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World
A federal judge temporarily barred construction of President Trump's 250-foot triumphal arch in Washington for 14 days, soon after a planning commission approved the plans.
Judge Tanya Chutkan found the challengers likely to succeed in arguing that required legal steps were skipped. Vietnam veterans, Virginia and Washington DC sued, saying Congress never authorised the arch. The commission, which includes many Trump allies, had voted 8-4 to approve it.
Pope Leo XIV left Rome for a 12-day trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, about three weeks after surgery for lung cancer.
The Vatican says he has recovered and no special precautions are needed. The tour ends in Peru, where he spent many years as a priest and holds citizenship. He is also due to meet survivors of clerical sexual abuse in all three countries.
A bus carrying pupils left the road and hit a tree near Lent in eastern France, killing two young people and injuring many others.
The crash happened around 7am on a route between Lyon and Bourg-en-Bresse with 43 passengers, 15 of them minors. Three people are in critical condition. Prosecutors opened an investigation, and the driver, who is in hospital, has not yet been questioned.
Democratic socialist Nithya Raman defeated incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in the Los Angeles mayoral race.
Raman, a city councillor born in India, will be the first South Asian to lead the city. She campaigned on homelessness, affordable housing and protecting immigrants. Her win came amid strong Democratic results in the midterm elections.
A Kenyan court gave cult leader Paul Mackenzie a 200-year prison term for ordering followers to starve, which led to 191 deaths, almost all children.
Mackenzie's sect lived in Shakahola forest, where more than 400 bodies were later found. Twenty-eight accomplices also received sentences. He still faces other charges, and the case raised questions about weak oversight of religious groups and slow action by officials.
A Macau court jailed former pro-democracy lawmaker Au Kam San for 12 years and six months in the territory's first national security case.
The 69-year-old was convicted of subversion after a closed trial. Prosecutors said he helped hostile groups abroad. His wife called the case persecution, and a rights group criticised the sentence. It followed a long jail term for Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong the day before.
Veteran Left Party figure Gregor Gysi said he hopes Berlin lawmaker Vanessa Emde will be expelled over her stance on Israel, which he called antisemitic.
Gysi said the party needs red lines on Israel's right to exist. Expelling Emde from the parliamentary group would need a two-thirds vote, which is not certain. The dispute adds pressure on Berlin's Left as it eyes government.
Jannik Sinner will end his work with coach Darren Cahill after 2026, and Magnus Norman will join his team alongside Simone Vagnozzi.
Cahill joined Sinner in 2022 and helped him win five Grand Slam titles and reach world number one. Sinner thanked him and said their friendship will continue. Norman, a Swede and former world number two, is expected to start next month.
Also: A democratic socialist winning the Los Angeles mayoral race; a Kenyan cult leader jailed for starvation deaths; a Macau security-law prison sentence; a call to expel a Berlin Left Party lawmaker; Sinner's coaching change in tennis.
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Economy
Tesla plans to wind down Cybertruck production in Texas around mid-2027 to free space for its Cybercab robotaxi, Elon Musk said.
The angular electric pickup never reached the sales Musk predicted, and Tesla does not report its sales separately. Musk did not say if production will move elsewhere. The change fits Tesla's shift toward robotaxis and robots, and comes in a week of sharp share price falls.
Investors are questioning Anthropic's expected valuation after a sharp sell-off in AI shares, and the company's planned share offering may be delayed.
Reports say investors want better terms and see a valuation of 1.5 trillion dollars as ambitious. The company's losses and heavy infrastructure commitments add to concerns. A delay would deepen worries about the AI sector.
ING is reportedly offering a package of twelve data centre loans, about $500 million in total, to investors as worries over AI-related borrowing increase.
The package reportedly includes a small slice tied to the Stargate site in New Mexico, with bids due on 19 November. The sale comes after a sharp fall in tech shares and fears that US election results could lead to limits on data centre building.
Tesla and SpaceX lost about $456 billion in combined market value in two days as investors feared tougher scrutiny of Elon Musk after the US midterm elections.
Democrats won both houses of Congress, and investors worry about investigations, stricter regulation and limits on data center building. Musk's wealth fell by about $113 billion in two days. Some analysts say the reaction was exaggerated.
Czechoslovak Group can now bid for contracts to modernise seven US ammunition plants under a five-year army program worth up to $4.2 billion.
The group's US unit was added to the framework, but this does not guarantee any specific contracts, as each project will be awarded separately. It builds on an earlier contract of up to $635 million for a new plant in Iowa.
President Karol Nawrocki appointed four new members to the board of Poland's central bank, including two deputy governors.
The appointees are Marta Kightley, Przemysław Litwiniuk, Ludwik Kotecki and Marcin Zarzecki. Three of them come from the monetary policy council, so its membership will need to be filled. The prime minister had countersigned the requests earlier in the week.
Asian markets fell sharply on Friday as a tech sell-off spread from the US, with Japan's Nikkei below 60,000 points and South Korea's Kospi under 5,000.
The reports link the fall to a drop in US technology shares overnight and describe a deepening rout in AI-related stocks.
The Cologne film festival ended with awards for several filmmakers, and producer Alice Brauner said that political trends mean she no longer wants to live in Germany.
Brauner presented her film about medical experiments on women in Auschwitz. A regional minister promised the festival will continue next year, with funding from the state, the city and a media foundation. Russian director Andrei Zvyagintsev also received an award.
Also: A Czech arms group in a US ammunition program; new board members at Poland's central bank; Asian markets fell sharply on Friday as a tech sell-off spread from the US; a film festival in Cologne and a producer's remarks on Germany.
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Politics
A planning commission approved a 250-foot triumphal arch in Washington, and a federal judge then paused construction for 14 days while the court considers its legality.
The commission voted 8-4 for the arch near Arlington National Cemetery after many public objections. Judge Tanya Chutkan issued a temporary block soon afterwards. Opponents say it would spoil the view of the cemetery, while Trump has described plans for military uses.
Trump said he met Kirill Dmitriev, an envoy of Vladimir Putin, and promised a large deal on Ukraine that might involve all of Europe.
The meeting took place around a White House event hosted by Melania Trump about a temporary ceasefire in Oleshky. Trump gave no details of what was discussed, saying only that the agreement would reach beyond Ukraine.
Belgium's king declined the prime minister's resignation and told him to restart talks on the national budget.
Bart De Wever had offered to resign after weeks of budget talks reached a deadlock. The king's decision keeps the coalition together for now while the state of public finances remains a concern.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has widened the National Guard presence in Washington, allowing use of patrol cars, tactical vehicles and boats.
A Pentagon official confirmed the change, authorised in an Oct. 29 memo. It lets troops use up to 60 marked police cars, military tactical vehicles and boats in the capital, where the Guard presence is already controversial.
Reports said Secretary of State Marco Rubio was considering leaving the administration after the midterms, but he and his department denied it.
The reports cited unnamed people and appeared after a poor election result for Republicans. Rubio told an interview he did not know the source, and the State Department rejected the claim as false.
A German column gathers short items on celebrities, including Ethan Hawke, Matt Damon, Bryan Adams and the rapper Haftbefehl.
It covers light remarks on family life, a health scare in one marriage, and a rapper's return to social media after treatment. The items are personal and not tied to politics.
Spain's People's Party has set out its campaign plan for the general election on 29 November, led by Alberto Núñez Feijóo.
The campaign starts in Badalona, with big rallies in Santiago de Compostela and Valencia and televised debates planned. The party says it will frame the vote as a choice between Sánchez and Feijóo and will present its programme before the campaign begins.
The head of London's Met Police urged a major overhaul, replacing 43 forces with a few regional ones and a national service.
He says the current structure cannot handle modern crime and that funding has declined. Some local police commissioners oppose the merger, and the government says the present model is outdated.
Also: Reports that the US secretary of state may quit; a German column of celebrity gossip and interviews; the Spanish People's Party election campaign; a UK police chief's plan to merge forces.
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Sport
Jacksonville beat a Baltimore side missing its top two quarterbacks 33-10, moving to 6-2 while the Ravens lost a fourth game in a row.
Trevor Lawrence threw for 242 yards and Parker Washington caught a 50-yard score. Third-string rookie Joe Fagnano struggled, and Baltimore's season looks shaky until a quarterback trade arrives.
England's manager picked his squad for Nations League games against Croatia and Spain, leaving out Cole Palmer and calling up Jobe Bellingham and Josh King.
Tuchel said players who attended the last camp earned his trust, and called the Palmer decision not personal. Ben White and Djed Spence return, while several players are out injured, including Bukayo Saka.
An amateur cricketer who faked an edge by clicking his fingers has received a two-year ban, and his club's second team has been demoted.
Brian Devine, filmed in a July league match, is barred from all cricket until 2028. Saltburn were fined £300 and start next season in a lower division with a 60-point penalty. Both sides accepted the charges.
Rory McIlroy took a two-shot penalty for improving his lie in round one, then recovered with an 11-birdie 63 in Abu Dhabi.
He pressed his club on the grass behind his ball, and chose to accept the penalty. His second round lifted him to 11 under as he chases a record-equalling eighth Race to Dubai title.
Jannik Sinner is ending his five-year work with coach Darren Cahill, and Magnus Norman will join his team for next season.
Under Cahill, Sinner won five Grand Slams and spent 95 weeks as world number one. Sinner has been injured since July and Alexander Zverev will finish the year top of the rankings.
Celtic came from behind to beat Besiktas 3-2 at home, with two late goals from substitute Camilo Duran, for their first win of this Europa League campaign.
Besiktas led after a penalty rebound, but Callum Osmand equalised with his first touch and Duran scored twice. Celtic stay in the bottom half of the table but remain in contention for the knockout stages.
Also: A golf penalty and comeback in Abu Dhabi; a tennis star changing his coach.
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Tech
Tesla plans to wind down Cybertruck production in Texas around mid-2027 to free factory space for more Cybercab robotaxis.
Elon Musk announced the move on X. The truck has sold far below his early forecast of 250,000 a year, with analyst estimates near 70,000 in total. Tesla is shifting toward robotaxis and robotics.
Salon, one of the first online-only magazines, announced it is ceasing publication after 31 years, saying its publishing model is no longer sustainable.
The unsigned announcement cited the changed economics of independent digital journalism. Salon's archive is expected to stay online for now. Salon has been owned by Find.co since 2023.
Airbnb says it will release its own AI travel assistant to consumers between January and June 2027, after reporting a strong third quarter.
The company says the assistant will build screens around each request, using maps, photos and itineraries, and will also handle trip problems such as refunds. Airbnb reported revenue up 19% to $4.87 billion and lifted its full-year growth outlook.
A reviewer who tested many Android foldables this year finds Apple's first foldable strong on hardware but held back by software that suits large screens poorly.
The Duo feels well built, has a smooth hinge and a matte inner display that hides the crease, but it is heavy and costs $2,000. Many apps are not tuned for its shape, so Android devices still feel smoother for now.
Meta has added real-time voice and animated avatars to its Muse AI agent for users in the US.
Muse Voice lets people talk or video chat with the agent, which shows an avatar that reacts to the conversation. It works on mobile, web and Mac, and is due on Meta's AI glasses and a Muse Charm device later.
After a year of testing and printing 40,000 whistles, a reviewer picks the Bambu Lab P2S Combo as the 3D printer he would buy.
He says it is reliable, easy to maintain and has sealed automatic filament loading. Cheaper Elegoo printers printed well but had harder-to-diagnose faults. It costs $649 on sale, $749 normally.
A small startup team is crowdfunding the Enough Phone, a compact Android phone with a 5.3-inch screen and replaceable battery.
The Kickstarter was over halfway to its $250,000 goal after a day. The phone will cost $599 after early offers and is planned to ship in May 2027, though the chip and RAM shortage could cause delays.
About 100 protesters entered a Microsoft data center construction site in Amsterdam, as opposition to such projects grows across Europe.
Activists climbed a crane and displayed banners against AI and against Microsoft's links to Israel. The project predates Amsterdam's ban on new data centers, and Microsoft will be its only tenant. Similar protests took place in Dublin the same week.
Also: A reviewer compares Apple's first foldable phone with Android rivals; Meta's AI agent gets voice; a long-term 3D printer recommendation; a small Android phone on Kickstarter; a protest at a Microsoft data center site in the Netherlands.
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Science
NASA's Swift Observatory re-entered Earth's atmosphere over Indonesia on November 4 after nearly 22 years studying cosmic explosions.
Swift was built for a two-year mission but kept working for more than two decades, studying gamma-ray bursts, black holes and supernovae. A high solar maximum sped up its orbital decay, and an attempt to lift its orbit did not succeed.
A large US trial found that artery calcium scans and standard risk scores led to the same rate of heart events, though scans led to far fewer statin recommendations.
In 5,772 adults followed for about four years, 2.7% in each group had a major cardiovascular event. The scan approach did not meet the test for being no worse than standard methods. Patients advised by scan results were much more likely to keep taking statins, at 62% against 23%.
A five-year Oxford project finds that towns emptied of investment and state care in Eastern Europe and Russia tend to see political radicalization and emigration.
Researchers working in Latvia, Armenia, Ukraine and the Russian Far East describe emptiness as a political choice rather than a market inevitability. They say local policy cannot reverse the decline, and the findings may apply to left-behind places across Europe.
Researchers report chemical proof of blood molecules inside red blood cells preserved in a 115-million-year-old dinosaur bone from Brazil.
The team, led by an Australian university, studied a theropod fossil and found heme molecules and collagen amino acids. A mineral called hausmannite and a low-oxygen burial may explain the survival. The result suggests fossils may hold more molecular data than expected and could inform the search for life elsewhere.
Scientists used DNA barcoding to identify a longhorn beetle whose large larvae feed on blueberry roots in North Carolina.
The species is Prionus imbricornus, and North Carolina is the first state to record it on blueberries. Damage had been reported since 2010, but the larvae were hard to tell apart. No insecticide is currently labeled for this pest, so researchers are now testing treatments and timing.
A University of Vermont game experiment found that flood warnings with inundation maps led to faster and more accurate decisions than text or common infographics.
Among 746 participants, map users decided in about 6.7 seconds and chose correctly 77.8% of the time. Infographic users took about 8.6 seconds and were right 57.7% of the time, suggesting speed should be tested alongside comprehension.
The EU climate monitor says 2026 will most likely be the second-hottest year on record, driven by a very strong El Niño on top of human-caused warming.
October was the warmest on record, 1.75C above preindustrial levels, and 2026 is virtually certain to exceed 1.5C. The report comes just before the COP31 climate summit in Turkey, and El Niño could make 2027 even hotter.
Powerhouse Parramatta, a new museum in western Sydney, opens this weekend after years of controversy over its cost and governance.
The $915m building has a large steel exoskeleton and five opening exhibitions, including one on flight and space travel. Its chief executive was stood down in August during a state Treasury investigation, so the opening faces a question of whether it was worth it.
Also: Preserved blood traces in a Brazilian dinosaur fossil; a root-eating beetle pest on blueberry farms in North Carolina; how flood warning formats affect decisions; 2026 heading for second-hottest year; a new museum opening in western Sydney.
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