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California to receive $6m settlement after 23andMe data breach

Millions of customers’ genetic and personal information exposed in 2023, including more than 855,000 Californians

California’s attorney general, Rob Bonta, on Monday announced the state will receive a $6m settlement payment in 23andMe’s bankruptcy, resolving California’s legal claims related to a 2023 data breach that exposed 6.9 million customers’ ⁠genetic and other ⁠personal information.

California had ​unsuccessfully tried to block the $305m sale of 23andMe assets to TTAM Research Institute, a non-profit controlled by the 23andMe ⁠co-founder Anne Wojcicki. The state had argued that the bankruptcy sale violated California’s Genetic Information Privacy Act, and it had said ⁠consumers did not give express consent to the sale.

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© Photograph: JHVEPhoto/Alamy

© Photograph: JHVEPhoto/Alamy

© Photograph: JHVEPhoto/Alamy

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Christiane Amanpour to leave CNN after four decades as Ellison era begins

CNN’s chief international anchor Christiane Amanpour will leave next year, after 43 years with the network, according to an internal memo seen by Reuters on Monday.

The news channel has recently come under the ownership of Skydance, whose Chief Executive Officer David Ellison has faced criticism over his stewardship of CBS News.

“After thinking carefully for several months … I’ve decided to separate from CNN, my partner of 43 fantastic years,” Amanpour said in a video statement, joking that it was “longer than many marriages”.

She added that her daily show on CNN would conclude at the end of this year, but that she would continue hosting ‘Amanpour’ once a week through to June 2027.

Thanking her TV crew and colleagues, Amanpour highlighted that it was the “teams and the camaraderie we built that counts so much”.

Amanpour, whose first major assignment was covering the first Gulf War, went on to report on conflicts in Bosnia, Rwanda, Afghanistan, Ukraine and Iran.

Skydance, formerly Paramount Skydance, completed its $110 billion takeover of Warner Bros Discovery earlier this month, bringing CNN and CBS News under one roof.

CNN chief Mark Thompson and CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss kept their roles, with both reporting to Ellison and co-CEO Ynon Kreiz.

Lawmakers have criticised Ellison for tailoring news coverage at CBS News to favour US President Donald Trump.

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Kenyan starvation cult leader guilty of murder of 190 children and one adult

Paul Mackenzie and his church set up sect that ordered followers to starve themselves and their children, say prosecutors

A Kenyan court has found the starvation cult leader Paul Mackenzie and about 30 others guilty of murder over the deaths of ⁠190 children and one adult in one of the world’s worst cult-related disasters in recent history.

Mackenzie was arrested in 2023 after police received a tipoff, and weeks later authorities began uncovering bodies in shallow graves in the Shakahola forest near the coast ⁠in south-eastern Kenya.

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© Photograph: EPA

© Photograph: EPA

© Photograph: EPA

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What does Alberta's referendum on separation from Canada mean?

Alberta is holding a non-binding referendum on Monday to ask residents if they want to remain part of Canada, marking the first time the oil-rich province has ever put the question of separation to the public.

Polls have consistently shown that most Albertans — around 70 per cent — want to stay in Canada, with roughly a quarter of residents supporting an independent Alberta.

What will residents be asked?

There are 10 questions, each with its own colour-coded ballot. The last ballot voters see is question 10, on whether Alberta should remain a Canadian province or start the legal process required to hold a binding referendum on separation.

A simple majority in favour of separation could trigger that process. There are nine other nonbinding questions about immigration, access to provincial services including education, social care and healthcare and voter identification requirements.

Supporters of Alberta separating from Canada hold a banner and flags during a rally in May. — AFP/File
Supporters of Alberta separating from Canada hold a banner and flags during a rally in May. — AFP/File

Why is Alberta having this referendum?

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said in May it was time to have a vote, understand the will of Albertans on this subject, and move on, when she announced the government would add a question on separation.

Smith’s decision followed months of campaigning by a small but vocal group of separatists, who argue Alberta’s energy wealth is subsidising poorer parts of the country and that bureaucracy in Ottawa has stifled the province’s economy.

Some members of the group had backed Smith’s candidacy for premier. Smith says she voted for Alberta to remain in Canada during advance polling, according to a video she posted on social media on Wednesday.

Have there been previous separatist referendums in Canada?

Yes, but not in Alberta. The majority French-speaking province of Quebec has had two referendums, in 1980 and 1995. Quebecers voted to remain in Canada both times, but by the slimmest of margins in 1995.

The separatist Parti Quebecois (PQ) won a provincial election earlier this month and has pledged to hold a third referendum, but only after US President Donald Trump has left office and if the party holds a majority.

The PQ was elected with a minority government on October 5, meaning it will rely on smaller parties to pass legislation.

Canada is a federation of 10 provinces and three territories. While Ottawa is responsible for matters of national interest, such as defence, trade and foreign policy, the provinces and territories hold significant power over medical care, education and land rights.

When will the results be known?

Polls are scheduled to close at 8pm on Monday (0200 GMT on Tuesday). Elections Alberta says it will count ballots by hand and that the question on separation will be counted first.

It will publish results on the Elections Alberta website as they are received, and unofficial results are expected within 48 hours after voting ends.

What happens if most Albertans vote to start the process of leaving Canada?

Smith has said she will respect the result and quickly begin the process to hold a legally binding referendum. But separation would not happen imminently. After the 1995 Quebec referendum, Canada’s Parliament passed the Clarity Act in 2000, which says talks about secession can only be triggered if there is a clear majority from the public, without specifying the necessary threshold.

The act also states provinces and territories have no unilateral right to leave Canada and that a constitutional amendment negotiated by provincial, territorial and federal governments is required.

A supporter of the pro-Canada group Forever Canadian participates in an event, one day before the non-binding referendum on separation from Canada, in Okotoks, Alberta, Canada on October 18, 2026. — Reuters
A supporter of the pro-Canada group Forever Canadian participates in an event, one day before the non-binding referendum on separation from Canada, in Okotoks, Alberta, Canada on October 18, 2026. — Reuters

First Nations groups have objected to the idea of an independent Alberta, as their land treaties with Canada predate Alberta’s entry into Confederation.

In May, an Alberta court judge ruled the province’s chief electoral officer was wrong to allow separatists to collect signatures requesting a referendum, because the process should have prompted a consultation with Indigenous peoples whose rights might be violated by separation. Alberta has appealed the decision.

What has PM Carney said about the referendum?

Carney, who was largely raised in Alberta, has previously said the best place for Alberta is in Canada and that the country cannot succeed if it’s divided. He released a video on Canadian Thanksgiving, October 12, saying national unity is critical as Canada fights threats from abroad, including a trade war with the US. Carney has campaigned for Alberta to remain in Canada.

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Kremlin says Putin, Trump and Xi could hold a three-way meeting in China next month

The Kremlin said on Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin, US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping could hold a three-way meeting on the sidelines of next month’s APEC summit in China and that a potential meeting had come up in talks.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov commented after being asked about a report in The Wall Street Journal which said that Putin had proposed such a meeting to discuss how to end the conflict in Ukraine.

“Given that all three heads of state may potentially take part in the summit in China, the subject of such a hypothetical meeting was indeed raised. It was raised, but no specific proposals or agreements were discussed or put forward by anyone, either regarding the meeting itself or the possible agenda and content of that meeting,” said Peskov.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha criticised the idea of such a summit.

“A trilateral meeting between the leaders of Ukraine, the US, and Russia could help end the war sooner. A trilateral meeting between the leaders of Russia, China, and the US would do only the opposite: encourage Putin to continue this war,” he said on X.

Peskov, who told reporters on a daily conference call that the US was continuing its mediation efforts to resolve the conflict and that Russia appreciated those efforts, said it was obvious that Ukraine would need to be involved in any final peace deal.

“Of course, a final settlement is impossible without the participation of someone in Kyiv who is prepared to take responsibility,” he said.

The last US-mediated peace talks took place in February before the United States and Israel launched a war on Iran. Ukraine and Russia remain as far apart as ever when it comes to the terms of any possible peace deal.

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'Was not sure I'll make it ​out alive': Captain of flydubai flight to Tel Aviv recalls blocking axe blows from co-pilot

The captain of a flydubai flight who was attacked by a co-pilot who intended to crash the plane has described blocking axe blows to the head and screaming for help as he reached for a knob to open the cockpit door.

Captain Smit Machchhar has been hailed as a hero for his role in averting disaster on the flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv last month, helping to thwart what the UAE attorney general has said was an attempted suicide attack by the co-pilot who intended to crash the plane into Ben Gurion Airport.

Speaking in an interview with The National newspaper from a hospital bed in Abu Dhabi, his head and left arm bandaged, Machchhar said that when the first blow landed, he thought something had gone “horribly wrong (with) the aircraft structure”, before quickly realising he was being attacked and things had “taken a drastic turn”.

“The next thought was I need to get help in here,” he said in the interview published on Saturday.

“My immediate action was to free myself from the seat belts and I tried to just block the blows as much as I could,” he said, pointing to his arm that was wounded as he defended himself. “The blows were coming on the head.

“Immediately my hand went to the knob which opens the door and screaming for my colleagues, screaming his name.

“I believe that was the first time when I lost my consciousness.”

The aircraft, flight FZ1073, was in Saudi airspace when the co-pilot attacked Machchhar with a crash axe, typically kept in the cockpit for emergency use.

The incident caused the airliner to plunge 16,000 feet (4,900 metres) in 30 seconds before the attacker was overwhelmed and two other pilots who were on board landed the aircraft safely in Saudi Arabia. The suspect, an Omani national, was transferred to the UAE, flydubai’s home country.

The plan was inspired by the Sept 11, 2001, attacks on the US, UAE public prosecutors say, as a result of their criminal investigation launched on October 1.

Machchhar said he heard the cockpit door opening and screaming “between my colleague and the guy”.

He said the scariest thing he felt was the aircraft nose “steeply going down”.

“I was not very sure that I’ll make it out alive from this. Did I give up? No.”

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Tensões voltam a crescer; França contabiliza custos de protestos

Logo Agência Brasil

Novos confrontos eclodiram em Paris neste domingo (18), um dia depois de a França ter vivido um dos piores dias de agitação dos últimos anos, com protestos contra os preços altos que deixaram um manifestante morto, milhares de pessoas presas e lojas saqueadas ou danificadas em todo o país.

Manifestações em todo o país se transformaram em tumultos no sábado, com uma prefeitura incendiada, lojas saqueadas e prédios cobertos de pichações, enquanto grupos violentos entraram em confronto com a polícia em cidades por todo o país.

Notícias relacionadas:

Um manifestante morreu após sofrer uma parada cardíaca durante os protestos em Paris. A polícia realizou mais de 2 mil prisões em toda a França, enquanto mais de 600 policiais ficaram feridos, informou o ministro do Interior.
 
Flames and smoke rise, during civil unrest, the day after a national day of demonstrations against the cost of living and rising fuel prices, in Paris, France, October 18, 2026. REUTERS/Abdul Saboor Flames and smoke rise, during civil unrest, the day after a national day of demonstrations against the cost of living and rising fuel prices, in Paris, France, October 18, 2026. REUTERS/Abdul Saboor
Chamas e fumaça nas ruas de Paris, durante protestos da população contra os custos de vida e a alta dos preços dos combustíveis - REUTERS/Abdul Saboor/Proibida reprodução

“Aqui parece uma zona de guerra”, disse o empresário holandês Tije De Boer, que havia vindo a Paris com seus filhos para visitar um amigo e afirmou que os protestos o forçaram a deixar seu hotel na Place de la République, um dos pontos mais conturbados no sábado (17).

A polícia voltou a lançar gás lacrimogêneo contra os manifestantes na Place de la République e bicicletas foram incendiadas na tarde de domingo, um sinal de que as tensões ainda não haviam se acalmado totalmente na capital.

Mais de meio milhão de pessoas participaram de marchas em dezenas de cidades no sábado, marcando a convergência de um movimento estudantil que já dura um mês com um descontentamento social mais amplo contra o aumento do custo de vida e o declínio dos serviços públicos.
 

A destroyed car near the Marianne statue at the Place de la Republique, with a yellow vest put on it, the day after clashes during a national day of demonstrations against the cost of living and rising fuel prices, in Paris, France, October 18, 2026. The back of the vest reads: 'In 1961 the police drowns Algerian women'. REUTERS/Abdul Saboor     TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY A destroyed car near the Marianne statue at the Place de la Republique, with a yellow vest put on it, the day after clashes during a national day of demonstrations against the cost of living and rising fuel prices, in Paris, France, October 18, 2026. The back of the vest reads: 'In 1961 the police drowns Algerian women'. REUTERS/Abdul Saboor     TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Carro incendiado perto da estátua de Marianne, na Place de la Rèpublique - REUTERS/Abdul Saboor/Proibida reprodução

O presidente Emmanuel Macron fará um pronunciamento à nação às 20h, horário local, no domingo, informou seu gabinete.

Os distúrbios de sábado revelaram a profunda raiva contra Macron, que deixará o cargo em 2027 após uma década no poder cada vez mais marcada pelo descontentamento social, uma economia fraca e uma dívida galopante.

O governo atribuiu a violência a grupos de extrema esquerda e ultra-esquerda, bem como a criminosos que, segundo o governo, instigaram os saques.

O líder da extrema direita francesa, Jordan Bardella, afirmou que a França havia sido “humilhada” e pediu que Macron renunciasse.

“Estamos pagando por décadas de negligência, perda de autoridade e pelo desarmamento moral, psicológico e material de nossas forças de segurança interna”, disse ele durante visita a uma delegacia de polícia em Paris.

Lojas danificadas
 

A demonstrator wearing a costume stands in front of burning flames, in Paris, France, October 18, 2026. REUTERS/Abdul Saboor A demonstrator wearing a costume stands in front of burning flames, in Paris, France, October 18, 2026. REUTERS/Abdul Saboor
Ruas comerciais foram tomadas por incêndios provocados pelos manifestantes - REUTERS/Abdul Saboor/Proibida reprodução

Enquanto centenas de milhares protestavam pacificamente, grupos marginais violentos atacaram prédios públicos, saquearam butiques de luxo e supermercados e atacaram veículos e policiais.

Uma operação maciça de limpeza teve início em cidades que vão de Lille, no norte, a Marselha, no sul, e de Estrasburgo, no leste, a Bordeaux, no sudoeste, onde uma multidão mascarada invadiu a residência do prefeito local.

O ministro do Interior, Laurent Nunez, afirmou que várias centenas de lojas foram danificadas no sábado.

Em Limoges, no sudoeste da França, o prefeito Guillaume Guerin denunciou o caos após a prefeitura da cidade, de 143 anos, ter sido incendiada e amplamente destruída em um ataque criminoso no sábado, o que gerou comparações com o incêndio de 2019 que devastou a Catedral de Notre-Dame, em Paris.

“Houve uma intenção clara e premeditada de incendiar a prefeitura, e as pessoas que estavam lá dentro temeram por suas vidas”, disse Guerin à Reuters. Ele ameaçou renunciar caso a cidade não recebesse os recursos necessários para reparar a prefeitura.
 

A firefighting truck next to the burnt and destroyed Limoges town hall, which was set ablaze and largely destroyed in an arson attack amid demonstrations against the cost of living and rising fuel prices, in Limoges, France, October 18, 2026. Picture taken by mobile phone. REUTERS/Clotaire Achi A firefighting truck next to the burnt and destroyed Limoges town hall, which was set ablaze and largely destroyed in an arson attack amid demonstrations against the cost of living and rising fuel prices, in Limoges, France, October 18, 2026. Picture taken by mobile phone. REUTERS/Clotaire Achi
Caminhão dos Bombeiros trabalha no rescaldo do incêndio ocorrido na noite de Sábado, na prefeitura de Limoges, na França - Reuters/Clotaire Achi/proibida reprodução

Eleições

Os distúrbios aumentaram a pressão sobre o presidente Macron e seu governo antes da eleição presidencial prevista para o próximo ano. O primeiro-ministro Sébastien Lecornu atribuiu os distúrbios à “extrema esquerda” e aos criminosos.

O ministro da Economia, Roland Lescure, prometeu apoio no domingo aos empresários que sofreram prejuízos. “Quem destruir coisas vai pagar, reparar os danos e ser responsabilizado por sua intenção de semear o caos”, disse Lescure em comunicado.

O prefeito de Bordeaux, Thomas Cazenave, disse que até 100 lojas foram saqueadas em sua cidade, enquanto o prefeito de Marselha, Benoit Payan, anunciou ajuda financeira de emergência para apoiar as empresas afetadas pela violência.

O presidente-executivo da rede francesa de varejo Carrefour, Alexandre Bompard, disse à emissora francesa BFMTV que 50 lojas da empresa foram danificadas, incluindo 20 que foram saqueadas, com prejuízos decorrentes dos danos chegando a dezenas de milhões de euros.

Os protestos começaram no mês passado devido às condições das escolas e à escassez de professores nos subúrbios da classe trabalhadora, antes de se transformarem em um movimento contra a desigualdade, os cortes nos gastos públicos e o aumento do custo de vida.

*Reportagem adicional de Natasa Bansagi, Janis Laizans, Abdul Saboor e Clotaire Achi

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Flydubai captain describes blocking axe blows as co-pilot attacked him

Capt Smit Machchhar said he screamed for help as he reached to open the cockpit door on flight FZ1073

The captain of a flydubai flight who was attacked by a co-pilot who intended to crash the plane has described ⁠blocking axe blows to his head and screaming for help as he reached to open the cockpit door.

Capt Smit ⁠Machchhar has been hailed ⁠as a ​hero for his role in averting disaster on the flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv last month, helping to thwart what the UAE ⁠attorney general has said was an attempted suicide attack by the co-pilot who had intended to crash the plane into Ben Gurion airport.

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© Photograph: Israel's Foreign Ministry/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Israel's Foreign Ministry/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Israel's Foreign Ministry/AFP/Getty Images

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Trump endorses Netanyahu in Israeli election

United States President Donald Trump on Sunday endorsed his ally Benjamin Netanyahu as the longtime Israeli prime minister struggles for an edge in next week’s parliamentary election.

Trump praised Netanyahu as a “great warrior prime minster” and peace partner, crediting him with joining the United States in launching strikes on Iran in February. The conflict, in its seventh month, has disrupted energy markets globally and wreaked havoc across the Middle East, damaging critical infrastructure and destabilising regional economies.

“Bibi Netanyahu has been Strong, Brave, and Brilliant in the face of tremendous opposition, including that coming from even Israel, itself,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

“Despite all of that, he has endured and, in fact, he has thrived! I have watched Bibi under the most trying of times. Normal men or women in such situations would have wilted under the pressure But Bibi did not wilt, he actually got stronger, and maintains that same Strength today.”

In his message, addressed to “the Great People of Israel”, Trump added, “Please let this Letter serve to represent my Complete and Total Endorsement of Bibi Netanyahu in his upcoming Race for Re-Election as Prime Minister of Israel.”

The Trump endorsement is not certain to give Netanyahu and his right-wing Likud party a boost in the Oct 27 national election, as Israeli public support for Trump has diminished amid Israeli-US disagreements over Iran.

Polls have suggested no candidate has a clear path to power. Israel’s prime minister is chosen through coalition-building in parliament rather than by direct popular vote.

It will be Israel’s first vote since the Hamas attack on Oct 7, 2023. Israel has launched an assault on Gaza and carried out strikes in Lebanon and Iran since.

The election could determine whether Netanyahu remains in power after one of the most consequential periods in Israel’s history, or is defeated by centrist rivals promising to usher in a new era.

Netanyahu promptly expressed his thanks to Trump on X, saying, “Together we will complete the mission!”

Trump has broken with longtime US tradition by endorsing candidates in elections in foreign countries, including Hungary, Colombia, Argentina, Japan and Honduras.

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Cairo vows support for Riyadh as 2 Saudi officers killed in helicopter crash near Yemen

Egypt is ready to provide Saudi Arabia with the support it needs to defend its security and stability, the presidency said on Sunday.

Earlier in the day, the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis said two officers were killed when their helicopter crashed near the Yemen border, after the rebel group claimed it shot the aircraft down.

The coalition blamed a “technical malfunction” for the helicopter crash, which inflicted its first military fatalities since the long-running conflict with the Houthis reignited in July.

The incident comes a week after strikes by the Houthis killed 13 people at Riyadh’s international airport, the deadliest attack in Saudi Arabia in more than a decade.

An AH-6i reconnaissance helicopter belonging to the Saudi Ministry of National Guard crashed “inside Saudi territory in Najran Region due to a technical malfunction”, coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki said, according to the official Saudi Press Agency.

“The accident resulted in the martyrdom of its aircrew, consisting of two officers.”

Late on Saturday, Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree claimed the group had “downed an Apache helicopter belonging to the Saudi enemy” in the same area.

Egypt ready to give ‘all necessary and possible forms of support’

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi had requested an urgent parliament session to authorise the military, one of the region’s largest and most powerful, to help defend Saudi Arabia if the kingdom requested its support.

“Egypt will provide Saudi Arabia with all necessary and possible forms of support to defend its security and stability, protect its resources, territorial integrity and Islamic holy sites,” the Egyptian presidency said in a statement on Sunday.

It followed a meeting of Egypt’s National Defence Council chaired by Sisi and attended by the parliamentary speaker, the prime minister and the army chief.

A parliamentary vote had been expected on authorising the request for military support on Sunday, but discussions were due to continue on Monday, two lawmakers and local media reports said.

Sisi said in a speech on Saturday that Egypt would act in accordance with guidance from Saudi King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who visited Sisi on Sept 15, after fighting in Yemen reignited.

Dar, Egypt FM condemn Houthi attacks

On the diplomatic front, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held a telephone conversation with Egypt’s FM Dr Badr Abdelatty, the Foreign Office (FO) said.

“The two leaders exchanged views on recent regional developments and strongly condemned the Houthi attacks against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, reaffirming their full solidarity with the Kingdom and support for its sovereignty, territorial integrity and security.”

They also discussed cooperation under the R-4 (Pakistan, Egypt, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia) framework and looked forward to the next meeting of the R-4 soon to further strengthen mutual ties and to coordinate on the regional issues, the statement added.

The foreign ministers of the four countries last met on Sept 21 in New York, where they had reaffirmed their support for Riyadh’s sovereignty and supported its right to self-defence.

Pakistan, which has signed two defence agreements with Riyadh, has repeatedly expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia.

The first one, the Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement (SMDA), was signed in Sept 2025, under which the two countries pledged that any attack on either nation would be treated as an act of aggression against both.

The two countries are also parties to the Makkah Defence Alliance, which also includes Turkiye. The pact was signed on August 7 and provides that an attack on one member state would be treated as an attack on all.

Yemen fighting

After an uneasy, four-year truce, Yemen’s conflict has surged back to life, with the Houthis declaring a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia in July.

The conflict intensified when Houthis captured territory around the Bab al-Mandeb strait, the Red Sea chokepoint and vital export route for Saudi oil since Iran blockaded the Gulf’s Strait of Hormuz.

The Houthis have also hit Saudi targets including tankers in the Red Sea, oil facilities and Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport.

On the other hand, the Saudi-led coalition backing the internationally recognised government has launched repeated air raids on Houthi territory.

The coalition said overnight that it intercepted two drones in the Riyadh area and a third over the oil-rich Eastern Province. Saudi authorities had earlier issued a threat alert in the capital.

Two ballistic missiles “launched by the terrorist Houthi militia towards Khamis Mushait” were intercepted in the kingdom’s south, the coalition added.

On Saturday, the Houthis reported that Saudi strikes killed 12 people in Yemen, including three children.

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Haaland double helps Manchester City win, Neto brace cheers Chelsea

Manchester City bounced back from their midweek setback in Europe to maintain their perfect Premier League start with Erling Haaland’s double propelling them to a 3-2 home win over Ipswich Town on Saturday.

Paris Saint-Germain inflicted a first meaningful defeat on Enzo Maresca’s side in the Champions League on Wednesday but City shrugged off a gallant Ipswich side to make it seven wins from seven to cement their place at the top of the table.

Chelsea beat Everton 2-0 in Saturday’s early action thanks to Pedro Neto’s brace although the London club’s win was overshadowed by an injury to goalkeeper Emi Martinez.

Liverpool came from a goal down to beat Brentford 2-1 away although they were helped by the previously unbeaten hosts being reduced to 10 men shortly before halftime when Yehor Yarmolyuk was shown a straight red card for a head butt.

Victory lifted Liverpool above Brentford into fifth place with 12 points behind Chelsea in fourth on 13.

Fulham moved off the foot of the table with their first league win of the season — 1-0 at home to Hull City.

Dark clouds remain over the Etihad Stadium with Manchester City’s fate still unknown after they appealed a ruling that the club breached 114 Premier League financial rules.

City have always denied any wrongdoing.

But on the pitch it is very much business as usual, especially for Norwegian goal machine Haaland.

Phil Foden gave City a short-lived lead cancelled out by Daizen Maeda, but Haaland restored the home side’s advantage before halftime with a header from Mateo Kovacic’s cross.

Haaland then gave his side some breathing space with his second in the 69th minute, powering past Ipswich’s Abdoul Ouattara before a low finish into the corner.

He was denied a hat-trick by an offside decision and Ipswich got a lifeline when Zian Flemming tucked away a penalty in stoppage time but City bagged the points.

Feisty first half

Chelsea have had a knack of scoring early this season but were kept at bay by hosts Everton in a feisty and physical first half that produced five yellow cards.

However, Xabi Alonso’s visitors needed just 43 seconds after the restart to go 1-0 up when Jorrel Hato cut the ball back from the byline to find Neto who swept home.

Martinez’s clash of heads with Jarrad Branthwaite caused a lengthy stoppage with paramedics coming onto the pitch. The Argentina keeper was eventually strapped to a stretcher and taken off, leading to 11 minutes of stoppage time.

Chelsea goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez collides with Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite during their Premier League match at the Hill Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool on October 17, 2026.— Reuters
Chelsea goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez collides with Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite during their Premier League match at the Hill Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool on October 17, 2026.— Reuters

Chelsea doubled their lead in the 90th minute when Neto pounced on a loose ball after Jordan Henderson’s free kick was blocked by the wall, finding the bottom corner with a composed finish as Everton suffered their first defeat of the season.

“What we know is he (Martinez) left the stadium conscious and right now he is in the hospital doing precautionary tests,” Alonso said. “It was concussion but more than that I saw only one clip. Hopefully it won’t be too bad but we need to wait.”

Martinez’s knock gave 21-year-old keeper Mike Penders the chance to make his Premier League debut and he helped Chelsea keep a clean sheet in the league for the first time in 23 games.

“We need a clean sheet, to be honest. I think we did a very good game. Emi deserved this, Mike did as well,” Alonso added.

Liverpool deservedly fell behind at Brentford with Keane Lewis-Potter putting the hosts in front.

Brentford were good value for their lead but Yarmolyuk’s rush of blood to the head when he clashed with Jeremy Jacquet at a Liverpool corner changed the game.

After referee John Brooks was invited to check a VAR monitor he brandished the red card at Ukrainian Yarmolyuk who trudged off to applause from the home fans.

Liverpool huffed and puffed after the break but Victor Munoz finally levelled in the 62nd minute when he cut in to beat keeper Caoimhin Kelleher with a left-foot finish.

Liverpool’s Victor Munoz (R) shoots to score against Brentford during their Premier League match at the GTech Community Stadium in London on October 17, 2026.— Reuters
Liverpool’s Victor Munoz (R) shoots to score against Brentford during their Premier League match at the GTech Community Stadium in London on October 17, 2026.— Reuters

Alexander Isak won it for Andoni Iraola’s side eight minutes later with a clinical strike from Bradley Barcola’s assist.

Brentford ended with nine men after Vitaly Janelt got a second yellow card for a foul on substitute Rio Ngumoha.

Elsewhere, Alex Iwobi’s 33rd-minute strike for Fulham was enough to earn their new manager Alvaro Arbeloa a long-overdue league win and move Fulham up to 15th.

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Elon Musk agrees to settle lawsuits over 2024 election lottery

Trump-boosting billionaire was sued over promise to give away $1m per day to random signatories of petition

Elon Musk and his ⁠America Pac political action committee said recently that they agreed to settle two ⁠proposed class ⁠actions ​alleging the billionaire entrepreneur defrauded residents in closely contested states before the ⁠2024 US election by promising voters a lottery-style daily $1m giveaway.

The plaintiffs, Musk and America Pac ​told the ‌judge overseeing the two ‌related lawsuits in federal court in Austin, Texas, ‌on Thursday that they have reached settlements subject to court approval.

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© Photograph: Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP

© Photograph: Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP

© Photograph: Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP

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India's 'cockroach' movement founder released from police custody

India’s Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke was released from detention on Saturday, a day after he was detained during a police crackdown on protests against the election authority.

Dipke, 31, was detained on Friday in New Delhi as he headed to join a rally that the CJP protest movement had called in the capital’s central Connaught Place district. He was arrested to prevent a breach of the peace, broadcasters NDTV and ​India Today reported.

He walked out of a police station on Saturday afternoon, waving to the media and giving a thumbs up as he was driven away, an AFP photographer saw.

“Abhijeet Dipke released,” CJP legal affairs chief Ratna Singh said on social media.

Opposition parties and CJP activists have defied a security crackdown, rallying to demand the resignation of India’s Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar after accusing the poll body of manipulating voter rolls to benefit Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling party.

More than 130 million voters were deleted ​during the revision. The Election Commission has denied favouring any party and said wrongly deleted voters can re-enrol. The BJP has accused rivals of trying to undermine democracy by wrongly questioning legitimate electoral processes.

Student activist Neha ​Bora, a prominent face of the protests, who was also detained on Friday as she ​tried to reach central Delhi with dozens of supporters, was released earlier on Saturday as well.

“Please, spare the people of India. ‌Impeach ⁠Gyanesh Kumar and halt SIR (special intensive revision), so that the ordinary citizens of this country can breathe a sigh of relief, feel at ease, and have their voting rights ensured,” Bora told ANI news agency after she was released.

Two other senior CJP leaders, Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das, were arrested on Oct 14 after entering Jantar Mantar, a decades-old protest site that police have declared off-limits for demonstrations. They remain in custody.

Members of Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party have long alleged that large numbers of undocumented Muslim migrants from neighbouring Bangladesh have fraudulently entered India’s electoral rolls.

Rights groups and critics, however, say Modi’s government has eroded democratic freedoms during more than a decade in power, citing pressure on journalists, civil society groups and political opponents — allegations the government rejects.

A weeks-long sit-in by supporters of the movement earlier this year forced then-education minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation over ​exam paper leaks.

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