The UK House of Commons Public Accounts Committee urged ministers to consider converting most of the British Council’s £197m debt into a grant or similar support. MPs said the council’s finances remain precarious and called on the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the council to agree on a plan for its future.
Key Facts
The council’s £60m loan from the FCDO, issued during the Covid-19 pandemic, has grown to £197m.
The loan was due to be repaid in 2026 but was restructured for repayment over 15 years.
The council forecasts it will not make an operating surplus until 2029–30.
The council plans further staff cuts, asset sales and closures in nine countries.
More than 2,000 full-time equivalent posts have been lost since 2021, and planned cuts would bring staffing to almost half its 2020 level.
The council operates in just under 100 countries and says it reaches more than 700 million people each year.
FCDO grant-in-aid accounts for about 15% of the council’s annual revenue; most income comes from teaching and exams.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
An investigation by Investigate Europe and the Guardian examined migrant workers’ conditions at datacentre projects in Sweden, Norway, Belgium and the Netherlands. It reported serious injuries, unpaid wages, poor housing and exploitative work practices, including the case of electrical tester Sandu, who was badly burned in an electrocution at a Google datacentre in Belgium.
Key Facts
Sandu says he was asked to do a last-minute electrical test after working nearly 10 hours and did not retrieve a protective suit.
Sandu says managers told him the electrical lines were de-energised, but they were live during the test.
Hospital records reviewed by the outlets say the arc flash burned 12% of Sandu’s body, including second-degree burns to his face and neck and third-degree burns to his right shoulder and fingers.
Belgium’s local labour inspectorate closed its investigation in late October and found no wrongdoing; the article says no company or contractor appears to have been held liable.
Dornan Engineering said it was committed to safe working conditions and compliance with labour laws.
The investigation reported debilitating injuries, poor living conditions, an unreported infectious outbreak, unpaid wages and exploitative employment practices at datacentre sites.
The article says Europe has more than 2,300 datacentres, with hundreds more under construction.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Illegal gold mining has spread around abandoned mine shafts west of Johannesburg, where miners have taken water from a local animal charity and left nearby communities facing environmental and safety concerns. The activity is driven by gold prices, poverty and unemployment, while experts say enforcement and efforts to secure old mines have not stopped it.
Key Facts
Cora Bailey, founder of the animal charity Claw in Roodepoort, said miners used water from the charity’s tanks for gold processing, leaving the organisation with only about two buckets of water at one point.
Police said on 19 October that they had arrested 71 suspected illegal miners across South Africa during the previous week.
Researchers estimate that illegal miners number in the tens of thousands; a 2019 estimate put illegal gold exports at about $1 billion, or a tenth of South Africa’s gold production.
In 2025, 93 bodies were recovered from a mine shaft in Stilfontein after police blocked food and water deliveries underground.
South Africa’s mining minister said in 2025 that the country had 6,100 derelict and ownerless mines and 1,170 unsafe mine openings.
Mining companies are legally required to seal disused shafts and rehabilitate the surrounding land.
Experts say most illegal miners come from neighbouring countries, mainly Lesotho, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Sudanese diaspora members and human rights advocates criticized the UAE’s nomination of diplomat Lana Nusseibeh to become the next UN secretary-general. They cited her denials of allegations that the UAE supports Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces, while Nusseibeh said she would back UN investigations and accountability efforts if elected.
Key Facts
The UAE nominated Nusseibeh to succeed António Guterres, whose second five-year term ends this year.
Rights groups and others have documented allegations of UAE support for the Rapid Support Forces, which has been accused of atrocities in Sudan.
The UN said the RSF attack on El Fasher in October 2025 had “hallmarks of genocide.”
Sudanese activists and advocates said Nusseibeh’s past denials could undermine trust in the UN and accountability for abuses.
Nusseibeh said she had taken leave from her UAE government post and would support UN fact-finding and transitional justice efforts.
A candidate needs at least nine votes in the 15-member Security Council and must avoid a veto by any of its five permanent members.
A recent informal Security Council poll put former Costa Rican vice-president Rebeca Grynspan narrowly ahead, but every candidate received at least two opposing votes from permanent members.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
UK immigration officials barred Swedish academic Andreas Malm from entering the country, saying his presence “may not be considered to be conducive to the public good.” He was due to speak at a London conference about Palestine Action and appear on a BBC Radio 4 programme; Malm urged the government to reverse the decision.
Key Facts
Malm is an associate professor of human ecology at Lund University in Sweden and wrote How to Blow Up a Pipeline.
He was scheduled to headline a Tribune magazine conference next week in London.
Malm was due to speak with Huda Ammori, a co-founder of Palestine Action, which the UK has banned.
The conference was timed to coincide with the start of a Supreme Court challenge to the ban.
Sally Rooney, whose books she withdrew from sale in the UK over her support for Palestine Action, criticized the decision to bar Malm.
The Home Office said it does not discuss individual cases.
US commentators Cenk Uygur and Hasan Piker were also barred from the UK earlier this year on similar grounds.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
The Wildlife Trusts have raised £30 million to buy the 3,800-hectare Rothbury estate in Northumberland. The trust plans to restore and expand habitats, support wildlife and create a nature corridor, while also encouraging nature tourism in the area.
Key Facts
The fundraising campaign began two years ago after the estate was put up for sale by Max Percy, the Duke of Northumberland’s youngest son.
The estate covers more than 3,800 hectares, nearly 15 square miles.
The campaign received £17 million from members of the public, according to Northumberland Wildlife Trust chief executive Mike Pratt.
The estate includes hills, moorland, woodlands, the River Coquet and farmland.
The trust hopes to support species already present and help species such as water voles return.
The long-term plan is for the estate to anchor a 40-mile nature corridor between Druridge Bay and nature reserves near the Scottish-English border.
Volunteers are helping with wildlife monitoring, including recordings of animal sounds and planned earthworm counts.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Mary Peltola denied knowing about Daniel J. Sullivan, a candidate with the same first and last name as Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, and said she was not trying to mislead voters. The controversy has prompted a Justice Department lawsuit and investigation, as well as a separate inquiry ordered by Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy, while the Senate race remains close.
Key Facts
Peltola made her remarks at a rally in Juneau on Thursday.
Peltola said she knew only about herself and the incumbent, Dan Sullivan, among candidates on the ballot.
The New York Times reported that Democratic operatives linked to Peltola’s campaign helped recruit Daniel J. Sullivan, citing a former campaign manager and text messages.
Peltola’s campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee denied involvement in recruiting Daniel J. Sullivan.
Daniel J. Sullivan, a retired teacher, has denied being a sham candidate and says he is genuinely interested in running.
Alaska courts allowed Daniel J. Sullivan to remain on the ballot.
The Justice Department sued last week to ask a federal court to intervene and issued subpoenas as part of a separate criminal probe.
Gov. Mike Dunleavy ordered a separate inquiry into whether the alleged effort violated Alaska law and could affect certification of the election result.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado returned from exile and called for presidential elections in 2027. She thanked U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration for the January operation that abducted President Nicolás Maduro, while criticizing a recent U.S. oil deal with Venezuela as lacking transparency.
Key Facts
Machado made her remarks at a news conference in Caracas on Thursday.
She said she had returned to mobilize Venezuelan society after more than 10 months in exile.
Machado said U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had outlined steps toward a democratic transition and elections in 2027.
Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s former vice president, has governed Venezuela since Maduro’s abduction in January.
Rodríguez said elections would be held but did not give a date.
Machado criticized a recent oil agreement under which Venezuela is to hand over 20 percent of its oil reserves.
Machado returned to Venezuela on Sunday and was greeted by cheering supporters.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
A federal judge blocked a Trump administration rule requiring some chronically ill Medicaid recipients to show that their conditions significantly impair their ability to meet work requirements before receiving an exemption. The ruling leaves the work requirements in place and upholds two other restrictions on how states verify medical frailty.
Key Facts
US District Judge Richard Stearns issued the ruling on Thursday in a lawsuit brought by 25 states and the District of Columbia.
The administration’s rule added a requirement that people in specified medical categories show their conditions significantly impair their ability to comply with work requirements.
The law’s medical frailty definition includes people who are blind or disabled, have substance use or disabling mental disorders, or have serious or complex medical conditions.
Stearns said the states faced costly changes to their systems for verifying eligibility and that monetary damages would not adequately address the harm.
Starting January 1, 2027, Medicaid expansion enrollees aged 19 to 64 must meet requirements such as working or doing community service for at least 80 hours per month, or attending school at least half time.
The work requirements include exceptions for people considered medically frail and people in addiction treatment programmes.
The ruling did not strike down the work requirements and upheld two other federal restrictions on how states verify medical frailty.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
President Donald Trump criticized a reporter’s appearance after the reporter asked why he was not traveling to Kansas to campaign for the midterms. The exchange took place on a tarmac, according to the article’s headline.
Key Facts
Trump is identified as the U.S. president.
A reporter asked why Trump was not traveling to Kansas.
The reporter’s question concerned campaigning for the midterms.
Trump criticized the reporter’s appearance.
The headline quotes Trump saying, “You look like hell.”
The headline describes the exchange as a tarmac tirade.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Israeli actress Chelli Goldenberg criticized Israel’s policies toward Palestinians during a live Channel 13 segment. She reportedly did not realize the segment was being broadcast and was shocked after her remarks were aired.
Sir Patrick Stewart, the British actor known for Shakespeare roles and major science-fiction franchises, died at his home in Los Angeles at age 86. His career spanned more than seven decades, including roles as Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men films.
Key Facts
Stewart was born in Yorkshire in 1940 and grew up in a poor family.
A schoolteacher introduced him to Shakespeare and encouraged him to act.
He appeared in the 1970 production of Two Gentlemen of Verona and the 1976 BBC series I, Claudius.
Stewart began playing Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation in 1987.
He played Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men film series, beginning in 2000.
His honors included a Grammy and two Laurence Olivier Awards; he was also nominated for a Tony, Golden Globes and Emmys.
Queen Elizabeth II knighted Stewart in 2010.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Two helicopters collided midair near McMinnville Municipal Airport in Oregon on Thursday shortly after 2 p.m. local time, killing all three people aboard. The FAA and NTSB took over the scene, and the cause remains under investigation.
Key Facts
The crash happened in a farm field southwest of Portland, near McMinnville Municipal Airport.
Yamhill County Sheriff Sam Elliott said all three people aboard the helicopters died.
The victims were identified as flight instructor Maddie Aasbo, 22, pilot Tyler Sturdevant, 38, and an unnamed student pilot from the United Kingdom.
Aasbo and the student pilot were aboard a 1995 Robinson R22 helicopter.
Sturdevant was the sole occupant of a 2018 Airbus AS350 B3 helicopter.
One of the aircraft came from Jerry Trimble Helicopters, an aviation school based at the airport.
The FAA and NTSB are investigating the crash.
Oregon transportation officials closed part of Highway 233 near the crash site.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Binance said a security breach had an estimated $6.3 billion impact, potentially making it the largest cryptocurrency heist on record. The exchange said it had recovered or frozen about $3 billion and temporarily suspended deposits and withdrawals while it investigated.
Key Facts
Binance said its initial investigation suggested a hacked laptop belonging to an engineer may have enabled unauthorized withdrawals.
The company gave no update on the remaining $3.3 billion and said it would cover all hacking losses.
Binance said user funds remained safe and that it was working with law enforcement and industry partners.
Bitcoin fell more than 3% to $76,368, while ether dropped more than 3% to $2,178 during early Asian trading.
BNB fell 5% over 24 hours to $709.70, according to CoinGecko.
Coinbase shares fell 4.8% and Strategy shares dropped nearly 6% in extended U.S. trading.
Binance reported 335 million registered users and about $162.8 billion in assets under custody in its 2025 annual report.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Health officials are investigating separate clusters of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli infections potentially linked to pumpkin farms in California and Illinois. In California, three children were in intensive care, and the farm under investigation closed for the rest of the season; Illinois officials reported five cases and four hospitalizations.
Key Facts
San Luis Obispo County reported five confirmed E. coli cases: two adults and three children.
The three children in the California cluster were being treated in a pediatric intensive care unit in serious condition.
Officials are investigating a possible connection to Brookshire Farms, which closed voluntarily and said it would stay closed for the rest of pumpkin season.
Health officials asked people who visited Brookshire Farms from October 16 to October 26 and later developed gastrointestinal symptoms to contact a health care provider.
Will County, Illinois, reported five confirmed cases potentially linked to Bengtson's Pumpkin Farm; four patients were hospitalized, and at least three had been discharged.
Bengtson's closed its petting zoo as a precaution while keeping its other attractions open, according to the article.
E. coli can spread through contaminated food or water, contact with animals or contaminated surfaces, or contact with an infected person.
Health officials recommend washing hands with soap and water after contact with animals and before eating or preparing food.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul said state police will investigate all future sexual-offence complaints at Cornell University under an agreement with the university. The change follows criticism of Cornell’s handling of a student’s allegation that she was drugged and raped at a fraternity in 2024; the state has also reopened an investigation into whether criminal charges are warranted.
Key Facts
Cornell University’s sexual-offence complaints were historically handled by campus police.
Under the new agreement, Cornell will immediately refer all future sexual-offence complaints to New York State Police.
A student identified as Jane Doe filed a civil lawsuit against Cornell in mid-September.
The lawsuit alleges that seven men drugged and raped the student at a fraternity house in 2024.
Cornell acknowledged that it fell short in its handling of the student’s case.
New York Attorney General Letitia James was appointed special prosecutor to oversee a reopened investigation into whether criminal charges are warranted.
Cornell’s Faculty Senate approved a no-confidence vote against the university administration and President Michael Kotlikoff; faculty voting runs from Friday through 6 November.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Gas stations promoted by President Donald Trump are selling discounted fuel in Detroit as fuel prices rise amid the Iran war. The report examines what voters think of Trump’s economic record ahead of the midterm elections.
Key Facts
Gas stations promoted by Trump are offering discounted fuel in Detroit.
The article links rising fuel prices to the Iran war.
Al Jazeera reporter Mikail Malik is reporting from Michigan.
The report asks how voters view Trump’s economic record.
The midterm elections are approaching.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
An unpublished Australian government report says feral deer grew in number and spread across the country between 2020 and 2025, causing more than $91 million in annual production losses and management costs. South Australia was the only state or territory to earn green ratings across all four measures, while advocates say other jurisdictions need sustained funding and action to contain deer.
Key Facts
The report assessed the national feral deer action plan over the five years from 2020 to 2025.
Feral deer cost Australia more than $91 million each year in production losses and management time, according to the report.
Six feral deer species are established in Australia: chital, fallow, hog, red, rusa and sambar.
Deer populations are strongest in south-eastern Australia, with smaller local populations in South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
South Australia received green ratings for abundance, distribution, and environmental and agricultural impacts after starting a statewide eradication plan in 2022.
New South Wales and Tasmania received red ratings in all four assessment categories.
Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory each received three red ratings and one yellow; no jurisdiction other than South Australia received a green rating.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Inside Elections changed its ratings for nine U.S. Senate races, with each shift moving toward Democrats, days before the November 3 midterm elections. Nate Silver cited recent Democratic polling, while the article noted that polls can be wrong and reported that several races remain close.
Key Facts
Georgia moved from lean Democrat to likely Democrat; incumbent Jon Ossoff faces Mike Collins.
Ohio moved from toss-up to tilt Democrat; Republican incumbent Jon Husted faces Sherrod Brown.
Texas moved from toss-up to tilt Democrat; Ken Paxton faces James Talarico in a race described as a virtual dead heat.
Iowa moved from tilt Republican to toss-up; Ashley Hinson faces Josh Turek.
Kansas moved from tilt Republican to toss-up; Adam Hamilton faces incumbent Roger Marshall.
South Carolina moved from lean Republican to tilt Republican; Darline Graham faces Annie Andrews, and a recent poll showed them tied.
Nebraska moved from lean Republican to tilt Republican; incumbent Pete Ricketts faces independent Dan Osborn.
Louisiana and Mississippi each moved from solid Republican to likely Republican.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
Actor Sir Patrick Stewart has died at 86 from Alzheimer’s disease. Known for roles including Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek and Professor X in X-Men, he had a seven-decade career spanning classical theatre, film and television.
Key Facts
Sir Ian McKellen called Stewart the most respected and beloved actor of his generation.
Stewart played Captain Jean-Luc Picard in more than 170 Star Trek episodes from 1987 to 1994, four films and the series Star Trek: Picard from 2020 to 2023.
Stewart joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1966 and performed in productions including King John, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Henry IV.
William Shatner, George Takei and Hugh Jackman shared tributes to Stewart.
Marvel Studios described Stewart as a singular talent and generous collaborator.
Huddersfield Town, the football club Stewart supported, called him a titan of his craft.
Stewart was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2010.
Read the Original
Want the full story? Tap a source to open the original
article.
