Trump offers UFC chief Dana White press secretary role
President Donald Trump said Saturday on his Truth Social platform that he has offered the job of White House press secretary to Dana White, the chief executive of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Trump described White as "a violent Fighter and Warrior" and told him to bring UFC fighters with him as aides. The post came as the White House undergoes a period of major transition after Republicans suffered deep losses in Tuesday's midterm elections.
White said he will meet Trump in Washington on Monday to discuss the offer, but he did not say whether he would accept. The press secretary's post has been largely vacant since Karoline Leavitt stepped aside in August.
Israeli president taps opposition leader Eisenkot to form government
Israeli President Isaac Herzog formally tasked opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot with forming the country's next government, choosing him over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Herzog's office said Eisenkot, a former military chief who leads the Yashar party, had been informed of the decision.
The Knesset has been deadlocked since last month's election, in which neither Eisenkot nor Netanyahu won a clear majority. After marathon consultations, representatives from most of Israel's main parties recommended Eisenkot for the mandate. He now has 28 days to secure the 61 Knesset seats needed to form a coalition, with difficult negotiations expected.
Trump names immigration hardliner Stephen Miller chief of staff
President Donald Trump announced Friday that Stephen Miller will become his new White House chief of staff, replacing Susie Wiles when the change takes effect on Monday. Miller has been one of Trump's closest advisers since 2016 and is widely seen as the architect of the administration's hardline immigration agenda, including its mass deportation programme.
Wiles was the first woman to serve as White House chief of staff. The shake‑up follows Republican losses in Tuesday's midterm elections. In an interview on Joe Rogan's podcast, former top health adviser Calley Means accused Wiles of repeatedly blocking health policies to attract campaign donations.
Kenyan cult leader Paul Mackenzie sentenced to 200 years
A Kenyan court has sentenced cult leader Paul Mackenzie to 200 years in prison for the murders of 190 children and one adult in the Shakahola Forest between January 2021 and September 2023. Prosecutors said Mackenzie ordered his followers to starve themselves and their families to death so they could "meet Jesus" before an apocalypse.
Some victims were beaten, buried alive or dumped in latrines. The sentence comprises 100 years for murder by starvation and 100 years for direct homicide. Twenty-eight accomplices were also jailed. The case, one of the worst cult disasters in recent history, has raised serious questions about how Kenyan authorities missed warning signs.
Pope Leo begins Latin America tour after cancer surgery
Pope Leo XIV has begun a 12-day tour of Latin America, arriving in Uruguay to start a journey that will also take him to Argentina and Peru. The trip is his first major foreign travel since he underwent lung cancer surgery last month, during which part of a lung was removed.
The pontiff, who lived in Peru for nearly two decades and holds joint United States and Peruvian citizenship, told reporters he felt better than he looked. On the second day of the tour he celebrated Mass in the western city of Paysandú, where the Vatican said about 40,000 people gathered. He urged Catholics to be "bridge builders" of faith and fraternity.
Gunman kills six and wounds many in Krakow market square
A gunman opened fire in Krakow's Main Market Square on Saturday, killing at least six people and injuring around a dozen others, according to Polish police. The attacker, a 25‑year‑old Polish citizen, fired at random people as he drove into the square, a major tourist destination in the city centre.
Polish Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said the suspect was fascinated with far-right ideologies and held "very radical" and ultra-nationalistic views. Police shot and wounded the gunman and took him to hospital. Prime Minister Donald Tusk said police were investigating the "tragic shooting." Among the dead was a British tourist.
Paraguay's ousted president charged over collapsed bank scandal
Paraguay's Senate voted unanimously to remove President Santiago Peña from office over a banking scandal, and prosecutors have charged him in connection with the collapse of Ueno Bank. The bank's failure left nearly three million customers unable to access their savings, prompting angry protests.
Prosecutors ordered the arrest of Peña and former Central Bank chief Carlos Carvallo as part of a criminal investigation into alleged breach of trust and other offences. Peña, who appeared before prosecutors, denies wrongdoing. He was placed under house arrest and, at one point, moved to a military base for protection. His successor, Pedro Alliana, has pledged to compensate those affected.
Wisconsin state trooper detained by ICE is released
Carel Aaron Van Der Merwe, a Wisconsin state patrol trooper and South African national, has been released from Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody after being detained Thursday at an airport while waiting to board a domestic flight. Van Der Merwe immigrated to the United States at age 14 and has been waiting seven years for his asylum case to be heard.
US offers $20 million reward for Iran nuclear intelligence
The United States is offering $20 million and possible relocation for information about Iran's nuclear programme. The State Department said the Iranian regime's lack of compliance with International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards obligations had led the agency to lose “continuity of knowledge” about the programme.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly raised the prospect of renewed strikes against Iran's nuclear facilities. The reward offer was made public.