Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels was first published anonymously in October 1726, and events across Ireland are marking its 300th anniversary. An exhibition at Trinity College Dublin explores the novel’s editions, adaptations, characters and themes, alongside talks, performances and other anniversary events.
Key Facts
Swift wrote the novel under the title Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World.
The book satirized Georgian society and later reached popular audiences through translations, children’s editions, comics and films.
Trinity College Dublin’s exhibition runs until December and is also available online.
The exhibition includes materials from the university’s collection, including a 1726 edition, a 1976 Marvel comic and a surviving 1761 abridgement.
The exhibition examines modern retellings that imagine the perspective of Gulliver’s wife, Mary.
Co-curator Aileen Douglas said Gulliver’s visit to Laputa connects with present-day concerns about technology.
Anniversary events include a Trinity panel discussion, a children’s choir premiere and events at the Robinson library in County Armagh.
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A friend of Beau Lamarre-Condon told his murder trial that he arrived at her home after Jesse Baird and Luke Davies disappeared and scrubbed blood from his van while she sat nearby. Lamarre-Condon has pleaded not guilty to murdering the men in 2024 and says he acted in self-defence; prosecutors allege he planned the killings.
Key Facts
The friend, identified in court as Fiona Rosso, said Lamarre-Condon arrived unannounced and told her he had “done something bad.”
Rosso testified that Lamarre-Condon asked her to look up schizophrenia and said he had experienced an out-of-body experience.
She said she sat with a glass of champagne while he tried to scrub blood from the back of his van.
Rosso told the jury that Lamarre-Condon said he had driven with another woman to dispose of the bodies in a dam.
Baird and Davies, both in their 20s, were found at a rural property inside surfboard bags.
Lamarre-Condon says he killed the men in self-defence after entering Baird’s home to retrieve his belongings.
Prosecutors allege Lamarre-Condon killed Baird and then shot Davies to eliminate a witness.
Prosecutors rejected Lamarre-Condon’s offer to plead guilty to Baird’s manslaughter; the trial is continuing in New South Wales Supreme Court.
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Flávio Bolsonaro, who lost Brazil’s presidential runoff to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, landed in the United States, according to two sources familiar with the matter. The U.S. State Department said it would allow Bolsonaro and his family to enter and issue them visas; Brazilian authorities had been investigating whether he left the country.
Key Facts
Lula defeated Flávio Bolsonaro in Brazil’s presidential runoff on Sunday.
Two sources told ABC News that Bolsonaro landed in the United States.
A senior State Department official said the United States would allow Bolsonaro and his family to enter and issue them visas.
Brazilian authorities said they did not know Bolsonaro’s whereabouts and were investigating whether he had left for the United States.
Brazilian authorities are investigating Bolsonaro in connection with a sports betting case and a probe into a film about his father, Jair Bolsonaro.
Two U.S. officials said the Trump administration had tracked Bolsonaro’s plans and expected him to leave Brazil for the United States.
Trump said Brazil’s election looked rigged, but the article reported no evidence supporting that claim.
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Victoria’s Court of Appeal is due to rule on Friday on Erin Patterson’s appeal against her convictions for three murders and one attempted murder. The court will also consider whether her life sentence, with a 33-year non-parole period, should be increased; the convictions appeal could lead to a retrial or acquittal, or leave the convictions in place.
Key Facts
Patterson was convicted of murdering Don and Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson after serving them lunch.
She was also convicted of attempting to murder Heather Wilkinson’s husband, Ian, who survived.
Patterson received a life sentence with a 33-year non-parole period.
The Court of Appeal heard arguments in August and is scheduled to deliver its decisions from 10 a.m. Friday.
Patterson’s lawyers argued that jurors staying at the same hotel as police and prosecutors during deliberations compromised the trial.
The court could reject the appeal, order a retrial, or enter an acquittal.
If the court upholds the convictions, it may also decide whether Patterson should be resentenced.
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U.S. District Judge David O. Carter said he intends to appoint a special master to examine how the Justice Department compiled a list of about 20,000 California voters it says may be noncitizens. He did not rule on the department’s request to block the state from counting ballots linked to the list, and said he expects to issue a ruling on the case’s next steps by October 28.
Key Facts
The Justice Department sued California over roughly 20,000 registered voters it alleges are likely noncitizens.
The department asked the court to stop California from counting ballots associated with the list in the November 3 midterm election.
Carter said he intends to appoint a special master to review how the department created the list.
The judge did not rule on the Justice Department’s request for a temporary restraining order at Tuesday’s hearing.
Carter described the requested change to California’s election process as monumental.
State officials and other opponents argued that the lawsuit could disrupt ballot counting and intrude on state control of elections.
Carter urged that threats against state and county election workers stop immediately.
A federal appeals court declined on Monday to order California to set aside the ballots, sending the matter back to the district court.
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Mahmoud Khalil returned to Columbia University for the first time since his 2025 arrest to discuss his memoir. He said Palestinian student activism has shifted U.S. views and encouraged political change, while criticizing Columbia’s response to campus protests and describing his ongoing fight against deportation as a free-speech issue.
Key Facts
Khalil, a Columbia graduate and pro-Palestinian activist, spoke at an event attended by about 100 people.
He was arrested by immigration authorities on March 8, 2025, and held for three months without criminal charges.
Khalil was released from immigration custody on June 20, 2025; the Trump administration continues to seek his deportation.
Khalil helped lead Columbia student demonstrations in 2024 against Israel’s war in Gaza.
He accused Columbia leaders of trying to erase Palestinian voices and criticized the university for authorizing police to clear protesters.
Columbia said it supports faculty members’ right to organize academic events and that inviting a speaker does not mean the university endorses their views.
Khalil cited progressive candidates, including Abdul El-Sayed and Zohran Mamdani, as signs of political change.
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Exit polls from Israel’s election show Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc and the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot tied at 51 seats each, below the 61 needed for a majority. Vote counting is still underway, and the results could change; turnout exceeded 77%, the highest in more than two decades.
Key Facts
More than 30% of votes had been counted when the report was published.
Israel’s major television networks’ exit polls put both blocs at 51 seats.
A governing coalition needs at least 61 of the Knesset’s 120 seats.
Exit polls in Israel are often revised and can differ from final results by several seats.
More than 77% of eligible voters cast ballots, about 7 percentage points above turnout in 2022.
Palestinian parties were projected to win as many as 18 seats, up from 10.
Eisenkot could seek support from Palestinian parties or attempt to govern as a minority if his bloc falls short of a majority.
The Central Elections Committee said it had seen no evidence of systematic election tampering after Netanyahu alleged efforts to steal the election.
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The Cook Political Report moved the Kansas governor’s race from lean Republican to a toss-up and the Nebraska race from likely Republican to lean Republican, citing factors including polling and third-party candidates. The changes came one week before the midterm elections; Cook said Democrats could gain two to four governorships.
Key Facts
Donald Trump won Kansas in 2024 with 57.2% of the vote and Nebraska with 59.3%.
Republican Ty Masterson is running against Democrat Cindy Holscher in Kansas.
Cook cited the competitive Kansas Senate race and internal polling from Holscher as factors in its rating change.
Republican incumbent Jim Pillen is running against Democrat Lynne Walz in Nebraska.
Cook cited internal polling and third-party candidates Rick Beard and Brett Lindstrom among factors in its Nebraska rating change.
Masterson and Pillen have led in a majority of recent polls, according to the article.
Thirty-six governor’s offices are on the ballot, and the parties currently hold 18 each.
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Rogerio Marinho, a former campaign manager for Flavio Bolsonaro, said the senator did not tell him he planned to leave Brazil. Reports allege Bolsonaro secretly went to Florida after losing Sunday’s presidential election, while police investigate possible money laundering.
Key Facts
Rogerio Marinho previously served as Flavio Bolsonaro’s campaign manager.
Marinho said Flavio Bolsonaro did not tell him about plans to leave Brazil.
Reports allege Bolsonaro secretly left Brazil for Florida.
The reported departure followed Sunday’s presidential election loss.
Police are investigating possible money laundering.
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U.S. Central Command estimates that the war with Iran cost the U.S. military at least $47.1 billion by mid-October. The estimate includes replacing munitions and equipment and other added costs, but excludes damage to U.S. bases in the Middle East.
Key Facts
CENTCOM put the cost of replacing expended munitions at about $29 billion.
The estimate includes $6.1 billion to replace lost equipment.
CENTCOM counted about $11.9 billion in added costs, including support for U.S. service members.
The estimate does not include damage to U.S. military bases in the Middle East.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said three months earlier that the war had cost about $37.5 billion, also excluding base damage.
The Congressional Budget Office estimated last month that the war could cost $2 billion to $3 billion per month while it continues.
The Pentagon inspector general said the number of munitions used had created strategic inventory shortfalls, and the Defense Department is working to speed up production.
The Trump administration requested supplemental military funding from Congress earlier this year, but the request had not passed as of the article.
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A ginkgo planted in Geelong Botanic Gardens in 1859 was named Victoria’s 2026 Tree of the Year. It won 27% of 4,435 public votes and is a popular wedding spot in the gardens.
Key Facts
The National Trust of Australia (Victoria) announced the award on Tuesday.
Geelong’s ginkgo beat eight other finalists.
A smooth bark apple myrtle in Prahran placed second, and an Apollo Bay myrtle beech placed third.
The tree stands 20 metres tall and may be the largest ginkgo in Victoria and Australia.
Its seeds were brought from China, possibly by a ship’s captain stopping at Geelong’s port.
The tree has stalactite-like growths found on older female ginkgos.
The National Trust is calling for stronger legal protection for significant trees and a planning approach that makes tree removal a last resort.
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Global stocks rose as investors bought technology shares and awaited earnings reports from major companies investing in artificial intelligence. Asian markets also advanced, led by South Korea’s KOSPI, while oil prices climbed amid continuing conflict in the Middle East.
Key Facts
On Tuesday, the Nasdaq Composite rose 1.18 percent, the S&P 500 gained 0.6 percent, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average edged up 0.03 percent.
Tesla shares rose 4.04 percent; Amazon, Apple, and Alphabet also gained, while Meta and Microsoft fell.
Nvidia rose almost 1 percent after announcing a $3 billion investment in Meta’s equity offering.
On Wednesday, the KOSPI rose 5.84 percent, the Nikkei 225 gained 1.26 percent, and Taiwan’s TAIEX rose 1.32 percent.
SK Hynix reported third-quarter operating profit of 83.33 trillion won, up about 630 percent from a year earlier, and its shares rose more than 8 percent.
Microsoft and Alphabet were due to report results Wednesday, followed by Amazon on Thursday and Apple on Monday.
Anthropic reported a net loss of $80.7 billion on revenue of $16.3 billion in the first half of 2026 in paperwork filed ahead of a planned public offering.
Brent crude futures stood at about $115 a barrel, up 59 percent from before the US-Israel war on Iran began.
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President Donald Trump and Texas Senate candidate James Talarico held competing rallies in Texas on Tuesday, one week before the midterm elections. Trump held events in Corpus Christi and Lubbock to support candidates.
Key Facts
Trump held two rallies in Texas on Tuesday.
The rallies took place in Corpus Christi and Lubbock.
The events came one week before the midterm elections.
The article describes Trump and Talarico as presenting competing visions.
The trip was Trump's fourth visit to Texas to support candidates.
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Syria will reopen the Nassib border crossing with Jordan on Wednesday, restoring regular passenger and commercial traffic after a brief closure. The countries agreed to investigate Jordanian airstrikes in southern Syria that killed at least seven people and to set up a security committee to coordinate responses to militant threats.
Key Facts
Nassib is Jordan’s only border crossing with Syria.
The crossing was briefly closed after Jordan carried out airstrikes in southern Syria on Monday.
The strikes targeted sites Jordan described as ISIL hideouts and killed at least seven people in Deraa and Suwayda.
Five of those killed were members of one family, including three children.
Syria and Jordan agreed to form a security committee to investigate the strikes and improve field and intelligence coordination.
Jordan said the airstrikes responded to a church shooting in Karak, Jordan, on Friday; ISIL claimed responsibility for the attack.
The church shooting killed at least nine people and wounded 34.
Jordanian security forces arrested two brothers and their brother-in-law on suspicion of carrying out the shooting.
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Villa Vie Residences suspended the Villa Vie Odyssey’s around-the-world voyage in Cambodia, citing soaring fuel costs. The operator said it was arranging disembarkation and temporary housing for passengers while it spends 60 days on restructuring and recapitalisation; it said no outcome is assured.
Key Facts
The ship left Belfast in October 2024 on a planned 3.5-year voyage covering nearly 150 countries.
The operator said fuel costs per cabin in parts of Asia had risen to as much as $8,000 per month, from $1,800.
The company said it had slowed the itinerary and spent more time in port to reduce fuel use, but those steps were not enough to offset higher costs.
The nearly 200-metre ship can carry up to 650 passengers.
Bloomberg reported, citing the operator’s founder, that around 200 passengers were on board when they were told to disembark in Cambodia.
The voyage was more than 750 days underway when the operator announced its suspension.
Cabin residencies cost between $120,000 and $440,000, and rentals start at $3,500 per month.
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Human rights groups urged countries to oppose UAE diplomat Lana Nusseibeh’s bid to become UN secretary-general, citing allegations that the UAE supports Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The UAE denies the allegations, while Nusseibeh says ending the war and supporting accountability for abuses would be priorities for a new secretary-general.
Key Facts
Nusseibeh, 48, is seeking to become the first woman to lead the United Nations.
The UAE has been accused of funding the RSF, which has fought Sudan’s army since 2023; the UAE denies the accusation.
Human Rights Watch head Ken Roth criticized Nusseibeh’s responses to questions about the UAE’s alleged support for the RSF.
Protection Approaches co-director Kate Ferguson questioned whether Nusseibeh would be independent of the UAE government.
Nusseibeh said she had taken leave from her UAE minister-of-state post to respect the independence expected of a secretary-general.
Nusseibeh said the RSF’s abuses should be addressed and called for the conflict to end.
A candidate needs at least nine votes on the 15-member UN Security Council and must avoid a veto by any of its five permanent members.
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Israeli television exit polls showed a close race between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc and an opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot, with neither projected to reach the 61 seats needed for a Knesset majority. The article says voters considered Netanyahu’s leadership and his government’s response to the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attacks; official results were still pending and could differ from the exit polls.
Key Facts
Channel 12’s exit poll projected 52 seats for Netanyahu’s bloc and 49 for Eisenkot’s opposition bloc.
Channel 13’s earlier exit poll projected 51 seats for each bloc.
The polls projected Likud as the largest single party, with about 27 seats, compared with 21 for Eisenkot’s Yashar party.
Arab parties were projected to win 19 seats collectively.
Israeli voters elect parties, which then form coalitions; a governing majority requires 61 of the Knesset’s 120 seats.
Eisenkot said the vote signaled a desire for change, while Netanyahu called for a right-wing government and said his bloc had a majority.
Bezalel Smotrich said his party was projected to win seven seats and pledged to continue expanding settlements in the occupied West Bank.
The exit polls were unofficial; preliminary official results were expected the following day.
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President Donald Trump joked at a midterm rally in Lubbock, Texas, that he would nominate Sen. Ted Cruz for the next Supreme Court vacancy. Trump said Cruz could win unanimous confirmation because lawmakers from both parties would welcome his departure from Congress.
Key Facts
Trump spoke at a midterm rally in Lubbock, Texas.
Trump named Sen. Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas, as a possible choice for the next Supreme Court vacancy.
Trump framed the nomination as a joke.
Trump said lawmakers in both parties could support Cruz’s confirmation.
Trump suggested lawmakers would welcome Cruz leaving Congress.
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Neil Young has filed a $10 million copyright lawsuit against the Trump 47 Committee, alleging it played his song “Rockin’ in the Free World” without permission at a rally in Youngstown, Ohio, on October 12. Young also sued Trump’s campaign over use of the song in 2020; the new lawsuit says that case settled shortly after it was filed, with a promise not to use the song without permission.
Key Facts
Young filed the new lawsuit through his company, Silver Fiddle Music.
The lawsuit alleges that playing the song at the Ohio rally was an unauthorized public performance.
Young says he did not grant the required license and alleges the song was played at other rallies as well.
The suit says Trump knew a license was required to play the song at rallies.
In 2020, Young sued Trump’s campaign over “Rockin’ in the Free World” and “Devil’s Sidewalk.”
The new lawsuit says the earlier case settled shortly after it was served and that the campaign promised not to use the song without permission.
The Republican National Committee had not provided comment to the BBC at the time of the article.
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A federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., declined the Justice Department’s attempt to indict Cassidy Hutchinson over her testimony to lawmakers. Her testimony concerned President Donald Trump’s actions during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.
Key Facts
The grand jury was in Washington, D.C.
The grand jury rejected the Justice Department’s attempt to indict Hutchinson.
Hutchinson is a former White House aide.
The proposed indictment concerned her testimony to lawmakers.
Her testimony addressed Trump’s actions during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.
Justice Department attorney Neville Hedley told U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui about the grand jury’s decision.
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