debate became a row with India. [84]

41. 42

    Britain talks policing with the EU again

    Britain's Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, meets the EU's home affairs commissioner, Magnus Brunner, on Monday. [82] They will talk about migration, borders, police co-operation and terrorism. [82] It is their second meeting in two months. [82] Days earlier, Andy Burnham said he wants Britain back in EU police databases it was shut out of after leaving the EU. [82] Burnham will set out options for Britain's ties with the EU at a coming summit. [82]

    Why it matters — The EU's commissioner said Britain's help is 'indispensable' to its efforts against irregular migration. [82]

42. 43

    Australian Greens split over a senator

    Jordon Steele-John, a senator for Australia's Greens, denied claims of misconduct towards women and said he was not on leave. [85] Seven current and former party members wrote that he faced 'multiple allegations' from 2017 to 2025. [85] He accused his leader, David Shoebridge, of pressuring him to take leave, and of 'nasty political games'. [86] The party held an emergency meeting on Monday and decided nothing. [86] Police closed a sexual assault claim with no charges. [85]

    Why it matters — Shoebridge says leave is right while an independent inquiry runs; Steele-John says he never agreed to it. [86] The Greens in Western Australia are setting up the inquiry. [86]

43. 44

    The Pope makes his first big appearance since surgery

    Pope Leo XIV, 71, spoke to about 15,000 people in St Peter's Square on Sunday, his first major public appearance since surgery on his lung. [74] The operation confirmed adenocarcinoma, the most common type of lung cancer. [74] Tests to show whether it has spread have not come back yet. [74] He said he would gradually go back to work. [74][75]

    Why it matters — A week earlier, at the same Sunday blessing, he had told the crowd a lump had been found in his lung. [74]