Algeria’s upper house unanimously approved a proposal to deploy troops to Niger. The lower house still needs to vote; Algeria’s constitution requires approval by a two-thirds majority in both chambers before the president can send military units abroad.
Key Facts
The Council of the Nation, Algeria’s upper house, held an emergency session on Sunday and approved the deployment unanimously.
The People’s National Assembly, the lower house, was expected to hold a separate vote later that evening.
If both chambers approve the deployment, it would be Algeria’s first military mission outside its borders since the 1973 October War, also known as the Yom Kippur War.
The troops are expected to help secure oil facilities in Niger.
Niger’s Defence Minister, General Salifou Modi, visited Algeria last week and met President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and army Chief of Staff General Said Chanegriha.
Algeria and Niger signed a military cooperation protocol during Modi’s visit, but they did not make its details public.
Tebboune said Algeria sent fighter jets to Niger in late August to help counter an attempted coup; Algeria’s Defence Ministry said four Su-30 jets were sent.
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Researchers warn that AI tools used to predict crime hotspots can reinforce discrimination when they rely on police data shaped by past bias. They call for stronger human oversight and checks on the data, while one AI researcher says modern systems can account for historical bias but still need meaningful human control.
Key Facts
The article describes an essay by British science writer Adrian Dredge that won the 2026 Young Science Writer Award.
Researchers say biased historical police data can skew predictions about where crime will occur.
More patrols in predicted hotspots can lead police to record more crime there, reinforcing future predictions.
Dr Carolyn McKay of the University of Sydney Law School calls for human oversight and scrutiny of policing systems and their data.
Sarah Brayne’s research on the Los Angeles Police Department found that crime data favored incidents in public places and reflected disproportionate police attention to Black neighbourhoods.
Brayne says predictive systems can help shape the events they forecast, creating a feedback loop.
Dr Dimitrios Kollias of Queen Mary University of London says modern AI can combine information in new ways, but its decisions still need to remain safe, reliable, and under human control.
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Israeli forces imposed a lockdown on Hebron after a Friday shooting at a checkpoint that killed two Israeli soldiers; the two Palestinian suspects were also killed. Palestinian sources and local officials say the operation has involved arrests, demolitions and displacement, while restrictions in Hebron could affect the wider Palestinian economy because of the city’s role in industry and trade.
Key Facts
The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society said Israeli forces detained at least 47 Palestinians across Hebron since Friday.
The article reports that about 2,500 people have been displaced and that some Palestinian homes were turned into military posts and barracks.
Hebron municipality data cited in the article says nearly 500 Palestinian families were uprooted from a targeted area covering 350 dunams, or about 35 hectares.
Israeli forces closed entrances to Hebron and began demolishing dozens of Palestinian buildings after the shooting at a military checkpoint in Farsh al-Hawa.
The shooting killed two Israeli soldiers, and the two Palestinian suspects were also killed.
Hebron accounts for about 40 percent of Palestinian industrial output and 30 percent of exports, according to the article.
The article says about 40 percent of the occupied West Bank’s 89 main checkpoints are concentrated in Hebron’s most restricted zones.
Economic researcher Ahmed Abu Qamar said closures and movement restrictions could disrupt supply chains, raise production costs and affect businesses across the West Bank.
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An oil slick has reached the UAE shoreline, and authorities closed beaches in Umm Al Quwain and Ras Al-Khaimah. Reports say a crude oil tanker struck an Iranian-laid naval mine near the Strait of Hormuz in early October.
Key Facts
Footage showed an oil slick washing up on the UAE coast.
Authorities closed beaches in Umm Al-Quwain.
Authorities also closed beaches in Ras Al-Khaimah.
Reports say a crude oil tanker struck a naval mine near the Strait of Hormuz.
The reported mine was laid by Iran.
The incident reportedly happened in early October.
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Financial markets price in at least four Bank of England rate increases by next summer, taking the bank rate from 3.75% to 4.75%, with some pricing pointing to 5% by December 2027. Several City economists say that path is unlikely, citing limited evidence that higher energy costs are spreading sharply to other prices and the possibility that market pricing includes a premium for uncertainty.
Key Facts
Market-implied expectations point to at least four rate increases over the next year, from 3.75% to 4.75% by the end of July.
James Smith of ING said the market pricing of four increases and no future cuts is unlikely to match the Bank of England’s eventual path.
Smith said the Bank could signal by spring that inflation risks have eased and could cut rates again by the end of next year.
Sanjay Raja of Deutsche Bank said a rise to 5% by the end of next year seems less likely based on current projections.
Raja estimated that, after removing risk premiums from market pricing, investors have priced in about half a percentage point of rate increases.
Deutsche Bank’s base case is for the bank rate to reach 4.25% by next February and stay there through the end of 2027.
The Bank of England is widely expected to raise rates to 4% at its 5 November meeting, following UK inflation of 3.5% in September.
Morgan Stanley expects rate increases in November and February, but said a larger-than-expected rise in the national living wage could prompt further increases.
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The U.S. Space Force has granted SpaceX access to a restricted, high-accuracy catalogue used to track possible collisions in space. The move comes as the Trump administration and Congress debate funding for the government’s space traffic program, Traccs, and has raised concerns about competition and national security.
Key Facts
SpaceX and the Space Force signed a contract allowing the company to access parts of the military’s controlled, unclassified tracking catalogue.
The Space Force said it is working with several companies to exchange commercial data for access to catalogue sections when that benefits the government.
Traccs tracks satellites, debris and spacecraft and helps manage as many as 50,000 potential close encounters a day.
The Trump administration proposed sharply cutting Traccs funding in fiscal years 2026 and 2027; Congress restored funding in both budget processes described in the article.
Industry observers have warned that growing government reliance on SpaceX could limit competition and create a vendor lock-in risk.
A former NOAA official said SpaceX has responded to space safety concerns, while criticizing the government for not establishing a clear space governance framework.
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Bird flu has spread for two months at a Utah mink farm that raises thousands of animals, according to reporting by ProPublica. Infectious disease experts raised concerns about limited information, delayed culling and a lack of worker monitoring, while one expert said there were no signs of wider spread described in the article.
Key Facts
The farm is about an hour from Salt Lake City.
Utah state veterinarian Amanda Price sought help from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which reportedly said it did not regulate mink and had no vaccine approved for them.
ProPublica reported that CDC officials spoke with Utah health department staff but did not communicate with Price.
Veterinarians told ProPublica the farm should have culled its mink; a fur trade representative warned that culling could harm the business and industry.
The article says officials reportedly did not monitor farm workers for symptoms, despite CDC guidance to do so.
ProPublica found two people who worked at the farm; one had a red eye, a symptom for which the CDC urges testing.
Nearly 10,000 mink in Utah died from coronavirus during the Covid-19 pandemic, and nine farms were quarantined.
Jennifer Nuzzo said the risk was greatest for people exposed to sick animals and that she saw no signals of the virus spreading.
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Children’s laureates Chris Haughton of Ireland and Nicola Davies of Wales said they will donate royalties to Sally Rooney in solidarity after she stopped UK book sales because she said she would direct proceeds to Palestine Action. The UK proscribed the group under terrorism law, and the Supreme Court is due to hear a challenge to the ban on 4 and 5 November.
Key Facts
Haughton said he would donate royalties from his UK book sales to Rooney.
Davies said she would donate the royalties from her book The Day War Came.
Rooney has said she would use proceeds from her book sales to support Palestine Action.
The UK proscribed Palestine Action under the Terrorism Act in July 2025, according to the article.
The article says providing money that someone knows or reasonably suspects may be used for terrorism carries a maximum prison term of 14 years.
Haughton said he had twice been arrested over placards allegedly supporting Palestine Action.
Andy Burnham said he would not comment further on the ban because a Supreme Court challenge is scheduled for 4 and 5 November.
The legal challenge argues that the ban disproportionately interferes with freedom of expression and protest.
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Jessica Sanchez, 40, had persistent constipation, heavy bleeding, night sweats and extreme fatigue for about five years before a colonoscopy found a tumor. Biopsies showed rectal adenocarcinoma, and she is awaiting scans to determine the cancer’s stage and whether it has spread.
Key Facts
Sanchez said doctors had repeatedly dismissed her symptoms as minor issues.
A colonoscopy revealed a tumor, and biopsies identified rectal adenocarcinoma.
Rectal adenocarcinoma is a cancer that develops in glandular cells lining the rectum.
Sanchez was told she would receive the biopsy results at a follow-up appointment the next week.
She is undergoing CT and MRI scans to check the cancer’s stage and whether it has spread.
Sanchez said support from friends and family has helped her cope with the diagnosis.
She shared her experience online to encourage others to speak up when they feel dismissed.
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The article compares the political strategies of the Trump and Bolsonaro families, arguing that both have built anti-establishment brands while placing relatives in positions of influence. It focuses on Brazil’s presidential runoff between incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, who has promised to seek his father Jair Bolsonaro’s release.
Key Facts
The article says Brazilians are voting in a presidential runoff between Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro.
Flávio Bolsonaro has promised to pardon his father, Jair Bolsonaro, who is serving a 27-year sentence for plotting a coup after the 2022 election.
The article describes Flávio’s campaign as emphasizing law and order, smaller government, and opposition to Lula’s Workers’ Party and the judiciary.
Jair Bolsonaro and Donald Trump formed a political alliance around nationalist messaging and criticism of established political leaders.
The article notes that Jair Bolsonaro served nearly three decades in Brazil’s Congress and that his sons also built political careers.
Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner served as senior White House advisers during Trump’s first term, according to the article.
The article says Kushner is involved in negotiations concerning Ukraine and the Middle East, while his firm manages investments from Saudi, Qatari, and Emirati investors.
The article reports that several of Trump’s relatives and in-laws have held political or diplomatic roles, including Charles Kushner as ambassador to France and Massad Boulos as a senior adviser.
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The article says that 13 years after the Supreme Court weakened federal oversight under the Voting Rights Act, states have adopted new voting restrictions. It argues these restrictions have reduced minority voting power, particularly in states that were part of the Confederacy.
Key Facts
The article describes the Supreme Court's decision as weakening federal oversight under the Voting Rights Act.
The article says 13 years have passed since that change.
It says states no longer subject to federal oversight adopted new voting restrictions.
It says many of those states were part of the Confederacy.
The article says the restrictions have diluted minority voting power.
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President Donald Trump criticized Alaska Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski over ranked-choice voting and urged voters to support a ballot measure repealing the system. His remarks come as the Justice Department challenges Alaska’s Senate election procedures and Republican Senator Dan Sullivan faces Democrat Mary Peltola.
Key Facts
Trump called Murkowski one of the Senate’s worst members and accused her of opposing the Justice Department’s lawsuit to help Democrats.
Trump described ranked-choice voting as a scam and urged Alaskans to vote yes on Ballot Measure 2, which would repeal it.
Trump is backing Dan Sullivan in his reelection contest against Democrat Mary Peltola.
Trump alleged that a second Republican candidate with a similar name could divert votes from Sullivan; the article says he provided no evidence for that claim in his posts.
The Justice Department filed a lawsuit seeking to block certification of Alaska’s Senate election results under certain circumstances.
The lawsuit concerns whether votes for Daniel J. Sullivan, a retired schoolteacher and former Forest Service employee, could affect the contest under ranked-choice voting.
In ranked-choice voting, voters rank candidates, and votes for candidates who are eliminated can transfer to voters’ next choices.
Voting-rights experts cited in the article questioned the administration’s legal arguments and the ability to determine voters’ intentions after ballots are cast.
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Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and right-wing senator Flavio Bolsonaro held their second and final debate on Friday, ahead of Sunday's presidential runoff. They discussed the cost of living and security and traded allegations of corruption.
Key Facts
The presidential runoff is scheduled for Sunday, October 25, 2026.
Lula and Flavio Bolsonaro took part in the candidates’ second and final debate on Friday.
The candidates focused on the cost of living and security.
The candidates exchanged allegations of corruption.
The report was filed from Rio de Janeiro.
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Reports say U.S. Central Command has prepared options for renewed strikes on Iran, but no attack order has been issued and President Donald Trump has not said whether he will approve one. Trump has publicly raised both the possibility of strikes and the prospect of an agreement, while Iran’s president has said negotiations should continue.
Key Facts
The Hill reported that CENTCOM has prepared follow-up strike options for White House approval.
Axios previously reported that the Pentagon directed CENTCOM to prepare for a possible return to major combat operations.
Reported possible targets include Iranian energy facilities, infrastructure and nuclear sites.
The New York Times reported that the United States and Israel drew up joint attack plans for after the November 3 midterm elections.
Trump said a strike could happen as soon as Sunday, but did not disclose a timeline or confirm a decision.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused Washington of disrupting negotiations and said efforts to reach an agreement should continue.
The United States plans to deploy the USS Theodore Roosevelt, about 10,000 additional troops and the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit to the Middle East by the end of November.
The article reports that an intelligence memo warned of increased Iranian efforts to target U.S. personnel, but did not identify specific targets or establish when attacks might occur.
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France’s National Rally is holding the second day of its congress in Orléans. Marine Le Pen is expected to launch her presidential campaign in a speech, while Jordan Bardella is being re-elected as party leader. The report’s title says Le Pen credited visible policing with keeping protests orderly; a large counter-demonstration took place in the city on Saturday.
Key Facts
The National Rally is holding its congress in Orléans, south of Paris.
The congress is on its second day.
Marine Le Pen is expected to officially launch her presidential campaign in a speech later that day.
Jordan Bardella is being re-elected as party leader.
A large counter-demonstration against the far right took place in Orléans on Saturday.
The report is by France 24 journalist Antonia Kerrigan.
The report’s title attributes orderly protests to visible policing, but the supplied article text does not provide further details about her remarks.
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Thousands of people rallied in Tel Aviv on Friday to protest against Israel’s government. The demonstration took place three days before a general election widely viewed as a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Key Facts
Thousands gathered in Tel Aviv on Friday.
Demonstrators protested against the Israeli government.
The election was scheduled for three days after the rally.
The election was widely seen as a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The article describes the anti-Netanyahu movement as mobilising.
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Former President Barack Obama campaigned for Democratic candidates in Michigan and Ohio less than two weeks before the U.S. midterm elections. He blamed the Trump administration for rising living costs, while Democrats seek to regain control of Congress amid several closely contested races, according to polls.
Key Facts
Obama campaigned for Democratic candidates in Michigan and Ohio.
The rallies took place less than two weeks before the U.S. midterm elections.
Obama criticized the Trump administration over rising living costs.
The article identifies living costs as a major concern for voters.
Democrats are seeking to regain control of Congress.
Polls show several races are closely contested.
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Israeli forces continued operations in Hebron in the occupied West Bank, displacing Palestinian families, according to France 24. The operations followed a Friday shooting that killed two Israeli soldiers; Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed a forceful response ahead of Tuesday’s elections.
Key Facts
Palestinian families were displaced in Hebron as Israeli forces continued operations.
A shooting on Friday killed two Israeli soldiers.
Netanyahu vowed a heavy response to the shooting.
Israeli operations took place in the occupied West Bank.
Elections were scheduled for Tuesday, according to the article.
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French police arrested 1,314 people during protests over the cost of living on Saturday, the interior ministry said. Clashes on the edges of largely peaceful demonstrations injured 53 officers and at least three protesters, while police responded to 75 fires and reported 24 shops looted.
Key Facts
The protests took place across France on Saturday, October 24, 2026.
The interior ministry said police arrested 1,314 people.
The ministry reported that 53 officers were hurt; it did not give an overall count of injured protesters.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said two protesters suffered serious hand injuries, in Toulouse and Clermont-Ferrand.
A newspaper reported that a 19-year-old in Poitiers was injured in the eye during a police charge.
Police responded to 75 fires, and 24 shops were looted, according to the ministry.
The protests marked a second consecutive weekend of unrest in France.
France is due to hold presidential elections in April and May to choose a successor to Emmanuel Macron, who is reaching his two-term limit.
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SNAP enrollment fell from 41.6 million people in July 2025 to 36.5 million in June 2026, a 13% decline, after the Trump administration changed eligibility rules and program costs. Food-bank groups and officials say demand for food assistance has risen, while the administration has described the enrollment decline as a sign that more people are working.
Key Facts
US Department of Agriculture data show SNAP enrollment dropped by 5.1 million between July 2025 and June 2026.
The new rules require many adults ages 18 to 64 without a child under 14 to work or volunteer at least 20 hours per week to qualify for benefits.
The Congressional Budget Office projected the SNAP changes would reduce spending by about $187 billion over 10 years.
Starting in October, states must pay 75% of SNAP administrative costs, up from 50%.
Arizona’s SNAP enrollment fell 50% from July 2025 to June 2026, while Kentucky’s fell 6%.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said he was concerned the changes would leave more people, including children and older adults, hungry.
Michigan’s food bank helpline received more than three times as many calls per day after the changes and temporarily suspended service because of high call volume.
The administration has praised the decline in SNAP enrollment, while food-assistance groups say food needs have increased.
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