An unpublished Australian government report says feral deer grew in number and spread across the country between 2020 and 2025, causing more than $91 million in annual production losses and management costs. South Australia was the only state or territory to earn green ratings across all four measures, while advocates say other jurisdictions need sustained funding and action to contain deer.
Key Facts
The report assessed the national feral deer action plan over the five years from 2020 to 2025.
Feral deer cost Australia more than $91 million each year in production losses and management time, according to the report.
Six feral deer species are established in Australia: chital, fallow, hog, red, rusa and sambar.
Deer populations are strongest in south-eastern Australia, with smaller local populations in South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
South Australia received green ratings for abundance, distribution, and environmental and agricultural impacts after starting a statewide eradication plan in 2022.
New South Wales and Tasmania received red ratings in all four assessment categories.
Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory each received three red ratings and one yellow; no jurisdiction other than South Australia received a green rating.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Inside Elections changed its ratings for nine U.S. Senate races, with each shift moving toward Democrats, days before the November 3 midterm elections. Nate Silver cited recent Democratic polling, while the article noted that polls can be wrong and reported that several races remain close.
Key Facts
Georgia moved from lean Democrat to likely Democrat; incumbent Jon Ossoff faces Mike Collins.
Ohio moved from toss-up to tilt Democrat; Republican incumbent Jon Husted faces Sherrod Brown.
Texas moved from toss-up to tilt Democrat; Ken Paxton faces James Talarico in a race described as a virtual dead heat.
Iowa moved from tilt Republican to toss-up; Ashley Hinson faces Josh Turek.
Kansas moved from tilt Republican to toss-up; Adam Hamilton faces incumbent Roger Marshall.
South Carolina moved from lean Republican to tilt Republican; Darline Graham faces Annie Andrews, and a recent poll showed them tied.
Nebraska moved from lean Republican to tilt Republican; incumbent Pete Ricketts faces independent Dan Osborn.
Louisiana and Mississippi each moved from solid Republican to likely Republican.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Actor Sir Patrick Stewart has died at 86 from Alzheimer’s disease. Known for roles including Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek and Professor X in X-Men, he had a seven-decade career spanning classical theatre, film and television.
Key Facts
Sir Ian McKellen called Stewart the most respected and beloved actor of his generation.
Stewart played Captain Jean-Luc Picard in more than 170 Star Trek episodes from 1987 to 1994, four films and the series Star Trek: Picard from 2020 to 2023.
Stewart joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1966 and performed in productions including King John, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Henry IV.
William Shatner, George Takei and Hugh Jackman shared tributes to Stewart.
Marvel Studios described Stewart as a singular talent and generous collaborator.
Huddersfield Town, the football club Stewart supported, called him a titan of his craft.
Stewart was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2010.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
The cast of “Dexter: Resurrection” spoke with CBS News reporter Taylor Masi in New York City. The interview covered Season 2 and the franchise’s 20th anniversary.
Key Facts
CBS News published a video segment about the “Dexter” franchise.
Taylor Masi spoke with cast members in New York City.
The segment discusses Season 2 of “Dexter: Resurrection.”
The franchise is celebrating its 20th anniversary.
The article describes Dexter as an antihero who is returning for Season 2.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Heavy rains caused flash floods across several Syrian provinces, killing five people, including four children. Flooding damaged bridges and roads, trapped vehicles and forced families to leave camps in the Raqqa countryside.
Key Facts
The four children drowned in Raqqa and Deir Az Zor governorates, according to Syria’s Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management.
A man died after floodwaters caught his car near al-Salmani Bridge in western Raqqa countryside.
Five people, including two children, remained missing as of Thursday.
The flooding damaged infrastructure in Aleppo, Raqqa, Deir Az Zor, Hasakah and Homs.
Al-Salmani Bridge west of Tabqa collapsed, closing the road between Raqqa and Aleppo, state news agency SANA reported.
Emergency teams rescued 15 people whose vehicles were trapped in floodwaters.
Authorities evacuated about 375 families from three camps on the rural outskirts of Raqqa.
UNICEF said flooding had affected 17,000 people in Syria earlier in 2026; 700 families had been displaced, and 49 water treatment plants had gone out of service.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
China expelled 33 Communist Party members at its fifth plenum, a record number, as Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption campaign continued to target senior officials. Only 279 of the 376 Central Committee members named in 2022 attended; the article says many absences were linked to purges, while others were unexplained.
Key Facts
The fifth plenum expelled 33 party members.
The Central Committee had 376 full and alternate members named in 2022, but 279 attended the gathering.
Confirmed expulsions included Zhang Youxia, formerly second in command in China’s military hierarchy, and Ma Xingrui, formerly the party secretary for Xinjiang.
The article reports that purges have reduced the seven-member Central Military Commission to Xi Jinping and Zhang Shengmin.
Zhang Shengmin was promoted to the Communist Party’s Politburo and became its only military member.
The plenum laid groundwork for the 21st Party Congress, expected in the second half of 2027.
Xi is expected to seek a fourth term as party leader at the congress.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Senate Majority PAC, the main political action committee supporting Senate Democrats, will spend $750,000 on digital ads in South Carolina. The move marks the group’s first ad spending in the state and comes as polls show a close Senate race.
Key Facts
Senate Majority PAC plans to spend $750,000 on digital advertising in South Carolina.
This is the committee’s first ad spending in the state.
The ads will focus on the Senate contest.
Polls show a close race in South Carolina, a state described in the article as deeply Republican.
The article identifies Senate Majority PAC as Senate Democrats’ main political action committee for the midterms.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Three people died when a Robinson R22 and an Airbus helicopter collided near McMinnville Municipal Airport in Oregon on Thursday afternoon. The FAA and NTSB are investigating, and officials have not said what caused the collision.
Key Facts
The helicopters crashed in a field beside a highway.
A 22-year-old flight instructor from Texas, Maddie Aasbo, and a student pilot from the United Kingdom were aboard the Robinson R22.
The student pilot has not been publicly identified while authorities work to notify the person's next of kin.
The sole occupant of the Airbus helicopter was Tyler Delane Sturdevant, 38, of Newberg, Oregon.
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are leading the investigation.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Sam Wood, 46, appeared through a second bail application in Queensland’s Supreme Court while facing charges of assault occasioning bodily harm and strangulation in a domestic setting. His lawyer proposed that he live in Tasmania and follow bail conditions, while prosecutors argued the allegations were serious; the hearing is continuing.
Key Facts
Wood has been in custody since his arrest in Noosa on 4 October.
He was initially denied bail and has indicated he will contest the charges.
The charges relate to allegations that he assaulted and strangled his wife, Snezana Wood, during a family holiday on the Sunshine Coast.
Wood’s lawyer said he could live in Tasmania with his father and agree not to enter Victoria, where Snezana lives.
His legal team proposed that he take a men's behavioural change course if released.
Prosecutors argued the alleged violence included force to Snezana’s neck and banging her head against the floor, and occurred near young children and in front of an adult witness.
Wood is being held at Wolston correctional centre near Brisbane and was not brought to Friday’s hearing.
His lawyer argued that a trial could take more than a year and that he could spend longer in custody before trial than any sentence imposed if convicted.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
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.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
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.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
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.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
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.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
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.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
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.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
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.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
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.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
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.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
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.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
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.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
