Books – February 2018

The Secret War with Iran – Ronen Bergman – (2008) – DS274.B47

Democracy and Populism: Fear and Hatred – John Lukacs – (2005) – JA84

Alternative to Armageddon – Manteuffel (1970)

Operation Thunderbolt – Saul David – (2015) – DS119.7

The Coup – Ervand Abrahamian – DS318.6

Frederick The Great – Tim Blanning – Library BIOG DD404

Armageddon Averted – Stephen Kotkin – Delivery Desk DK274

Special Tasks – Anatoli Sudoplatov – BIOG JN6529

Barbarossa 1941 – Frank Ellis – D764

Mortal Crimes – Nigel West –

The Growth Delusion – David Pilling –

Bending Adversity – David Pilling – DS806

11.01.2026 sunday

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The three gunmen who carried out a mass shooting at a Greek Orthodox Church in Karak Governorate, Jordan, are wounded and arrested after a shootout with security forces at an abandoned building. (BBC News)

American rapper Chris Brown is sentenced to 8 months imprisonment in a British court for hitting someone on the head with a glass bottle at a nightclub in London. (BBC News)(Reuters)

Marine Le Pen of the National Rally announces her presidential campaign. (Reuters)

In rally raid, Dakar Rally organizers move the 2027 event from Saudi Arabia because of security concerns regarding the conflict with the Houthis. (AFP via France 24)

Saudi-led coalition air defences intercept a Houthi ballistic missile and two drones targeting Riyadh Province as King Khalid International Airport resumes limited operations after a two-week closure caused by earlier Houthi attacks. (AFP via ABS-CBN News)

Three staff members are killed and eight students are wounded in an Israeli airstrike against the Islamic University of Gaza in Gaza City. Four other Palestinians are also killed in more airstrikes in the Gaza Strip. (AFP via Dawn)

Lula wins re-election 52 to 48 percent, defeating Bolsonaro for a fourth non-consecutive term. (Reuters)

Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado announces she has returned to Venezuela from exile. (CNN)

The Nigerian health ministry expands contact tracing after confirming an imported Bundibugyo Ebola case in Abuja, identifying at least 44 contacts while investigating additional people who may have been exposed and strengthening infection-control measures. (AFP via RFI)

Bulgarians vote in the first round of the presidential election. Incumbent Iliana Iotova wins and will face former acting prime minister Andrey Gyurov in a second round due to record low turnout and no candidate having a majority of the vote. (Reuters)

Serbians vote for all seats in the National Assembly in a snap election, amid the student-led protests against the incumbent United Serbia government. (AP)

The Student List wins the election, with former president Aleksandar Vučić conceding defeat. (RFE/RL) (Reuters)

In auto racing, American driver Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports wins the YellaWood 500 at the Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama, winning his first NASCAR Cup Series race at the circuit. (ESPN)

In golf, Japan’s Yuri Yoshida wins her first LPGA Tour title at the BMW Ladies Championship in South Jeolla Province, South Korea, finishing ahead of Australia’s Minjee Lee and South Korea’s Kim Sei-young. (AFP)

The International Weightlifting Federation awards Moscow, Russia, the hosting rights to the 2030 World Weightlifting Championships, making it the first IOC-recognised sports federation to grant Russia hosting rights for a world championship since the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. (AFP via The Straits Times)

Rioters in Paris attack police with projectiles, but are dispersed with tear gas and water cannons. A gendarmerie helicopter is deployed to locate remaining rioters. (France 24)

The Israeli military raids 15 cities in the occupied West Bank, arresting several Palestinians, forcing over 2,000 from their homes, and destroying a three-storey building in Hebron. (Al Jazeera)

Thousands of Israelis rally in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv to protest against the government, prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s cabinet, and the continuation of the Gaza war. (Al Jazeera)

The Yellow vests hold a second wave of mass demonstrations across France. About 410,000 people participate and over 1,000 people are arrested. (France 24)

About 110,000 protesters march in Paris, France. (France 24)

Party leader Marine Le Pen holds the National Rally congress in Orléans, France. Protesters, including left-wing politicians, marched in opposition. (CBS)

The End

10.25.2026 sunday

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The three gunmen who carried out a mass shooting at a Greek Orthodox Church in Karak Governorate, Jordan, are wounded and arrested after a shootout with security forces at an abandoned building. (BBC News)

American rapper Chris Brown is sentenced to 8 months imprisonment in a British court for hitting someone on the head with a glass bottle at a nightclub in London. (BBC News)(Reuters)

In rally raid, Dakar Rally organizers move the 2027 event from Saudi Arabia because of security concerns regarding the conflict with the Houthis. (AFP via France 24)

Saudi-led coalition air defences intercept a Houthi ballistic missile and two drones targeting Riyadh Province as King Khalid International Airport resumes limited operations after a two-week closure caused by earlier Houthi attacks. (AFP via ABS-CBN News)

Three staff members are killed and eight students are wounded in an Israeli airstrike against the Islamic University of Gaza in Gaza City. Four other Palestinians are also killed in more airstrikes in the Gaza Strip. (AFP via Dawn)

The Government of Colombia announces that a military operation in El Tambo, Cauca, in the previous days, resulted in the killing of ten National Liberation Army‘s members, including two key leaders. (AP)

Western Sydney Airport in New South Wales, Australia, commences passenger operations as Greater Sydney’s second airport. (The Guardian)

Twenty-four people are killed and twenty-four more are injured after a bus collides with a truck on a highway in Makueni County, Kenya. (AP)

Eighty-three people are injured, including seven seriously, in a bus crash in Fogars de Montclús, Spain. (AP)

The Nigerian health ministry expands contact tracing after confirming an imported Bundibugyo Ebola case in Abuja, identifying at least 44 contacts while investigating additional people who may have been exposed and strengthening infection-control measures. (AFP via RFI)

Brazilians vote in the second round of presidential elections between incumbent left-wing president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of the Workers’ Party and right-wing challenger Flávio Bolsonaro of the Liberal Party. (Reuters)

Citizens of Brazil vote in the second round of elections in the two-round system for the next President of Brazil. (Yahoo)

Lula wins re-election 52 to 48 percent, defeating Bolsonaro for a fourth non-consecutive term. (Reuters)

Bulgarians vote in the first round of the presidential election. Incumbent Iliana Iotova wins and will face former acting prime minister Andrey Gyurov in a second round due to record low turnout and no candidate having a majority of the vote. (Reuters)

Citizens of Bulgaria vote in the first round of the election for the next President of Bulgaria. (Reuters)

Serbians vote for all seats in the National Assembly in a snap election, amid the student-led protests against the incumbent United Serbia government. (AP)

Citizens of Serbia vote for all seats in Serbia’s National Assembly, in a snap parliamentary election. (AP)

The Student List wins the election, with former president Aleksandar Vučić conceding defeat. (RFE/RL) (Reuters)

Marine Le Pen of the National Rally announces her presidential campaign. (Reuters)

Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado announces she has returned to Venezuela from exile. (CNN)

In auto racing, American driver Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports wins the YellaWood 500 at the Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama, winning his first NASCAR Cup Series race at the circuit. (ESPN)

In golf, Japan’s Yuri Yoshida wins her first LPGA Tour title at the BMW Ladies Championship in South Jeolla Province, South Korea, finishing ahead of Australia’s Minjee Lee and South Korea’s Kim Sei-young. (AFP)

The International Weightlifting Federation awards Moscow, Russia, the hosting rights to the 2030 World Weightlifting Championships, making it the first IOC-recognised sports federation to grant Russia hosting rights for a world championship since the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. (AFP via The Straits Times)

The End Monday

new above Monday

Unknown gunmen attack a village in Taraba State, Nigeria, killing at least ten people. Locals place the death toll at 20, while Amnesty International claims at least 40. (Al Jazeera)

Two people succumb to their injuries sustained the day before during a mass shooting at a Greek Orthodox Church in Karak Governorate, Jordan, bringing the toll to nine killed and 40 injured. (CNN)

Five people are killed and three more injured in a suspected gang-related mass shooting at a residence in Lavender Hill, Cape Flats, Western Cape, South Africa. (Smile 90.4FM)

The Yellow vests hold a second wave of mass demonstrations across France. About 410,000 people participate and over 1,000 people are arrested. (France 24)

A new wave of protests is held across Italy. Clashes are reported in Bologna, Turin, Rome and Florence. Protests are also held in Milan, Naples, Padua and Bari.(Rai News)

Anti-government protests break out in Tirana, Albania. Various government buildings are attacked. (The Guardian)

A student protest in Barcelona, Spain, ends in riots, looting and clashes with the police. (RTVE in Spanish)

At least 25,000 people gather in Madrid, Spain, in support of the country’s state pension fund amid the general election in November. (Al Jazeera)

The End Sunday

New above sunday

Saturday,  October 24th, 2026

Rioters in Paris attack police with projectiles, but are dispersed with tear gas and water cannons. A gendarmerie helicopter is deployed to locate remaining rioters. (France 24)

Rioters in Paris attack police with projectiles, but are dispersed with tear gas and water cannons. A gendarmerie helicopter is deployed to locate remaining rioters. (France 24)

The Yellow vests hold a second wave of mass demonstrations across France. About 410,000 people participate and over 1,000 people are arrested. (The Guardian) (France 24)

Party leader Marine Le Pen holds the National Rally congress in Orléans, France. Protesters, including left-wing politicians, marched in opposition. (CBS) (Euronews)

Thousands of Israelis rally in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv to protest against the government, prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s cabinet, and the continuation of the Gaza war. (Al Jazeera)

The Israeli military raids 15 cities in the occupied West Bank, arresting several Palestinians, forcing over 2,000 from their homes, and destroying a three-storey building in Hebron. (Al Jazeera) (Al Jazeera)

Survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy reach a settlement with the Archdiocese of New York in the United States, which will see the archdiocese paying at least $250,000 to around 1,300 plaintiffs, totaling over $800 million. (DW)

Unknown gunmen attack a village in Taraba State, Nigeria, killing at least ten people. Locals place the death toll at 20, while Amnesty International claims at least 40. (Al Jazeera)

At least one person is killed and 527 others are injured as Typhoon Champi makes landfall in Taiwan. (DW)

Six people are killed and another is injured when a passenger train collides with a minibus in Jewish Autonomous Oblast, Russia. (Reuters)

Two people are killed and over 2,000 others are displaced by flooding in Chaco and Corrientes, Argentina. (AA)

Two people succumb to their injuries sustained the day before during a mass shooting at a Greek Orthodox Church in Karak Governorate, Jordan, bringing the toll to nine killed and 40 injured. (CNN)

About 110,000 protesters march in Paris, France. (France 24)

A new wave of protests is held across Italy. Clashes are reported in Bologna and Turin. (Rai News)

Anti-government protests break out in Tirana, Albania. Various government buildings are attacked. (The Guardian)

A student protest in Barcelona, Spain, ends in riots, looting and clashes with the police. (RTVE in Spanish)

At least 25,000 people gather in Madrid, Spain, in support of the country’s state pension fund as it could significantly weaken following the general election in November. (Al Jazeera)

The U.S. government says that Russia and Ukraine reached a humanitarian ceasefire agreement in Oleshky brokered by U.S. first lady Melania Trump. The ceasefire will take effect on Thursday. (Reuters)

Russia and Ukraine confirm the ceasefire agreement for Oleshky, with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy stating that peace talks will begin next month. (The Moscow Times) (Kyiv Independent)

The Israeli government orders the military to prepare for a complete lockdown of the West Bank. This comes after two men who allegedly planned an attack were killed. (Al Jazeera)

A merchant ship is hit by drones of unknown origins in the Romanian Black Sea, killing a crew member and leaving three more missing. Nine people are rescued. (Turkiye Today)

Ukrainian police detain a 17-year-old girl suspected of helping Russia’s Federal Security Service send methadone-laced capsules to Ukrainian soldiers, which killed two in Zhytomyr Oblast and allegedly targeting four others. (AFP via RFI)

A person is killed and five other people are injured in a drive-by shooting spree at three separate locations in Trappes and La Verrière, France. A suspect is arrested. The suspected motives behind the shootings are racism and Islamophobia. (BBC News)

Typhoon Champi kills a person and injures 163 others in Taiwan as the government evacuates 2,639 people from mountainous areas. (AFP via France 24) (Reuters)

Two Philippine Air Force (PAF) SF-260 aircraft collide during a low-altitude training flight and crash at Basilio Fernando Air Base in Lipa, Batangas, killing all four pilots aboard. The PAF grounds its remaining SF-260 fleet pending investigation. (AP)

An 18-storey building under construction collapses in Eastleigh, Nairobi, Kenya, leaving seven people missing and at least one injured. Rescue teams establish contact with some people trapped beneath the rubble. (AFP via The Australian)

The Australian Government imposes financial sanctions and travel bans on two North Koreans and sanctions two companies accused of supporting fraudulent overseas information technology work that funds North Korea’s weapons programs. (AFP via RFI)

Seven people are killed and 34 others are wounded in a mass shooting during a funeral procession at a Greek Orthodox Church in Hamoud, Karak Governorate, Jordan. All of the gunmen escape from the scene. (Al Jazeera) (AP)

The Greek parliament approves a law banning children and teenagers under 15 from using social media from January 1, 2027, requiring age verification and penalties for platforms that fail to comply. (Al Jazeera)

Argentine football player Lionel Messi is awarded the 2026 Princess of Asturias Award for Sports for his career at FC Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain. (OneFootball)

Iran‘s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reports that seven oil tankers have been hit in the Strait of Hormuz. (Al Jazeera)

Al-Qaeda gunmen ambush Yemeni Armed Forces soldiers at a mountainous area in the Shabwah Governorate, killing two soldiers and wounding several more. (Xinhua)

El Salvador deploys 100 special forces soldiers to Haiti to assist in the search efforts for the four missing Air Force technicians attached to the Gang Suppression Force.

The Sudanese Armed Forces recaptures two strategic areas in Sudan‘s Blue Nile state, including the Bukuri base in Ad-Damazin. (Sudan Tribune)

British singer Raye wins the 2026 Mercury Prize for her album This Music May Contain Hope. (Billboard)

The European Parliament awards its 2026 Sakharov Prize to the International Criminal Court and its officials for their work in global justice and upholding international law. (Reuters)

At least four people are killed and one other is injured by flooding caused by Storm Adam in Bouches-du-Rhône, France. (BBC News)

A Mw 7.0 earthquake strikes Tibet, with an epicenter in Nagqu, killing 16 people and wounding 32 more. (Al Jazeera)

At least six people are killed and 25 others are injured when a bus collides with a tree in Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur district, Chhattisgarh, India. (Xinhua)

France reports the first human case of the livestock Shamonda virus in a patient who died after being hospitalized with an unrelated condition. (Reuters)

Canada and Turkey open negotiations for a free trade agreement during Canadian prime minister Mark Carney‘s visit to Ankara. (AFP via France 24)

Emirati diplomat Lana Nusseibeh announces her candidacy for Secretary-General of the United Nations. (Reuters)

Emirati diplomat Lana Nusseibeh announces her candidacy for Secretary-General of the United Nations. (Reuters)

Ecuadorian opposition leader and former presidential candidate Luisa González is arrested over allegations of money laundering in campaign financing. (Reuters)

A Guatemalan court sentences seven former police officers to prison terms of up to 60 years for offenses related to the 2024 torture and killing of a gay couple at a police station. (AFP via France 24)

The Finnish Government grants Posiva an operating license for the Onkalo spent nuclear fuel repository in Eurajoki, making it the world’s first licensed deep geological disposal facility for spent nuclear fuel. (AFP via France 24)

In artistic gymnastics, Japan‘s Daiki Hashimoto wins his fourth consecutive men’s all-around title at the 2026 World Championships in Rotterdam, Netherlands, finishing ahead of China‘s Zhang Boheng and Japan’s Shinnosuke Oka. (AFP via France 24)

In American football, the Chicago Bears receive an illegal forward handing penalty in a game against the New England Patriots, the first time in 16 years that the penalty has been handed out. (CBS Sports)

In women’s association football, FIFA announces that the United States will host the inaugural FIFA Women’s Club World Cup in 2028. (ESPN)

The Athletics Integrity Unit bans Ethiopian marathon runner Ruti Aga for six years after she tested positive for methylprednisolone and submitted false information and a forged prescription during an investigation. (AFP via France 24)

10.22.2026 thursday

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JAXA launches the Martian Moons eXploration spacecraft from the Tanegashima Space Center toward Phobos aboard an H3 rocket, aiming to collect at least 10 grams of surface material from the Martian moon and return the samples to Earth in 2031. (Reuters)

A Mw 7.0 earthquake strikes Tibet, with an epicenter in the city of Nagqu. (Reuters)

United States special envoy Steve Witkoff arrives in Saint Petersburg to talk with Russian president Vladimir Putin about potentially resolving the war with Ukraine. Putin states he would resume United States-mediated trilateral peace talks with Ukraine, on or after November 10. (Reuters) (Reuters)

American military veteran Stephen Hubbard, who was arrested by Russian authorities in 2022 during the Battle of Izium, is released from custody during the meeting between Putin and Witkoff. (AP) (BBC News)

Over 80 Americans, British citizens, and Israelis are detained by Israeli soldiers in the Israel-occupied West Bank, including U.S. House of Representatives candidate Brad Lander. (The Guardian)

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Shin Bet say that they have killed a Hamas Nukhba forces militant that took part in planning the killing of four IDF soldiers in September 2025. (Ynetnews)

Indonesia, Pakistan, Qatar, and Turkey jointly sign the Badr Memorandum of Understanding, a major agreement to deepen their defence industry cooperation. The agreement aims to support joint military production projects and strengthen cooperation in technical training, research, and development. (Al Jazeera)

The U.S. Department of State orders non-emergency employees at its embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to leave the country as Houthi attacks ramp up. (Al Jazeera)

Salvadoran president Nayib Bukele announces the start of a military operation to rescue four Air Force technicians. The technicians, attached to the international Gang Suppression Force, were taken hostage after gangs attacked their armored vehicle on 18 October. (Reuters)

South Africa cuts fuel levies by R3.00 (US$0.18) per litre of diesel and R1.50 ($0.09) per litre of petrol from November 4 to December 1 after fuel prices reach record highs. (AFP)

The North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) of the United Kingdom approves production from the Jackdaw gas field after energy secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh authorized the NSTA to grant consent, allowing operator Adura to begin supplying gas by late October. (UPI)

Taiwanese prosecutors indict five people for allegedly accepting money and planning to injure Huang Yihao, an anti-Chinese Communist Party comedian in New Taipei City. (AP)

A district judge in New Mexico, United States, orders Meta to pay $25 billion after a jury found it guilty of misleading Facebook users about privacy violations, marking its largest fine ever. (Al Jazeera)

The Italian Interior Minister has announced a crackdown on truck drivers and farmers who are protesting in southern Italy for about a month against high fuel prices, reporting that 1,339 individuals have been identified, 71 have been reported to the authorities, and 242 have been fined. The protestors are blocking highways and the transport of goods. (Ansa)

A Tunisian military court sentences politician and businesswoman Olfa Hamdi to four years in prison on state security charges linked to social media posts, including accusations of inciting military personnel to disobey orders. (AFP via Arab News)

Thousands of students and teachers march through Athens, Thessaloniki, and Patras in Greece to protest against the rising cost of living, calling for affordable student housing and more state investment in education. (AP)

Paul St-Pierre Plamondon is sworn in as the 34th premier of Quebec, Canada, following the Parti Québécois‘s victory in the general election. (The Globe and Mail)

American video game publisher Electronic Arts, which was recently bought-out by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, announces the closing of its Canadian studio BioWare. (Kotaku)

Node.js releases three security updates. These address 10 different vulnerabilities, including 4 high-severity ones, which affect how Node.js handles DNS resolution, TLS handshakes, and Brotli decoding. (Heise Online)

Forge FC defeats CF Montréal in a penalty shoot-out to become the first Canadian Premier League team to win a Canadian Championship. (CBC)

St. Louis City SC defeats Columbus Crew in a penalty shoot-out to win the U.S. Open Cup, earning the club its first trophy since beginning play in 2023. (ESPN)

JAXA launches the Martian Moons eXploration spacecraft from the Tanegashima Space Center toward Phobos aboard an H3 rocket, aiming to collect at least 10 grams of surface material from the Martian moon and return the samples to Earth in 2031. (Reuters)

A missile attack by the Houthis kills 58 soldiers and injure over 200 at a training center in Shabwah Governorate, Yemen. There are 14 missing. (Reuters)

A Kenyan court convicts Good News International Ministries leader Paul Nthenge Mackenzie of murdering 190 children and an adult whose deaths were linked to starvation in Shakahola Forest. (Reuters)

critical vulnerability in PHP allowing for remote code execution is discovered, causing many websites to temporarily go offline while a security update is pushed the following day. (NBC News)

Indian certificate authority eMudhra has its private keys compromised, revealing that some of them were extremely insecure single digit numerals. Major web browser developers Mozilla, Google, and Apple subsequently block the certificates. (The Register)

Israel Police arrest 10 people in the occupied West Bank over attacks on American photojournalist Heidi Levine and the mayor of Aulnoye-Aymeries, France, who were travelling with European diplomats, and seize vehicles and other evidence during raids. (AFP via France 24) (Reuters)

The World Food Programme cuts monthly food aid for about 500,000 people in the Gaza Strip because of funding shortages, reducing the number of recipients from 1.6 million to 1.1 million. (AFP via France 24)

Police arrest a 34-year-old man for the arson attack on the Hôtel de Ville in Limoges, Haute-Vienne, France. (BBC)

Pakistan arrests a man for selling fake Postage stamps in the United States that resulted in a $126 million loss to the U.S. Postal Service. (BBC News) (Dawn)

A judge in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, issues a no-bail bond arrest warrant for former Cuban president Raúl Castro after Florida attorney general James Uthmeier charged Castro with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder by directing spies to infiltrate Brothers to the Rescue and ordering the attack on their planes in 1996. (Al Jazeera)

A United States federal judge sentences a Guatemalan national to 30 years in prison for helping organize a 2022 migrant-smuggling operation in San Antonio, Texas, that left 53 migrants dead and 11 injured. (AFP via France 24)

The death toll in the market drone attack in Abyei on the border of South Sudan and Sudan yesterday rises to 220. (Sudans Post)

The Sudanese Army says that they have repelled an attack by the Rapid Support Forces and Sudan People’s Liberation Movement–North (SPLM–N) on the Blue Nile state. (Sudan Tribune)

The Rapid Support Forces launches a drone strike on a power plant in Tendelti in Sudan’s White Nile State, knocking out the main transition line connecting North Kordofan. (Sudan Tribune)

The Parliament of Romania appoints Luca Niculescu as the new Prime Minister, succeeding Ilie Bolojan who resigned amid a politicial crisis. (Reuters)

Malaysia’s Registrar of Societies deregisters the opposition coalition Perikatan Nasional, citing internal disputes and breaches of the constitution, preventing its component parties from contesting forthcoming elections under a common coalition banner. (Reuters)

A drone strike kills at least 73 people at a market in the disputed Abyei area between South Sudan and Sudan. (Reuters)

United Kingdom says it will deploy RAF Typhoons to help Saudis defend against Houthi attacks. (BBC News) (Reuters)

Libya’s eastern-based House of Representatives approves a 2019 maritime boundary agreement with Turkey and repeals two 2020 decisions that rejected the accord. (Reuters)

At least 14 people are killed and 20 others are injured after a bus and a truck collide head-on in Natore District, Bangladesh. (Xinhua)

Twelve people are killed and 30 others are injured after a bus crashes into a truck near Cairo, Egypt. (Xinhua)

A leak of glycidyl methacrylate from a chemical tank at the terminal in Toledo, Ohio, United States, forces nearly 1,000 residents to evacuate and prompts shelter-in-place orders for more than 50,000 people in Toledo. (Associated Press) (EPA)

Nigeria announces its first case of Ebola virus in the epidemic. (The Guardian)

South Korea withdraws additional embassy staff from Ukraine following a dispute over two captured North Korean soldiers who were transferred to South Korea. (AFP via RFI)

Twelve migrants, including an infant, are killed when two separate speedboats capsize off the coast of the Lesbos and Samos islands in Greece. (AP)

Fourteen miners are killed and seven more injured when an open pit gold mine collapses in Nariño Department, Colombia. (AP)

Andorra and San Marino sign the respective association agreements with the European Union. (San Marino RTV) (RTVA)

Former Chihuahua attorney general César Jáuregui Moreno is arrested by federal agents on a treason warrant as he leaves a Chihuahua state court, which had declined to order his pretrial detention after state prosecutors arrested him two days earlier on related charges of unlawful exercise of public office. He is accused of allowing U.S. agents, reported to be Central Intelligence Agency officers, to take part in an anti-drug operation in April without federal approval. (Al Jazeera)

Independent Australian MP Helen Haines is deliberately hit by a car outside her office in Wangaratta, Victoria. Police arrest the car’s driver, while Haines is airlifted to a hospital. Haines later had both her legs amputated. (The Guardian)

A teacher and a student are injured in a stabbing attack at a school in Bistrița, Romania. The 13-year-old suspect is arrested. (Reuters)

Albertans vote on ten referendums, including one to decide if Alberta should seek separation from Canada. (Reuters)

Albertan voters reject pursuing a future independence referendum, with more than three-quarters supporting the province remaining in Canada. (BBC News)

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reports that an oil tanker has caught on fire and exploded in the southern part of the Strait of Hormuz after striking a naval mine. (Middle East Eye)

The Iranian parliament appoints Mehrdad Akhlaghi as Minister of Defence, replacing acting minister Majid Ebn-e-Reza. (Reuters)

The Taiwanese coast guard drives away 16 Chinese coast guard, research, and fishing vessels operating near Taiwan and the Pratas Island, including some that entered restricted waters. (AFP via The Hindu)

Vietnam signs a free trade agreement with the European Free Trade Association (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland) that reduces or eliminates tariffs on industrial, agricultural, and fish products and covers services, intellectual property, and sustainable development. (AFP)


A truck loses control and runs over devotees outside a temple in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India, killing at least 13 and injuring nearly 40 others. (AFP via Dawn)

At least eight people are killed and eight others are injured after a mortar shell explosion in Zawiya, Libya. (Xinhua)

Equatorial Guinea announces that it will expand its program against malaria to the mainland and Annobón. The program has already heavily reduced malaria cases on Bioko Island. (The Independent)

Saturday,  October 17th, 2026