Binance said a suspected security breach led cryptocurrency firms to freeze about $3 billion in assets. The exchange temporarily suspended deposits and withdrawals while checking its systems and working with law enforcement, and said it would cover any losses.
Key Facts
Binance described the incident as a security issue.
Cryptocurrency firms froze about $3 billion in assets after the suspected breach.
Binance temporarily suspended deposits and withdrawals.
The exchange said it was conducting security checks and freezing funds.
Binance said it was working with law enforcement.
The company vowed to cover all losses.
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Parakala Prabhakar, husband of India’s finance minister, has joined protests against a voter-list revision in India. He says removing millions of registered voters threatens democracy.
Key Facts
Parakala Prabhakar is the husband of India’s finance minister.
He joined mass protests against voter-list revision.
The protests are led by a group called the cockroach movement.
Prabhakar says the revision could remove millions of registered voters.
He argues that removing voters threatens democracy.
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Israel’s prime minister accused Palestinian-Israeli parties of election fraud. A final vote count left those parties in a strong position to influence the formation of the next government, while Netanyahu fell short of a majority.
Key Facts
Netanyahu accused Palestinian-Israeli parties of election fraud.
A final vote count placed the parties in a strong position to help decide the next government.
Netanyahu fell short of a majority.
The article concerns Israel’s election and government formation.
The article does not provide details of the alleged fraud or the vote count.
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Peru’s President Keiko Fujimori toured El Salvador’s mega-prison while considering a proposal to build a similar facility in Peru. The proposal is intended to address rising homicide and extortion rates.
Key Facts
Keiko Fujimori is Peru’s president, according to the article.
Fujimori inspected a mega-prison in El Salvador.
She is considering a proposal to build a similar prison in Peru.
The proposal is aimed at tackling rising homicide and extortion rates in Peru.
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El Salvador’s former president Elias Antonio Saca was released on October 29, 2026, after serving a 10-year sentence for corruption. He admitted to diverting and laundering more than $300 million in public funds during his 2004–2009 administration.
Key Facts
Saca reported to court after completing his sentence, according to his lawyer, Mario Machado.
Saca was arrested in 2016 at his son’s wedding.
In 2018, he received five years for embezzlement and five years for money laundering.
A plea deal reduced his potential sentence from as much as 30 years.
In 2019, a court found Saca guilty of offering $10,000 to a court employee for case information; the sentence was included in his existing 10-year term.
Prosecutors said Saca diverted public budget funds for himself and others, including more than $7 million for his former party, ARENA.
Saca was ordered to repay $260 million to the state.
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Rep. Rob Bresnahan and Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti clashed during a debate Thursday as they compete to represent Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District. They discussed the war in Iran, data centers in their district and other contentious issues.
Key Facts
Bresnahan is a Republican representative from Pennsylvania.
Cognetti is a Democrat and has served as Scranton’s mayor since 2020.
The candidates are vying to represent Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District.
The debate took place Thursday night.
The candidates discussed the ongoing war in Iran.
They also discussed the growing presence of data centers in their district.
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Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition won the most seats in Israel’s election but fell short of a parliamentary majority, leaving coalition talks uncertain. Arab party groupings won 19 seats combined and could help determine who forms the next government. Allegations of foreign-funded vote buying remain unsubstantiated, and Israeli authorities said investigations were underway without blaming voters or groups.
Key Facts
Netanyahu’s coalition won 53 of the Knesset’s 120 seats, eight short of a majority.
Likud won 27 seats and remained the largest single party.
The opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot won 48 seats.
Raam and the Joint List together won 19 seats and could become kingmakers in coalition negotiations.
Israel requires at least 61 seats to form a parliamentary majority.
Netanyahu’s camp alleged that Arab-Israeli groups received foreign funding to influence the vote; the article said officials had provided no evidence.
Raam leader Mansour Abbas denied wrongdoing and said he welcomed an investigation.
The Shin Bet investigated suspected irregularities, while the election committee said claims of widespread problems were groundless.
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King tides flooded neighborhoods, homes and businesses in California and Florida this week. Videos showed water entering affected areas and causing damage.
Key Facts
King tides affected parts of California and Florida this week.
Flooding reached neighborhoods, homes and businesses.
Videos showed the flooding and damage.
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The article describes divisions within the Democratic Party over whether it should pursue incremental change or adopt a more sweeping progressive agenda. Although polling and economic concerns may favor Democrats in the midterms, the party remains unpopular, and analysts say its image could affect the results.
Key Facts
James Stevens, a 24-year-old film student who calls himself a democratic socialist, wants Democrats to adopt policies associated with the Democratic Socialists of America.
Stevens supports anti-Zionism, removing corporate money from politics, and government-run free health care.
His mother, Tamara, is a longtime Democrat who prioritizes reproductive rights and supports local candidates.
The article says Democrats are widely expected to gain seats in the House and may gain control of the Senate in the midterms.
The article cites President Donald Trump's low approval rating, the unpopular Iran war, and high gas prices as factors that could benefit Democrats.
The article says recent polls show the Democratic Party has a net unfavourability rating among Americans.
The article frames a party debate between institutionalists seeking incremental change and reformists seeking major transformation.
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Former childcare worker Ashley Paul Griffith faces 202 additional charges in New South Wales over alleged abuse of 23 children between 2014 and 2017. Griffith, who is serving a life sentence in Queensland after pleading guilty to more than 300 child sexual offences, was charged while held at a Sydney correctional facility.
Key Facts
The new charges relate to 23 alleged victims aged between one and five.
The charges include 68 counts of rape of a child under 10 and 42 counts of aggravated rape of a child under 10 who was under Griffith’s authority.
Police also charged Griffith with 69 counts of aggravated indecent assault and 23 counts of producing child abuse material.
The alleged offences took place between 2014 and 2017 while Griffith worked at a childcare centre in Sydney’s inner west.
Griffith was extradited from Queensland to New South Wales days before the new charges were laid.
In November 2024, a Queensland court sentenced Griffith to life in prison after he pleaded guilty to more than 300 child sexual offences against nearly 70 victims.
Griffith was held at Silverwater Correctional Complex when police charged him.
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The Pentagon’s official count of U.S. military deaths linked to the war with Iran rose to 23 after it added two Air Force deaths classified as nonhostile. One death was attributed to illness; the circumstances of the other remain under investigation. The Pentagon also reports 865 U.S. service members wounded by enemy fire.
Key Facts
The Pentagon’s casualty database lists 23 U.S. military deaths connected to the conflict.
Eleven deaths were attributed to enemy fire, while 12 were classified as nonhostile.
The Air Force said one of the two newly added deaths resulted from illness.
The cause of the other newly added airman’s death has not been disclosed and remains under investigation.
The Pentagon lists 865 U.S. service members wounded by enemy fire since the war began in late February.
The initial campaign, Operation Epic Fury, accounts for 15 deaths and 417 wounded service members.
The Overseas Operations category, covering casualties since July 7, lists eight deaths and 448 wounded service members.
Six of the 12 nonhostile deaths followed a U.S. military refueling tanker crash in Iraq in March.
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An El Niño-driven drought has affected about 8 million people in Papua New Guinea, according to the country’s National Weather Service, with water shortages damaging farms and disrupting schools and health services. A coalition of churches, unions and business groups has called the situation a national crisis, while residents and aid workers report food shortages and long journeys to collect water.
Key Facts
Some parts of Papua New Guinea have received less than a quarter of their usual rainfall since August.
The National Weather Service declared El Niño in June, when the country was already experiencing drought.
Many families in rural highland areas are rationing food to one meal a day, CARE International in PNG said.
Dried rivers and creeks have left some communities without water for drinking, cooking and washing.
Some schools and health facilities are closing early or limiting services because of water shortages.
Residents in Bulolo district said dried crops and a lack of water have also made local gold panning harder.
A hailstorm in parts of Enga province buried sweet potatoes under ice, adding to food scarcity.
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An appeals court in Victoria, Australia, rejected Erin Patterson’s bid to overturn her convictions for three murders. The court also accepted the prosecution’s appeal against her 33-year sentence, which included the possibility of parole, meaning her sentence may increase.
Key Facts
Erin Patterson was convicted of three murders.
Victoria’s Court of Appeal rejected Patterson’s appeal against her convictions.
Prosecutors appealed Patterson’s 33-year sentence, which allowed for parole.
The court ruled in favor of the prosecution’s sentence appeal.
The article says the sentence may be increased, potentially keeping Patterson in prison for life.
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Former Trump aide Marc Short said Republicans are in “triage” ahead of the midterm elections, citing inflation, affordability concerns and corruption allegations as factors hurting voter enthusiasm. Republican campaign groups are shifting money and attention from expanding the party’s reach to defending seats they once viewed as safe.
Key Facts
Marc Short served as White House director of legislative affairs during Donald Trump’s first term and later as chief of staff to former Vice President Mike Pence.
Short said voters’ wages were not keeping pace with rising prices and argued that White House policies had not resolved inflation.
Short said corruption-related headlines were suppressing Republican enthusiasm.
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer said Republicans had expanded their electoral map too broadly and were narrowing their campaign focus.
Republican groups have pulled back spending in some competitive races and redirected resources toward defending seats.
The article reports that Republican groups shifted resources from North Carolina to South Carolina, where Republican Senator Lindsey Graham faces a competitive race against Democrat Annie Andrews.
In Kansas, Republican Senator Roger Marshall faces a challenge from Democrat Adam Hamilton, and Republican groups are directing resources to defend the seat.
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California High-Speed Rail Authority CEO Ian Choudri resigned Wednesday, more than a month after a state watchdog reported that the agency had paid $543,000 in disallowed travel reimbursements for consultants. The rail project has faced rising costs and funding problems, and California Finance Department director Joe Stephenshaw will serve as interim CEO.
Key Facts
Choudri became CEO of the rail authority in 2024.
Choudri cited personal and family priorities in his resignation email.
A September inspector general report found $543,000 in consultant travel reimbursements were not allowed.
The report identified $81,000 in expenses for trips to places including gyms, an escape room and a nightclub that lacked an official purpose.
The project aims to build a high-speed rail line between Los Angeles and San Francisco, about 380 miles apart.
Eighteen years after voters approved a bond project, no tracks have been laid, and the estimated cost has risen above $100 billion.
The Trump administration withdrew $4 billion in funding last year.
Joe Stephenshaw, director of California’s Department of Finance, will serve as interim CEO.
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An appeals court in Victoria dismissed all seven grounds Erin Patterson raised against her murder and attempted-murder convictions. The judges also removed her 33-year non-parole period, ruling that the severity of her crimes made her ineligible for release; she has 28 days to seek another appeal in Australia’s High Court.
Key Facts
Patterson, 51, was convicted of murdering three relatives and attempting to murder Ian Wilkinson after serving them a meal containing death cap mushrooms in 2023.
The victims who died were Patterson’s in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson.
Ian Wilkinson survived after spending weeks in hospital and continues to have health problems related to the poisoning.
Patterson received a life sentence with a 33-year non-parole period last September.
The appeal judges rejected all seven grounds raised by Patterson’s legal team, including arguments about a jury hotel booking, evidence presented at trial and the prosecution’s cross-examination.
The court said the case involved such shocking criminality that it was inappropriate to set a non-parole period.
Patterson has 28 days to decide whether to ask Australia’s High Court to hear another appeal.
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Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy said he would not commit to certifying the U.S. Senate election if Democrat Mary Peltola wins while an investigation into alleged candidate recruitment is ongoing. Peltola denies involvement, while the Justice Department is seeking to delay certification if Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan loses.
Key Facts
Dunleavy said officials would investigate the allegations and follow the law before deciding whether to send election results to the Senate.
He said findings of illegal conduct could affect whether someone is seated in the Senate.
The allegations concern claims that Democratic operatives recruited another candidate named Dan Sullivan to draw votes from the Republican incumbent.
Peltola has denied involvement in the alleged recruitment effort.
House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer is investigating the allegations.
Dunleavy ordered Alaska's Department of Public Safety to investigate whether the effort violated state law.
The Justice Department has sued to delay certification if the incumbent Sullivan loses.
Dunleavy's term ends Dec. 7, less than two weeks after Alaska's target certification date.
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The Justice Department filed an amended lawsuit seeking to stop Alaska from certifying its U.S. Senate election results if Republican Dan Sullivan loses. The case follows allegations that Democratic challenger Mary Peltola’s campaign helped recruit a second candidate named Dan J. Sullivan to split votes, which her campaign denies.
Key Facts
The revised complaint was filed days before the November 3 midterm election.
The Justice Department issued 40 subpoenas and document-preservation requests, Reuters reported.
Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy ordered a criminal investigation into the allegations.
Alaska’s Supreme Court ruled in June that Dan J. Sullivan Jr. could run in the election.
Alaska election officials have taken steps to distinguish the two candidates with the same name.
The article says recruiting a candidate to divide an opponent’s vote is generally considered legal and has been used by both parties in Alaska.
Republicans hold 53 of the U.S. Senate’s 100 seats, and the election could determine control of the chamber.
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The Federal Trade Commission has ordered nine companies to provide detailed information about their use of personal data. The agency wants to determine whether they use that data to set prices for customers or pay workers less.
Key Facts
The Federal Trade Commission issued orders to nine major companies.
The companies must provide detailed information about their practices.
The inquiry concerns companies’ use of users’ personal data.
The FTC is examining whether personal data affects the prices customers are charged.
The agency is also examining whether personal data affects how much employees are paid.
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Pope Leo XIV requested a mail ballot for Illinois’ November 3 midterm election, but officials have not confirmed whether he returned it. If he votes, he could become the first pope known to cast a ballot in a secular election while serving as pontiff.
Key Facts
The Will County Clerk’s Office said Leo, born Robert Francis Prevost, requested a mail ballot on October 3.
Leo remains registered to vote at an address in New Lenox, Illinois, despite living at the Vatican.
His ballot is expected to include the Illinois U.S. Senate race, the governor’s race and local contests in Will County.
Public records cited by the Chicago Sun-Times indicate that Leo voted in several Illinois primary and general elections, including the 2024 general election.
More than 20 million Americans and 1.16 million Illinois residents had voted early, according to the article.
Leo has criticized the war in Iran and clashed publicly with President Donald Trump over foreign affairs and immigration policy.
The Vatican said tests after surgery confirmed Leo had localized lung adenocarcinoma and needed no further cancer treatment.
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