China's second-highest ranking general and eight other senior officials have been expelled from the ruling Communist Party and the military on suspicion of serious misconduct linked to corruption.

Beijing

China has expelled nine senior military officials from the Communist Party on charges of corruption, affecting all branches of the country's armed forces. The Defense Ministry described the offenses as extremely serious but did not disclose specific details. Among those ousted is He Weidong, the second-highest ranking official in the Chinese military and a member of the Politburo, making him the first serving member of the government body to be investigated. The expulsions come ahead of a key party meeting and are part of President Xi Jinping's ongoing anti-corruption campaign, which has been a hallmark of his leadership since 2012. The move also opens eight spots on the party's powerful central committee.

China expels nine senior officials from Communist Party

From China's Central Military Commission to its army and navy, no branch of the military was spared. On Friday, nine senior military officials were ousted from the country's Communist Party on charges of corruption. China's Defense Ministry emphasized the gravity of the offenses, but did not share the details of the alleged crimes. The offenses were of grave nature with extremely harmful consequences. Anti-corruption purges have become a signature of President Xi Jinping since he came to power in 2012. But this is one of his most far-reaching, ousting top general He Weidong. He was the number two ranked official in the Chinese military, after President Xi. He was also a member of the country's Politburo, making him the first serving member of the government body to be investigated. The military leader had not been seen in public since March, leading many to speculate that there was an investigation against him. This latest wave of expulsions comes just days ahead of the party's central committee meeting. They free up eight spots on the powerful committee. Experts say that crackdowns like this one are used to enforce loyalty to the president and gain a tighter control of the military. It's an important prospect for President Xi, as tensions flare between the U.S. and China over Taiwan. The Chinese leader is set to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump later this month.

The United States is sending the two survivors of a Thursday (October 18) strike in the Caribbean to their home countries of Colombia and Ecuador to be detained and prosecuted, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday.

Washington

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Doha

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France's world-famous Louvre museum in Paris was forced to close on Sunday after thieves broke into Apollo Gallery and stole valuable crown jewels.

Paris

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U.S. President Donald Trump's critics took to the streets Saturday, with millions nationwide participating in "No Kings" rallies, protesting Trump's demonstrations of power.

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Portland

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Trump says survivors of U.S. drug submersible will be sent home

The U.S. State Department issued a warning that Hamas appeared to be planning an attack 'against Palestinian civilians,' warning that such an attack would 'constitute a direct and grave violation of the ceasefire agreement'.

Tel Aviv-Yafo

Middle East Conflict

State Dept. flags ceasefire violation by Hamas

Britain's Prince Andrew said on Friday he would give up using his title of Duke of York following years of criticism about his behavior and connections to the late U.S. sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Windsor

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy came to the White House on Friday looking for weapons to keep fighting his country's war with Russia, but met an American president who appears more intent on brokering a peace deal than upgrading Kyiv’s arsenal.

Ukraine Invasion

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President Trump announced that he has commuted former New York Rep. George Santos' sentence on Friday in a post on his social media platform Truth Social.

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The head of the World Trade Organization said on Thursday (October 16) she is urging the U.S. and China to de-escalate trade tensions, warning that a decoupling between the world's two largest economies could reduce global economic output by 7% over the longer-term.

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John Bolton pleaded not guilty at a Maryland federal court on Friday (October 17). This comes after the former Trump administration national security adviser was indicted on 18 counts for his alleged mishandling of classified information.

Greenbelt

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Buckingham Palace announced Friday that Prince Andrew is giving up his royal titles. This comes after a posthumous memoir by Jeffrey Epstein accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre emerged.

London

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Trump set to meet with Zelenskyy

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At least one person was killed and dozens of police officers injured in widespread protests overnight in Peru against President Jose Jeri, who assumed power just days ago. The government will declare a state of emergency in Lima within hours and is preparing a package of measures to tackle rising insecurity.

Lima

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Šiauliai

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U.S. flies B-52 bombers off the coast of Venezuela

A federal judge overturned a Homeland Security decision to cut anti-terrorism funding for New York City. The ruling comes as the Trump administration faces lawsuits from Democratic governors over similar cuts.

New York

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Global Tariffs

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U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday said he had a "productive" phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin and announced plans for a meeting with Putin in Hungary.

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Jerusalem

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Nairobi

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Balochistan

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Breakdown