TechThe iPhone Duo is an imperfect but enjoyable first-generation device, with prices ranging from $2,000 for 256GB to $3,200 for 2TB. The review examines its software and app issues, compares it with the Galaxy Z Fold 8, and tests its camera, performance, battery life, and screen crease.
EconomyInvestors expect UK Chancellor John Healey to maintain fiscal discipline in his first budget. ING’s James Smith told Reuters that better-than-expected forecasts could be the biggest surprise, though a budget without major surprises may suit markets best.
Reuters
PoliticsItaly has deployed 500 troops to Milan under a new security decree following violent clashes. Meloni said nearly 200 police officers were injured and 330 people detained, about half of them, she said, of “foreign origin.”
WorldUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appeared on 'Fox & Friends' to discuss Russia’s release of a detained American, negotiations to end the war and the impact of the Starlink showdown. He also opened the door to freezing the battle line as a way to end the conflict.
Fox News
PoliticsPresident Trump participated in a roundtable on Oct. 21.
WorldAn Al Jazeera investigation found links between a right-wing student activist group in the UK and a convicted criminal who belongs to a banned organisation. Authorities fear rising risks of street violence as anti-immigrant sentiment spreads. One person featured is Roy McComb, a former Detective Chief Superintendent.
WorldSouth Sudan accused Khartoum of carrying out a drone strike in the disputed Abyei region. The attack hit a local market and killed more than 150 people.
PoliticsNearly 1.2 million Palestinian citizens of Israel may play a decisive role in the country's elections. Their turnout could affect who forms the next government, Balad Party leader Sami Abu Shehadeh says.
EconomyUS equity futures rose after SpaceX’s quarterly earnings and Elon Musk’s comments on a possible SpaceX-Tesla merger lifted investor confidence. Citadel’s Ken Griffin said investors are “almost certainly” in an AI bubble, while Deutsche Bank’s Christian Sewing disagreed. Nvidia’s Jensen Huang is speaking at GTC in Berlin, and Tesla, Meta and IBM are due to report earnings.
Bloomberg Television
PoliticsPresident Trump is making an intense push through battleground states, but some major Republican donors have already abandoned certain races. Fewer Americans are buying and selling homes as mortgage rates surge. Christina Applegate says a years-long misdiagnosis led her to clarify that her autoimmune disorder is not multiple sclerosis.
ABC News
WorldUS envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Saint Petersburg, as signs point to possible progress toward ending the war in Ukraine. US reports say Witkoff will present an updated peace proposal after talks in Oslo that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called “very positive.” BNE IntelliNews editor-in-chief Ben Aris offers his analysis.
EconomyStrong results from SpaceX lifted US stock futures and eased concerns about whether the global AI investment surge can be sustained. Ahead of Meta’s quarterly report on Wednesday after the market close, investors will watch for updates on AI spending and progress monetizing its cloud business to offset those costs.
Bloomberg Television
WorldUN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher and World Meteorological Organization Secretary-General Celeste Saulo are urging early action as an unprecedented El Niño is expected to hit fragile communities hard.
Reuters
PoliticsGermany is calling for deep cuts to the European Commission’s proposed EU budget and rejecting new common borrowing, setting up a sharp dispute over how Europe will fund Ukraine, defence and competitiveness.
PoliticsBritish Prime Minister Andy Burnham answers lawmakers’ questions in the House of Commons in London.
Reuters
WorldUS envoy Steve Witkoff is meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Saint Petersburg after talks with Ukraine’s president and other European leaders in Oslo. He is due to return to the Norwegian capital after his Russia visit. Washington hopes to revive US-led efforts to end the war.
WorldUS envoy Steve Witkoff met Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg on Wednesday to discuss Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. President Donald Trump is pressing Kyiv to reach a deal to end the fighting. Witkoff had met Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky in Oslo the day before.
WorldEgypt may be close to entering the war against the Houthis. The Iran-backed group has repeatedly attacked Saudi Arabia in recent weeks, following the collapse of a Yemen truce in September. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman sought possible Egyptian military support during a visit in mid-September, and Egypt’s president put the request before parliament on Saturday.
WorldFormer CIA station chief Dan Hoffman discusses President Trump’s efforts to secure the release of American teacher Stephen Hubbard, held in Russia for more than four years. Hoffman warns Vladimir Putin may be seeking leverage as Ukraine peace talks continue.
Fox News
WorldAustralian independent lawmaker Helen Haines had both legs amputated after an SUV struck her in her hometown of Wangaratta, her husband, Phil Haines, confirmed Wednesday. She is in stable condition at a Melbourne hospital, and a 43-year-old man has been charged over the incident.
The Associated Press
SocietyA £3.6bn plan backed by United Utilities and clean-water campaigners would build a tunnel up to 12 miles (19km) long to carry sewage away from Windermere, England’s largest lake. Campaigners say sewage and treated effluent entering the lake are behind summer algal blooms in some areas.
BBC News
EconomyElon Musk publicly endorsed the prospect of combining Tesla and SpaceX. The deal would be the largest corporate merger ever, bringing together assets spanning electric cars, AI data centers, rockets and satellites.
Bloomberg Television
OtherPolice say nearly $1 million in rare trading cards, including highly valued Pokémon cards, were stolen from a FedEx truck parked near a Southern California business that authenticates and grades collectibles. The theft is the latest in a series of Pokémon card heists as their value has surged in recent years.
ABC News
WorldAn undercover conversation with a person claiming to belong to Northern Ireland’s Ulster Volunteer Force lays out the logistics of a contract killing, including its cost, location and weapons. The episode presents the exchange as true crime unfolding in real time.