AU suspends Madagascar as military leader to be sworn in as president
Colonel Randrianirina set to assume presidency in Madagascar after President Andry Rajoelina removed. By News Agencies Published On 15 Oct 202515 Oct 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Military leader Colonel Michael Randrianirina will be sworn in as Madagascar’s transitional president on Friday, the country’s new leadership has announced, as the African Union (AU) said it would suspend the country after a coup to remove President Andry Rajoelina. Randrianirina “will be sworn in as President of the Refoundation of the Republic of Madagascar during a solemn hearing of the High Constitutional Court” on October 17, said the statement, published on social media by a state television station on Thursday. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list Rajoelina, who was impeached by lawmakers after fleeing abroad during the weekend, has condemned the takeover and refused to step down despite youth-led demonstrations demanding his resignation and widespread defections in the security forces. Randrianirina led a rebellion that sided with the protesters and ousted Rajoelina on Tuesday in the sprawling country of about 30 million people off of Africa’s east coast. Since gaining independence from France in 1960, the country has had a history of coups and political crises. The latest military takeover capped weeks of protests against Rajoelina and his government, led by youth groups calling themselves “Gen Z Madagascar”. The protesters, who also included labour unions and civic groups, have demanded better government and job opportunities, echoing youth-led protests elsewhere in the world. Among other things, the Madagascar protesters have railed against chronic water and electricity outages, limited access to higher education, government corruption and poverty, which affects roughly three out of every four Madagascans, according to the World Bank. Although some suggest the military seized power on the backs of the civilian protesters, demonstrators cheered Randrianirina and other soldiers from his elite CAPSAT unit as they triumphantly rode through the streets of the capital Antananarivo on Tuesday. The colonel has promised elections in two years. Advertisement The takeover was “an awakening of the people. It was launched by the youth. And the military supported us”, said the protest leader, Safika, who only gave one name as has been typical with the demonstrators. “We must always be wary, but the current state of affairs gives us reason to be confident,” Safika told The Associated Press news agency. The protests reached a turning point Saturday when Randrianirina and soldiers from his unit sided with the demonstrators calling for the president to resign. Rajoelina said he fled to an undisclosed country because he feared for his life. Randrianirina had long been a vocal critic of Rajoelina’s administration and was reportedly imprisoned for several months in 2023 for plotting a coup. His swift takeover drew international concern. The African Union condemned the coup and announced the country’s suspension from the bloc. The United Nations said they were “deeply concerned by the unconstitutional change of power”. Adblock test (Why?)
YouTube says it has restored service after global streaming disruptions
YouTube users reported problems streaming content and accessing the app for about 60 minutes before the company resolved the issue. Published On 16 Oct 202516 Oct 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share YouTube says it has resolved problems with its website and app after hundreds of thousands of users worldwide self-reported issues with its streaming services. “This issue has been fixed – you should now be able to play videos on YouTube, YouTube Music, and YouTube TV!” YouTube wrote on X on Thursday morning in Asia. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list YouTube did not disclose why users reported problems streaming videos for about 60 minutes on Thursday morning, or the global extent of the problem. Disruptions began just before 7am in East Asia (23:00 GMT, Wednesday) for YouTube, YouTube Music and YouTube TV, according to Downdetector, a website that aggregates website disruptions in real time. Users from Asia to Europe and North America soon reported problems streaming, accessing the website, and using the apps of YouTube and its affiliates, though error reports were most heavily concentrated in the US, according to Downdetector’s user-generated error map. Major disruptions were also reported in Japan, Brazil and the United Kingdom, although the extent of the problem is unknown because Downdetector data is based on user-submitted reports and social media. The number of error reports peaked at 393,038 reports in the US at 7:57am (23:57 GMT) before falling off sharply, according to Downdetector data. Downdetector reported a smaller number of disruptions for YouTube Music and YouTube TV, which both peaked at fewer than 5,000 error reports in the US over the same period of time. Adblock test (Why?)
LIVE: Gaza ceasefire fears as Israel demands return of all captives’ bodies
blinking-dotLive updatesLive updates, Israel continues to restrict aid entering Gaza, saying Hamas has not met its end of deal to release all bodies of captives. Published On 16 Oct 202516 Oct 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Adblock test (Why?)
After ‘military coup’, Madagascar faces uncertain future
NewsFeed Uncertainty looms in Madagascar as military leader Michael Randrianirina is expected to take charge of the country, following weeks of anti-government protests led by Gen Z groups. Al Jazeera’s Fahmida Miller looks at what this could mean for the nation’s future. Published On 15 Oct 202515 Oct 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Adblock test (Why?)
What do we know about the Trump plan to disarm Hamas?
NewsFeed US President Donald Trump says Hamas may need to be disarmed ‘violently’ as part of the Gaza peace plan. Hamas has so far not agreed publicly to give up its weapons. Soraya Lennie looks at the key questions over how the process is supposed to work. Published On 15 Oct 202515 Oct 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Adblock test (Why?)
House filmed floating to sea after Typhoon Halong hits Alaska’s coast
NewsFeed A house was filmed floating away off Alaska’s coast after Typhoon Halong made landfall over the weekend, killing one person and leaving two missing. More than 1,300 people have been displaced by the storm, with residents saying they witnessed around 20 homes floating out to sea. Published On 15 Oct 202515 Oct 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Adblock test (Why?)
FIFA World Cup 2026: The best pictures from the latest qualified teams
The latest round of qualifiers around the globe for the FIFA World Cup 2026 has seen the number of entrants rise to 28. Published On 14 Oct 202514 Oct 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at some of the best photos from the nations that confirmed their qualification on Wednesday for the FIFA World Cup 2026. Qatar’s defender Assim Madibo, left, drops to the floor to celebrate with Qatar’s Spanish coach Julian Lopetegui after the FIFA World Cup 2026 Asian qualifier football match against the UAE [Karim Jaafar/AFP] Qatar’s players celebrate at the full-time whistle against UAE as they reached a World Cup final for the first time through the qualification route [Karim Jaafar/AFP] Qatar’s players celebrate their achievement with fans at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Doha [Karim Jaafar/AFP] South Africa fans celebrate after qualifying for the FIFA World Cup following their victory against Rwanda [Esa Alexander/Reuters] A South Africa fan holds a scarf with his national’s football team’s nickname, Bafana Bafana, on it [Esa Alexander/Reuters] Another South Africa fan made sure she dressed for a party as the team secured qualification for the 2026 finals [Esa Alexander/Reuters] South Africa’s Evidence Makgopa celebrates scoring their third goal against Rwanda with teammates, a strike that was enough to put one foot in the finals for Bafana Bafana [Esa Alexander/Reuters] England captain Harry Kane looks towards the fans after the team’s victory in the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier match in Latvia clinched their place at the 2026 finals [Carl Recine/Getty Images] Ivory Coast celebrate qualifying for the World Cup following their win against Kenya at Alassane Ouattara Stadium, Abidjan, Ivory Coast [Luc Gnago/Reuters] A sea of orange will descend on the 2026 finals when Ivory Coast fans travel to support their team [Luc Gnago/Reuters] Saudi Arabia’s sport minister, Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, celebrates after Saudi Arabia qualified for the FIFA World Cup following their victory against Iraq [Reuters] Saudi Arabia players celebrate after qualifying for the FIFA World Cup at King Abdullah Sport City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia [Reuters] Senegal’s Sadio Mane, left, celebrates with teammates after scoring his side’s first goal during their World Cup group B qualifying win against Mauritania [Misper Apawu/AP] Senegal’s supporters cheer during the World Cup group B qualifying match against Mauritania at the Stade Abdoulaye Wade in Dakar, Senegal [Misper Apawu/AP] A Senegal supporter supplies another example of the sights that will be on display at next year’s FIFA World Cup [Misper Apawu/AP] Adblock test (Why?)
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,329
Here are the key events from day 1,329 of Russia’s war on Ukraine. Published On 15 Oct 202515 Oct 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Here is how things stand on Wednesday, October 15, 2025: Fighting Russian forces launched powerful glide bombs and drones against Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, in overnight attacks, hitting the city’s main hospital, wounding seven people, and forcing the evacuation of 50 patients, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said. Russia’s Ministry of Defence said that its forces have taken control of the village of Balahan in the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine. A convoy of United Nations vehicles carrying aid supplies came under fire from Russian forces near the town of Bilozerka in the Kherson region, the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said, describing the attack as “utterly unacceptable”. There were no injuries in the attack on four UN trucks, two of which were set on fire by remote-controlled drones. Local authorities have ordered the evacuation of families from dozens of villages near the all-but-destroyed northeastern Ukrainian city of Kupiansk, citing the “worsening security situation”. Oleh Syniehubov, governor of Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region, said that a total of 409 families with 601 children were told to leave 27 localities. Another official in the affected area later told public broadcaster Suspilne that the list of localities to be evacuated by families had been expanded to 40. Russia will be able to deploy about 2 million military reservists to fight in Ukraine if needed under amendments to a law likely to be backed by the Russian parliament, according to reports. Power outages were reported in the Ukrainian capital and other regions late on Tuesday due to a network overload and the aftermath of Russian attacks, the Kyiv City State Administration said. Power was cut in three central Kyiv districts on the west bank of the Dnipro River running through the city. Ukrenergo, which operates Ukraine’s high-voltage lines, said that lingering problems from Russian attacks on the country’s energy system had triggered outages in regions across northern, central and southeastern Ukraine. Work is to begin this week to restore external power links to the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, which has been running on emergency diesel generators for three weeks. Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia’s permanent representative to international organisation based in Vienna, told the Russian state news agency RIA that it was “vital to agree on a local ceasefire in areas where the repair work is to be carried out”. Military aid Advertisement NATO defence ministers will meet on Wednesday to try to drum up more military support for Ukraine amid a sharp drop in deliveries of weapons and ammunition to the war-ravaged country in recent months. European military aid to Ukraine declined sharply this summer, despite a recent NATO initiative in which member countries bought US weapons and transferred them to Kyiv, the Kiel Institute for the World Economy said. The United Kingdom has delivered more than 85,000 military drones to Ukraine over the last six months, Secretary of State for Defence John Healey has said, according to the Press Association. German Federal Minister of Finance Lars Klingbeil said his country would continue to “financially secure Ukraine’s defence capabilities for the next few years”, while also working with the US to “massively increase pressure on [Russian President Vladimir] Putin to end his brutal war of aggression”. Politics and diplomacy Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stripped the mayor of the port city of Odesa, Gennadiy Trukhanov, of his Ukrainian citizenship after it was discovered he held Russian citizenship. Trukhanov could now face deportation. Trukhanov denied the claim, saying, “I am a citizen of Ukraine”, and said he would challenge the decision in Ukraine’s Supreme Court and, if necessary, the European Court of Human Rights. Zelenskyy said he would appoint a military administration to govern Odesa, citing unresolved security concerns. Ukraine prohibits dual citizenship with Russia, and Trukhanov has long faced allegations of holding both. A Kyiv government source told the AFP news agency that Ukrainian ballet dancer Sergei Polunin had also been stripped of citizenship. Polunin has been a vocal supporter of the Russian president. Pro-Kremlin politician Oleg Tsaryov, who survived an assassination attempt in 2023, was also among those who had their Ukrainian citizenship revoked, according to AFP. United States President Donald Trump said he was “very disappointed” with Russian leader Putin in advance of a planned visit by Zelenskyy to Washington, DC, later this week. “I don’t know why he continues with this war,” Trump said of Putin. Zelenskyy is set to meet Trump in Washington, DC, on Friday, where the two will discuss Ukraine’s air defence and long-range strike capabilities. Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said she was focusing on Russian attacks on her country’s energy grid in talks this week with US officials. Svyrydenko described the priorities of her visit to Washington, DC, as “energy, sanctions and the development of cooperation with the USA in new ways that can strengthen both our countries”. Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said it had opened a criminal case against exiled Russian businessman Mikhail Khodorkovsky and other prominent Kremlin critics, accusing them of plotting to violently seize power. The FSB said it was investigating all 22 members of the Russian Antiwar Committee – a group of Russian politicians, businesspeople, journalists, lawyers, artists and academics all based outside the country, who oppose Russia’s war on Ukraine. Regional security Advertisement Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs Radoslaw Sikorski warned that Europe must be prepared for Russia to strike deep into the region, calling it “irresponsible” not to build defences such as a “drone wall” on its eastern flank. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has accused China of undermining the international rules-based order through its increasingly aggressive policies in Asia and its support for Russia. Wadephul also criticised Russia, saying Moscow is testing NATO’s resolve, violating European Union and NATO airspace, spying on Germany’s critical infrastructure and seeking to influence public discourse with propaganda and disinformation. Trump
LIVE: Israel restricts aid into Gaza; Hamas releases bodies of 4 captives
blinking-dotLive updatesLive updates, Handover comes as Trump says Hamas must disarm or be disarmed, ‘perhaps violently’. Published On 15 Oct 202515 Oct 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Adblock test (Why?)
Russia strikes Kharkiv hospital, UN convoy as Ukraine seeks US Tomahawks
The latest attacks on civilians come days before talks in which Zelenskyy hopes to secure the long-range missiles from Trump. Russian forces have struck a hospital and a United Nations convoy in Ukraine, officials say, in attacks likely to bolster President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s pitch for long-range Tomahawk missiles when he meets his United States counterpart later this week. Officials said on Tuesday that overnight attacks involving drones and glide bombs struck a hospital in Kharkiv, injuring 57 people and forcing the evacuation of 50 patients. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list Meanwhile, Russian forces attacked a UN convoy that was delivering aid to the front-line town of Bilozerka in the partially occupied southern region of Kherson, UN and Ukrainian officials said. No casualties were reported. The attacks in Kharkiv and Kherson – condemned, respectively, by Zelenskyy as a “terrorist” attack and by the UN as a violation of international law – come days before a scheduled meeting between Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump in Washington, DC, on Friday when the pair is expected to discuss the potential supply of long-range, precision-strike Tomahawk missiles to Kyiv to allow it to hit back at Moscow. Trump has suggested in recent days that he was considering providing Kyiv with Tomahawks, which would be the longest-range missiles in Ukraine’s arsenal and could allow it to accurately strike targets deep inside Russia, including Moscow. Washington had previously ruled out supplying Ukraine with the cruise missiles, which the Kremlin has warned could have serious consequences and would entail direct US involvement in the conflict. Hospital attacked The overnight attacks on Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city, hit the city’s main hospital, Zelenskyy said in a post on X. Advertisement He described the strikes as an “utterly terrorist, cynical attack on a place where lives are saved”. A Russian attack caused injuries, evacuations and damage at a hospital in Kharkiv, Ukraine [Handout/Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP] He said the main targets of the overnight raids across the country had once again been energy facilities and power facilities in the Kherson and Sumy regions were hit. “Every day, every night, Russia strikes power plants, power lines, and our [natural] gas facilities,” Zelenskyy said on Telegram. For the past three years, Russia has started to target Ukraine’s power grid before each winter in a campaign to demoralise the population by leaving millions without power in freezing conditions. In response to the escalating attacks on Ukraine’s energy facilities, which forced outages across the country on Monday in a bid to reduce pressure on the grid, Zelenskyy has called on Ukraine’s allies to help blunt Russia’s long-range attacks by providing more air defence systems. Ukraine has dispatched a senior delegation to Washington to discuss boosting its defence and energy resilience, officials said on Monday. Attack on aid convoy Meanwhile, in Kherson, the UN said its convoy of four vehicles, clearly marked with World Food Programme branding, came under attack from Russian drones and artillery while delivering aid. Two trucks were damaged in the strike although no one was injured, said the UN’s humanitarian coordinator for Ukraine, Matthias Schmale. “Such attacks are utterly unacceptable. Aid workers are protected by international humanitarian law and should never be attacked,” he said. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called the strike “another brutal violation of international law, proving Russia’s utter disregard for civilian lives and its international obligations”. The UN’s sexual and reproductive health agency, UNFPA, told the AFP news agency that the convoy was carrying 800 individual packages “containing essential items for older persons, women and girls”. Aid groups have reported throughout the nearly four-year invasion that their staff and facilities have come under attack from Russian forces. Adblock test (Why?)