Albania's daily anti-government protests have taken a new turn, with demonstrators demanding Prime Minister Edi Rama's resignation, Le Monde reports. The protests have lasted four and a half months; Le Monde says the resignation demand is unprecedented in Albania since the fall of communist rule in 1991. The BBC reports that Tirana had seen months of protests by the Flamingo movement, but that protests beginning Tuesday were on a different scale. This follows earlier reports of student protests escalating and fires at government buildings.
The IMF chief had both optimism and worry after the annual meetings in Bangkok, The Straits Times reports. Finance ministers, central bank chiefs and other top officials attended; the BBC reports finance and business leaders grappled with uncertainty there this week, with China and AI identified in its headline as concerns for global finance bosses.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order waiving some Russia-related sanctions and tariffs days before they were due to take effect under a law, according to Hindustan Times. Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev called the move a historic moment. The Hindu says the Kremlin and Putin had not reacted, and reports that Putin said Moscow intends to seize the rest of eastern Ukraine.
A plan for an orbiting data centre involves linking satellites around Earth, according to BBC News. The BBC's other Tech Life listing provides no summary or further details.
A diary from Glenisla, Angus, describes a roughly 10-inch-wide hole in an old thatched roof, with toothmarks on the reed. The writer says the hole does not go all the way through and suggests the animal gave up after beginning an exploratory burrow.
U.S., Ukrainian and European negotiators are meeting in Miami, with the goal of agreeing on a proposal in the coming weeks to present to Russia in hopes of a breakthrough before winter, The Hindu reports. This follows reports that Russia said negotiations over the diesel deal were still underway after President Donald Trump announced it.
Russian strikes across Ukraine killed three people, The Hindu reports; in the Zaporizhzhia region, one man was killed and five wounded in morning strikes, according to regional military administration head Mykhailo Semikin. This follows earlier reports that Russian strikes killed at least nine people, while Ukraine reported intelligence and Starlink disruptions and the BBC published video of a block of flats destroyed in Russian strikes.
The BBC's papers roundup says the Daily Telegraph leads with reports that RAF jets had two close encounters with unidentified drones earlier this year.
The Trump administration warned California election officials Friday that they could face criminal investigation and prosecution for knowingly counting ballots cast by suspected noncitizens. The Straits Times reports that officials could be liable as abettors of a federal crime if they count mail ballots from more than 20,000 people the administration says are probably noncitizens. This follows the Justice Department's lawsuit seeking to block California from counting ballots from people it says may be noncitizens.
Police are seeking answers after a 16-year-old killed three children and a teacher at Silver Rail Elementary in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday, The Straits Times reports. The suspect was also killed; several later reports say an armed bystander or community member shot him, while early reports from Deutsche Welle said authorities had not confirmed who fired. The South China Morning Post and The Guardian report that two people were critically injured, and The Guardian says Bend schools would close Friday. The Globe and Mail reports that a vigil was held for the victims.
Investigative journalist Nicole Noren says ESPN sidelined investigations into sports betting companies as gambling partnerships reshaped the network’s priorities. The Guardian says Noren recently made herself the story after spending her career behind the scenes.
Canada beat England 24-21 in a WXV match in Toronto, ending the Red Roses’ 41-match unbeaten run. The Guardian reports it was England’s first defeat since the 2022 Women’s Rugby World Cup final. The BBC says Shoshanah Seumanutafa’s late try secured Canada’s victory.
Firefighters were battling fast-moving wildfires in Orange County as Santa Ana winds fanned the flames and thousands were ordered to evacuate, Al Jazeera reports. CBC and ABC News report that the fire burned at least six homes; ABC News also reports power outages. The New York Times reports that the Norte fire in Orange County grew quickly Friday afternoon, prompting officials to order thousands of residents to evacuate.
A new study says Antarctica’s Thwaites Glacier, known as the “Doomsday Glacier,” is melting faster than thought. Al Jazeera reports that the glacier has been losing ice for decades, with concerns that the loss is accelerating rapidly.
Al Jazeera reports that Croatian football fans were arrested over slurs chanted before and during Hajduk Split’s match against Ajax in Split. The outlet’s reports differ on the competition: its earlier article calls it a UEFA Europa League match, while its report on the arrests calls it a UEFA Conference League game. Euronews reports that Hajduk won 2-1, apologized to UEFA and Ajax, and that Croatia’s leaders and football federation condemned the incident.
In the third week of Abby Choi’s murder trial in Hong Kong, her partner Chris Tam Fong-chun testified that she initially misled him about her former in-laws’ wealth and hid their financial reliance on her; he later described them as horrible and ungrateful after a family dispute, the South China Morning Post reports. Earlier, the court heard testimony that Choi’s former father-in-law Kwong Kau failed to repay a HK$250,000 loan from her partner’s father and asked for help hiring lawyers after being remanded in custody.
A New Mexico judge dismissed the child sexual abuse charges against actor Timothy Busfield. The BBC reports that the judge said the prosecutor failed to act fairly and impartially, while The Guardian identifies the judge as Joseph Montano and says prosecutors could pursue new charges. Hindustan Times reports that the indictment over alleged sexual contact with children was dismissed.
Yemen’s Houthis claimed responsibility for Friday’s two-missile attack on Aden International Airport, saying they targeted a weapons depot and military command headquarters, France 24 reports. Reports differ on where the missiles landed: NDTV and ABC News say they struck the airport, while Middle East Eye, citing police, says they landed close by; The Hindu reports Yemen’s information minister said they fell about 500 metres from a Yemenia Airways plane preparing for takeoff. France 24 says Aden’s Security Department reported a flight bound for Cairo was preparing to depart. The reports came amid intensified fighting; Middle East Eye says government forces claimed to have neutralised more than 430 Houthi fighters in 24 hours, while Al Jazeera reports they claimed 430 and advances in Marib. This follows reports of Houthi missile strikes on Aden’s Maashiq Presidential Palace, where the death toll was disputed.
The Japan Times reports that an army of bots is inflating views of fictitious posts about celebrities and Democratic candidates ahead of the U.S. midterm elections. The New York Times reports that a campaign is using social media posts about U.S. support for Israel to sow discord ahead of the elections.
North Korea says it successfully tested a new underwater torpedo on Thursday to verify technological upgrades, according to the South China Morning Post, citing state news agency KCNA. KCNA said the system uses artificial intelligence for target detection and guidance, and that the test verified propulsion technology developed through more than 180 tests over five years. The Japan Times and Euronews report that the announcement followed submarine-launched cruise-missile tests; Euronews says those took place on Wednesday, while The Hindu says recent demonstrations included the country's first underwater-launched missile tests in nearly three years. This follows reports that North Korea tested cruise missiles designed to be fired from submarines.
