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Children in a rural sub-Saharan African village, representing those living in multidimensional poverty
Top story1 day ago

UN poverty index rises for first time since 2010, with 51.5 million more in acute poverty

The 2026 report counts 1.2 billion people living in multidimensional poverty, reversing a long-running decline. More than half of those in acute poverty are children.

1 min readWorld
Key takeaways
  • 1.2 billion people are living in multidimensional poverty, according to the 2026 report.
  • The report counted 51.5 million more people in acute poverty than in the previous year.
  • More than half of people in acute poverty are children.
Business10 hours ago

Visa wins China's approval to set up a domestic card clearing business

The People's Bank of China cleared Visa to begin preparatory work on October 13. It still needs further authorisation before it can process domestic transactions — and rivals American Express and Mastercard are already further along.

Key takeaways
  • Visa received preparatory approval from the People’s Bank of China on October 13.
  • China opened its bankcard clearing market to foreign firms in 2015.
  • American Express won final approval in 2020 and Mastercard received approval in November 2023.
1 min read
Health4 hours ago

Ozempic and similar drugs linked to hair loss and nail problems, study finds

GLP-1 users were more than four times as likely to report nail detachment as non-users. The findings, presented at a dermatology congress, have not yet been peer reviewed.

Key takeaways
  • 39% of GLP-1 users reported nail detachment, compared with 9% of people who had never taken the drugs.
  • Half of GLP-1 users reported unusual hair loss, compared with 34% of nonusers.
  • The findings were presented at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology Congress 2026.
2 min read
Law & Crime17 hours ago

FIFA president Infantino received $1.72m payment that did not appear in annual report

A US tax filing shows Gianni Infantino was paid $1.72 million by FWC2026, the FIFA-owned company running the 2026 World Cup, on top of his declared salary. FIFA's own rules require the president's individual compensation to be made public, and a former governance chief says the omission is a clear breach.

Key takeaways
  • FWC2026 paid Gianni Infantino $1.72 million in additional compensation in 2024.
  • FIFA’s annual report listed 4,274,000 Swiss francs for Infantino but omitted the FWC2026 payment.
  • The FIFA council is scheduled to meet in Zurich, Switzerland, on October 15.
2 min read

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Tech9 hours ago

AI brought a $1.5 million children's fantasy film to life after studios balked at $80 million

Director Tom Walsh spent over a decade trying to get Merry the Christmas Witch made. Generative AI tools let him shoot the two-hour adaptation in 10 months with a crew of about 50 — though the finished film still has no distributor.

Key takeaways
  • Walsh estimated a traditional version would cost $80 million and says the AI-assisted film cost $1.5 million.
  • About 50 people worked on the film during a 10-month production.
  • The finished two-hour film still lacks a distributor and premiere date.
1 min read
Science10 hours ago

Higher cellular recycling in older adults is tied to poorer physical health, study finds

Scientists directly measured autophagy in human blood, skin and nerve cells — and found more activity, not less, was linked to worse fitness in people aged 70 and over. The finding challenges a long-held assumption that declining cellular recycling is a hallmark of ageing.

Key takeaways
  • The Sanford Burnham Prebys findings were reported in Aging Cell on 27 September 2026.
  • Participants aged 70 and older with greater autophagy activity had poorer physical-function measures across three cell types.
  • CA77.1 restored macrophage function in mice and reduced senescent cell accumulation and fibrosis in several organs.
2 min read
Science11 hours ago

Webb finds the most distant galaxy cluster ever seen bending light, and its dark matter is denser than it should be

Curved arcs of light around XLSSC 122, some 10.4 billion light-years away, confirm strong gravitational lensing for the first time. The cluster's dense core is hard to square with models predicting slower growth at that stage of cosmic history.

Key takeaways
  • XLSSC 122 is approximately 10.4 billion light-years from Earth.
  • JWST observed curved light arcs that provided definitive evidence of strong gravitational lensing in the cluster.
  • The research was presented on June 17, 2026, during the 248th meeting of the American Astronomical Society.
2 min read
Science13 hours ago

AI finds the 3D shape that tiles space without ever repeating

The shape, called Chair44, was proposed by ChatGPT-6 Astra and closes a question posed by mathematicians in 2012. Its sole human author, Ioannis Tsiokos, says he has no mathematical training.

Key takeaways
  • Chair44 has 44 legal contacts between neighbouring tiles.
  • Its Lean verification comprises 85 files and 29,815 lines on Lean 4.31.0.
  • The paper was posted to arXiv on 16 September 2026.
2 min read

Understand this

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Health9 hours ago

None of 32 UK bowel cancer patients saw their disease return after 33 months on pembrolizumab

The NEOPRISM-CRC trial gave immunotherapy before surgery instead of the usual post-operative chemotherapy. In 59% of participants, no detectable disease remained after treatment — and none of the 32 had a recurrence at the 33-month mark.

Key takeaways
  • None of the 32 NEOPRISM-CRC participants had a cancer recurrence after 33 months of follow-up.
  • Participants received pembrolizumab for up to nine weeks before surgery instead of three to six months of chemotherapy after surgery.
  • The FDA cleared atezolizumab with mFOLFOX6 for resected stage III dMMR tumors on 8 October 2026.
2 min read
Sports10 hours ago

Manchester City found guilty of 114 financial rule breaches and launches appeal

An independent commission ruled that City knowingly broke Premier League rules and inflated its accounts by more than £900m. Sanctions have yet to be decided, while rival clubs are seeking legal advice on possible compensation claims.

Key takeaways
  • Manchester City’s annual wage bill is £289.0M, compared with Arsenal’s £234.8M.
  • An independent commission found City guilty of all but one of 115 alleged financial-rule breaches.
  • Sanctions have yet to be decided, and City has announced an appeal.
1 min read
World12 hours ago

Cyprus meets every Schengen technical test but politics stands in the way

The European Commission confirmed Cyprus is ready to join Europe's border-free zone after the island implemented 120 recommendations on borders, visas and security. Austria and the Netherlands have reservations over the Green Line and the British base areas, and unanimous EU Council approval is needed — making late 2027 or 2028 the earliest realistic entry.

Key takeaways
  • Cyprus implemented 120 technical recommendations from EU evaluations dating back to 2021.
  • Formal Schengen discussions began on 15 September 2024, with Austria and the Netherlands abstaining.
  • Schengen accession requires unanimous EU Council approval and roughly six months of implementation after a vote.
2 min read
Culture12 hours ago

Frankfurt Book Fair opens with a fight over who — or what — wrote the book

A Prix Goncourt-listed novel allegedly written by AI has put authorship at the centre of publishing's biggest annual gathering. Over 120 publishers have signed an appeal calling for AI regulation, as a new survey finds 58 percent of readers say they couldn't tell a human-written book from a machine-generated one.

Key takeaways
  • Orelien’s Prix Goncourt nomination was withdrawn after he denied allegations that his novel was AI-generated.
  • The German Publishers and Booksellers Association and approximately 120 major publishers issued the Frankfurt Appeal on 6 October.
  • 58 percent of Bitkom survey respondents said they could not recognise whether a book was written by a human or AI.
2 min read

Politics

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Politics8 hours ago

EU weighs visas that would limit Russian tourists to specific countries

A working group meets in Brussels on 14 October to discuss visas restricting Russian nationals to named countries rather than the full Schengen area. Finland's prime minister plans to push for a complete tourist visa ban at an EU summit the following day.

Key takeaways
  • The EU working group is scheduled to discuss LTV visas on 14 October 2026.
  • Around 478,000 Schengen tourist visas were issued to Russian citizens in 2025.
  • The European Commission is expected to present formal proposals in January 2027.
2 min read

Business

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Business9 hours ago

Ireland proposes €141 billion in cuts to the EU's next long-term budget

The Irish presidency wants to trim the 2028–2034 financial framework to around €1.6 trillion, a reduction aimed at satisfying frugal member states. Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands say it still isn't tight enough.

Key takeaways
  • Ireland proposed €141 billion in cuts, reducing the planned framework to around €1.6 trillion in constant prices.
  • Agricultural and regional development allocations would decline by approximately three per cent under the proposal.
  • A European Council meeting is scheduled for 15–16 October.
1 min read
Business20 hours ago

Von der Leyen puts simpler business rules at heart of EU economic agenda

The European Commission president used her State of the Union address to call for the Single Market to be completed and red tape cut. A new EU Inc proposal would let founders register a company online in 48 hours for less than €100.

Key takeaways
  • Von der Leyen delivered her State of the European Union address on 16 September 2026 in Strasbourg.
  • The EU Inc proposal would allow a company to be set up within 48 hours, totally online and for less than €100.
  • The IMF estimates that the 28th regime could increase GDP by more than 3% over 10 years.
1 min read
Business21 hours ago

A civil servants' strike cuts flights at Charles de Gaulle and Marseille

France's civil aviation authority ordered 5% of flights cancelled at Charles de Gaulle and 25% at Marseille-Provence on Tuesday. The disruption follows a pay-freeze dispute; no link between the airport's operator and a sanctioned airline is established by the available facts.

Key takeaways
  • The DGAC ordered airlines to cancel 5% of flights at Paris Charles de Gaulle between 07:00 am and 8:00 pm on Tuesday.
  • Airlines were ordered to cancel 25% of flights at Marseille-Provence from 4:00 pm until midnight on Tuesday.
  • Most remaining aviation provisions in the French Code of Civil Aviation were moved into the Code of Transport under decree n°2023-1008 dated 31 October 2023.
2 min read
Business1 day ago

Brake pedals snap on all three Maextro V800s in emergency stop tests

The failures sent stopping distance from 38 to 140 metres and left drivers without conventional foot brakes. China's government has since published draft rules requiring 30,000km of road testing before any new model can go on sale.

Key takeaways
  • The brake-pedal brackets snapped on all three V800s tested from 100km/h.
  • Draft rules call for 30,000km (18,641 miles) of road testing before new models reach consumers.
  • Maextro said it would address the brake-pedal issue by the end of this month.
2 min read

Law & Crime

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Law & Crime11 hours ago

Lockerbie bombing suspect says he was hooded and abducted to stand trial in the US

Abu Agila Mohammad Mas'ud Kheir Al-Marimi claims armed men seized him in Libya and handed him to FBI agents with a cloth hood over his head. He argues the transfer was an unlawful rendition that strips US courts of jurisdiction to try him.

Key takeaways
  • Pan Am Flight 103 was destroyed over Lockerbie on 21 December 1988, killing 270 people.
  • Mas'ud was transferred to FBI custody from Misrata airport on 11 December 2022.
  • Jury selection in Mas'ud's trial is scheduled for 20 January 2027.
3 min read

Health

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Health13 hours ago

AI finds disease and mortality signals in a single night's sleep

Two research teams have built AI systems that read brain, heart and respiratory activity from one overnight sleep recording. Stanford's model predicted 130 conditions, scoring 0.85 for dementia; a Cleveland Clinic model found the highest-risk patients were more than twice as likely to die as those in the lowest-risk group.

Key takeaways
  • SleepFM was trained on over 585,000 hours of data from approximately 65,000 participants.
  • SleepFM achieved a concordance index of at least 0.75 across 130 clinical conditions.
  • Bilal’s highest-risk group had a risk of death more than double that of the lowest-risk group.
1 min read
Health15 hours ago

Nearly 1.7 million babies in the Western Pacific missed their first vaccine dose in 2025

Measles cases in the region rose by 743 percent between 2022 and 2024, with coverage still well below the 95 percent needed to prevent outbreaks. The WHO has proposed a regional immunisation plan through 2030.

Key takeaways
  • Nearly 1.7 million babies in the Western Pacific missed their first routine vaccine dose in 2025.
  • Measles cases in the Western Pacific rose by 743 percent from 2022 to 2024.
  • The WHO has proposed a regional immunisation plan through 2030.
1 min read
Health18 hours ago

More than half of body markers tested shift abruptly at menopause, major study finds

Researchers analysed 300 million laboratory results from over a million women and found 52 of 90 blood markers changed suddenly around the final menstrual period — not gradually, as long assumed. Some specialists have pushed back on the study's "cliff-like" framing, calling it unnecessarily alarming.

Key takeaways
  • The study analysed more than 300 million laboratory results from over one million women, collected between 1999 and 2024.
  • Fifty-two of 90 tracked blood and laboratory markers showed abrupt changes around menopause.
  • Only about 9 per cent of the women in the study were using menopausal hormone therapy.
2 min read
Health19 hours ago

Women with autoimmune diseases nearly 75% more likely to be told symptoms are psychosomatic

A Cambridge and University of East Anglia survey of more than 6,600 people found women were also nearly 50% more likely to receive a psychiatric misdiagnosis. The most common wait for a correct diagnosis was one to two years for women, against up to three months for men.

Key takeaways
  • 43% of women reported psychiatric attribution of symptoms before correct diagnosis, compared with 33% of men.
  • 34% of women reported a psychosomatic diagnosis, compared with 22% of men.
  • The most commonly reported diagnostic wait was one to two years for women and up to three months for men.
1 min read

World

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World14 hours ago

Iran rebuilds nuclear-linked and missile sites in secret as inspectors go dark

Satellite imagery from September 2026 shows construction under cover at Taleghan 2 in Tehran and rapid rebuilding at the Parchin military complex, both struck multiple times since 2024. The IAEA says it has carried out almost no in-field verification in Iran for more than six months and cannot account for some enriched uranium stockpiles.

Key takeaways
  • The IAEA estimated Iran possessed 440.9 kilograms of uranium enriched to as much as 60% purity before it lost access.
  • Satellite imagery from September 2026 showed work continuing at Taleghan 2 beneath a large tarp.
  • The rebuilt Taleghan 2 facility was struck again in early March 2026.
3 min read

Lifestyle

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Lifestyle14 hours ago

Oysters at $4.50 each: diesel costs and warming seas are putting seafood out of reach

US retail diesel has hit $6.529 a gallon, and fuel can eat up 40% of a fishing trip's cost. Combined with shrinking shellfish harvests driven by warmer, bacteria-prone waters, the squeeze is pushing prices far beyond what many people can afford.

Key takeaways
  • Oysters at Elliott's Oyster House rose from $1 apiece to $4.50.
  • US retail diesel climbed to $6.529 per gallon, its 11th straight weekly increase.
  • US diesel inventories stood at 107.9 million barrels as of 11 September.
2 min read
Lifestyle5 days ago

Gen Z collectors outspent every older generation on fine art last year, survey finds

Just 9% of respondents in the Art Basel and UBS survey, Gen Z buyers accounted for nearly half of all million-dollar art purchases in 2025 and early 2026. Much of the money is inherited — and so are the artworks.

Key takeaways
  • Gen Z accounted for nearly half of collectors buying artwork priced above $1 million in 2025 and the first half of 2026.
  • Average Gen Z fine-art spending rose 19% to $347,460 in 2025.
  • 13% of Gen Z collectors spent more than $1 million on fine art in the first half of 2026, compared with 3% of collectors overall.
2 min read

Tech

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Tech14 hours ago

Your car and its app are probably feeding your data to advertisers, study finds

Researchers tested 21 connected vehicles and 30 companion apps, and found that 28 of the apps shared data with advertising or analytics firms. Seven sent sensitive details — including GPS locations and vehicle identification numbers — directly to ad networks.

Key takeaways
  • Nineteen of 21 tested vehicles contacted at least one third-party domain over Wi-Fi.
  • Twenty-eight of 30 companion apps shared data with advertising or analytics firms.
  • Honda updated HondaLink to cease transmitting geolocation after the researchers disclosed their findings.
2 min read

Culture

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Culture15 hours ago

How a Los Angeles art dealer built his empire on looted Mesoamerican artefacts

A new book draws on the Stendahl Art Galleries archive to document how hundreds of smuggled objects moved from Mexico to LA collectors and museums. One sculpture sold to the Minneapolis Institute of Art for $10,000 was later found to be a forgery.

Key takeaways
  • Echániz received $250 for a fresco that Stendahl presented to Robert Woods Bliss for $10,000.
  • The Minneapolis Institute of Art paid $10,000 for a “King Chak Mool” in 1947.
  • Stendahl’s grandson donated the archive to the Getty in 2017.
2 min read
Culture18 hours ago

Israeli army weighs legal action against filmmakers behind Venice prize-winning Gaza documentary

'NAZA' features anonymous testimony from 24 Israeli soldiers alleging that forces knowingly killed large numbers of civilians. The army chief of staff ordered an investigation into possible leaks of classified material, while the culture minister raised the prospect of revoking the directors' citizenship.

Key takeaways
  • ‘NAZA’ won the Venice Film Festival’s Special Jury Prize on 12 September 2026.
  • The 80-minute film is based on interviews with 24 anonymous Israeli soldiers and officers.
  • Eyal Zamir ordered the military to examine possible legal action and possible leaks of classified material.
2 min read
Culture2 Oct 2026

Stray Kids join BTS in snubbing the 2027 Grammy Awards over Asian pop category

Both groups let the submission deadline pass without entering music. The Recording Academy's new Best Asian Pop award requires meaningful use of an Asian language, a rule that has already excluded BTS and Blackpink's latest English-language releases.

Key takeaways
  • Stray Kids allowed the Aug. 21 submission deadline for the 69th Grammy Awards to pass without entering music.
  • The Best Asian Pop category requires ‘meaningful use’ of an Asian language.
  • Grammy nominations will be revealed on 10 December.
2 min read
Culture28 Sept 2026

Pope Leo tells French bishops to root out the 'scourge' of sexual abuse

The Pope met seven survivors of abuse by French clergy during his visit to Lourdes, where 150,000 attended Mass. A 2021 inquiry found the Church had abused around 330,000 children in France over 70 years.

Key takeaways
  • A 2021 inquiry found that clergy or lay members of the Church had abused about 330,000 people as children in France over 70 years.
  • Around 150,000 people attended Pope Leo’s Mass at Lourdes.
  • France’s euthanasia and assisted suicide law came into effect last month.
2 min read

Sports

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Sports15 hours ago

Manchester City found guilty of 114 Premier League financial rule breaches

An independent commission ruled that the club inflated sponsorship income by £830 million through sham contracts between 2009 and 2018. Rival clubs are seeking legal advice over compensation for missed prize money and European places, while City deny wrongdoing and have appealed.

Key takeaways
  • Manchester City were found guilty of 114 out of 115 Premier League financial rule breaches on 25 September 2026.
  • The commission found that City inflated sponsorship income by £830 million and another £90 million in expenses.
  • Other Premier League clubs have sought legal advice about potential financial compensation.
2 min read

Science

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Science17 hours ago

Francis Halzen wins Nobel Prize in Physics for turning Antarctic ice into a neutrino telescope

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded Halzen the 2026 prize for his decisive role in building IceCube, a cubic kilometre of South Pole ice lined with light sensors that detects high-energy neutrinos from deep space. Halzen first proposed the idea in 1988, and it took until 2013 for the observatory to confirm its first astrophysical neutrinos.

Key takeaways
  • The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded Francis Halzen the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics on 6 October 2026.
  • IceCube was finished in 2011 and discovered high-energy astrophysical neutrinos in 2013.
  • IceCube is an international collaboration of 450 scientists from 58 institutions in 14 countries.
2 min read
Science3 days ago

Tropical Storm Rachel tears apart Long Beach boardwalk and leaves home at risk of collapse

Powerful waves ripped through the Long Beach Peninsula ahead of the storm's expected landfall early Sunday. San Diego is under only its second Tropical Storm Watch in history, with 2 to 3 inches of rain forecast across parts of the Southwest.

Key takeaways
  • Rachel is forecast to approach early Sunday as a weaker, post-tropical storm.
  • San Diego is under only the second Tropical Storm Watch in its history.
  • Threatened areas could receive 2 to 3 inches of rain.
2 min read
Science3 days ago

Europe's rivers hit their lowest flows in over 30 years in summer 2026

The Rhine, Danube, Po, Loire, Rhône and Seine all reached record lows at the same time, forcing nuclear plant shutdowns and halting cargo transport. Copernicus called it the worst summer for river flows since its records began in 1992.

Key takeaways
  • The flow of 12 of Europe’s largest rivers was at its lowest level in 30 years during summer 2026.
  • The Rhine, Danube, Po, Loire, Rhône and Seine reached simultaneous record-low flows in July and August.
  • The EU Copernicus Climate Change Service published its seasonal assessment on 2 October 2026.
2 min read
Science4 days ago

NASA calls for private space stations to replace the ISS by 2030

The agency has issued a 360-page request for proposals, its third change of approach this year. It plans to select at least two contractors, with a final decision intended for April.

Key takeaways
  • NASA released a 360-page request for proposals for private space stations on Friday.
  • Industry responses are due on December 8, and NASA intends to make a final decision in April.
  • NASA plans to retire the ISS at the end of 2030 using a SpaceX deorbit vehicle.
2 min read

Markets

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Markets18 hours ago

El Niño has pushed cocoa prices up 250% and sugar to an over-decade high

Ghana's main cocoa processor ran at 20% of capacity as beans became too costly to buy. Now rice supplies are tightening too, with world food prices near a four-year high.

Key takeaways
  • Cocoa reached a record $12,646 a tonne in December 2024.
  • The USDA cut its estimate for India’s milled rice crop to 147 million tonnes from 154.
  • CBOT rough rice is up 35% in 2026.
2 min read