Worldwide Updates

Ugandan popstar Bobi Wine has made a daring motorbike escape from security forces after they barricaded his home on Wednesday. Wine had earlier said he was placed under house arrest in an attempt to stop his Independence Day Concert. He later shared a video of himself hopping onto a motorbike surrounded by dozens of cheering supporters. He captioned the video, "Busabala Final destination," — the venue of his canceled concert. The Ugandan police on Tuesday said the concert was not approved because they did not have the manpower to provide security for those attending the show. "We are unable to provide adequate security as police officers will be at the Independence Day celebrations in Sironko and other authorized venues," police spokesman Patrick Onyango said in a statement. However, Wine disagreed with police saying security personnel deployed to his homes could have been sent to the show instead. "These are the same people who claimed not to have...

Turkish forces are stepping up air strikes and a ground offensive, as their incursion into Kurdish-held areas of northern Syria enters a second day. Turkey's military said it had seized designated targets. There are reports of heavy fighting in the central border region, and seven civilian deaths. Tens of thousands of people are reported to be leaving their homes. The assault on Kurdish-led forces, key US allies, follows US President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw US troops. Turkey says it wants to create a "safe zone" on the border for many of the Syrian refugees on its territory. On Thursday President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to send the refugees to Europe instead if it characterised the Turkish offensive as an occupation.

A Japanese businessman had a watch worth more than $800,000 seized from his wrist outside a five-star hotel in Paris, police said. The man had stepped out of the Hôtel Napoléon, near the Arc de Triomphe and Champs-Elysées, around 9 p.m. on Monday evening to smoke a cigarette, when a thief snatched the watch from his wrist, a spokesman for the Paris police told. The victim was approached by a man who asked him for a cigarette, but when he put his hand out, the thief seized the timepiece and ran away. The watch was a Richard Mille Tourbillon Diamond Twister, it added. This Swiss luxury timepiece, which is decorated with a diamond-covered spiral, retails for €757,000 ($830,000). Because of its value, the case was transferred to an organized crime taskforce, the spokesman said.

Tunisia's presidential candidate Nabil Karoui received a hero's welcome as he walked free from jail Wednesday, just days ahead of a runoff against a political newcomer. Karoui's release is the latest twist in a shock election dominated by political outsiders in the country whose 2011 revolution sparked a wave of regional uprisings. His return to the arena as a free man comes at a time of uncertainty for the country hailed as the sole democratic success story of the Arab Spring. A journalist outside Mornaguia prison near Tunis saw a throng of media mogul Karoui's supporters waving Tunisia's red-and-white flag and campaign banners as they jubilantly cheered for him. An elated Karoui then left the scene in a black Mercedes, without speaking to the press. The Court of Cassation's decision to free Karoui, a business tycoon who has been detained since August over a money laundering probe, comes ahead of Sunday's final presidential vote.

War-ravaged Yemen is on course to become the world's poorest country if the conflict persists, the United Nations said in a report. "If fighting continues through 2022, Yemen will rank the poorest country in the world, with 79 percent of the population living under the poverty line and 65 percent classified as extremely poor," according to the United Nations Development Programme report, published on Wednesday. Because of the war, poverty in Yemen has jumped from 47 percent of the population in 2014 to a projected 75 percent by the end of 2019. Yemen, long the poorest country in the Arabian Peninsula, plunged into war after Houthi rebels seized the capital Sanaa in late 2014. A Saudi-led military coalition launched a blistering offensive months later to prop up the internationally recognised government of Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi against the Iran-aligned group. Fighting has since killed tens of thousands of people, mostly civilians, and pushed Yemen to the brink of famine...

A suspected ISIS radical stabbed Indonesia's chief security minister as he was exiting a vehicle Thursday, leaving two deep wounds in his stomach and injuring three others in an assassination attempt on one of the country's most powerful political figures. Television images showed security officers wrestling a man and woman to the ground outside a university in Pandeglang on Java island after the attack on Wiranto, who like many Indonesians goes by one name. "Someone approached and attacked him," said national police spokesman Dedi Prasetyo, adding that the pair were arrested. Berkah Hospital spokesman Firmansyah said the 72-year-old former military general may need surgery for his two stomach wounds, but was conscious and in a stable condition. Wiranto -- who police have said was one of several targets in a failed assassination plot earlier this year -- was later rushed by helicopter to the capital Jakarta.

Cuba Gooding Jr.'s trial on groping charges is set to begin this week. The trial, which is scheduled to start Thursday, was postponed in September after prosecutors said they were still waiting for evidence in the Oscar-winning "Jerry Maguire" star's case. Gooding's lawyers argued against the delay. The actor is accused of placing his hand on a 29-year-old woman's breast and squeezing it without her consent at Magic Hour Rooftop Bar & Lounge near Times Square on June 9. The woman told police she believed Gooding was intoxicated.

Lindsay Lohan is returning for Season 2 of The Masked Singer Australia. The 33-year-old Mean Girls actress is set to return with the same judging panel for the next season, Channel 10 confirmed on Wednesday. The news follows early rumors that Lindsay was let go after the show's first season. "Despite what you may have read, we will have exactly the same judging line-up and exactly the same host," Channel 10 exec Beverley McGarvey said. "We're thrilled that they're all coming back and you know how these things work, the more that people get familiar with each other and familiar with everything it just gets better and better because they get more comfortable. The potential upside for us next year is really exciting."

Demi Lovato is in mourning. On Instagram, the star expressed that she is "devastated" over the loss of her friend, Thomas. "Please hold your loved ones tight. Tell them they are special and that you love them," she said on her Instagram Story. "Make sure they know it. RIP to my boo @sirtruss." She added, "Addiction is NO joke.. heaven gained this beautiful angel last night because of that terrible disease. I'm crushed and will always miss you." As someone who formerly struggled with substance abuse issues, the singer knows firsthand how difficult it is to battle these demons. However, Demi also understands that the key to treating this disease is asking for help. The 27-year-old tells her followers, "If you or someone you know is struggling please know it's okay to ask for help."

Long before the women of the Marvel Cinematic Universe joined forces for the epic female scene in "Avengers: Endgame," Marvel had expressed interest in an all-women Marvel mashup movie. But after uniting in battle in the finale of "Endgame," fans have been asking when they'll see the female movie hit theaters. Now, Brie Larson, one of Variety's Power of Women honorees, confirms that she, along with her Marvel co-stars, have had talks with Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige about making that film a reality. During a sit-down interview at her Power of Women cover shoot, Captain Marvel herself was asked if the female film has been "truly discussed" among the Marvel brass. "It is something," she said with a pause, then adding, "Well what do you mean truly discussed?" “I will say that a lot of the female cast members from Marvel walked up to Kevin and we were like, ‘We are in this together, we want to do this,'” Larson explaine...

Oprah Winfrey doesn't have any regrets with how she lived her life. The 65-year-old mogul opened up with People Magazine about not getting married and not having children. Oprah, who met longtime love Stedman Graham at a charity event in 1968, revealed that she did think about becoming a mother once she and Stedman became engaged. "At one point in Chicago I had bought an additional apartment because I was thinking, 'Well, if we get married, I'm going to need room for children,'" Oprah shared before admitting she saw "the depth of responsibility and sacrifice that is actually required to be a mother" while working on The Oprah Winfrey Show. "I realized, 'Whoa, I'm talking to a lot of messed-up people, and they are messed up because they had mothers and fathers who were not aware of how serious that job is,'" Oprah said. "I don't have the ability to compartmentalize the way I see other women do. It is why, throughout my y...

Miley Cyrus is home from the hospital - and she has her man by her side! The 26-year-old entertainer took to her Instagram Story on Wednesday night (October 9) to share a hot photo cozying up to shirtless Cody Simpson. "She made it home," Miley captioned the photo in the gallery. "Recovering from surgery send all the vibe$." The day before, Miley made things official with the 22-year-old Australian singer, calling him her "boyfriend" after he visited her in the hospital as she recovered from a recent tonsillitis diagnosis.

Kevin Hart is getting back to his famous "Hustle Hart" mode after his horrific car accident but he's not rushing into anything intense like full action scenes, just yet. Sources connected to Kevin tell TMZ he's reported to work this week to promote the upcoming 'Jumanji' sequel in a new marketing campaign, which clearly required his presence, because he's nowhere near 100 percent yet. Ever the trooper though, Kevin is committed to fulfilling his commitments as best as he can. For example, he did 2 hours of shoots on set Monday, another 2 hours Tuesday, and will be back for another couple on Thursday. It's reported that Kevin has not been in full costume for these shoots and he's not walking much for them - either sitting through most of the day even though he can walk on his own these days.

Larry King's divorce to his 7th wife is kicking into high gear. Larry and Shawn Southwick have listed their massive Beverly Hills pad for $16.995 million, and we're told it's a big step in reaching a divorce settlement as quickly and smoothly as possible. The now-estranged couple bought the 5-bed, Tuscan-style house in 2007 for just under $12 mil, so if all goes well, they'll make a nice profit

Kim Kardashian has another presidential notch in her belt, but she brought some backup this time - her sis, Kourtney Kardashian for a tete-a-tete with Armenia's big cheese. The eldest Kardashians met President Armen Sarkissian Tuesday night breaking bread with him, and a small group, at the presidential palace. Kim was business chic for the meeting -- a stylish suede-looking suit and diamond necklace ... while Kourt went with a black suit and a white blouse.