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?

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.

Nigeria's under-17 women's team, the Flamingos, will face Japan in the final of the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Rabat, Morocco, on Saturday, 7 November 2026.

The match

The final is at the Mohammed VI Football Complex, with kick-off set for 7.30pm Nigerian time. It will be the first time the two countries have met at this tournament. Flamingos captain Harmony Chidi said the players are determined to bring Nigeria its first world title at this level and make the country proud.

Road to the final

The Flamingos became the first African team ever to reach the final of the competition after beating Brazil 3-1 in the semi-final on Wednesday. After a goalless first half, Queen Joseph opened the scoring in the 56th minute, and Awawu Bashiru scored twice, in the 71st and 80th minutes, before Brazil pulled one back late on. Nigeria's previous best was third place in 2022, when they beat Germany in the bronze medal match. Ghana also finished third in 2012.

Japan's record

Japan are one of the strongest teams in youth women's football. They won the tournament in 2014, beating Spain in the final, and were runners-up in 2010 and 2016. At under-20 level, Japan beat Nigeria 2-1 in the bronze medal match of the 2012 U-20 Women's World Cup and won 6-0 when the two met in the group stage in 2016.

Praise from CAF and FIFA

CAF president Patrice Motsepe congratulated the Flamingos, saying they had made Africa proud, and confirmed he would travel to Rabat to watch the final in person. FIFA also congratulated the team on the historic achievement.

What's at stake

Victory would give Nigeria its first FIFA world title in women's football at any level and make the Flamingos the first African side to win the competition.