Newshour

Families have been reunited in northern Ukraine after civilians were evacuated from the devastated Russian-occupied town of Oleshky. Some arrived on stretchers, having endured years of severe shortages of food and medicine. One woman said they had escaped from hell. The evacuation was made possible by a temporary ceasefire brokered with the involvement of US First Lady Melania Trump, who has expressed hope that it could pave the way for a lasting peace.
Also on the programme: Britain's prime minister says he is open to calls for a formal apology for the country's role in the slave trade. We hear the arguments for and against the idea; and four volunteers emerge after spending 378 days in a simulated mission to Mars. We speak to a former NASA astronaut about the challenges of living in isolation.
(Photo: Ukrainian serviceman Dmytro welcomes back his partner Larysa as evacuees from the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky arrive in Chernihiv, Ukraine. Credit: Reuters/Valentyn Ogirenko)

People evacuated from the devastated Russian-occupied city of Oleshky have arrived in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky has confirmed. Residents of the frontline city had been trapped without food, water and electricity, with many resorting to cooking garden weeds to survive. The evacuees were taken out of Oleshky on Friday during a local ceasefire, brokered by US First Lady Melania Trump, before travelling through Russian occupied territory to southern Russia.
Also on the programme: the US has agreed to sell Ukraine Patriot missiles, but what is behind America's shifting attitudes to Ukraine?; and another day of demonstrations in Paris as we speak to one of the founders of the Yellow Vest protest movement - to unearth their demands.
(Photo: Residents evacuated from the Russian-occupied town of Oleshky, return to Ukrainian-controlled territory, at an undisclosed location Credit: Reuters/Valentyn Ogirenko)

On this special edition of Newshour, we preview the US midterms taking place next week.
The BBC’s James Coomarasamy broadcasts from The Midtown Scholar Book Store in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where four closely fought congressional races - all in districts currently held by Republicans - could decide who controls the US House of Representatives for the remainder of Donald Trump's Second Term.
Also in the programme: The BBC’s North America Correspondent Anthony Zurcher explains what we can glean from early voting data; and Will Grant reports from Florida where widespread support among Latino and Cuban American voters helped Donald Trump to win in 2024. But as President Trump's mass deportation policy has been carried out some Latino voters are thinking again about supporting Republican candidates.
(Photo: US President Donald Trump attends the White House Trick-or-Treat event at the White House in Washington, DC, USA. Credit: Aaron Schwartz/POOL/EPA/Shutterstock)

Ahead of US Midterms, we ask how will Pennsylvania vote? Democrat hopefuls eye return to Congress and Senate. Also in the programme:  Evacuation of residents of the Russian-occupied Ukrainian town of Oleshky begins; Halloween is banned in Iran, how are young people celebrating it?
(Photo: US postal ballots. Credit: Reuters)

It's emerged that the CEO of a firm whose train was involved in Wednesday's deadly crash outside Madrid had warned the Spanish Senate three weeks ago of problems with the network's signalling system. Ahead of the Spanish election next month, some parties have suspended their campaigns out of respect. We get the latest from the BBC’s Rajini Vaidyanathan who is at the scene.
Also in the programme: Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has described a Russian drone strike on a railway station in Dnipro as a horrific attack that demanded a response from Ukraine's allies; and revered actor Sir Patrick Stewart dies aged 86.
(Photo: A Guardia Civil helicopter flies over the site of the collision the day after two high-speed trains crashed between the towns of Mora and Orgaz, near Toledo, Spain, 29th October, 2026. Credit: Reuters/Susana Vera)