Iniaes

In Ukraine

Residents are leaving Russian-occupied Oleshky during a local ceasefire. The White House says first lady Melania Trump helped negotiate the ceasefire and coordinate the humanitarian mission.

The European Union plans to fast-track 45 billion euros for Ukraine in 2027, including 32 billion in military aid and 13 billion in budget support, as Ukraine faces an acute financial crunch and Russia escalates.

In the Middle East

Israel’s final election results confirm that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies have lost their parliamentary majority. Difficult coalition negotiations lie ahead among ultra-Orthodox, secular and Arab-led parties.

Jerusalem Daily reports that Israel has tightened its siege of Hebron, displacing thousands. In Lebanon, a judge charged eight people linked to Hezbollah with smuggling hundreds of kilograms of explosives, including C-4.

In Aden, Yemen, residents are stockpiling food and preparing to flee as Houthi missiles strike the city, amid fears of a return to all-out war.

In business

U.S. technology stocks fell sharply amid concerns about artificial intelligence costs. The Nasdaq opened at its lowest level in more than two months. Amazon shares also fell after the company missed third-quarter earnings estimates, with heavy AI infrastructure spending squeezing free cash flow.

The Binance theft

Blockchain intelligence firms TRM Labs and Chainalysis say North Korea’s TraderTraitor hacking group appears to be behind a roughly $6.3 billion theft from Binance. Other major cryptocurrency firms responded by freezing billions of dollars linked to the incident.

U.S. election disputes

The Justice Department accused Mary Peltola of misleading a federal court in its lawsuit seeking to block certification of Alaska’s Senate election.

Separately, Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs says a preliminary review of 405 names on a Justice Department voter list identified U.S. citizens and people without active voter registrations, challenging federal allegations.

Space weapons

The Defense Intelligence Agency says China could deploy space-based laser weapons by the late 2020s. The agency says China already has ground-based lasers capable of disrupting or damaging satellites in low Earth orbit.

Prescription drug spending

A final Labor Department rule requires pharmacy benefit managers to disclose to their clients all the ways they get paid. These companies manage billions of dollars in prescription spending for employers and workers.

Living costs in Europe

Thousands protested rising living costs across dozens of Italian cities during a general strike called by grassroots unions. Bloomberg reports that protests over high living costs are also expected in France and Germany.

Silicone recycling

Researchers at Technische Universität Berlin say a new catalytic process recovered up to 99 percent of a reusable chemical building block from individual silicone items, and 86 percent from mixed silicone waste. Tests ran at 176 degrees Fahrenheit for up to 24 hours. Commercial scaling still involves developing contaminant-removal steps and finding nontoxic alternatives to phosgene.

In U.S. news

Three people were killed when two helicopters collided Thursday near a small airport southwest of Portland, Oregon. Authorities said the collision also forced a partial highway closure.

In Auburn, Washington, a police officer is on administrative leave after video showed him straddling a man and repeatedly punching him in a road. The October 28 confrontation prompted a use-of-force investigation. The officer has not been publicly identified.

Seven congressional Democrats are demanding answers from Homeland Security and ICE leaders about hunger strikers at a Texas immigration detention facility. Detained immigrants protesting what they describe as harsh conditions say officials are retaliating and threatening force-feeding.

Seoul disaster footage

Footage of the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush is set to be removed from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 following a backlash. Bereaved families objected to real rescue footage appearing in the game’s opening montage. Almost 160 people died in the disaster.

In cybersecurity

Binance estimates the financial impact of a security breach at $6.3 billion. The company says its initial investigation suggests an attacker may have gained access through a compromised laptop belonging to a DevOps engineer.

Separately, Archive of Our Own says it took its fanfiction site offline as a precaution after finding evidence of a security incident. Its operator says the outage could last up to four weeks.

Oil profits during the Iran war

The New York Times estimates that more than 50 large U.S. oil and gas companies earned over $130 billion from April through September during the Iran war, while consumers paid much higher fuel prices. That compares with less than $47 billion in the same period in 2025. The estimate excludes March, the war’s first month, and October.

Britain’s online safety rules

Meta, TikTok and X have lost a High Court challenge over Ofcom’s information-gathering powers under the Online Safety Act. The regulator had ordered detailed content-moderation data, including counts of removed posts.

Independent journalism in Russia

Russia has reportedly forced investigative newspaper Novaya Gazeta to close. Moscow has classified the newspaper, a prominent voice of independent journalism, as a foreign agent.

Beijing film festival canceled

Beijing’s independent queer film festival has been canceled following reported sustained harassment by authorities. The festival, one of China’s oldest independent film festivals, had been scheduled to begin Friday.

Ebola treatment in Congo

The last Ebola patients have left an MSF-run treatment center in Ituri province in the Democratic Republic of Congo. For the first time since May, the facility has no confirmed cases under treatment. The wider outbreak continues.

Australian AI abuse case

An Australian man who created sexually explicit AI-generated images of a teenage girl and shared them on pornography websites and social media has avoided time behind bars, despite receiving a prison sentence of more than two years. The judge found he had “no malicious motive.”

Cybersecurity under scrutiny

Belgium has postponed a tax filing deadline after a cyberattack led its finance agency to take the MyMinfin tax portal and related platforms offline. The agency disconnected MyMinfin on October 28 as a precaution while security teams investigated.

Separately, employees at encrypted email provider Proton accuse CEO Andy Yen of pushing AI adoption while discouraging security concerns. A 404 Media investigation cites eight current employees, one former employee, internal messages and recordings. Yen reportedly dismissed a request for more security testing before a code release as “bullshit and loser thinking.”

Google expands AI advertising

Google’s search revenue grew 12 percent year over year in the third quarter, down from 17 percent in the second. Chief business officer Philipp Schindler cited lower monetization in AI Mode among several factors. Google says it is expanding ads in AI Overviews and adding them to multiturn AI Mode conversations in the United States.

Israel’s election count

Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc finished with 53 parliamentary seats, eight short of the 61 needed for a governing majority. Coalition negotiations are expected to be difficult. His Likud party claims the election was “stolen.”

Spain’s train collision

At least 69 people were killed in a train crash near Urda, Toledo, on October 28. Transport Minister Óscar Puente said controllers cleared a Renfe train to proceed while an Iryo service remained stationary ahead. Investigators are examining why that clearance was given.

Oregon residents accuse ICE agent

Two Portland-area residents accuse an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent of slashing their car tire after they filmed federal officers. Video released by the ACLU appears to capture the incident.

UK side-income taxes

The chancellor has confirmed that the UK’s tax-free trading allowance will rise from £1,000 to £3,000 in April 2027. It covers extra income from activities such as hobbies and reselling.

In U.S. politics

Vivek Ramaswamy, the Republican nominee for Ohio governor, confirmed Thursday that his campaign has stopped airing an attack ad featuring the estranged mother of his Democratic opponent, Amy Acton, The Guardian reports.

Separately, The New York Times reports that President Trump’s former lawyer, Alina Habba Mildon, secured a contract worth more than $50 million to work for a billionaire Venezuelan family. According to multiple people briefed on the conversations, Trump was angered by the deal’s size and told aides and allies she should donate some of the money to his future presidential library or another Trump-related entity.

In technology

Binance says a suspected hack affected $6.3 billion in cryptocurrency, prompting crypto firms to freeze roughly $3 billion in assets. The exchange temporarily suspended deposits and withdrawals while conducting security checks and working with law enforcement. It has pledged to cover all losses.

Intel shares fell nearly 24 percent after quarterly results showed weakness in its PC business, despite overall revenue rising 21 percent to $16.5 billion. CEO Lip Bu Tan said memory costs and shortages were squeezing PC demand, and predicted the PC chip market would shrink 12 percent next year. Intel is shifting some production capacity toward data center products, but executives warned that supply constraints would limit its ability to meet demand.

At Cornell

New York’s governor says police will investigate sexual misconduct complaints at Cornell. The move follows backlash over the university’s handling of gang rape allegations involving a campus fraternity.

In Oregon

Three people were killed when two helicopters collided near McMinnville Municipal Airport. Those killed included a British student pilot, 22-year-old flight instructor Maddie Aasbo of Texas, and 38-year-old pilot Tyler Sturdevant of Newberg, Oregon. Authorities are withholding the British pilot’s name pending family notification. The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation, according to the FAA.

In Syria

Flash floods have killed five people. Four children drowned, and a man died after his car was caught in floodwaters.

In China

China’s Communist Party expelled a record 33 members at this week’s fifth plenum, a gathering of senior officials. The meeting also had an unprecedented number of empty seats, underscoring the scale of the purges under Xi Jinping.

Religious freedom

The Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need says about 413 million Christians live in countries where serious religious freedom violations put them at risk of persecution. Its report says more than 220 million people are directly exposed to the most severe forms, including violence, abduction, and forced displacement.

Cryptocurrency security

Polymarket says it paused international trading for about an hour Thursday after a security incident compromised a third-party provider connected to a performance-monitoring tool. Trading resumed, and the company promised to reimburse affected traders.

Separately, Binance says it is investigating a possible breach. Blockchain security firm Blockaid says it is examining roughly $3.3 billion in suspicious outflows. Binance has not confirmed a hack or established whether customers lost money, and says user funds are safe. Tether and Circle froze some transferred assets.

California elections

The Justice Department has issued grand jury subpoenas to local California election officials in an investigation of the state’s voter rolls, multiple sources told ABC News.

In a separate case, a federal judge rejected the Trump administration’s request to stop California from processing ballots from up to 20,000 people the administration alleges are likely noncitizens. The judge warned that the request would “wreak havoc” on the midterm elections.

In Ukraine

Local officials say a Russian strike on Chernihiv killed two 15-year-old girls and injured 25 people. In southern Ukraine, a U.S.-brokered ceasefire is allowing crews to carry out demining work aimed at opening humanitarian routes.

Israel’s election

Benjamin Netanyahu accused Arab parties of stealing the election and said Likud had submitted evidence of alleged fraud to authorities. Central Elections Committee acting director general Dean Livne said there was “no basis for allegations of election theft.” With more than 90 percent of ballots counted, Netanyahu’s bloc had 53 seats, eight short of a majority. Two Arab parties were projected to win 19 seats combined, potentially giving them a decisive role in forming a government.

Workplace speech

A federal appeals court panel says California’s ban on punishing employees who refuse employer-sponsored political or religious meetings likely violates employers’ First Amendment rights. The panel found the law restricts speech based on its content and rejected California’s argument that workers’ economic dependence justifies the protections.

Spain’s train collision

Spain is mourning 69 people killed in a high-speed train collision near Toledo. Rescuers continue searching the wreckage, where a minute of silence was held. King Felipe the Sixth is visiting a hospital treating people injured in the collision.

In business

People Inc., the publisher behind People and Entertainment Weekly, is cutting 195 jobs, about six percent of its workforce. CEO Neil Vogel told employees Thursday that the layoffs would affect offices across the company, citing rapid changes in media.

Alphabet shares fell thirteen percent after Google’s parent company said quarterly spending on artificial intelligence would exceed fifty billion dollars. The decline erased five hundred billion dollars from its market value.

In U.S. elections

More than 43 million early ballots have been cast in the midterm elections. Meanwhile, the Justice Department has asked Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs to direct election officials to set aside ballots for hundreds of people the federal government identified as alleged noncitizens. Hobbs pushed back Wednesday, saying officials need individualized proof that a voter is ineligible.

In Ukraine

A Russian jet-powered drone struck the main railway station in Dnipro, killing 14 people. Separately, a ceasefire in the besieged town of Oleshky was intended to allow starving civilians to leave. First Lady Melania Trump and the White House claimed credit for that ceasefire.

In electric vehicles

Mercedes-Benz is developing manganese-based batteries to reduce its use of cobalt and nickel. The company says one option would eliminate cobalt and could deliver up to thirty percent more range than lithium iron phosphate batteries of comparable weight and size. Mercedes also says an EQS test vehicle using a solid-state battery developed with Factorial Energy traveled 1,205 kilometers from Stuttgart to Malmö without recharging.

Spain’s train crash

The death toll from the high-speed train crash in Spain has risen to 69. The cause remains under investigation. Audio recordings published by Spanish media suggest one train was cleared to continue toward Seville even though another train had stopped fifteen miles ahead. The recordings capture exchanges between train drivers and a control center.

In cybersecurity

The U.S. government is trying to remove an online trove identifying tens of thousands of Department of Homeland Security employees. A search tool went offline at its original address Thursday, then reappeared at another address.

In Japan, an internet provider operated by a Sony subsidiary acknowledged that hackers stole roughly 2.6 million subscriber records. The breach follows a series of cyber incidents that have prompted Japan’s government to pledge emergency cybersecurity measures.

In Haiti

El Salvador’s government says it has deployed more than 2,000 troops to Haiti in an operation to rescue four Salvadoran service members.

At the European Central Bank

Christine Lagarde says she will step down as European Central Bank president in February, leaving early because she can no longer remain neutral. Two former central bankers, one Spanish and one Dutch, are being mentioned as possible successors. Lagarde also says the bank debated an interest rate increase, and she hinted at a possible move in December.

In U.S. cybersecurity

Hacktivists calling themselves the Department of Peace reportedly leaked the identities of more than 41,000 Department of Homeland Security employees, including immigration agents and personnel working undercover. DHS says it is aware of a potential breach and is working to address it.

Separately, Reuters reports that the Pentagon is treating freezer malfunctions that spoiled food at military bases across the United States in August as a suspected cyberattack.

In business

A proposed $15 million settlement involving online lender Bright Lending could provide cash payments or cancel outstanding loans for more than 620,000 Americans. Eligible borrowers would not need to submit a claim form.

Alphabet shares fell more than 10 percent in after-hours trading Wednesday after Google’s parent company reported weaker-than-expected profit, slower advertising growth and sharply higher spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure.

The Bureau of Economic Analysis reports that core inflation reached 3.1 percent in September, while third-quarter gross domestic product grew 3.4 percent, beating expectations.

In Spain

Investigators are focusing on rail traffic controllers after a train collision killed at least 69 people. Spanish long jumper Julieta Gallego, who competed for Madrid-based AD Sprint, was among those killed.

In Brazil

Brazil’s Supreme Court has ordered an investigation into alleged foreign interference in the presidential election. The probe puts a donor network co-founded by U.S. Vice President JD Vance under scrutiny over reported links to Flávio Bolsonaro’s campaign.

In AI safety

ChatGPT allegedly helped a 31-year-old Seattle software engineer plan to stop taking medication that controlled her seizures, then reassured her she had “absolutely no need to worry” when she reported alarming symptoms. She died within days.

In Gaza

Gaza’s Health Ministry is urging the opening of the Rafah crossing, saying dozens of people have died while waiting for treatment abroad. Israeli strikes in Gaza are continuing despite a ceasefire.

In data privacy

The Federal Trade Commission has ordered several companies to explain how they use personal data to set prices and pay. The inquiry comes amid growing customer concerns about pricing technology and AI-driven data collection.

Separately, the Department of Homeland Security is working to secure its systems after hackers accessed personnel files and posted work information for more than 41,000 employees online.

In federal court

A defense lawyer alleges that the FBI used a paid informant to steer an autistic Egyptian teenager into an alleged ISIS-inspired attack plot. The lawyer told a federal court that the bureau waited until the teenager turned 18 before sending the informant, and alleges that agents used propaganda the FBI had produced itself.

In Spain

Spain has begun three days of mourning after a high-speed train collision near Urda killed 69 people. Dozens of injured passengers remain in the hospital. Emergency teams are searching the wreckage with drones and dogs, while relatives are providing DNA samples to help identify victims.

Transport Minister Óscar Puente says the national rail control center authorized a Renfe train to pass a red signal 17 minutes before it struck a stationary Iryo train, following a computer failure. He called the decision “inexplicable.” Investigators are examining the cause, and recordings of conversations between controllers and drivers have raised questions about what controllers knew before the collision.

In Israel

Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing religious allies are projected to win 53 seats in Israel’s 120-member parliament, according to Bloomberg. The opposition bloc is projected to take 48. Neither would have a majority, and Bloomberg reports that coalition negotiations could take weeks or months.

In Tel Aviv, protesters called for a government bringing together Jewish and Arab parties. Police moved to disperse activists blocking traffic.

At the central banks

The Federal Reserve has held its key interest rate at 3.75 to 4 percent, with inflation still above target, despite President Donald Trump’s public calls for lower borrowing costs.

The European Central Bank says Christine Lagarde will step down in February, eight months before her term ends. Reuters reports that she could be confirmed as the next leader of the World Economic Forum as early as next month.

In the auto industry

Volkswagen reported a bigger-than-expected third-quarter loss, its worst result in a decade, amid competition from Chinese rivals at home and overseas. The results follow cuts to earnings forecasts by Mercedes-Benz and BMW as consumption weakens in China.

In cybersecurity

A reported data leak has exposed professional details of more than 41,000 Department of Homeland Security employees and contractors, raising concerns about the safety of undercover Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel and sensitive surveillance operations.

Separately, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has added a VMware ESX flaw to its catalog of known exploited vulnerabilities. Cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike says a China-linked group called Warp Panda used the flaw in attacks targeting the U.S. legal sector.

At the Pentagon

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has fired Lieutenant General Brett Sylvia, the Joint Chiefs’ director of strategy, plans and policy, a defense official says. The official says no reason was given and no immediate replacement is in place. Sylvia is the second general Hegseth has removed from that position.

The firing comes as President Trump weighs renewed strikes on Iran. Two diplomats briefed on the matter say U.S. officials have warned regional allies to prepare for possible military action and Iranian retaliation. Trump has not made a final decision.

In East Asia

The U.S. Air Force has barred BYD cars from Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, including privately owned vehicles, over concerns that onboard technology could collect sensitive information.

Japan’s Defense Ministry also reports that North Korea launched what may have been a ballistic missile on October 29. The ministry says it is presumed to have fallen near the Korean Peninsula’s east coast, without reaching Japanese territory or Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

At Volkswagen

Volkswagen, Europe’s largest carmaker, reported a third-quarter loss of 5.8 billion euros as it faced intense competition from Chinese rivals.

In origins-of-life research

A study in Scientific Reports challenges the idea that comets supplied Earth with enough hydrogen cyanide to help life begin. Researchers’ simulations found that impact speeds and angles would destroy most of the compound. Even if all cometary material had reached the oceans at once, the team estimates concentrations would have been about 13,000 times too low for key reactions. Lead researcher Richard Anslow says comet delivery cannot be ruled out, but would have required exceptionally rare conditions.

In Texas

Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued OpenAI and chief executive Sam Altman, alleging the company misled consumers about ChatGPT’s safety and failed to protect children from potential harm. The lawsuit, filed October 23 in Collin County District Court, names six OpenAI entities and Altman personally, and seeks restrictions on ChatGPT.

In Spain

Spain has begun three days of mourning after a train crash killed dozens of people. Emergency teams worked through the night to find victims.

In Britain

Far-right activist Tommy Robinson has been convicted of two counts of harassment causing fear of violence. A jury at Southwark Crown Court found Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, guilty of harassing two journalists involved in Daily Mail reporting. The offense carries a maximum sentence of ten years in prison.

In Washington

The Trump administration approved U.S. visas for defeated Brazilian presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro and his family, who arrived in Miami on October 28, 2026. The approval drew criticism because Brazil’s Supreme Court had ordered Bolsonaro to surrender his Brazilian passports amid a criminal investigation.

Separately, a federal judge rejected the administration’s effort to force California to remove more than 20,000 mail-in ballots belonging to registered voters.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says he will allow widespread access to unapproved peptide injections, the New York Times reports. According to the Times, the plan would bypass standard FDA safeguards, including tests of effectiveness against a placebo and whether the compounds could cause cancer or birth defects. Health experts warn that human clinical trials are lacking and long-term effects remain unknown.

In science

Researchers in Germany report tracking electrons crossing an energy gap in graphene with a probability reaching 100 percent under their experimental conditions. The study, published in Nature, combined ultrafast laser pulses with electron microscopy to follow transitions between energy bands in real time. The researchers say the work could help scientists explore ways to control electronic materials with light.

In the West Bank

Activists accuse Israeli settlers of attacking a U.S. journalist and an Israeli-Russian activist in Umm al-Khair, in the occupied West Bank. Footage shows men, some armed, beating them.

In Indonesia

Nearly two million hectares have burned in Indonesia’s worst fire season in a decade, spreading thick haze and helping fuel wider protests. President Prabowo Subianto also faces economic malaise and criticism over policy missteps. University researcher Nurul Amalia says a reported increase in firefighting personnel has yet to produce significant progress.

In Sudan

A rights group says strikes on a market in Darfur killed more than 100 people, including women and children. Witnesses say the attack hit civilian shopkeepers and fighters from the Rapid Support Forces.