Russian bombing kills 26 at Ukraine humanitarian aid centre
At least 26 people were killed and five injured after Russian bombs struck a humanitarian aid distribution centre in Komyshuvakha village in Ukraine’s southern Zaporizhzhia region, Ukrainian authorities said. Regional head Mykhailo Semikin said at least nine 3,000kg aerial bombs hit the area on Monday, with 27 people initially reported missing.
Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s President said the first strike hit a local school being used for humanitarian activities, followed by a second attack on a nearby shelter where residents had gathered. Emergency services later confirmed that two rescuers and four police officers were among the dead, raising concerns that the toll could increase as search operations continued.
Zelensky condemned the attack, saying Russian forces knew that residents who remained in the village gathered there weekly to receive humanitarian assistance. He described the bombing as further evidence that Moscow was not interested in de-escalation, despite recent cooperation between the two countries over civilian evacuations from the occupied city of Oleshky.
The Russian military has not publicly commented on the attack. The bombing comes amid continued fighting despite diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire and renewed international calls for an end to the war.
20-year-old pilot among nine killed in Florida private jet crash
A 20-year-old Brazilian pilot, Nathalia Filgueiras, was among nine people killed after a Learjet 60 crashed and exploded near West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday. Filgueiras, who reportedly obtained her pilot’s licence at 17, was one of two crew members aboard the aircraft travelling from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas.
The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said investigators were examining whether ice, turbulence or human error contributed to the crash. The crew had reported encountering ice and moderate turbulence shortly after take-off and requested permission to climb to 37,000 feet before issuing a mayday call less than 30 seconds later.
Air traffic control recordings captured a crew member declaring an emergency and reporting that the aircraft was descending at 20,000 feet per minute. The final cockpit transmission reportedly included the words, “we’re out of time”, before the aircraft struck a residential street and burst into flames.
Debris from the crash was scattered across nearby homes, businesses and sports fields, suggesting the aircraft may have broken apart before impact. One person on the ground sustained a leg injury, while investigators continue to examine the circumstances surrounding the crash.
Cyberattack disrupts supermarket freezers across seven European countries
Dozens of supermarkets across seven European countries have been hit by a cyberattack that disrupted refrigeration systems, forcing stores to discard potentially millions of euros worth of food. Around 40 Delhaize supermarkets in Belgium and Luxembourg were affected, alongside smaller numbers of stores in Sweden, Ireland, the Netherlands, Estonia and Finland.
Belgian refrigeration manufacturer Sabcobel said the affected units had been switched into defrost mode remotely, causing temperatures to rise and compromising frozen food supplies. The incident appears to follow a similar attack in October that affected hundreds of supermarkets in France and resulted in significant food losses.
Sabcobel chief executive Stephan Moelans said the company had worked overnight to disconnect affected refrigeration units from its network. He added that the vulnerability required physical modifications to the equipment rather than software updates alone, despite earlier efforts to strengthen security following the French incident.
The latest attack has renewed concerns about the vulnerability of internet-connected refrigeration systems used by supermarkets for remote maintenance and monitoring. Authorities have yet to identify those responsible, while US investigators are also examining refrigeration malfunctions reported at several American military bases in August for possible links to the incidents.
Iran said diplomatic contacts with the United States over ending their eight-month war were continuing after several days of negotiations involving Qatari mediators ended without a breakthrough. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Tehran had presented its conditions and proposals, adding that progress would depend on Washington’s willingness to engage politically.
Araqchi said consultations through mediators remained intensive, suggesting that diplomatic channels had not been closed despite the absence of an agreement. The latest discussions produced revised proposals but failed to resolve key differences between the two countries.
The negotiations have taken place amid concerns that military hostilities could resume after Tuesday’s US midterm elections. China and Russia both spoke against the prospect of renewed military action, as the conflict continues to weigh on the global economy.
Oil prices fell nearly 4 per cent on Monday on hopes that mediation could produce a diplomatic settlement. However, Iranian sources told Reuters they considered another US attack more likely than an agreement, highlighting the uncertainty surrounding efforts to end the conflict.
Britain has exempted hundreds of thousands of care workers from plans to extend the waiting period for immigrants seeking permanent residency, following opposition from unions and members of the governing Labour Party. The revised policy, announced on Monday, retains tougher immigration requirements but removes care workers from the proposed extension.
The government had initially proposed increasing the qualifying period for permanent residence from five years to between 10 and 15 years for lower-skilled workers. Under the revised arrangements, care workers will be exempt, while refugees who entered Britain illegally by boat could face additional penalties and waiting periods lasting decades.
The government said the reforms would reduce by 500,000 the number of migrants who arrived in the country since 2021 and would qualify for permanent residence by 2030. However, about 1.4 million people would still be eligible within that period under the revised rules.
The changes follow criticism that the proposed restrictions would disproportionately affect low-paid workers in the care sector, which has struggled with staff shortages. The government is seeking to tighten immigration rules following increased arrivals after Brexit and changes to policies that previously attracted healthcare workers and international students.
Explosion at Cameroon steel plant kills four, injures 16
At least four people were killed and 16 others severely burned after an explosion triggered a fire at an iron smelting plant in Douala, Cameroon’s commercial capital, on Monday. Littoral Region Governor Samuel Dieudonne Ivaha Diboua said the blast occurred in the morning, prompting an emergency response from an army rescue unit.
Manufacturing and trading company Metafrique Steel confirmed that its facilities at Bassa Industrial Park were affected by the incident. The company described the explosion as an incident caused by an external factor but said the circumstances surrounding it remained under investigation.
Rescue teams recovered four bodies from the facility, while the 16 injured workers were taken to Douala General Hospital for treatment. Diboua warned that the severity of their burns meant their conditions remained a concern.
Authorities have yet to establish the cause of the explosion or determine the full extent of the damage. The incident raises fresh concerns about industrial safety at manufacturing facilities in the country’s commercial hub.
US to suspend South Africa, Rwanda from AGOA trade programme
The United States plans to suspend South Africa and Rwanda from its African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) trade programme from January 1, 2027, citing concerns over human rights, corruption and threats to American interests. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer notified Congress of the decision on Monday.
The suspension could affect exports from both countries, including South African automotive components and wine, as well as Rwandan coffee. Established in 2000, AGOA provides eligible sub-Saharan African countries with duty-free access to the US market for thousands of products.
Greer said President Donald Trump had determined that the two governments were engaging in practices inconsistent with the programme’s eligibility requirements. The administration has repeatedly criticised South Africa, accusing its government of persecuting white South Africans, an allegation Pretoria has rejected.
The decision represents another setback for US-South Africa relations and raises concerns about the future of preferential trade arrangements between Washington and African economies. AGOA has been a central pillar of US economic engagement with sub-Saharan Africa for more than two decades.
Uganda begins troop withdrawal from Somalia after nearly two decades
Uganda has begun withdrawing troops from Somalia as part of a phased military drawdown expected to end its nearly two-decade deployment supporting the country’s fight against al-Shabaab militants. The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) said on Monday that the first group of soldiers deployed under a bilateral arrangement with Mogadishu had returned home.
Uganda has approximately 4,500 troops serving in Somalia under the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), alongside forces deployed through a separate bilateral agreement. Military spokesperson Chris Magezi said the withdrawal would initially cover troops under the bilateral arrangement before extending to those serving under the African Union mission.
The UPDF said it would gradually withdraw all its forces by the end of 2027. However, an October 31 letter from AUSSOM to the United Nations Support Office in Somalia warned that the drawdown could leave parts of the Lower Shabelle region vulnerable to attacks by al-Shabaab.
Ali Omar, Somali State Minister for Foreign Affairs said a sudden withdrawal could create security problems, although he maintained that the situation was not yet critical. Al-Shabaab has waged an insurgency against Somalia’s government for nearly two decades, seeking to overthrow the authorities and impose its strict interpretation of Islamic law.
Libya’s eastern parliament appoints Fawzi Abu Khazam as central bank governor
Libya’s eastern-based parliament has voted to appoint Fawzi Abu Khazam as governor of the Central Bank of Libya following the resignation of incumbent Naji Issa. The decision, taken during a parliamentary session in the southern city of Sebha on Monday, risks reopening disagreements over control of the country’s financial institution.
Abdullah Bliheg, the Parliament spokesperson said 78 of the 90 lawmakers present supported Abu Khazam’s appointment and accepted Issa’s resignation. The Tripoli-based High Council of State, the rival legislative body in western Libya, had yet to comment on the decision.
Issa assumed office in 2024 after an agreement between the two legislative chambers ended a dispute over the central bank’s leadership that had resulted in the removal of the previous governor. He submitted his resignation to both bodies in August but did not publicly explain his reasons.
Libya has remained divided between rival eastern and western administrations since the 2011 uprising that toppled Muammar Gaddafi. The central bank has been a major source of political tension because of its control over the country’s oil revenues and public finances, making agreement between the rival authorities crucial to its stability.
Man found guilty of stealing $580,000 from South African president’s farm
A South African court has found Imanuwela David guilty of stealing more than $500,000 from a farm owned by President Cyril Ramaphosa, in a case that triggered a political scandal and threatened the president’s position. David was convicted on Monday of theft and conspiracy to commit housebreaking with intent to steal at the Phala Phala farm in Limpopo province.
The court also found Froliana Joseph, a cleaner at the property, guilty of conspiracy to commit housebreaking, while her brother, Ndilinasho Joseph, was acquitted of all charges. David was accused of breaking into the cattle farm in February 2020 and stealing $580,000 in cash hidden inside a sofa.
During the trial, David claimed he had accumulated the money through business dealings involving diamonds and Bitcoin, but the court rejected his explanation. It found that he was the only one of the two convicted individuals who had deposited any of the stolen money into his bank account.
The theft became known as the Phala Phala or Farmgate scandal and prompted allegations that Ramaphosa had concealed the theft and mishandled the investigation.
The president has denied wrongdoing, while the case fuelled calls for his impeachment and intensified political scrutiny of his administration. Sentencing proceedings for David are scheduled for November 13.
Faith Omoboye is a foreign affairs correspondent with background in History and International relations. Her work focuses on African politics, diplomacy, and global governance.
