Rebecca Michels and her husband learned during an ultrasound that they were expecting twins. Their daughters, Capri and Kenzie, were born in Sydney on May 28, 2025, and a DNA test later confirmed they are identical twins, despite having separate placentas and amniotic sacs.
Key Facts
Michels, 37, lives in Sydney, Australia, and has an older son, Braxton.
The twins were born 30 seconds apart on May 28, 2025.
Kenzie needed help breathing and spent five days receiving specialized care, including treatment for low blood sugar.
Nurses suggested a DNA test after noticing how alike the twins looked.
The family took the DNA test in July 2025 and received the results three days later.
The test reported a 99.999999994 percent probability that Capri and Kenzie are identical twins.
Identical twins can have separate placentas and amniotic sacs; this arrangement does not by itself establish that twins are fraternal.
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Researchers identified the Mauritian tidal trapdoor spider, a species native to two small islands in Mauritius, and formally described it in April 2026. The spider lives in coastal areas flooded by seawater and uses a material-covered trapdoor to keep its burrow dry.
Key Facts
The species, Idioctis marevallum, was discovered in 2023 and announced by the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust on October 27, 2026.
It belongs to the Barychelidae family, a group that includes tarantulas.
Researchers have found the spider only on Ilot Vacoas and Ile aux Fouquets in the Mauritian archipelago.
Recorded habitat covers 227 square meters on Ilot Vacoas and 686 square meters on Ile aux Fouquets.
The spiders dig burrows in coastal rock in the intertidal zone, the area between high and low tide.
Their tube-shaped burrows are about 12 centimeters long, and their trapdoors use rock, sand and algae.
In a test, seawater poured over a nest for about 20 seconds did not leave water inside the burrow.
Researchers observed the spiders eating small crustaceans called isopods, as well as crickets and moths.
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Paleontologists have opened an excavation near Moab, Utah, at a fossil site estimated to be 138 million to 141 million years old. Researchers say the remains may include a previously unknown armored dinosaur, but no formal scientific description has been announced.
Key Facts
The site is near Arches National Park in eastern Utah.
The Utah Geological Survey opened the excavation in mid-October.
Researchers estimate the fossil-bearing rocks are 138 million to 141 million years old.
The survey says the site is geologically similar to Doelling's Bowl, about six miles east.
Utah State Paleontologist Jim Kirkland is working on a description and name for the possible armored dinosaur.
The proposed name is intended to honor Assistant State Paleontologist Don DeBlieux, who plans to retire at the end of 2026.
Earlier excavations at Doelling's Bowl uncovered sauropod and iguanodontid fossils, along with a large tooth believed to come from a new carnivorous dinosaur species.
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Andy Burnham said the government wants to reduce welfare spending quickly by helping people move into sustainable work, but he did not guarantee a cut before the next general election. The government has not set a timetable, and further proposals are expected after two reviews report in November.
Key Facts
Welfare spending is forecast to rise from £353bn this year to £431bn in 2031/32.
Burnham said the government wants to reduce the welfare bill as quickly as possible.
He warned that blunt cuts could leave people in crisis and increase public spending elsewhere.
The next UK general election must be held by August 2029.
The Treasury disputed that Chancellor John Healey had promised a reduction in the benefits bill before the election.
The government expects further proposals after reviews of disability benefits and young people not in education, employment or training report in November.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch criticized Labour’s approach to welfare and the Budget.
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King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia visited injured people at Toledo University Hospital on Thursday after a train accident in Urda, Spain. At least 69 people died in the crash, and 15 of the injured being treated at the hospital were in intensive care.
Key Facts
The royal couple arrived at Toledo University Hospital on October 29, 2026.
They planned to meet with medical staff and visit several injured people.
The patients were accompanied by their families.
The crash occurred in Urda, Spain.
At least 69 people died in the accident.
Fifteen injured people at the hospital were in intensive care.
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Israeli politicians and media outlets accused Qatar of funding Arab parties’ get-out-the-vote efforts, but Qatar denied the claims. Israel’s election official said the vote was conducted lawfully, while partial results showed Netanyahu’s bloc short of a Knesset majority and Arab lists winning a record number of seats.
Key Facts
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari denied that Doha funded or interfered in Israel’s elections.
The article says Likud and media outlets associated with it made the allegations without providing evidence.
Acting Central Elections Committee director Dean Livine said the elections were lawful and polling-station integrity was protected.
Partial results indicated that Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc would not win a Knesset majority.
The two Arab lists secured a record number of seats, according to the partial results.
Major Israeli parties rejected the idea of partnering with the Arab lists.
Qatar is a mediator in Israel-Palestinian talks and is leading mediation efforts between Washington and Tehran, the article says.
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Republican strategist Karl Rove said he expects President Donald Trump to resume U.S. strikes against Iran after the midterm elections. Rove made the prediction Wednesday in an interview with Fox News host Brian Kilmeade.
Key Facts
Karl Rove is a Republican strategist.
Rove said he expects Trump to resume U.S. strikes against Iran.
Rove expects the strikes to resume after the midterm elections.
Rove made the prediction on Wednesday.
Rove spoke with Brian Kilmeade on Fox News’s The Brian Kilmeade Show.
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Tens of thousands of U.S. citizens have left the country since Donald Trump returned to power two years ago, according to the report. Ireland has become a popular destination for Americans seeking an alternative, in part because of shared language and history.
Key Facts
The report says tens of thousands of U.S. citizens have left the United States since Trump returned to power.
Ireland is among the top destinations for Americans leaving the United States.
The report cites a shared language and history as reasons Ireland attracts Americans.
The article is a France 24 video report.
The report was issued on October 29, 2026.
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India’s food system feeds more than a billion people, but rising cases of food adulteration and poor hygiene are raising public health concerns. The report examines the difficulty of overseeing the country’s large and complex food industry and notes that adulterated food can have fatal consequences.
Key Facts
India’s food industry serves more than a billion people each day.
The article reports a rise in food adulteration cases.
Food adulteration can have fatal consequences.
Concerns about poor hygiene are also growing.
The scale and complexity of India’s food system make regulatory oversight difficult.
Food safety has become a growing public concern in India.
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Israeli attacks across Gaza killed at least six Palestinians and wounded dozens over the 24 hours reported by Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ministry renewed its call to open the Rafah crossing so patients and wounded people can leave Gaza for medical care.
Key Facts
An Israeli drone strike on a car in the Maghazi refugee camp killed two Palestinians and wounded others, according to Al Jazeera reporting.
An Israeli strike in Jabalia wounded one Palestinian, who was taken to al-Shifa Hospital.
Four Palestinians were buried at Nasser Hospital after a drone strike in al-Mawasi near Rafah; Al Jazeera reported they were Ministry of Economy employees monitoring aid trucks.
More than 30 people were wounded in the al-Mawasi attack, according to Al Jazeera.
Emergency services said 11 people, including women and children, were wounded when Israeli artillery struck a house east of Gaza City.
Gaza’s Health Ministry said six Palestinians were killed and 38 wounded in the previous 24 hours.
The ministry said 21,468 patients and wounded people need to travel outside Gaza for treatment, including 6,430 priority cases.
The ministry said 3,056 patients and wounded people have been evacuated for treatment abroad since February: 2,614 through Rafah and 442 through Karem Abu Salem.
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The Pentagon inspector general declined to investigate recent Starlink and Starshield disruptions in Ukraine, saying the matter concerns the military’s contract with SpaceX. The office said the Air Force and Space Force are better placed to address it, while a senator who requested the inquiry called for an independent review.
Key Facts
Inspector General Platte Moring told lawmakers that his office would not investigate the disruptions.
The inspector general’s office said the reported interruptions were a contractual matter.
The Air Force and Space Force oversee the U.S. military’s contract with SpaceX for Starlink.
The disruptions drew criticism as Ukraine faced Russian attacks.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said limits on the satellite networks were imposed by the U.S. government.
U.S. and Ukrainian officials later said the services had returned to normal conditions.
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen said the decision not to investigate was concerning and urged the inspector general to conduct a full review.
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Reform UK has launched a free, monthly newspaper called the Reformer as part of a plan to build a national publishing operation. The first edition features party leader Nigel Farage prominently and promotes Reform policies, party activities and membership.
Key Facts
The paper’s front page shows Farage with a labrador and carries the headline “Nigel Farage: we will fix broken Britain”.
Farage is the only person credited as a reporter in the first edition, although the party is advertising 12 journalism roles.
Reform says it has sent the paper to 15 million people across Britain.
The publication includes Reform’s proposal to use the Royal Navy to return migrants crossing the Channel to France.
The first edition promotes Reform membership and invites readers to apply as candidates for the May 2027 local elections.
Reform insiders described the first edition as rushed and said later monthly editions would include more news and features.
Printweek reported that Walstead Group printed the paper; the publication is reportedly led by former Spiked editor Mick Hume.
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After losing Brazil’s presidential runoff to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva by 4.4 million votes, Flávio Bolsonaro left Brazil for the United States and said he would lead the opposition from there. He has not conceded and alleged electoral fraud without evidence; Brazil’s electoral authority said voting followed the law, and BBC analysis found about 34,000 people voted during extended hours.
Key Facts
Lula defeated Bolsonaro in Sunday’s runoff by 4.4 million votes.
Bolsonaro described himself as “leader of Brazil” in a letter posted on X, after deleting an earlier version that called him the “rightful president.”
Bolsonaro alleged that extended polling hours amounted to electoral fraud, but offered no evidence.
Both campaigns requested the extension, according to the article, and Brazil’s electoral authority said the vote proceeded normally and in line with the law.
BBC Brazil and BBC Verify found that about 34,000 people voted during the extended hours.
Bolsonaro left Brazil for the United States after failing to surrender his passports as ordered by the Supreme Court in connection with a money-laundering investigation.
Bolsonaro has not been charged in the money-laundering probe and denies wrongdoing.
His party recognized the election result, and party leader Rogério Marinho said there was no evidence of electoral fraud.
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A train crash in Spain’s Toledo province on Wednesday killed 69 people, the country’s second deadly rail crash this year. The crash has hurt Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s campaign ahead of a national election and renewed claims that the government has underinvested in rail infrastructure.
Key Facts
The crash occurred in Toledo province on Wednesday.
The accident killed 69 people.
It was Spain’s second deadly train crash this year.
The crash happened nine months after another deadly crash on the same rail line.
Experts and members of the public have accused Sánchez’s government of underinvesting in railway infrastructure.
The accusations come after years of rapid expansion of Spain’s rail network.
Spain began three days of mourning after the crash.
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France is considering raising the minimum wage one month earlier than planned and adding an extra increase. The government is weighing the move as it seeks to ease cost-of-living concerns before demonstrations planned for the weekend.
Key Facts
The minimum wage increase was scheduled for January 1, 2027.
Officials are considering moving the increase to December 2026.
The government is also considering an additional boost to the increase.
The proposals come ahead of planned weekend demonstrations over the cost of living.
The government says it is seeking ways to calm social unrest.
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France 24’s Perspective program examines a deadly train collision in Spain that killed at least 68 people on Wednesday. The program features Nicholas Kingsley, executive editor of Railway Gazette International, discussing questions raised by the crash.
Key Facts
The collision happened in Spain on Wednesday.
At least 68 people died in the collision.
France 24 published the program on October 29, 2026.
The report is part of the Perspective program.
Nicholas Kingsley, executive editor of Railway Gazette International, joined the program.
The segment focuses on questions raised by the collision.
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At least 69 people died when a Renfe high-speed train rear-ended a stopped Iryo train near Toledo, Spain. Investigators will examine the signaling failure, the controller’s instruction to resume at normal speed, and the technical and human factors that allowed the collision.
Key Facts
Both trains had stopped after a signaling system failed.
A controller told the Renfe driver to restart the journey under normal operating conditions, according to audio released to Spanish media.
The front carriages of the Renfe train and the rear of the Iryo train were destroyed, and other carriages derailed.
Investigators will seek to establish why the Renfe train proceeded while the Iryo train remained stopped.
The article says Spain’s government will want to show the crash was unrelated to a January head-on collision on the same line near Adamuz.
Railway unions had planned a drivers’ strike to protest what they describe as under-investment in railway staff and infrastructure.
The article says rail fatalities in Europe have generally fallen since 2010.
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Kylian Mbappé, Real Madrid and Spain’s La Liga apologized after a past remark about a “Chinese dictator” prompted backlash in China. Chinese companies canceled some of Mbappé’s deals, and state television suspended broadcasts of Real Madrid and La Liga matches, highlighting the financial stakes for the athlete and the organizations.
Key Facts
Mbappé said in an old interview that his favorite meme showed his face on the body of a “Chinese dictator”; the article says he did not recall Mao Zedong’s name.
Mbappé apologized, saying his comment had hurt many people in China.
At least three Chinese companies canceled brand deals with Mbappé, according to the article.
China’s state television group suspended broadcasts of Real Madrid matches and La Liga matches.
An estimate cited by Chinese media put at least one-third of Mbappé’s $30 million annual commercial income in China.
The article says Real Madrid earns up to 15 percent of its international merchandising revenue from China, where Mbappé’s No. 10 shirt is its top-selling item.
La Liga’s financial report showed that media rights generated more than $1.7 billion, nearly a third of its income in the 2024–2025 season.
The article also cites past apologies by John Cena, James Harden and Marriott International after incidents involving Chinese political sensitivities.
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The Getty Museum is bringing works from its collection to six façades in Paris. The outdoor displays will offer residents and visitors a chance to see the art in public spaces across the French capital.
Key Facts
The project is titled “L'art dans la ville.”
The Getty Museum is bringing works from its collection to Paris.
The works will appear on six city façades.
The displays will create an open-air art experience across Paris.
The program features David-Hervé Boutin, curator of “L'art dans la ville.”
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A high-speed train crash near Urda in Spain killed at least 69 people, and survivors described scenes of injury and death. Leaked recordings from a rail control room have fueled public anger as investigators examine a possible computer failure followed by human error, putting pressure on the government during an election campaign.
Key Facts
The crash happened Wednesday on the Madrid-Seville line, about 140 km south of Madrid.
A stationary Iryo train was struck from behind by a Renfe train, according to the article.
Spain began three days of mourning after the crash.
Residents brought first aid supplies, blankets, food and water to help survivors.
A separate collision on the same route killed 46 people in Adamuz nine months earlier.
Transport Minister Óscar Puente said a computer failure followed by human error was a likely cause.
Leaked audio appeared to support that explanation; the train drivers' union Semaf condemned the leak as irresponsible and slanted.
The crash has increased pressure on Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's government during an election campaign.
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