A federal jury convicted Halima Salman, a U.S. citizen from New York, of receiving weapons training from the Islamic State group. Salman said her father took her to Syria when she was 17 and that she was trapped there by her husband; prosecutors argued she supported the group and took part willingly. Her lawyers asked the judge to overturn the verdict, and sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 2.
Key Facts
Salman was born in Brooklyn and was 17 when her father took the family to Syria in 2017.
Prosecutors presented a video of Salman holding an assault rifle, a photo of her with the Islamic State group’s flag and messages she sent her husband.
Salman testified that she was frightened when the family entered Syria and said she repeatedly tried to leave her marriage.
She married German-Afghan Islamic State fighter Abu Ali, according to court documents.
Salman’s father died in 2018 after being injured in an airstrike.
The conviction carries a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison.
Her lawyers asked the judge to set aside the verdict and acquit her.
Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 2.
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Two high-speed trains collided south of Madrid, Spain, leaving at least 10 people dead. A regional government spokesperson said the toll was expected to rise as rescuers worked at the scene.
Key Facts
More than 500 passengers were travelling on the trains involved.
The collision occurred between a Renfe train and an Iryo train, according to rail operator Adif.
The Iryo train was travelling on the Madrid-to-Seville route.
Rescue workers set up makeshift medical tents at the crash site.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said he was shocked by the accident and was in contact with the transport minister.
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At least 39 people were killed when two high-speed trains collided near Urda, Spain. The crash derailed two carriages and suspended service on the Madrid-Andalusia line; another deadly accident on the same route killed 46 people nine months earlier.
Key Facts
At least 39 people were killed in the collision.
Two high-speed trains collided near Urda, Spain.
The crash derailed two carriages.
The collision suspended service on the Madrid-Andalusia line.
A rail accident on the same route killed 46 people nine months earlier.
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A September 2026 report commissioned by a U.S. congressional advisory commission ranks several Pacific undersea cables with major U.S. company stakes among those most exposed to possible sabotage. It identifies waters near Taiwan, Japan and the Philippines as higher-risk areas and warns that damage to multiple cables could disrupt communications and cloud services between the United States and the Indo-Pacific.
Key Facts
The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission commissioned the report from the London-based China Strategic Risks Institute.
The report created an interactive index that ranks cable risks using factors such as route depth, shipping traffic, ownership, territorial claims and links to Taiwan.
The index identifies waters near Taiwan, Japan and the Philippines as the highest-risk areas.
Google-owned TPU, Meta-owned ORCA and the jointly owned E2A cable project were among the 10 cables rated most at risk; all three ranked in the top five.
The report says a serious disruption to one trans-Pacific cable could overload available capacity on direct routes between the United States, Taiwan, Japan and the Philippines.
Damage to several cables could reduce or overwhelm trans-Pacific capacity, forcing traffic onto longer routes and affecting internet communications, cloud services and financial trading.
Most undersea cable damage results from fishing nets, ship anchors, storms or undersea landslides, but the article says geopolitical tensions have increased scrutiny of possible sabotage.
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Florida state representative and U.S. Senate candidate Angie Nixon said Instagram suspended her campaign’s “Latinos Con Angie” page during a get-out-the-vote rally in Osceola County. The page was back online by Wednesday morning; Meta had not responded to Newsweek’s request for comment at the time of publication.
Key Facts
Nixon said the campaign page was suspended while it posted rally content and asked Meta to restore it and explain the suspension.
Instagram’s notice cited its account-integrity rules and said Nixon could appeal by April 25, 2027.
Nixon held a “Boricuas for Angie” rally at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee on Tuesday.
Nixon is running against Republican Ashley Moody, who was appointed to replace Marco Rubio in the Senate after he became secretary of state.
The 50501 Movement said Meta also suspended the No Kings Coalition’s Instagram account during an October 17 protest event.
Meta apologized for the No Kings account suspension and said a surge of activity mistakenly triggered automated protections. The coalition disputed the explanation.
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Democrats are preparing potential investigations if they win control of the House or Senate in the November 3 midterm elections. Possible targets include Trump family business dealings and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s handling of the Iran war; the White House denies wrongdoing and says it is prepared to respond to oversight requests.
Key Facts
Control of either chamber would give Democrats subpoena power and additional resources for investigations.
Democratic staffers have begun compiling possible investigations and witnesses, according to people familiar with the discussions.
Potential inquiries into Trump family finances could examine cryptocurrency firms, Jared Kushner’s international business dealings, a Qatar-gifted aircraft, and defense contracts linked to the family.
The White House has denied allegations of wrongdoing involving Trump and his family.
Democrats have said they may investigate Hegseth’s handling of the Iran war, including civilian casualties, munitions, spending, and troop and facility preparedness.
A source familiar with the discussions said another possible topic is U.S. boat strikes in the Caribbean that the administration says target drug flows.
House Democrats filed articles of impeachment against Hegseth in April, citing the Iran war and accusing him of high crimes and misdemeanors.
Impeachment requires a House majority, while conviction and removal from office require a two-thirds Senate vote.
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Dermatologist Elizabeth Hale discusses skin care, sun protection and treatments for sun-damaged skin. She says laser procedures may help reduce precancerous skin changes, while daily sunscreen and other skin-care measures help limit further damage.
Key Facts
Elizabeth Hale is a dermatologist and senior vice president of the Skin Cancer Foundation.
Hale says skin changes can sometimes signal health conditions such as anemia or jaundice, or exposure to toxins and smoking.
Fraxel is a fractionated, non-ablative laser treatment that delivers energy through small zones while leaving most of the outer skin layer intact.
The article says research suggests Fraxel and pulsed dye laser treatment combined with photodynamic therapy may lower the chance of developing basal cell skin cancer.
Hale says patients should commit to protecting their skin before undergoing procedures to treat skin damage.
Hale recommends using broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher every day to protect against UVA and UVB rays.
Hale says retinol products can slow visible skin aging, and she may prescribe retinoids to help remove precancerous cells.
Hale recommends a diet rich in colorful fruits and vegetables and protein; the article ends before giving further details.
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Pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil returned to Columbia University for the first time since his detention in the United States. He urged students to keep criticizing Israel and said their efforts were working.
Key Facts
Mahmoud Khalil is a pro-Palestinian activist.
Khalil returned to Columbia University.
It was his first return to Columbia since his detention in the United States.
Khalil addressed students.
He urged students to continue calling out Israel.
Khalil said the criticism was working.
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Barack Obama and President Donald Trump campaigned in Michigan, Ohio and Georgia ahead of the November 3 midterm election, where competitive races could affect control of Congress. A UMass Lowell/YouGov poll of likely voters found Obama had a net favorability rating of 20 points, while Trump’s rating was minus 18 points.
Key Facts
Obama visited Michigan and Ohio over the weekend to support Democratic candidates.
Trump held a rally in Michigan on Sunday and also visited Georgia over the weekend.
Obama was scheduled to campaign in Georgia on Wednesday with Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff and gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms.
The three states have competitive Senate races, and Ohio also has a closely contested governor’s race.
In a UMass Lowell/YouGov poll of 1,000 likely voters surveyed October 2–4, 57 percent viewed Obama favorably and 37 percent unfavorably.
The same poll found that 39 percent viewed Trump favorably and 57 percent unfavorably.
The poll gave Obama a net favorability rating of plus 20 points and Trump a rating of minus 18 points.
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Dermatologist Dr. Elizabeth Hale discusses ways to maintain skin health and address signs of skin damage. The segment covers lasers, menopause-related skin aging, and foods that may support a more youthful appearance.
Key Facts
Dr. Elizabeth Hale discusses skincare routines intended to support healthy skin.
The segment addresses ways to improve wrinkles and reduce skin damage.
Hale and Norah discuss the use of lasers for skin care.
The discussion covers how menopause can accelerate skin aging.
The segment considers foods that may help people look younger.
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Journalist Charbel A. Antoun argues that President Donald Trump’s pause involving Iran sets a date but does not define measurable diplomatic goals. Antoun says the pause lacks clear terms for uranium accounting, inspection access and shipping protocols, and could amount to a delay rather than diplomacy.
Key Facts
The article discusses President Donald Trump’s pause involving Iran.
Journalist Charbel A. Antoun argues that the pause sets a date without measurable diplomatic goals.
Antoun says the pause does not specify how Iran’s uranium would be accounted for.
Antoun says the pause lacks clear terms for inspection access.
Antoun says the pause lacks clear shipping protocols.
Antoun warns that the pause could serve as a calendar delay rather than lead to diplomacy.
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Russell Brand testified at Southwark Crown Court that a 2023 documentary about allegations against him had a “devastating” effect on his relationships and life. He denies all seven charges against him, and the trial is continuing.
Key Facts
Brand faces three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of attempted indecent assault.
Six women brought allegations covering the period from 1999 to 2009.
Brand answered “no” when asked whether he committed each alleged offence.
He told the jury that friends and colleagues had turned away from him after the documentary aired.
Brand said the documentary’s publication led Great Ormond Street Hospital to bar him from staying with his son during the child’s heart surgery.
Brand said he remembered meeting the first complainant at the 1999 Labour Party conference in Bournemouth and denied her rape allegation.
He told the court that consent was fundamental to him. The trial continues.
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A local ceasefire in Russian-occupied Oleshky, in southern Ukraine, held through its first 30 hours, including a day and night. Fighting between Russia and Ukraine continued elsewhere, and the truce is expected to last until Sunday.
Key Facts
The ceasefire began on Tuesday, October 27, in Oleshky.
Oleshky is a city in southern Ukraine occupied by Russia.
The truce held through its first day and night.
The ceasefire is expected to remain in place until Sunday.
Fighting between Moscow and Kyiv continued elsewhere.
The report describes Oleshky as devastated.
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With the U.S. midterm elections less than a week away, the cost of living has become a key campaign issue. In Arizona, voters are criticizing the Trump administration’s cuts to food stamps, which the report says have affected low-income people.
Key Facts
The article was issued on October 28, 2026.
The U.S. midterm elections were less than a week away when the report was published.
The cost of living has emerged as a key campaign issue.
The report focuses on food stamp cuts in Arizona.
Many Americans are criticizing the administration’s decision to cut food stamps.
The report says the cuts have had significant consequences for the poorest people.
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UK Chancellor John Healey is due to present the government’s first budget under Prime Minister Andy Burnham on Wednesday. The budget comes as inflation and borrowing rise, energy bills are expected to increase, and the government faces pressure to fund defence plans while meeting its fiscal rules.
Key Facts
Healey is scheduled to announce the budget in Parliament at 12:30 GMT on Wednesday.
The article says the UK’s total borrowing passed £3 trillion in September and that debt interest costs about £100 billion a year.
Energy bills are expected to have their largest increase in four years in January, amid conflict in the Middle East.
Burnham said the budget would explain how the government plans to fund its previously announced defence investment plan.
The defence plan, announced in June, is backed by £298 billion in investment.
The government’s stated pathway includes NATO defence spending targets of 3 percent of GDP by 2030 and 3.5 percent by 2035; current spending is about 2.6 percent.
The Guardian reported that Healey aims to address a £4.7 billion gap in defence funding, potentially through cuts to other departments.
An economist at the Resolution Foundation expects a relatively small budget, with some measures to offset living costs and larger decisions delayed until next year.
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The UK Equality and Human Rights Commission has proposed requiring employers to share information about colleagues’ pay when workers request it. It also wants employers barred from asking job applicants about their current or previous salary, saying both changes could help reduce pay discrimination.
Key Facts
Employers in the UK do not currently have to answer employees’ requests for information about colleagues’ pay.
The EHRC wants employers to provide requested information within a set timeframe.
The proposed information could include basic pay, hours worked, bonuses, overtime, shift premiums and performance-related pay.
UK employers can currently ask job applicants about their current salary, but applicants do not have to answer.
EHRC chief executive John Kirkpatrick said salary-history questions can carry past disadvantage or discrimination into future salaries.
The EHRC has previously called for employers to publish salary details in job adverts.
The Fawcett Society has said salary-history questions may perpetuate pay differences linked to gender, race and disability.
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Russell Brand testified for the defence at Southwark crown court, where he faces charges linked to allegations by six women. He denied the charges and told the court he believed he had obtained consent in an alleged 1999 encounter.
Key Facts
Brand faces three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of attempted indecent assault.
The allegations concern events between 1999 and 2009.
Brand has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The prosecution finished presenting its case after nearly two weeks of evidence, and the defence began its case with Brand’s testimony.
Brand denied intending to carry out a non-consensual assault in an allegation involving an MTV worker in 2001.
The judge amended an indecent assault charge to attempted indecent assault, saying there was insufficient evidence to support the original charge.
Brand told police in a 2023 statement that he had never engaged in non-consensual sexual activity.
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Israeli forces continued raids in Hebron and other parts of the occupied West Bank as Hebron entered its sixth day under lockdown. UNRWA said the restrictions and incursions had displaced nearly 5,000 Palestinians in Hebron and limited access to essential services.
Key Facts
Israeli forces raided neighbourhoods in Hebron and towns across the governorate on Wednesday and tightened restrictions at city entrances.
Troops searched homes in the Fawwar refugee camp near midnight.
Israeli forces detained four Palestinians in Tulkarem, including a journalist, his two brothers, and an officer with the Palestinian General Intelligence Service, Wafa reported.
In Beita, Israeli troops fired tear gas at protesters opposing the demolition of two homes belonging to families of Palestinian prisoners.
A Palestinian man suffered hand fractures after Israeli forces beat him in Yasid, while troops raided homes in Burin and turned several into military barracks, Wafa reported.
Schools in southern Nablus were ordered to move to remote learning.
UNRWA said the Hebron lockdown had severely restricted movement and access to critical services and that nearly 5,000 Palestinians had been displaced.
The Israeli campaign followed the killing of two Israeli soldiers by Palestinian gunmen at a checkpoint; Israeli forces later killed the gunmen.
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The page links to live coverage of the Budget and carries the headline “Everyday life is now becoming expensive.” The video content is unavailable in the provided article text, so it gives no details about the Budget or the costs discussed.
Key Facts
The page says it is following live coverage of the Budget.
The headline says everyday life is becoming expensive.
The page is labeled under Politics.
The page lists HM Treasury and the UK economy among its related topics.
UK taxes and UK government spending also appear as related topics.
Cardiff appears as a related location.
The page says JavaScript must be enabled to play the video.
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A plant-based butter sold in 10 states has been recalled over concerns about yeast, mold and E. coli. The FDA assigned the product a risk level and issued a warning.
Key Facts
The recalled product is a plant-based butter.
The article describes the butter as popular.
The recall involves concerns about yeast.
The recall involves concerns about mold.
The recall involves concerns about E. coli.
The product was sold in 10 states.
The FDA assigned the product a risk level.
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