Iran's IRGC navy claims an oil tanker hit a mine in the Strait of Hormuz, causing a fire and explosion. The incident highlights the dangers of not adhering to navigation regulations.
A man has been charged with seven offences following an investigation into reports of an alleged theft and firearms incident in Dulwich Hill, Sydney. The incident prompted a lockdown in the area.
Kylian Mbappe's double leads Real Madrid to a 4-1 victory over Sevilla, extending their LaLiga lead to six points, just one behind Atletico Madrid, as they prepare for the crucial El Clasico clash.
French President Emmanuel Macron condemned violence following protests that led to looting and mass arrests, sparking calls for protesters to pay for their crimes and authorities to crack down on violence. The unrest, fueled by rising living costs and poor school conditions, has prompted mass arrests across the country.
Danish duo Oliver Provstgaard and Gustav Isaksen secured a 3-0 victory over Juventus in Turin, lifting Lazio to a respectable 19 points from seven matches and leveling the Serie A standings with Inter Milan. The win marks Lazio's first win of the season and maintains their unbeaten start to the domestic campaign.
A new wave of synthetic drugs is sweeping across the United States, raising concerns about a worsening drug crisis. However, drug overdose deaths have fallen from a peak of around 110,000 in 2022, down to roughly 70,000 last year. The BBC's Quentin Sommerville reports from the frontlines in South Side, Chicago, where communities are battling the crisis.
In this series, business correspondent Timothy Goh offers practical answers to candid questions on navigating workplace challenges and getting ahead in your career. To ensure their contributions are recognised, employees should document their ideas, work, and results through e-mail, project updates, and meeting summaries. Employees could also have a private conversation with their manager, framing it around their career aspirations rather than making accusations.
Scientists have been working on mirror-image biological molecules for decades, creating many useful products and drugs. However, a group of prominent scientists, including experts in synthetic biology and immunology, have published a Policy Forum article in the journal Science warning about the risks of creating "mirror life" – mirror-image organisms capable of reproduction and expansion. The article calls for global rules, screening of synthetic DNA and RNA orders, and limits on work aimed at mirror life. The sci…
Singapore will intensify surveillance of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF), Lassa fever, and Marburg virus disease (MVD) starting October 31, requiring medical practitioners and clinical laboratories to report all cases to the authorities. This follows a WHO fatality rate of up to 50% and MOH amendments to the Infectious Diseases Act. The move aims to ensure timely public health responses and preparedness.
Benchmark’s five partners, Peter Fenton, Ev Randall, Jack Altman, and two unnamed individuals, are discussing their evolving firm and strategies to navigate the fast-paced tech industry. Despite the influx of capital and rising market, they maintain a steady pace, investing two or three new bets per year per partner. The firm has expanded its core fund to $500 million and launched a growth fund. They emphasize close collaboration and a shared passion for founders and their ventures, leading to effective decision-m…
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stories reviewed — about 34 min of reading, summarized for quick catch-up.
A Singapore Airlines flight from Manila encountered turbulence on November 14, 2025, resulting in one cabin crew member fracturing an ankle and four others suffering minor injuries. The incident occurred when the plane, an Airbus A350-900 jet, was cruising at 40,000 feet, about two hours into a flight estimated to take about two hours and 55 minutes. The pilots were alerted by their weather radars to storm clouds about 80 nautical miles ahead, but they decided to continue with their planned route because they were…
### Briefing Hybrid Reasoning Agents (HybridAgents) are designed to bridge the gap between modern language models (LLMs) that rely on text for reasoning and interaction, and latent reasoning methods that offer efficiency but lack native tool access and transparency. By dynamically navigating between text-based and latent modes, HybridAgents preserve agentic capabilities while making latent thoughts directly inspectable. This architecture is further enhanced with dedicated post-training algorithms for hybrid reaso…
Qatar and the UAE discussed strengthening their bilateral cooperation and regional developments in a recent phone call. The call was held on October 18, 2026, and was attended by Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar. The two countries reviewed their existing ties and discussed ways to further enhance them, including the latest regional developments, such as the ongoing conflicts and political changes in the Middle East.
Latino voters, pivotal in Trump's 2016 victory, are now disillusioned, potentially shifting the midterm landscape. Chris Martinez's nuanced approach in Arizona contrasts with JoAnna Mendoza's focus on community understanding, highlighting the complex dynamics of Latino support.
Netflix's VMAF software package, including libvmaf v3.0.0, features optimizations, bug fixes, and a full removal of deprecated APIs. It includes implementations of several metrics like PSNR, PSNR-HVS, SSIM, MS-SSIM, and CIEDE2000, offering a comprehensive way to assess video quality. Netflix is open to user feedback and will continue to improve and update the models over time.
As Singapore’s sake drinkers expand beyond familiar brands, they are embracing lesser-known producers, richer flavor profiles, and unique sake pairings. The city-state’s premium sake market has grown significantly, with export volumes increasing and average export values rising by over 85%. This trend is fueled by rising interest in Japanese food and culture, frequent visits to Japan, and a growing curiosity about distinctive qualities of each bottle. The shift is particularly evident in the rise of umami-rich and…
Anthropic is launching a public benefit fund, committing 5% of its shares, with the option to contribute an additional 2% for every 50% increase in value. The fund will support societal good projects, with potential for larger donations to nonprofits and direct aid to specific populations. Anthropic is also investing $200 million in AI impact studies. The entity will be structured as a wholly-owned entity within the company and will pursue bolder approaches given AI progress. Anthropic will share more details in t…
A fire engulfed Albania’s Supreme Court as protests against government corruption, education, and unemployment entered their fifth day. The court, the highest judicial authority, was set ablaze on Thursday, October 18, 2026. The protests, which have been met with a heavy-handed response from the authorities, continue to escalate, with the cause of the fire under investigation and tensions between the government and opposition high.
A conservation project in California has successfully restored 150 acres of farmland near the Sacramento River, bringing back rare birds that had not been seen in the area for about 30 years, including Swainson’s hawks and indigo buntings. The project, led by River Partners, involved planting native trees and plants and restoring the land to its natural state. The first confirmed nesting of Swainson’s hawks in Shasta County in nearly three decades was found in a tall sycamore tree, while other rare birds, such as…
A shared road in Colorado has become the center of a legal dispute over solar development and property rights. A judge has blocked a solar developer and other defendants from using a route that has been designated for access to James Sterling's property. According to the court's findings, the Summy property has no rights under the easement, and the Summy project cannot benefit from the route.
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stories reviewed — about 39 min of reading, summarized for quick catch-up.
French President Emmanuel Macron has condemned widespread protests across the country for their violent nature, promising to increase security measures but not announcing a state of emergency or curfew. Nearly 2,400 people were arrested on Saturday, and about 1,000 police and gendarmes were injured. Macron pledged to launch a "crisis unit" to provide urgent aid to those affected by the violence and to learn from the events to prevent future occurrences.
The protests are also fueled by the rise of far-right parties, which are exploiting fears of immigration and identity crisis. The violence seen in some protests is a product of the tensions and frustrations that have built up over time.
Noni Madueke's performance against Nottingham Forest showcased his potential beyond being a "finisher", earning Arsenal a vital three points and earning praise from manager Mikel Arteta for his ability to grab the start and overall performance, particularly in the Champions League win against Lille. The Arsenal fans have not always been supportive of Madueke, but his contributions have won them over, including the recent Champions League victory and the Champions League final. Arteta highlighted Madueke's characte…
### Briefing Industry experts predict that only 7-10 out of the hundreds of nascent cloud computing companies (neoclouds) will survive the competition. This is due to the increasing dominance of established players like Nvidia, which is offering easier credit terms, site finding assistance, and $20 billion in leases to help these startups succeed. This trend is expected to continue as the market matures, making it challenging for new entrants to compete.