BlackRock's Larry Fink warned that a moratorium on data centers could trigger a recession, CNBC reports. The BBC reports that Democrats and Republicans are opposing data center development amid growing backlash across the US, and examines how the issue could shape the US midterm elections.
Accenture employees will be limited to $29 a month in Claude spending after some ran up bills of thousands of dollars, according to TechRadar. 404 Media reports that some employees who had spent as much as $1,000 monthly are scrambling to maintain access to the tool. TechRadar says Accenture is seeking to control its spending on external AI.
BBC Inside Science asks how people can compete with a natural force described as having the power of 25 atomic bombs.
“The Colorful Life,” a 1907 painting by Wassily Kandinsky, sold at auction for about $42 million. The New York Times reported a price of $42 million, while The Times of Israel said it sold for more than $42 million. The painting had been returned to the original owners’ heirs in 2023; The Times of Israel says Christie’s reported a six-minute bidding war that pushed it nearly $10 million above the high end of its estimate.
Manchester United manager Michael Carrick said on Friday the team had moved on from Lisandro Martínez’s outburst and apology, The National reports. Martínez apologised after criticising the club’s summer recruitment and director of football Jason Wilcox, following discussions with Carrick and club officials, according to The Guardian. The Guardian says the club will not make any disciplinary action public, though Martínez is thought to have been fined; Al Jazeera also reports that Martínez met with Carrick before apologising.
Russian strikes ignited large fires at businesses in the Ukrainian cities of Odesa and Zaporizhzhia on Oct. 16, as President Volodymyr Zelensky met European leaders for talks, Euronews and Africanews report.
On Friday, Nicolas Maduro rejected newly unsealed torture allegations against him and his wife, Cilia Flores, calling them false accusations, Sky News reports. The ousted Venezuelan president and Flores pleaded not guilty Thursday to a new US indictment accusing them of conspiring to torture political opponents and US citizens, according to France 24; RTÉ also reports the pleas. Deutsche Welle says the charges accuse the pair of leading a state-sponsored repression campaign that tortured scores of victims during Maduro’s presidency from 2013 to 2026. The Globe and Mail notes they had previously pleaded not guilty to charges alleging they abused their power to help drug traffickers ship cocaine.
Africanews published a “Pix of the Day” roundup covering images from across the world on October 15, 2026.
At Russell Brand’s trial in London, a woman accusing him of rape said he forced himself on her after they met at a cabaret show during the 1999 UK Labour Party conference. The court heard that Brand’s manner changed in her hotel room and that he demanded she take photos of him before pushing her onto a bed and raping her. This follows earlier testimony that she said he made her take half-naked photos; Brand denies attacking her.
At least 10 students have died from Ebola in Ituri Province, in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, authorities said Thursday, according to Africanews.
The Hindu reports that a teenager lost a hand after picking up a grenade amid demonstrations that began in late September over classroom conditions. The Guardian says French lawyers and rights groups allege police weapons caused war-like injuries to several teenagers, and that an unprecedented number of children have been held in custody, some reporting beatings or racial insults. ABC News reports that policing of protests for better-resourced schools has sparked uproar and clashes with one of Europe's largest internal security forces; The Hindu also reported that hundreds of schools were set to close on October 5 as students complained of teacher absences, long days and dilapidated facilities. This follows earlier reports from RTÉ of school closures and from CBC of clashes with riot police, as well as The Hindu's report that President Emmanuel Macron called for respect.
The Hindu reports that Lula trailed challenger Flávio Bolsonaro by about 1.8 percentage points, or 2.2 million votes, in Brazil's first-round presidential election, falling short of a first-round win. Earlier polling reports differed: Al Jazeera said Bolsonaro held a two-point lead ahead of the October 25 runoff, while The Hindu said Lula led in first-round polls and a runoff was likely. The Hindu said the top two candidates advance to an October 25 runoff if no one receives more than 50% of valid votes in the October 4 vote.
Two articles ask whether the US is limiting Starlink in Ukraine. The Conversation says the satellite technology is vital on the battlefield and for defending Ukrainian cities, and warns that consequences could be catastrophic; the Hindustan Times describes the risks as potentially catastrophic.
Algeria is seeking to reassert its presence on the international stage, with a sharp break with the UAE underscoring its ambitions, Foreign Policy reports. The country is also seeking to reclaim its status as a security mediator in the Sahel, according to Foreign Policy.
Foreign Policy reports that Elon Musk and Starlink face geopolitical pressures in Ukraine and India. This follows earlier coverage describing Starlink as a backbone of Ukraine's military communications and examining Musk's geopolitical influence.
The Hindu reports that Yemen’s Houthis said they attacked an Aramco facility in Riyadh with missiles and drones. The outlet earlier reported that the Saudi coalition said it intercepted a missile in the Medina region, amid sustained Houthi attacks that included a deadly strike on Riyadh’s international airport. The Conversation described the airport bombing as part of a tit-for-tat campaign the Houthis had ramped up for weeks. This follows earlier reports of deadly Houthi airport strikes in Saudi Arabia and subsequent flight suspensions.
A violent escalation is deepening public anger in India as protests over voter lists grow, Foreign Policy reports. This follows earlier reports that the Modi government removed more than 100 million people from voter rolls and was cracking down on a protest movement.
Protests over voter rolls in India have swelled, and the Cockroach movement is proving durable, posing a growing challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, Foreign Policy reports. In an earlier article, Foreign Policy said Modi defended India as a “mother of democracy” amid widespread protests.
Ukraine has resumed strikes on Russian oil refineries, and Foreign Policy characterizes President Volodymyr Zelensky's move as a direct defiance of President Donald Trump. This follows reports that Trump urged Ukraine to replace Zelensky after announcing a diesel deal with Russia, which Zelensky criticized.
Japan’s MMX mission aims to collect soil from Mars’ moon Phobos and investigate the origins of Phobos and Deimos. NASA says it is playing an important role in the mission, which also aims to deliver a sample. The Conversation says the mission could help resolve how the two moons formed.