Premiums are expected to rise sharply for the fourth year in a row, and employees will likely pay more when they receive care. The higher costs will further strain Americans’ already-tight budgets and deepen the country’s affordability crisis.
United Statesinsurance premiumshealth care costscost of living
The president of the American Chamber of Commerce in China urged Beijing and Washington to move more negotiations to working-level officials. Michael Hart said businesses need greater long-term stability in bilateral ties than leader-level diplomacy alone can provide. He welcomed the unprecedented frequency of presidential meetings but said working-level contacts were less frequent.
Oppo’s Find X10 Pro Max is the first phone with three 200-megapixel rear cameras. The review says image quality owes more to sensor size, dynamic range and software than resolution alone. It defaults to 26-megapixel photos and automatically switches to 12.6 megapixels in low light.
Elon Musk has signalled openness to combining Tesla and SpaceX in a $3.5 trillion (€3.1tn) company. The move continues years of bringing his businesses together, with the deal reportedly intended to close before US President Donald Trump leaves the White House.
An Irish social media ad promoting consent and boundaries for children drew criticism for depicting grandparents hugging their grandchildren. Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan called it demeaning to grandparents, and the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre said it had removed the videos while considering whether they were having the intended effect.
Irelandchildren's consentsocial media adDublin Rape Crisis Centre
Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov said NATO’s increased military presence near the borders of Russia and Belarus requires a timely response from their armed forces. He said the two militaries regularly coordinate and are updating their approach to joint use of their forces.
Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin said the 2026 bilateral military cooperation plan with Russia includes more than 160 joint activities, mostly exercises, training, maneuvers and exchanges of experience. He said troop training reflects modern armed conflict and incorporates lessons from combat into the Belarusian army’s training system.
Anger over housing, wages and public services is testing European governments already grappling with debt pressures and upcoming elections. Student protests in France over crowded classrooms and teacher shortages have widened into public outcry, while separate demonstrations have erupted in Belgium, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Albania. Many share frustration at paying more for less and struggling to afford a decent life.
cost of livingEuropean protestshousingwagespublic services
The forum opened in Chongqing on Wednesday, hosted by the China Association for Science and Technology and the Chongqing Municipal People’s Government under the theme “Co-evolution: Shaping the New Ecology of the Future Industry.” About 800 guests are attending. The opening ceremony released the “Top 10 Science and Technology Foresights of 2026,” and 12 parallel forums are planned.
science and technology forumChongqingscientific innovationfuture industries
South African police are investigating the mob killing of a foreign national. A group had been marching in central Durban when two men appeared to leave the group and approach the victim.
Li Juan, a lecturer at Southwest University of Political Science and Law, gave a lecture on human rights ideas in traditional Chinese culture, followed by discussion with experts from Peru, Nepal, Tunisia, the African Union and Chad. Li cited classical ideas about human dignity, benevolence and caring for vulnerable groups. Peru's former prime minister Eduardo Melchor Arana Ysa said countries should address human rights according to their own cultures and circumstances, and that Western standards should not be imposed on others.
traditional Chinese culturehuman rightsSouthwest University of Political Science and Lawinternational exchange
Dmitry Polyansky, Russia’s permanent representative to the OSCE, said sanctions had dealt the EU economy a blow from which it had yet to recover. He said they had driven inflation and energy prices higher and weakened European competitiveness, leaving taxpayers to foot the bill, while meeting Kyiv’s growing demands could require further cuts to domestic social spending.
Attacks, assassinations and armed clashes have increased in Iran's southeastern province bordering Pakistan and Afghanistan. Observers say the Iran war could alter the strategic balance for militant groups. Economic deprivation, discrimination and political and religious grievances are contributing to tensions.
French President Emmanuel Macron said protests he called “illegitimate” would be banned in the coming days. He blamed “seditious” ultra-left groups and vandals for last weekend’s riots and looting.
French President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday that protests he called “illegitimate” would be prohibited in the coming days. He blamed “seditious” ultra-left groups and vandals for last weekend’s riots and looting.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney arrived in Turkey on Thursday for a historic visit focused on closer trade and defence ties with the strategically important NATO ally. The trip reflects Ottawa’s push to diversify beyond the United States while handling sensitive concerns over human rights and Ankara’s recent crackdown on civil society groups.
Russian attacks continue in Sloviansk, eastern Ukraine, where thousands of residents refuse to leave or cannot find a way out. Poverty, family ties and pets make evacuation difficult. Recent Russian aerial attacks hit a residential area and a building housing an emergency assistance center and the Red Cross, injuring people. About 20,000 of the city’s 100,000 residents remain, most of them elderly people unable to leave.
Police in Germany’s Brandenburg state arrested a Ukrainian man suspected of gathering defense-related information for Russia. Prosecutors said he used contacts at European defense firms to collect intelligence that he allegedly passed to a Russian spy agency.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said Moscow and Washington are discussing a meeting between Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky, but have reached no final understanding. He said resolving the Ukraine conflict remains high on Russia’s agenda with the United States and described Europe’s position as anti-Russian, belligerent and dangerous.
Russia’s permanent representative to the OSCE, Dmitry Polyansky, said Moscow would reject a new round of “Minsk agreements” or a freeze that would keep Kyiv’s authorities in power. He said Russia no longer trusts the EU or Ukraine, and that Europe knows the conditions under which Moscow is prepared to negotiate.
🤿 Hong Kong hosts gruelling underwater hockey tournament
Hong Kong's annual underwater hockey tournament, ominously advertised as "physical hell", drew a roster of hardcore enthusiasts from countries across Asia to the Chinese city over the weekend.
🤿 Hong Kong hosts gruelling underwater hockey tournament
Hong Kong's annual underwater hockey tournament, ominously advertised as "physical hell", drew a roster of hardcore enthusiasts from countries across Asia to the Chinese city over the weekend.
Officials said Nigeria’s first Ebola patient in more than a decade was not tested until 13 days after falling ill. The delay has raised questions about whether authorities can contain an outbreak already affecting four African countries.
Russia struck Kyiv with ballistic missiles while Ukraine sent hundreds of drones toward Moscow overnight, just hours after the warring sides agreed to peace talks. The barrage continued despite the latest U.S. push to end the conflict.
Russia-Ukraine warKyivMoscowmissile and drone attacks
Russia launched a large ballistic-missile attack on Kyiv hours after Vladimir Putin said he had agreed in principle to resume trilateral talks. At least two people were killed and 22 injured, including four children. Ukraine said the strikes showed Moscow was not serious about peace and called for stronger air defences and more sanctions.
Zelensky said Russian forces fired 21 ballistic missiles at Kyiv in three waves overnight on October 22, damaging sites across the city. One person was killed and more than 20 injured. He said the strikes came soon after another round of talks and urged allies to speed up air defense deliveries and increase sanctions pressure on Moscow. Ukrainian drones also struck several Russian regions, including Moscow and the Moscow region; two people were injured in New Moscow.
Overnight attacks injured 15 people in Kyiv, while two were hurt in Moscow. Russia said it intercepted 163 Ukrainian drones. The attacks came hours after Putin and Zelenskyy indicated they were willing to resume peace talks with the US.
Russian forces attacked Kyiv with drones and ballistic missiles overnight on October 22, killing one person and injuring more than 20, Ukrainian officials said. The strikes damaged homes, transport infrastructure, ambulances and a monastery. A food production facility in the Odesa region was also hit, and its administrative building burned down. Russia’s Defense Ministry said it targeted military-industrial and port facilities. The attack came hours after Steve Witkoff met Vladimir Putin.
Russia and Ukraine exchanged major overnight attacks shortly after Putin and Zelenskyy signaled willingness to resume US-mediated talks. Missiles hit Kyiv, wounding at least 15 people, while Moscow’s mayor said 630 drones were launched toward the region and at least two people were hurt. Strikes and injuries were also reported elsewhere in Ukraine and in Russia’s Lipetsk.
The spread of electric vehicles has saved six oil-importing countries in Europe almost €2 billion since the Iran war began. As EV fleets grow, they reduce exposure to volatile oil markets and future supply shocks.
As the Tampa Bay Rays and their fans get ready for the World Series, David Muir reports on the community’s efforts to rebuild the city and repair Tropicana Field after Hurricane Milton.
Eastern Libya’s parliament unanimously approved the 2019 Türkiye-Libya agreement delimiting maritime boundaries in the Mediterranean, reversing its 2020 rejection. Egypt and the EU call the deal null and void; Israel also condemned the move, while Greece says it violates international law and briefed the UN Security Council. Türkiye’s foreign minister called the agreement entirely legitimate.
Major Gulf stock markets declined in early trading on Thursday after fresh attacks by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis on Saudi Arabia stoked fears that the region’s tensions could escalate further.
Jim Chalmers says December’s mid-year budget update will forecast weaker growth and higher unemployment. Economists warn the next six to nine months will be difficult, as high inflation and elevated interest rates weigh on activity and the labour market softens.
Australian economyunemploymenteconomic growthinflation
A researcher reported that unidentified hackers hijacked more than 300 Tor exit nodes, configuring them to favor unencrypted email traffic and route SSH connections through servers they controlled. The attacker used a reused valid password to access a Tor management server and install the Linux backdoor Ebury, then installed it on a second server, Switzerland2, and altered settings on two exit nodes it hosted.
With the November election approaching, Democrats are increasingly excited about the prospect of taking control of the U.S. Senate, though victory is far from assured.
Ukraine’s High Anti-Corruption Court allowed former justice minister Herman Halushchenko to remove his electronic monitoring bracelet, while extending his other obligations for two months. He must still report a change of residence, remain in Kyiv without permission to leave, avoid contacting other suspects and surrender his foreign passports.
Oil rose 3% to $112 a barrel on Thursday, its highest level in five months, after attacks in Saudi Arabia and incidents involving tankers near the Strait of Hormuz raised concerns about global crude supply. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it hit four vessels in the northern Gulf and that three others struck mines near the strait.
France confirmed that a patient who died at a Lyon hospital earlier in October had Shamonda virus, the first documented human case. The Agriculture Ministry said there is currently no identifiable risk to the public. Investigations continue, with eastern France considered the leading hypothesis for where the patient was infected.
France has reported its first human case of Shamonda virus, linked to the patient’s death. Cattle are considered the main hosts among animal species that can be infected.
French authorities say the first known human case of Shamonda virus was found in a patient who died in early October. Officials described it as an exceptional case in a severely immunocompromised person and said there is no current risk to the public. Investigators believe the patient may have contracted the virus from a midge bite in eastern France.
French authorities confirmed that a patient in Lyon contracted Shamonda virus, which mainly affects cattle and had previously been detected only in animals. The patient died in early October; authorities said there is no health risk to the general population.
French health authorities said they had detected Shamonda virus in a human patient for the first time. The patient later died, but authorities said there was currently no risk to the general population.
The IMF forecast a sharp fall in economic output this year across the Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan because of the Iran war, followed by 6.6% growth in 2027. It cautioned that further disruptions to energy production could worsen the outlook.
A powerful storm system swept across Arizona on Wednesday, bringing heavy winds and rain, with a possible tornado in the area. The conditions are expected to continue through the week.
Storm Adam caused widespread flooding across southern France, killing at least four people and injuring one. Two women were found drowned in a cellar in Bouches-du-Rhône, while Corsica was also hit by severe weather. Floodwater inundated streets, disrupted transport and prompted emergency shelter for residents in several towns.
Specialists at the V. A. Degtyarev Plant have patented a portable multiple rocket launcher with detachable container pods. The tripod-mounted system fires rockets sequentially and is remotely controlled; compensating springs are designed to reduce the overturning effect of launches.
France is facing a deepening economic crisis, with its 10-year government bond yield reaching a 24-year high on Thursday. Macron condemned what he called “stupid” comments from Trump and others as pressure in the bond market mounted.
Toxic haze from Indonesia’s worst wildfires in a decade blanketed Malaysia and Singapore over the past two months. Experts say ASEAN’s consensus-based approach, weak enforcement mechanisms, sovereignty concerns and difficulties gathering evidence make it hard for governments to pursue legal accountability for cross-border pollution.
Vilnius, Lithuania’s capital, is set to host a leisurely festive-season “race-cation,” where participants can stroll through holiday surroundings without worrying about their pace.
Russia’s latest bombardment of Ukraine’s capital came hours after US envoy Steve Witkoff met Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg, highlighting the sharp contrast between Washington’s renewed diplomatic efforts and Moscow’s ongoing attacks on Ukrainian cities.
Russian Ambassador to Montenegro Alexander Lukashik told TASS that Podgorica plans to join the EU in 2028. He said Montenegro’s visa regime for Russian citizens and full support for EU restrictions on Russia reflect its policy of severing ties with Moscow and aligning with EU policies. He warned the measures could reduce Russian tourism, hurt businesses and worsen the investment climate, adding that Brussels should not be expected to offset the losses.
The UN Environment Programme has acknowledged for the first time that keeping warming below 1.5°C is no longer viable. Its revised aims are to limit both the duration and extent of the overshoot, requiring dramatic emissions cuts now and the removal of hundreds of gigatonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere before the century ends.
Five years after China established its first five national parks, wildlife conservation and ecosystem restoration have made tangible progress. Amur tiger numbers have risen significantly in the northeast’s Tiger and Leopard National Park, reflecting species recovery and efforts to foster coexistence between people and wildlife.
Officials in Ukraine count nine or more deaths from Russian assaults nationwide during the latest day-long period. Missile and drone strikes overnight ignited fires in Kyiv and the Kharkiv region.
Russian attacks on Kyiv overnight killed at least one person and injured 22, including four children, Ukrainian officials said. Metro infrastructure was damaged. Ukraine’s foreign minister said appeasement would not stop Russia’s war, as the two sides exchanged a new barrage of attacks after a US envoy met Putin.
Ukrainian officials said Russian attacks killed at least nine people and injured 56 across the country over the past day. Russia launched a large overnight missile and drone assault, mainly targeting Kyiv, where ballistic missiles hit transport and medical infrastructure, killing at least one person and injuring 24.
Transportation Minister Eduardo Rodriguez Davila faces the daily challenge of moving millions of people by plane, train and car across Cuba, an island stretching 780 miles (1,250 km), with virtually no fuel.
After rioting and looting across France last weekend, about 2,500 people were arrested, with more than 900 being fast-tracked through immediate-appearance proceedings. Lawyers say the surge has overwhelmed courts and left them too little time to meet clients; they blame politicians for the poverty and anger behind the looting.
Australian Broadcasting Corporation journalist Will Murray was reporting in Morayfield, Queensland, when an SUV drove into deep floodwater. He and a bystander rushed in and rescued the driver as the vehicle sank rapidly.
While covering flooding in Morayfield, Queensland, ABC journalist Will Murray and a bystander pulled a man from a four-wheel drive that was being engulfed by floodwater.
Drop Site News reported, citing sources, that the Pentagon is moving forces closer to Iran’s border as it awaits President Donald Trump’s approval for a new operation. An unnamed US official said CENTCOM was preparing to resume major combat operations and that Trump had called off operations against Iran and Yemen’s Houthis seven times at the last minute.
Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov said a joint board meeting of the Russian and Belarusian defense ministries in Minsk adopted important decisions on the two countries’ military security. The meeting focused on the regional grouping of troops and the Unified Regional Air Defense System; he said joint operational and combat training remains a priority for cooperation.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met Djibouti’s foreign minister, Abdoulkader Houssein Omar, in Beijing. The two sides issued a communiqué on peace and stability in the Horn of Africa and shipping security in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, and signed a memorandum to advance cooperation under the Global Security Initiative.
Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin said the combat capabilities of the Belarus-Russia regional force grouping and their unified regional air defense system are being enhanced. He said the countries continue mutual supplies of military equipment, deepen defense-industry cooperation and develop nuclear deterrence within the Union State to maintain strategic parity and deter potential aggression.
Meta is facing a lawsuit in Australia alleging its platforms have addictive effects on children. The company rejected the allegations and said it would defend itself vigorously.
Solana activated Alpenglow on its mainnet on Oct. 21, replacing TowerBFT with a consensus design aiming for finality in about 150 milliseconds. The protocol merges confirmed and finalized into one state. At the National Securities Clearing Corporation, multilateral netting reduces equity payment obligations by an average of…
Donald Trump blamed France’s unrest on “migrants” and “communists,” while conservative media allies portrayed the protests as a warning of what could happen in the US. Fox News and Newsmax hosts and guests argued that Democratic policies could lead to similar scenes; the article says the messaging appears aimed at pushing voters toward Republicans in the midterm elections.
US politicsFox NewsFrance protestsmidterm elections
Snowy Hydro’s latest projections put the project’s cost at at least A$22.2bn, with a contingency that could take it to A$25bn, and delay full commissioning until 2029. Tunnelling is 65% complete. CEO Dennis Barnes said the exceptionally complex project could have fared worse without its reset.
Spotify projected fourth-quarter profit above Wall Street estimates on Thursday, betting that its AI-powered features will boost user growth during the crucial holiday season.
Truck drivers protesting high fuel prices are disrupting supermarket deliveries across southern Italy. Some shelves are partly empty, and some petrol stations have run out of fuel.
Italian truck drivers protesting soaring fuel prices have blocked roads, disrupting transport and deliveries in the south and leaving supermarket shelves empty and airports short of fuel. The government warned that drivers blocking roads could face criminal penalties as authorities moved to clear the demonstrations.
International Energy Agency chief Fatih Birol told a Financial Times summit that fast, low-cost renewables could renew attention to climate issues, even as energy disruption continues.
climaterenewable energyInternational Energy Agency
Energize Lab says it has confirmed core issues with its Eiliko robot and will hire an independent firm to review its systems, disable features and delete stored conversations and user profiles. But The Verge reports that customer audio and photos remained accessible at unsecured public URLs, while a researcher still had access to robots and could potentially read transcripts and alter their behavior.
Two First Nations artists have withdrawn their work from the University of Calgary gallery to protest an event inviting students to debate whether residential schools amounted to genocide.
First Nations artistsUniversity of Calgaryresidential schoolsprotest
Vienna Luke, a sexual assault victim who went undercover to help bring Justin Sewell to justice, is facing a whiplash effect after a parole board approved his release. She is opposing his release from a halfway house while responding to other women moved by her story.
US President Donald Trump praised a man who punched a protester at a midterm election rally in Clemson, South Carolina. Trump thanked the assailant as the protester was being escorted out.
Dmitry Peskov said Russia considers only its own interests when deciding what to do with foreign companies’ assets. Asked about differing approaches to US and European companies, including placing some assets under temporary Russian management, he said the US was working to settle the situation around Ukraine while Europe was provoking continued hostilities.
Ukraine said it repatriated 252 bodies that Russia identified as Ukrainian service members. Ukrainian investigators and forensic experts will examine and identify them. Ukrainian officials have alleged that Russia previously returned its own soldiers’ bodies to Kyiv, possibly to avoid compensation payments to their families or out of a “negligent attitude toward their own people.”
Tom Barrack says the United States should shift its relationship with Middle Eastern countries from control to support and no longer seeks to dominate the region. He says intervention and regime change have failed, disputes should be resolved through talks and mutual respect, and distrust between Washington and Tehran is obstructing a deal.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Thursday that there is no gray area on the Taiwan question and urged the Philippines to demonstrate its adherence to the one-China principle through concrete actions. Responding to Manila’s efforts to explore deeper cooperation with Taiwan to address so-called “gray zone” activities, she said Taiwan’s external exchanges must strictly follow the principle.
The son of detained former Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi said on Thursday that he had spoken with his mother for the first time in more than five years. She remains under house arrest.
The Minutes Reader extension turns the original page into a focused reading view and translates articles and video subtitles on demand. It is in limited beta.