Deepfakes, bots and distrust: How AI is shaping Israel’s election

Inquirer.net - Oct 20, 2026

In a 19-second clip posted to X, Gadi Eisenkot, a candidate for prime minister, stands with his arms outstretched and a huge smile on his face. In slow motion, he runs through a meadow toward a person who resembles his son, wearing a shirt with the words “Israeli Unity.” But Eisenkot sails past him and instead

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What's behind Egypt's move towards possible military involvement in Saudi-Yemen conflict?

Oct 20, 2026

What's behind Egypt's move towards possible military involvement in Saudi-Yemen conflict?

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Kenyan starvation cult leader convicted in deaths of nearly 200 children

Oct 20, 2026

Kenyan starvation cult leader convicted in deaths of nearly 200 children

MOMBASA, Kenya — A Kenyan court on Monday found 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 and his co-accused will be given their sentence on November 6. He was arrested in 2023 after police received a tip-off, and weeks later authorities began uncovering bodies in shallow graves in the Shakahola Forest near the coast in southeastern Kenya. Prosecutors say Mackenzie and his Good News International Church organised a Christian doomsday sect in which they ordered followers to starve themselves and their children to death to go to heaven before the world ended. Mackenzie denied murder charges, saying he did not force the victims to starve, but the court rejected that argument. In total, more than 400 bodies have been recovered from the Shakahola Forest. Many were severely decomposed, with only 26 bodies able to be identified. Monday's judgment covered 191 deaths while investigations into the other deaths are ongoing. Families in court t

France urges curfews in some areas after weekend of riots

Oct 20, 2026

France urges curfews in some areas after weekend of riots

PARIS — France's central government asked some local authorities to impose curfews as it faced pressure over security failings on Monday after a weekend of riots and looting stemming from nationwide anti-government protests. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu ruled out a blanket curfew in Paris but not a state of emergency. But he said it was more appropriate for now to apply partial and localised curfews, without providing details. "My determination to restore order is absolute," he told reporters. Ariel Weil, the Socialist mayor of central Paris, said on BFM TV he favoured a curfew. Marseille banned gatherings and demonstrations. French unions meanwhile called for a new round of strikes and rallies on November 5. The weekend of looting and violence between some protesters and police followed weeks of student demonstrations, rocking France six months ahead of its next presidential election and highlighting pressures from a weak economy and surging debt. Minister blames far left Lecornu blamed far-left groups for some of France's worst unrest in years. "There is, after all, a far-left move

Zelenskyy says Ukraine got no early warning from partners as Russia hits power grid again

Oct 20, 2026

Zelenskyy says Ukraine got no early warning from partners as Russia hits power grid again

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Governments warn citizens over security in France after riots

Oct 20, 2026

Governments warn citizens over security in France after riots

ROME/BERLIN/WARSAW — Governments in Europe and Asia, including China, on Monday advised citizens travelling to France to avoid large crowds and exercise caution, warning of a deterioration in security conditions after thousands were arrested and shops looted in protests over the weekend. Demonstrations across France over high prices and declining public services erupted into riots on Saturday, with a town hall torched as violent groups clashed with police. In response, the foreign ministries of several European countries issued fresh travel warnings. Italy Italy said its citizens should register their presence in France on a website or an app to enable them to be located, as it warned them to avoid large crowds and exercise extreme caution. Germany The German foreign ministry said further riots in the coming days couldn't be ruled out and urged German nationals to follow instructions from local police. It warned citizens that they could face fines or claims for damages if they failed to leave unauthorised demonstrations when asked to do so. Czech Republic Czechs in France are advised to av

Trump signals uncertainty about meeting N. Korean leader in China next month

Oct 20, 2026

Trump signals uncertainty about meeting N. Korean leader in China next month

WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday expressed uncertainty about the possibility of meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in China next month, saying he was not sure whether anyone had requested such a meeting. Trump made the remarks when asked by a reporter whether he expected to secure a meeting with Kim during his planned attendance at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in China, scheduled for November 18-19 in Shenzhen. "Oh, I don't know. I don't know," Trump said at the White House. "I'm not sure that anybody's asking for a meeting." The president nevertheless emphasized his personal ties with the North Korean leader. "I get along with him very well," Trump said. "But my relationship with Kim Jong-un is very good." In August, Trump said that he hoped to meet Kim later this year, adding to speculation that he might seek to rekindle his personal diplomacy with Kim that led to three bilateral in-person meetings: the first in Singapore in June 2018, the second in Hanoi in February 2019 and the third at the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom. Last Monday,

Trump says he is open to joining trilateral meeting with Xi, Putin

Oct 20, 2026

Trump says he is open to joining trilateral meeting with Xi, Putin

WASHINGTON —U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he is open to participating in a trilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin and that it could be focused on denuclearization. "We would have it to talk about nuclear weapons and denuclearization," Trump told reporters outside the White House. "If President Xi wants to have it, I'd have it." Earlier Monday, the Kremlin said that Putin, Trump and Xi 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.

Houthi rebels strike Yemen's government forces, killing at least 53

Oct 20, 2026

Houthi rebels strike Yemen's government forces, killing at least 53

CAIRO — Iran-backed Houthi rebels struck Yemeni government forces with ballistic missiles on Monday, killing at least 53 soldiers at a military camp in one of the deadliest attacks since a resurgence in fighting this summer, Yemeni military officials said. The attack wounded an additional 200 recruits at the military camp in the southern province of Shabwa, the provincial government there said. The rebels acknowledged targeting the camp. The fighting between the Houthis and Yemen’s Saudi-backed government forces is a widening front in the Iran war that began in February. The escalation shattered a 2022 ceasefire deal that largely stopped fighting in Yemen’s civil war. The Houthis have put their growing military capabilities on display on multiple fronts in recent weeks, repeatedly striking Saudi Arabia’s main international airport hundreds of miles (kilometers) away and seizing territory inside Yemen near a key shipping chokepoint. In a sign that the Houthi attacks are unsettling Saudi society, the kingdom on Monday canceled a global investment conference scheduled for next week

Netanyahu basks in Trump endorsement week before election

Oct 20, 2026

Netanyahu basks in Trump endorsement week before election

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Oct 20, 2026

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Oct 20, 2026

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US ties with Ukraine hit new low as Trump slights Zelenskyy and eases up on Russia

Oct 20, 2026

US ties with Ukraine hit new low as Trump slights Zelenskyy and eases up on Russia

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