Cuba’s president, Miguel Diaz-Canel, has led thousands of protesters in Havana to show solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. The march included around 250 Palestinian medical students and featured a large banner declaring, ‘Long live free Palestine’. The president and other leaders wore keffiyeh scarves as a symbol of solidarity. Participants expressed their support for Palestinian sovereignty and condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza. The march, originally scheduled for 7 October to mark the first anniversary of Israel's war on Gaza, was delayed due to Hurricane Milton. In June, Cuba joined a lawsuit filed by South Africa at the International Court of Justice against Israel's military actions in Gaza.

A judge has overturned changes made by Georgia's Republican-controlled state election board in August, which a conservative group argued would disrupt voting rights ahead of the presidential election on 5 November. His ruling followed a lawsuit by the conservative group Eternal Vigilance Action, which claimed the board overstepped its authority. The changes included empowering county election officials to investigate discrepancies in vote counts before certifying results. The move drew bipartisan criticism; one official warned that it would undermine voter confidence and burden election workers. Democrats, who filed a separate lawsuit, argued the rules aimed to delay certification, a mandatory part of election outcomes. The judge’s ruling follows a similar decision to block a rule requiring ballots be counted by hand, which Democrats said was another attempt to impede certification. Georgia is expected to be a key battleground state in the presidential race between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.

Federal prosecutors are increasing efforts to target suspects who use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to create or manipulate child sex abuse images, fearing that the technology could lead to a surge in illegal content. The Justice Department has initiated two criminal cases against individuals accused of such crimes. A department official has voiced concerns over the potential normalisation of such images, as AI makes it easier to create and distribute them. Prosecutors worry that AI-generated content will complicate the identification of real victims and make the task of law enforcement more difficult. These cases are likely to break new legal ground, especially when real children are not depicted. Convictions may face appeals as courts navigate the evolving legal landscape around AI and child exploitation.

Sri Lankan police have arrested more than 230 Chinese nationals suspected of executing online scams targeting international banks. They seized 250 computers and 500 mobile phones involved in the fraudulent activities, with investigations continuing into the scale of the financial theft. They were helped by a special team sent from China; the biggest raid, on 12 October, netted 126 Chinese men. China’s crackdown on cybercriminals at home may have driven some to seek illegal activities abroad. The Chinese embassy expressed its readiness to strengthen law enforcement cooperation with Sri Lanka, which has had advanced 5G  telecommunications infrastructure since 2019. In June the police arrested over two hundred suspects, primarily from India, for similar financial fraud operations.

Fifty elephants have been relocated from the overcrowded Mwea National Reserve to a larger national park, 75 miles away, to reduce environmental strain and human-wildlife conflict. The reserve, which ideally could support 47 elephants, had a population of 156. The tourism minister, Rebecca Maino, noted that the rising elephant population is a sign that poaching is under control, but the overcrowding had resulted in elephants straying into nearby farms in search of food. Local residents expressed relief that the animals had been moved, as their presence had become a growing problem. The elephants arrived safely in their new home, and the $93,000 project is set to enter a second phase, with plans to relocate another fifty elephants soon.

Christian convert Mehdi Akbari has been released from Evin prison after serving nearly five years of a ten-year sentence for his involvement with a house church. Arrested in January 2019 alongside three other Christian converts, Mehdi endured solitary confinement, torture, and harsh prison conditions. The group was charged with acting against national security for forming an evangelical Christian group, with accusations of ties to foreign missionary organisations. Despite appealing multiple times, Mehdi was not allowed to attend the funeral of his son, Amir Ali, who passed away in December 2021. His sentence was ultimately reduced by the Tehran appeal court, leading to his release on 29 September. His case highlights the ongoing persecution of Christians in Iran, where religious freedom remains severely restricted.

Cameron Arnett, an actor who starred in shows like Miami Vice, experienced a profound spiritual transformation which led him to leave the mainstream entertainment industry. Initially drawn into Hollywood's allure, Arnett later became a Christian. His faith was tested when he was asked to do partial nudity for a role; despite attempts to compromise with a body double, the Holy Spirit convicted him to reject even the appearance of evil. He refused, and as a result, he lost his career, agency, and connections. However, he saw God’s plan in all of this, and realigned his career to reflect his faith. He became a pastor and then returned to film-making, this time with a focus on faith-based projects. To date he has appeared in over fifty movies and seven television shows, all with Christian themes. Arnett’s journey illustrates the importance of standing firm in one's convictions and using every platform, even in Hollywood, to shine the light of Christ.

The Government is preparing a significant overhaul of workers' rights, introducing several new measures aimed at improving job security and flexibility for millions of employees. Key changes include the removal of the two-year qualifying period for unfair dismissal protection, enabling workers to receive statutory sick pay (SSSP) from their first day of illness, and giving fathers access to paternity leave from day one of employment. Also, workers will be entitled to unpaid parental and bereavement leave from day one, and employers will be expected to consider flexible working requests immediately. However, the bill has faced criticism for delays and certain measures being watered down. Small business owners have expressed concerns over the potential impact on hiring decisions, probation periods, and the management of zero-hours contracts. Trade unions have welcomed the changes but insist more needs to be done.