Zohran Mamdani, the front-runner in the race for mayor of New York City, was attacked by lawmakers from both parties over comments he made in a Fox News interview.
“I don’t really have opinions about the future of Hamas and Israel beyond the question of justice and safety and the fact that anything has to abide by international law,” Zohran Mamdani said in a Fox News interview.
State party leaders are expected to eliminate the charter of the Young Republicans group, allowing them to reconstitute the organization with new leaders.
Authorities say mourners gained access to restricted areas at the main airport
Operations have been suspended at Kenya's main airport after thousands of mourners turned out to receive the body of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, a day after he died in India.
Large crowds of mourners carrying twigs and palm branches breached security at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) immediately after the body of the former leader arrived on Thursday morning.
Authorities said mourners gained access to restricted areas, prompting a "precautionary closure" to allow security teams to restore order and ensure safety.
"Members of the public and travellers are advised to remain calm and avoid the airport area until further notice," the aviation agency said.
Reuters
A seven-day period of mourning has been declared
Because of the unexpectedly huge crowds, the public viewing ceremony for his body has been moved to Nairobi's Moi International Sports Centre, rather than inside Parliament.
The 80-year-old former prime minister collapsed during a morning walk in India on Wednesday morning and he was taken to Devamatha Hospital, about 50km (30 miles) east of the port city of Kochi.
The hospital said he had suffered a cardiac arrest, did not respond to resuscitation measures and was "declared dead at 09:52" local time (04:22 GMT).
Kenyan politicians and world leaders have been sending their condolences, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who described Odinga as a "towering statesman and a cherished friend of India".
Kenya's President William Ruto said the veteran politician was a "beacon of courage" and "father of our democracy".
A seven-day period of mourning has been declared. Odinga will also be accorded a state funeral with full military honours, Ruto said.
Odinga spent many years as an opposition leader, losing five presidential campaigns, most recently three years ago.
Getty Images/BBC
Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.
Ms. Machado’s efforts to reclaim a stolen election by any available means, including military intervention, has long galvanized her supporters. Her opponents say these hard-line policies have a political cost.
Christopher Berry (left) and Christopher Cash (right)
Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry were accused of collecting insider information about UK politics and government policy, and passing it to a Chinese intelligence agent, who then forwarded it to Cai Qi, one of the most senior politicians in China. Cai is often referred to as President Xi Jinping's right-hand man.
Both Mr Cash and Mr Berry completely denied the charge under Section 1 of the Official Secrets Act 1911. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) dropped the case against the pair last month after deciding the evidence did not show China was a threat to national security.
The two men met while teaching in China.
Mr Berry stayed behind, but Mr Cash, whose other love was politics, got a job in the House of Commons - first as a researcher and then as the director of the China Research Group, working closely with MPs like Tom Tugendhat, Alicia Kearns and Neil O'Brien.
In a statement released through his solicitor, Cash told the BBC: "I have, for a long time, been concerned by the influence of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in the United Kingdom and, prior to these false allegations, was working to inform Parliamentarians and the public about those risks."
Mr Cash and Mr Berry would talk and exchange messages between Westminster and China, according to the first of three witness statements by the deputy national security adviser Matt Collins to the CPS - released by the government on Wednesday.
For example, according to Mr Collins' statement, Mr Cash told Mr Berry in June 2022 that he thought Jeremy Hunt would pull out of the Tory leadership race.
In July 2022, he allegedly sent a voice note saying that Tugendhat would almost certainly get a job in Rishi Sunak's cabinet. Both these pieces of information ended up in reports that Mr Berry submitted to a man called "Alex", who the prosecution said was a Chinese intelligence agent.
In his statement, Mr Cash said he was aware "a small amount of the information" he was sending to Mr Berry was being passed on. But he thought Mr Berry was working for "a strategic advisory company" helping clients "invest in the UK".
Some of the information was not for passing on. In the note to Mr Berry about Hunt, Mr Cash wrote: "v v confidential (defo don't share with your new employer)". Despite that, it was included in one of Mr Berry's reports.
Council on Geostrategy
Christopher Cash (far right) in a meeting in the House of Commons with Alicia Kearns MP
Mr Cash and Mr Berry communicated using encrypted messaging apps.
Mr Collins' first statement says that, after one exchange in December 2022, Mr Berry told "Alex" that the Foreign Secretary James Cleverly did not think sanctions would be effective in blocking imports from Xinjiang, the province where there are human rights abuses of the Uyghur population.
There were also a series of exchanges about meetings between Tugendhat, Kearns and Taiwanese defence officials, according to Mr Collins.
All of these exchanges ended up in a series of reports that Mr Berry submitted to "Alex" with titles like "Taiwan-perception-within-parliament" and "Import_of_Products_of Forced_Labour_from Xinjiang".
Those reports then ended up with Cai Qi, and he seems to have been so pleased about the information that, in July 2022, Mr Berry met Cai. Mr Cash sent him a message saying: "You're in spy territory now."
According to Mr Berry, Cai asked "specific questions about each MP within the Conservative leadership election one-by-one", Mr Collins said in his statement.
Reuters
Cai Qi, seen waving, is sometimes referred to as President Xi's right-hand man
At times - according to Mr Collins - "Alex" "tasked" Mr Berry with collecting specific information. On one occasion, the turnaround time was just 13 hours, he said in his first statement.
But Mr Cash categorically denies knowingly spying for China.
"I routinely spoke [to] and shared information with Christopher Berry about Chinese and British Politics," he said in the statement given to BBC News last night.
"He was my friend and these were matters we were both passionately interested in. I believed him to be as critical and concerned about the Chinese Communist Party as I was.
"It was inconceivable to me that he would deliberately pass on any information to Chinese intelligence, even if that information was not sensitive."
Mr Cash said the information he gave Mr Berry was publicly available or "just political gossip that formed part of the everyday Westminster rumour mill".
Mr Cash said he had been "placed in an impossible position" by the release of Mr Collins' statements, that were "devoid of the context that would have been given at trial", where they would have been subject to a "root and branch challenge".
He insisted that the assessments "would not have withstood the scrutiny of a public trial".
Mr Berry has also denied the allegations, but has not released a detailed statement in response to Mr Collins' statements. BBC News has asked his solicitor for a further statement.
The controversial US and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has confirmed it suspended operations in Gaza after the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas came into effect on 10 October.
Despite being funded until November, the organisation said its final delivery was on Friday.
The GHF has been heavily criticised after hundreds of Palestinians were killed while collecting food near its distribution sites. Witnesses say most were killed by Israeli forces.
Israel has regularly denied that its troops fired on civilians at or near the sites and the GHF has maintained that aid distribution at its sites has been carried out "without incident".
The group's northernmost aid distribution site, known as SDS4, was shut down because it was no longer in IDF-controlled territory, said a spokesman.
Satellite imagery revealed it was dismantled shortly after the 10 October ceasefire came into effect. Images show tyre tracks, disturbed earth and detritus strewn across the former compound.
"Right now we're paused," the GHF spokesman said. "We feel like there's still a need, a surge for as much aid as possible. Our goal is to resume aid distribution."
Despite the group's apparent desire to continue there has been speculation the final terms of the ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel would exclude them.
Meanwhile, analysis of UN-supplied data shows little change in aid collected from crossings after the ceasefire deal came into effect last Friday.
The average amount of aid "collected" - defined by the UN as when it leaves an Israeli-controlled crossing - each day has increased slightly compared with the previous week, but it remains in line with September figures.
UN data shows about 20% of aid leaving a crossing has made it to its intended destination since 19 May. More than 7,000 aid trucks have been "intercepted" either "peacefully by hungry people or forcefully by armed actors", according to UN data.
Aid sources told the BBC they hoped looting would subside in coming weeks as law and order is re-established and the populace is given assurances the ceasefire would hold.
A spokesperson from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said while it was critical for the ceasefire to allow for an increase in aid and other essential supplies, it was important to reach vulnerable Gazans, including in areas that were inaccessible until recently.
OCHA has hundreds of community and household service points involved in distributing aid. It lost access to many, sometimes due to conflict and sometimes due to Israel denying it access.
"We need to re-establish our service points, we need looting to reduce, we need roads to be cleared of unexploded ordnance and we need safety assurances," the OCHA spokesperson said.
“Political opposition is not rebellion,” wrote a Seventh Circuit panel, rejecting an attempt by the Trump administration to remove an order by a trial court judge.
联合国教科文组织（UNESCO-Organisation des Nations unies pour l'éducation, la science et la culture）的总部位于法国首都巴黎第7区。现任总干事奥德蕾·阿祖莱夫人(Mme Audrey Azoulay)是一位摩洛哥裔法国人，曾在奥朗德总统（Président François Hollande）任内担任法兰西文化部长的职务。
-- 教科文组织总干事提名人选举是不记名投票 --
据介绍，联合国教科文组织执行局（Conseil exécutif de l'Unesco）于十天前2025年10月06日上周一，就下一届总干事的提名人进行了不记名投票。现年54岁的埃及候选人以55票对2票的绝对优势，战胜刚果共和国（Congo-Brazzaville）的候选人。
本台法广非洲组（RFI Afrique）报导说，赢得联合国教科文组织（UNESCO）新任总干事提名的埃及学家哈立德·阿纳尼曾先后领导过埃及文明国家博物馆（Musée national de la civilisation égyptienne）和开罗的埃及博物馆（Musée égyptien du Caire）。他在2016年至2022年是埃及的旅游和文物部长。
Egypte _Papier DESK 02 soir Nicolas 16.10.2025 jeudi minuit Afrique - UNESCO 2025 : Khaled El-Enany, ancien ministre égyptien élu le nouveau DG / 埃及学者赢得联合国教科文总干事提名人选举。
01:34
Egypte _Papier DESK 02 soir Nicolas 16.10.2025 jeudi minuit Afrique - UNESCO : Khaled El-Enany, ancien ministre égyptien élu le nouveau DG
Four people have been killed in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, after security forces fired shots and teargas to disperse huge crowds at a stadium where the body of opposition leader Raila Odinga was lying in state.
Odinga, a major figure in Kenyan politics for decades who was once a political prisoner and ran unsuccessfully for president five times, died on Wednesday aged 80 in India, where he had been receiving medical treatment.
With thousands of his supporters on the streets from early morning, chaos erupted when a huge crowd breached a gate at Nairobi’s main stadium, prompting soldiers to fire in the air, a Reuters witness said.
A police source told Reuters that two people were shot dead at the stadium. KTN News and Citizen TV later said the death toll had increased to four, with scores injured. After security forces fired shots, police used teargas to disperse thousands of mourners, the two broadcasters reported, leaving the stadium deserted.
Earlier in the day, thousands of mourners briefly stormed Nairobi’s international airport, interrupting a ceremony for president William Ruto and other officials to receive Odinga’s body with military honours. The incident prompted a two-hour suspension of airport operations.
Crowds also flooded nearby roads and tried to breach parliament, where the government had originally scheduled the public viewing.
Though mainly known as an opposition figure, Odinga became prime minister in 2008 and also struck a political pact with Ruto last year in a career marked by shifting alliances.
He commanded passionate devotion among supporters, especially in his Luo community based in western Kenya, many of whom believe he was denied the presidency by electoral fraud.
Many of Odinga’s mourners, who were not yet born in 1991 when Kenya became a multi-party democracy, paid tribute to Odinga’s efforts as an activist.
Felix Ambani Uneck, a university student, said at the stadium: “He fought tirelessly for multi-party democracy, and we are enjoying those freedoms today because of his struggle.”
Benjamin Netanyahu addressed a memorial ceremony at the Mount Herzl cemetery in Jerusalem
Israel's prime minister has told a memorial for victims of the Hamas-led attack on 7 October 2023 that he is "determined" to secure the return of the dead hostages still inside Gaza, and that the country will continue to fight terrorism with "full force".
Benjamin Netanyahu made the comments hours after Hamas returned the bodies of another two hostages but said it was not able to access the remaining 19.
Israel has responded to the delay by threatening to restrict the amount of aid flowing into Gaza.
Earlier on Thursday, the Israeli government confirmed that two bodies handed over by Hamas to the International Committee of the Red Cross on Wednesday night had been identified as Inbar Hayman and Sgt Maj Muhammad al-Atarash.
Their return, which was overseen by masked Hamas gunmen in Gaza City, took the number of dead hostages returned since Monday to nine out of 28.
All 20 living hostages were released on Monday, in exchange for 250 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails and 1,718 detainees from Gaza.
Hamas's military wing said on Wednesday that it would continue to search for the remaining bodies, but that it would require major efforts and specialist equipment.
On Thursday, Netanyahu addressed an official memorial ceremony at the Mount Herzl national cemetery in Jerusalem, two days after the Hebrew calendar anniversary of the 7 October attack.
The prime minister said he remained committed to securing the return of all the dead Israeli and foreign hostages, and reiterated his government's willingness to return to military action if Israel was attacked again.
He said: "Our fight against terrorism will continue with full force. We will not allow evil to raise its head. We will exact the full price from anyone who harms us."
The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the 7 October attack, in which Hamas-led gunmen killed about 1,200 people in southern Israel and took 251 others hostage.
At least 67,967 people have been killed by Israeli attacks in Gaza since then, according to the territory's health ministry, whose figures are seen by the UN as reliable.
Reuters
Israeli Bedouin soldier Sgt Maj Muhammad al-Atarash was buried on Thursday, a day after his body was returned by Hamas
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum in Israel said Netanyahu's government should "immediately halt the implementation" of the ceasefire deal until the 19 bodies were returned.
After Hamas said it was unable to retrieve all the bodies, two senior advisers to US President Donald Trump said preparations to move to the next phase of the ceasefire deal were continuing.
The advisers told reporters that the US government did not so far believe Hamas had broken the agreement by not retrieving more remains, and said the group had acted in good faith by sharing information with interlocutors.
While the full text of the agreement between Israel and Hamas has not been made public, a leaked version which appeared in Israeli media appeared to allow for the possibility that not all of the bodies would be immediately accessible.
One senior US adviser pointed to the level of destruction in Gaza as one reason the search might be slowed, and said rewards could be offered to civilians with information about the location of remains.
Hamas has complained to mediators that more than 20 people have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza since the ceasefire took effect on Friday.
Israel's military, which still controls more than half the territory, has said that it opens fire to remove threats to its troops.
There had been some reports that the Rafah crossing with Egypt would reopen on Thursday, having been shut since the Gaza side was seized by Israeli forces in May 2024.
The ceasefire deal specifies its reopening would be "subject to the same mechanism implemented" during a temporary ceasefire earlier this year, when wounded Palestinians were briefly allowed to pass through to receive medical treatment.
On Thursday, an official from Israeli military body Cogat said: "The date for the opening of the Rafah crossing for the movement of people only will be announced at a later stage, once the Israeli side, together with the Egyptian side, completes the necessary preparations."
The official also stressed that "aid will not pass through the Rafah crossing". Instead, they said, it would continue to enter Gaza through the nearby Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Israel and other crossings following Israeli security inspections.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the danger to Europe would not end when the Russian war in Ukraine was over
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has said a planned anti-drone system should be "fully operational by the end of 2027", as part of a drive to toughen defences against Russia and be fully prepared for possible conflict by 2030.
"Drones are already redefining warfare. Having drone defences is no longer optional for anyone," Kallas said, referring to Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine and fears that Moscow may attack the EU.
The "defence roadmap" by the European Commission also proposes strengthening the EU's eastern borders and creating European air and space "shields".
Several European countries have faced repeated incursions into their airspace and US President Donald Trump has urged the EU to do more to defend itself.
Several Western intelligence agencies have warned that Russia could continue its westward aggression after the war in Ukraine is over.
"Danger will not disappear even when the war in Ukraine ends. It is clear we need to toughen our defences against Russia," Kallas told reporters in Brussels.
Although there seems little chance of the war ending soon, Trump was due to speak to Russian President Vladimir Putin later on Thursday, ahead of talks with Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday.
Trump has indicated that if Putin does not not move to end the war, the US could send Ukraine long-range Tomahawk missiles.
Standing alongside Kallas, European Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius stressed that "our roadmap shows all the major milestones to achieve defence readiness by 2030, so we can deter Russian aggression, prevent war and preserve peace".
It also urged the bloc to "close critical capability gaps" - including in air and missile defence, and artillery systems - "through joint development and procurement".
Many EU countries are also members of Nato and its chief, Mark Rutte, said they were working together to protect member states on the eastern flank from aerial threat.
The EU stressed its "flagship" projects would be developed in "close co-ordination" with Nato, and would not duplicate the Western defensive alliance's work.
No estimates were given to the overall cost, but Kubilius said "we're not talking here about hundreds of billions".
Reuters
Several EU states have already backed plans for multi-layered drone defences
The "defence roadmap" still needs to be approved by member states at a leaders' summit next week.
However, a number of EU states have already backed plans for a multi-layered "drone wall" to quickly detect, then track and destroy Russian drones.
Russia, which launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, said its planes were on a "scheduled flight... in strict compliance with international airspace regulations and did not violate the borders of other states".
A number of European politicians and military experts have said that Russia's aim is to test Nato's capabilities and and try to sow discord within the alliance.
Several Nato members reacted to the reported Russian incursions by sending troops, artillery, and air defence systems to secure the alliance's eastern flank.
Authorities say mourners gained access to restricted areas at the main airport
Operations have been suspended at Kenya's main airport after thousands of mourners turned out to receive the body of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, a day after he died in India.
Large crowds of mourners carrying twigs and palm branches breached security at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) immediately after the body of the former leader arrived on Thursday morning.
Authorities said mourners gained access to restricted areas, prompting a "precautionary closure" to allow security teams to restore order and ensure safety.
"Members of the public and travellers are advised to remain calm and avoid the airport area until further notice," the aviation agency said.
Reuters
A seven-day period of mourning has been declared
Because of the unexpectedly huge crowds, the public viewing ceremony for his body has been moved to Nairobi's Moi International Sports Centre, rather than inside Parliament.
The 80-year-old former prime minister collapsed during a morning walk in India on Wednesday morning and he was taken to Devamatha Hospital, about 50km (30 miles) east of the port city of Kochi.
The hospital said he had suffered a cardiac arrest, did not respond to resuscitation measures and was "declared dead at 09:52" local time (04:22 GMT).
Kenyan politicians and world leaders have been sending their condolences, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who described Odinga as a "towering statesman and a cherished friend of India".
Kenya's President William Ruto said the veteran politician was a "beacon of courage" and "father of our democracy".
A seven-day period of mourning has been declared. Odinga will also be accorded a state funeral with full military honours, Ruto said.
Odinga spent many years as an opposition leader, losing five presidential campaigns, most recently three years ago.
Getty Images/BBC
Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.
A black bear in Iwate, northern Japan - one of two types of bear found in the country
The number of people killed by bears in Japan this year has reached a record high, the country's environment ministry has said.
Seven people have died since April - the highest since 2006 when data was first recorded - with fatalities mostly in north-eastern regions and the northern prefecture of Hokkaido.
A 60-year-old man cleaning an outdoor hot spring bath has gone missing what is suspected to be the latest incident.
Attacks by bears tend to surge in autumn before bears hibernate, with experts saying low yields of beech nuts because of climate change could be driving hungry animals into residential areas. Depopulation has also been cited as a factor.
iStock/Getty Images
A brown bear sighted at a house entrance in Hokkaido this year
The environmental ministry figures show the seven fatalities this year surpassed the five recorded in the year to April 2024.
About 100 other people have also been injured so far this year, up from 85 injuries and three fatalities, in the previous 12 months.
Investigators found human blood and bear fur at the scene of the latest suspected bear attack in the city of Kitakami in Iwate prefecture on Thursday.
It comes after it was confirmed that a man found dead last week in Iwate was killed by a bear.
Another recent incident took place in Numata, Gunma, north of Tokyo, when a 1.4m (4.5ft) adult bear entered a supermarket, lightly injuring two men, one in his 70s and another in his 60s.
The store is close to mountainous areas, but has never had bears come close before.
According to local media, the store's manager said about 30 to 40 customers were inside, and the bear became agitated as it struggled to find the exit.
The same day a farmer in Iwate region was scratched and bitten by a bear, accompanied by a cub, outside his house.
And earlier this month a Spanish tourist was attacked by a bear at a bus stop in the village of Shirakawa-go in central Japan.
Two types of bear are found in Japan - Asian black bears, and bigger brown bears which are found on the island of Hokkaido.
Greece's parliament has approved a contested labour bill that would allow 13-hour workdays, despite fierce opposition and nationwide strikes.
The government said it will modernise Greek labour laws, but a spokesperson for the left-wing opposition Syriza party called the bill a "legislative monstrosity".
Under the new law, annual overtime is also capped at 150 hours, and the standard 40-hour week remains in place.
The government insists that the longer workday is optional, only affects the private sector, and can only be applied up to 37 days a year.
Thursday's vote was backed by MPs from the ruling centre-right New Democracy party, with centre-left Pasok party - now the main opposition - voting against the bill, while the left-wing Syriza party abstained.
Unions have staged two general strikes demanding the bill's withdrawal this month that brought public transport and services to a standstill.
Labour Minister Niki Kerameus defended the bill, saying the reforms align Greek legislation with modern labour-market realities, and accused opposition leaders of misleading the public.
The laws will give workers the option to take on additional hours with the same employer for 40% higher pay, while ensuring they cannot be dismissed for refusing overtime.
This complies with European Union working-time rules, which limit the average week to 48 hours including overtime but allow flexibility over 12 months, the government said.
According to officials, the law gives employees the option to work longer for one employer rather than hold multiple part-time jobs, and that participation will remain voluntary.
But opposition parties have accused the government of eroding workers' rights and "pushing the country back to a labour middle age". They say Greek employees already work longer hours than most Europeans while earning less and still "struggle to make ends meet."
The public-sector union ADEDY said flexible working hours in practice mean "the abolition of the eight-hour day, the destruction of family and social life and the legalisation of over-exploitation," the AFP news agency reports.
New legislation, which came into effect at the start of July, allows employees to work up to 48 hours in a week as opposed to 40.
Across the EU in 2024, the longest working weeks in 2024 were recorded in Greece (39.8 hours), followed by Bulgaria (39.0), Poland (38.9) and Romania (38.8).
The shortest working week in the bloc is in the Netherlands (32.1), according to Eurostat.
As of January 2025, Greece's national minimum wage stood at €968 (£839, $1127) a month, placing it in the lower tier among EU countries.
Unemployment, which had peaked at 28% during the financial crisis, was 8.1% in August compared with an EU average of 5.9%, figures from Eurostat show.
Greece is recovering since its decade-long debt crisis, which ended in 2018, but wages and living standards remain among the lowest in the EU.
Democrats want guarantees that President Trump will not continue to claw back spending, ignoring any agreement they strike. But he has promised to keep defying Congress.
Representative Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic leader, and other lawmakers on Wednesday. He called the specter of more unilateral cuts by President Trump “another indication that Republicans are not operating in good faith.”
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