Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and senator Flavio Bolsonaro exchanged sharp accusations during their first televised debate on Sunday, a week before the October 25 runoff election. The confrontation, marked by repeated accusations of dishonesty, centered on corruption allegations, economic policy, public security, healthcare, and Brazil's international relations.

Flavio Bolsonaro, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, sought to challenge Lula's lead in the polls by questioning his integrity and referencing his 2017 imprisonment on corruption charges that were later annulled. Lula, 81, responded by labeling his opponent a "habitual liar" and a "thug," and suggested he kept his distance due to concerns about theft. The former president also accused Bolsonaro of ties to Rio de Janeiro's paramilitary groups and of prioritizing U.S. interests over Brazil's, citing the younger Bolsonaro's relationship with former U.S. President Donald Trump.

The debate touched on economic strategies, with Lula challenging Bolsonaro to explain how his proposed spending cuts would affect social programs. Bolsonaro avoided direct answers, instead shifting focus to other issues. Polls released this week showed Bolsonaro with 51 percent voter intention compared to Lula's 49 percent, though the race remains closely contested.

Both candidates addressed broader societal concerns. Bolsonaro criticized rising living costs and insecurity, while Lula highlighted social welfare initiatives that have supported vulnerable communities. Supporters of each candidate gathered in major cities ahead of the runoff, with large demonstrations in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

The exchange underscored the deep polarization in Brazil's political landscape, with each side framing the election as a choice between competing visions for the country's future. The debate concluded without resolution on key disputes, leaving voters to weigh the allegations and proposals ahead of the final vote.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on Sunday, as former President Donald Trump accused him of lacking interest in ending the war with Russia. The talks occurred against a backdrop of intensified attacks on energy infrastructure: Russia targeted Ukrainian power sites, leaving tens of thousands without electricity, while Ukraine launched its largest drone strike on Saint Petersburg since 2022, hitting an oil refinery and logistics facilities. Trump, on his Truth Social platform, asserted he was making "great progress" toward peace but claimed Zelensky was indifferent to ending the conflict and suggested European support enabled continued resistance. He also alleged Ukraine was striking Russian diesel refineries to disrupt global markets. Zelensky, following the meeting, emphasized the importance of U.S. support, stating Ukraine was prepared to work "constructively and honestly" with partners, including on the delivery of Patriot air defense systems. He expressed gratitude for the resumption of intelligence sharing with the United States, which had been paused earlier, leaving Ukraine vulnerable to Russian missile attacks. Earlier, Zelensky had told NBC that formal U.S. support for Russia would be a "historic mistake," though he hoped Trump might shift his position. The Kremlin maintained that Ukrainian attacks would not alter Russia’s war objectives, with President Vladimir Putin having previously indicated intentions to seize additional territory in eastern Ukraine. Russian officials reported that air defenses intercepted 144 drones during the Saint Petersburg attack, the largest such assault on the city since the war began. Local residents described a pattern of escalating strikes and retaliatory actions, reflecting what one described as the "dreadful routine of war." No ceasefire agreement or diplomatic breakthrough has emerged, and the conflict continues to involve widespread targeting of energy infrastructure on both sides.

President Emmanuel Macron appealed for calm on Sunday, a day after France experienced one of its most severe episodes of civil unrest in recent years. Thousands of arrests were made and numerous shops were looted or damaged following demonstrations sparked by rising prices and deteriorating public services. Fresh clashes erupted in Paris and Marseille, where riot police intervened to prevent attempts to ransack businesses.

Saturday's unrest unfolded in cities across the country, with reports of a town hall set ablaze, stores pillaged and buildings defaced with graffiti. Violent groups clashed with police, resulting in injuries to nearly 1,000 officers and the deaths of one protester from cardiac arrest during demonstrations in Paris. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez confirmed 2,400 arrests nationwide.

Macron addressed the nation in a televised speech, stating that while peaceful protesters carried legitimate grievances, the destructive actions could not be justified. He emphasized that no justification existed for the violence, expressing collective anger and shame. The president did not declare a state of emergency, though some right‑wing politicians had called for such measures. Instead, he indicated that the government would empower prefects to ban protests when necessary to protect public buildings and local businesses.

The government attributed the violence to ultra‑left groups and criminal elements seeking to exploit the unrest. Far‑right leader Marine Le Pen, a presidential contender for the upcoming election, urged calm, warning that France must not become accustomed to scenes of national damage and looting. Hard‑left presidential candidate Jean‑Luc Mélenchon called on Macron to address the demands of high‑school students participating in the protests.

In Limoges, the collapse of a town hall clock tower in a fire revived memories of the 2019 blaze that devastated Notre Dame cathedral. Mayor Guillaume Guerin reported insufficient national police presence and threatened resignation if additional funding for repairs was not provided. Economy Minister Roland Lescure pledged support for affected business owners, stating that those who caused damage would be held accountable.

Retailer Carrefour reported damage to 50 stores, with 20 looted, resulting in losses amounting to tens of millions of euros. A massive clean‑up operation was underway in cities ranging from Lille in the north to Bordeaux in the southwest. Dutch entrepreneur Tije De Boer, visiting Paris with his family, described the scene as "like a war zone," forcing his hotel evacuation at Place de la République.

More than half a million participants joined marches in dozens of cities, merging a month‑long student movement with broader discontent over living costs and public service decline. The unrest highlighted deepening social tensions during Macron's decade‑long tenure, set to end in 2027.

An Austrian Airlines flight carrying 57 people made an unscheduled stop in Sofia, Bulgaria, on Sunday after the crew received a bomb threat.

The aircraft, an Airbus A320, had departed Tel Aviv at 18:46 local time and was en route to Vienna when the threat was reported. Bulgarian authorities said the plane entered Romanian airspace before turning back toward Sofia, where it landed at 21:43 GMT. A Bulgarian MiG-29 fighter escorted the jet to the airport.

All six crew members and 51 passengers disembarked safely. Airport officials conducted a security sweep of the aircraft, and the airline said the search would be completed before passengers were rebooked on alternative flights. A crisis response team has been established, and Bulgarian transport authorities have opened an investigation.

Flight tracking data from FlightAware and ADS-B Exchange showed the plane transmitted a general emergency code (7700) while in Romanian airspace. The incident occurred amid heightened security concerns following a separate event involving a Flydubai aircraft.

In late September, a Flydubai flight from the United Arab Emirates to Tel Aviv was diverted to Saudi Arabia after a co-pilot allegedly attacked the pilot with an axe. The co-pilot, an Omani national, was later charged with terrorism-related offenses in the UAE. The Israeli government subsequently mandated additional identity checks for pilots entering its airspace.

Bulgarian officials have not released details about the source of the bomb threat or any suspects. No group has claimed responsibility, and the investigation remains ongoing.

A Kenyan court is preparing to deliver a verdict in a high‑profile murder case tied to the Shakahola forest cult led by Paul Mackenzie. Mackenzie and 29 associates face charges of murdering 191 children, allegedly by forcing them to starve in the belief that they would meet Jesus. The charges stem from the discovery of more than 400 bodies in shallow graves in the forest near the coastal town of Malindi.

Mackenzie, who founded the Good News International Ministries in 2003, had promoted a doctrine that rejected formal education and modern medicine, describing them as evil. His teachings attracted thousands of followers, many of whom were drawn into the forest community where they were required to fast and were denied medical care. Former security chief Enos Amanya Ngala entered a plea deal and testified for the prosecution, while several other members have pleaded not guilty.

Testimony from gravediggers revealed that some graves contained up to 12 children’s bodies arranged in rows, with remains often bound and wrapped in bedsheets. One gravedigger described finding a line of 12 child corpses stacked like clothing. Survivors recount how leaders such as Mackenzie prohibited makeup, hair styling and medication, insisting that only spiritual healing was permissible.

Mohamed Madi, a former member, said he confronted Mackenzie after losing six of his own children to the forest’s conditions. Another survivor, Peter Shukrani, testified that he was ill for weeks because his mother discarded prescribed medication on Mackenzie’s orders, believing that only divine intervention could heal him. Shukrani was rescued in March 2023 after being found bedridden and severely weakened.

The prosecution alleges that the cult’s practices led to deaths by starvation, strangulation and blunt force trauma. While some followers, including Shukrani, continue to express personal loyalty to Mackenzie, his son Dan Paul Mackenzie has publicly argued that his father should be convicted of mass murder.

The case remains under active investigation, and the upcoming judgment will address the most serious accusations of murder among a broader set of legal proceedings that also include charges of terrorism, radicalisation and denial of education.

A new biography, Becoming Sarah Forbes Bonetta: A Yorùbá Woman in Queen Victoria’s Court, has prompted a descendant to examine the legacy of the woman once presented to Queen Victoria as a diplomatic gift. Bayo Randle, a British-Nigerian barrister and great-great-grandson of Sarah Forbes Bonetta, said the book has reshaped how his family understands its past. “I don’t think a human being, who has agency, could be ‘gifted’ from one to another, but had she not been gifted to Queen Victoria, would I be here today?” Randle said.

Bonetta was born around 1843 in what is now Oke-Odan, Nigeria, as Àìná. At age five, she was captured during an attack by King Ghezo of Dahomey’s forces, which resulted in the deaths of much of her family. She was later held by the all-female agodjié regiment before being taken to England by Frederick Forbes, a British naval officer who led the West Africa Squadron tasked with suppressing the transatlantic slave trade. In 1850, Forbes petitioned King Ghezo to release her, and later brought her to Britain under conditions that placed her under royal protection.

According to research by historian Henry Lovejoy, Bonetta was formally placed under the legal guardianship of Queen Victoria, described in court records as “the property of the crown” until she turned 19. This arrangement reflected post-abolition labor systems in which formerly enslaved Africans were sometimes bound to multi-year indentures to offset the costs of their liberation. Lovejoy’s work, supported by data from liberatedafricans.org, indicates that over 700,000 Africans were subjected to such agreements under British administration.

Bonetta was raised in England and received an education that prepared her for roles as a teacher and cultural intermediary. She later married James Pinson Labulo Davies, a merchant and philanthropist, and wrote of the union: “I don’t feel a particle of love for him.” The marriage was part of a broader pattern in which formerly enslaved women were integrated into colonial society through elite social networks.

The biography challenges long-standing narratives that portrayed Bonetta as a Yoruba princess or as Queen Victoria’s goddaughter. Lovejoy’s research clarifies that while she was celebrated in 19th-century England as a symbol of imperial benevolence, her image was also used to promote the idea that British colonial rule was a civilizing mission. Photographs, sculptures, and public displays of her likeness were employed to reinforce this narrative, even as she navigated life within a system that limited her autonomy.

Randle noted that a plaster bust of Bonetta, sculpted in 1851 by Benedetto Pistrucci, captures both her visibility and the contradictions of her story. “Who gets to see what their great ancestor looked like as a child, the cultural markings on her face? That is amazing. But at the same time it was a bust prepared for phrenological purposes, within a racist framework, where [Bonetta] was shown as an ‘excellent specimen,’” he said.

Bonetta’s life ended in 1880 at the age of 37, when she died of tuberculosis in Madeira. Her daughter, Victoria, was educated in England with the queen’s support and received gifts including an engraved goblet and plate from Victoria. Randle, who maintains ties to Oke-Odan, emphasized that while the biography raises difficult questions about exploitation and representation, it also acknowledges Bonetta’s resilience and agency. “She was very capable, courageous and dignified through adversity,” he said. “She is an early example of Black Britain.”