Bluesky has expanded its experimental Attie AI tool so users can build interactive experiences, including games and websites, to share on social. TechCrunch says these creations can tap into Bluesky’s audience, while The Verge reports users can also make small apps such as polls and dashboards and share them as websites.
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October 2026 news
The Japan Times reports that Israeli voters seem more tired than engaged ahead of a crucial election. Al Jazeera asks whether voters will punish Benjamin Netanyahu, reporting that he received warnings before October 7, 2023, but failed to act on time.
Anthropic has given non-profit METR employee-like access to examine the company, and METR will publish assessments of its risks, incidents and practices, TechCrunch reports. The Financial Times says CEO Dario Amodei has made bringing in external evaluators one of his main proposals for addressing safety concerns.
Trade between Brazil and China reached a record US$143 billion in the first nine months of the year, driven by Brazilian oil sales after the war on Iran disrupted Gulf supply, according to the Brazil-China Business Council. The council said Brazilian exports to China rose 12% to US$84.7 billion from January through September, while imports from China grew 9.9% to US$58.6 billion; the South China Morning Post reports that China bought half of Brazil's oil exports. This follows reports that China's exports surged in September and its January-September trade surplus reached $938 billion, according to ABC News.
Istanbul's governor says two people died after the city experienced its heaviest rainfall in 84 years. Residents were told to avoid leaving their homes unless absolutely necessary.
Australia's Reece Walsh exerted himself to the point of vomiting in the Men's Rugby League World Cup opener, while New Zealand's Kalyn Ponga tried to play on with a suspected broken arm, the BBC reports. The BBC described the opener as dramatic.
Volvo plans to launch hands-free, point-to-point driving by 2030 using Nvidia's autonomous driving technology. The system will be Level 2++, The Verge reports, and similar to Tesla's Full Self-Driving (Supervised). TechCrunch reports that Volvo is expanding its nearly decade-long Nvidia partnership beyond its battery electric vehicles.
The BBC is seeking to compel Donald Trump to sit for a deposition in its defamation suit. The Hindu describes the suit as worth $10 billion and says the BBC accused Trump of dodging the deposition, while Euronews describes it as a €8.6 billion case and reports that Trump's lawyers agreed to an October 16 deposition before later seeking to postpone it until January.
Ahead of the US midterms, reports describe voter dissatisfaction with Trump and its potential effect on election choices. NPR says Georgia swing voters who regret voting for Trump are factoring that into their midterm choices; Al Jazeera reports a poll found widespread voter disillusionment and pocketbook anxieties creating a volatile stage for Republicans weeks before election night.
Treasuries rallied as investors sought shelter from AI turbulence, while global chip stocks were caught in volatile trading amid fears about the sustainability of the AI boom, the Financial Times reports. CNBC reports that Nvidia, AMD and Dell sold off amid worries about AI funding, while Euronews reports that a deepening tech sell-off dragged major markets lower.
The White House is defending new press secretary Katie Zacharia after questions about her legal credentials, BBC News reports. The BBC says she does not appear to be registered to the legal bar in any state where she has lived. The Guardian reports scrutiny over claims that she is a lawyer, while CBC reports mounting questions about her resume.
Üsküdar Deputy Mayor Dündar Ziya Gültekin died in a traffic accident in Düzce, BBC Turkish reports. He was traveling to Ankara to attend the election for deputy chair of the Union of Municipalities of Turkey, according to the report.
Some people are taking very small doses of GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy, but experts say there is little evidence to support the practice, according to BBC Turkish.
New Yorkers share how much they spend on wedding gifts and how they decide what to give, according to BBC News.
Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez apologized after controversial remarks criticizing the club's hierarchy and was fined by the club, the BBC reports. Earlier, Al Jazeera reported that Martinez defended his criticism on social media, while the BBC said his outburst came from anger and frustration.
Four MPs have raised conflict-of-interest concerns and called for Samantha Jones, permanent secretary at the Department of Health and Social Care, to step aside from plans to tighten regulation of private ADHD and autism clinics. The Guardian reports that the MPs cited her past links to a major provider of ADHD assessments.
Savings of up to $200 on Founder and Investor Passes for TechCrunch Founder Summit end October 16, TechCrunch reports. The summit is scheduled for November 4 at Boston’s SoWa Power Station, with 1,000 founders and investors invited to attend.
Rising inflation is piling pressure on US voters ahead of the midterm elections, the Financial Times reports. The Guardian published a question-and-answer session about whether the economy and high cost of living could hurt Republicans in November’s elections.
A glitch has delayed nearly 600,000 Texas voter registrations as early midterm voting approaches, according to the New York Times. The Guardian reports that the state is facing a lawsuit from voting-rights organizations over a computer-system failure that left a backlog of applications; the organizations accuse officials of failing to ensure eligible voters can register, and early voting is set to open Monday.
The Hindu reports that Paris’s police chief said the student protest movement was out of control and urged peaceful action. It says students blockading high schools cite overcrowded classrooms, teacher shortages and dilapidated buildings, blaming years of underinvestment. Euronews reports that actor Omar Sy joined public figures criticising French authorities’ response, which its headline calls “appalling.” This follows reports of weekslong education protests, clashes between students and riot police, and preparations for fresh demonstrations.