Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and right-wing senator Flavio Bolsonaro held their second and final debate on Friday, ahead of Sunday's presidential runoff. They discussed the cost of living and security and traded allegations of corruption.
Key Facts
The presidential runoff is scheduled for Sunday, October 25, 2026.
Lula and Flavio Bolsonaro took part in the candidates’ second and final debate on Friday.
The candidates focused on the cost of living and security.
The candidates exchanged allegations of corruption.
The report was filed from Rio de Janeiro.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Reports say U.S. Central Command has prepared options for renewed strikes on Iran, but no attack order has been issued and President Donald Trump has not said whether he will approve one. Trump has publicly raised both the possibility of strikes and the prospect of an agreement, while Iran’s president has said negotiations should continue.
Key Facts
The Hill reported that CENTCOM has prepared follow-up strike options for White House approval.
Axios previously reported that the Pentagon directed CENTCOM to prepare for a possible return to major combat operations.
Reported possible targets include Iranian energy facilities, infrastructure and nuclear sites.
The New York Times reported that the United States and Israel drew up joint attack plans for after the November 3 midterm elections.
Trump said a strike could happen as soon as Sunday, but did not disclose a timeline or confirm a decision.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused Washington of disrupting negotiations and said efforts to reach an agreement should continue.
The United States plans to deploy the USS Theodore Roosevelt, about 10,000 additional troops and the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit to the Middle East by the end of November.
The article reports that an intelligence memo warned of increased Iranian efforts to target U.S. personnel, but did not identify specific targets or establish when attacks might occur.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
France’s National Rally is holding the second day of its congress in Orléans. Marine Le Pen is expected to launch her presidential campaign in a speech, while Jordan Bardella is being re-elected as party leader. The report’s title says Le Pen credited visible policing with keeping protests orderly; a large counter-demonstration took place in the city on Saturday.
Key Facts
The National Rally is holding its congress in Orléans, south of Paris.
The congress is on its second day.
Marine Le Pen is expected to officially launch her presidential campaign in a speech later that day.
Jordan Bardella is being re-elected as party leader.
A large counter-demonstration against the far right took place in Orléans on Saturday.
The report is by France 24 journalist Antonia Kerrigan.
The report’s title attributes orderly protests to visible policing, but the supplied article text does not provide further details about her remarks.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Thousands of people rallied in Tel Aviv on Friday to protest against Israel’s government. The demonstration took place three days before a general election widely viewed as a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Key Facts
Thousands gathered in Tel Aviv on Friday.
Demonstrators protested against the Israeli government.
The election was scheduled for three days after the rally.
The election was widely seen as a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The article describes the anti-Netanyahu movement as mobilising.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Former President Barack Obama campaigned for Democratic candidates in Michigan and Ohio less than two weeks before the U.S. midterm elections. He blamed the Trump administration for rising living costs, while Democrats seek to regain control of Congress amid several closely contested races, according to polls.
Key Facts
Obama campaigned for Democratic candidates in Michigan and Ohio.
The rallies took place less than two weeks before the U.S. midterm elections.
Obama criticized the Trump administration over rising living costs.
The article identifies living costs as a major concern for voters.
Democrats are seeking to regain control of Congress.
Polls show several races are closely contested.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Israeli forces continued operations in Hebron in the occupied West Bank, displacing Palestinian families, according to France 24. The operations followed a Friday shooting that killed two Israeli soldiers; Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed a forceful response ahead of Tuesday’s elections.
Key Facts
Palestinian families were displaced in Hebron as Israeli forces continued operations.
A shooting on Friday killed two Israeli soldiers.
Netanyahu vowed a heavy response to the shooting.
Israeli operations took place in the occupied West Bank.
Elections were scheduled for Tuesday, according to the article.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
French police arrested 1,314 people during protests over the cost of living on Saturday, the interior ministry said. Clashes on the edges of largely peaceful demonstrations injured 53 officers and at least three protesters, while police responded to 75 fires and reported 24 shops looted.
Key Facts
The protests took place across France on Saturday, October 24, 2026.
The interior ministry said police arrested 1,314 people.
The ministry reported that 53 officers were hurt; it did not give an overall count of injured protesters.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said two protesters suffered serious hand injuries, in Toulouse and Clermont-Ferrand.
A newspaper reported that a 19-year-old in Poitiers was injured in the eye during a police charge.
Police responded to 75 fires, and 24 shops were looted, according to the ministry.
The protests marked a second consecutive weekend of unrest in France.
France is due to hold presidential elections in April and May to choose a successor to Emmanuel Macron, who is reaching his two-term limit.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
SNAP enrollment fell from 41.6 million people in July 2025 to 36.5 million in June 2026, a 13% decline, after the Trump administration changed eligibility rules and program costs. Food-bank groups and officials say demand for food assistance has risen, while the administration has described the enrollment decline as a sign that more people are working.
Key Facts
US Department of Agriculture data show SNAP enrollment dropped by 5.1 million between July 2025 and June 2026.
The new rules require many adults ages 18 to 64 without a child under 14 to work or volunteer at least 20 hours per week to qualify for benefits.
The Congressional Budget Office projected the SNAP changes would reduce spending by about $187 billion over 10 years.
Starting in October, states must pay 75% of SNAP administrative costs, up from 50%.
Arizona’s SNAP enrollment fell 50% from July 2025 to June 2026, while Kentucky’s fell 6%.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said he was concerned the changes would leave more people, including children and older adults, hungry.
Michigan’s food bank helpline received more than three times as many calls per day after the changes and temporarily suspended service because of high call volume.
The administration has praised the decline in SNAP enrollment, while food-assistance groups say food needs have increased.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
James Blair, a Florida political strategist and White House deputy chief of staff, helped Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign regain the presidency. The article describes Blair’s political career and his close ties to Susie Wiles, and says he now faces the task of helping Republicans retain control of Congress in the midterm elections.
Key Facts
Blair is 37 and was born in Tampa, Florida.
He earned a finance degree from Florida State University and founded Rapid Loop Consulting in 2013.
Blair worked for Florida political leader Richard Corcoran and later served as a senior adviser to Ron DeSantis’s 2018 gubernatorial campaign.
He became deputy chief of staff in DeSantis’s administration and formed a close working relationship with Susie Wiles.
Wiles brought Blair into Trump’s political operation, including his 2024 presidential campaign, where Blair served as political director.
After Trump won the 2024 election, Blair became a White House deputy chief of staff and worked with Congress on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
The article says Blair is now working to help Republicans hold the House and Senate in the midterm elections.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
The writer describes starting to make Instagram Reels amid pressure to earn a living in a social-media-driven creative industry. The article says influencers increasingly use restaurants and hotels as filming backdrops, prompting some venues to restrict photography and raising concerns about disruption to paying customers.
Key Facts
The writer says he recently began posting videos on Instagram Reels.
He describes social-media video as a growing force in the creative industry and a possible source of income.
The writer says he has filmed content near other people who were also filming.
The article describes food influencing as an industry that can affect a restaurant’s success.
It says some diners avoid restaurants where they might appear in an influencer’s video.
The Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes has banned photoshoots, according to the article.
The writer says Sunset Tower’s Tower Bar has tried to limit photography, but patrons continue taking and sharing photos.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
The family of Andrew Frederick is urging the UK government to help advance an investigation into his death in Grenada, nearly 10 months after his body was found. A pathologist ruled his death a homicide, but Grenadian police closed the case; a UK request for Grenada to cooperate with an investigation remains unsigned, according to the family.
Key Facts
Frederick, 47, was found dead in a ransacked property in Grenada on 4 January.
An autopsy conducted in Grenada described blunt force trauma and torture, including the removal of a toenail, and ruled the death a homicide.
Grenadian police said there was no basis to find that a homicide had occurred and closed the case.
Frederick’s body was repatriated to the UK in August, where a second autopsy found that his organs and parts of his neck were missing.
The family says it has not been told where the missing organs are or what happened to them.
A UK coroner asked the Metropolitan police to investigate Frederick’s death last month.
UK authorities said the British high commissioner raised the case with senior Grenadian officials, who indicated they would cooperate with a formal UK request.
The family says Grenada has yet to approve the formal request for cooperation, which it says remains unsigned.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Ali, a 26-year-old art student from Florida who lived in Paris, died suddenly on May 26, 2024. After reviewing her autopsy with doctors, her sister said the family believes Ali may have had vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, an inherited condition that can weaken blood vessels; the article does not report a confirmed diagnosis.
Key Facts
Ali’s sister said Ali appeared healthy before her death.
Ali’s sister and mother were visiting when Ali’s phone call abruptly went silent, prompting them to go to her apartment and call French emergency services.
Ali’s sister said an autopsy review with doctors in South Florida led the family to suspect vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.
The family believes Ali may have died from an abdominal aortic rupture, but the article presents this as their belief.
Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is a group of inherited disorders affecting connective tissue.
The article says vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome can cause fragile blood vessels and internal organs, severe bruising, and joint hypermobility.
Ali’s sister recalled that Ali was very flexible, bruised easily, and experienced aches, pains, and fatigue.
Ali did not undergo genetic testing, according to her sister.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele said four bodies handed to Salvadoran forces in Haiti were not those of the four Salvadoran technicians who disappeared after an attack. El Salvador has deployed about 450 soldiers to help find the men, who were serving with the UN-backed Gang Suppression Force.
Key Facts
A nongovernmental organisation delivered the four bodies to Salvadoran forces at an airport in Haiti, claiming they were the missing technicians.
Bukele said one body was that of a child and another wore part of a uniform from a different country’s army.
The four technicians disappeared after armed groups attacked their armoured vehicle in Croix-des-Bouquets, an area near Port-au-Prince controlled by armed groups.
No gang has claimed responsibility for the attack, according to the article.
The missing men served with the UN-backed Gang Suppression Force, which works to counter gang violence in Haiti.
The New York Times reported that the bodies might be those of the missing men, but said they were badly burned and needed medical examination for identification.
The UN said more than 5,700 people were killed or injured by gangs or operations against them in Haiti between January 1 and September 11 this year.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Iranian authorities have expanded Janfada, a nationwide volunteer mobilisation campaign that offers civilians weapons training and presents itself as a way to defend the government against domestic and foreign threats. The campaign began in late March during the war with the United States and Israel, and officials have announced plans to set up training stations in public squares across the country.
Key Facts
Janfada means “those who sacrifice their life” and is open to men and women of all ages, with a stated focus on young people.
Basij militia representatives and other state bodies run street booths and stations where volunteers receive training on weapons and equipment.
State-organised events and armed exercises linked to the campaign have taken place in cities across many of Iran’s 31 provinces.
Basij training deputy Ali Kowsari said the IRGC aims to use at least 14 main squares in Tehran as Janfada training and equipment stations.
A Gilan province resident told Al Jazeera that some stations teach people how to load ammunition and aim and fire pistols and assault rifles.
Videos shared on social media showed a confrontation during a nighttime pro-government gathering in Rasht on October 15; authorities did not comment.
Authorities warned residents in Karaj to expect explosions and loud noises from a Janfada exercise.
Iranian human rights groups based abroad have described the armed mobilisation efforts as intimidation, while the government says January’s protests were a US- and Israel-orchestrated coup attempt.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Police in Tirana, Albania, were filmed beating a protester who was lying on the ground. Local media reported that the protester was left unconscious, and journalists and other protesters called for an ambulance.
Key Facts
The incident took place in Tirana, Albania’s capital.
Police were filmed beating a protester.
The protester was lying on the ground during the beating.
Local media reported that the protester was left unconscious.
Journalists and other protesters rushed to check on the protester.
People at the scene called for an ambulance.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
A shooting near Florida A&M University in Tallahassee injured 12 people Saturday evening, including six children. Police said 11 people had gunshot wounds; three were seriously injured, including one in critical condition.
Key Facts
Six of the injured were adults and six were juveniles, Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell said.
The youngest injured person was 11 years old.
Eight victims were reported in stable condition.
A grandmother of one victim was injured while fleeing the scene, but did not have a gunshot wound.
Police said the shooting followed an altercation between individuals near Perry and Manatee streets, outside the university’s Bragg Memorial Stadium.
Florida A&M University said police were at the scene and investigating.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Saudi Arabia said it intercepted Houthi missiles and drones over Riyadh and southern parts of the country as fighting intensified in Yemen. The attacks came as Riyadh airport resumed international and domestic flights after a deadly strike earlier in the month, while the Houthis warned the airport remained a military target.
Key Facts
A Saudi-led coalition spokesman said forces intercepted a ballistic missile aimed at Riyadh, a drone in the Riyadh region and a cruise missile aimed at Khamis Mushait.
The coalition later reported intercepting 10 ballistic missiles fired towards southern Saudi Arabia.
Saudi authorities said 13 people died and more than 300 were wounded in a Houthi attack that halted operations at Riyadh airport on October 10.
Riyadh airport said international flights would resume from Terminal 2 on Sunday, while Terminal 1 would handle domestic flights.
The Houthis warned airlines, airport staff and travellers not to use King Khalid airport, calling it unsafe and a military target.
The Houthis advanced on Jabal Sabr near Taiz, where they have besieged the city and cut off its main road to Aden.
The United Nations said about 800,000 people trapped in Taiz need aid and warned that time to deliver it is running out.
Yemen’s government forces said they carried out more than 700 operations against Houthi targets on Saturday and claimed to have killed more than 300 fighters.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
French anti-terror prosecutors said a 39-year-old suspect in a shooting near Paris was transferred from police custody to a psychiatric unit for an observation period expected to last up to 48 hours. The shooting in Trappes and nearby La Verrière killed one person and wounded five; investigators have cited possible racist motives.
Key Facts
The suspect was arrested Friday with a submachine gun and tear-gas grenades in his car.
A psychiatric examination led prosecutors to suspend his police custody on Saturday.
The observation period is intended to assess whether the suspect can continue to be questioned.
Prosecutors said traces of cannabis and cocaine were found in the suspect’s blood.
The person killed was 26-year-old Pengo Bossio Wangi, who was of Congolese origin.
A 12-year-old girl was among the wounded and remained in critical condition.
Police searched the suspect’s home in Plaisir and, according to a source close to the investigation, found a Bible, a Quran and a copy of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
U.S. President Donald Trump sarcastically answered a reporter who asked about possible renewed strikes on Iran. He said inflation could push Tehran toward a deal, while Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused the United States of disrupting talks to end the war.
Key Facts
Trump responded sarcastically to a reporter's question about possible renewed attacks on Iran.
The reporter asked about the prospect of the United States striking Iran again.
Trump suggested inflation could pressure Tehran to reach a deal.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused the United States of disrupting talks.
The talks were aimed at ending the war.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Storm Boelo brought winds of 60–70 mph across parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England, with an 82 mph gust recorded on Tiree. The storm disrupted travel, closed attractions and events, and brought flooding risks; power outages from the earlier Storm Austen remained in south-west England.
Key Facts
An amber wind warning covered mainland Scotland, parts of Northern Ireland and the far north of England.
The Met Office recorded an 82 mph gust on Tiree at about 4 a.m. Sunday.
The Met Office warned of danger from flying debris and crashing waves and advised people to secure loose items and stay indoors.
Events in Liverpool and London were cancelled, and Edinburgh Castle and the Fountains Abbey estate closed.
Flooding blocked the rail line between Preston and Blackpool North, while fallen trees disrupted tracks near Dumfries.
Hundreds of flights were delayed or cancelled at airports including Dublin, Heathrow, Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
The Environment Agency had issued 66 flood alerts and 10 flood warnings in England by 7 a.m. Sunday.
Hundreds of homes in south-west England remained without power after Storm Austen struck on Friday.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
