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Friday, 6 November 2026Lagos · LondonUpdated 20:42 GMT

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California governor Gavin Newsom commutes all 548 death sentences

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California Governor Gavin Newsom has commuted every death sentence in the state to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

What he announced

In an official letter on Thursday, 5 November 2026, Newsom said the decision affects 548 people on death row, one of the largest death row populations in the world. He said he was acting on a long-held belief that society is stronger when it rejects state-sanctioned killing. He acknowledged that many Californians believe people who commit brutal crimes deserve to die, but said he had concluded that the state cannot morally kill them.

Why all at once

Newsom said he chose a blanket commutation rather than reviewing cases one by one because trying to separate crimes and offenders would create two classes of murder victims. He said the offenders would now spend the rest of their lives in prison, and that he hoped the move would separate the memory of victims from the fate of those who harmed them.

Background

California has not carried out an execution in about two decades, although courts continued to hand down death sentences. In 2019, Newsom placed a moratorium on executions and closed the state's execution chamber. Newsom, a Democrat, is in the final months of his second term as governor and is widely seen as a possible future presidential candidate. The decision comes days after the Democrats' strong performance in the US midterm elections.

California voters rejected ballot measures to abolish the death penalty in 2012 and 2016, and Newsom's decision is likely to face criticism from supporters of capital punishment.

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World & WestReported
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Kenyan cult leader Paul Mackenzie jailed for 200 years over Shakahola deaths

A Kenyan court has sentenced pastor Paul Mackenzie to 200 years in prison for the murder of 190 children and one adult who died after he ordered his followers to fast. His assistant was jailed for 160 years.

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A court in Kenya has sentenced cult leader Paul Mackenzie to 200 years in prison over the deaths of 191 people linked to his church.

The sentence

The High Court in the coastal city of Mombasa handed down the sentence on Friday, 6 November 2026, after finding Mackenzie, leader of the Good News International Church, guilty of murdering 190 children and one adult. Justice Diana Kavedza said he bore the main criminal responsibility for moving his followers to a remote area and ordering them to fast to death, telling them it was the way to meet Jesus. She described the killings as cold and calculated and said the accused had shown no remorse. His assistant pastor, Smart Mwakalama, was sentenced to 160 years.

The trial

Mackenzie was tried alongside 28 of his followers, including guards who enforced the fasting and men who helped hide the graves. All 29 were found guilty on 19 October. The prosecution had asked for the death penalty for Mackenzie. He also faces terrorism and other charges in separate cases.

Background

Mackenzie was arrested in April 2023 after a rights group alerted the authorities and some followers were rescued. Police later exhumed more than 400 bodies from shallow graves on a large ranch in the Shakahola forest in Kilifi County. Kenya's national human rights commission put the death toll at 429 in 2024, and many victims have still not been identified. The case shocked Kenya and led to calls for tighter regulation of churches.

How people reacted

Some relatives of victims said they had hoped for a death sentence and criticised the authorities for not acting sooner.

World & WestReported
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Bavarian deputy leader Hubert Aiwanger found dead in Berlin hotel

Hubert Aiwanger, Bavaria's deputy premier and leader of Germany's Free Voters party, has been found dead in a Berlin hotel room at the age of 55. Prosecutors say an autopsy found no sign that anyone else was involved.

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Hubert Aiwanger, the deputy premier of the German state of Bavaria and leader of the Free Voters party, has died at the age of 55.

What happened

Aiwanger was found dead in his hotel room in central Berlin on the evening of Wednesday, 4 November 2026, police and prosecutors confirmed. On Thursday, prosecutors said an autopsy had found no evidence that anyone else was involved in his death. He had reportedly been due to speak at the opening of his party's new Berlin office on Wednesday afternoon, but pulled out, citing health concerns.

Who he was

Aiwanger became leader of the Free Voters in Bavaria in 2006 and national party chairman in 2010. Under him, the party entered the Bavarian state parliament in 2008, and since 2018 it has governed Bavaria as the junior coalition partner of the Christian Social Union (CSU), with Aiwanger serving as deputy premier and economy minister. Known for his blunt, folksy style, he presented his party as an alternative to the CSU, but it never won seats in the national parliament.

Tributes

Bavarian premier Markus Söder described his sudden death as an absolute tragedy. Aiwanger is survived by his partner, Free Voters politician Tanja Schweiger, and their two children.

What happens next

The Free Voters will need to choose a new leader, and the Bavarian government will appoint a new deputy premier and economy minister.

World & WestReported
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Bomb threats hit at least 25 passenger flights across Europe

At least 25 flights across Europe were targeted by bomb threats on Thursday, forcing diversions, emergency landings and fighter jet escorts. No explosives were found on the aircraft searched. It was the second wave of threats this week.

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At least 25 passenger flights across Europe were hit by bomb threats on Thursday, 5 November 2026, causing diversions, emergency landings and security checks at several airports.

What happened

According to reports, an Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Rome carrying 151 passengers and six crew was diverted to a French military air base at Évreux, where bomb disposal experts inspected it. Three Ryanair flights to Bulgaria from Copenhagen, Madrid and London were also targeted. Two landed in Sofia and the third was diverted to Plovdiv. Italian fighter jets escorted a Finnair flight from Helsinki to Rome after a bomb alert. Flights operated by Wizz Air, LOT Polish Airlines and Aegean Airlines were also affected, with incidents reported in countries including France, Spain, Poland, Denmark, Italy, the Czech Republic, Austria and Romania.

No explosives found

No explosives were found on any of the aircraft searched so far, and all the affected planes landed safely. The threats followed another wave on Tuesday, when at least seven flights across Europe were targeted.

Background

Hoax bomb threats against airlines cause major disruption and cost, as pilots and authorities must treat every threat as real. Investigators have not said publicly who is behind the latest threats or whether the incidents are linked. European security agencies have warned in recent years of attempts to disrupt transport and infrastructure.

What it means for travellers

Passengers flying in Europe, including Nigerians travelling for the holidays, may face extra security checks and delays while investigations continue.

2027 electionsReported
Anambra governor Charles Soludo in a red cap
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APGA endorses Tinubu for 2027 as Soludo targets half of Anambra votes

The All Progressives Grand Alliance has formally adopted President Tinubu as its preferred presidential candidate for 2027 and will not field its own. Governor Charles Soludo pledged to deliver half of Anambra's votes to the President.

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The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has formally endorsed President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as its preferred candidate for the 2027 presidential election.

What was announced

Anambra State governor Charles Soludo, the party's national leader, announced the decision in Awka on Friday, 6 November 2026, at the inauguration of APGA's national campaign for the 2027 elections, according to reports. He said the party would not field its own presidential candidate. Soludo argued that Tinubu had shown genuine care for the Igbo people, particularly people from Anambra, pointing out that the President appointed several Anambra indigenes to key positions in Lagos when he was governor of that state.

Target of 50%

Soludo acknowledged that Tinubu received only about 5,000 votes in Anambra in the 2023 presidential election, but said the President had still moved to address problems in the state and the wider South-East. He pledged to deliver half of Anambra's votes to Tinubu in 2027, describing the endorsement as a strategic move to strengthen the state's bargaining power with the federal government. He also said APGA had backed the ruling party's presidential candidate in past elections, so the decision continued that pattern.

Background

APGA is the governing party in Anambra, which is also the home state of NDC presidential candidate Peter Obi, a former APGA governor who won the state by a wide margin in 2023. Soludo has previously described Obi as a close family friend while declaring support for Tinubu, and he has been named a state coordinator in the President's expanded campaign council. This week the NDC's Anambra chapter set a target of 98 per cent of the state's votes for Obi.

What happens next

The presidential election is scheduled for 16 January 2027, and APGA is expected to campaign for the President alongside its own candidates for other offices.