World & West

Reported

Iran says it could reopen Strait of Hormuz within two days if US meets its demands

2 Nov 2026, 20:41 GMT

A globe of the Earth — Stock image: Zde / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Iran says it could reopen the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important oil shipping routes, within 48 hours if the United States accepts its conditions for ending the war between the two countries.

What Iran said

Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday, 2 November 2026, that Tehran had shortened an earlier seven-day proposal to two days, and reportedly described this as a sign of good faith. He said reopening the waterway and returning to negotiations depended on Washington agreeing to Iran's demands, and that messages were still being exchanged through mediators.

Iran's conditions

According to reports, Iran wants an end to the war across the Middle East, the release of its frozen assets abroad, the lifting of sanctions on its oil sector and an end to the US naval blockade of its ports. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has also called for a new transit arrangement for ships passing through the strait, agreed between Iran and Oman, and fewer US troops in the region.

Background

The two countries have been in conflict for about eight months. Iranian and Qatari negotiators held three days of talks in Doha aimed at reaching a deal, but they ended without a breakthrough. On Sunday, President Donald Trump told a rally that the US might eventually have to give Iran 'the hammer', and Iran's army said it was ready for a long war.

Why it matters

A large share of the world's oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz. Disruption there affects global oil prices, which matters for Nigeria's earnings from crude oil and for fuel costs around the world.

Iran cut its proposed timeline from seven days to two.
It wants sanctions lifted and the naval blockade ended.
Talks in Doha ended without a breakthrough.

More gist

World & WestReported

UK drops plan to make care workers wait 15 years for settlement

2 Nov 2026, 18:01 GMT

UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has reportedly dropped a proposal that would have made some migrant care workers wait 15 years for indefinite leave to remain. Care workers who joined before May 2025 and earn at least £25,000 keep a five-year route, while most other lower earners face 10 years.

The UK government has reportedly dropped a plan that would have required some migrant care workers already in Britain to wait 15 years before they could settle permanently, a change that affects many Nigerians working in the sector.

What changed

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood told the House of Commons on Monday, 2 November 2026, that care workers who joined the social care visa route before May 2025 and earn at least £25,000 a year in the sector will keep a five-year route to indefinite leave to remain. She also scrapped the proposed 15-year wait for other lower-paid workers, replacing it with a 10-year route.

The new rules

Mahmood said settlement will now be more closely linked to a person's contribution, adding that the right to live in Britain must be earned. A five-year route will remain for people earning more than £50,000 a year and for qualifying workers in health and education. People earning more than £125,000 could settle in three years. Most other migrants, including those earning under £50,000, would face a 10-year route, while being able to renew their temporary visas.

Why the plan was changed

The reversal followed opposition from Labour MPs, trade unions and migrant groups, who argued it was unfair to change the rules for people who came to Britain under different conditions.

What it means for Nigerians

Nigerians are among the largest groups of overseas care workers recruited to the UK in recent years. Indefinite leave to remain allows a person to live, work and study in Britain without time limits and claim benefits where eligible, and is usually a step towards citizenship.

World & WestReported

Hackers send fake nuclear attack alerts to millions in Russia and Ukraine

2 Nov 2026, 14:56 GMT

Emergency warning services in Russia and Ukraine were reportedly hacked to send false alerts of nuclear, chemical and radiation threats. Authorities in both countries confirmed the incidents and said their systems had been restored.

Emergency alert services in both Russia and Ukraine were reportedly hit by cyber attacks that sent false warnings of nuclear, chemical and radiation threats to civilians, according to reports on Monday, 2 November 2026.

In Russia

Fake nuclear attack warnings appeared on channels linked to Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry in Moscow, St Petersburg and several other regions at about 2.45am, reportedly telling residents to gather three weeks' supply of food and take shelter in cellars. Similar messages were reported on the ministry's mobile app, by text message and on the state-backed messaging platform MAX. The ministry described it as a massive cyber attack, but said its sirens, loudspeakers, television and radio warning systems had not been affected. It has not been established who carried out the attack.

In Ukraine

Hours earlier, Ukraine's Air Alert service sent a series of false notifications claiming radiation and chemical threats in Kyiv, a nuclear alert across the country and street fighting in the capital, and telling residents to stay indoors. Ukrainian authorities confirmed the service had been hacked and said it was working normally again after midnight. The app normally warns people of incoming Russian missile and drone attacks, often giving them only minutes to find shelter. Hours after the false alerts, real warnings sounded during a Russian attack on Odesa that reportedly injured four people.

Background

The incidents came amid continued strikes by both sides and talk of possible negotiations. A Kremlin adviser said he believed President Vladimir Putin would take a phone call from President Volodymyr Zelensky, although Putin has refused his calls in the past.

Why it matters

Experts warn that attacks on alert systems are dangerous because they can cause panic and make people less likely to trust genuine warnings.

World & WestReported

Bulgarian President Iliana Yotova — Photo: Unknown author / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 bg

Iliana Yotova becomes Bulgaria's first elected female president

2 Nov 2026, 14:56 GMT

Bulgaria's acting president Iliana Yotova has reportedly won the presidential runoff with about 57.6% of the vote, becoming the first woman elected to the country's highest office.

Iliana Yotova has won Bulgaria's presidential runoff, becoming the first woman ever elected to the country's highest office, according to near-final results released on Monday, 2 November 2026.

The result

The Central Election Commission reportedly said the 62-year-old won 57.58 per cent of the vote, with 99.95 per cent of polling station results counted. Her ticket, with running mate Kiril Valchev, defeated the opposition pair of former caretaker prime minister Andrey Gyurov and Georgi Kandev, who received 39.47 per cent.

Who is Iliana Yotova

Yotova has been acting president since January 2026, when Rumen Radev resigned to pursue a career in parliament. She had served as his vice-president for two terms after they were elected together in 2016 and re-elected in 2021. Before that, she was a member of the European Parliament from 2007 to 2017, and she earlier worked as a journalist at Bulgarian National Television.

Why it matters

The victory is a historic first for Bulgaria, a member of the European Union and NATO, which had never before elected a woman as president. In Bulgaria the president is head of state and commander-in-chief, while day-to-day government is led by the prime minister.

What happens next

Yotova will be sworn in for a full five-year term once the final results are confirmed.

World & WestReported

Trump says US may have to give Iran 'the hammer', Tehran warns of long war

2 Nov 2026, 14:56 GMT

US President Donald Trump has reportedly told a rally in Iowa that America may eventually have to strike Iran again, saying he has held back to save lives. Iran's army says any new war would last longer than before.

US President Donald Trump has renewed his threats of further military action against Iran, and Tehran has warned that any new war would be longer and wider than past hostilities.

What Trump said

Speaking at a rally in Iowa on Sunday, 1 November 2026, ahead of the US midterm elections on 3 November, Trump reportedly said the only reason he had not finished with Iran was that he wanted to be nice and save lives, but that at some point the US would have to give Iran 'the hammer'. The comments followed earlier signals from his administration that more targets were being considered.

Iran's response

Iranian army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia said on state television that Iran was fully prepared for a long conflict. He warned that a future war could last longer than previous fighting and that the American president would not be able to decide when or how it would end.

Background

Tensions between the two countries have remained high since earlier US strikes on Iran. Iran's Supreme Leader warned the US and Israel last week against new attacks. Trump has made his tough stance on Iran part of his campaign message ahead of the midterm elections, in which control of Congress is at stake.

Why it matters

Any new conflict in the region could push up global oil prices, which affects Nigeria's earnings from crude oil as well as fuel prices around the world.