The important things.
In fewer words.
502 stories · Most recent event first
Economy · Developing
ADT agreed on 29 October to be acquired by Thrive Holdings for $10 per share in cash. The agreement values its equity at about US$7.6 billion and the business at US$15.3 billion including debt.
Sports
Adaugo Nwachukwu won the women’s 62kg world final in Astana on 29 October.
Economy
AB InBev reported underlying earnings of US$1.21 a share for the third quarter, up from US$0.99 a year earlier. Organic revenue grew 4.9%, while higher costs squeezed its profit margin.
Economy
Bristol Myers Squibb raised its 2026 revenue forecast on 29 October but lowered expected adjusted earnings after an acquisition-related charge. It now projects US$49.75–50.25 billion in revenue and adjusted earnings of US$6.35–6.55 a share.
Economy
The European Central Bank left its three key interest rates unchanged on 29 October. It warned that rising energy prices posed further inflation risks and could weaken growth.
Economy
Mastercard’s third-quarter revenue rose 14% to US$9.807 billion. Adjusted diluted earnings reached US$5.31 a share, compared with US$4.38 a year earlier.
Economy
US consumer prices measured by the PCE index rose 3.6% over the year to September, up from 3.4% in August. The 29 October release showed nominal spending rising while inflation-adjusted spending increased by less than 0.1%.
Economy
The US economy grew at a 3.4% annualized rate in the third quarter, the Bureau of Economic Analysis said on 29 October. Growth accelerated from 2.2% in the second quarter. This advance estimate is subject to revision.
World
An Iraqi court sentenced Azm Alliance leader Muthanna al-Samarrai to six years in prison and lawmaker Ziad al-Janabi to five years over profits from state refinery contracts, officials announced on 29 October.
Economy
South Africa’s statistics agency released revised GDP estimates on 29 October. Reuters reported that 2025 nominal GDP is now estimated at R8.04 trillion, up from R7.64 trillion. The revision reflects improved measurement, rather than a sudden increase in production.
Economy
Merck & Co. raised its 2026 sales and adjusted earnings forecasts on 29 October. Third-quarter sales were US$18.085 billion, up 5% and above the US$17.3 billion LSEG analyst consensus reported by Reuters.
Economy · Developing
The European Central Bank announced on 29 October that Christine Lagarde will leave its presidency on 7 February 2027, before her term’s scheduled end in October 2027.
Economy
Henkel raised its 2026 organic sales-growth forecast to 3–4% from 1.5–3.5% on 29 October. Preliminary third-quarter organic growth was 6.5%, against a 4.1% Vara Research consensus reported by Reuters.
World · Developing
Global Rights Compliance has reported a network transferring North Korean workers to Russian companies under conditions it says amount to forced labour. Its 29 October announcement describes passport retention, withheld wages and threats; the findings are allegations, not a court judgment.
World · Developing
Renfe operated under a reduced minimum-services schedule on 29 October during a 24-hour national strike called by drivers’ union Semaf. Rail services were cancelled in Valencia, while the operator warned passengers to plan around disruption.
Economy
Société Générale reported third-quarter group net income of €1.89 billion on 29 October, up 24% from a year earlier. Reuters said that compared with a €1.65 billion median in the bank’s analyst poll.
Economy
TotalEnergies reported third-quarter adjusted net income attributable to shareholders of US$9.1 billion on 29 October, up 51% from the preceding quarter. Reuters said the result exceeded the US$8.3 billion average in an LSEG poll of 12 analysts.
Economy · Developing
The UN estimates that Afghan opium-poppy cultivation reached 43,300 hectares in 2026, more than four times the previous year’s level, AP and Reuters reported on 29 October. The Taliban disputes the scale of the increase.
Economy
Shell reported third-quarter adjusted earnings of US$10.814 billion on 29 October and announced a US$5 billion share buyback for the next three months.
Economy
STMicroelectronics reported US$429 million in third-quarter non-GAAP operating profit on 29 October, above the US$400.5 million analyst average cited by Reuters. It forecast fourth-quarter revenue of about US$4.15 billion.
World · Developing
South Korean prosecutors renewed their request for the death penalty for former president Yoon Suk Yeol at his appeal hearing on 29 October. He is appealing a life sentence for rebellion; no new appeal judgment has been issued.
Economy
Volkswagen reported €0.1 billion in operating profit for January–September 2026, down from €5.4 billion a year earlier. The results, released October 29, include substantial exceptional charges.
World · Developing
North Korea fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea, also called the Sea of Japan, on 29 October, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
Economy
Samsung reported KRW 195.3 trillion in revenue and KRW 107.4 trillion in operating profit for the quarter ended 30 September. Its 29 October release attributes the records to strong memory demand; Yonhap reported that net profit fell short of its analyst survey.
World · Developing
Spain’s transport minister announced on 3 November that he would resign, six days after the 28 October Urda train collision killed 69. AP reported Óscar Puente said he had decided immediately after the crash; Reuters said he would remain in office while emergency response, the preliminary investigation, compensation and initial safety measures proceeded. The Cabinet approved €30 million in aid and the minister announced a national safety plan. The cause and responsibility remain unestablished.
World · Developing
El Salvador announced more than 2,000 soldiers would deploy to Haiti to search for four missing aviation technicians; President Nayib Bukele said on 29 October that troops and equipment were nearly deployed. On 2 November, 400 Mawozo leader Wilson Joseph told AP the technicians were dead but provided no evidence. Haitian authorities say they were abducted and El Salvador believes they are alive. Joseph asked the UN to mediate; the UN confirmed receiving his signed letter without endorsing or recognizing him. The technicians' condition and whereabouts remain unknown.
World · Developing
UNHCR said on 28 October that local authorities estimated up to 50,000 people had crossed from Ethiopia into Kenya as clashes continued near Moyale. Local reporting says identification at two camps began on 31 October while families were still arriving. At a 30 October Geneva briefing, UNHCR described crowded public buildings, quickly exhausted food rations and people left without cover in heavy rain. The registered total has not been established; 50,000 remains a provisional local-authority estimate.
World · Developing
Odisha officials reported six deaths linked to Cyclone Arnab’s aftermath by 1 November, after two bodies were recovered from a landslide-hit village in Gajapati district. The Fire and Emergency Services director-general said 11 people remained missing, while a PTI report gave a figure of about 10; the reports are retained with their differing attribution and timing. Search operations were expected to continue through Tuesday. The final toll and wider damage remain unsettled.
World
The UK Supreme Court unanimously allowed an appeal on 28 October in the long-running insurance dispute stemming from the 2002 Prestige oil spill. Spain and France had sued the vessel’s insurer in Spanish proceedings under a statutory direct-action right, despite a London arbitration clause in the insurance contract. The court held that the states’ obligation to arbitrate was contractual, not equitable, and that monetary relief for breach could be awarded as common-law damages. It said this justified the monetary awards made by arbitrators. Whether any sums have been paid was not established in the judgment or reporting reviewed.
Economy
Alphabet reported $127.58 billion in third-quarter revenue and $2.12 diluted GAAP EPS. AP cited FactSet revenue expectations of $127.97 billion and described an earnings miss; its cited EPS estimates of about $3.01 are not confirmed to use a matching GAAP basis. Reuters reported Alphabet shares fell 12.6% in the 29 October regular session; that close is separate from the prior evening's after-hours move.
World · Developing
A federal judge on 28 October temporarily barred the Office of Management and Budget and Department of Homeland Security from developing, airing or distributing five challenged advertisements. The court found the Democratic National Committee likely to succeed in its public-funds challenge; this is preliminary relief.
World · Developing
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth removed Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia from the Joint Staff's strategy, plans and policy post, AP and NPR reported. The Pentagon referred a classified-information investigation to the Justice Department. The allegations remain unresolved.
Technology
Security researchers disclosed a ChatGPT web flaw that let a malicious shared conversation run code in another user's signed-in browser session and read private, unshared chats in controlled tests. The researchers said OpenAI confirmed both affected web frontends fixed on October 26. This is a disclosure of a repaired flaw, not a warning that it remains unpatched.
Health · Developing
Genmab reported on 28 October that petosemtamab plus pembrolizumab improved overall survival and response in the Phase 3 LiGeR-HN1 head-and-neck cancer trial. The company plans to submit full results for a medical meeting; the treatment remains investigational.
Security
Wordfence says it blocked 62,969 attack attempts in a 24-hour period against a WordPress upgrade-process flaw, The Hacker News reported on 30 October. WordPress patched the weakness in version 7.1.4 on 28 October. Exploitation requires a brief, conditional update window; the request count is not a count of compromised sites.
Security · Developing
Drupal says attackers are actively exploiting CVE-2026-118539 in Commerce Core. Its 28 October advisory urges affected sites to update and check orders for inconsistencies. Fixed releases are3.3.13 for the 3.x branch and 8.x-2.41 for earlier versions.
World · Developing
Syrian authorities reported five deaths, including four children, and five people missing on 29 October after severe flooding. Emergency teams evacuated about 375 families from camps in rural Raqqa. The floods also cut roads and communications as rescue operations continued.
World
Regulations made on 28 October will bring expanded precept powers for England's mayoral combined authorities and combined county authorities into force on 13 November. The change removes the restriction limiting precepts to mayoral functions and preserves a separate component for police-and-crime functions.
Economy · Developing
A PAG-backed buyer has agreed to acquire 51.016% of Evergrande Property Services for about HK$4.03 billion in cash. The agreement was signed on 28 October and disclosed on 30 October. Completion still requires Chinese antitrust approval and other conditions.
Security · Developing
DHS asked an Icelandic hosting provider, through contractor ZeroFox, to remove a site carrying leaked personnel records. FlokiNET said on 29 October that it refused, but the registrar suspended the original domain. The underlying disclosure identified more than 41,000 records, WIRED previously reported.