News Briefs

That’s even as disagreements deepened over who will take part in an international military force to provide security in the Strip. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Wednesday rejected the participation of the Palestinian Authority or Turkish troops as part of a proposed International Stabilization Force, even as U.S. Vice President JD Vance said Ankara would play a “constructive role.” Islamic Jihad, the hardline Palestinian group that took part in Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks, confirmed for the first time yesterday its commitment to the U.S.-brokered ceasefire. The International Court of Justice ruled on Wednesday in a non-binding measure that Israel cannot obstruct UN aid efforts in Gaza and must ensure “basic needs” of Gaza’s population.

For Israelis, a legacy of the war in Gaza is international ostracism

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced the strikes yesterday. The eighth and ninth such strikes were the first to take place beyond the Caribbean Sea, in the eastern Pacific. They brought the total reported death toll to 37. Mr. Hegseth compared drug smugglers to Al Qaeda terrorists and vowed “justice,” while lawmakers have pressed for legal justification for the attacks.

As US targets drug boats, Venezuelans wonder whether Maduro might be next

The “compact” offers preferential funding to schools that adopt policies aligned with the Trump administration’s values. The University of Virginia, the first public school to decline, said research should be based on merit alone. Vanderbilt’s chancellor said the school would continue a dialogue with the administration, while the University of Texas at Austin has not responded.

How intertwined are the federal government and US colleges?

Rob Perez, a Washington, D.C.-based content creator and Navy veteran, is running an extra mile for each day of the government shutdown. He talks viewers through a different aspect of the shutdown while he runs, such as how it affects federal workers. About 1.4 million government employees have been furloughed or are working without pay. Mr. Perez ran 22 miles Wednesday to mark the 22nd day of the shutdown.

Government shutdown drags on as Republicans, Democrats dig in

That’s a popular sport and eating fish whose stocks have rebounded in recent years. “South Carolina knows its waters, its fishermen, and its economy better than any federal agency ever will,” the state’s attorney general wrote in a letter to the U.S. Commerce Department. The state joins Florida and Georgia in a growing effort to localize regulation. Leaders blame bureaucratic inaction and flawed data for limiting access to the species.

Clarke Casey and Michelle Anne Ng, from Newfoundland and Singapore respectively, first corresponded in 1983 as children. They haven’t stopped. At their first meeting in Canada, the besties sifted through decades of letters, laughing and reminiscing. The friendship will continue until “we grow old together,” Ms. Ng told CBC. “Nothing’s going to stop us from writing to each other.”

Instead of a Web search, it can scan a user’s files and anticipate what else users might want to know. And rather than merely displaying information, it uses data to accomplish tasks. The software could help OpenAI earn ad revenue from Web search, but challenges remain. Still in startup phase and losing money despite ChatGPT’s success, OpenAI must compete with Google, which dominates search and is also transforming it with AI. Privacy concerns remain an issue.

That all but guarantees the state will gain Republican representation in next year’s midterm election. It’s part of a White House-led effort to secure as many GOP seats as possible ahead of an election Democrats hope could return them to power in the U.S. House. Twice as many Republican-led states as Democratic-led ones are scheduled to debate redrawn maps this year.

In Texas redistricting fight, are hardball politics proving a winning strategy?

On Monday, Illinois and the city of Chicago filed a brief arguing that the justices should not hear a Trump administration challenge to a lower court ruling barring National Guard deployment in the state. Later that day, a panel of appeals court judges said President Trump can deploy the National Guard in Portland. The Oregon attorney general has urged the full appeals court to review the decision.

From LA to Portland: Tracking Trump’s expansive use of the National Guard

The new $100,000 fee for highly skilled workers that President Trump announced last month won’t apply to those already in the U.S. or recent college grads on F-1 visas, according to the latest guidance from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, representing 300,000 businesses, sued last week over the H-1B visa fee.

Why India may be the winner from Trump’s H-1B price hike

Energy ministers approved the plan Monday. The European Union likes to act unanimously both as a symbol of unity and to prevent divisions. The decision comes over the objections of Hungary and Slovakia, who import Russian oil and are among the most pro-Russia voices in the bloc. The goal is two-fold: sanctioning Russia and building European energy independence. France and Belgium are among the countries still importing Russian gas.

As Russia hits energy grid, Ukraine tries to avoid a cold, dark winter

It’s a sign that peace between the neighboring countries is “no longer on paper, but in practice,” said Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev. Transit had been banned for nearly four decades during conflict over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. A spokeswoman for the Armenian government praised the development as a step toward “institutionalizing the peace established” in a U.S.-brokered agreement in August.

As Armenia seeks peace with old foes abroad, civil unrest grows at home

That’s according to a new report by Northwestern University’s school of journalism. Nearly 40% of local newspapers have shuttered in the last 20 years, leaving 50 million Americans with limited or no access to a local news source. Some 300 outlets, mostly digital-only, have launched in the last five years to fill that gap, but these remain concentrated in urban areas. Thirty-nine states have fewer than 1,000 journalists.

About 80 percent of the additional 10 gigawatts requested by Georgia Power, the utility, is set to go to power new data centers circling the capital of Atlanta. The state leads the nation in new AI data centers. Its public utility commission will have to balance business interests in the Republican state with rapidly rising costs for consumers, who pay higher rates for their lights than industry. The public hearings are a microcosm of a growing debate around the power demands of Big Data.

Yes, AI is power-hungry. But there’s more to surging electricity prices.

Republicans say they want energy dominance. But will ‘big bill’ deliver?

In her third attempt to lead the country, Ms. Takaichi won a parliamentary vote Tuesday, breaking a historic glass ceiling in Japan, where women still lag behind men in gender equality. Yet the conservative politician is not known as a strong promoter of women’s rights or diversity. She is expected to prioritize Japan’s defense buildup and fighting inflation.

In Japan, too, voters want their country to be ‘great again’

They hope to move the 12-day-old peace deal onto its even trickier subsequent phases. Both Israel and Hamas recommitted to the ceasefire after weekend violence threatened to derail it. Underscoring his commitment to the deal, President Donald Trump dispatched envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to the region. The two met yesterday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Vice President JD Vance is also headed to Israel.

With ceasefire and hostage deal, Gaza clears a hurdle. Taller ones remain.

Communist Party leaders are meeting in Beijing to set strategic economic priorities for 2026-2030. Faced with growing “external shocks” – a reference to the U.S.-China trade war – they plan to stress modern manufacturing and innovation, state-run media reported today. Despite U.S. tariffs, China’s gross domestic product is expected to grow by about 5% this year, buoyed by strong industrial output and exports.

Soybean bailout? Hard-hit farmers want China trade more than Trump aid.

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol championed the experiment – and hefty investment – as a way to personalize learning and reduce teacher workload, reports Rest of World. But after one semester and complaints ranging from privacy concerns to factual inaccuracies, the government reclassified the textbooks as “supplementary material,” meaning schools can choose whether to use them. Many have not.

Meet the students who are just saying no to AI

The American pianist earned first prize at the Warsaw contest, which honors Poland’s beloved composer Fryderyk Chopin. Inspired by the Olympic Games when it was founded in 1927, the International Chopin Piano Competition is held once every five years and is among the world’s most prestigious – and one of the few devoted entirely to a single composer’s music. This year’s event drew 84 pianists from 19 countries, all under 30.

We reviewed a biography of Fryderyk Chopin in 2018.

Mortgage lending has picked up after regulators eased stress tests and income restrictions, The Financial Times reports. At Lloyds Bank, 11,000 have qualified for mortgages who would not have previously. While easing standards carries risks, mortgage defaults ticked down last quarter for the first time in three years, suggesting the market can absorb the new loans.

That’s more than the entire school populations of cities like Denver or Baltimore. The number includes children sleeping in shelters or crowded apartments, where families double up to make rent. More than half of these students are also chronically absent from school. While some schools had no homeless children, roughly 30 schools had more unhoused students than housed ones.

Santa Clara’s new way to stop homelessness: Keep people in their homes

The issue began around 3 a.m. Eastern Time, affecting Amazon’s own services like Ring and Alexa as well as many online services like Snapchat, Roblox, and Signal. Amazon blamed the problem on its domain name system, which translates web addresses into IP addresses. By around 6 a.m., Amazon reported recovery across most services. This isn’t the first time AWS has faced such issues, with previous outages in 2023 and 2021. Experts say these disruptions highlight the internet’s reliance on a few major cloud providers.

The government said the ban was motivated by concerns that the game allowed direct communication between users in ways that exposed children and adolescents to attempts of exploitation or cyber-extortion, and that its content was “incompatible with social values and traditions.” The move places Iraq among several Middle East countries tightening regulation of online gaming and interactive platforms over child safety and moral concerns. Turkey blocked access to Roblox in August 2024, also citing child abuse risks.

The Federal Aviation Administration said late Sunday that travel was delayed at airports in Dallas, Chicago, Atlanta and Newark as a U.S. government shutdown hit its 19th day. FlightAware said more than 5,800 flights had been delayed. Some 13,000 air traffic controllers and about 50,000 Transportation Security Administration officers must work during the government shutdown, but are not being paid.

Government shutdown drags on as Republicans, Democrats dig in

Israeli forces launched a wave of deadly strikes Sunday, saying Hamas militants had killed two soldiers. The military later said it resumed enforcing the ceasefire and that aid deliveries would resume Monday. U.S. President Donald Trump said the ceasefire remained in place.

On Gaza’s streets, Hamas wages violent fight to reassert control

Centrist Rodrigo Paz was elected as president, marking a shift to the right. His victory comes amid the worst economic crisis in a generation, and he’ll face immediate challenges like securing fuel and forging alliances in a legislature where his party lacks a majority. Many say his win reflects a popular rejection of the Movement Toward Socialism party but a desire to preserve the social and economic inclusion of the past 20 years.

Bolivia runoff shows why there is no longer an ‘Indigenous vote’

Thieves carried out an early morning heist at the Paris museum Sunday, breaking into one of its most ornate rooms and stealing eight pieces of jewelry. France’s interior minister said the “priceless” jewels, which included an emerald and diamond necklace given by Napoleon to his wife, were of “unmeasurable heritage value.” While investigators hunt for the thieves, the French government faces scrutiny over the relative ease of the break-in.

Q&A with with James Gardner, author of ‘The Louvre’

Protesters denounced what they view as the authoritarian tendencies of President Trump. Saturday’s demonstrations were meant to build on momentum gained from more than 2,000 such protests on June 14. They were boisterous but orderly, with police largely keeping a low profile.

Troops in the streets and political violence: Americans grapple with a charged moment

Levels of depression, anxiety, and loneliness have all improved since 2022, when mental health hit the lowest point in nearly two decades of tracking during the pandemic. Daniel Eisenberg, a co-principal investigator on the Healthy Minds Study, told LAist that “concerted efforts to improve support for students [seem] to be working.”

Supporting students: What’s next for mental health

The ban applies to veils worn for gender or religious reasons. The measure, proposed by the far-right Chega party, is seen as targeting coverings like burqas and niqabs worn by some Muslim women. The bill, approved on Friday, allows face veils in airplanes, diplomatic premises, and places of worship. It includes fines ranging from 200 to 4,000 euros for violations. President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa must still approve the bill. The issue of face coverings has become controversial in Portugal, even though few women in Portugal wear them.

The national security hawk and former adviser to President Donald Trump was indicted Thursday. He is accused of sharing sensitive information with two of his relatives for possible use in a book he was writing, including notes on intelligence briefings and meetings with senior government officials and foreign leaders. Mr. Bolton is the third of Mr. Trump’s prominent critics to face prosecution in recent weeks.

An international maritime meeting ended Friday without adopting new regulations. The world’s largest maritime nations had been discussing ways to move the shipping industry away from fossil fuels. On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump urged countries to vote against the regulations. The proposed rules would have set a marine fuel standard and imposed fees for emissions above allowable limits. Shipping emissions have grown to about 3% of the global total, prompting calls for action.

The statement, released in the early hours Friday, follows a warning from U.S. President Donald Trump that he would green-light Israel to resume the war if Hamas doesn’t live up to its end of the deal. That includes a pledge to hand over the remains of all dead Israeli hostages. Hamas has also defended the killings in Gaza of alleged gang members who one official accused of causing death and destruction. Meanwhile, the U.N. says a large infusion of aid into Gaza is still being held up.

On Gaza’s streets, Hamas wages violent fight to reassert control

Adm. Alvin Holsey’s job involved overseeing recent strikes on small boats in the Caribbean Sea that the Trump administration has said are running drugs for Venezuela-based cartels. He was one year into a three year term. His departure after more than 37 years in the military “sends an alarming signal,” said Sen. Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Trump opens a military campaign against drug cartels. It’s not an easy fight.

Amid Russian provocations, including recent airspace violations, the bloc is working to boost its capacity, from an anti-drone system to an air and missile defense shield. The goal is to “credibly deter” military threats by the end of the decade. The document does not mention the United States, which has pressured Europe to take charge of its own defenses. “Europeans must take more responsibility,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said yesterday.

Will Europe’s rising defense budgets come at the cost of welfare?

Senate Democrats rejected for the tenth time a stopgap spending bill that would reopen the government. They are insisting they won’t back away from demands that Congress take up health care benefits. While some bipartisan talks have been ongoing about potential compromises on health care, they haven’t yet produced any progress toward reopening the government.

Shutdown hits government workers already reeling from Trump’s cuts

Last week’s rains caused landslides and left at least 200 communities cut off from roads. Electricity has returned in some areas, but government assistance has been slim. Despite sky-high approval ratings in her first year in office, President Claudia Sheinbaum has faced hostile crowds during visits to affected areas. “Here we no longer ask, ‘How are you?’ We just say, ‘Courage’,” one resident told El País.

As cities seek ways to prevent floods, a California town has a success story to share

Electric vehicles made up more than 95% of new car sales this year, up from 89% in 2024, driven by tax breaks and incentives such as free tolls. Oslo plans to begin phasing out some of those benefits over the next two years. “We can say that the goal has been achieved,” Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg said.

The EV tax credit is ending. How could that affect the US car market?

There is broad public approval for the legislation, which surpassed 80% approval in 2020 when it was initially proposed. Although assisted dying is a divisive issue in many parts of the world, the debate has broadened to include questions around mercy and compassion. Regardless of one’s posture on euthanasia, “what is needed in the conversation is more empathy,” Uruguayan Florencia Salgueiro, whose father had sought assistance in dying, told the Monitor in 2023.

As assisted dying broadens, countries wrestle with new ethical lines

Hansen Village, a modular settlement near Kyiv, houses 2,000 people displaced from war-torn and occupied territories. It includes a school, health clinic, and sports facilities. It’s funded by Utah developer Dell Loy Hansen, who has invested over $140 million in housing and aid for Ukraine since 2022. His efforts, however, can’t match the scale of the deepening national housing crisis. With more than 100,000 people evacuated from war since June, Ukraine is struggling to pay for emergency housing as it faces hundreds of billions in reconstruction costs.

In Ukraine, swarms of Russian drones and missiles are transforming combat

Officials and families warned Hamas to hand over the bodies of those still held. Amid a fragile truce that paused the two-year war, Palestinians were awaiting a long-promised surge of aid into Gaza, and plans for an international force to deploy there were beginning to take shape. In exchange for the release of the hostages, Israel freed around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees Monday. Since then, Hamas has returned 10 bodies, nine of which Israel’s military has identified as hostages. Israel said there were 28 total in Gaza before the exchange.

With ceasefire and hostage deal, Gaza clears a hurdle. Taller ones remain.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned of consequences if Russia does not come to the peace table soon, at a meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels Wednesday. The statement was one of the Trump administration’s clearest signals yet of support for Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is now headed to the White House, where he is expected to ask for long-range Tomahawk missiles. President Trump suggested earlier this week that he may provide them “if this war is not going to get settled.”

How Ukrainian drones are slowing Russia’s advance in the east

The president confirmed the new authority Wednesday, marking a sharp escalation in U.S. efforts to pressure President Nicolás Maduro’s government. It would allow the CIA to carry out lethal operations in Venezuela and conduct a range of operations in the Caribbean, the New York Times first reported. Venezuela’s government said Mr. Trump’s remarks constituted a violation of international law.

Trump sends ships off Venezuela’s coast. What’s behind the show of force?

The Trump administration is looking to provide an additional $20 billion in financing for Argentina through a mix of financing from sovereign funds and the private sector. That would come on top of the $20 billion credit swap line the U.S. Treasury pledged to President Javier Milei this month to bolster the Argentine peso. President Trump has suggested the money could be pulled if Mr. Milei’s party does not prevail in upcoming midterm elections.

Inflation has improved in Argentina. Why consumers don’t feel a difference.

Fatalities are down by almost two-thirds since 1980, reports Vox, with the total number of reported fires dropping by half. That’s in large part because buildings have become safer, from the prevalence of fire alarms and automatic sprinklers to smolder-resistant upholstered furniture and electrical safeguards. Plus, less smoking has meant fewer cigarette-related fires.

The advances came after a dispute threatened to derail the fragile ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. Israel had threatened to keep Rafah shut and reduce aid supplies because Hamas was returning the bodies of dead hostages too slowly. Hamas returned four bodies confirmed as dead hostages on Monday and another four bodies late on Tuesday, though Israeli authorities said one was not that of a hostage.

‘Closing a circle of sadness’: Euphoric homecomings in Israel and Gaza

Wednesday’s agreement came after an airstrike and ground fighting sent tensions between the South Asian neighbors soaring. The fighting along the contested frontier shattered a fragile peace after weekend clashes that killed dozens, the worst between the two Islamic countries since the Taliban seized power in Kabul in 2021. Both Pakistan and Afghanistan will make sincere efforts through dialogue to find a solution, Pakistan’s foreign ministry said in a statement. – Reuters

All U.S. colleges and universities can reportedly now receive extra federal funding if they agree to a list of 10 terms. Those include banning the consideration of sex, race, ethnicity, political views, sexual orientation, and religious association for financial aid decisions, as well as capping foreign visas at 15% of the student population. The White House initially sent the compact to nine highly selective schools on Oct. 1. Critics say the conditions strip schools of their independence, and MIT was the first to reject the offer.

How intertwined are the federal government and US colleges?

The move allows country officials to provide rent relief for tenants who have fallen behind as a result of the crackdown on immigrants. The immigration raids that ramped up over the summer have spread fear in immigrant communities, prompting many to limit their outings. The local state of emergency can also funnel state money for legal aid and other services.

Amid immigration enforcement, migrant farmworkers’ numbers are falling

The court will hear oral arguments today on a case that could deal the latest blow to the Voting Rights Act, a 60-year-old law enacted to prevent racial discrimination in voting. The case, focused on Louisiana’s congressional map, examines whether it’s constitutional to consider race in redistricting. If the court says it isn’t, Republicans in some states may be able to redraw congressional and state legislative maps in ways that boost their party’s chances, at the expense of Black- and Latino-majority districts.

Trump has opened up ‘a nuclear arms race’ on gerrymandering

The strike killed six “narcoterrorists,” President Donald Trump said Tuesday. The administration said U.S. intelligence indicated the small boat was carrying drugs for “narcoterrorist networks.” It was the fifth such strike by U.S. forces, which have killed 27 people in total. Lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle are demanding legal justification for the strikes as well as evidence the vessels carried drugs.

Trump sends ships off Venezuela’s coast. What’s behind the show of force?

Those willing include European and Arab nations, Canada, and the United States. “We’ve had very good indications already,” said UNDP’s Jaco Cilliers, who estimated that the two-year Israel-Hamas war had generated at least 55 million tons of rubble. Since a ceasefire deal came into effect in Gaza, many Palestinians have returned to the ruins of their homes.

‘Closing a circle of sadness’: Euphoric homecomings in Israel and Gaza

The announcement by the Department of Homeland Security, which includes the Coast Guard, follows President Donald Trump’s directive to the Pentagon to keep troops paid. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said Coast Guard members have halted flows of illegal drugs and migration while “Democrats have played politics with military pay to fight for illegal aliens.”

The shutdown stresses military families, even if they get a paycheck

In April, Cody Balmer scaled a security fence in the middle of the night and set fire to the governor’s occupied mansion. He was sentenced to 25 to 50 years in prison. Gov. Shapiro said he and his family support the plea deal and that it provides real accountability.

In aftermath of Minnesota shootings, tracking a disturbing rise in political violence

The pop singer and her extensive fandom launched her latest and 15th album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” to the No. 1 slot this week. She is second only to The Beatles, who secured 19 No. 1 albums. Ms. Swift also broke the record for the number of albums sold with 4 million units, shattering a previous record set by Adele in 2015 for “25,” which sold 3.378 million copies in its first week in the United States.

OK, she’s worth $1 billion, but can Taylor Swift write poetry? We ask the experts.

They agreed Tuesday to establish an oversight body for a potential permanent ceasefire. That’s an important step toward a peace deal, after efforts to end decades-long fighting in eastern Congo stalled in recent weeks. The monitoring body will include representatives from Congo, the Rwanda-backed rebel group M23, and the 12-country International Conference on the Great Lakes Region.

Senseless deaths mount in Congo. Dignified mourning helps salve the pain.

Israel delayed aid into Gaza and kept the enclave’s border shut on Tuesday, while re-emergent Hamas fighters demonstrated their grip by executing men in the street. Three officials said that was because Hamas had been too slow to turn over bodies of dead hostages. The militant group has said locating the bodies is difficult. President Trump has given his blessing to Hamas to reassert some control of Gaza, at least temporarily. Israeli officials, who say any final settlement must permanently disarm Hamas, have so far refrained from commenting publicly on the reemergence of the group’s fighters.

‘Closing a circle of sadness’: Euphoric homecomings in Israel and Gaza

“We have taken the power,” said Colonel Michael Randrianirina, who led a mutiny of soldiers joining anti-government Gen Z demonstrators, on national radio Tuesday. That came after President Andry Rajoelina fled abroad. Mr. Randrianirina added that the military was dissolving all institutions except the lower house of parliament or National Assembly, which voted to impeach Mr. Rajoelina minutes earlier.

Abdel Fattah el-Sisi spoke to a summit of world leaders Monday in the Egyptian town of Sharm el-Sheikh. The summit was aimed at supporting the ceasefire reached in Gaza, ending the Israel-Hamas war, and developing a long-term vision for governing and rebuilding the devastated Palestinian territory. In his address, President Donald Trump called for a new era of harmony in the Middle East.

With ceasefire and hostage deal, Gaza clears a hurdle. Taller ones remain.

Outlets from both sides of the political aisle, including the New York Times and Newsmax, have refused to agree to the new restrictions. Reporters have until today to sign a document agreeing to be escorted in unclassified areas and allowing their credentials to be revoked if they publish any information not approved for release. Many say the rules violate constitutional freedoms and hinder reporting on the U.S. military, which risks troops’ lives and is funded by some $1 trillion in taxpayer dollars.

CNN out, Breitbart in: Our reporter on what the new Pentagon ‘rotation’ means

Nicolas Sarkozy will begin serving a five-year prison sentence at Paris’ La Santé Prison on Oct. 21, prosecutors announced yesterday. Last month, a court found him guilty of criminal conspiracy over a scheme to obtain campaign financing from late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi. Mr. Sarkozy becomes the first postwar leader and former head of a European Union country to go to prison. He has said he plans to appeal the judge’s ruling.

The charges go into effect today, affecting ocean shipping firms that move everything from holiday toys to crude oil. That makes the high seas a key front in the trade war between the world’s two largest economies. In a reprisal against China curbing exports of critical minerals, President Trump on Friday threatened to levy additional 100% tariffs on goods from China and put new export controls on “any and all critical software” by Nov. 1.

As Trump doubles down on tariffs, his tactics reflect distrust of trade norms

Military units defected and joined the demonstrators over the weekend. In a speech broadcast on social media late Monday, President Andry Rajoelina said he had fled the country for his safety. Protests began on Sept. 25 over water and power cuts and spread amid frustration over corruption and poor economic conditions. So-called Gen Z protests demanding accountability have shaken countries from Nepal to Morocco in recent weeks.

First Nepal, then Madagascar, now Morocco. Gen Z puts pressure on governments.

After the remnants of Typhoon Halong swept through coastal villages, crews used small planes and helicopters to reach the towns of Kipnuk and Kwigillingok, where they rescued more than 50 people and two dogs. One person had died and two remained missing on Monday. “Seeing Alaskans care for one another in this storm gives me hope,” said Senator Lisa Murkowski.

It became the world’s second-smallest country to reach the soccer tournament on Monday. The achievement owes much to the far-flung Cabo Verdean diaspora, with players reconnecting with their roots to represent the African island nation. “We’re all over the world,” defender Pico Lopes, born and raised in Ireland, told the BBC. “It’s great what we can achieve when we’re together.”

The court handed a stiffer 10-year sentence Thursday to the only man who challenged his conviction for raping Ms. Pelicot while she was drugged and unconscious. Husamettin Dogan, a construction worker, had been sentenced to nine years in prison in the first drugging-and-rape trial last year that riveted France and turned Ms. Pelicot into a global icon against sexual violence. The appeals jury was composed of three judges as well as 9 ordinary citizens.

French women flock to Gisèle Pelicot rape trial, ‘to show her that she’s not alone’

Thousands of displaced Palestinians streamed towards their abandoned homes on Friday after a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas went into effect. A huge column of displaced Gazans filed north through the dust and rubble towards Gaza City, the enclave’s biggest urban area, which had been under attack just days ago in one of Israel’s biggest offensives of the war. Hamas is expected to release the 20 living Israeli hostages within 72 hours, after which Israel will release 250 Palestinians serving long terms in Israeli prisons, and 1,700 others detained in Gaza during the war.

Israelis and Palestinians greet Gaza deal with joy, relief, and caution

Russian drones and missiles struck Ukrainian energy facilities, cutting power and water to homes and halting a key metro link across the Dnipro river. It’s the latest mass attack targeting the energy system as winter approaches. Electricity was interrupted in nine regions, and around 600,000 households were temporarily without power across the country.

How Ukrainian drones are slowing Russia’s advance in the east

Prosecutors accuse Ms. James of bank fraud and making false statements. President Donald Trump had demanded she be charged and alleges that she falsely claimed a home in Virginia as her second residence to obtain favorable loan terms. It was Ms. James who won a civil fraud case against Mr. Trump before he regained office. Both the James prosecution and that of former FBI Director James Comey are seen as retribution by Mr. Trump against perceived political enemies.

With Comey indictment, Trump shatters norms of US justice system

The Norwegian Nobel Committee, which announced the award Friday morning, said it chose María Corina Machado for her “tireless work promoting democratic rights.” Ms. Machado, who founded an organization that promotes free and fair elections, was blocked from running for president 2024 under Nicolás Maduro’s authoritarian regime.

The White House announced Thursday that it finalized plans for a $20 billion currency swap – essentially a loan – and bought Argentine pesos, whose value has dropped sharply in recent months. It’s a show of support for President Javier Milei and his controversial economic reforms. If Mr. Milei’s party does well in upcoming midterms, he’ll have enough legislative power to continue with his libertarian economic approach.

‘I eat the elite for breakfast!’ Argentina’s Javier Milei wants radical disruption.

In a national day speech today, President Lai Ching-te said Taiwan will pursue “peace through strength” by raising defense spending to 5 percent of GDP by 2030 and accelerating a more effective, multi-layered air defense system. Mr. Lai called on Beijing to renounce the use of force against the democratic island. China claims Taiwan as its territory and has ramped up military incursions and practiced blockading the island in recent years.

Beyond China’s shadow, Taiwan forges its own identity – and destiny

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a first-in-the-nation law Wednesday that removes certain ultra-processed foods in school meals over the next decade. It builds on the Golden State’s efforts to ban food additives considered harmful and offer all students two free meals a day.

North Korea is welcoming senior leaders from China, Russia, Vietnam, Laos, and other countries to attend an anticipated large military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea on Friday. Beijing sent its No. 2 official, Chinese Premier Li Qiang, for a three-day visit expected to underscore the traditional alliance between the two communist countries. Pyongyang has a mutual defense treaty with Beijing, but relations cooled as it moved closer to Moscow last year.

Xi’s week of diplomacy: As the US pushes countries away, China draws them closer

The program helps keep tabs on visitors from outside the European Union. The entry-exit system, known as EES, registers facial scans, fingerprints, and passport information at the border. The controls are similar to others in Britain (the Electronic Travel Authorisation or ETA) and the United States (Electronic System for Travel Authorization or ESTA). It is part of a wider push across Europe to curb illegal immigration.

The East African nation reclaimed independent oversight over its human rights affairs, following approval by a UN Human Rights Council resolution. That ends over three decades of international monitoring and the mandate of a UN-appointed independent expert on human rights in the country. Khadiija Mohamed Al-Makhzoumi, a minister for women and human rights, said it represents the world’s recognition of Somalia’s “progress in rebuilding democratic institutions.”

Somalia’s peril and promise: A reporter returns after 30 years

Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro said the latest vessel in the Caribbean bombed by the United States may have been Colombian with Colombian citizens aboard. The White House called it a “baseless” statement. President Donald Trump on Sunday announced the latest in a series of military strikes targeting drug trafficking vessels off the coast of Venezuela, although the Pentagon has yet to confirm any such strike occurred on Saturday. If verified, the assertion would bring Colombia into the fray of a U.S. campaign that had previously targeted Venezuelan boats.

Trump opens a military campaign against drug cartels. It’s not an easy fight.

Thousands of soldiers in the next several months will have to evacuate far-flung global hotspots as a result of the latest U.S. funding cuts to the world body. That's according to a senior U.N. official who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity. The result will be about a 25% reduction in peacekeepers worldwide, with around 13,000 to 14,000 military and police personnel sent home. That comes as the U.N. plans to cut about 15% of the peacekeeping force’s $5.4 billion budget for next year.

The Ministry of National Defense issued a report saying it is actively looking to procure new anti-drone weapons systems, which comes in response to Chinese drone incursions. The report released Thursday said Taiwan has developed a strategy to deal with the Chinese drone incursions by identifying and shooting them down as they approach. Taiwan’s outlying islands, which are closer to China than the main island of Taiwan, often face Chinese drones. China frequently claims Taiwan as its own, while in practice it is self-ruled.

Beyond China’s shadow, Taiwan forges its own identity – and destiny

Beijing on Thursday announced an expansion of export controls on rare earths. China produces about 90 percent of the critical minerals vital for making everything from jet engines and cars to smartphones – leverage it uses in trade talks. The Commerce Ministry, citing national security concerns, said it will require foreign suppliers to obtain export licenses to export rare earths and related technologies originating in China. Exports for military use will “in principle” not be approved, and those related to AI or semiconductor manufacturing will be reviewed case by case, it said.

Rare earth reserves are in global demand. Can Brazil change the playbook?

He pleaded not guilty Wednesday in a case his lawyer described as a vindictive prosecution directed by President Donald Trump, whose first presidential campaign Mr. Comey investigated. He faces charges of making false statements and obstructing a congressional investigation. Mr. Comey’s lawyer told the judge he planned to file several legal motions to dismiss the case before a trial.

With Comey indictment, Trump shatters norms of US justice system

The move comes amid a spate of incidents across Europe where drones have caused travel delays by illegally entering airport airspace. Many experts say Russia is likely behind the incidents, seeking to fluster and frighten Europe. Several other countries, including France and Britain, allow authorities to shoot down drones.

Russia’s repeated flights over NATO countries prompt calls for action

The U.S. Justice Department has charged a man with causing the Palisades fire, the most destructive fire in Los Angeles history. Authorities say Jonathan Rinderknecht, of Melbourne Florida, was an Uber driver living in the Palisades when he maliciously set a fire in the Santa Monica mountains on New Year’s eve. The LA County Fire Department suppressed that fire, which continued to smolder underground for a week. It reignited with the dry, windy conditions on Jan. 7, becoming the Palisades Fire, which killed 12 people and burned nearly 7,000 structures across more than 23,000 acres. The U.S. Attorney for California’s Central District charged Mr. Rinderknecht with destruction of property by means of fire.

Destroyed by LA fires, this community is showing how to rebound – and rebuild

Despite months of tariff turbulence, the agency now expects higher trade volumes in 2025 than in 2024, buoyed by surging shipments of AI-related equipment. Tensions have eased since the United States imposed sweeping tariffs in April. WTO chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said at an event held by news outlet Semafor that the system has been “knocked” but continues to prove its resilience. The organization, however, warned of a slowdown next year.

Why Europe’s trade deal with the US might be better than it seems

The IUCN World Conservation Congress is bringing together thousands of scientists, policymakers, and conservationists in Abu Dhabi. They hope to come up with solutions for everything from preserving wetlands to reducing plastic pollution to protecting animals in conflict zones. The conference meets every four years. Participants say they are well aware that they are nearing their 2030 deadlines for a slew of conservation goals, including the promise to halt biodiversity loss.

This program is planting a ‘forest’ of conservation-minded filmmakers in India

They’re pushing for stricter copyright protection that will prevent artificial intelligence firms from using their intellectual property to train AI models. AI companies remain at loggerheads with content owners globally. The movie industry is particularly concerned that AI tools could scrape their copyrighted videos, images, and clips online. The Indian government formed a panel this year consisting of lawyers, government officials, and industry executives to review if existing copyright law is sufficient to tackle AI-related disputes, and make recommendations.

Compensation is not guaranteed for hundreds of thousands of federal workers on forced time off during the government shutdown, Axios reported Tuesday. The Senate rejected dueling measures to fund federal agencies for a fifth time on Monday, with insufficient support for both a Republican proposal to fund operations through Nov. 21 and a Democratic version that would extend healthcare subsidies. Air traffic control staffing issues affected numerous U.S. airports for a second day, with over 3,000 flights delayed.

Trump threatens mass layoffs as shutdown begins. Can he do that?

The U.S. Attorney General faced pushback over the Justice Department’s law enforcement efforts in Democratic-led cities and investigations of President Donald Trump’s critics. Ms. Bondi said the department under President Trump was “returning to our core mission of fighting real crime,” and ending the “weaponization of justice,” even as several political adversaries of Mr. Trump face federal investigations and prosecutions.

With Comey indictment, Trump shatters norms of US justice system

The move followed a high-level meeting in Damascus between President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Syrian Democratic Forces commander Mazloum Abdi after clashes in Syria’s largest northern city, Aleppo. Talks, held under U.S. auspices, aim to revive a stalled March deal outlining the inclusion of Kurdish military and political structures into the new Syrian state, after 12 years of civil war. The Kurds seek to preserve their influence and cultural rights.

Syria’s Kurds want autonomy. Damascus wants unity. Can they find middle ground?

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law yesterday to go into effect on Jan. 1, allowing public schools and community colleges to close and state employees to take the “Festival of Lights” off. The decision follows moves in Pennsylvania and Connecticut. Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, and Buddhists celebrate Diwali, which symbolizes the victory of light over darkness.

Why the Hindu Festival of Lights is spreading around the world

It proposed cutting by almost half its tariff-free quota on steel and steel products. That would effectively add large tariffs on imports from countries including China, India, Turkey and the United Kingdom, which said the measures would wreck the British steel industry. After reaching a new quota of 18.3 million tons, additional imports will face a 50% tariff. This is double the current 25% rate – a high price akin to U.S. President Donald Trump’s steel measures. Neighboring nations such as Norway, Iceland, and Ukraine will be exempt.

Tariffs boost inflation. But many economists see a recession as avoidable.

Scientists John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret, and John M. Martinis won for their research into the weird world of sub-atomic quantum tunneling that advances the power of everyday digital communications and computing. The research, conducted in the mid-1980s, explores how subatomic interactions have real-world applications. Experts say it could enhance computing, communications, and even cryptography. The Nobel Prize announcements continue throughout the week, with the award ceremony set for Dec. 10.

Renewables have overtaken coal for the first time, according to a new report by clean energy think tank Ember. Solar, along with some wind power, more than met the rise in global electricity demand. While the United States has expanded fossil fuel production, China did the opposite and led the world in new solar energy generation.

Nigeria is Africa’s biggest oil producer. Its citizens eye a different future.

Sébastien Lecornu became the shortest-serving prime minister in French history when he resigned Monday after 27 days in office. France is now looking for a fifth prime minister in less than a year, after conservatives objected to Mr. Lecornu’s choice of defense minister. On Tuesday, Edouard Philippe, President Emmanuel Macron’s first prime minister and ally, called for Mr. Macron’s resignation and early presidential elections.

Behind France’s confidence vote, a nation at political loggerheads

Air traffic control staffing shortages impacted multiple airports due to the partial government shutdown, the Federal Aviation Administration said Monday. The White House backed off President Donald Trump’s assertion that government employees were being laid off but warned of potential firings as the shutdown stretches into its seventh day. Lawmakers resolved the last shutdown in 2019 after absences of airport controllers and security screeners spiked.

Trump threatens mass layoffs as shutdown begins. Can he do that?

Tuesday’s meeting in Washington will require a delicate political balancing act. With tariffs on aluminum, steel, and lumber, the Canadian economy is starting to show signs of strain. But many Canadians want to keep their “elbows up” – the hockey slogan that helped bring Prime Minister Mark Carney to victory – against Mr. Trump’s tariffs and annexation threats. Mr. Carney’s approval remains high but has dipped as Canadians lose patience with the uncertainty.

As G7 host, Canada sees chance to forge a path untangled from US

It fell below last year’s 60-year-low, the city said Monday. Homicides dropped by 15% and non-fatal shootings by 22%. Last week, the Michigan legislature approved a budget that doles out $95 million for public safety, with the largest share earmarked for municipalities with high crime rates. The news comes as President Donald Trump mobilizes the National Guard to cities he deems unsafe.

Trump sending National Guard where crime is highest. It’s a blue city in a red state.

It’s the latest in a series of moves to normalize ties between the neighboring superpowers as steep U.S. tariffs force Delhi to rethink its alliances. China-India relations, which collapsed after a deadly 2020 border clash, have long been marked by distrust and competition. But during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to China last month, he and Chinese leader Xi Jinping described their countries as “partners, not rivals.”

India, China look to be partners amid US tariff turmoil

The International Criminal Court convicted a leader of the feared Janjaweed militia of playing a leading role in atrocities in Sudan’s Darfur region over 20 years ago. It was the first time the court has convicted a suspect of crimes in Darfur. The court ruled Monday that the atrocities, including mass murders and rapes, were part of a government plan to snuff out a rebellion. Ali Muhammad Ali Abd–Al-Rahman will be sentenced at a later date. The verdicts came as allegations of atrocities and famine continue to emerge from Sudan in a new conflict.

In Sudan, some feel safe returning to Khartoum, seeking to rebuild their lives

Researchers at the Doñana Biological Station in Spain found that 21 bird species use the same “whining” sound when they see birds that lay eggs in other birds’ nests, known as brood parasites. The discovery suggests that animal and human communication are “on a continuum, rather than ‘language’ being a uniquely human feature,” researcher Will Feeney told New Scientist.

Moody chickens? Playful bumblebees? Science decodes the rich inner lives of animals.