UK troops treated for hearing problems in final tests of Ajax armoured vehicle

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The £5.5bn model was classified as fit for army deployment in September but soldiers continue to raise health fears

Soldiers had to be given medical treatment for hearing problems this summer during final testing of the British army’s new Ajax armoured vehicle, whose introduction has been delayed for several years amid concerns about deafness.

The model, which costs £5.5bn for 589 vehicles, was nevertheless classified as fit for deployment in September. An investigation concluded there were “no systemic issues” – but there remain health concerns among the troops involved.

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Civil rescue groups in Mediterranean cut ties with Libyan coastguard

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Accusations of violent interceptions and human rights violations levelled at EU-funded Libyan services by NGOs

More than a dozen NGO rescue vessels operating in the Mediterranean have suspended communication with the Libyan coastguard, citing escalating incidents of asylum seekers being violently intercepted at sea and taken to camps rife with torture, rape and forced labour.

The 13 search-and-rescue organisations described their decision as a rejection of mounting pressure by the EU, and Italy in particular, to share information with the Libyan coastguard, which receives training, equipment and funding from the EU.

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Italy’s centenarians grow in number as another 2,000 reach the milestone

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Southern European country has more than double the number of people aged over 100 than it did in 2009

The number of people in Italy living to 100 continues to grow sharply, with more than 2,000 reaching the milestone age in 2025, the vast majority of them women.

There are now 23,548 residents in Italy who are 100-years-old or over, compared with 21,211 in 2024, according to the latest figures from Istat, the national statistics agency. Italy has more than double the number of centenarians than it had in 2009, Istat said.

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Serbia passes a special bill enabling Trump’s son-in-law to build luxury compound despite opposition – AP News

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  1. Serbia passes a special bill enabling Trump's son-in-law to build luxury compound despite opposition  AP News
  2. Serbian Lawmakers Approve Luxury Trump Hotel on Historic Bombing Site  The New York Times
  3. Serbia Passes Law to Fast-Track Planned Trump Tower in Belgrade  Bloomberg.com
  4. Serbian Parliament Supports Kushner's Project Despite Opposition  U.S. News & World Report
  5. Serbia passes law to build Trump hotel in Belgrade  politico.eu
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Jakarta: More than 50 people injured in mosque blast at high school – BBC

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  1. Jakarta: More than 50 people injured in mosque blast at high school  BBC
  2. Multiple explosions shake mosque at Indonesian high school injuring at least 55  CNN
  3. Student suspect investigated after Indonesia mosque blast injures dozens  Al Jazeera
  4. Indonesia police find possible explosive powder in Jakarta mosque blasts  Reuters
  5. At least 54 people injured in explosions at Indonesian school mosque  The Guardian
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Inside the compounds of Asia’s $10 billion scam industry, where trafficked staff sleep at work and log 16-hour days texting ‘hello’ over and over – Fortune

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  1. Inside the compounds of Asia's $10 billion scam industry, where trafficked staff sleep at work and log 16-hour days texting 'hello' over and over  Fortune
  2. Indians who fled a Myanmar cyberscam center are being flown home from Thailand  AP News
  3. Karen Rebels Declare Curfew to Stop Flow of Fugitive Scammers  The Irrawaddy
  4. Myanmar strikes on scam centers dismissed as 'smoke screen'  Nikkei Asia
  5. Scam centers in southeast Asia are on the rise despite crackdowns  livingstonenterprise.net
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Film festival in New York cancelled after China puts pressure on directors

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Participants ask for their films not to be shown at IndieChina event, which was due to launch this weekend

An independent film festival due to start in New York this weekend has been cancelled after several film-makers pulled out due to harassment from the Chinese authorities, raising concerns about transnational repression.

The inaugural IndieChina film festival was planned to take place between 8 and 15 November. But on 5 November the festival’s curator, Zhu Rikun, posted on Facebook that he had been forced to cancel 80% of the planned screenings because film-makers had pulled out.

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Iran plotted to assassinate Israel’s ambassador to Mexico, U.S. officials say – Axios

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  1. Iran plotted to assassinate Israel's ambassador to Mexico, U.S. officials say  Axios
  2. Iranian plot to kill Israel's ambassador to Mexico contained, US official says  Reuters
  3. Iran plotted to assassinate Israel’s ambassador to Mexico, U.S. and Israeli officials say  NBC News
  4. Israel accuses Iran of plot to kill ambassador to Mexico  DW
  5. Iran accused of plot to assassinate Israeli ambassador to Mexico  The Guardian
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Woman found guilty of harassing Madeleine McCann’s parents – BBC

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  1. Woman found guilty of harassing Madeleine McCann's parents  BBC
  2. Why this woman believed she was Madeleine McCann - and what she did next  BBC
  3. Polish woman who claimed to be Madeleine McCann convicted of harassing missing UK girl's parents  New York Post
  4. How woman who found fame by claiming to be Madeleine McCann harassed missing girl’s family  The Guardian
  5. Madeleine McCann's parents respond after harassment conviction of woman who claimed to be their daughter  Sky News
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European Union vessel reaches ship raided by pirates off Somalia; all 24 crew on board safe – AP News

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  1. European Union vessel reaches ship raided by pirates off Somalia; all 24 crew on board safe  AP News
  2. Somalia piracy: Attackers fire grenades and board vessel off Somali coast  BBC
  3. Special forces sent to tanker hijacked by Somali pirates  The Independent
  4. Attackers board a ship off the coast of Somalia after firing rocket-propelled grenades  abcnews.go.com
  5. Somali pirates board first ship in 18 months  Financial Times
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Habsburg family unveils secret royal jewel stash in Canada – DW

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  1. Habsburg family unveils secret royal jewel stash in Canada  DW
  2. The Florentine Diamond Resurfaces After 100 Years in Hiding  The New York Times
  3. Austrian royal diamond thought to be lost for more than 100 years resurfaces in unexpected place  New York Post
  4. Famed Florentine diamond surfaces in Canada after century-long disappearance  The Guardian
  5. Habsburg's Florentine diamond found in bank vault after a century  Euronews.com
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EU could water down AI Act amid pressure from Trump and big tech

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European Commission confirms reports it is looking at postponing parts of landmark legislation

The European Commission is considering plans to delay parts of the EU’s Artificial Intelligence Act, after intense pressure from businesses and Donald Trump’s administration.

The commission confirmed that “a reflection” was “still ongoing” on delaying aspects of the regulation, after media reports that Brussels was weighing up changes with the aim of easing demands on big tech companies.

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