“The European Commission is telling capitals across the bloc to pause any national laws that restrict social media access to minors, as Brussels seeks an EU-wide set of rules. But Austria, the first country told to halt its legislation Thursday, lashed out at the order. ‘It is unacceptable for Brussels to block member states from enacting national laws without presenting a completed European solution of its own,’ Austrian State Secretary Alexander Pröll told POLITICO. The Commission and national capitals have been seeking age restrictions for social media over the past year, citing risks to young people’s mental health. But even after the EU proposed a unified law, different countries have continued pursuing different approaches and age limits.” (10/29/26)
“Days before the United States’ pivotal midterm elections, a Texas group affiliated with the Republican Party has asked a federal judge to stop certification of the state’s upcoming election results. In a lawsuit filed on Tuesday, the Potter County Republican Party and its chairman, Daniel Rogers, claim potential election interference by artificial intelligence (AI) or ‘malicious actors’ that could compromise the results of next Tuesday’s elections in Texas. The plaintiffs, who are asking for a hand count of every ballot from every precinct in the state before election certification happens, allege voting machines have components inside made by China that would allow them to be manipulated.” (10/29/26)
“Families desperately searched for missing loved ones Thursday, more than 24 hours after two high-speed trains collided in central Spain, killing at least 69 and injuring dozens of others. ‘I have my father, and I don’t know where he is. I hope to find him, oh my Lord,’ said César Vicente, an actor who traveled 495 kilometers (307 miles) from his native Seville to Toledo in search of his father. He spent the night with many other families at a religious center converted into a base for those affected by the disaster. Vicente was with his mother and his aunt, all of whom were looking for César Vicente, who was sitting in seat 13A on the RENFE train that struck another operated by the private company Iryo, which had stopped on the tracks.” (10/29/26)
“A South Korean special prosecutor on Thursday demanded the death penalty for ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol, ahead of an appeals court verdict on rebellion charges over his brief imposition of martial law in December 2024. The Seoul High Court has yet to set a date for a verdict on Yoon’s appeal of a life sentence handed down in February by the Seoul Central District Court. The court found that he illegally mobilized troops and police to seize the legislature, arrest political opponents and establish unchecked rule for a ‘considerable time.’ Investigators led by Special Prosecutor Cho Eun-suk also appealed the ruling, arguing Yoon deserves the death penalty because his actions posed a grave threat to the country’s democracy. An execution would be unlikely. South Korea has not executed anyone since 1997, effectively maintaining a moratorium on capital punishment following calls for its abolition.” (10/29/26)
“Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has removed a top general from his post, according to reports, the latest exit of a senior military official amid a sweeping overhaul of the Pentagon. Hegseth fired Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia, director for Strategy, Plans and Policy, J-5, Joint Staff, CNN reported, citing a spokesman for Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine. According to ABC News, citing two sources familiar with the situation, the firing occurred earlier this week, and with his removal, Sylvia has retired.” (10/29/26)
“European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde will step down on Feb. 7 next year, she announced Thursday, formally kicking off a succession race that will be shaped by political bargaining and France’s looming fiscal crisis. Lagarde has led the central bank since July 2019, steering its responses to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war and a series of energy price shocks that sent inflation in the European Union above 11% in 2022. She will depart nearly nine months before her term was due to expire in October 2027, while the process to appoint her successor will begin immediately.” (10/29/26)
“With less than a week until Election Day, Democrats remain divided over their nominee in Michigan’s pivotal Senate race. The question now is whether those divisions will outweigh voter frustration with President Donald Trump and the Republican Party. Criticism of Democrat Abdul El-Sayed has persisted for months, both privately and publicly, since a contentious primary divided voters and party leaders. Rather than focusing solely on uniting the party’s traditional coalition in the aftermath of the primary, El-Sayed has sought to bring new voters — particularly college students and rural residents — into the fold. But the lingering Democratic tensions spilled into public view again Wednesday, when Jason Turkish, the fiance of El-Sayed’s former primary opponent, Rep. Haley Stevens, told The Detroit News that he would vote for Republican Mike Rogers. Hours later, Stevens appeared on CNN to reaffirm that she would be voting for El-Sayed, but urged his campaign to ‘shut out the hate and call it out’.” (10/29/26)
“Delivery giant DoorDash is buying to-your-door grocery service Instacart for $17 billion, the company announced Thursday. The deal means users will be able to order groceries and items from other retailers via DoorDash and its delivery network. The companies said Instacart customers can now shop at more than 50,000 additional stores on top of the nearly 100,000 stores on the Instacart platform today. DashPass and Instacart+ members will now also pay one membership fee instead of two. DoorDash is expected to keep the Instacart brand and its technology. Until the transaction closes, DoorDash and Instacart will continue to operate as separate and independent companies.” (10/29/26)
“North Korea fired ‘around a dozen’ short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast on Thursday, Seoul’s defence ministry said, less than a week after South Korea proposed talks over a growing border row. The launches follow a slew of recent weapons tests by Pyongyang, including a new precision-guided torpedo system and an intermediate-range hypersonic missile, both of which were said to employ AI technology. … Thursday’s missile flurry comes against the backdrop of growing tensions over a landmine explosion along the heavily fortified border between the two Koreas that saw three South Korean soldiers wounded.” (10/29/26)
“The defeated candidate in Brazil’s presidential election, Flávio Bolsonaro, has referred to himself as ‘leader of Brazil’ in a letter he published on social media after leaving the country for the United States. Bolsonaro lost to his left-wing rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, in the run-off on Sunday by a difference of 4.4 million votes, but has not conceded defeat. In the letter, Bolsonaro alleges, without offering evidence, that he was the victim of ‘electoral fraud’ and says that he will lead the opposition from the US. He left Brazil on Tuesday after failing to comply with an order to surrender his passports, a decision which Lula described as ‘a shameful act’. Bolsonaro starts his letter, which he posted on his X account, saying ‘I address the Brazilian people and the international community as the leader of Brazil’.” (10/29/26)
