Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado called for elections in 2027 after returning to Caracas from months in exile. Interim President Delcy Rodríguez also said elections would take place but gave no date and said her government should oversee the transition; Machado rejected that proposal.
Key Facts
Machado spoke at a news conference in Caracas on Thursday.
Machado said Venezuela’s transition to democracy was irreversible and should be peaceful and organised.
Machado thanked the Trump administration for capturing former President Nicolás Maduro.
Rodríguez, Maduro’s former vice-president, was sworn in as interim president after Maduro was seized by the United States in January.
Rodríguez said elections would be held but did not set a date.
Machado said she would not personally take part in election negotiations between opposition representatives and the government.
Machado called for reform of the electoral body so Venezuelans at home and abroad could vote.
Rodríguez said she had instructed security agencies not to detain people without a judicial order, except when they are caught committing crimes.
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Sir Patrick Stewart, the stage actor known for “Star Trek” and “X-Men,” died on Oct. 28, 2026, at age 86. The article revisits a 2020 CBS News interview in which he discussed returning as Jean-Luc Picard and finding comfort in Shakespeare’s poetry during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Key Facts
Stewart died on Oct. 28, 2026, at age 86.
He was known for roles in the “Star Trek” and “X-Men” franchises.
The interview aired on CBS’s “Sunday Morning” on May 24, 2020.
Tony Dokoupil interviewed Stewart for the profile.
Stewart discussed returning to play Captain Jean-Luc Picard in “Star Trek: Picard.”
He said he turned to Shakespeare’s poetry during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde will leave her post in February 2027, about nine months before her term ends. She said the move would give her more freedom to speak on issues beyond monetary policy, prompting speculation about her plans ahead of France’s next presidential election.
Key Facts
Lagarde will step down in February 2027.
Her departure will come about nine months before her term ends.
Lagarde cited a desire for more freedom to engage on matters beyond monetary policy.
Her decision is prompting speculation about her future plans ahead of a French presidential election.
Her early departure is expected to start a contest to choose the ECB’s next president.
The article also reports that TotalEnergies posted record profits and that the EU warned about household energy bills.
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The October 29 episode of “The Takeout with Major Garrett” covers an investigation into Alaska’s Senate race, including controversy involving Dan Sullivan and subpoenas from the Justice Department. Other listed topics include rising airfares linked to Trump’s Iran war, midterm election campaigns, and the firing of a top military general over alleged leaks.
Key Facts
The program lists an investigation into the Alaska Senate race amid controversy involving Dan Sullivan.
The Justice Department issued subpoenas in connection with the Alaska Senate race.
The Alaska governor ordered an investigation involving Peltola.
The program says Trump’s Iran war is driving up airfares as the midterms approach.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth fired another top military general over alleged leaks.
The episode also covers early voting numbers and races in Alaska and South Carolina.
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President Donald Trump held his third and final campaign rally for Republican Sen. Darline Graham in South Carolina on Thursday. He attacked Democratic Senate nominee Annie Andrews on cultural issues, according to the article excerpt.
Key Facts
The rally took place in South Carolina.
It was Trump’s third and final campaign rally for Graham.
Darline Graham is a Republican senator.
Annie Andrews is the Democratic Senate nominee.
Trump criticized Andrews on cultural issues.
Trump said Graham had devoted her life to the people of South Carolina.
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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth removed Army Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia as the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s head of strategy, plans and policy, a defense official said Wednesday. Sylvia is the second general to leave the role under Hegseth; the move comes as President Donald Trump weighs renewed strikes on Iran during an eight-month-long war.
Key Facts
Hegseth fired Army Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia from his post as the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s head of strategy, plans and policy.
A defense official confirmed Sylvia’s removal on Wednesday.
The position is known in military circles as the J5.
Sylvia is the second general ousted from the J5 post under Hegseth.
Sylvia’s predecessor, Lt. Gen. Joseph McGee, was forced to retire last October.
Trump is weighing renewed strikes on Iran, according to the article.
The article describes the conflict with Iran as an eight-month-long war.
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Leaked audio published by Spanish media reveals communications between a control centre and train drivers shortly before two trains collided outside Toledo. Officials are investigating the cause of the crash, in which a train travelling from Madrid to Seville hit a stationary train.
Key Facts
Spanish media published leaked audio recordings related to the crash.
The recordings capture communications between a control centre and train drivers.
The communications took place in the moments before the collision.
Two trains collided outside Toledo.
A train travelling from Madrid to Seville hit a stationary train.
Officials are investigating the cause of the crash.
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The 2026 midterms have drawn disputes over voter eligibility, mail-ballot rules and a Senate race before Election Day. The Trump administration has challenged voter registrations in California and Washington, while North Carolina and Alaska face separate ballot controversies.
Key Facts
A federal judge rejected the Justice Department's request to set aside ballots from about 20,000 California voters suspected of being noncitizens, citing insufficient evidence.
In Nevada, election officials found that 185 people flagged by the Justice Department as noncitizens were U.S. citizens.
Federal prosecutors in Washington asked the state to set aside ballots from more than 400 people they allege were illegally registered.
Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs said a preliminary review found U.S. citizens on the federal list and called it unreliable.
Nearly 4,000 North Carolina mail-in ballots processed through October 24 had been flagged for issues that could invalidate them if left unresolved.
North Carolina's ballot issues appear partly linked to new state guidance requiring voters to seal the inner ballot envelope.
Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy ordered an investigation into allegations that aides to Democrat Mary Peltola helped recruit a second candidate named Dan Sullivan to confuse voters; Peltola's campaign denied involvement.
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A bipartisan pair of U.S. senators is pressing prediction-market companies Kalshi and Polymarket about markets tied to the November 2026 midterm elections. The senators raised concerns about insider trading, market manipulation and bets based on material nonpublic information, and requested details about the companies’ efforts to prevent them.
Key Facts
The inquiry concerns prediction markets tied to the November 2026 midterm elections.
The companies named are Kalshi and Polymarket.
The senators described their concerns in a letter to the companies.
The letter asks what the companies do to prevent insider trading.
The senators also asked about efforts to prevent market manipulation.
The inquiry covers wagers based on material nonpublic information.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts, is one of the senators named in the article.
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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said it will temporarily allow compounding pharmacies to provide six wellness peptides by prescription. The article excerpt does not identify the peptides or explain how long the policy will last.
Key Facts
HHS announced a temporary change involving six peptides.
Compounding pharmacies will be allowed to provide the peptides through prescriptions.
The peptides are described as wellness peptides.
The article was published October 29, 2026.
The excerpt does not name the six peptides.
The excerpt does not give an end date for the temporary policy.
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The Pentagon is investigating late-August freezer malfunctions at at least six U.S. military commissaries as possible cyber incidents. U.S. officials have not said what caused the malfunctions, whether anyone deliberately caused them, or who may be responsible.
Key Facts
The reported incidents affected at least six military commissaries in late August.
At Fort Huachuca, officials said freezers entered defrost mode overnight, spoiling frozen food.
Other affected locations included Fort Irwin, F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Naval Station Newport, Columbus Air Force Base and Travis Air Force Base.
U.S. Cyber Command is working with government agencies and law enforcement partners on the investigation.
Army CID said its Cyber Field Office is working with the Defense Commissary Agency and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service.
Army CID is also coordinating with French law enforcement over refrigeration outages in Europe.
Officials have not publicly established the cause of the U.S. outages or confirmed that they were cyberattacks.
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Alaska’s Senate ballot includes incumbent Republican Dan S. Sullivan and another candidate, Daniel J. Sullivan, after courts allowed both names to remain. The dispute has raised concerns about voter confusion, while reporting described an alleged effort by people aligned with Democrat Mary Peltola to recruit the second Sullivan; Peltola has denied involvement.
Key Facts
Alaska adopted a nonpartisan top-four primary and ranked-choice general election system in 2020, first using it in 2022.
The four Senate candidates who advanced from the August primary were Mary Peltola, Sen. Dan Sullivan, Daniel J. Sullivan and Republican Gerald Heikes.
Peltola received 49.5% of the primary vote, Sen. Sullivan received 41.4%, and Daniel J. Sullivan received 2.5%.
Daniel J. Sullivan is a retired teacher from rural Alaska who announced his candidacy in June.
Alaska’s elections director rejected Daniel J. Sullivan’s ballot eligibility, saying his actions appeared intended to confuse voters; he denied being a sham candidate.
A judge overturned the elections director’s decision, and the Alaska Supreme Court upheld that ruling, allowing both Sullivans to appear on the ballot.
Under ranked-choice voting, voters may rank candidates, and votes are redistributed from eliminated candidates until one candidate has a majority.
The article reports an alleged secret effort by people aligned with Peltola’s campaign to recruit Daniel J. Sullivan; Peltola has denied involvement.
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General Motors agreed to pay $220 million to settle a lawsuit brought by 35 states and Washington, D.C. The states alleged that GM sold drivers’ data to insurance companies.
Key Facts
GM agreed to a $220 million settlement.
The lawsuit involved 35 states and Washington, D.C.
The states alleged that GM sold drivers’ data to insurance companies.
Attorneys general involved in the settlement announced it on Thursday.
The bipartisan coalition was led by Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield and Washington Attorney General Nick Brown.
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Israeli forces carried out raids, arrests and movement restrictions across the occupied West Bank, with Palestinian officials and aid agencies reporting injuries and widespread disruption. In Hebron, a military operation that began after two Israeli soldiers were killed has displaced families, disrupted schooling and caused economic losses, according to Palestinian officials.
Key Facts
The Palestine Red Crescent Society said two children were injured during an Israeli raid in Qalandiya; one was shot with live ammunition and the other was hurt by fragments.
Wafa reported that Israeli soldiers and settlers beat disabled Palestinian Mohammad Ahmad Ayesh Thawabta in al-Maniya, southeast of Bethlehem.
Palestinian sources said Israeli forces detained 13 people in northern West Bank raids before dawn on Thursday, most of them in the Nablus governorate.
Hebron Governor Khaled Dudin said 537 families, totaling 3,361 people, had been forced from their homes; municipal figures estimated about 5,000 people were affected by displacement or the siege.
Dudin said restrictions disrupted education for about 262,000 students across 589 schools in Hebron, prompting schools to shift to remote learning.
Palestinian officials estimated daily economic losses from the Hebron operation at 10 million to 12 million shekels.
The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society said Israeli forces detained 110 Palestinians in Hebron from Friday through Wednesday.
The UN humanitarian office said restrictions in Hebron were disrupting access to work, education and health care; it said most displaced families were staying with relatives.
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Actor Sir Patrick Stewart died at his home in Los Angeles on 28 October, aged 86. A statement shared on his social media said he had Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia; his career spanned seven decades.
Key Facts
Stewart was 86 when he died.
He died at his home in Los Angeles on 28 October.
A statement shared on his social media reported that he had Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia.
Stewart was known for his role in Star Trek.
His career spanned seven decades.
He received multiple Emmy Awards and Golden Globes.
He had a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Queen Elizabeth II knighted him.
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DHS asked Icelandic hosting company FlokiNET to remove or restrict access to data about more than 40,000 agency personnel, citing risks of harassment, stalking and physical harm. FlokiNET’s CEO said the company would not remove it because the data included work addresses and phone numbers, not personal contact details; DHS said it was addressing a potential breach.
Key Facts
DHS made the request on Thursday, according to a notice published by FlokiNET.
ZeroFox, which ICE authorized to pursue content removals, cited the figure of more than 40,000 people in an email to FlokiNET.
The data transparency group DDoSecrets published the personnel data on Wednesday.
A separate searchable database created by hacker and journalist maia arson crimew was briefly unavailable on Thursday and then appeared at another domain.
A group calling itself the Department of Peace claimed responsibility for obtaining the data.
DHS said it was aware of a potential breach and was working to address it and protect employees and officers.
FlokiNET CEO Kolja Weber said the information included government employees’ work addresses and work phone numbers, not personal addresses or phone numbers.
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King Charles arrived in Guyana for the second leg of his Caribbean tour after a two-day visit to the Bahamas. His Guyana schedule includes meetings with President Irfaan Ali and events focused on the environment, sustainability and ties with the UK; he will later travel to Antigua and Barbuda for a Commonwealth leaders summit.
Key Facts
Charles arrived in Guyana after leaving the Bahamas on Thursday.
He is due to meet Guyana’s President, Irfaan Ali, and attend a reception marking 60 years of bilateral relations.
The Guyana visit is expected to focus on the environment, sustainability and growing commercial ties with the UK.
More than four fifths of Guyana is covered by rainforest, and the country has one of the world’s lowest deforestation rates.
During his Bahamas visit, Charles referred to the suffering caused by Britain’s role in the slave trade.
Caribbean nations have renewed calls for Britain to apologize for its role in the slave trade and provide reparations.
The Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Antigua and Barbuda begins on 1 November and will discuss slavery’s legacy; Charles is due to give a speech as Head of the Commonwealth.
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At the third Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow, Vladimir Putin said Russia offers African countries an equal partnership and accused Western countries of focusing on resource extraction. The gathering addresses growing economic ties and security cooperation, as Russia promotes a “multipolar world” and seeks support from the Global South amid Western pressure over its war in Ukraine.
Key Facts
Putin spoke at the third Russia-Africa Summit, held in Moscow.
Putin said Russian companies operate in Africa on an equal footing with African partners.
Putin accused Western countries of continuing to exploit Africa’s resources.
Some African countries have sought security assistance from Russia in recent years.
Trade and economic ties between Russia and African countries are growing, according to the article.
Russia promotes what it calls a “multipolar world.”
The article says Russia seeks Global South support to counter Western pressure over its war in Ukraine.
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Actor Sir Patrick Stewart, known for “Star Trek” and “X-Men,” has died at 86, his representatives said. They said he had been battling Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia.
Key Facts
Patrick Stewart was 86.
His representatives announced his death.
Stewart was known for his roles in “Star Trek” and “X-Men.”
His representatives said he had Alzheimer’s disease.
His representatives said he had Lewy body dementia.
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The Justice Department reportedly issued subpoenas as part of a federal investigation into efforts to place a second candidate named Dan Sullivan on Alaska’s Senate ballot. The New York Times reported that Mary Peltola’s campaign led the effort, while Peltola’s campaign had previously denied involvement; Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy also announced a criminal inquiry.
Key Facts
ABC News reported the subpoenas, citing sources familiar with the matter.
The investigation concerns efforts to recruit a second candidate named Dan Sullivan for the Senate race.
The New York Times reported that Peltola’s campaign led the effort.
Peltola’s campaign had denied involvement for months, according to the article.
Dunleavy announced a criminal inquiry into the effort on Thursday.
The New York Times said the effort was intended to confuse voters who wanted to support Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan.
Trump said last week that he had directed the Justice Department to sue to block certification of the Senate election if Sullivan loses.
The lawsuit is pending.
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