Lead Story
Gunmen kill seven at Greek Orthodox church in Jordan during funeral service
Gunmen opened fire outside a Greek Orthodox church in the village of Hamoud near Karak, about 110 miles south of Amman, on the evening of October 23 as mourners gathered for a funeral, killing at least seven people and wounding 34, according to Jordan's Public Security Directorate. Footage showed at least two attackers firing pistols before a third assailant armed with a semiautomatic rifle joined in; officials have not finalized how many gunmen took part, and no group had claimed responsibility by the next day. Jordan's interior minister called it a terrorist act carried out by a group of extremists, and a manhunt for the attackers was under way. King Abdullah II said on social media that Jordan would confront "the terrorist act that targeted Karak with the harshest penalties," and the government declared three days of national mourning.
Read more →Lead Story
Gunmen kill seven at Greek Orthodox church in Jordan during funeral service
Gunmen opened fire outside a Greek Orthodox church in the village of Hamoud near Karak, about 110 miles south of Amman, on the evening of October 23 as mourners gathered for a funeral, killing at least seven people and wounding 34, according to Jordan's Public Security Directorate. Footage showed at least two attackers firing pistols before a third assailant armed with a semiautomatic rifle joined in; officials have not finalized how many gunmen took part, and no group had claimed responsibility by the next day. Jordan's interior minister called it a terrorist act carried out by a group of extremists, and a manhunt for the attackers was under way. King Abdullah II said on social media that Jordan would confront "the terrorist act that targeted Karak with the harshest penalties," and the government declared three days of national mourning.
Brazil heads into knife-edge presidential runoff between Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro
Brazilians vote October 25 in a runoff between incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, seeking a fourth term, and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, son of the imprisoned former president Jair Bolsonaro, after neither won a majority in the October 4 first round. Flávio led that round with about 47 percent of the vote, and polling released in the campaign's final stretch has shown the two in a near-tied race, with one Datafolha survey putting Bolsonaro at 51 percent of valid votes to Lula's 49 percent. Lula's campaign has leaned on a Senate-passed cut to the working week from 44 to 40 hours and warnings about protecting Brazilian sovereignty from foreign interference, while Flávio has aligned himself with Donald Trump's politics, though Trump has not formally endorsed him. The winner, who takes office January 5, will lead Latin America's largest economy amid a deeply polarized electorate.
Read more →Brazil heads into knife-edge presidential runoff between Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro
Brazilians vote October 25 in a runoff between incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, seeking a fourth term, and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, son of the imprisoned former president Jair Bolsonaro, after neither won a majority in the October 4 first round. Flávio led that round with about 47 percent of the vote, and polling released in the campaign's final stretch has shown the two in a near-tied race, with one Datafolha survey putting Bolsonaro at 51 percent of valid votes to Lula's 49 percent. Lula's campaign has leaned on a Senate-passed cut to the working week from 44 to 40 hours and warnings about protecting Brazilian sovereignty from foreign interference, while Flávio has aligned himself with Donald Trump's politics, though Trump has not formally endorsed him. The winner, who takes office January 5, will lead Latin America's largest economy amid a deeply polarized electorate.
France's student-led protest movement keeps spreading as Macron's government struggles to respond
Weeks of protests that began at a single high school over dilapidated buildings and teacher shortages have grown into a nationwide movement, with unions estimating as many as 450,000 to 500,000 demonstrators and nearly 2,000 high schools blockaded or closed on recent protest days, while the interior ministry has given lower official counts. Clashes with riot police have produced mass arrests, including nearly 500 in a single day, and rights groups and unions have accused security forces of disproportionate force, prompting an internal police investigation. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has called repeated crisis meetings with the interior and education ministers and suspended high school classes in some areas, while President Macron's office has called the students' grievances "legitimate" but said the movement is being "exploited" by political forces. The unrest has become entangled with anger over a proposed 2027 budget seeking roughly 54 billion euros in savings, and some Gilets Jaunes protesters have since joined the demonstrations.
Read more →France's student-led protest movement keeps spreading as Macron's government struggles to respond
Weeks of protests that began at a single high school over dilapidated buildings and teacher shortages have grown into a nationwide movement, with unions estimating as many as 450,000 to 500,000 demonstrators and nearly 2,000 high schools blockaded or closed on recent protest days, while the interior ministry has given lower official counts. Clashes with riot police have produced mass arrests, including nearly 500 in a single day, and rights groups and unions have accused security forces of disproportionate force, prompting an internal police investigation. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has called repeated crisis meetings with the interior and education ministers and suspended high school classes in some areas, while President Macron's office has called the students' grievances "legitimate" but said the movement is being "exploited" by political forces. The unrest has become entangled with anger over a proposed 2027 budget seeking roughly 54 billion euros in savings, and some Gilets Jaunes protesters have since joined the demonstrations.
Ukraine presses ahead with independent satellite system as Starlink reliability issues persist
Ukraine is developing its own satellite communications network modeled on Starlink, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, as outages and capacity limits on SpaceX's service continue to disrupt Ukrainian military coordination. Zelenskyy said on October 17 that Starlink was still operating below full capacity in Ukraine, reviving calls for an alternative; reported early plans describe a first phase of roughly 120 satellites launched on SpaceX rockets starting in 2027, since Ukraine has no heavy-lift launch capability of its own. Zelenskyy has separately said Kyiv is developing a similar capability together with a European partner and has already begun testing it, and he has linked the push to concerns that China is sharing satellite technology with Russia. The Ukrainian leader has also pressed Washington to let Ukraine use Starlink for strikes on Russian territory and urged sanctions on firms tied to Russia's own satellite efforts.
Read more →Ukraine presses ahead with independent satellite system as Starlink reliability issues persist
Ukraine is developing its own satellite communications network modeled on Starlink, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, as outages and capacity limits on SpaceX's service continue to disrupt Ukrainian military coordination. Zelenskyy said on October 17 that Starlink was still operating below full capacity in Ukraine, reviving calls for an alternative; reported early plans describe a first phase of roughly 120 satellites launched on SpaceX rockets starting in 2027, since Ukraine has no heavy-lift launch capability of its own. Zelenskyy has separately said Kyiv is developing a similar capability together with a European partner and has already begun testing it, and he has linked the push to concerns that China is sharing satellite technology with Russia. The Ukrainian leader has also pressed Washington to let Ukraine use Starlink for strikes on Russian territory and urged sanctions on firms tied to Russia's own satellite efforts.
Serbia braces for knife-edge snap election pitting Vucic against student-led challengers
Serbia votes October 25 in an early parliamentary election that AP describes as too close to call between President-turned-prime-ministerial-candidate Aleksandar Vucic's Serbian Progressive Party and the youth-backed Students' List, the most serious challenge to Vucic's 14-year grip on power. The vote follows nearly two years of protests that began after a railway station canopy collapse killed 16 people in November 2024, a tragedy the student movement has blamed on government corruption and lax oversight. Vucic resigned the presidency in late September to lead his party's campaign and would become prime minister if it wins, while the students' final Belgrade rally this week drew tens of thousands of supporters. Observers have warned the race's uncertain outcome raises the risk of unrest if both sides claim victory once polls close.
Read more →Serbia braces for knife-edge snap election pitting Vucic against student-led challengers
Serbia votes October 25 in an early parliamentary election that AP describes as too close to call between President-turned-prime-ministerial-candidate Aleksandar Vucic's Serbian Progressive Party and the youth-backed Students' List, the most serious challenge to Vucic's 14-year grip on power. The vote follows nearly two years of protests that began after a railway station canopy collapse killed 16 people in November 2024, a tragedy the student movement has blamed on government corruption and lax oversight. Vucic resigned the presidency in late September to lead his party's campaign and would become prime minister if it wins, while the students' final Belgrade rally this week drew tens of thousands of supporters. Observers have warned the race's uncertain outcome raises the risk of unrest if both sides claim victory once polls close.