Sources cited by The Japan Times say the White House ordered a temporary restriction of Starshield for Ukraine; The Globe and Mail reports that U.S. Defence Department leaders received a message that the system needed to be slowed. The Straits Times and The Japan Times report that the move came as Trump pressured Kyiv to stop attacks on Russian refineries. This follows reports that Ukraine's satellite communications were suddenly restricted and that a Pentagon-funded satellite internet program appeared to be curbed without warning as Russia escalated.
The FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service are investigating suspicious mailings to election officials and congressional offices, some of which contained an unidentified powdery substance. The Guardian reports that letters prompted evacuations in Louisiana and Oklahoma, while the U.S. Postal Service intercepted a similar package sent to Ohio’s secretary of state. The BBC reports that Oklahoma, Ohio and Louisiana confirmed they were targeted.
The US is probing Ilhan Omar’s decades-old immigration paperwork with an eye toward deportation, sources say, The Straits Times reports. Al Jazeera, citing The Wall Street Journal, reported that the Trump administration seeks to strip Omar of her US citizenship. The Straits Times says the probe has renewed concerns that Trump is using federal law enforcement to punish political opponents.
President Donald Trump created a task force led by National Intelligence Director Jay Clayton to coordinate federal AI policy. Trump said it would reach out to consumers, public interest groups, religious organizations, critical infrastructure providers and AI companies, according to The Hindu. Hindustan Times reports that the task force has a 120-day deadline.
Middle powers face what Hindustan Times describes as a new threat: collusion among Trump, Putin and Xi. The Economist’s article is titled “How to survive a predatory world order.”
Russia seized control of local assets of European companies in a move reported from Moscow on Oct. 16. The Straits Times reports the decree covers four companies from France, Germany, Sweden and Belgium, while Euronews reports five firms, including businesses making flooring, paper packaging, hygiene products, and metal and plastic packaging. The Straits Times says the seizure was retaliation for Europe’s wartime support for Ukraine; Euronews says the firms continued operating in Russia after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Papua New Guinea’s NRL franchise is set to launch its jersey and identity next week after a court rejected New Zealand Rugby’s request for an interim injunction.
French investigators are probing a possible link between a school shooting and the True Crime Community, France 24 reports. RFI reports France's national counter-terrorism prosecutor's office took over the investigation into a 14-year-old student's shotgun attack on a school principal and a teacher, who suffered minor injuries. ABC News reports anti-terror prosecutors are investigating a teen arrested over the shooting.
France’s National Assembly passed a sweeping bill on sexual violence without a vote against, according to RFI. The bill would create specialist police units and courts, introduce abuse checks in schools and provide leave for victims; protections for foreign women were dropped, and the cost remains unclear. France 24 also reported that French MPs backed a bill addressing sexual and gender-based violence.
The Guardian enlisted columnist and former labor secretary Robert Reich to answer readers’ questions about rising costs in the US. The video discusses Americans’ struggles to afford gas and groceries and cut back on luxuries, with Reich explaining market factors behind the price of a $16 cheesesteak and how AI is affecting the cost of a Nintendo Switch 2.
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met to discuss easing tensions over minority rights. Magyar said the countries agreed to put relations on a new footing; Euronews reports that the talks took place at the European Council after Kyiv passed a minority-rights law and Budapest dropped objections to EU accession clusters.
A Harris Poll conducted for The Guardian found that nearly two-thirds of Americans think the US is experiencing a recession, although the country does not meet the typical definition of two consecutive quarters of negative economic growth. The Guardian said higher prices and a stagnant job market make many people feel like the economy is in a downturn, and asked Americans to share the everyday signs they see as personal recession indicators.
As the US midterm elections loom, a Guardian video report examines how soaring gas prices, war in the Middle East and datacenter expansion are affecting Donald Trump's popularity among his base in rural West Virginia, a Republican stronghold. The report says the state remains staunchly Republican but describes signs of new politics emerging, with local Democrats looking to capitalize.
A fight over a data center in Utah is serving as a testing ground for citizens’ assemblies and potential oversight of AI, The Guardian reports. The article says tech bosses have recently warned about AI risks; it notes that OpenAI paused training its latest frontier models on Sept. 25 amid reports of rogue AI agents, and that Australia’s Senate invited OpenAI and Anthropic executives to an inquiry the next day, but both declined.
Donald Trump has sued the BBC for $10bn over a Panorama episode that edited his comments at a Jan. 6, 2021, rally, giving what the broadcaster called the mistaken impression that he had directly called for violent action. The BBC apologized for the edit but is fighting the lawsuit; Guardian columnist Emma Brockes argues the case is proving a quagmire for Trump.
Southern Nazarene University in Oklahoma announced Thursday that sophomore safety Tyler Ulrich, 21, had died five days after suffering what the school called a traumatic injury during a game against Ouachita Baptist. The injury occurred during a 49-14 loss, and the game was delayed for nearly an hour while Ulrich received medical attention before being taken to a hospital. The university did not disclose the cause of death or the nature of the injury.
The FBI held a hand-to-hand combat seminar for roughly 300 federal agents and academy students at its Special Agent Academy in Quantico, Virginia, in March, with seven current and former UFC fighters taking part, The Guardian reports. The Guardian describes the training as the latest link between the UFC and President Donald Trump, whose 80th birthday was marked by a UFC event on the White House South Lawn this past summer.
A dispute between Kelly Clarkson and Brooklyn store Art of Play involved a high-priced mechanical bird, The Globe and Mail reports. The newspaper says the conflict highlights celebrity power dynamics on social media; The New York Times describes the store as the center of an online frenzy around Clarkson.
Katie Zacharia made a brief debut as White House press secretary, talking up President Trump, according to The Globe and Mail. CBC characterized the debut as unimpressive; the Globe reported that the questions Zacharia took were non-confrontational and came from outlets sympathetic to the president.
A 19-year-old man's planned attack on a Hindu temple in Illinois failed, and U.S. lawmakers expressed outrage over the foiled plot, The Hindu reports. Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi said he and his family were worshipping at the temple; he expressed horror at the attempted attack and gratitude to those who helped prevent a tragedy, Hindustan Times reports.
