Patrick Stewart, Star Trek and X-Men star, dies at 86
Sir Patrick Stewart, the British stage and screen actor celebrated for bringing Shakespearean gravity to science-fiction and superhero franchises, has died at the age of 86. He passed away at his home in Los Angeles on Wednesday after what his family described as a brief and poignant journey with Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementia.
Stewart first won acclaim with the Royal Shakespeare Company before becoming an international star as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and as Professor Charles Xavier in the "X-Men" films. Tributes have recognized him as one of the great actors of his generation.
Alaska governor orders probe into Peltola Senate campaign
Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy, a Republican, ordered an investigation into the U.S. Senate campaign of Democrat Mary Peltola after a report alleged that her campaign helped recruit a candidate with the same name as Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan.
The probe follows a report that people aligned with Peltola's campaign were involved in the recruitment; Peltola has denied the allegations. President Donald Trump called for Peltola to drop out of the race and be prosecuted. Dunleavy said anyone or any organization found to have broken the law must be held accountable.
Spain mourns victims of second deadly high-speed train crash
Spain has begun three days of national mourning after at least 69 people were killed and more than 100 injured in a collision between two high-speed trains south of Madrid. The crash, which occurred near Urda in the province of Toledo on the Madrid-Andalucía high-speed line, is the country's second fatal rail collision this year.
One train struck another from behind, derailing at least two carriages, and emergency services continued to search the wreckage. Spain's transport minister described an "error" and "inexplicable circumstances," saying one train had been told to continue despite a red signal. The death toll is expected to rise as rescue operations continue.
Defeated Flávio Bolsonaro flees Brazil and claims leadership
Flávio Bolsonaro, the defeated right-wing presidential candidate and son of jailed former president Jair Bolsonaro, has fled Brazil and arrived in the United States after losing Sunday's run-off election to incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Brazil's Supreme Court had ordered him to surrender his passport amid a money laundering investigation, but he left the country with his family before complying.
After landing in Florida, Bolsonaro declared himself the "leader of Brazil" and, in some accounts, the "president-elect," despite the official result. The U.S. State Department indicated that he and his family would be granted visas. Lula called his departure shameful.
ECB President Christine Lagarde to resign early in February
Christine Lagarde will step down as president of the European Central Bank on 7 February 2027, nine months before the end of her eight-year term, the ECB announced. European Council President António Costa said the process to choose a successor is already underway.
Lagarde's early departure comes as the eurozone struggles with weak growth and inflation, and it has intensified speculation about her future; the Guardian reported that she is being mentioned as a possible candidate to lead the World Economic Forum.
Trump rallies in South Carolina as Senate race tightens
President Donald Trump campaigned in Rock Hill, South Carolina, on Thursday as the state's U.S. Senate race proved unexpectedly competitive with six days remaining until the midterm elections. Republican Senator Darline Graham is struggling to hold a seat in a heavily Republican state, and one recent poll found the contest effectively a tossup.
Republican leaders view holding South Carolina as essential to maintaining their Senate majority, and Trump has visited the state twice in eight days.
Israel election produces no clear majority winner
Israel's parliamentary election ended without a clear majority, final results showed, leaving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc with 53 seats in the 120‑seat Knesset. The main opposition bloc, led by Gadi Eisenkot, won 48 seats, short of the majority needed to form a government.
With neither camp able to govern alone, the country faces the prospect of deadlock.
Two Colorado college students found dead after mountain hike
Two college students have been found dead after going missing during a hiking trip in Colorado's Rocky Mountains last weekend amid a heavy snowstorm. The bodies of Kaden Matsuda, 19, of Ridgway, Colorado, and Jackson Donlon, 20, of New York, were discovered on Wednesday afternoon in a basin of Ice Mountain in the central part of the state.
Search teams located them after spotting a boot protruding from the snow.
Russian drone strike kills civilians at Dnipro train station
A Russian drone strike killed at least 13 people at Dnipro's main railway station in central Ukraine, Ukrainian officials said. The jet‑powered drone hit a crowded platform where passengers were waiting to board a train.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the attack as "horrific" and urged allies not to ease sanctions on Moscow.
Court rejects Erin Patterson appeal in mushroom murders case
An Australian court has rejected Erin Patterson's appeal against her conviction in the so-called mushroom murders case and removed the possibility of parole. Patterson was convicted over a deadly beef Wellington lunch that killed three people.
Victoria's highest court also dismissed a bid to overturn her conviction and considered a prosecution argument that her initial sentence was inadequate.
Hegseth fires Pentagon planner over alleged media leaks
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has fired Army Lieutenant General Brett Sylvia, the Pentagon's top military planner for strategy, plans and policy on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, over apparent misconduct involving classified information. The alleged leaks concerned the Iran conflict and the Russia-Ukraine war.
Sylvia is the second general removed under Hegseth as part of a campaign to find and punish senior officers who speak to reporters.
Homeland Security employee data leaked by nonprofit
A nonprofit has leaked personal data of more than 41,000 employees of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, including names, phone numbers and email addresses across several security agencies. The group said it released the information to promote transparency about the Trump administration's deportation campaign.
Homeland Security officials told employees they are reviewing the incident, which follows recent data breaches affecting the FBI and the Defense Department.