A study published in Scientific Reports found that built-up land in high-risk areas of northern Nepal, south-eastern Tibet and India's Uttarakhand grew by about 45% from 2016 to 2023. Development in areas especially exposed to glacial-lake floods rose by almost 78%, potentially putting at least 300,000 people in danger; the researchers said the total could be higher because their study covered only selected areas.
Key Facts
Nine researchers from the UK, Nepal and India analyzed land up to 50km downstream from Himalayan rivers and around 1,360 glacial lakes.
The study found increased construction of tourism facilities, infrastructure and real estate in the areas it examined.
The research was completed before August floods in Nepal that killed more than 1,400 people and left thousands missing, according to the article.
A Budhi Gandaki River flood on 11 October damaged 200 houses, destroyed five bridges and left five people missing.
Pokhara has expanded as a tourism hub, while some older buildings stand about 5m from the Seti Gandaki River, according to the city's mayor.
Local tourism officials said development in the region has expanded without proper planning.
The article also reports increased hydropower construction around the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli rivers.
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Sophie Price says staff at Grange University Hospital in Wales refused to provide her with meals during her baby Florence’s three-week stay because she was formula-feeding. Florence was treated for bronchiolitis and a blood infection, and the family says it spent more than £1,000 on food while at the hospital.
Key Facts
Sophie Price, 22, gave birth at Grange University Hospital five days before returning with Florence, who was having trouble breathing.
Florence was diagnosed with bronchiolitis, a rhinovirus infection, and a blood infection.
Doctors treated Florence with a mask-based machine that pumped air into her lungs.
Price says she had not been able to breastfeed after Florence stopped taking breast milk during the first day of her life.
Price says staff asked whether she was breastfeeding and then told her she could not receive a meal because Florence was being fed formula.
The family says it spent more than £1,000 on canteen and takeaway food during its three weeks at the hospital.
Aneurin Bevan health board said it was sorry to hear about Price’s experience and was committed to supporting families during a child’s hospital stay.
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The U.N. General Assembly voted 130-17, with 25 abstentions, to condemn the U.S. economic embargo of Cuba for the 34th consecutive year. Support fell from more than 160 votes last year, as several countries that had previously supported the resolution voted against it or abstained amid U.S. efforts to influence the vote.
Key Facts
The General Assembly resolution is not legally binding.
Germany, Italy and Latvia abstained for the first time in the resolution’s 34-year history.
Bosnia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Lithuania, Morocco, North Macedonia, Paraguay and Slovenia voted against the resolution, most for the first time.
Cuba is facing power outages, shortages and financial difficulties.
President Donald Trump recently raised the possibility of U.S. military intervention in Cuba, saying U.S. warships could stop there on their return from the Iran war.
U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz and Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez exchanged heated words at the General Assembly on Tuesday.
The United States first imposed the embargo in 1960, after Fidel Castro’s revolution and the nationalization of property belonging to U.S. citizens and companies.
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Israel’s election left Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies as the largest bloc, but they lost seats and did not win enough to form a government. The result raises the prospect of political gridlock as the votes are nearly fully counted.
Key Facts
Nearly all votes from Tuesday’s election have been counted.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies emerged as the largest bloc.
Netanyahu’s bloc lost seats.
The bloc fell short of the majority needed to form a government.
The election results leave Israel facing the prospect of political gridlock.
Nick Schifrin reported from Tel Aviv.
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At least 68 people have died in a train collision in Spain, the country’s second fatal train crash this year. The collision is Spain’s deadliest in more than a decade and has prompted shock, anger and mourning.
Key Facts
At least 68 people died in the collision.
The crash occurred in Spain.
It was Spain’s second fatal train crash this year.
It was the deadliest train collision in Spain in more than a decade.
The crash prompted shock, anger and mourning.
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Flávio Bolsonaro left Brazil for the United States three days after losing the country’s presidential election, according to the article. It says he faces multiple criminal investigations and defied a Brazilian court by leaving.
Key Facts
Flávio Bolsonaro is a member of Brazil’s Bolsonaro family.
He left Brazil for the United States.
He left three days after losing Brazil’s presidential election.
He faces multiple criminal investigations, the article says.
The article says he defied a Brazilian court by leaving.
The article describes U.S. President Donald Trump as an ally of the Bolsonaro family.
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UN human rights experts criticized France’s response to nationwide student protests, saying mass arrests and injuries to minors raised concerns about the use of force and the right to peaceful assembly. The protests began over school conditions and grew to include anger about the cost of living and government policies.
Key Facts
Four UN experts said arrests and detentions affecting several thousand people, mainly minors, appeared disproportionate.
The experts said a security-focused response had pushed students’ demands into the background.
Student protests have continued since mid-September, starting with complaints about deteriorating school buildings, crowded classrooms and teacher absences.
France’s Interior Ministry said 410,000 people protested nationwide on Saturday and authorities deployed 70,000 security personnel and arrested 1,000 people.
The previous week, authorities arrested 2,700 people after public buildings were vandalized and businesses were looted.
A teenager in Lille lost a hand when a grenade exploded during a clash between school protesters and police.
The UN experts called injuries to underage demonstrators unacceptable and urged France to review its policing practices.
The experts said they were in contact with French authorities about the issue.
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A rail collision in Spain’s Castilla-La Mancha region killed at least 68 people on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, and injured more than 100, according to the article. Spain’s transport minister said an initial finding was that a train had been mistakenly ordered to proceed after a technical failure halted rail services.
Key Facts
The collision involved two high-speed trains in central Spain.
The article reports at least 68 deaths and more than 100 injuries.
The crash occurred in the Castilla-La Mancha region.
The transport minister said a train was ordered to proceed in error.
A technical failure had halted all rail services before the collision.
The initial findings are likely to renew questions about rail safety in Spain.
A separate high-speed train collision in January killed 46 people.
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Flavio Bolsonaro said he was Brazil’s rightful leader after arriving in the United States to begin what the article describes as self-imposed exile. The article reports that Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won Brazil’s presidential runoff on Sunday and quotes a University of Oklahoma scholar who said a U.S. challenge to the election result was unlikely.
Key Facts
Flavio Bolsonaro was Brazil’s defeated right-wing presidential candidate, according to the article.
He arrived in the United States and said he was Brazil’s rightful leader.
The article says Bolsonaro went to the United States to begin a self-imposed exile.
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won Brazil’s presidential runoff on Sunday, the article reports.
Fabio de Sa e Silva, an associate professor at the University of Oklahoma, said Bolsonaro’s effort to make the dispute international would not succeed.
De Sa e Silva said the opposition faced a leadership vacuum that others might seek to fill.
De Sa e Silva said the United States was unlikely to question the Brazilian election results.
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A high-speed train collision in Spain killed at least 68 people and injured dozens on Wednesday, October 28. Authorities opened an investigation after the transport minister said a communications failure triggered a red signal and the Renfe train was mistakenly allowed to proceed despite a stationary train ahead.
Key Facts
The collision occurred in Castilla-La Mancha, south of Madrid, between a Renfe train and an Iryo train.
At least three carriages went down an embankment, and rescuers searched the wreckage for additional victims.
Spain's health minister reported 80 injured people, including 15 in very serious condition.
Transport Minister Oscar Puente said a computer communications failure triggered the red signal and traffic stopped automatically.
Puente said an erroneous decision was made to restart the Renfe train.
The crash was Spain's second fatal rail accident this year; a January collision involving trains operated by the same companies killed 46 people.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the crash would be investigated and that the causes of the two accidents appeared unrelated.
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An eight-year-old girl was seriously injured in a wolf attack at Johannismühle wildlife park in Brandenburg, Germany. Police are investigating how the incident happened, and the park has temporarily closed.
Key Facts
The attack happened at a wildlife park in Baruth/Mark, south of Berlin.
The girl was inside an enclosure with a staff member and two other children.
She was taken to hospital by helicopter on Wednesday.
Police said no one else was injured and the circumstances remain under investigation.
The park keeps grey and Arctic wolves, as well as other animals.
The park website said it was due to reopen on 2 November.
German newspaper Bild reported that the girl suffered head injuries and that the incident may have occurred before the park opened.
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A newly published summary of a 2021 Australian Defence Force investigation says some SAS officers knew soldiers were planting weapons on dead Afghans to make them appear to be combatants, but failed to act. The report describes weakened command and discipline in the regiment, while linking the problems to factors including secrecy, repeated deployments and officers’ reluctance to challenge senior non-commissioned officers.
Key Facts
The report was commissioned in 2021 by then defence force chief Angus Campbell and examined the culture of the special operations command.
The investigation found that officers who knew of misconduct, including the use of throwdowns, did not take effective steps to investigate or stop it.
The report said the Brereton Inquiry, published in 2020, found credible information that Australian special forces personnel murdered 39 Afghan civilians and prisoners.
The Brereton Inquiry largely attributed the criminal conduct it identified to patrol commanders, who are usually corporals or sergeants.
The investigation said the SAS developed an uncontrolled “warrior” ethos and that repeated dangerous deployments may have contributed to moral injury and impaired decision-making.
The report described junior officers as effectively subservient to senior non-commissioned officers, a dynamic it called “learned helplessness.”
It said allowing SAS soldiers to drink alcohol in Afghanistan despite orders imposed on others signaled that rules did not apply to them.
The report said false battlefield reports, written with language focused on rules of engagement, helped conceal misconduct.
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King Charles joined a Junkanoo parade in Nassau on the second day of his nine-day Caribbean visit. Earlier, he honored fallen members of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, visited a youth boxing academy and a mangrove conservation site, and met Bahamians at a reception.
Key Facts
Charles carried maracas in the colors of the Bahamian flag and danced alongside Junkanoo performers.
The King laid a wreath at the Flamingo Monument, which commemorates four Royal Bahamas Defence Force Marines killed in 1980.
At the Bahamas Boxing Academy, Charles watched young fighters spar and spoke with children who train there.
Charles visited Bonefish Pond National Park, where conservation work protects 1,235 acres of mangroves.
The King met students doing field work in the wetlands and asked about their studies and career ambitions.
Charles's visit follows a speech in which he acknowledged the suffering caused by the slave trade and historic injustices.
Police moved a small protest near the Junkanoo parade.
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A CBS News interview with writer Thomas Chatterton Williams examines violent protests in France. The program links the unrest to a stagnant economy and France’s history of revolt, and Williams describes the country as being at a critical point.
Key Facts
The segment is part of CBS News' "Great Question."
Thomas Chatterton Williams is the guest.
The discussion focuses on violent protests in France.
The program describes the protests as the worst in years.
The segment identifies France's stagnant economy as a factor in the unrest.
The program also points to France's history of revolt.
Williams says France is on a knife's edge.
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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth traveled to the Philippines and sought to reassure Southeast Asian partners that the United States remains committed to its allies in the Asia-Pacific. He also proposed a defense framework to guide cooperation over the next few years and described the Trump administration’s approach as “strong, quiet and clear.”
Key Facts
Hegseth made the remarks during a trip to the Philippines.
He sought to reassure Southeast Asian partners about U.S. commitment to its allies in the Asia-Pacific region.
Hegseth proposed a defense framework for cooperation in the coming years.
He described the Trump administration’s approach as “strong, quiet and clear.”
The article identifies Hegseth as the U.S. defense secretary.
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A collision between two high-speed trains in central Spain killed at least 68 people and injured dozens on Wednesday. Spain’s transport minister said a computer failure stopped one train, then a control centre instructed trains to move without speed restrictions; authorities are investigating the crash.
Key Facts
The crash happened shortly after 09:00 local time, about 140km south of Madrid.
A Madrid-to-Seville train operated by state-owned Renfe struck an Iryo train that had stopped on the tracks.
The Iryo train had 147 passengers aboard; the Renfe train carried 397 passengers.
Several carriages fell down an embankment, and one caught fire.
Spain’s transport minister said a computer failure was followed by a control centre’s decision to let trains move without speed restrictions.
Emergency crews sent ambulances and a helicopter to the crash site; the Civil Guard said DNA samples from relatives would be needed to identify some victims.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited the crash site and said Spain was grieving.
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Costa Rica has transferred its first 123 inmates to a new maximum-security prison near San Jose. The facility, built with help from El Salvador, is part of President Laura Fernandez’s tougher approach to organized crime and is intended to ease prison overcrowding.
Key Facts
The prison is called the High-Containment Center Against Organized Crime, or CACCO.
Costa Rica’s Justice Ministry shared images of 123 inmates at the facility on Tuesday.
The prison can hold up to 5,100 inmates.
Construction cost $35 million, and President Laura Fernandez inaugurated the prison on October 15.
Justice Minister Gabriel Aguilar said the prison would help reduce overcrowding.
Costa Rica recorded 905 homicides in 2023, 876 in 2024, and 873 in 2025.
Authorities attribute most killings to disputes between criminal groups over drug routes and markets.
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Nearly two dozen African leaders attended a summit in Moscow. The Kremlin described African countries as natural allies in opposition to the West. The program also reported on deaths among detained miners in Nigeria and Kenyan support for women athletes ahead of the Youth Olympics in Senegal.
Key Facts
The Moscow summit opened with nearly two dozen African leaders attending.
The Kremlin called African countries natural allies against the West.
Nigerian investigators said dozens of detained miners died in a crowded jail cell.
Investigators said the miners screamed for help while jailors ignored them.
Kenya is increasing support for women athletes ahead of the Youth Olympics in Senegal.
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Hundreds of Indonesian students and civil society groups protested in Jakarta and other cities against President Prabowo Subianto’s policies. They criticized the government’s response to ongoing forest fires and its spending priorities amid rising costs.
Key Facts
Hundreds of students and members of civil society groups took part in the protests.
Demonstrations took place in Jakarta and other Indonesian cities.
Protesters criticized the government’s handling of ongoing forest fires.
They also objected to government spending priorities.
Rising costs were among the concerns cited.
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The EU has replaced a proposal to discuss “associate membership” for Canada with a less specific plan to define closer ties by the 2027 EU-Canada summit. The change followed objections from member states, which questioned the undefined status and whether it fits EU treaties. Canada has said it does not seek formal EU membership, while Prime Minister Mark Carney has pursued stronger trade ties amid tensions with the United States.
Key Facts
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed considering associate membership for Canada in a speech last month.
A draft summit statement offers to define an ever closer association with Canada, short of full membership, by the 2027 EU-Canada summit.
EU ambassadors raised concerns about the associate membership proposal at a meeting on Monday.
Germany argued that associate membership should be an interim step for prospective EU candidate countries and said the status has no basis in current EU treaties.
The EU-Canada summit is scheduled to take place in Montreal on Thursday and Friday.
U.S. President Donald Trump called the EU proposal laughable and warned that the United States might restrict trade with Europe if he considered it a hostile act.
Carney has sought new trading partners amid a trade dispute with the United States.
Canada has said it does not seek formal membership in the EU.
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