Afternoon Premium Edition · Sun, Oct 25 · 4:04 p.m.

The Essential 10 · about 3 minutes

1. President Donald Trump weighs a deal with Iran against further military action

   U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday he was weighing a deal with Iran against further military action as negotiations remained stalled. He told Fox News: “Do I make a deal with them or do I finish them off?” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called eliminating Iran’s regime the primary objective and said he had discussed it with Trump.

   Reporting: L’Orient Today, Iran International, qcintel.com

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2. Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the Justice Department lawsuit over Alaska’s Senate race

   Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the Justice Department’s Alaska lawsuit in a CNN interview with anchor Dana Bash, saying Alaska should not certify the Senate race if a court finds voter confusion over a second candidate named Dan Sullivan determined the outcome. Asked what crime, Blanche said, “There could be a crime.” Some Democrats argue the suit is interference.

   Reporting: National Public Radio, CNN, Politico, USA Today, CBS News, southcarolinapublicradio.org

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3. María Corina Machado returned to Venezuela from exile

   After returning to Venezuela, opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado faces an unsettled political transition: Acting President Delcy Rodríguez remains in office beyond her constitutionally authorized period, and no election has been scheduled. Machado wants a presidential vote by July 2027, USA Today reported; spokesman David Smolansky called her return a major step toward democratic transition.

   Reporting: Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, USA Today, CNN, National Public Radio, BBC News, CBS News, PBS News

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4. Brazilians voted Sunday in a presidential runoff between Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro

   Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, son of convicted former President Jair Bolsonaro, is challenging incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Sunday's runoff. Reuters reported Flávio won 47% of first-round ballots to Lula’s 45%; Deutsche Welle said mobilizing 33 million first-round nonvoters could prove decisive. Flávio pledged to free his father if elected.

   Reporting: WTOP News, ABC News, CNBC, PBS News (with Associated Press), Deutsche Welle, Reuters, yourvalley.net, union-bulletin.com

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5. Serhii Beskrestnov disputes Musk's Starlink-terms claim

   Serhii Beskrestnov, a defense technology adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, disputed SpaceX CEO Elon Musk’s claim that Ukraine’s military violated Starlink’s terms by using the civilian network for offensive drone strikes. Beskrestnov wrote Sunday that restrictions made it “physically impossible” to use commercial Starlink for deep- or medium-range strikes. Ukrainian officials said high-speed service for Starlink and Starshield was restored Saturday.

   Reporting: Bozeman Daily Chronicle (with Associated Press), CNBC, The Times of India, Kyiv Post, PBS News

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6. Serbian voters finish voting in a parliamentary race pitting Vučić against student-backed opposition

   Polls closed in Serbia’s parliamentary election, a contest between populist leader Aleksandar Vučić’s Serbian Progressive Party and the student-backed Students’ List. The Associated Press said voters could choose among 18 parties hoping to enter the 250-member Parliament. The New York Times said polls put the Students’ List level with or ahead of the governing party, but described Serbian polling as unreliable.

   Reporting: Associated Press, Al Jazeera, WGAU Radio, Kyiv Post, The New York Times, myhighplains.com, starbeacon.com

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7. Israel’s military continued a major operation in the occupied West Bank

   The Israeli military said it operated in more than 400 West Bank locations over the weekend and arrested 40 Palestinians it claimed were affiliated with Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad. It said crossings into Israel would remain closed until after Tuesday’s election, while most Palestinian permit-holders would be barred from Israeli settlements Sunday and Monday.

   Reporting: Los Angeles Times, The Seattle Times, CBC News, PBS News, Daily Sabah, CBS News, audacy.com

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8. The Justice Department demanded California registrars set aside suspected noncitizen ballots

   California officials are frustrated by Justice Department letters seeking sequestration of ballots the department believes were sent to noncitizens. Monday’s statewide sweep saw 28 people from a list of 20,000 voters charged with illegally registering to vote. Napa County Registrar of Voters John Tuteur said the demands aimed to raise doubts about election integrity; some officials questioned the list’s accuracy.

   Reporting: HuffPost, Greenwich Time, Bozeman Daily Chronicle

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9. Tallahassee police investigate shooting that left a dozen hurt near Florida A&M

   At least 12 people were injured, including six minors, in a shooting Saturday near Florida A&M University’s Bragg Memorial Stadium after its homecoming football game. Police said 11 were shot and at least three were seriously injured.

   Reporting: NBC News, The New York Times, WKMG News 6, ABC News, WBAL-TV 11 Baltimore, YouTube, ABC7 Los Angeles

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10. The Archdiocese of New York agreed to settle clergy abuse claims from 1,300 survivors

    New York’s archdiocese and attorneys for about 1,300 people who said clergy sexually abused them agreed to a settlement that would end more than seven years of lawsuits. Most outlets put it at $800 million; Al Jazeera reported more than $800 million. Survivors are expected to receive at least $250,000 each; formal signing is expected in early November.

    Reporting: NBC News (with Associated Press), CNN, Deutsche Welle, New York Post, Al Jazeera

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More stories

11. Weather forecasters placed much of the Four Corners under a flood watch

    The National Weather Service issued a flood watch for much of the Four Corners as more showers and thunderstorms were forecast after days of unusually heavy rain. Near Farmington, New Mexico, rivers were receding, but many people remained evacuated and hundreds lacked power. Grand Junction weather service meteorologist Kris Sanders said saturated soils left small creeks vulnerable to overflowing.

    Reporting: nhregister.com, yakimaherald.com

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12. Kim Jong Un crossed into the Chinese border city of Dandong for a visit

    North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made a one-day visit to Dandong on Oct. 24, crossing the newly opened New Yalu River Bridge by car. North Korean state media said he visited a Korean War memorial and an automobile factory. Reuters said the crossing highlighted efforts by Beijing and Pyongyang to expand trade.

    Reporting: NewsCord, Korea JoongAng Daily, koreaherald.com, connectedtoindia.com, bosik.kr

13. Ukrainian drones killed four men in Russia's Belgorod region, regional authorities said

    Russian authorities said Ukrainian drone attacks killed two men in Belgorod city, one of whom died in hospital, and two others in the Shebekinsky and Grayvoron districts. Acting Belgorod regional governor Alexander Shuvaev reported 154 Ukrainian attacks across the region in 24 hours. Belgorod Mayor Valentin Demidov said residential properties sustained significant damage; 13 people were injured in the city.

    Reporting: Asharq Al-Awsat

14. Ukrainian drones reportedly struck AVISMA titanium plant

    Ukrainian monitoring channel Exilenova+ reported that drones struck the AVISMA titanium plant in Berezniki, Perm Krai, on Oct. 25. Perm Krai Governor Dmitry Makhonin said an unnamed industrial facility in the region sustained minor damage, remained operational and had five employees injured. Makhonin did not identify the facility, so its identification as AVISMA remains unconfirmed.

    Reporting: Euromaidan Press, The Kyiv Independent, hamerintel.com

15. Houthi forces killed at least 75 at a Yemen training base with three ballistic missiles

    Houthi forces struck a training base in Yemen with three ballistic missiles on Oct. 19, as training began, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing Saudi and Yemeni officials and witnesses. The Journal reported at least 75 killed and more than 200 wounded, including Saudi troops; House of Saud reported 77 coalition recruits killed at a camp in Shabwa.

    Reporting: The Wall Street Journal, House of Saud

16. Sri Lanka coordinated the rescue of 40 Iranian sailors off its coast

    Sri Lanka coordinated the rescue of 40 Iranian sailors from commercial ships in international waters and helped return them to Iran, foreign ministry spokesperson Thushara Rodrigo said Sunday. The Iranian embassy requested assistance through diplomatic channels after medical emergencies. The Business Standard reported the sailors came from 19 ships; Observerbd said the embassy would cover shore-transfer and medical-treatment costs.

    Reporting: Iran International, The Times of Israel, The Business Standard, Newsday, observerbd.com, freemalaysiatoday.com

17. The Bank of Israel rebuked Netanyahu over his proposal to bypass sanctions using cryptocurrency

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu drew a rare rebuke from the Bank of Israel after saying in a Channel 10 interview that cryptocurrency and blockchain could help Israel bypass potential international sanctions, including banking restrictions. The central bank said cryptocurrencies cannot circumvent sanctions and urged leaders to preserve trading ties and focus on preventing sanctions and their negative economic impact.

    Reporting: Reuters, News.Az, The Times of India, Middle East Eye, minutemirror.com.pk, bitbo.io

18. Demonstrations across France turned violent in several cities on Saturday

    Protests across France over living costs, inequality and public services turned violent in several cities for a second straight weekend. The Interior Ministry reported 410,000 participants across the country in 289 protests. Police used tear gas and water cannon in Paris, while fires burned in Marseille and Lyon. Newsweek reported more than 1,300 arrests nationwide.

    Reporting: CNBC, Deccan Chronicle, Fortune, Newsweek, hawaiitribune-herald.com, newsmobile.in

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19. Le Pen urged a rebirth of France and pledged to reinstate rule of law

    Far-right French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen formally launched her campaign at a rally in Orléans before thousands of Rassemblement National supporters. Reuters described her as the frontrunner in next year’s election. Le Pen called for a “rebirth of France” and promised to restore the “rule of law.” Euronews reported 410,000 to 800,000 protest participants and 1,314 arrests.

    Reporting: Euronews, Ukrainian National News, Reuters

    Updated since this edition · Read the latest

20. Thousands of people protested public media funding changes in Prague

    Thousands of people protested in Prague’s Old Town Square on Sunday against plans to abolish television and radio licence fees and fund Czech Television and Czech Radio through the state budget. Critics say the changes threaten media independence. The governing coalition advanced the bill through its first reading after an overnight debate; broadcaster employees called a strike for November 3.

    Reporting: Bloomberg, Jacksonville Journal-Courier (with Associated Press), Reuters, radio.cz

21. Joyce Beatty's lawyers asked a federal judge to force the Trump administration to produce records

    Attorneys for Rep. Joyce Beatty, an Ohio Democrat and ex officio Kennedy Center board member, are asking a court to compel the Trump administration to disclose emails and texts withheld as privileged presidential communications. The list includes about 180 center-related texts between Kennedy Center executive director and CEO Matt Floca and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

    Reporting: WKMG News 6

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22. The U.S. measles surge and its political implications

    A growing U.S. measles outbreak and health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr’s vaccine scepticism have emerged as a political problem for Republicans ahead of November’s midterms, the Financial Times reports. As of October 22, the U.S. had 4,588 confirmed infections, double the 2025 total and the most since 1991, and is expected to lose WHO measles elimination status next month.

    Reporting: Financial Times, politicalwire.com

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23. White House adviser Kevin Hassett said U.S.-Canadian trade talks are near a deal

    White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said Sunday on Fox News that the United States and Canada are “very close to finally having a deal” on trade, with talks “gathering steam.” Hassett said Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick had spoken with Canadian counterparts all week and that Canadian elections, including an Alberta secession vote, had made negotiations “impossible.”

    Reporting: Bloomberg, Seeking Alpha, investing.com

24. Michigan Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers said he never called Abdul El-Sayed a terrorist

    Michigan Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers told NBC interviewer Kristen Welker that he had never called challenger Abdul El-Sayed a terrorist. Asked whether he agreed with President Trump’s overnight post describing El-Sayed as a “Muslim Brotherhood Jihadist,” Rogers said no. Welker said there was no evidence supporting the post’s claims. Rogers criticized El-Sayed’s support groups as “pretty radical.”

    Reporting: NBC News, 2paragraphs.com

25. The owners of Elvis Presley’s music sued Anthropic over AI song training

    Authentic Brands Group, a licensing platform that controls Elvis Presley’s intellectual property, and other rights holders sued Anthropic, alleging it used 274 of Presley’s songs without permission to train its AI models. The plaintiffs seek $41.1 million in statutory damages, a permanent injunction against further infringement and an order requiring Anthropic to destroy unauthorized copies.

    Reporting: NBC News, Türkiye Today, Los Angeles Times, Rolling Stone, The Guardian, nme.com, pastemagazine.com, wideopencountry.com

26. British Columbia’s Conservative Party won the provincial election

    Preliminary results showed British Columbia’s Conservative Party winning the provincial election, ending nine years of New Democratic Party rule and marking its first provincial victory since 1928. Reuters reported the Conservatives won 64 of 93 seats, while the New Democrats took 27. Conservative leader Lorne Doerkson, who will become premier, pledged to cut red tape and increase natural-gas production.

    Reporting: Reuters, Internazionale, CityNews, The Globe and Mail, Bloomberg, thepostmillennial.com, dailybeirut.com, voiceofemirates.com

27. Bulgarian President Iliana Yotova led the presidential election's first round

    An Alpha Research exit poll published by Bulgarian public TV channel BNT put incumbent President Iliana Yotova at 35.2% in Bulgaria’s first-round presidential election, ahead of former caretaker prime minister Andrey Gyurov at 32.4%. UNN reported turnout at about 20% and said the runoff is scheduled for Nov. 1.

    Reporting: Bloomberg, Ukrainian National News

    Updated since this edition · Read the latest

28. AstraZeneca said its experimental drug extended survival in a Phase III stomach cancer trial

    AstraZeneca said its investigational drug sonesitatug vedotin (Sone-Ve) improved overall survival in a Phase III trial of advanced, CLDN18.2-positive stomach cancer after prior treatment. Median survival was 10.6 months, versus 6.4 months with investigator’s choice, and death risk fell 42%. Fierce Biotech reported that the trial missed its progression-free-survival endpoint, while AstraZeneca said it was discussing results with regulators.

    Reporting: Bloomberg, Seeking Alpha, securities.io, fiercebiotech.com, wtaq.com, investingnews.com

29. President Nayib Bukele said delivered remains were not four missing Salvadoran technicians

    El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele denied that human remains handed over in Haiti belonged to four Salvadoran military aviation technicians missing since a gang ambush near Port-au-Prince on Oct. 18, contradicting a New York Times report. Haiti's Gang Suppression Force said the unidentified remains could belong to the missing technicians; an unnamed Salvadoran government official told The Associated Press they were not.

    Reporting: Bozeman Daily Chronicle (with Associated Press), Batesville Daily Guard, Anadolu Agency, News.Az, telesurenglish.net, cibercuba.com

30. Thousands of people demonstrated across European cities on Saturday

    Thousands of people demonstrated in European cities Saturday, including Milan, Rome, Madrid, Lisbon and Tirana. Young people also took to the streets in Italian cities including Milan, Rome and Turin. Premier Giorgia Meloni announced 500 additional soldiers for Milan and tougher penalties for minors; police said minors made up a large part of the violent protesters the previous week.

    Reporting: National Public Radio, com.bd

31. Mary Peltola postponed campaign events after a car crash

    Alaska Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola and her family sustained minor injuries in a car crash Saturday night while traveling to the Alaska Federation of Natives’ banquet; Peltola required medical attention, her campaign said. Campaign manager Cheryl Bruce said they were in good spirits. Fairbanks and Bethel events will be rescheduled; six other tour stops remain planned.

    Reporting: The New York Times, Newsweek, Politico, Hindustan Times, Washington Examiner, Demokratis, washingtonsun.com, indystar.com

32. Angela Rayner said no options should be ruled out in future European Union talks

    Senior Cabinet minister Angela Rayner said nothing should be ruled out in “honest conversations” with the EU. Rayner said Andy Burnham was not trying to reopen the 2016 Brexit debate. Labour’s 2024 manifesto ruled out returning to free movement, single-market membership and a customs union; any fundamental change would have to wait until after a general election.

    Reporting: AOL