The article highlights eight indie horror games for Halloween, spanning point-and-click adventures, survival stories, card battles, and puzzle games. It describes their settings and gameplay, from a Scottish takeaway hiding a gruesome secret to a penguin investigating a haunted Antarctic colony.
Key Facts
Allogloom follows a girl who leaves her village to search for her missing mother.
Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival follows Aidan as he tries to rescue his girlfriend from the Cenobites’ realm.
Grease Trap 99 is a short horror game set in a Scottish takeaway, with dialogue in Scottish Gaelic.
Hunter’s Moon follows a woman accused of witchcraft as she flees her pursuers through 17th-century landscapes.
The Killing Stone centers on a card game against the devil to win back a woman’s soul.
Penguin Colony puts players in the role of a penguin exploring an Antarctic wilderness threatened by cosmic horrors.
Silver Pines follows a private investigator searching for a missing singer in an abandoned town.
The article text ends during its description of Tenebris Somnia and does not provide details about its gameplay.
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Robert Reich argues that Elon Musk’s role in politics and government should be limited, citing his political spending, government contracts and influence over Starlink. The article reports that Musk slowed Starlink service used by Ukrainian forces and says Musk later stated that Ukraine had violated the service’s terms.
Key Facts
The article cites a Wall Street Journal report that Musk ordered a slowdown of a military-grade version of Starlink used by Ukraine.
The report said the slowdown affected the speeds at which Ukrainian hardware could remain connected and disrupted some drones.
Musk said on X that Ukraine’s military had violated Starlink’s terms of service by using it for offensive drone strikes.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Musk and President Trump discussed the Starlink decision after the slowdown became public.
The article says Musk had spent roughly $445 million on the 2026 midterm election cycle at the time of publication.
The article says Musk spent about $250 million to support Trump’s 2024 election campaign.
The article says Musk’s companies have received billions of dollars in Pentagon contracts and that Starlink is important to U.S. and Ukrainian military strategy.
The article says Musk gave at least $168 million to Texas political action committees supporting Republican Ken Paxton’s Senate campaign.
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Some members of Gen Z are using app blockers, simpler phones and in-person event apps to reduce time on social media. Companies offering digital detox tools are targeting this demand, while one student’s research helped advance Illinois measures related to children’s social media use.
Key Facts
Canadian university student Nelissa Moukoudi, 19, said her social life declined after she joined Instagram and TikTok.
Moukoudi uses Opal, which requires users to solve math problems before reopening selected distracting apps.
The article estimates the digital detox industry is worth nearly $1 billion and could reach nearly $8 billion by 2035.
An April poll cited in the article found nearly 60% of Gen Z respondents identified as having a social media addiction; a 2025 survey found a third had deleted some social media apps.
Kendall Schrohe, 23, said she replaced her smartphone with a $349 Light Phone, which has limited features.
Duke University student Shreya Nallamothu created a DIY app-blocking device using $8 near-field communication tags.
The article says Nallamothu’s research helped Illinois state senators advance a bill to prevent parental exploitation of children on social media, and the state passed a law requiring parents to compensate their children.
The event app Pie grew from 120,000 users in July to 300,000 in August, a 150% increase, according to the article.
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The review says CurrentBody’s Series 3 LED mask offers six light wavelengths that users can assign across 125 points on the mask. The reviewer tested preset and custom treatments and reported good skin results and coverage, while noting the mask costs £499.99 and requires an app.
Key Facts
The Series 3 costs £499.99.
The mask has six light wavelengths and 125 light points.
Users can customise treatments by choosing light wavelengths for different points on the mask.
The mask includes adjustable straps, removable eye guards and a touchscreen controller.
The reviewer tested 18 LED masks and assessed comfort, ease of use and skin changes.
The reviewer tested four preset treatments for four nights each, then used a custom treatment for the rest of the test.
The article says evidence for LED therapy is most established for blue, red and infrared wavelengths.
The article reports that experts cited potential uses including managing mild acne, reducing inflammation and firming skin.
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Senators are preparing for a possible fight over whether to accept the results of Alaska’s Senate race between Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan and Democratic former Representative Mary Peltola. The article says a dispute could arise if President Donald Trump urges allies to challenge results he considers unfair or “rigged.”
Key Facts
The Alaska Senate race is between incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan, a Republican, and former Rep. Mary Peltola, a Democrat.
Senators are bracing for a possible floor fight over accepting the race results.
The article says other close Senate contests could also face challenges.
President Donald Trump could urge allies to dispute results he views as unfair or “rigged.”
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Farmers, a key Republican voting group, may pose a midterm challenge for the party as rising costs put pressure on the sector. The article links higher production, diesel, and fertilizer costs to the Iran war and President Trump’s tariff and trade policies, and says his administration has introduced financial assistance and projects for farmers.
Key Facts
Farmers are a key voting group for Republicans.
The article says farmers’ votes could be at risk in the midterms.
It links higher farm production costs to the Iran war and President Trump’s tariff and trade policies.
Diesel and fertilizer prices have risen, according to the article.
The Trump administration has rolled out financial assistance packages and projects for farmers.
The article says the administration’s efforts aim to shore up farmer support.
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UK and EU officials are expected to discuss future options for their relationship, including freedom of movement, before an EU summit on 20 November. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the government has made no assumptions about the long-term relationship, while Downing Street says its immediate focus is deals on areas such as food and youth mobility.
Key Facts
Officials from the UK and EU are expected to discuss a range of future relationship options before the 20 November summit.
Reynolds said officials would discuss possible future options, but current talks focus on food and drink, electricity, and emissions trading.
Downing Street says the government's immediate priority is securing new agreements in areas including food and youth mobility.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said Labour will not return to freedom of movement, the EU single market, or the customs union during the current parliamentary session.
Freedom of movement allows EU citizens to travel, live, study, and work in any EU member country.
Andy Burnham has called for an honest discussion about returning to freedom of movement and has left open the possibility of a referendum.
Labour MP Melanie Onn warned that discussing changes beyond Labour's 2024 manifesto could undermine public trust.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said Burnham has no mandate to negotiate with the EU and called for the prime minister to present proposals at a general election.
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UK officials have begun discussing possible long-term arrangements with the EU, which could include free movement, Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said. The immediate focus is a November summit on trade changes and a youth mobility deal; Prime Minister Andy Burnham says he will explain longer-term options and trade-offs afterward, with voters having a say.
Key Facts
Reynolds said officials are discussing possible future options for the UK-EU relationship.
The November EU summit is expected to focus on easing some trading restrictions and agreeing a youth mobility deal.
Proposed summit measures include agreements on food and drink and emissions trading.
Burnham said he would set out the options for a long-term relationship after the summit and explain the trade-offs.
Reynolds said voters would decide on any future changes, but he did not specify whether they would vote in an election or referendum.
Labour MP Melanie Onn warned that reopening the debate could revive divisions over Brexit.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage criticized officials for discussing freedom of movement and said Burnham lacked a mandate for the debate.
Burnham has said that rejoining the single market and accepting free movement could be included in a Labour manifesto, while fully rejoining the EU would require another referendum.
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Former FBI officials Nikki Cole Floris and Bradley Benavides are due in federal court to challenge charges that they made false statements to Congress about their knowledge of FBI investigations involving Hunter Biden. Prosecutors say records and witness accounts contradict their 2023 testimony; both officials deny wrongdoing, and the allegations have not been proven.
Key Facts
Floris and Benavides each face one count of making a false statement in a matter within Congress’s jurisdiction.
Prosecutors allege Floris said she had not discussed Biden while serving on the FBI’s Foreign Influence Task Force.
Prosecutors allege Benavides said he learned the FBI had Hunter Biden’s laptop from Wikipedia while preparing for his interview.
The officials’ lawyers say the charges are baseless or politically motivated and plan to contest them.
The case began with a criminal complaint, not a grand jury indictment.
The scheduled preliminary hearing is to address whether probable cause exists to move the case forward, not whether the defendants are guilty.
Floris led the task force from mid-2019 to mid-2022, while Benavides served as a section chief from mid-2019 through the 2020 election.
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Severe rains flooded parts of Ecuador’s largest city after battering the country’s coast. The article describes the flooding as the latest storm to hit Ecuador amid a strengthening El Niño.
Key Facts
Severe rains battered Ecuador’s coast.
Parts of Ecuador’s largest city are underwater.
The article describes the flooding as the latest storm to hit the country.
The storm occurred amid a strengthening El Niño.
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ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming returned to the top of Hurun’s China rich list, with an estimated net worth of $100 billion, up 43% from last year. The list showed strong gains for people in AI and other technology fields, while wealth in consumer businesses and real estate fell.
Key Facts
Hurun counted 1,529 people with more than 5 billion yuan in wealth, a 6.6% increase from last year.
The list included 1,176 billionaires measured in U.S. dollars, 155 more than last year.
Hurun said 160 people on the list made their money from artificial intelligence.
Zhong Shanshan, a bottled-water entrepreneur, ranked second with an estimated $61 billion, down 23%.
Robin Zeng, chairman of electric-vehicle battery maker CATL, ranked third.
Human Rights for Sport says at least six Iranian athletes face execution after Iran’s Supreme Court upheld their death sentences. The group says athletes have been targeted amid political protests and reports that six athletes have already been executed in cases linked to protests or earlier political charges.
Key Facts
Mountaineer Ali-Sina Mostafavi was executed on 14 October, after his death sentence was upheld by Iran’s Supreme Court in late September.
Mostafavi was arrested in April and accused of firing on civilians in Kerman’s Azadi Square and taking part in January protests.
Human Rights for Sport says at least six other athletes face execution, including swimmer Ali Pishevarzadeh, footballer Ehsan Hosseinpour and boxer Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani.
The group also names MMA fighter Benyamin Naghdi, equestrian athlete Taraneh Rahimi and climber Maryam Siri among athletes sentenced to death this year.
Taekwondo athlete Siavash Jamshidi Kheirabadi was killed in early October, and MMA fighter Gholamreza Khani Shakarab was hanged in May, according to the article.
Human Rights for Sport says six athletes have already been executed in cases connected to January protests or earlier political charges.
The group reports that 217 Iranian athletes were killed by direct gunfire in January and more than 100 others were detained.
Human Rights for Sport says it is difficult to contact some athletes facing execution because security services are also targeting their families.
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The Democratic Socialists of America is divided over its Los Angeles chapter’s endorsement of mayoral candidate Nithya Raman, largely because she has not endorsed the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel. National leaders found the local chapter violated endorsement rules but have not withdrawn its support, while polls cited in the article show Raman leading incumbent Karen Bass before the Nov. 3 election.
Key Facts
The Los Angeles DSA chapter endorsed Raman by a vote of 937 to 484, with 52 abstentions.
On Oct. 4, the DSA National Political Committee found the chapter violated endorsement rules by not asking Raman about BDS, but it did not invalidate the endorsement.
DSA endorsement rules say candidates must actively support BDS and avoid affiliations with the Israeli government or Zionist lobbying groups.
Vanity Fair reported that national DSA leaders have considered revoking Raman’s endorsement and barring the local chapter from using resources to campaign for her.
A September Berkeley IGS/Los Angeles Times poll showed Raman leading Bass 39% to 28%, with 33% undecided; a more recent Manhattan Institute poll showed Raman ahead 38% to 32%, with 30% undecided.
At a Jewish voter forum, Raman defended describing Israel’s military campaign in Gaza as genocide but declined to support BDS as part of her municipal platform; she said Israel has a right to exist.
The Los Angeles chapter censured Raman in 2024 for accepting an endorsement from Democrats for Israel-Los Angeles, but continued to back her.
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Two men have been charged in connection with an incident near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire on 27 September. Mohmed Abdulkarim faces a charge of assisting a foreign intelligence service, while Nouman Essghir faces a charge of entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the UK.
Key Facts
The incident took place near RAF Fairford on 27 September.
Three suspicious vehicles were seen near the US-operated airbase.
The sighting led authorities to declare a major incident.
Mohmed Abdulkarim has been charged with assisting a foreign intelligence service.
Nouman Essghir, 24, has been charged with entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the UK.
Both men are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.
A 25-year-old UK-Iranian man was released without charge and remains on police bail after being re-arrested last week.
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Missouri voters will decide on Nov. 3 whether to repeal the 2024 constitutional amendment protecting reproductive freedom. The proposed Amendment 3 would prohibit most abortions, allow exceptions under specified conditions, and permit lawmakers to regulate abortion care.
Key Facts
Missouri voters approved a 2024 constitutional amendment protecting reproductive freedom, including abortion through fetal viability, typically 24 to 26 weeks of pregnancy.
The 2026 ballot measure is also called Amendment 3.
The proposed amendment would prohibit abortion except in medical emergencies and cases involving fetal anomalies, rape, or incest.
For abortions involving rape or incest, the proposal sets a limit of 12 weeks' gestation.
If approved, the amendment would allow state lawmakers to regulate abortion and access to care, including through facility licensing requirements.
The proposal would also prohibit gender-affirming procedures, cross-sex hormones, and puberty-blocking drugs for minors.
Missouri already bars gender-affirming surgeries and medical treatments for minors under state law, according to the article.
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Israelis are voting in an election that could leave Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc short of a majority. Exit polls are expected after voting ends, but coalition talks may delay the formation of a government; official results are scheduled for publication on November 4.
Key Facts
Polling runs from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time on Tuesday.
About 7.3 million Israelis are eligible to vote, including 1.2 million Palestinian citizens of Israel.
Final polls published Friday put Netanyahu’s bloc at an average of 50 seats and the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot at 54 seats.
The Knesset has 120 seats, and a coalition needs at least 61 for a majority.
Israel uses proportional representation: voters choose a party, and parties need at least 3.25 percent of the vote to enter the Knesset.
The final vote tally is expected by Friday, while official results are scheduled to be published on November 4.
President Isaac Herzog will consult party leaders and nominate the candidate he believes can best form a government; that candidate can take up to 42 days to do so.
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Election officials across the United States are preparing for the 2026 midterms amid public distrust, legal disputes, threats against election workers, and tensions between federal and state officials. In Georgia’s Paulding County, election director Deidre Holden says her office welcomes public observation and has increased safety measures at polling places and ballot-processing facilities.
Key Facts
Early voting is underway in Georgia ahead of the midterm elections.
The article reports that the Trump administration has pursued lawsuits in California and Alaska and threatened to prosecute election workers, saying its actions aim to protect election integrity.
Nevada Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar said trust between federal and state officials has broken down.
An ABC News, Washington Post, and Ipsos poll found about six in ten Americans were confident the midterms would be conducted fairly and accurately.
The same poll found nearly four in ten Americans and about three in ten voters were not confident the elections would be conducted fairly and accurately.
Paulding County election director Deidre Holden said her office allows people to observe the process.
Holden said a sheriff’s deputy is stationed at every polling location in Paulding County.
Holden said she has focused increasingly on the safety of election staff, poll workers, and voters.
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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Mumbai and Jamnagar on his second trip to India this year, but did not travel to New Delhi or meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Analyst Milan Vaishnav said the itinerary reflected the Trump administration’s focus on business deals and efforts to encourage India to process more Venezuelan crude, even as trade disputes and U.S. ties with Pakistan complicate relations.
Key Facts
Rubio met India’s foreign minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, and business leaders in Mumbai.
Rubio visited Jamnagar, home to Reliance Industries’ large oil refinery complex, and met Reliance chair Mukesh Ambani.
The article says U.S.-India ties have faced strain over tariffs and India’s purchases of Russian oil.
Vaishnav said Mumbai was a fitting location for promoting business deals, though he noted that the choice of venues was intentional.
Vaishnav said the administration wanted to encourage Reliance and India to process more Venezuelan crude.
Vaishnav cited high U.S. petrol prices and the November 3 midterm elections as reasons the administration wanted to show it was working to lower fuel costs.
Vaishnav described the Trump administration’s embrace of Pakistan after the May 2025 India-Pakistan conflict as a major shift.
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Israelis are voting in an election centered on Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership, the October 7 security failures and the country’s direction after three years of war. Netanyahu campaigned on the threat from Iran, while opponents promised accountability and political changes; the article says the opposition entered the vote with stronger organization and voter motivation, though its parties faced late infighting.
Key Facts
The election is the first opportunity for voters to judge Netanyahu over the security failures before the Hamas-led October 7 attacks and his record during the subsequent war.
Netanyahu made Iran a central campaign issue and warned that Iran was moving closer to building a nuclear weapon.
Israeli officials said Netanyahu sought President Donald Trump’s approval for a strike on Iran before the election, but Trump did not agree.
The officials said IDF chief of staff General Eyal Zamir refused to prepare for a potential strike, warning it could trigger escalation and disrupt the election.
Netanyahu opponent Gadi Eisenkot called for accountability over October 7, a national commission of inquiry and drafting ultra-Orthodox men into the military.
Netanyahu’s opponents criticized claims that some of his advisers and his campaign manager received money from Qatar; Netanyahu said he did not know his advisers were paid.
The article described Netanyahu’s bloc as divided and unpopular, while the opposition had stronger organization and turnout efforts.
The article said more than 50,000 Israelis who had left the country returned to vote, and that Arab turnout was expected to be unusually high.
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Two London men, both 24, have been charged under the UK’s National Security Act 2023 following an investigation into a suspected plot near RAF Fairford. Police have said Iranian state involvement was highly likely; five other men arrested in the investigation remain on bail.
Key Facts
Mohmed Ahmad Abdulkarim is charged with assisting a foreign intelligence service.
Nouman Essghir is charged with entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the UK.
Both men are 24 and from London.
They are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.
The incident took place near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire on 27 September.
Five other men arrested during the investigation remain on police bail.
The Crown Prosecution Service said the charges followed a Counter Terrorism Policing investigation.
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