- After a 90-minute surgery on Tuesday, doctors confirmed that Pope Leo has lung cancer. The pontiff was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital on Tuesday for the surgery after a lump was found on his left lung. The Vatican has announced that the surgery was successful and that Pope Leo is recovering well in hospital.
- Saudi Arabia has reportedly intercepted two ballistic missiles aimed at Riyadh this week that were deployed by the Houthi rebel group. The intercepts follow the Houthis' repeated strikes on Riyadh International airport over the weekend that killed 14 people and wounded hundreds of others.
- Ukraine's defence system took a major hit this week after their access to Elon Musk's Starlink satellite communications system was cut. The sudden outage rendered a majority of their military's drones inoperable and impacted their air defence system in later ballistic missiles fired without warning by Russia on Wednesday.
What else happened this week?
Blood supplies hit critically low levels
A record cold and flu season has left thousands ineligible to donate / Shutterstock
Australian Red Cross Lifeblood have announced a 60 per cent fall in supplies since June. The organisation is appealing for 16,000 donors this week to meet demands, as reserves hit their lowest levels in over a decade.
At least 139 dead after boat capsizes outside of Djibouti
The IOM says the incident is a reminder of the danger migrants face / Flickr
Fifteen children were among 139 migrants killed after a boat sank off the coast of Djibouti last Thursday. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said that 82 out of the 305 people onboard were rescued, but there are still many missing.
Kostecki and Hazelwood champions of Bathurst 1000
The four-day race event brought over 200,000 people to legendary Mount Panorama / Wikimedia Commons
Brodie Kostecki and Todd Hazelwood claimed victory for Dick Johnson racing after their last-minute win in the Bathurst 1000 on Sunday. Driver Kostecki overtook race leader Anton De Pasquale on the last lap, as the Team 18 driver ran out of fuel, leading the duo to their second Bathurst 1000 title.
Government calls for ban of execution live stream
The eSafety commission has said there is nothing they can do to block the livestream / Flickr
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is calling for a ban of the upcoming live-streamed execution of US murderer Nidal Halik. Albanese said the livestream would be “absolutely abhorrent" to watch, and that the government is seeking advice on ways to stop it.
Qantas flight cancelled after bed bugs found
Customers were reimbursed and offered accommodation / Wikimedia Commons
A Qantas flight has been grounded in Rome after bed bugs were discovered on board. The flight to Perth was cancelled for two days for deep cleaning after passengers in economy class reported the bugs biting and crawling over their belongings.
Breaking Bad star RJ Mitte dies aged 34
Mitte was a lifelong activist for disability rights and awareness / Wikimedia Commons
Actor RJ Mitte, best known for his role as Walter White Jr. in TV series Breaking Bad, died on Monday aged 34. Mitte’s death was confirmed as suicide by his representatives.
If you or someone you know needs someone to talk to, please call Lifeline (24-hour crisis line) on 13 11 14
Man killed in US rollercoaster incident
Cobb County Police Department is investigating the incident / Wikimedia Commons
A man has died after being ejected from a rollercoaster at US theme park Six Flags on Monday. The victim was captured falling on top of other ride passengers on his descent from the Goliath ride by the automatic souvenir camera.
North Korea fires unidentified missile off coast
One of the missiles travelled over 900km / Unsplash
North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan on Monday. The South Korean military has said that the display may be in response to Seoul's test launch of a hypersonic glide vehicle last Thursday.
$12 million drug bust in Queensland
Over $100,000 in cash was also seized in the operation / Flickr
Over $12 million worth of drugs and 600kg of drug-making supplies have been seized by Queensland police this week as part of a major operation. Two men have been charged as part of the investigation targeting drug trafficking across south-east Queensland.
Fridges in French supermarkets hacked
France’s National Cybersecurity Agency (ANSSI) are investigating the attack / Shutterstock
Millions of euros worth of food has been spoiled after cyber hackers raised temperatures of fridges and freezers in French supermarkets on Monday. Temperatures were raised to over 50 degrees celsius, causing fires to break out in some supermarkets across France.
And now for some good news
Dog reunited with owners after a month in national park
Luna was adopted by her family after a year on the streets / Shutterstock
Luna, a 10-year-old Jack Russell terrier who escaped her family's cabin in September, has been reunited with her owners after being captured by a live trap. Her retrieval was celebrated by her owners as concerns grew about her survival in Yellowstone national park ahead of the coming winter months.
If you need someone to talk to, call:
- 1800 Respect National Helpline: 1800 737 732
- Lifeline (24-hour crisis line): 131 114
- The Butterfly Foundation on 1800 33 4673
- Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800
France protests, Christa Pike survives and Messi retires