World in brief: November 1, 2026

TURKEY: The authorities have moved Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan to a newly built part of an island prison where he has been incarcerated since 1999 as part of efforts to end decades of conflict, senior Kurdish legislator Mithat Sancar said on Saturday. Improved prison conditions for Mr Ocalan have been a key Kurdish demand in the push to end the 42-year conflict between the armed group and the Turkish state. SOMALIA: Pirates have seized an Iranian fishing vessel carrying 23 people, the Maritime Security Centre Indian Ocean said today, warning that the ship was approaching a commercial shipping lane and could become a floating base for further attacks. The Azini was hijacked on Thursday between the north-east coastal towns of Bandar Bayla and Hafun, said a maritime security officer with the Puntland Maritime Police Force. DR CONGO: Deaths from Ebola have topped 5,000, according to the latest government data published on Saturday, as the country grapples with the relentless spread of the disease and cases are recorded in Kenya, Nigeria and Uganda. Ministry of Health figures show that the disease has killed 5,026 people out of 10,351 infected, giving a nearly 50 per cent lethality rate. NORTHERN IRELAND: Sinn Fein will oppose any attempt to place British state forces beyond reach of accountability, North Belfast MP John Finucane warned at the weekend. The republican MP said the Westminster government must abandon proposals to give the British attorney general the final say over conflict-related prosecutions, warning against creating a separate system of justice for cases arising from the Troubles. News from around the globe