Israel’s election left both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing alliance and the main opposition bloc short of the seats needed to form a government alone. Palestinian citizens’ parties made major gains, raising the question of whether the opposition will seek their support amid ongoing Israeli military operations in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
Key Facts
The election took place on Tuesday and had record turnout.
Netanyahu’s alliance includes right-wing and far-right parties but lacks a majority.
The opposition bloc, led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, cannot form a government on its own.
Parties representing Palestinian citizens of Israel made unprecedented electoral gains.
Netanyahu has refused to work with Arab-led party lists.
The article raises whether the opposition could reach an agreement with Arab-led parties.
The discussion takes place amid continuing Israeli military operations in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
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A federal jury in Boston convicted Eric Nshimiye of four counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice. Prosecutors said he lied under oath in a 2019 trial about his role in the 1994 Rwandan genocide; his lawyers challenged witness accounts and asked the court to credit his time in custody toward any sentence.
Key Facts
Nshimiye is a 55-year-old Rwandan American and U.S. citizen who became a citizen in 2009.
The jury found that he lied while testifying in the 2019 trial of Jean Leonard Teganya, who was later convicted of helping perpetrate the genocide.
U.S. investigators arrested Nshimiye at his Ohio home in 2024.
Prosecutors dropped an immigration-fraud charge before Nshimiye’s trial began.
Witnesses from Rwanda testified that Nshimiye took part in killings and other violence against Tutsis in Butare in 1994.
The 1994 genocide killed more than 800,000 people over about 100 days.
Nshimiye’s attorneys asked the court to count the roughly two and a half years he had spent in custody toward any sentence.
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Vladimir Putin told leaders at the Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow that Russia does not exploit African resources in a neo-colonial way. He criticized Western lending practices and said Russia was ready to expand agricultural shipments to Africa amid disruptions to grain exports and fertilizer supplies.
Key Facts
Putin spoke at the third Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow.
Delegations from 48 African countries attended, including 22 represented by their heads of state.
Putin accused Western countries of using debt and financial terms that he said hinder Africa’s development.
Putin said Russian businesses support local processing of raw materials, job creation, and tax revenue.
Russia supplied 13 million metric tonnes of agricultural products to Africa in the first nine months of the year, according to Putin.
Putin said Russia was prepared to expand the reach of its agricultural shipments to Africa.
The article said attacks in the Black Sea were disrupting Russian and Ukrainian grain exports, while the U.S.-Israel war on Iran had interrupted global fertilizer supplies.
Putin was scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with African leaders on trade, security, grain supplies, and arms deals. The summit was expected to end with a declaration on closer cooperation.
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A buyer purchased the late wrestler Hulk Hogan’s mansion in Clearwater, Florida, for $5.9 million. His daughter Brooke Hogan criticized the sale, calling it “deeply unsettling.”
Key Facts
The property was Hulk Hogan’s mansion.
The mansion is in Clearwater, Florida.
A buyer purchased the home for $5.9 million.
Hulk Hogan is described in the article as deceased.
Brooke Hogan criticized the sale.
Brooke Hogan called the sale “deeply unsettling.”
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Senator Ted Cruz said Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez could win the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028 and warned Republicans not to assume she would lose a general election. He argued that a victory by Michigan Democrat Abdul El-Sayed in his Senate race could be used to support the case that progressive candidates can win nationally.
Key Facts
Cruz made the comments while campaigning for Republicans in Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan.
Cruz said an El-Sayed victory over Republican Mike Rogers would weaken the argument that Ocasio-Cortez is too progressive to win nationally.
Neither Ocasio-Cortez nor other potential candidates had formally declared a 2028 presidential campaign, according to the article.
The article reported that prediction-market averages placed Vice President JD Vance first among listed potential presidential contenders, with Ocasio-Cortez second.
A New York Times/Siena poll cited in the article found Vance leading among Republican voters with 33 percent support, 10 points ahead of Marco Rubio.
Cruz said El-Sayed could pose a national security risk if elected to the Senate and appointed to the Intelligence Committee.
El-Sayed has denied having ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.
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Rep. Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said paper ballots help protect elections from potential hacking by Elon Musk. Himes said 49 of the 50 states have paper records of ballots during an appearance on MS NOW’s “Morning Joe.”
Key Facts
Himes represents Connecticut in the House.
Himes is the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee.
Himes made the comments on Wednesday.
Himes appeared on MS NOW’s “Morning Joe.”
Himes said 49 of the 50 states have paper records of ballots.
The article says Musk is supporting Republicans in this election cycle.
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The UK Budget sets out changes that could affect young people’s wages, home-buying savings and access to housing. It also leaves plans for young people out of work or study and student-loan reform unresolved for now.
Key Facts
The minimum wage for workers aged 18 to 20 is due to rise 3.9% next April, to £11.27 an hour; the rate for workers over 20 will be £13.21.
The government plans to introduce a First Time Buyer Isa in 2029, with a 25% bonus on contributions of up to £4,000 a year.
The new account will replace the Lifetime Isa; the £450,000 home-price cap will remain, while withdrawal penalties on existing Lifetime Isas will be lowered.
A £4.7bn scheme called Your First Home aims to help 70,000 first-time buyers in England purchase new-build homes with a 2.5% deposit and a government loan covering 20% of the property's value.
The government has not announced new measures to help the more than one million 18-to-24-year-olds who are not in employment, education or training; it is awaiting recommendations from Alan Milburn.
The government says it is reviewing student-loan repayment rules, including those for Plan 2 loans, but the Budget did not announce reforms.
A 21-year-old working full time at the minimum wage and holding a student loan taken out after 2023 will earn above the £25,000 repayment threshold, according to economist Ben Zaranko.
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The article says Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition lost its mandate in Israel’s election, while opposition parties held a majority. But many opposition leaders opposed forming a government with Palestinian-led parties, creating a possible path for Netanyahu to remain in office as caretaker prime minister or seek another election.
Key Facts
Yair Golan called for a government that partners with Arab citizens of Israel.
A survey taken as polls closed found that most opposition voters supported forming a government with Ra’am to remove Netanyahu, according to researcher Eran Halperin.
Opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot did not directly rule out working with Palestinian parties but set conditions that the article said made their participation politically impossible.
Yousef Jabareen, leader of the Joint List, said Palestinian parties were ready to help remove Netanyahu’s government through Jewish-Arab partnership.
Ra’am placed a Jewish former police chief second on its candidate slate.
Netanyahu’s coalition had 64 seats after forming in 2022 and lost about 10 seats in the election described in the article.
The article cites Yitzhak Rabin’s reliance on Palestinian support for a minority government three decades earlier as a precedent.
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Students at Jamia Millia Islamia university in New Delhi are on hunger strike to demand the return of their student union. The union has been banned since 2006; students also accuse university authorities and police of restricting their movement and blocking access to basic supplies.
Key Facts
The protest is taking place at Jamia Millia Islamia university in New Delhi.
Students are on hunger strike.
They are demanding restoration of the student union.
The student union has been banned since 2006.
Students accuse university authorities and police of restricting their movement.
Students say authorities have blocked access to basic supplies.
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Donald Trump said his endorsement helped Benjamin Netanyahu perform better than expected in Israel’s election. With 85 percent of votes counted, Likud led the party race, but neither Netanyahu’s bloc nor the opposition had a clear path to the 61 seats needed for a governing majority.
Key Facts
Trump said he had heard Netanyahu did better than early polling suggested and described the result as possibly a stalemate or a win.
Trump said he had not spoken with Netanyahu about the election results and that it was too early to draw conclusions.
With 85 percent of votes counted, Likud had 20.8 percent of the vote and the opposition party Yashar had 16.1 percent.
Israeli media projections put Likud and its allies at about 53 of the Knesset’s 120 seats, while Eisenkot’s allied parties were projected to hold 48.
Arab-led parties were projected to hold 19 seats, according to the reported figures.
A governing coalition needs support from at least 61 lawmakers.
Netanyahu has rejected partnering with Arab-led parties, and those parties have also ruled out joining his coalition.
Election officials cited by the AP said absentee ballots, including votes from military personnel and diplomats, were expected to be counted through Thursday evening.
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At a campaign event near Detroit, Sen. Ted Cruz called Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed a “jihadist leprechaun” and alleged he supports the Muslim Brotherhood. El-Sayed has denied membership or support for the group, while his campaign called the accusation a bigoted smear and a distraction from economic concerns.
Key Facts
Cruz said El-Sayed could receive security clearance and serve on the Senate Intelligence Committee if elected, and claimed his alleged support for the Muslim Brotherhood could put Americans at risk.
Republican nominee Mike Rogers has also made the Muslim Brotherhood allegation a central part of his campaign against El-Sayed in Michigan’s Senate race.
El-Sayed said he has never been a member of the Muslim Brotherhood and disavowed the group at a town hall.
The allegations have cited social media posts by El-Sayed’s half-sister about their birthmother’s reported involvement with the group in Egypt in the early 1970s.
Cruz and Rogers also cited El-Sayed’s leadership in a University of Michigan Muslim Students’ Association chapter, his 2011 op-ed on protests against Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, and a 2012 letter supporting President Mohamed Morsi.
Rogers said in 2012 that the United States would need to speak with moderate Muslim Brotherhood members; he also voted to continue funding Egypt while Morsi led the country.
The Trump administration designated some branches of the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist organizations in January, according to the article.
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Flávio Bolsonaro, a defeated presidential candidate in Brazil, has landed in Miami after uncertainty about his whereabouts. The U.S. State Department told the BBC it would issue visas to Bolsonaro and his family; BBC Verify traced his route through Brazil, Argentina and Ecuador.
Key Facts
Flávio Bolsonaro is a defeated presidential candidate in Brazil.
Bolsonaro has landed in Miami.
There had been uncertainty about his whereabouts.
The U.S. State Department told the BBC it would issue visas to Bolsonaro and his family.
BBC Verify traced his journey through Brazil, Argentina and Ecuador before he reached Miami.
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Google announced Gemini 4 Carbon, an upgraded frontier AI model that it says improves coding, cybersecurity, and other tasks compared with Gemini 4 Argon. Google is delaying access while it conducts safety testing and plans to distribute the model through its cyber defense program before a wider release.
Key Facts
Google announced Gemini 4 Carbon two weeks after releasing Gemini 4 Argon.
Google says Carbon is twice as likely as Argon to generate code without vulnerabilities.
Google says Carbon scored 89 points higher on WebDev Arena and ranks fourth on its leaderboard.
In a Grey Swan evaluation, Carbon resisted all tested prompt-injection attacks, according to Google.
Google says it is testing Carbon under a voluntary U.S. government framework before offering it through the Fairwinds cyber defense program.
Google has not set a date for wide release; the model may first reach AI Ultra subscribers and Gemini API developers.
Google plans introductory API prices of $2 per million input tokens and $10 per million output tokens, with prices later doubling.
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UK Chancellor John Healey announced the government’s first Autumn Budget under Prime Minister Andy Burnham. The measures include energy-bill support, additional defence funding and a pledge of more economic aid for Ukraine, while the Office for Budget Responsibility forecast no growth in real earnings next year.
Key Facts
The government will make a one-off £100 energy-bill payment to 20 million households in homes valued at £88,000 or less using April 1991 valuations.
A temporary VAT cut will continue until 1 July and reduce the annual energy price cap by £50.
The Office for Budget Responsibility expects no growth in real earnings next year and cut its 2027 growth forecast from 1.5 percent to 1 percent.
The budget funds an additional £15 billion Defence Investment Plan.
Healey said the government would cover a £4.7 billion defence funding gap by reprioritising spending across other departments.
The government did not explain how it would meet NATO defence-spending targets of 3.5 percent of GDP by 2035 and 3 percent by 2030; Healey said details would come in next year’s spending review.
Healey pledged an additional £10 billion in economic aid for Ukraine.
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UK Chancellor John Healey announced a one-off £100 energy payment for eligible households and raised taxes on large bank profits to help fund support. His first Budget also included changes to energy charges, fuel duty, wages, business rates and taxes on savings and rental income, while leaving major decisions on defence and welfare until next year.
Key Facts
Households in council tax bands A to D in England will receive a one-off £100 energy payment; Wales said it would match the payment, and Scotland planned to replicate it.
Gas standing charges across Great Britain are due to end in 2027 or as soon as possible afterward, with the costs shifted into per-unit energy prices.
The temporary 5p-per-litre fuel duty cut will continue until July.
The minimum wage rates will rise by 3.9% in April, with no change to the difference between rates for older and younger workers.
The tax on large banks’ profits will rise from 3% to 6% from January through April 2028.
The income tax thresholds will remain frozen, and the tax rate on savings and property rental income for basic-rate taxpayers will rise to 24% from April 2027.
The Office for Budget Responsibility lowered its growth forecast for next year to 1%.
Healey said decisions on defence spending and welfare would be made next year.
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Voters who are told at a polling place that they are not registered may have options. They may be able to update their registration or cast a provisional ballot, a ballot set aside until officials verify eligibility.
Key Facts
The article addresses voters told they are not registered at a polling place.
Voters may be able to update their registration.
Voters may be able to cast a provisional ballot.
The article presents updating registration as a possible option, not a guaranteed one.
The article presents casting a provisional ballot as a possible option, not a guaranteed one.
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Brazilian Senator Flávio Bolsonaro arrived in Miami with his family after losing Brazil’s presidential election on Sunday. Their journey followed conflicting reports about his whereabouts, while Brazilian authorities had cancelled his passport after he missed a deadline to surrender it amid an ongoing criminal investigation; he denies wrongdoing.
Key Facts
Bolsonaro and his family crossed by land from Brazil into Argentina on Tuesday night, according to Argentine migration authorities.
Flight-tracking data reviewed by the BBC indicated the family left Puerto Iguazú, Argentina, for Guayaquil, Ecuador, on Wednesday.
The family then flew to Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport, where they were photographed arriving shortly before 09:30 local time.
The U.S. State Department said it would issue visas to Bolsonaro and his family.
Brazilian authorities cancelled Bolsonaro’s passport after he failed to surrender it within a 24-hour deadline.
Brazil’s newly reelected president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, criticised Bolsonaro’s departure and said, “those who have nothing to hide have nothing to fear.”
U.S. President Donald Trump said he had heard Bolsonaro was in Argentina.
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UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham ruled out calling a general election in the next 12 months. He said his focus was on governing and that his government’s plans would extend beyond the coming year.
Key Facts
The next UK general election must be held by August 2029.
Burnham made the pledge after opposition politicians suggested he might call an early election.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said she believed Burnham would call an election sooner than he had indicated.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said in September that he expected an election the following spring.
Burnham entered Parliament after winning the Makerfield by-election in June and later became Labour leader and prime minister.
Burnham said he wanted an “honest conversation” about the UK’s relationship with the EU.
On Wednesday, Burnham said he would keep his party’s 2024 manifesto positions on freedom of movement, the single market and the customs union for the rest of the parliamentary term.
Burnham said a 10-year plan would inform a spending review next year.
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Undercover footage published by The Midwesterner appears to show T.J. Wolfgram, identified as a volunteer involved in Abdul El-Sayed’s Michigan Senate campaign, calling Americans “idiots” and saying he might support some Muslim Brotherhood activities. El-Sayed’s campaign told Newsweek that Wolfgram was a volunteer captain, not a paid staff member; Newsweek said it could not independently verify the outlet’s more specific description of his campaign role.
Key Facts
The footage discusses accusations by President Donald Trump that El-Sayed has ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.
In the footage, the man identified as Wolfgram says Americans are “idiots” and says he has no issue with the Muslim Brotherhood.
Wolfgram says he might support some of the group’s activities but disagrees with some of its practices.
Newsweek reported that the campaign described Wolfgram as a volunteer captain and said it has hundreds of volunteer captains.
Campaign website event listings and a social media account bearing Wolfgram’s name indicate involvement in campaign activities.
The U.S. has designated the Lebanese, Jordanian and Egyptian chapters of the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist groups, but has not designated the entire organization.
Neither The Midwesterner nor The Daily Wire identified the person who recorded the footage.
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