SocietySpain
Spain's transport minister Óscar Puente resigns after two rail crashes
He quit on 3 November, six days after the Urda collision, and will not lead the Socialist list in Valladolid at the 29 November general election.
Newsline Post: World news and current affairs today
SocietyUnited States
US midterms: Democrats projected to win Congress, a few races open
What was on the ballot on 3 November, what US networks and forecasters have called so far, and what remains undecided.
Society
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SocietySpain
Spain limits ready meals and fried food in hospitals and care homes
A new royal decree caps precooked dishes at three portions a month in care homes and hospitals, and at one a month for children.
Analysis and opinion
SocietyAnalysisGreece
Greece bans social media for under-15s from January 2027
Parliament passed the law in a sitting on 22 and 23 October with only the governing party's votes. Brussels is letting it proceed, and age verification, one of the points that stopped a similar French law, is its real test.
Highlights
ClimateFinland
Finland halts Google's forest clearing for a data centre
A regulator ordered work stopped at Muhos and Kajaani while environmental assessments run. The Guardian put the felling at roughly 250,000 trees; Oulu police have opened a preliminary investigation.
Science & tech
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Science & techNorth Korea, World
Binance hack rivals all crypto thefts credited to North Korea so far
If the attribution holds, the $6.3 billion attack equals more than 90% of what Chainalysis had tallied in North Korean thefts. Pyongyang denies such claims in general, and the US links the money to its weapons.
Culture
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CultureUnited Kingdom, United States
Patrick Stewart's Shakespeare: what he leaves beyond Picard
He died on 28 October aged 86. Before the Enterprise came 16 years at the Royal Shakespeare Company and, afterwards, three Olivier Awards and a steady return to the stage.
SocietyGermany
Fire largely destroys the Kehlsteinhaus, Hitler's Eagle's Nest
The blaze on 23 October gutted the Nazi-era building in the Bavarian Alps. A suspect is in provisional psychiatric care, with no formal charge known and presumed innocent, and Bavaria wants to rebuild.
CultureUnited Kingdom
Raye wins the 2026 Mercury Prize with 'This Music May Contain Hope'
The British singer beat the eleven other shortlisted albums, including Paul McCartney, Florence + The Machine and Olivia Dean, in Newcastle on 22 October.