US forces struck an Iranian air defence site on Friday, 6 November 2026, the second round of American strikes on Iran in a week.

What happened

President Donald Trump told reporters the operation was minor, saying Iran had built an anti-aircraft device and US forces destroyed it in a matter of minutes. He insisted the United States was not at war with Iran, pointing to the absence of recent US casualties. Iranian state media reported two explosions in the Suza area of Qeshm Island, close to the Strait of Hormuz, a major route for the world's oil shipments. Earlier in the week, on Monday, US forces carried out strikes that Washington described as defensive, with explosions reported on the islands of Qeshm and Hengam and near the naval hub of Bandar Abbas.

Reward offer

Hours before Friday's strike, the US State Department offered up to $20 million and possible relocation for information about Iran's nuclear programme, including its scientists, technology and the organisations involved.

Talks

Trump said Washington remained in contact with Tehran. Regional officials said Iran was considering new proposals brokered by Qatar to ease tensions, but that it would not negotiate over its nuclear programme until the US met several conditions, including lifting sanctions and ending a blockade of Iranian ports.

Why it matters

Trump acknowledged that the conflict had contributed to his party's losses in this week's midterm elections, partly because it pushed up petrol prices. Tensions in the Gulf can also affect global oil prices, which matter for Nigeria's revenue and fuel costs.

The US Secret Service has arrested a man near the White House after he allegedly told agents that voices in his head had instructed him to travel to Washington and kill President Donald Trump.

What happened

According to US officials, agents spotted the man behaving suspiciously in a car parked beside the White House on Thursday, 5 November 2026. During questioning, he allegedly said voices had directed him to come to the capital and assassinate the President. Agents found that the car had been reported stolen, and a search turned up a rifle, two handguns and dozens of rounds of ammunition.

The suspect

The Department of Homeland Security said the man is a Venezuelan national who entered the United States illegally in 2024. He has been charged with several firearms offences, as well as unauthorised use of a vehicle and receiving stolen property, and is being held by the US Marshals Service. He has not yet been tried.

Secret Service comments

Secret Service Director Sean Curran said the arrest showed the kind of security environment his agents deal with every day. Officials said the White House has seen a significant rise in incidents linked to mental health problems, as the presidency often becomes a focus for people experiencing such conditions.

Background

Trump survived two assassination attempts during the 2024 election campaign. The arrest came in the same week that the President's party suffered heavy losses in the midterm elections and he named Stephen Miller as his new chief of staff.

US President Donald Trump has appointed Stephen Miller as White House chief of staff, replacing Susie Wiles following the Republican Party's heavy losses in this week's midterm elections.

What happened

A White House official said Wiles resigned on Thursday night, and Trump announced the change on his Truth Social platform, describing Miller as one of his most trusted advisers. He said Wiles would move to his political operation and thanked her for her service. Asked by reporters on Friday, 6 November 2026, why he had made the change, Trump said he wanted to make a change. Before the elections, he had repeatedly said there was no chance he would replace Wiles.

Who is Stephen Miller

Miller, 41, has been one of the most influential figures in Trump's administrations, serving as deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security adviser. He played a central role in designing the mass deportation programme that became a defining policy of Trump's second term, which has drawn protests and legal challenges, including over the conduct of immigration agents.

Democrats react

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer described Miller as the architect of the administration's harshest policies, said Trump could not have made a worse choice, and promised that the new Democratic majorities in Congress would fight him every step of the way.

Background

In the midterm elections on 3 November, the Democrats were projected to win control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, a result that is expected to make it much harder for Trump to pass legislation in the last two years of his term. Wiles, who ran Trump's 2024 campaign, was the first woman to serve as White House chief of staff.

Kenyan preacher Paul Nthenge Mackenzie has reportedly been sentenced to 200 years in prison over the deaths of 191 members of his Good News International Church, including 190 children, in one of the most disturbing religious tragedies in Kenya's history.

The sentence

The Mombasa High Court handed down the sentence on Friday, 6 November 2026, following its ruling on 19 October in which Mackenzie and 28 other defendants were found guilty. The prosecution had earlier asked the court to impose the death penalty.

What happened in Shakahola

According to the prosecution, between 2021 and 2023 Mackenzie gathered his followers on a 325-hectare property in the Shakahola Forest, near the coastal town of Malindi in south-eastern Kenya.

There, he convinced them that starving themselves to death would allow them to meet Jesus.

Imagine the level of trust these families must have placed in their religious leader. Parents, children and entire households were drawn into a belief system that eventually turned deadly.

During the trial, the defence argued that the children had taken part in the fasting voluntarily. The judge rejected that argument.

How the tragedy came to light

The case first drew international attention in April 2023, when authorities discovered the first bodies buried in the forest.

What first looked like an isolated discovery soon turned into something far more horrifying. As investigators kept searching, more graves were uncovered. Eventually, more than 400 bodies were exhumed, revealing the enormous scale of the disaster.

More than 200 witnesses testified during the proceedings. Mackenzie had been in custody since 14 April 2023, when he surrendered to authorities after the first victims were found.

The children who died

Kenya, a country where religion plays an important part in everyday life, was deeply shaken by the discoveries.

For many, the most painful part of the story is the number of children who died. These were young lives that depended on adults for protection, yet they became victims of circumstances they could neither understand nor control.

A warning about blind obedience

The case is a troubling reminder of what can happen when people give up their ability to question religious authority, and it raises serious questions about religious manipulation and the protection of vulnerable people.

Faith is deeply personal, and millions find comfort, hope and direction in religion. But when a religious leader begins demanding actions that threaten human life, the consequences can be devastating.

Over to you

How could such a tragedy continue for so long before authorities uncovered what was happening in the forest? And how far should people go in obeying religious leaders when their teachings put lives in danger?