Singapore continues to grapple with severe haze disrupting daily life and businesses, while authorities roll out protective measures and Prime Minister Wong warns of action, CNBC reports. Wong said Thursday that Singapore was investigating which companies may be responsible for fires in Indonesia that worsened the transboundary haze; where warranted, Singapore would act under its Transboundary Haze Pollution Act and explore joint action with other countries, according to the South China Morning Post. Wong attributed the worsening haze partly to an extended dry period, the newspaper reported.
Trabzonspor won its first UEFA Conference League match 4-2, according to BBC Turkish. The outlet’s summary says the Turkish club was visiting Finland’s KuPS Kuopio in the tournament’s opening week.
An inquest into the man’s death at Yorkshire Wildlife Park heard that he climbed two fences to enter a tiger’s pen and suffered multiple injuries; The Guardian reports it also heard he had bouts of psychosis. Earlier, BBC News reported his family described him as “warm and engaging,” while The Guardian said they criticized online content after Trump reposted a video.
New White House press secretary Katie Zacharia admitted failing the bar exam but defended calling herself a lawyer, The New York Times reports. CBC says she defended her legal background and justified her shortened inaugural briefing amid a rocky first week. Al Jazeera and The Hindu had earlier reported scrutiny of her legal career.
A drone hit a supermarket in Ukraine’s Odesa region. Al Jazeera describes it as a Russian jet-powered drone, while the BBC says verified CCTV shows the strike in the town of Mayaky.
A 19-year-old suspect was arrested over an alleged plan to attack a Hindu temple in suburban Chicago, according to authorities. Police told the BBC the plot failed after the suspect’s gun jammed; The New York Times reports he was in the temple’s parking lot on Sunday and later told a co-worker his gun had jammed. Al Jazeera’s report also asks whether anti-Indian racism is rising.
The Australian rock band Fathom travelled roughly 700km across Australia by car, helicopter and plane to play nine shows in 12 hours, in a journey aimed at breaking a gig world record.
As the festive season approaches, BBC News traces how toys made in China get from factories to shelves in the United States. The report examines their journey ahead of the Christmas rush.
Smells from rubbish dumps and industrial facilities are being monitored more carefully. The BBC reports that technology might help people living with those smells.
Netflix announced that Peter Rice will replace Bela Bajaria as its chief content officer. The New York Times reports that Bajaria had held the role since 2023 and that Rice is a former executive at Disney and Fox. The Financial Times says the change comes as Netflix faces slowing viewer engagement and investor pressure amid a declining share price.
Ukraine has resumed attacks on Russian oil refineries, with the Financial Times and France 24 describing the move as defying Trump. The Hindu reports that Zelenskyy said Ukraine was losing a strong partner in the United States and that it was painful when Trump chose one side rather than Ukraine, though he said Ukraine was OK with Trump being in the middle. NBC News says Ukraine reported Starshield satellite internet functionality had returned to previous speeds for the moment.
France has dropped its opposition to the UK being included in the EU’s Made in Europe legislation, provided the British government aligns with the bloc’s position on tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles. France and Germany are nearing a deal on the bloc’s subsidy programme and combustion-engine phaseout, with the legislation still in draft.
Akazawa called a U.S. chip project significant for Japan and the United States’ AI edge, The Japan Times reports. The project involves two new plants planned for New York, with funding of up to $21 billion; the newspaper reports they are to be run by GlobalFoundries.
Cornell University's president called allegations that a woman was sexually assaulted by multiple fraternity members in 2024 deeply disturbing and pledged greater transparency, The Hindu reports, as scrutiny of the university's response mounted. This follows reports that Cornell suspended or banned fraternity parties after the allegations.
Ukraine says its satellite communications have suddenly been restricted, according to NPR. The New York Times reports that a huge attack cut power to 600,000 people in Kyiv and that a Pentagon-funded satellite internet program appeared to be curbed without warning as Russia escalated.
Euronews reported on Oct. 15 that Latvian MEP Rihard Kols called Trump’s deal to lift restrictions on Russian diesel a “very bad signal” and said it was driven by dubious business motives. This follows an earlier report that Trump said Russian diesel was for world markets, not the United States.
A plan to livestream the execution of the Fort Hood shooter drew opposition, while church allies backed a plan for a “public” execution, according to The Guardian and The New York Times. The Times reports that opponents included a retired general, a Catholic archbishop for the military and one of Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan’s victims.
Turkey is considering ways to provide military support to Saudi Arabia. Ankara's priorities are parliamentary approval of the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement and a separate authorization to send troops abroad; the leading option is to deploy air-defense and other military-logistics capabilities to strengthen Saudi Arabia's defenses.
