France accuses Iran of supermarket cyber-attacks
France has accused Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of carrying out cyber-attacks that disrupted refrigeration systems in hundreds of supermarkets across the country last month, destroying tonnes of chilled and frozen food.
Jean-Noël Barrot, France’s foreign minister, described the incident as an unprecedented act of sabotage and said those responsible would face sanctions. The government has summoned Iran’s ambassador in Paris to lodge a formal protest.
French prosecutors have opened an investigation into the head of Shahid Kaveh, a hacking group allegedly affiliated with the IRGC, and two of his deputies. Iranian media have dismissed the allegations as baseless, although Tehran has not issued an official response.
The attack occurred on October 11, when hackers reportedly gained control of software regulating supermarket refrigeration units. Similar incidents were later reported in other European countries, although authorities have not established whether they were connected.
Turkey factory explosion kills 17 worker
At least 17 workers have died and 12 others injured after an explosion at the Habas Demir Celik steel factory in Aliaga, near Turkey’s western port city of Izmir.
The explosion occurred around midday during scheduled maintenance work on an electric arc furnace. Izmir Governor Süleyman Elban said a crane carrying a replacement boiler collapsed, sending materials into a furnace and triggering the blast.
The explosion caused a major fire, with footage showing thick smoke rising from the industrial facility. Some eyewitnesses initially mistook the blast for an earthquake, while authorities said people might still be trapped beneath the rubble.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said investigations were under way, while search and rescue operations continued. At least five people have reportedly been arrested as authorities investigate the incident, which has renewed concerns over workplace safety in Turkey.
Krakow shooting suspect dies in hospital
A 24-year-old man suspected of killing six people in central Krakow and three members of his family has died in hospital, Polish police have said.
The suspect, identified by local media as Michal Oksinski, was shot by armed officers during a confrontation shortly after opening fire at the city’s Main Market Square on Saturday. Police said officers intervened within three minutes, preventing further casualties.
The six victims, comprising four women and two men, included four Polish nationals, a British citizen and an Austrian woman. Police later found the bodies of the suspect’s parents and younger sister at the family home.
Initial statements from officials suggested the attack may have been motivated by far-right ideology, but prosecutors said investigations into the suspect’s motive were continuing.
Polish media reported that he held a firearms permit and may have obtained the weapons from his family home.
Trump questions midterm election results after Republican losses
Donald Trump, US president, has questioned the integrity of last week’s midterm elections, casting doubt on results that handed Democrats control of both chambers of Congress despite previously saying he would accept the outcome.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump questioned whether the election was honest and criticised polling results without presenting evidence of fraud or irregularities. His comments followed sweeping Republican losses in contests across the country.
State and local election officials reported that voting had proceeded largely without problems. Charles Stewart III, a political scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said the reporting of results followed the usual patterns seen in previous elections.
Trump has repeatedly questioned the credibility of elections he has lost. He also told CBS News that Republicans would have won easily if he had been on the ballot, despite not contesting the midterm elections.
Republican congressman seeks impeachment of Hegseth
Thomas Massie, a Republican member of the US House of Representatives, has introduced articles of impeachment against Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, accusing him of violating the Constitution by conducting military operations in Iran without congressional authorisation.
Massie said Hegseth had engaged in hostilities for more than 90 days without approval from Congress and should be held accountable. He formally introduced the impeachment resolution on the House floor on Monday.
The move is unlikely to succeed while Republicans retain control of Congress until January. Massie said he wanted President Donald Trump to remove Hegseth before Democrats take control and potentially initiate their own impeachment proceedings.
Hegseth dismissed the threat, saying he was not concerned and would address the matter at a news conference on Tuesday. Massie, who lost his re-election bid earlier this year, has been a vocal critic of the administration’s war in Iran.
Nine Zimbabweans arrested over alleged recruitment to Ukraine war
Nine Zimbabwean nationals have been arrested in South Africa after allegedly attempting to leave the country to fight in the Russia-Ukraine war, police have said.
The suspects, aged between 20 and 26, were arrested in Johannesburg on Sunday evening while preparing to board flights. Five were detained at OR Tambo International Airport, while four others were arrested at a hotel in Bruma.
They have been charged under South Africa’s Regulation of Foreign Military Assistance Act, which prohibits citizens and residents from providing military assistance to foreign governments or organisations without authorisation. The suspects have appeared in court, although authorities have not disclosed their intended destination or which side they allegedly planned to join.
The arrests come amid growing concerns over the recruitment of Africans into the war. Ukrainian intelligence estimated earlier this year that more than 1,700 people from 36 African countries had been recruited to fight for Russia, with some reportedly deceived about the nature of their employment.
At least 39 die as migrant boat sinks off Senegal
At least 39 people have died after a boat carrying migrants towards Spain’s Canary Islands capsized off the coast of Senegal, according to the Senegalese Press Agency.
The wooden vessel sank between Dakar and the northern city of Saint-Louis. Senegal’s interior ministry said one person had been rescued, while the number of people still missing remained unclear as search operations continued.
Rescue teams recovered several bodies along a 25-kilometre stretch of coastline, with strong ocean currents complicating the operation. Saliou Diouf, founder of migrant support group Boza Fii, said the bodies recovered by Sunday evening were Senegalese, while the nationalities of other passengers had not been established.
The disaster highlights the dangers of the Atlantic migration route to the Canary Islands. Walking Borders, a Spanish migrant rights organisation, recorded 635 deaths along the route between January and May 2026, the highest toll among the migration routes it monitors.
Kenya seizes methamphetamine worth $27m
Kenyan police have seized 454 kilogrammes of methamphetamine valued at an estimated $27 million in an operation targeting international drug trafficking networks.
Three suspects, comprising two Tanzanians and a Ugandan, were arrested along Kenya’s coast following an intelligence-led operation involving Kenyan anti-narcotics officers and Tanzanian authorities. Police said the investigation followed the arrest of a key suspect in Tanzania last week.
The suspect reportedly led officers to a location in Msambweni, where the drugs were discovered. Authorities also seized two vehicles and a motorcycle, while further arrests brought the total number of suspects detained across Kenya and Tanzania to seven.
Aretas Lyimo, head of Tanzania’s Drug Control and Enforcement Authority, said preliminary investigations suggested the network operated across several countries, including Afghanistan, South Africa, Mozambique, Zambia, Malawi, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. The four suspects arrested in Kenya remain in custody as investigations continue.
Sudan army detains former ruling party chief wanted by ICC
Sudan’s army has detained Ahmed Haroun, a former senior official under ousted president Omar al-Bashir who is wanted by the International Criminal Court over alleged war crimes and genocide in Darfur.
Two officials from Haroun’s former ruling National Congress Party confirmed his arrest, although the army has not explained why it moved against the politician, who had remained in hiding for years. There was no immediate response from the military or the ICC.
Haroun is accused of involvement in atrocities committed in Darfur in the early 2000s, charges he has dismissed as politically motivated. He currently chairs the National Congress Party, which governed Sudan during Bashir’s rule.
His detention comes as Sudan remains engulfed in a civil war between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. In a televised interview on Saturday, Haroun said his party and the military were united in their opposition to the RSF, despite not being politically aligned.
South African voters weaken ANC grip as coalition politics expand
South Africa’s African National Congress (ANC) has suffered its worst local election result since the end of apartheid, accelerating the country’s shift towards coalition politics and weakening the party’s longstanding dominance.
The ANC secured less than a third of the vote in the November 4 elections, reflecting public frustration over corruption, poor service delivery and the rising cost of living. The result marks a significant setback for the party that led South Africa’s transition from apartheid under Nelson Mandela.
The election has strengthened opposition parties and increased political fragmentation, with negotiations expected to begin over coalition arrangements in municipalities. Analysts say the outcome reflects voters placing greater emphasis on government performance than historical loyalty to the ANC.
The results could also shape the party’s 2027 leadership contest, when President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to step aside as ANC leader. The balance of power within the party may depend on which faction can present a credible strategy for rebuilding electoral support ahead of the 2029 national elections.
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Faith Omoboye is a foreign affairs correspondent with background in History and International relations. Her work focuses on African politics, diplomacy, and global governance.
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