New data puts France’s tax burden at 46 percent of gross domestic product, the highest in the European Union. The country’s national debt is also growing as protests focus on education funding and falling purchasing power; the government has proposed a small minimum-wage increase.
Key Facts
France’s tax burden is 46 percent of GDP, according to the report.
The report says France has the EU’s highest tax burden.
France’s national debt continues to grow.
Protests have raised concerns about education funding and falling purchasing power.
The government has proposed a minimum-wage increase described in the article as small.
The program also covered differences in share performance among U.S. technology companies amid large spending on artificial intelligence.
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The BBC interviewed voters in 17 U.S. states about the issues they consider most important in the 2026 midterm elections. Voters mentioned the economy, the immigration crackdown, and concerns about the country becoming fascist or communist.
Key Facts
The interviews focused on voters’ top issues in the 2026 midterm elections.
The BBC spoke with voters in 17 states.
The states included California, Texas, Michigan, Illinois, Arizona, Florida, and New York.
Voters cited the economy as a key concern.
Voters cited the immigration crackdown as a key concern.
Some voters expressed fears that the country could become fascist or communist.
Meiying Wu produced and edited the video.
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A collision between a moving Renfe train and a stationary Iryo train near Urda in central Spain killed at least 68 people and injured about 80. Spain’s transport minister said a computer failure disrupted the main signalling system, and the article says authorities blamed an order from rail controllers that let the Renfe train resume normal speed; investigators are examining the crash.
Key Facts
The collision happened shortly before 9am near Urda, south of Madrid, on a raised section of track.
Both trains were travelling from Madrid to Seville.
The Renfe train carried 397 people, and the Iryo train carried 147, according to the Castilla-La Mancha government.
Two Iryo carriages derailed and fell down an embankment, according to regional officials and emergency sources cited in the article.
About 80 people were injured; regional officials said 50 were seriously hurt and 15 critically.
At the time of the article, emergency teams had recovered 52 bodies and were searching the wreckage.
A computer failure knocked out the LZB signalling system, which automatically keeps trains a safe distance apart, Transport Minister Oscar Puente said.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez declared three days of national mourning and said authorities would investigate possible negligence and system failures.
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Alex Vines of the European Council on Foreign Relations discussed Russia’s growing diplomatic role in Africa and the questions raised by its security partnerships, information operations and recruitment practices. He cited the latest Russia-Africa summit, attended by representatives of 48 African countries and 22 heads of state or government, as evidence of Moscow’s appeal as a diplomatic and strategic partner.
Key Facts
Alex Vines is Africa Program Director at the European Council on Foreign Relations.
The France 24 interview focused on Russia’s influence and partnerships in Africa.
Vines described Russia’s diplomatic traction alongside African countries’ security dependence on Moscow.
The discussion raised concerns about sovereignty, accountability and human costs.
The latest Russia-Africa summit included participants from 48 African countries.
The summit included 22 heads of state or government.
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Somalia’s lower house of parliament passed a bill addressing sexual violence, according to France 24. The report says the country’s criminal code dates to 1962 and had not been updated since.
Key Facts
Somalia’s lower house passed a bill on sexual violence.
The report describes the measure as a new law against sexual violence.
Somalia’s criminal code dates back to 1962.
The article says the criminal code had not been updated since 1962.
Legal Action Worldwide lobbied Somali authorities in support of the measure.
Sofia Rajab, the NGO’s program manager, spoke with France 24 in Nairobi.
France 24 published the report on October 29, 2026.
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A train crash in Spain killed at least 69 people, and emergency crews continued operations on Thursday, October 29. Authorities took victims to the Institute of Legal Medicine of Toledo for identification, with police, medical and military units present outside.
Key Facts
The crash happened in Spain a day before the report.
At least 69 people died in the crash.
Emergency responders continued their operations on Thursday morning.
Victims were taken to the Institute of Legal Medicine of Toledo for identification.
Police, medical and military units were seen outside the institute.
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The wreck of the Canadian steamship SS Cornwallis, sunk by a German submarine off Maine in December 1944, was found in July nearly 400 feet underwater, according to the Nomad Exploration Team. The same submarine, U-1230, had landed two German spies in Maine four days before sinking the ship.
Key Facts
The Cornwallis was a 5,458-ton merchant ship built in Vancouver and launched in 1921.
U-1230 torpedoed the ship on Dec. 3, 1944, as it traveled along the Maine coast.
The ship sank in less than 10 minutes.
Of the 48 people aboard, five survived; one other person who reached a life raft died of hypothermia.
The five survivors were rescued by fishing boats and taken to Rockland, Maine, aboard a U.S. Navy ship.
U-1230 had landed German agents Erich Gimpel and William Colepaugh near Hancock, Maine, on Nov. 29, 1944.
The Nomad Exploration Team used side-scan sonar to locate the wreck and later dives to confirm its identity.
Gimpel and Colepaugh were sentenced to death by a military court, but their sentences were later changed to life in prison.
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Rescue teams searched the wreckage in Toledo province on Thursday, a day after a train struck a stationary train, killing 68 people. Spain’s transport minister said several trains had stopped automatically after a signal failure, and the prime minister promised an investigation and safety improvements.
Key Facts
The collision derailed at least three carriages in central Spain.
Rescuers used sniffer dogs and cranes as they searched the wreckage for more victims.
Fifty-three people remained in hospital, including 15 in critical care.
Spain declared three days of mourning for those killed.
The crash followed another fatal high-speed rail accident in Spain earlier this year, in which 46 people died.
Transport Minister Oscar Puente said a Renfe train was authorised to proceed at normal speed while an Iryo-operated train was stopped ahead.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez visited the crash site and pledged an investigation and measures to improve rail safety.
The SEMAF train drivers’ union said it would proceed with a previously planned strike focused on rail safety and structural change.
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Israel’s Central Elections Committee urged the head of the Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic security agency, to investigate alleged foreign interference in the Knesset elections. The allegations include suspected funding and bribery linked to Qatar.
Key Facts
The Central Elections Committee made the request on October 29, 2026.
The committee called on the Shin Bet chief to investigate.
The allegations concern possible foreign interference in Israel’s Knesset elections.
Suspected funding and bribery linked to Qatar are among the allegations.
FRANCE 24’s Noga Tarnopolsky reported from Jerusalem.
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A small crowd in Boston protested the existence of Liberty Biberty, a new mascot featured in Liberty Mutual television ads. The protest focused on the fuzzy yellow character used by the insurance company.
Key Facts
A small crowd gathered in Boston for the protest.
Protesters called for Liberty Biberty to go.
Liberty Biberty is a new mascot.
The mascot is described as fuzzy and yellow.
Liberty Mutual features the character in television ads.
Liberty Mutual is an insurance company.
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Flávio Bolsonaro arrived in Miami with his family on Wednesday after losing Brazil’s presidential election to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The article says Brazil’s Supreme Court reportedly considered him a flight risk amid corruption investigations and ordered his passports seized.
Key Facts
Flávio Bolsonaro is 45 years old.
He arrived in Florida on Wednesday with his family.
He lost Brazil’s presidential election to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The article describes him as an ally of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Brazil’s Supreme Court reportedly considered him a flight risk.
The court reportedly ordered his passports seized amid ongoing corruption investigations.
FRANCE 24 International Affairs Editor Philip Turle explained the election and Bolsonaro’s departure.
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Lloyds CFO William Chalmers criticized the UK government’s plan to raise the bank surcharge to fund short-term energy bill support. He urged the government to keep the increase temporary, arguing that predictable taxes and competitive banks support lending and economic growth.
Key Facts
Chancellor John Healey announced that the bank surcharge would rise from 3% to 6% starting in January.
The planned increase would last 15 months, through March 2028, and the government says it will help pay for immediate energy bill support.
Chalmers said he saw no clear link between energy prices and bank taxes and urged the government not to extend the higher levy.
The Treasury has said it will legislate for the 15-month limit in the financial bill.
Some banking industry figures privately worry a future energy crisis could lead to an extension of the increase.
Lloyds said it paid about £1.8 billion in corporate taxes year to date and wanted a stable, predictable tax regime.
Lloyds reported third-quarter pre-tax profit of £2.3 billion, up from £1.2 billion a year earlier; the comparison was affected by an £800 million motor finance compensation provision in the prior year.
Lloyds also reported a 10% rise in net interest income, the difference between interest earned from borrowers and interest paid to savers.
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A suspected racist terror attack in Trappes, a Paris suburb, killed 26-year-old Pengo Bossio Wangi and injured five people. Hundreds marched in his memory and in support of his family, while local mediators mobilized to help residents affected by the attack.
Key Facts
A gunman opened fire in Trappes five days before the report was published.
The attack is being treated as a suspected racist terror attack.
The attack killed 26-year-old Pengo Bossio Wangi.
Five people were injured.
Hundreds of people marched through Trappes over the weekend.
The march honored Wangi and expressed solidarity with his family.
Mediators were mobilized to support the local community.
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Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee apologised after an investigation found serious oversight failures linked to the November 2025 fire at Wang Fuk Court, which killed 168 people. Housing Secretary Winnie Ho resigned, and Lee announced a three-month inquiry into four government departments as officials proposed measures including making bid rigging a crime.
Key Facts
The fire engulfed seven buildings at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po on November 27, 2025.
The fire killed 168 people, injured 79 and displaced thousands.
An independent committee found that the Housing Bureau’s checking unit failed to properly supervise maintenance work.
The Buildings, Fire Services and Labour departments also had shortcomings in overseeing fire hazards, Lee said.
Ho resigned on Wednesday and Lee said she should bear political responsibility; the investigation found no personal wrongdoing by her.
The committee said a lighted cigarette likely started the fire and that combustible materials, blocked windows, altered staircase windows and a disabled fire alarm contributed to its spread or death toll.
Officials proposed criminalising bid rigging in connection with the building’s US$38 million renovation contract.
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A planned six-day ceasefire has brought a rare lull in fighting in the Ukrainian-held city of Kherson. The pause allows aid deliveries to Russian-occupied Oleshky, with evacuation corridors expected to open later in the week.
Key Facts
The article was issued on October 29, 2026.
The planned ceasefire lasts six days.
The ceasefire was brokered by U.S. first lady Melania Trump and is tied to a humanitarian aid mission.
A local pause in fighting began at 3 a.m. on Tuesday.
The pause allows medicine, food and water to be taken to Oleshky, a Russian-occupied town.
Kherson, across the water from Oleshky, is held by Ukraine.
Evacuation corridors are expected to open later in the week.
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Villa Vie Residences suspended operations of its Odyssey cruise ship after running out of money, leaving about 200 passengers in Cambodia. The US-based company cited extraordinary increases in fuel costs linked to the US-Israel war with Iran.
Key Facts
About 200 passengers were left in Cambodia.
The passengers had paid to live aboard the cruise ship while traveling around the world.
Villa Vie Residences announced the suspension on Tuesday.
The ship, Odyssey, had set off about two years earlier.
The company said extraordinary fuel-cost increases contributed to the suspension.
The article says the company ran out of money.
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European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde will leave her post on February 7, 2027, the ECB said on October 29, 2026. Her term was due to end in October 2027, and the European Council will appoint her successor under EU treaty rules.
Key Facts
Lagarde informed the ECB Governing Council and European Council President Antonio Costa that she would step down.
Her departure is scheduled for February 7, 2027.
Her ECB presidential term was due to expire in October 2027.
The European Council will appoint her successor under EU treaty rules.
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President Donald Trump called for two candidates in Alaska’s Senate race to be removed from the ballot and prosecuted, alleging Democrats organized a scheme to mislead voters. A New York Times investigation reported that people linked to Democrat Mary Peltola’s campaign discussed recruiting candidates who could draw votes from Republican Senator Dan Sullivan; the candidates and campaign officials deny parts of the account, and the reported tactic is generally legal.
Key Facts
Trump accused Peltola and Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. of election fraud in Truth Social posts on Wednesday.
The November 3 election could affect control of the U.S. Senate.
The Times reported that the effort began in 2025 and involved discussions among Peltola advisers and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee officials.
The Times identified Democratic operative Jerid Kurtz as a recruiter who approached potential candidates, sometimes using an assumed name.
Peltola’s former campaign manager told the Times that Peltola knew of the effort but did not take part directly; she later sought to withdraw her statements.
Peltola’s campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee denied recruiting candidates.
Alaska uses ranked-choice voting, which lets voters rank candidates and transfers votes when a candidate is eliminated.
The Justice Department sued Alaska seeking to delay certification under specified circumstances; Alaska asked the court to dismiss the case.
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A joint report by four regulators found that water companies’ environmental performance in England fell again in 2025, despite £5bn of investment over five years. Serious pollution incidents remained at high levels, and regulators said some companies had not completed funded environmental improvement schemes.
Key Facts
Eight of the nine water companies in England were rated poor or needing improvement.
Severn Trent was the only company to receive the highest rating.
Regulators said serious pollution incidents in 2025 remained a major concern.
Companies were praised for reducing service disruptions.
The report was the first joint assessment by the Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales, Ofwat and the Drinking Water Inspectorate.
The UK government has committed to merging the regulators into a single body.
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Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy ordered the state Department of Public Safety to investigate whether an alleged effort to recruit a second Dan Sullivan into the Senate race broke state law. The order followed a New York Times report alleging links between the recruitment effort and people connected to Democratic candidate Mary Peltola; her campaign denies wrongdoing, and the BBC said it had not independently verified the report.
Key Facts
Dunleavy said he was acting after the New York Times report and findings by the state Division of Elections earlier this year.
The newspaper reported that people connected to Peltola's campaign and senior Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee aides tried to recruit retired teacher Daniel J. Sullivan Jr.
The report said the effort was part of a broader attempt to recruit candidates who could draw votes away from incumbent Republican Senator Dan S. Sullivan.
Peltola's team denied wrongdoing and denied encouraging the second Sullivan to run.
Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. has denied links to the Peltola campaign and told the New York Times he was running as a moderate Republican.
The ballot is set to list the incumbent as Dan S. Sullivan and the retired teacher as Daniel J. Sullivan Jr.
The Alaska Supreme Court has rejected earlier Republican efforts to remove the retired teacher from the ballot.
Donald Trump called for Peltola to be barred from the ballot and has backed the incumbent senator.
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