Paraguay's president tries to resign over a frozen bank, and lawmakers refuse so they can impeach him

55 stories 99 sources

Signals on this beat

Leaders against their own courts Building ↑

Somalia's president sacked his chief justice the night before a ruling on his own term. [12]
A Nigerian court voided a main challenger's candidacy 2 months before the vote. [13]
Paraguay's Congress blocked a resignation that would have protected Pena. [2]

New strikes on Iran hanging over the region High →

Trump says he will soon decide whether to resume the war. [14]
35 vessels were hit in October, the most of any month of the war. [15]
Iraq has lost more than $60bn in oil money. [16]

Hidden attacks on Europe's daily life Building ↑

At least 25 flights got hoax bomb threats on Thursday. [17]
Finland jailed a Russian captain for 3 years and 6 months over cut cables. [18]
Sweden brings back border checks for 6 months from 12 November. [19]

Voters and marchers turning on those in charge High ↑

France counted more than 600,000 marchers over wages and prices. [20]
South Africa's ANC stood near 32% in local elections. [21]
Los Angeles voters replaced their mayor with a challenger who took 52%. [22]

Families pushed out of their homes High ↑

About 30 settlers took 8 Palestinian homes near Jericho. [23]
Sudan's war has displaced more than 14 million people. [24]
Attacks on water systems in war zones have tripled in 4 years, UNICEF says. [25]

The stories

55 on this beat today.

Every story told the same way: what happened, who is involved, why it matters, how it works, the truth and the good news.

01
Paraguay's president tries to resign over a frozen bank, and lawmakers refuse so they can impeach him

3 million

customers cut off from their money when one bank was seized

about 60% of Paraguay's adults [1]

$800 million

of public money held at Ueno

about a quarter of its deposits, including pension money [7]

30 of 45

senators needed to remove Pena

removal would open him to prosecution with no separate vote [2]

83 days

from the new central bank chief's start to Ueno's approval

the claim is in the impeachment motion [8]
What happened
- Paraguay's president, Santiago Pena, said on Thursday he was resigning after the collapse of a bank linked to him. [1]
- Paraguay's central bank took over Ueno Bank on Tuesday, and about 3 million customers lost access to their money. [2]
- That is about 60% of Paraguay's adults. [1] The whole country has 6.5 million people. [3]
- Paraguay's Congress never accepted his resignation, because its vote collapsed without enough lawmakers in the room. [2] So Pena is technically still president. [4]
- Instead, his impeachment trial was set to begin on Friday. [5]
- Under Paraguay's law, a president whose resignation is accepted automatically becomes a senator for life. [2]
- That seat carries legal protection, which would make it harder for prosecutors to pursue him at once. [2]
- So opposition lawmakers voted against accepting the resignation, even though they wanted him gone. [2]
- Impeachment instead needs 30 of the 45 senators. [2] He could then face prosecution with no separate vote to lift that protection. [2]
- Ueno began as a finance company in the 1970s, and became a digital bank at the end of 2023. [6]
- It won customers with cash back on groceries and put its name on the country's main stadium. [7]
- Pena held shares in Ueno Holding, the bank's parent, until he sold them in April 2025. [8]
- In 2023 he made Carlos Carvallo head of Paraguay's central bank. [8] That bank supervises lenders like Ueno, and Carvallo had run the firm Ueno grew out of. [7]
- The impeachment motion says Paraguay's central bank let the firm become a bank just 83 days after he took over. [8]
- Ueno reported holding roughly $800 million of public money last month, about a quarter of its deposits. [7]
- That included $355 million from the fund that pays most workers' pensions and health care. [8] It was about 9% of the fund's investments. [8]
- In June, inspectors at Paraguay's central bank found risky loans to firms tied to Ueno's owners, a Paraguayan newspaper reported. [7]
- On one day in September 2025, nearly $39 million went to three such firms. [7]
- As recently as last month, Pena dismissed the concerns as a smear campaign. [7]
- Regulators then corrected the books, and Ueno's capital, the cushion that absorbs losses, fell below half the legal minimum. [7]
- Ueno's app, cards and transfers stopped, and its branches locked their doors. [7]
- A rush to open accounts elsewhere crashed other banks' phone apps on Wednesday. [7]
- At closed branches, some people begged to withdraw money for a sick child's medicine, Euronews reported. [9]
- Nadia Gonzalez, 26, said Ueno approved her first home loan, but the money never came. [5] She said her family now has nowhere to live. [5]
- Riot police fired pepper spray and rubber pellets at crowds in Asuncion, the capital. [7]
- Pena's Colorado Party has ruled Paraguay for nearly eight decades. [4]
- On Thursday its leader, former president Horacio Cartes, backed impeachment. [6] He wrote that he would not side with "the theft" of pensioners' funds. [6]
- Lawmakers accuse Pena of conflicts of interest, misuse of pension funds and cover-ups. [10] Pena rejects any suggestion of impropriety. [1]
- About an hour after Pena's announcement, the lower house approved the impeachment motion unanimously. [6]
- Police have detained 8 senior Ueno executives, including founder Miguel Vazquez. [7] Prosecutors have charged 27 bank officials and business associates. [7]
Ueno's customers3,000,000 people
Paraguay's whole population6,500,000 people
One bank's customers against everyone in the country, children included.
Who is involved
- Santiago Pena Paraguay's president, 47, a former International Monetary Fund economist; held shares in Ueno's parent until 2025
- Carlos Carvallo ran the firm Ueno grew out of, then Paraguay's central bank; resigned this week at Pena's request
- Nadia Gonzalez mother of 3
- Horacio Cartes former president and leader of the ruling Colorado Party; turned against Pena on Thursday
- Pedro Alliana Paraguay's vice-president and next in line; suspected of a role in the scandal, which he denies
- Miguel Vazquez founder of Ueno; among eight executives detained
How it unfolded
1. 1970s a finance company
2. End of 2023 a digital bank
3. 2023 Pena takes office and makes Carvallo central bank chief [8]
4. April 2025 Pena sells his shares in Ueno's parent company [8]
5. 3 Nov Paraguay's central bank takes over Ueno and accounts freeze [26]
6. 5 Nov Pena resigns, the lower house votes to impeach, and the vote on his resignation collapses [2]
7. 6 Nov Pena's trial in the Senate is due to begin [5]
Why it matters

Paraguay had a hard-won name as a stable place for foreign money, especially from Brazil next door. [3] The crisis has damaged that. [3]
Retirees, workers and 7,000 of the bank's own staff are the ones left waiting. [11]
Paraguay's law guarantees each customer up to 75 minimum wages, about $37,700. [9]

How it works

Bank supervisors call loans to a bank's own owners related-party lending, and the law caps them. [7]
Ueno lent more to its owners' firms than the law allows, with too little security. [7] When those loans were checked, the cushion for losses was far too thin. [7]

Seen it before

Lending your own pocket money to your best friend feels safe until the day you need it back.
The truth
- What is really going on In Paraguay, Santiago Pena put the former boss of the firm behind Ueno Bank in charge of supervising banks. [8]His resignation would then have given him a protected seat for life, and Paraguay's Congress blocked it. [2]
- Why it works on people A resignation sounds like taking the blame, but in Paraguay it would also have made Pena a senator for life, which is why his opponents voted against it. [2]
- Next in line is Vice-President Pedro Alliana, who is also suspected of a role, which he denies. [6] His party dropped impeachment proceedings against him. [1]
- Ueno itself has made no public statement. [3]
- Who gains Horacio Cartes, Paraguay's party leader — If Alliana takes over, the presidency stays inside his Colorado Party, after nearly eight decades of its rule. [4]
- Who pays Retired Paraguayans — Their pension fund had $355 million in a bank that has now stopped paying, and their own deposits are locked too. [8]
- Nobody knows yet
  How much of Paraguay's public money comes back.
  
  The law guarantees each saver up to about $37,700, but no source we read says how the roughly $800 million of public deposits will be covered. [9] [7]
- Nobody knows yet
  Whether Pena knew about the risky loans.
  
  He says he committed no wrongdoing, and the inspectors' June findings reach us through a newspaper report. [6] [7]
Good news
- Officials said they had begun repaying savers, and opened new accounts for about 280,000 who banked only with Ueno. [7]
What comes next

Paraguay's senators called Pena to give his defence on Friday morning. [2] The trial has 5 stages, and Thursday's session was the first. [2]

02
Trump says he will soon decide on Iran
What happened
- US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he would soon decide whether to resume the war on Iran. [14]
- Trump said: "I would rather not destroy the rest of the country if possible." [14]
- He launched the war with Israel in February. [15] His Republicans have just lost control of the US Congress, and his vice-president blames the war. [15]
- Fox News reported that US commanders are finishing plans for a possible operation, but no order has been given. [14]
- A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Iran has sent a nuclear proposal to the US through Qatar. [14]
- It would be discussed once the US meets Iran's seven demands. [14] These include lifting sanctions, freeing frozen money and paying for war damage. [14]
How it unfolded
1. February the US and Israel start the war
2. This week Republicans lose the US Congress
Why it matters

Oil is down more than $20 a barrel from last week, as traders bet Trump may hold back. [15]

How it works

Diplomacy scholars call this coercive diplomacy: threatening force to win a deal without using it.
Trump keeps strikes open while Qatar's mediators carry a draft between his government and Iran's. [14]

Seen it before

A parent says the phone goes away tonight unless the homework gets done.
The truth
- The Iranian official who described the proposal would not give any details of it. [14]
- Two sources told Reuters they believe Trump is still likely to order new strikes. [15]
- Nobody knows yet
  Whether Trump will order new strikes on Iran.
  
  He says people will know soon enough, and no order has been given, while two sources told Reuters they expect one. [14] [15]
03
Turkey ratifies a defence pact with Saudi Arabia
What happened
- Turkey's parliament ratified a defence pact with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan on Thursday, by 279 votes to 119. [27]
- The pact says an attack on one of them counts as an attack on all three. [27]
- Turkey has the second-largest army in NATO, the Western military alliance. [27]
- The three leaders signed the pact in August in Mecca, the Saudi holy city. [27] It lasts 10 years. [28]
- Saudi Arabia wants help against Yemen's Houthi rebels, who are backed by Iran and keep attacking it. [27]
- An opposition politician said the deal was brought "to send Turkish soldiers to the deserts of Yemen". [27]
For279 votes
Against119 votes
Turkey's parliament on the Mecca pact. Many of its 592 lawmakers did not vote.
How it unfolded
1. August signed in Mecca
2. Thursday Turkey ratifies
Why it matters

Turkish officials say no troops will fight in Yemen, and any deployment needs another vote in parliament. [27]

How it works

International relations scholars call this collective defence: allies treat an attack on one as an attack on all. [28]
The key clause mirrors Article 5 of NATO's treaty. [28] So Turkey now holds two such promises, and critics ask which would get its forces first. [28]

Seen it before

Friends who promise to stand up for each other make a bully think twice.
The truth
- Turkish and Pakistani officials say the pact does not target Iran. [27] AP reports Saudi Arabia wants it for support against rebels Iran backs. [27]
- Who gains Saudi Arabia — Turkey's vote gives it a written promise of help if attacked, from NATO's second-largest army, though Turkey foresees no fight with the Houthis. [28]

04
Somalia's top court says the president's term is over
What happened
- Somalia's Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that extending President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud's term by a year was unlawful. [29]
- It said he should have left office in May. [29]
- Late on Wednesday, Mohamud dismissed the chief justice, Bashe Yusuf Ahmed. [12] He named Ibrahim Idle Suleiman in his place. [30]
- There are unconfirmed reports that Ahmed has been arrested. [12]
- The court called the dismissal "null and void", and said it was meant to block the case. [29]
- Mohamud says constitutional changes passed in March allow the extra year, to prepare for nationwide elections. [29] Opposition parties boycotted that vote. [29]
How it unfolded
1. Wednesday night chief justice sacked
2. Thursday court rules against the president
Why it matters

The row led to violence in Mogadishu, the capital, in June. [29] Somalia's government is also fighting the armed group Al Shabaab. [29]
Donors frustrated by the chaos are cutting money for the foreign troops there. [12]
How it works

Constitutional lawyers call this judicial independence: a judge must be safe from losing the job over a ruling. [29]
The presidency cited the need for "an efficient and fair judiciary". [29] The court says the dismissal was meant to stop this case. [29]

Seen it before

A player who could fire the referee just before a penalty call would never lose.
Why nobody is allowed to judge their own case

Lawyers call it the rule against bias: a person cannot fairly decide a case they stand to win or lose, so someone with nothing at stake must decide it.

The twist

The rule does not ask whether someone is honest. It asks where they are standing, because even an honest person cannot fairly decide a case they stand to win or lose.

The picture

Ran Ueno's old firm
Runs Paraguay's central bank
Ueno approved83 days
One man's path, as the impeachment motion against Pena describes it: from the firm, to the office that supervises banks, to the firm's approval as a bank.
Step by step
1. A person stands to win or lose from a decision
2. The law says that person may not make the decision
3. Someone with nothing at stake decides instead
4. If the person can pick or sack the decider, the check stops working
5. People stop trusting the result, even when it happens to be right
The same force, elsewhere today

Where this chain is also running, in today's other stories.
- Somalia's top court
  
  A court was deciding whether President Mohamud's extra year was lawful, and he dismissed its chief justice the night before it ruled.
- Serbia's prosecutors
  
  An incoming MP says people inside the system kept cases in drawers, and a prosecutor says those cases moved only after Serbia's government fell.
- Nigeria's Atiku ruling
  
  Atiku says the ruling party is behind the case against him and the ruling party denies it, so the argument is now about who stands behind the court.
Where you've seen this

A judge's own family

a judge steps off a case when a relative is on trial

A company's accounts

outside auditors check the books because managers cannot mark their own work

School exams

pupils do not mark their own papers, however honest they are

The catch

A losing side can call any judge biased, so the charge still needs evidence: a tie to the case, money, or a job that depends on the result.

And the whole of it

About 3 million people in Paraguay used a bank they had no way to inspect, and trusted that someone was watching it. Most of us rest on the same trust every day, in a pension, a court or a regulator, and we learn who was watching only after something fails.
The truth
- What is really going on In Somalia, President Mohamud dismissed the chief justice the night before the court ruled his term had ended. [12]
- Mohamud's statement did not mention the coming ruling. [29] It gave no details of the complaints it cited. [30]
- Nobody knows yet
  Whether Somalia's chief justice has been arrested.
  
  Reports of his arrest are unconfirmed. [29]

05
Nigerian court voids Atiku's run for president
What happened
- A court in Nigeria voided Atiku Abubakar's nomination for president on Thursday, about 2 months before the 16 January vote. [13]
- Atiku, a former vice-president, is a main challenger to President Bola Tinubu. [31]
- The judge also removed the leaders of his party, the African Democratic Congress, and all its candidates. [32]
- A party rival, Nafiu Bala Gombe, had argued its chairman was never elected at a national convention. [31]
- In July, another judge at the same court had ruled that the chairman was chosen lawfully. [31]
Who is involved
- Atiku Abubakar challenger
- Bola Tinubu president
- Nafiu Bala Gombe brought the case
How it unfolded
1. July one judge: lawful
2. Thursday another judge: illegal
Why it matters

If higher courts uphold it, a major challenger to the ruling party cannot field candidates at all. [32]

How it works

Lawyers call a court order that freezes a ruling during an appeal a stay of execution. [33]
Atiku's lawyers are preparing to ask for one, and he says his campaign will continue. [33]

Seen it before

A referee can pause a goal while the video is checked, and the game goes on.

Atiku says the ruling party is behind the case against him and the ruling party denies it, so the argument is now about who stands behind the court.
The idea, in story 04: Why nobody is allowed to judge their own case →
The truth
- Atiku said "the timing of this judgment is no coincidence", a day after his campaign launch. [13] Tinubu's spokesman says the ruling party "is not involved at all". [13]
- Who gains President Tinubu of Nigeria — If the ruling stands, a major challenger to his party cannot put up candidates in the elections. [32]
What comes next

The case is likely to reach Nigeria's Supreme Court before the vote. [32]
06
Trump hints at a big deal with Russia
What happened
- Trump met Kirill Dmitriev, an envoy of Russia's President Vladimir Putin, at the White House on Thursday. [34]
- Trump said: "it's going to be a big agreement and it's going to involve more than Ukraine." [34] He said it might include all of Europe. [34]
- He would not give details. [34] He did not meet the Ukrainian officials who were also there. [34]
- Dmitriev was there for an event hosted by First Lady Melania Trump, who called for a "more enduring" ceasefire. [35]
- It marked a 6-day truce around Oleshky, a Russian-held town in southern Ukraine, credited partly to her. [35]
Who is involved
- Kirill Dmitriev Putin's envoy
How it unfolded
1. February the last three-way talks
2. Next week Abu Dhabi
Why it matters

Trump has lately blamed Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky for refusing concessions. [34] He also recently struck a deal with Putin to remove sanctions on Russian diesel. [34]

How it works

Diplomats call this track-two diplomacy: contact outside the official talks, which can build trust when those talks are stuck.
Russia's and Ukraine's rights chiefs met at the White House, away from peace talks that have failed since last year. [35]

Seen it before

Two families in a long row may still let their children play together.
The truth
- Trump has made similar promises before, with no end to the war in sight. [36]
- Nobody knows yet
  What Trump and Dmitriev discussed.
  
  Trump said he could not say, and his claim of a big agreement has no published terms. [36]
What comes next

Russia, Ukraine and the US meet next week in Abu Dhabi, their first three-way peace talks since February. [34]
07
Russia and Ukraine trade strikes as talks restart
What happened
- Russia said it shot down nearly 500 Ukrainian drones overnight into Thursday. [37]
- A Ukrainian attack on a bus killed five people in Russian-held Luhansk, the region's Moscow-backed leader said. [37]
- Zelensky said the death toll from Monday's Russian bombing of Komyshuvakha, near the front line, is now 43. [37]
- Rescuers are still looking for more than 30 people believed trapped. [37] They had been waiting for aid at a former school. [37]
- In Brussels, talks turned to rebuilding Ukraine, its funding for 2027 and security promises from its allies. [37]
- The World Bank and the US investment firm BlackRock attended. [37]
Why it matters

Each new barrage adds to the rebuilding task that the talks in Brussels are trying to fund. [37]

How it works

Economists call this reconstruction finance: deciding who pays to rebuild a country before its war is over. [37]
Ukraine's negotiator Rustem Umerov listed rebuilding, funding for 2027 and security promises together. [37] Funders and allies sat at one table. [37]

Seen it before

Nobody rebuilds a garden wall while the neighbours are still kicking a ball at it.
The truth
- The bus deaths come only from a Moscow-backed official, with no further details yet. [37]
08
What the Oleshky truce left behind
What happened
- Nearly 800 people got out of Oleshky during the truce, Melania Trump announced. [38] More than 1,000 are still there, the regional government says. [38]
- Those arriving in Ukrainian-held land describe food shortages, soaring prices and regular shelling. [39]
- A 70-year-old man said people survived on weeds, wheat and chicken feed. [39]
- Ukraine's rights chief, Dmytro Lubinets, wants to keep working with his Russian counterpart on similar missions. [38]
- Russia's government said no further humanitarian missions are planned at this stage. [38]
Who is involved
- A man of 70 weeds, wheat and chicken feed
Why it matters

More than 1,000 people still in Oleshky have no announced way out. [38]

How it works

Humanitarian workers call this a humanitarian corridor: a brief, agreed pause so civilians can leave.
The pause helped nearly 800 people leave, and Ukraine's army says it also let Russia bring in ammunition and rotate troops. [38]

Seen it before

A time-out lets a tired player rest, and lets the other team change its plan too.
The truth
- Ukraine's general staff says Russia fortified its positions during the truce. [38] Sky News footage showing it was made with the Ukrainian army's support. [38]
09
Europe argues over who talks to Putin
What happened
- Italy's prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, wrote on Thursday that Europe's scattered Ukraine peace efforts are "making us less credible". [40]
- She complained of overlapping initiatives with no shared direction or clear mandate. [40]
- Estonia's prime minister, Kristen Michal, said Europe should not open a channel to Putin. [41] He said: "You should not take the role of trying to please the dictator." [41]
- Finland's president and Norway's prime minister held a 90-minute call with Putin in late October. [41]
- Estonia has 1.3 million people and borders Russia. [41]
Who is involved
- Giorgia Meloni wants one direction
- Kristen Michal wants no channel to Putin
Why it matters

Europe's leaders fear a US-Russia deal that sidelines them and hurts Ukraine. [41]

How it works

Political scientists call this a collective action problem: each country acts alone, and all end up weaker.
Michal says Europe cannot do both: pressure Russia and mediate with it. [41] Meloni complains of initiatives "that chase and overlap one another". [40]

Seen it before

If each child asks a parent separately, the parent can say yes to one and no to the rest.
The truth
- Meloni is under pressure at home, where her opponents call her government irrelevant abroad. [40]
10
Eisenkot wins 67 backers, but no government yet
What happened
- Gadi Eisenkot, a former army chief, won the backing of 67 of Israel's 120 lawmakers on Thursday. [42] Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu got 46. [42]
- Israel's president, Isaac Herzog, will name someone to try to form a government on Sunday. [43] He warned of "mutual vetoes between the blocs". [43]
- Netanyahu's bloc has 53 seats and Eisenkot's has 48. [42] Parties of Palestinian citizens of Israel hold a record 19. [42]
- Those parties backed him on Thursday. [44]
- Eisenkot demands that coalition partners call Hamas a terrorist group. [44] Mansour Abbas, leader of the Ra'am party, asked for "some room to protect myself and my family". [44]
- United Torah Judaism, a religious party that backed Netanyahu after the last five elections, named nobody this time. [45]
Why it matters

Turnout among Palestinian citizens, 20% of Israel's people, more than doubled to about 80%. [42] So their parties may decide who governs. [42]

How it works

Political scientists call this coalition arithmetic: being recommended by a majority is not the same as governing with one.
Some in Eisenkot's own bloc say they will not sit with the Arab parties whose seats are in that 67. [44]

Seen it before

Lots of friends can say they would vote for you as class captain and still refuse to sit together.
The truth
- Yousef Jabareen, of the main Palestinian coalition, said voters chose "between what we see as bad and even worse". [42]
- Nobody knows yet
  Whether the 67 lawmakers who backed Eisenkot can govern together.
  
  Some in his bloc refuse to sit with Arab parties, and Herzog himself speaks of mutual vetoes. [44] [43]
What comes next

The chosen candidate gets 28 days, plus a possible 14. [43] Netanyahu stays as caretaker until then, or until another election. [43]
11
Settlers take homes near Jericho
What happened
- About 30 Israeli settlers took over 8 Palestinian homes outside Jericho, in the occupied West Bank, on Wednesday. [23] That is the count of the watchdog Peace Now. [23]
- A UN spokesperson said settlers reportedly used live ammunition and threw stones, and families fled. [23]
- Israel's army then closed the area, which keeps aid workers out, the UN says. [23]
- On Thursday, Israeli forces knocked down five buildings in Biddu, northwest of Jerusalem. [46] More than 100 people lost their homes. [46]
- One local office has counted 471 demolition and land-clearing operations in and around Jerusalem this year. [46]
- More than 500,000 Israelis live in West Bank settlements, which are illegal under international law. [23]
Why it matters

Those displaced now lack proper shelter, and no aid can reach them inside a closed zone. [23]

How it works

Land lawyers call the question title: who can prove they own a plot, and who can sell it.
A settler representative says the group Nachala bought the homes. [23] Jericho's governor says the land cannot be sold and the papers are forged. [23]

Seen it before

Someone waves a receipt for your bike and rides off before anyone can check it.
The truth
- These reports mention no court ruling on the papers. [23]
- Who pays Palestinian families near Jericho — They are out of their homes while settlers and officials argue over the papers, and the army has closed the area. [23]
12
Hormuz attacks stay near a record pace
What happened
- Iran's forces said five tankers and a tugboat caught fire around the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday. [47]
- Iran's forces said most hit mines on routes it calls illegal or unsafe. [47] Maritime officials have not confirmed these incidents. [47]
- Britain's maritime monitor, UKMTO, reported a tanker hit by two projectiles off Qatar. [47]
- At least five vessels have reported incidents since Sunday, UKMTO says. [15] That is about October's rate, when 35 were hit. [15]
- The strait, the Gulf's narrow exit, normally carries about one-fifth of the oil the world uses. [47]
Why it matters

Reuters says shipping stays in peril as long as the war is unresolved. [15]

How it works

Military planners call this sea denial: making the sea too dangerous for others, without having to control it.
Iran attacks ships it says lack its authorisation. [47] The US now helps tankers travel the strait. [47]

Seen it before

One broken step on a dark staircase makes everybody take the long way round.
The truth
- Iran's Guards blame mines, and do not usually admit firing on ships. [15] UKMTO reports a tanker hit by projectiles. [47]
13
Iran's security chief takes a letter to Putin
What happened
- Mohsen Rezaei, head of Iran's top security council, met Putin in Moscow on Thursday. [48]
- He delivered a letter from Iran's supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, and did not say what it contained. [48]
- Rezaei said they discussed "the post-war period and regional security arrangements". [48]
- They also talked about building gas pipelines from Russia to Iran, he said. [48]
- Rezaei said Iran will not open the strait or negotiate until the US meets its seven conditions. [48]
Why it matters

So the trip came with a firm line, as Qatar was stepping up its efforts to end the war. [48]

How it works

Negotiators call a demand set before talks begin a precondition: it raises the price of even sitting down.
Rezaei's seven conditions come before any talks, while the US says nuclear issues must be part of the first round. [14]

Seen it before

Two friends who each insist the other says sorry first can stay silent for weeks.
The truth
- Putin's own words are not in this report: what he offered comes only from Rezaei. [48]
14
Houthi missile aimed near Medina, Saudis say
What happened
- The Saudi-led coalition said it shot down a ballistic missile fired at the Medina region on Thursday by Yemen's Houthis. [49]
- The Medina region holds one of Islam's holiest cities. [49] The Houthis called the claim a lie and said they hit only oil sites and military bases. [49]
- Saudi Arabia warned of danger the same day at Yanbu, its oil export hub on the Red Sea. [50]
- The port and its pipeline have played a key role since the war began, helping Saudi Arabia ship oil out. [49]
- Syria's president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, saw a defence deal signed in Saudi Arabia this week. [50] Egypt approved military help last month. [50]
Why it matters

Saudi Arabia has asked countries from the US to Europe for help in its war with the Houthis. [50]

How it works

War scholars call this horizontal escalation: a war spreads to new places and countries rather than growing fiercer in one.
The report says the Houthi attacks opened another front in the US-Israeli war on Iran. [50] Britain said in October it will fly jets to protect Saudi cities. [50]

Seen it before

A fight in one corner of the playground spreads when friends run over to help.
The truth
- Only the coalition says Medina was the target, and the Houthis had not claimed any attack on Thursday. [50]
15
Yemen's president sacks ministers as Taiz is besieged
What happened
- Yemen's president, Rashad al-Alimi, sacked ministers and military commanders this week as his war goes badly. [51]
- His counter-offensive against the Houthis, launched on 5 October, has failed, and thousands have died on both sides. [51]
- Taiz, Yemen's third-largest city, has been besieged for four weeks. [51] Houthi forces are about 60km from Aden, al-Alimi's nominal seat. [51]
- Al-Alimi's government is backed by Saudi Arabia, which pays its salaries. [51]
- Critics call it a "hotel government", because some top figures largely live in hotels in Riyadh, the Saudi capital. [51]
How it unfolded
1. 5 October counter-offensive starts
2. This week commanders sacked
Why it matters

He gave new posts to southerners, because southern troops now do much of his fighting. [51]

How it works

Political scientists call this a principal-agent problem: the fighters you depend on have goals of their own.
Southern forces say they will fight only for land in former South Yemen. [51] Al-Alimi's government has become dependent on them. [51]

Seen it before

A friend helps you move house, but only as far as the end of his own street.
The truth
- A Yemeni army spokesman claims about 400 Houthi fighters killed in a day, which Al Jazeera could not verify. [49] The Guardian says the offensive has failed. [51]
16
Iraq tells Trump to keep it out of the war
What happened
- Iraq's prime minister, Ali al-Zaidi, spoke to Trump by phone on Thursday. [16] He said Iraq's land must not be used to attack its neighbours. [16]
- Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said: "We are not prepared for war." [16]
- Iraq has been hit by the US, by Iran and by armed groups inside the country, he said. [16]
- Iraq has lost more than $60bn in oil money since the war began. [16]
- About 90% of its oil exports normally go through Hormuz. [16]
Why it matters

Oil pays for about 90% of Iraq's federal budget, so the state itself depends on that route. [16]

How it works

Political scientists call this hedging: a weak state keeps both big powers friendly instead of picking one.
Iraq says it has good relations with both, and Iran has let its ships pass Hormuz. [16] So its minister says: "We are not part of any axis." [16]

Seen it before

A small child whose two big brothers fight stays friends with both.
The truth
- Hussein warned armed groups in Iraq against joining any Iranian revenge. [16] Al-Zaidi has made disarming them a priority since May, and this report does not say it is done. [16]
- Who pays Iraq's government workers and families — Oil pays about 90% of the budget, and the war has cost more than $60bn in oil money so far. [16]
17
A Kurdish party quits Iraq's Kurdish government
What happened
- The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, one of Iraq's two main Kurdish parties, left the region's government on Thursday. [52]
- Its leader, Bafel Talabani, called the regional government "failed", and threatened a parallel administration. [52]
- The rival Kurdistan Democratic Party holds the top posts. [52]
- The day before, the regional parliament met for the first time after nearly two years of paralysis. [52]
- Just 52 of 100 lawmakers came, one more than it needed. [52] They elected a KDP speaker. [52]
- The two parties fought a civil war from 1994 until a peace deal in 1998. [52]
Who is involved
- Bafel Talabani PUK leader
- PUK Sulaymaniyah
- KDP Irbil
How it unfolded
1. 1994 civil war
2. 1998 peace deal
3. 2006 governments reunited
Why it matters

Each keeps influence over security forces in its area, and the last US troops have left. [52]

How it works

Political scientists call this power-sharing: rivals split a government so that neither has to fear the other. [52]
The deal of 2006 merged the governments, but did not fully merge the parties' security forces. [52]

Seen it before

Two brothers share a room with a line down the middle, each keeping his own key.
18
US talked to Iran about deportations during the war
What happened
- Trump's government held secret talks with Iran about deporting Iranians during the war, court papers obtained by AP show. [53]
- Hundreds of emails show more than 100 Iranians were flown back on 3 flights, in September, December and January. [53]
- In mid-October, Trump's government told a court it planned to deport more through a third country. [53]
- A judge, Ana Reyes, said they faced "a serious threat of certain death". [53] A government lawyer replied: "Yes, your honor." [53]
- A lawsuit says US immigration agencies also shared asylum seekers' confidential files with Iran. [53] The Department of Homeland Security denies that. [53]
Why it matters

Iranians in US custody may be sent to a country the judge says Trump himself calls an enemy. [53]

How it works

Refugee lawyers call this non-refoulement: a country must not send someone back to where they face serious harm. [53]
Here the judge ordered 24 hours' notice of any final plan, and 5 days' written notice before any deportation. [53]

Seen it before

A lifeguard does not push back into the deep end someone who just climbed out.
The truth
- The US department did not immediately answer AP's request for comment. [53]
- Who pays Iranians held in US immigration custody — They may be sent to a country a US judge says could kill them, and the court has so far ordered only a few days' notice. [53]
19
Hegseth fights on as impeachment nears
What happened
- US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth posted a video on Thursday, vowing to fight efforts to impeach him. [54]
- He called the Iran war "courageous and historic", days after voters punished Republicans over it. [54]
- Thomas Massie, a Republican who often criticises Trump, says he will force an impeachment vote early next week. [55]
- Trump says Hegseth "has done a fantastic job". [55] Trump's staff deny that he or Secretary of State Marco Rubio is leaving. [55]
- The Washington Post reports Trump might instead remove General Dan Caine, the top US military officer, or Admiral Brad Cooper. [55]
Who is involved
- Thomas Massie Republican
- Pete Hegseth defence secretary
Why it matters

Democrats promise to investigate Hegseth and how he runs the US military. [54] They take over the US Congress in January. [56]

How it works

Scholars of organisations call this scapegoating: when a plan fails, blame lands on someone below the leader.
Trump defends the war, while Republicans turn on Hegseth, and the Post says generals may go instead. [56]

Seen it before

When a team loses and the owner keeps his plan, it is usually the coach who goes.
The truth
- Many of the claims about who is under threat come from unnamed Republicans speaking to CNN and the Washington Post. [56]
20
California clears death row, and 3 states execute
What happened
- California's governor, Gavin Newsom, commuted the death sentences of all 548 people on the state's death row on Thursday. [57] They now face life in prison. [57]
- It is largely symbolic: California has not executed anyone since 2006. [57]
- Newsom said killing by the state "diminishes each of us". [57] He leaves office soon, and is talked about as a candidate for president in 2028. [57]
- In 2016, 53% of California's voters rejected ending the death penalty. [58]
- California's top court must approve 382 of the 548 changes, because those people have more than one felony. [58]
- The same day, Alabama, Florida and Indiana each carried out an execution. [59] Florida's was its 19th this year, of 34 in the whole US. [59]
Why it matters

Newsom said the decision will bring back painful memories for crime victims' families. [58]

How it works

Lawyers call this executive clemency: a governor may soften a sentence, even one a court gave lawfully.
Newsom says the power exists for moments when the law "cannot be squared with justice". [58] So one person can undo a choice the voters made. [58]

Seen it before

A head teacher can cancel a detention that a teacher has already given.
The truth
- Newsom says the system has convicted innocent people. [57] The BBC calls the decision largely symbolic, though experts say it could save millions in court costs. [57]
21
Trump makes the Oval Office a national monument
What happened
- Trump signed a paper on Thursday making the Oval Office and nearby rooms a national monument. [60]
- It was his first official act since his party's losses in Tuesday's elections. [60]
- Trump said the rooms would not be "ripped down by stupid people". [61] He has added many gold features to the office. [61]
- A later president can revoke it with a new order, as Trump himself did with two monuments in Utah. [60]
- The paper also says a president can still redecorate. [61]
Why it matters

So the measure does not stop a future president from restyling the rooms, Al Jazeera reports. [60]

How it works

Law students learn this as the limit of executive orders: what one president signs alone, the next can undo alone. [60]
Trump shrank the two Utah monuments in his first term, Joe Biden restored them, and Trump shrank them again. [60]

Seen it before

A rule written on the classroom board lasts until the next teacher picks up the eraser.
The truth
- Trump says the rooms were badly damaged, but many of the noticeable changes were cosmetic, the BBC reports. [61]
22
A democratic socialist beats the mayor of Los Angeles
What happened
- Nithya Raman, a city council member, beat Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, with AP calling the race at 52%. [22]
- Bass, who had never lost an election, conceded on Thursday. [62]
- Newsom, Kamala Harris and Nancy Pelosi all backed Bass. [22]
- The main issue was the 2025 fires, which killed dozens. [62] Bass was criticised for being away during them. [62]
- New York's mayor, Zohran Mamdani, is a democratic socialist too, so both of the biggest US cities now have one. [62]
Who is involved
- Nithya Raman winner, born in India
- Karen Bass conceded
Why it matters

Los Angeles's 3.8 million people get a mayor who promises more housing, and the 2028 Olympics fall to her. [22]

How it works

Political scientists call this retrospective voting: people judge those in office by what happened on their watch.
The BBC calls the fires the major issue in the race, and both candidates are Democrats. [62]

Seen it before

Captains who miss the big match often lose the armband, however good they were before.
23
France's marches grow as the budget fails
What happened
- France's interior ministry counted more than 600,000 marchers on Thursday. [20] The CGT union counted 1.57 million. [20]
- Five unions joined students and yellow-vest protesters, demanding higher wages and better public services. [20]
- Both counts are above 17 October, the biggest day so far, when more than 2,000 stores were looted. [20]
- About 70,000 police were deployed. [63] Most marches were peaceful, with trouble in Lyon, Rennes and Paris. [63]
- French lawmakers rejected the first part of the 2027 budget the day before. [64]
Why it matters

The marchers want a rise in the minimum wage, now 12.31 euros an hour. [20] France's government is backing a budget of cuts. [64]

How it works

Sociologists call this movement spillover: one protest teaches others that the street can work.
Marches began in September over crowded classrooms, and unions then added prices and fuel. [64]

Seen it before

One friend complains about the school lunch, and soon everyone adds what annoys them.
The truth
- The ministry and the CGT union gave figures nearly a million apart. [20]
What comes next

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has called unions and employers to a "social conference" on Monday. [20]
24
Hoax bomb threats hit dozens of flights
What happened
- At least 25 hoax bomb threats hit flights across Europe on Thursday, and all the planes landed safely. [17]
- Italian, French and Bulgarian fighter jets went up, and three flights were diverted. [65]
- An Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Rome was sent to a French air base. [66]
- Emails to Rome and Sofia were signed "fighters of the Male State", and threatened to turn the skies red. [17]
- That is the name of a Russian far-right movement, whose founder has not commented. [17]
Why it matters

The affected flights were a tiny share of the 27,400 scheduled in Europe that day, Eurocontrol says. [17]

How it works

Security scholars call this a hybrid threat: something cheap that forces a costly response. [17]
Each threat is taken seriously and checked, even when it proves hollow. [66] So one email can pull in police, airports and air forces. [66]

Seen it before

Anyone can pull a fire alarm in seconds, and the whole school empties.
The truth
- Investigators say they have no evidence yet that a state like Russia or Iran is behind it. [17] The EU says it is too early to link the threats. [65]
- Nobody knows yet
  Who sent the bomb threats to Europe's flights.
  
  The emails use the name of a Russian far-right group, but investigators have no evidence that any group or state is behind them. [17]
25
Sweden brings back border checks
What happened
- Sweden will bring back border controls for six months from 12 November, its government said on Thursday. [19]
- It cites a serious threat of sabotage linked to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. [19]
- Hackers this week twice shut down supermarket freezers in several European countries, and hit French blood banks too. [19]
- Europe's Schengen zone normally lets people cross these borders with no checks. [19]
How it unfolded
1. 12 November checks start
2. Six months on they end
Why it matters

Governments across Europe are urging people to stockpile food and water in case of large attacks. [19]

How it works

Security analysts call this grey-zone warfare: hostile acts kept below the level that would start a war. [19]
Former British official Peter Watkins said Russian freezer attacks, if proven, are "a softer version" of its strikes in Ukraine. [19]

Seen it before

Someone who keeps moving your bag at school never quite gives you a reason to call a teacher.
The truth
- The freezer attacks have not been pinned on anyone, and the experts quoted speak of "if". [19]
26
Finland jails a captain for dragging an anchor
What happened
- A court in Helsinki, Finland's capital, jailed a Russian captain for 3 years and 6 months on Thursday. [18]
- A senior crew member, from Azerbaijan, got 2 years and 10 months. [18]
- The court said they deliberately dragged the ship's anchor for about 130km along the seabed. [67]
- It damaged two telecoms cables linking Finland and Estonia. [18]
- They must also pay about 1.9 million euros in damages, Reuters reported. [67] Both deny wrongdoing, and challenge Finland's right to try them. [67]
Why it matters

Eight NATO countries around the Baltic are on alert after cuts to cables and pipelines. [18]

How it works

Lawyers call the hard part proving intent: showing someone meant to do the damage. [18]
An earlier case against the tanker Eagle S was dismissed in October, because prosecutors could not prove intent. [18] This time the court found it. [67]

Seen it before

Everyone trips sometimes, so a teacher has to work out who tripped and who shoved.
27
Poland arrests six over Russian military supplies
What happened
- Poland said on Thursday it arrested 6 people suspected of spying for Russia and supplying its military. [68]
- 5 are Polish, and 1 is a 37-year-old Russian. [68]
- Four, including the Russian, were charged with espionage and held for three months. [68]
- The group allegedly sent Russia parts used to make ammunition and weapons, from June 2023 until December 2025. [68]
How it unfolded
1. June 2023 scheme begins
2. December 2025 scheme ends
Why it matters

Poland is the main route for Western aid to Ukraine. [68]

How it works

Trade lawyers call this sanctions evasion: goods reach a banned buyer through ordinary-looking companies.
Investigators say the group ordered goods, arranged collection and moved them across Poland, Lithuania and Russia. [68]

Seen it before

A younger brother buys the sweets his sister is banned from eating, and passes them under the table.
28
Putin seizes Japan Tobacco's Russian factories
What happened
- Putin put Japan Tobacco International's Russian business under state control by decree on Thursday. [69]
- The firm employs around 4,000 people there and holds roughly 40% of Russia's cigarette market. [69]
- Its brands in Russia include Winston and Camel. [69]
- The group says it has invested $4.6bn in Russia over more than 20 years. [69]
- The move follows Russia's arrest last month of a Japanese journalist, Yuki Imai, on spying charges. [69] Japan rejects the accusation. [69]
How it unfolded
1. Last month Japanese journalist arrested
2. Thursday factories taken
Why it matters

Japan Tobacco joins a list of European firms whose Russian assets went to the state the same way. [69]

How it works

Lawyers call this expropriation: a state takes private property, here with state-linked managers and no payment. [69]
Russia presents the mechanism as its response to sanctions, and as preparation for any seizure of its assets abroad. [69]

Seen it before

A landlord who changes the locks while you are out still says the flat is yours on paper.
The truth
- Putin says control could go back to former owners "if conditions improved". [69] This report names no such conditions. [69]
- Who gains Russia's state-linked holding company — It now runs factories holding roughly 40% of Russia's cigarette market, with no payment to the owner. [69]
29
Serbia's prosecutors rush after Vucic's defeat
What happened
- Serbian prosecutors have moved fast against people close to the old government since the 25 October election. [70]
- A student-backed list won that vote, ending 14 years of rule by Aleksandar Vucic's party. [70]
- Davor Macura, owner of Alta Bank, is suspected of removing about 383 million euros from its vault. [70]
- Senior police officers and managers of public companies have also been arrested. [70]
- On 3 November, a flight to Moscow carrying a former intelligence chief, Aleksandar Vulin, was ordered back to Belgrade. [70]
- Reports say Vulin had skipped security checks, and he says the trip was about a gas deal. [70]
- EU enlargement chief Marta Kos met the students this week, offering help with domestic reform. [71]
Why it matters

Reports suggest official documents may have been destroyed, and Serbia's prosecutor general has ordered that stopped. [70]

How it works

Political scientists call this transitional justice: how a country deals with the people who ran the last government. [70]
Prosecutor Bojana Savovic says the speed shows what prosecutors "were unwilling to do" until days ago. [70]

Seen it before

Classmates who kept quiet about the bully all speak up on the day he changes school.

An incoming MP says people inside the system kept cases in drawers, and a prosecutor says those cases moved only after Serbia's government fell.
The idea, in story 04: Why nobody is allowed to judge their own case →
The truth
- Savovic hopes this is not a set of "personal vendettas within the old regime". [70] Vucic says no evidence of money crimes will be found against him. [70]
30
EU weighs a 'kill-switch' on Chinese goods
What happened
- China's ambassador to the EU warned on Thursday of countermeasures if the EU acts against Chinese interests. [72]
- The European Commission is working on a tool, dubbed a "kill-switch", that could cut off Chinese access to its market. [72]
- The EU runs a trade deficit with China of about 1 billion euros a day, the report says. [72]
- Chinese imports have risen 25% in a year, according to Chinese customs. [72]
- The EU's trade chief, Maros Sefcovic, says the tool should be presented by the end of the year. [72]
Why it matters

Every EU country now runs a trade deficit with China, and imports threaten whole industries, the report says. [72]

How it works

Economists call this trade defence: rules a market uses to stop a flood of cheap goods. [72]
Sefcovic says the tool would let the EU "react much faster", even by limiting imports. [72]

Seen it before

A school shop sets a limit when one pupil starts selling sweets at half price.
31
Macau jails a democracy campaigner for 12 years
What happened
- A court in Macau, a Chinese casino city, jailed ex-lawmaker Au Kam San for 12 years and 6 months. [73]
- Au, 69, was convicted on Friday of subversion, the first case under Macau's national security law. [73]
- The trial took 3 days, behind closed doors. [74]
- Au helped organise yearly vigils for the victims of Beijing's 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. [74]
- The court says he fed false information to groups outside Macau, to stir hatred against China's government. [73]
How it unfolded
1. 1989 the crackdown
2. Each year vigils in Macau
Why it matters

Such vigils were once tolerated only in Macau and Hong Kong. [74]

How it works

Legal scholars call this a vague offence: the wording is so wide that many acts can fit.
Macau's law was widened in 2023, and Au was detained in July 2025. [74] The case rests on images and information he helped to publish. [73]

Seen it before

A school rule against bad attitude lets a teacher punish almost anything.
The truth
- The group Justice Abroad said in July that his family had one call, under a minute, after his arrest. [74]
32
Hasina says she will return to Bangladesh
What happened
- Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh's ousted prime minister, told AP she still plans to return from India next month. [75]
- A special court sentenced her to death in 2025, over the crackdown on protesters that ended her rule in 2024. [75]
- The UN says nearly 1,400 people were killed. [75] She denies wrongdoing, and rejects the trial. [75]
- She said: "If death is my destiny, I would rather die on the soil of my own country." [75]
- Tarique Rahman, her rival's son, won power in a February landslide, with her party barred from the vote. [75]
Who is involved
- Tarique Rahman prime minister
- Sheikh Hasina exile
How it unfolded
1. 2024 uprising; she flees
2. 2025 sentenced to death
3. December she says she returns
Why it matters

She could face arrest on arrival, and she says she knows it. [75]

How it works

Election scholars call this a party ban: the law stops a party running, though its supporters remain. [75]
Hasina's Awami League was barred from February's vote. [75] It stays banned, with senior leaders arrested or in exile. [75]

Seen it before

A captain who says she will be back for the final keeps the team's hopes up.
The truth
- She did not say how she would return. [75] She first announced the plan in August. [75]
33
Indonesia guards a court hearing with 6,770 officers
What happened
- Indonesia posted 6,770 police and soldiers on Thursday for a hearing involving former President Joko Widodo. [76]
- Widodo testified in a defamation trial over claims his university diploma was fake. [76]
- The city is tense because three generals are detained over alleged wiretaps of President Prabowo Subianto. [76]
- They include General Listyo Sigit Prabowo, who was named Prabowo's chief of staff last month. [76]
- Listyo served as police chief under Widodo, though Widodo is not implicated. [76]
Who is involved
- Listyo Sigit Prabowo chief of staff, detained
Why it matters

Indonesia's presidency calls the wiretaps an "act of treason". [76] Journalists and civil society leaders are also said to have been tapped. [76]

How it works

Political scientists call this civil-military relations: who the army and police answer to, and how a leader keeps them loyal. [76]
More than 20,000 troops came to Jakarta after the arrests, though officials do not link them to the case. [76]

Seen it before

A shop owner who suspects one manager asks another to check on him.
The truth
- Police call the deployment a precaution, and most troops are held in barracks, with no visible presence on the streets. [76]
34
ANC near 32% as South Africa counts
What happened
- South Africa's governing ANC stood at about 32% with more than 60% of local votes counted late on Thursday. [21]
- The Democratic Alliance had 25%, and former President Jacob Zuma's MK party 8.5%. [21]
- The ANC won 46% in the 2021 local elections, and nearly 70% nationally in 2004. [21]
- About 15.9 million of 29.2 million registered voters took part, up from 46% to about 54.5%. [21]
- At least five big cities could end up with no party in charge, a Mail & Guardian report says. [77]
Why it matters

Those cities now face another period of fragile coalition government. [77]

How it works

Political scientists call this dealignment: voters loosen a party loyalty once held for life. [78]
The ANC led South Africa out of apartheid in 1994. [21] It now risks losing wards in Soweto and rural areas it once dominated. [78]

Seen it before

Fans stop going to a club's matches long after its great team has gone.
The truth
- One analyst, Tessa Dooms, warns the higher turnout may mainly reflect middle-class anger, not a broad revival. [77]
35
Sudan and Ethiopia expel each other's diplomats
What happened
- Ethiopia ordered 6 Sudanese diplomats out of its border town of Assosa within 48 hours, a senior official told Reuters. [24]
- Sudan answered by closing Ethiopia's consulate in Qadaref, reports say. [24]
- Sudan says Ethiopia lets the paramilitary RSF launch drones from its land. [24] Ethiopia denies it. [24]
- Ethiopia accuses Sudan, Egypt and Eritrea of backing Tigrayan rebels, which all three deny. [24]
- Sudan's war has displaced more than 14 million people since April 2023. [24]
Why it matters

The row raises fears that Sudan's war and Ethiopia's could bleed into each other. [24]

How it works

War scholars call this a proxy war: states fight by backing someone else's fighters.
Here each government accuses the other of backing its rebels, and each denies it. [24]

Seen it before

Two neighbours quietly let their dogs into each other's gardens, then stop saying hello.
The truth
- Ethiopia gave no reason for the expulsions. [24]
36
UN warns drones have reached Abyei
What happened
- Drone strikes in Abyei on 19 October killed at least 30 people, the UN's peacekeeping chief said on Thursday. [79]
- Abyei is an area that Sudan and South Sudan both claim. [79]
- Jean-Pierre Lacroix called them "a new and concerning dimension". [79] They were the first of their kind there. [79]
- Clashes around Amiet market on 15 September left 124 dead. [79]
Why it matters

Amiet is a transit point for more than 49,000 people fleeing Sudan's war. [79]

How it works

Peacekeeping planners call this an aerial threat: a force built for the ground has little cover from above. [79]
Lacroix asked for stronger protection for peacekeepers against attacks from the air. [79]

Seen it before

A fence stops the neighbours' dog, but it does nothing about a ball coming over the top.
The truth
- Peacekeepers are still checking whether the toll of 30 is too low. [79]
Good news
- Incidents in Abyei fell about 32% from the same period last year, and the cattle migration passed with no deaths. [79]
What comes next

Sudan and South Sudan meet in Khartoum from 8 to 10 November. [79]
37
Khartoum's returning families meet a crime wave
What happened
- Sudan's army retook Khartoum, the capital, from the RSF, but residents now describe a crime wave. [80]
- Abdel Rahman Tareq, 31, came home in May to fix his family's house. [80]
- Three armed men took his money, phone and lorry in June and left him tied up on the ground. [80] He went back to Saudi Arabia. [80]
- Residents blame former rebels and militias allied to the army. [80]
Who is involved
- Abdel Rahman Tareq engineer, 31
Why it matters

Sudan's government wants people back, and it tells them that army-held areas are safe. [80]

How it works

Peacebuilders call this task disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration: getting fighters to hand in guns and go home.
The army's allies include Darfur rebels, Islamist militias and RSF members who changed sides. [80] Nobody has yet shown which group commits which crime. [80]

Seen it before

Friends who helped you win a fight do not always leave when it is over.
The truth
- A government security report dated 29 October speaks of crime's "stability". [80] It gives 539 arrests but no period and no crimes. [80]
- Nobody knows yet
  Which armed men are behind Khartoum's crime.
  
  Residents blame groups allied to the army, while police gave no answer and the official report names no group. [80]
38
A British doctor with Ebola reaches London
What happened
- A British doctor with Ebola reached an isolation unit in London on Thursday, flown from the Democratic Republic of Congo. [81]
- A humanitarian group had sent the doctor to help fight the outbreak. [81] It is the first British case in it. [81]
- Police vans and ambulances escorted the convoy, and traffic was stopped along the way. [82]
- The outbreak, declared in May, has passed 10,000 cases and 5,000 deaths. [81]
- It has spread to Kenya and Uganda, and Nigeria confirmed a case in its capital last month. [81]
Why it matters

Britain's health agency says the risk to the public remains low. [81] The UK has had only 4 confirmed cases before, none of them fatal. [82]

How it works

Infection-control staff call this high-level isolation: the patient is kept apart so the virus has nobody to reach. [81]
Ebola spreads through direct contact with body fluids. [81] So staff in protective gear are the only people allowed near this patient. [81]

Seen it before

A bad cold stays with one person if nobody shares their cup or their towel.
The truth
- This report does not name the patient or the humanitarian group that sent them. [81]
39
Egypt arrests gold miners near Sudan
What happened
- Egypt's army said on Thursday it arrested 151 Egyptians and 540 foreigners at illegal gold mines near Sudan. [83]
- More than 6,000 others surrendered before the operation, it said. [83]
- At least 72 miners were killed in airstrikes on a mine on that border in October. [83]
- A rights group blamed Egypt's air force. [83] The army says no civilians were targeted. [83]
Why it matters

Sudan's RSF funds itself by smuggling gold, so a mine on this border is close to the war. [83]

How it works

Economists call this a conflict resource: something valuable and easy to move that pays for fighting.
A UN panel said in 2024 that more than 50% of Sudan's gold was smuggled out. [83]

Seen it before

Trading cards are easy to hide in a bag, which is why they go missing at school.
The truth
- It is not clear whether the army spokesman was talking about the strike that killed the 72. [83]
40
Guinea expels 8,000 gold miners from Burkina Faso
What happened
- Guinea has forced out more than 8,000 gold miners from Burkina Faso, after banning small-scale mining in its northeast. [84]
- Burkina Faso's security minister, Mahamadou Sana, said some were injured and some died. [84]
- He said his government got no warning through its consul or embassy. [84]
- The miners are staying in Mali while waiting to go home. [84]
Who is involved
- Mahamadou Sana Burkina Faso's minister
Why it matters

One deportee, Abdoul Kabore, asked his government for help to start again, saying the miners had lost a great deal. [84]

How it works

Migration scholars call these people circular migrants: they follow work across borders and depend on being tolerated.
Guinea banned small-scale mining, removed the miners, and Burkina Faso says it was not told first. [84]

Seen it before

Children who play in a yard for years are chased off the day the owner changes his mind.
The truth
- The account of deaths and injuries comes from Burkina Faso's minister. [84] This report carries no reply from Guinea. [84]
- Who pays Burkina Faso's gold miners in Guinea — They lost their work and, one deportee says, a great deal else, and wait in Mali to go home. [84]
41
Morocco keeps a truce with no UN force
What happened
- Morocco said on Wednesday it will keep the Western Sahara ceasefire even without UN peacekeepers. [85]
- Last week the UN Security Council failed to extend the mission, after the US and Russia vetoed rival plans. [85] It had run for 35 years. [85]
- Morocco and the independence group Polisario, backed by Algeria, both claim the mineral-rich land. [85]
- Peacekeepers were sent to watch over a vote on its future that never took place. [85]
How it unfolded

The war before the truce lasted more than 15 years and killed more than 16,000, according to the French Senate. [85]

Why it matters

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned of a risk of renewed fighting. [85]

How it works

Peace researchers call this monitoring: a neutral witness makes each side less afraid of being cheated. [85]
With the mission gone, Morocco speaks of its "voluntary commitment" to the ceasefire. [85]

Seen it before

A game with no referee can go on, as long as both teams still trust each other.
42
Tanzania's opposition leader awaits a treason verdict
What happened
- Tanzania's main opposition leader, Tundu Lissu, faces a verdict on Friday on a treason charge that could carry death. [86]
- He has been held for more than 18 months. [86]
- Lissu was arrested on 9 April 2025 after calling for election reform at a rally. [86]
- He survived being shot 16 times in a 2017 assassination attempt. [86]
- Hussein Khalid of the rights group Vocal Africa says a guilty verdict is "largely expected". [86]
How it unfolded
1. 9 April 2025 arrested after a rally
2. Next day charged with treason
3. Friday verdict due
Why it matters

Tanzania's opposition would then have nobody placed to lead it, Khalid says. [86]

How it works

Critics call cases like this lawfare: using the courts to remove a political opponent. [86]
Lissu was arrested after calling for election reform, and charged the next day. [86] He has been held ever since. [86]

Seen it before

A player who keeps being kept in the changing room cannot score however good he is.
The truth
- The rights group Vocal Africa calls the case political, and this report gives no reply from the state. [86]
43
Nigeria's army denies a truce with Boko Haram
What happened
- Nigeria's army said on Thursday "there is nothing like a ceasefire" with Boko Haram, the armed Islamist group. [87]
- That came nearly two months after The New Humanitarian reported a secret truce with one faction, led by Bakura Doro. [87]
- The report said it began in June, and kept parts of the northeast calm for about three months. [87]
- It was linked to efforts to free more than 300 people abducted in March from Ngoshe, in Borno State. [87]
Why it matters

If the truce is real, the fate of those hostages rests on a deal the army denies. [87]

How it works

Conflict researchers call this a local or unofficial truce: a quiet deal with one group that neither side admits. [87]
Boko Haram has about three factions, so a deal with one does not bind the rest. [87] It also leaves out ISWAP, a rival group. [87]

Seen it before

Two pupils may quietly agree to stop fighting, and tell no one, so that neither looks weak.
The truth
- A Boko Haram judge also denied the truce. [87] HumAngle's sources say a small team may have agreed it without its leaders. [87]
- Nobody knows yet
  Whether Nigeria had a secret truce with Boko Haram.
  
  A news report says yes, the army says no, and a Boko Haram judge also says no. [87]
44
Kenya's Eastleigh collapse toll rises
What happened
- Rescuers recovered 6 more bodies on Thursday from a collapsed building in Eastleigh, a district of Nairobi, an MP said. [88]
- Kamukunji's MP, Yusuf Hassan, said: "No words can capture the grief of the families." [88]
- At least 2 deaths had been confirmed two days earlier. [88] Police said 4 people were rescued alive. [88]
- The first body was recovered on 30 October. [88]
How it unfolded
1. 30 October first body found
2. Thursday 6 more bodies
Why it matters

Families are still waiting at the site for news of their relatives. [88]
The truth
- Authorities have issued no updated official count, and nobody has said how many remain missing. [88]
45
Attacks on water systems triple in war zones
What happened
- Attacks on water and sanitation systems in war zones more than tripled between 2021 and 2025, UNICEF reported on Thursday. [25]
- UNICEF, the UN's children's agency, counted fewer than 45 attacks in 8 countries in 2021. [25] In 2025 it counted more than 135 in 15. [25]
- In Sudan, only one of Khartoum state's 13 treatment plants was fully working by March 2024. [25]
- In Gaza, more than 130,000 metres of sewage pipes have been destroyed since October 2023. [25]
Why it matters

Without clean water, hospitals cannot sterilise equipment or deliver babies safely, the report says. [25]

How it works

Humanitarian lawyers call water an object indispensable to survival: something the laws of war protect. [25]
A drone hit a gas field in Iraq in November 2025, and cut the Kurdistan region's electricity by about 80%. [25] Water pumps then had to share rationed power. [25]

Seen it before

Turning off the water to one house soon means no dinner, no shower and no clean clothes.
The truth
- UNICEF is asking governments and agencies to set up a way to collect this data systematically. [25]
46
Grynspan leads the race to run the UN
What happened
- Costa Rica's Rebeca Grynspan got 12 'encourage' votes in the UN Security Council's secret poll on Thursday. [89]
- That is up from 11 in the last round. [89] She also got 3 'discourage' votes. [89]
- Argentina's Rafael Grossi got 9, Guyana's Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett 8, and the UAE's Lana Nusseibeh 7. [89]
- The winner will replace Antonio Guterres, whose second term ends in December. [89]
- Turkey's late candidate, Feridun Sinirlioglu, came last with 3 'encourage' votes and 8 'discourage'. [89]
- Russia says it may look beyond Latin America if no candidate from there wins enough support. [89]
Why it matters

The UN faces money pressures and wars it has struggled to answer, so its next chief inherits both. [89]

How it works

Diplomats call this the veto: any of 5 permanent members can stop a candidate. [89]
This vote did not show how those five voted, so Grynspan's 3 'discourage' votes could hide a veto. [89]

Seen it before

A big group of friends can pick a film, and one who refuses can still end the plan.
The truth
- Latvia's ambassador, who chairs the council, confirmed the vote but not the results, so the numbers come from diplomats. [89]
47
Cuba holds a journalist for hours, then frees her
What happened
- Cuba's political police detained independent journalist Yoani Sanchez on Thursday, her online newspaper reported. [90]
- She was freed hours later and wrote that public support "managed to slide back the bolts". [90]
- Her paper says she was accused of an attack on the constitutional order. [91]
- Berta Soler, who leads the Ladies in White protest group, and a colleague were also seized and freed. [91]
Who is involved
- Yoani Sanchez journalist
- Berta Soler activist
Why it matters

Sanchez said she would describe the people without public visibility who are held in those cells. [90]

How it works

Rights researchers call this short-term detention: brief arrests that frighten critics without any trial. [91]
Rights groups publicly denounced her detention. [90] She speaks of a "total lack of protection" for those without public visibility. [90]

Seen it before

A bully may leave the popular kid alone, and pick on the quiet one in the corner.
The truth
- Soler is regularly held for hours or days, and often barred from leaving her home. [91]
Good news
- Yoani Sanchez and Berta Soler were freed in Havana within hours of being detained on Thursday.
48
Pope Leo flies to Latin America after surgery
What happened
- Pope Leo XIV begins a 12-day trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, three weeks after surgery for lung cancer. [92]
- Doctors removed the lower part of his right lung, and said the cancer had not spread. [92]
- Leo, who is 71, served for many years as a priest in Peru. [92]
- Uruguay gets its first papal visit in four decades. [92]
Why it matters

The Vatican's message is that the illness was a short episode, one professor told the BBC. [92]
The truth
- The Vatican says no extraordinary measures are being taken for his health. [92] A spokeswoman says he confirmed the schedule himself. [92]
49
Experts test nuclear inspections in Namibia
What happened
- Inspectors have gathered in Namibia's desert for a drill in checking whether a nuclear test has taken place. [93]
- It is only the third such exercise in the test-ban body's 30-year history, and the first big one in Africa. [93]
- More than 2,000 nuclear tests took place before the treaty opened for signature in 1996. [93] Fewer than a dozen have happened since. [93]
- 188 of 196 countries have signed, but the treaty has yet to enter into force. [93]
Why it matters

The exercise will show whether the inspection system can deliver when it is needed. [93]

How it works

Arms-control experts call this verification: a treaty matters only if cheating can be found. [93]
In Namibia, inspectors must establish whether a test explosion took place, as they would in a real inspection. [93]

Seen it before

A no-phones rule only works if a teacher sometimes checks the bags.
Good news
- Fewer than a dozen nuclear tests have taken place since 1996, against more than 2,000 before it, and 188 countries have signed the treaty that bans them.
50
Uzbekistan's poverty falls by two-thirds
What happened
- Uzbekistan's national poverty rate fell from 17% in 2021 to 5.8% in 2025, the World Bank says. [94]
- About 3.7 million people rose above the national poverty line. [94]
- The Bank ranks it among the 15 largest falls in poverty anywhere since 2000. [94]
- Uzbekistan's employment ministry says it has fallen further, to 3.6%. [94]
Why it matters

About 21 million people rose above a higher World Bank line across Europe and Central Asia. [94] Nearly 40% of them were in Uzbekistan. [94]

How it works

Development economists call this pro-poor growth: growth that reaches people through their pay.
The Bank says more jobs and higher wages were the main drivers. [94] Wages explain 6.1 points of an 8.4-point fall from 2022 to 2025. [94]

Seen it before

A family does better when the parents earn more than when it gets the odd gift.
The truth
- The newest 3.6% comes from a ministry, not from the World Bank's own assessment. [94]
Good news
- About 3.7 million people in Uzbekistan rose above their national poverty line between 2021 and 2025, the World Bank says, mostly through more jobs and higher pay.
51
Ghana's James Barnor wins top photo award
What happened
- James Barnor, a Ghanaian photographer aged 97, will get the Outstanding Contribution to Photography award in 2027. [95]
- At 21 he became the first staff photographer at Ghana's Daily Graphic newspaper. [95]
- He photographed Ghana's independence in 1957, and Black models and artists in 1960s London. [95]
- He said: "My camera became my companion, and I have never regretted it." [95]
How it unfolded
1. 1957 Ghana's independence
2. 1960s London
3. 1970 Ghana's first colour lab
Why it matters

He helped set up Ghana's first colour-processing lab in 1970, and worked behind a camera for seven decades. [95]
Good news
- James Barnor, 97, who photographed Ghana's independence in 1957, will receive one of photography's top honours.
52
Zelensky asks Latin America for power equipment
What happened
- Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky asked Latin American leaders on Thursday for power-grid help "as soon as possible". [96]
- He told the Ibero-American summit in Madrid that every power plant in Ukraine has been damaged by attacks. [96]
- The summit brings together 22 mainly Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries. [96] Ukraine was represented for the first time. [96]
- He asked for transformers, power cables, electronic equipment and generators. [96]
Why it matters

Vitali Klitschko, mayor of Kyiv, Ukraine's capital, said on Tuesday that supplies there are "extremely difficult". [96]

How it works

Power engineers call this compatibility: a spare transformer only helps if it matches the grid it joins.
So Zelensky asked for "equipment that works with our power grid", through direct links with Latin American firms. [96]

Seen it before

A phone charger from another country is no use if the plug does not fit.
The truth
- Zelensky says Ukraine is getting more UN votes from Latin America each year, and this report gives no count. [96]
53
Russell Brand found guilty of rape
What happened
- A London jury found British comedian and actor Russell Brand guilty on Thursday of 1 rape and 3 sexual assaults. [97]
- He was cleared of 2 rapes and 1 attempted indecent assault. [97]
- The charges span 1999 to 2009, as he rose from small comedy venues to Hollywood films. [97]
- Reports by The Sunday Times and Channel 4 in September 2023 led 4 women to come forward. [97] Another 2 did so after he was charged. [97]
How it unfolded
1. 1999 first charge
2. 2009 last charge
3. Thursday verdict
Why it matters

Evidence showed he abused his fame, with his entourage and showbiz bosses accused of looking the other way. [97]

What comes next

Judge Joel Bennathan said he faces a "significant" prison term, with sentencing due on Monday. [97]
54
3,000 tarantulas found in socks in Peru
What happened
- Peru seized more than 3,000 tarantulas at Lima's airport, bound for Germany, hidden in dirty socks. [98]
- Agents spotted wriggling in the bags. [98] "We noticed that some of them were moving," a wildlife official said. [98]
- 2 Germans and 1 Polish citizen were detained and face criminal proceedings. [98]
- One tarantula sells for about 500 euros in Europe, so the trip was potentially worth 1.5 million euros. [98]
Why it matters

Interpol says wildlife trafficking earns around $20bn a year worldwide. [98]
55
Eight killed in shootings in western Turkey
What happened
- 8 people were killed and 1 badly hurt in a series of shootings in Turkey's Afyonkarahisar province on Thursday. [99]
- 3 died near Ayazini, 3 near Kiyir, and 2 women in Yukaritandir, Turkey's state news agency reported. [99]
- The suspect fled, and was later arrested in Eskisehir province. [99]
Why it matters

Two teachers were reportedly among the dead. [99]
The truth
- The BBC report gives no motive. [99]

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55 on this beat today.

Why nobody is allowed to judge their own case