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World Monthly Headline News Page 1
By Laura Sharman, Deva Lee, Luke Jacobs and Sana Noor Haq, CNN

Where things stand

• Hamas, Israel and the US are set to start talks in Egypt today to work toward finalizing a deal based on US President Donald Trump’s Gaza ceasefire plan.

• Trump said he expects negotiations to take “a couple of days” and urged negotiators to “MOVE FAST.” He earlier told CNN that Hamas faces “obliteration” if it refuses to cede power in Gaza.

• The US president called on Friday for Israel to stop bombing the enclave, but more than 100 people have since been killed. Palestinians spoke to CNN about devastation on the ground and their tempered optimism for a truce.

• Elsewhere, Greta Thunberg was deported from Israel today after spending several days in custody for being part of the Gaza aid flotilla, according to the Israeli foreign ministry.
Sébastien Lecornu has blamed ‘partisan attitudes’ and ‘certain egos’ after becoming latest casualty of crisis that began with 2024 snap election
Jon Henley Europe correspondent

France’s prime minister, Sébastien Lecornu, has resigned along with his government, less than a month after his appointment and within hours of the new cabinet being announced, dramatically deepening the country’s political crisis.

It is the latest shock development in a series of events that suggest France, the EU’s second-biggest member state, is becoming increasingly ungovernable. Here is a look at what just happened, why – and what might come next.

What just happened?
Lecornu, who was appointed 27 days ago, tendered his resignation and that of his government on Monday, barely 12 hours after the key members of his cabinet had been announced. He became the shortest-lived prime minister in modern French history.

The 39-year-old former defence minister, a close ally of Emmanuel Macron, was France’s fifth prime minister since the president’s re-election in 2022 and the third since Macron dissolved parliament and called early legislative elections that were held last summer.
Some 70 flotilla activists expected to leave for Greece, where they can catch flights to home countries; Spanish activist said to bite prison staff member, delaying her deportation
By AFP and Charlie Summers

Swedish activist Greta Thunberg will be among more than 70 people of different nationalities to leave Israel on Monday after they were seized aboard an intercepted Gaza flotilla.

Most, if not all, those being released from Israeli detention will be flown to Greece, where they will be able to get flights to their home countries, their respective governments said on Sunday.

Those flying out of Israel on Monday include 28 French citizens, 27 Greeks, 15 Italians, and nine Swedes.

Twenty-one Spaniards separately returned to Spain on Sunday from Israel.

The release still leaves several foreigners in Israeli custody, including 28 Spanish nationals.
The 72-year-old arrives for trial in Nîmes as Husamettin Dogan becomes only man out of 51 to appeal against conviction
Angelique Chrisafis in Nîmes

Gisèle Pelicot returns to court to face one of men convicted of raping her

Gisèle Pelicot, who survived almost a decade of rape involving dozens of men after she was drugged by her ex-husband, has arrived at a court in France for the appeal trial of one of the men convicted of raping her.

Pelicot became a feminist hero after she decided to waive her right to anonymity in the trial of her former husband and 50 other men last year.

The 72-year-old arrived at the appeals court in the southern French city of Nîmes on Monday with her youngest son, Florian, and shook hands with supporters.

Her lawyer, Antoine Camus, had said she would have preferred not to face the ordeal of attending another trial but would be present in court nonetheless. “She will be there to explain that a rape is a rape, that there is no such thing as a small rape,” Camus told Agence France-Presse.
Australian prosecutors have filed an appeal for a longer guaranteed prison term for poisonous mushroom cook Erin Patterson
By ROD MCGUIRK Associated Press

MELBOURNE, Australia -- MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australian prosecutors on Monday filed an appeal seeking a longer guaranteed prison term for Erin Patterson, who was sentenced to life for poisoning four of her estranged husband’s relatives with death cap mushrooms but will be eligible for parole after 33 years.

Victoria state’s Office of Public Prosecutions said in a statement it had filed the appeal to the Victorian Court of Appeal, claiming the sentence handed to Patterson a month ago was “manifestly inadequate.”
By Reuters

JAKARTA, Oct 6 (Reuters) - The death toll from the collapse of a school in Indonesia last week has climbed to 65, authorities said on Monday, while rescuers continued to search for survivors under the rubble, seven days after the disaster.

Concrete walls and floors caved in on hundreds of mostly teenage boys at the Al Khoziny Islamic boarding school in East Java province on September 30. Most managed to escape.
Police investigating attack on UK south coast which was caught on camera as attackers attempted to break in
By Joe Gill in Peacehaven, England

An attack on a mosque in southern England is being treated as arson and a hate crime by police, after men in balaclavas were filmed attempting to enter the premises and sparking a fire while people were inside late on Saturday.

Emergency services were called to the fire at the mosque in Peacehaven at about 9.50pm last night, soon after worshippers left following evening prayers.

Speaking to media on Sunday outside the damaged centre on the UK's south coast, a trustee of the mosque said the community was in shock and traumatised by the attack.

“It is definitely hate crime related. The fire did go inside the main area of the building just before the prayer hall.”

A vehicle belonging to the chair of the mosque trustees parked outside was set on fire and destroyed in the incident, which was caught on surveillance camera.
The drone and missile assault hit nine regions and left tens of thousands without electricity as Russia ramps up its energy war ahead of winter in Ukraine.
By Siobhán O'Grady and Serhiy Morgunov

KYIV — Russia launched dozens of missiles and around 500 attack drones across Ukraine early Sunday, damaging energy infrastructure across the country and killing at least five people, officials said.

The combined assault struck nine regions and left tens of thousands of people without electricity as Russia ramps up its energy war on Ukraine ahead of the coldest and darkest days of the year. Houses, apartment buildings and an oncology center were also damaged. Among the victims was a family of four, including a 15-year-old girl, in the western Lviv region, officials said.

In a Telegram post Sunday, Russia’s Defense Ministry said it used a variety of missiles and drones to target “enterprises of the Ukrainian military-industrial complex and gas-energy infrastructure facilities that supported their operation.” It did not acknowledge civilian deaths or that the attacks struck civilian infrastructure, but said: “The strike objectives have been achieved. All designated targets were hit.”
Story by Amir Daftari

Iran on Monday denounced the United States as a “law-breaking country” and ruled out any prospect of negotiations, following renewed threats from Washington over its nuclear program. Iranian military officials reinforced the warning, with Major General Mohammad Pakpour, commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ naval forces, declaring that “if any move comes from the enemy, it will receive a strong response.”

President Donald Trump, speaking Sunday, said “We’re going to take care of that and we’re not going to wait so long,” signaling the possibility of further action if Iran resumes nuclear activity.

Why It Matters
The renewed confrontation between Washington and Tehran underscores the high stakes for global security and energy markets. The Persian Gulf—particularly the Strait of Hormuz—remains a critical chokepoint for oil and gas shipments, where even a limited clash could disrupt supply and heighten regional instability.

The 12-day war between Israel and Iran in June reignited tensions just as Tehran was exploring talks with Washington over its nuclear program. The conflict derailed those efforts and was swiftly followed by the U.S. launch of Operation Midnight Hammer, striking Iranian nuclear facilities. With Iran now rejecting new negotiations without firm assurances on sanctions relief and security guarantees, both sides appear locked in a cycle of escalation that threatens to deepen the regional crisis.
Story by Steve Benen

When Kash Patel arrived at the FBI as its new director earlier this year, he faced the kind of credibility hurdles his predecessors didn’t have to worry about. If Patel was going to be seen as a serious and capable figure, one who is prepared to help lead federal law enforcement, he would have to invest time and energy into proving his mettle, rolling up his sleeves and doing quality work on behalf of the bureau.
Story by Ewan Palmer

California Gov. Gavin Newsom went on a wild posting spree mocking Stephen Miller after a federal judge blocked the Trump administration from deploying out-of-state National Guard troops into Portland.

U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut, who was nominated to the bench by President Donald Trump, issued an order preventing the administration’s plans to move troops from California and Texas into the Democratic stronghold of Portland, Oregon.

Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff, melted down in a lengthy X post over the ruling, calling it “one of the most egregious and thunderous violations of constitutional order we have ever seen.”

“A district court judge has no conceivable authority, whatsoever, to restrict the President and Commander-in-Chief from dispatching members of the U.S. military to defend federal lives and property,” Miller added.

Newsom, a rumored Democratic 2028 contender who has taken to trolling MAGA figures online, targeted Miller with a barrage of social media posts.

In response to Miller’s 219-word X rant, Newsom posted the “I ain’t reading all that” meme–a screenshot of a direct message commonly used to dismiss long online tirades.
The new administration had been appointed less than 12 hours before resigning. French markets and the euro are taking a dive.
By Victor Goury-Laffont

PARIS — Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu and his government resigned Monday, deeply exacerbating a French political and economic crisis that is roiling financial markets and casting grave doubts over President Emmanuel Macron’s ability to govern.  

Lecornu, who was appointed only a month ago, stepped down mere hours after naming key members of his cabinet. He now holds the dubious honor of being France's shortest-lived prime minister in the Fifth Republic, taking the record from Michel Barnier, who lasted only three months at the end of 2024.

Opposition parties and some of Macron’s minority coalition partners reacted to Lecornu's appointments with fury, as many of the ministers were either holdovers from the last government or had previously served in high-level posts.
CBS News

What to know about hostage release and Gaza ceasefire:
   Israel and Hamas moved ahead with crucial steps of the Gaza peace plan on Monday, as Hamas released all 20 of the remaining living Israeli hostages and Israel released Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
   President Trump delivered remarks in the Israeli Knesset, the country's parliament, after arriving in the country on Monday. At a summit later on Monday in Egypt, he and other world leaders signed a document to inaugurate the U.S.-brokered plan to end the war in Gaza.

   Israel released nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees on Monday as part of the ceasefire agreement in exchange for the return of the Israeli hostages. They included 250 people who are serving life sentences, and about 1,700 others who have been detained and held without charges since the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack.
Kemi Badenoch, whose party is sinking in polls, outlined plans resembling Trump policies against those accused of being in the United States illegally.
By Stephen Castle

Britain’s main opposition party on Sunday promised that, if it returned to power, it would deport 150,000 illegal immigrants each year by creating a new removals force with far-reaching powers, modeled on the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency in the United States.

Under the plans, announced by Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the Conservative Party, facial recognition technology would be used to track undocumented immigrants, the asylum system would be overhauled and Britain would leave an international human rights treaty.

“The fact is, there are too many people in our country who should not be here,” Ms. Badenoch told the BBC, adding that “they don’t belong here, they are committing crimes, they are hurting people.”

Ms. Badenoch made her pledge on the opening day of an annual conference that is seen as critical for her leadership of the party, which has sunk in opinion polls since she took over last November. Even if she steadies her position, the next general election could be as far off as 2029, making Ms. Badenoch unlikely to reach Downing Street any time soon.
Story by Namrata Sen

North Korean hackers have stolen over $2 billion in cryptocurrency this year, setting a new annual record, according to blockchain analysis firm Elliptic.

Hackers Shift Tactics
The $2 billion theft surpasses the previous record of $1.35 billion set in 2022, the blog post published by Elliptic said. This year's losses are largely driven by February's $1.46 billion theft from cryptocurrency exchange Bybit.

$6B Crypto Stolen
The known value of cryptoassets stolen by the regime now amounts to more than $6 billion, a figure that could be an underestimate, Elliptic said.

Hackers Target Crypto Holders
The firm’s study, which is based on over 30 hacks carried out in 2025, found that while crypto exchanges remain the main targets, hackers have started targeting wealthy individuals owning substantial amounts of crypto.
Edited by Ben Hatton and Rorey Bosotti, with royal correspondent Sean Coughlan

In a statement, Prince Andrew said that the “continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family.”

Prince Andrew will remain a prince, but will cease to be the Duke of York - a title received from his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth - as well as giving up membership of the Order of the Garter, the oldest and most senior order of chivalry in Britain.
Red Cross passed coffin from Hamas to Israeli military, with the remains to go through a formal identification process
Agencies

The Red Cross had handed over the body of another hostage from Gaza to the IDF, Israel said early on Saturday, amid a dispute over delays in the return of remains under the ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel.

The Israeli military and security forces received the coffin from the Red Cross inside the Gaza Strip, and it was to be sent to the Ministry of Health’s National Center for Forensic Medicine in Israel. Israeli authorities said the family of the deceased would be notified first after a formal identification process.

The handover came after Hamas’ military wing, known as the Qassam Brigades, said the remains were that of an “occupation prisoner”, suggesting that they belonged to an Israeli rather than one of the hostages of several other nationalities also taken in Gaza.
By Aliza Chasan

Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, two of President Trump's key negotiators in brokering the Israel-Hamas ceasefire, "felt a little bit betrayed" by Israeli airstrikes on Qatar during peace talks last month, they said in an exclusive "60 Minutes" interview.

Witkoff learned about the strike, which Israel said targeted senior Hamas leadership in Doha, the morning after it happened. At the time, Mr. Trump wrote on social media, "This was a decision made by Prime Minister Netanyahu, it was not a decision made by me."

"I think both Jared and I felt, I just feel we felt a little bit betrayed," Witkoff told "60 Minutes" correspondent Lesley Stahl.

Asked about Mr. Trump's reaction, Kushner said, "I think he felt like the Israelis were getting a little bit out of control in what they were doing, and that it was time to be very strong and stop them from doing things that he felt were not in their long-term interests."
By GERALD IMRAY and NQOBILE NTSHANGASE

ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar (AP) — An army colonel who seized power in a military coup was sworn in as Madagascar’s new leader Friday in a lightning-fast power grab that ousted the president and sent him fleeing the country and into hiding.

Col. Michael Randrianirina, the commander of an elite army unit, took the oath of office to become the new president at a ceremony in the main chamber of the nation’s High Constitutional Court, in front of its nine red-robed judges.

His ascent to the presidency came just three days after he announced that the armed forces were taking power in the Indian Ocean island of around 30 million people off Africa’s east coast.

Call for unity
The nation had been rocked by three weeks of youth-led anti-government protests that started with frustration over chronic water and electricity outages but snowballed into anger with the leadership of President Andry Rajoelina. At least 22 people were killed in the protests after an initial crackdown by security forces, the United Nations said.

“Today marks a turning point for our nation, for the Madagascan people themselves are thirsting for profound change in the way our country is governed,” Randrianirina said in a speech from a podium next to a red, green and white Madagascan flag. He called for peace and unity and promised to “break away from the harmful practices of the past.”
Many returning to Gaza City now sleep in tents, some in the streets, after sweeping Israeli offensive reduced many of the city’s multi-story buildings to rubble
AFP

GAZA CITY — As a fragile ceasefire holds, displaced Palestinian residents of Gaza City have returned to their homes only to find rubble, with many of them forced to camp out in makeshift shelters.

In the northwest of the city, empty streets are lined with piles of concrete that once were apartment buildings before the Israel-Hamas war, with some structures completely collapsed.

Hossam Majed discovered his home reduced to rubble. Amid the ruins, the 31-year-old salvaged a few belongings, including some furniture and — crucially given the shortages — a large water tank.

While waiting for the rest of his family to return, he has swept aside some dust and rubble, set up a makeshift shelter and will guard what remains from potential thieves.

“Even food is more expensive than in the south because it’s scarce. There’s no electricity, no water, no internet. I have to walk a kilometer and a half… just to fill two water containers,” he told AFP.
UN urges opening of all crossings with aid deliveries at less than half of agreed frequency, as WHO issues disease alert
Lorenzo Tondo and William Christouin Jerusalem and Seham Tantesh in Gaza

Aid remains critically scarce in Gaza one week into the ceasefire, humanitarian agencies have warned, as Israel delays the entry of food convoys into the territory. The Israeli government and Hamas continue to trade blame over violations of the truce.

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) said on Friday that it had brought about 560 tonnes of food a day on average into Gaza since the ceasefire began, but it was still below what was needed.

Its spokesperson Abeer Etefa said: “We’re still below what we need, but we’re getting there ... The ceasefire has opened a narrow window of opportunity, and WFP is moving very quickly and swiftly to scale up food assistance.”

Aid trucks were lined up at the Kissufim crossing between Israel and Gaza since the early hours. It is one of the few entry points where lorries load supplies on the Israeli side before heading back into Gaza.

As aid entry was delayed into the strip, Israel continued to fire on Palestinians. The Israeli army shelled a car which had crossed past the ceasefire line with Israel in the Zeytoun neighbourhood of Gaza, killing nine people.

“They had crossed the so-called ‘yellow line’, an imaginary boundary mentioned by the Israeli army. I am certain the family couldn’t distinguish between the yellow and red lines because there are no actual physical markers on the ground,” said Mahmoud Basal, the spokesperson for the Gaza civil defence.

The Israeli defence minister, Israel Katz, said on Friday that the yellow line in Gaza will soon be physically marked.
Forensic examination of 120 Palestinian bodies show 'clear evidence' of torture and possible organ theft
By Mera Aladam

Human rights monitors and medical experts have condemned the conditions of 120 Palestinian bodies handed over by Israel to Gaza, noting that many of the remains show "clear evidence" of torture and the possibility of organ theft.

The Government Media Office in Gaza said that official examinations showed that most of the Palestinian bodies retrieved indicated systematic torture, field executions and crushings.

The return of the unidentified bodies came in three batches, with 45 bodies handed over on Tuesday, another 45 on Wednesday and 30 on Thursday.

Muneer Alboursh, director general of the Ministry of Health in Gaza, described the bodies in a post on X as being "bound like animals, blindfolded and bore horrific signs of torture and burns that reveal the extent of the crimes committed in secret".

"They did not die naturally; they were executed after being restrained. These people were not buried underground, they were kept in the occupation's refrigerators for long months," he added.
Xi Jinping’s targets in anti-corruption drive include PLA’s No 2 General He Weidong
Ryan McMorrow in Beijing and Demetri Sevastopulo in Washington

China has purged the number two general in the People’s Liberation Army and eight other senior commanders, in a big shake-up by President Xi Jinping as he intensifies his anti-corruption drive within the military.

Xi formally fired General He Weidong, the junior of two vice-chairs of the six-member Central Military Commission. The removal was the first time in six decades that such a high-ranking general has been purged while in office.

He Weidong was third in command of the PLA, which is led by Xi in his capacity as chair of the CMC. He was also a member of the Communist party’s politburo. The FT reported in April that he had been fired.

“The removal of He Weidong is one of the biggest shake-ups within the PLA in decades,” said Lyle Morris, an expert on the Chinese military at the Asia Society Policy Institute. “He was on a fast track to become the next senior vice-chair of the CMC, possibly replacing Zhang Youxia, and skipped a grade when he was elevated to the CMC during the 20th Party Congress.”
By Rhea Mogul

India has seemingly pushed back against US President Donald Trump’s claim it had agreed to stop importing Russian oil, signaling the issue that has strained ties is unlikely to be resolved soon.

Trump on Wednesday said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had “assured me today that they (India) will not be buying oil from Russia,” which is subject to US sanctions, describing it as a “big step.”

But on Thursday India’s foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters he was “not aware of any conversation” between Trump and Modi, or any assurance from the Indian leader that he would stop purchasing Russian oil.

Earlier in the day, India’s foreign ministry said the country was a “significant importer of oil and gas,” without naming Russia nor referencing Modi’s purported assurance.
Story by THOMAS ADAMSON

PARIS (AP) — In a minutes-long strike Sunday inside the world’s most-visited museum, thieves rode a basket lift to the Louvre, forced a window into the Galerie d’Apollon — while tourists pressed shoulder-to-shoulder in the corridors — smashed display cases and fled with priceless Napoleonic jewels, officials said.

It was among the highest-profile museum thefts in recent memory and comes as Louvre employees have complained of worker and security understaffing.

One object was later found outside the museum, according to Culture Minister Rachida Dati. French daily Le Parisien reported it was the emerald-studded crown of Napoleon III's wife Empress Eugénie — gold, diamonds and sculpted eagles — recovered just beyond the walls, broken.

The theft unfolded just 250 meters (270 yards) from the Mona Lisa, in what Dati described as “a four-minute operation.” No one was hurt.

Images from the scene showed confused tourists being steered out of the glass pyramid and adjoining courtyards as officers closed nearby streets along the Seine.
Story by Ava J

Before dawn on October 18, 2025, Ukraine launched one of its longest-range drone strikes yet—igniting a fire at Russia’s Orenburg gas processing plant, the largest of its kind worldwide. Locals described the horizon glowing orange as flames engulfed the site.

Emergency crews had contained the blaze by sunrise, but operations were halted. The damage was severe enough to silence one of Gazprom’s crown jewels.

Governor Confirms “Significant Infrastructure Damage”
Orenburg governor Yevgeny Solntsev told Russia’s TASS agency the blaze began in one of the plant’s main workshops after a drone strike. “It’s an emergency situation,” he said, adding that while there were no casualties, “significant infrastructure damage” was confirmed.

Firefighters worked through the night as smoke drifted for miles, an image that quickly spread across Russian social media.

Ukraine Takes Responsibility for the Attack
Ukraine’s General Staff claimed responsibility hours later, saying it targeted the Orenburg facility and the Novokuibyshevsk oil refinery in Samara. Both are key to Russia’s energy exports.

“Fuel keeps the war alive,” a Ukrainian military source told Reuters. “Cut the fuel, and you weaken the war machine.” Kyiv framed the operation as part of a campaign to cripple Moscow’s logistics.
By  RENATA BRITO and MATTHEW LEE
Leer en español

JERUSALEM (AP) — U.S. Vice President JD Vance criticized on Thursday a vote in Israel’s parliament the previous day about the annexation of the occupied West Bank, saying it amounted to an “insult” and went against the Trump administration policies.

Hard-liners in the Israeli parliament had narrowly passed a symbolic preliminary vote in support of annexing the West Bank — an apparent attempt to embarrass Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu while Vance was still in the country.

The bill, which required only a simple majority of lawmakers present in the house on Wednesday, passed with a 25-24 vote. But it was unlikely to pass multiple rounds of voting to become law or win a majority in the 120-seat parliament. Netanyahu, who is opposed to it, also has tools to delay or defeat it.

On the tarmac of Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport before departing Israel, Vance said that if the Knesset’s vote was a “political stunt, then it is a very stupid political stunt.”
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