The important things.
In fewer words.
502 stories · Most recent event first
World
President Catherine Connolly signed Ireland’s Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) (Amendment) Act 2026 on 27 October. Signing does not bring every restriction into effect immediately.
World · Developing
Algeria’s presidency announced on 26 October that it would send army units to Niger to protect shared energy and economic interests. Reuters reported on 30 October that an Algerian army convoy had arrived in Niger and that 10 people it spoke with said the first military convoy had reached Arlit. Algeria has not disclosed the force size or arrival timetable. The report does not establish how many troops were deployed or how long they will remain.
World · Developing
The Justice Department expects about 1,000 staff to observe voting and federal-law compliance at the 3 November US midterms, AP reported, describing it as the department’s largest-ever monitoring effort. The Atlantic reported that prosecutors are among the monitors, most assignments are undisclosed and DOJ says all receive the same training. Hennepin County, Minnesota, asked monitors to remain 100 feet from one voting location, including on Tuesday. Exact assignments and any effect on voting remain unknown.
World · Developing
Brazil’s fishing and environment ministries issued new rules for coastal waters near the Rio Doce mouth, effective on publication on 26 October. The framework requires properly registered professional fishers and vessels, preserves environmental restrictions and provides for monitoring after the Fundão dam disaster.
Economy
Verizon raised its 2026 adjusted earnings forecast to US$5.04–5.06 a share on 26 October, from US$4.99–5.04. Third-quarter adjusted earnings rose to US$1.31 a share from US$1.21.
Economy · Developing
EQT Corporation announced an agreement on 26 October to acquire Range Resources in an all-stock transaction. The companies put the combined business’s pro forma enterprise value above US$50 billion; that figure is not the acquisition price.
World
Australia's Customs and Other Legislation Amendment (Illicit Tobacco Enforcement Modernisation and Other Measures) Act received assent on 26 October. Most enforcement changes commenced the following day.
World
Two Australian laws assented to on 26 October establish an annual levy on higher-education providers to fund the National Student Ombudsman. They commence on 1 January 2027.
Culture
Donnie Iris, the Pittsburgh-area rock singer known for Ah! Leah! and Love Is Like a Rock, died on 26 October. He was 83.
Security · Developing
Microsoft removed seven certificates from Windows trust on 26 October after discovering recoverable eMudhra intermediate certificate-authority private keys. Edge received the same distrust change on 27 October.
Technology
OpenAI launched GPT-6.1 Terra on 26 October, making the model available in ChatGPT Work, Codex and its API.
World
Two Australian telecommunications laws received royal assent on 26 October. They strengthen consumer enforcement and create an outdoor mobile-coverage framework, with different dates for implementation.
Security
Ubuntu’s 26 October NGINX updates address flaws that can crash server workers or, under additional conditions, allow remote code execution. The affected configurations and fixed package versions vary by release.
Sports
Iran’s Fardin Hedayati and Danial Sohrabi and Belarus’s Kiryl Maskevich won world titles in the 26 October Greco-Roman finals in Astana.
World · Developing
Two soldiers told Reuters that dozens of Somali troops were killed in fighting with al-Shabaab near Buurhakaba. Somalia’s defence ministry separately claimed about 75 militant deaths. Neither side’s casualty total was independently established.
Economy · Developing
The US Federal Trade Commission and 20 states sued Dollar General on 26 October, alleging that checkout prices repeatedly exceeded advertised prices. Dollar General disputes the case and says it will defend it. The allegations have not been adjudicated.
Economy · Developing
Microsoft announced a voluntary exit offer on 26 October. AP reported that about 60,000 employees—roughly 27% of its workforce—were eligible. Eligibility does not mean those employees have accepted or that 60,000 jobs have been cut.
Security
Apple released iOS 18.7.11 and iPadOS 18.7.11 on 26 October, including a fix for CoreGraphics vulnerability CVE-2026-86950. Apple says it is aware of a report that the flaw may have been exploited against specific individuals on versions before iOS 27.
World · Developing
An Iranian court sentenced filmmaker Jafar Panahi to five years and one month in prison and ordered his assets confiscated, his lawyer Mostafa Nili said in reports published on 27–28 October.
Health
The Vatican said on 26 October that Pope Leo XIV’s recovery was progressing and medical examinations found no contraindication to his planned Latin America trip. It said the condition was localized and no further oncological treatment was necessary.
Security · Developing
UNM Health said on 28 October that clinical operations were fully functional and classes and research had resumed after a 26 October cybersecurity incident disrupted patient care.
Technology
Apple announced its eighth-generation iPad mini on 26 October with an 8.5-inch OLED display and A20 Pro chip. Preorders are open; availability begins 6 November.
Security
CISA added the Brotli vulnerability CVE-2026-111497 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 27 October. Node.js fixes and rebuilt PHP Windows packages are available; exposure depends on whether software processes untrusted Brotli-compressed input.
Economy
Meta priced a US$25 billion Class A common-stock offering and 250 million depositary shares at US$50 each on 26 October. The common-stock portion was increased from the US$22.5 billion initially announced.
Culture
Susan Saint James, known for McMillan & Wife and Kate & Allie, died on 26 October at 80, her representative confirmed to PEOPLE.
Culture
Agent Zachery McGinnis confirmed Walter Koenig’s death on 26 October. The actor, best known as Pavel Chekov in Star Trek, was 90.
Security
FoxIO's 26 October technical analysis describes three TLS weaknesses in the GoAhead embedded web server. Depending on the TLS library and configuration, they can undermine certificate checks or expose some encrypted traffic. Vendor advisories list GoAhead 6.1.1 as patched; device owners still need an appropriate firmware update from their manufacturer.
World · Developing
Jordan acknowledged civilian deaths after its 26 October airstrikes in southern Syria, which it said targeted Islamic State militants. The two countries agreed to a joint inquiry on 27 October. Syria reopened the main Nassib–Jaber border crossing on 28 October, according to AFP reporting.
Sports
Harry Kane won the men's Ballon d'Or and Alexia Putellas won the women's award at the London Palladium on 26 October. Kane is the first English men's winner in 25 years; Putellas received the women's award for a third time.
World · Developing
A strike hit a market west of Nyala on 26 October. Médecins Sans Frontières said the hospital it supports received 36 bodies and treated more than 150 wounded people. Witnesses described civilian vendors among those killed. Other reported casualty counts differ, and the final toll is unconfirmed.
World · Developing
Brazil announced reinforcement of National Force protection for Guarani Kaiowá communities on 31 October after reports of post-election threats. The labour ministry separately reported about 4,300 workplace electoral-harassment complaints received on 28–30 October. These are complaints under investigation; Lula’s official runoff victory is unchanged.
World · Developing
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado returned on 25 October after more than ten months abroad. At her first news conference on 29 October, she pressed for presidential elections in 2027. Neither Venezuela's interim government nor the United States has announced an election date.
World
Regulations made on 25 October set a phased timetable for leasehold reforms in England. Regulation-making powers start on 6 November 2026; substantive service-charge and litigation-cost changes follow from April 2027, with later stages in November 2027 and November 2028.
Health
The phase 3 SAFFRON trial found longer survival with osimertinib plus savolitinib than platinum-pemetrexed chemotherapy in a specific group of patients with advanced lung cancer. Results were presented and published on 25 October; they do not apply to all lung cancers.
Culture
M. R. Carey’s Once Was Willem won the novel category at the 2026 World Fantasy Awards in Oakland on 25 October. Clive Barker and Joyce Carol Oates received Life Achievement awards.
Culture
Peggy King, the singer and actor known for The George Gobel Show, died on 25 October at Saunders House in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania. She was 96.
Sports
Azerbaijan’s Eldaniz Azizli won his fifth senior Greco-Roman wrestling world title on 25 October, beating Iran’s Payam Ahmadi in the 55 kg final in Astana.
World
Brazil’s 25 October runoffs elected governors in five states and the Federal District, according to the Chamber of Deputies’ news agency and O POVO. These outcomes are separate from the national presidential runoff.
Culture
Eric Bauza, the Canadian actor who voiced Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and other Looney Tunes characters, died on 25 October at 46, his family announced.
Culture
Jamaican singer, songwriter and producer Derrick Harriott died at home in St Andrew on 24 October at 87, the Jamaica Gleaner and Jamaica Observer reported. A leading figure in ska, rocksteady and reggae, he recorded with the Jiving Juniors, released music through his Crystal label and produced work for other Jamaican artists.