HELD

South Africa and Australia begin a Test series, with the first Test getting underway in Durban amid reminders of the sandpaper gate scandal. Temba Bavuma has broken a long-standing record held by an India great, ending a 76-year wait for a rare feat, while Australia's Matt Renshaw surpassed Virat Kohli's mark for most runs with the tail-enders in a Test innings. The teams recently met in an ODI series won by South Africa on the back of centuries from David Miller and Bavuma.

Australia fast bowler Megan Schutt has been handed a two-match suspension by Cricket Australia for a medication breach, with Cricbuzz, the ICC and Times of India among outlets reporting the ban. Also drawing attention: the PCB held NOCs for seven players hours before Nepal's biggest cricket league opened, Sri Lanka chose to field against England in an ODI tri-series, and a US entrepreneur is eyeing a BBL team purchase.

Organisers have confirmed that Phase 3 of the 140th Canton Fair will run from October 31 to November 4, 2026, at the China Import and Export Fair Complex in Guangzhou. The phase carries the official theme 'Better Life' and will focus on fashion, textiles, footwear, bags, food and related consumer goods, drawing attention from international buyers and trade watchers.

Elon Musk says he will give every child in America a share of SpaceX in 2027. The announcement, reported by Mashable, offers no further details on how the giveaway would be funded, who would qualify, or how shares in the privately held rocket company would be distributed to minors and their families.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev called Armenia's former leadership war criminals, saying current Yerevan authorities had voiced territorial claims against Baku. He spoke as leaders gathered for a CIS summit, where Lukashenko defended the bloc against critics who called it a 'geopolitical phantom'. Aliyev also met Cambodia's prime minister, while Lavrov, Araghchi and Bayramov held talks on the summit sidelines.

A climate change lawsuit is heading to court in a case that could become a landmark for climate litigation. Climate cases rarely reach trial, and observers say the outcome could influence how governments and companies are held accountable for their role in driving global warming and failing to act on emissions.

Harry Kane and Alexia Putellas were named winners at the 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony held in London, according to Sortir à Paris. The England striker and the Spanish midfielder take the top awards in men's and women's football, prompting wide reaction from fans and pundits debating the choices.

Time reports that so-called electrostates — countries whose economic power derives from producing and exporting electricity, particularly renewable power, rather than oil and gas — could reshape global trade and geopolitics. As electrification accelerates, nations rich in solar, wind or hydro resources may gain the influence once held by petrostates, shifting energy dependence and redrawing economic alliances.

An Australian judge has dismissed a prisoner's human rights challenge against a ban on Vegemite in the facility where he is held. The inmate had argued that preventing him from eating the iconic Australian yeast spread violated his rights. The ruling upholds the prison's restriction on the spread, often banned because its yeast can be used to ferment alcohol.

Max Verstappen took a commanding pole position at the Singapore Grand Prix at Marina Bay, with sprint qualifying also held in the city-state. Fernando Alonso could only manage 15th, highlighting Aston Martin's struggles, while Kimi Antonelli had a poor session. Separately, dangerous smog across Southeast Asia has forced school closures, with air quality in Singapore and the region a growing concern.

Yomiuri Television has outlined why long-running programmes including the Birdman Rally (Torininja Contest), 'Kenmin Show' and 'Best Hit Kayosai' remain popular decades after launch, describing the systems it uses to build devoted audiences. The company also discussed its strategy of toning down Ryosuke Yamada's idol-style image. The comments come as the Birdman Contest, the annual human-powered flying competition held over Lake Biwa, continues to draw attention in Japan.

India's Congress party held a press conference in which it played a video involving Home Minister Amit Shah, prompting strong reactions across the government and the ruling BJP. The party framed the footage as evidence against the Modi government, while BJP figures pushed back. The presentation has become a flashpoint in the ongoing political standoff between the two parties.

Formula 1 has released highlights from the first free practice session at the 2026 United States Grand Prix, held at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin. The footage shows the opening on-track running of the weekend as teams and drivers test setup work ahead of qualifying and the race. Fans are following the session closely as the American round of the 2026 season gets underway.

Al Jazeera has published an explainer arguing that the United Nations' apparent dysfunction is not a bug but the result of its founding design, particularly the veto power held by the five permanent Security Council members. The piece examines how the UN's 1945 structure limits its ability to act on conflicts and crises, prompting debate about whether reform of the institution is realistically achievable.

India's Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal delivered a pointed message to European nations at an international forum, telling them they caused the climate crisis. He argued that developed countries bear historical responsibility for emissions and should not place equal burdens on developing nations like India. The remarks drew wide attention, tapping into the long-running debate over climate justice and differentiated responsibilities between rich and developing countries.

Reports suggest Sainsbury's has held talks involving Morrisons, putting the supermarket's strategy under investor scrutiny. Attention is turning to how Sainsbury's positions itself against rivals Tesco and Morrisons, and what any discussions could mean for its Argos business and wider UK grocery market consolidation.

Voters in British Columbia are heading to the polls in the province's provincial election, choosing between the governing New Democrats and the opposition Conservatives. Results will determine who forms the next government in Victoria amid campaigns focused on housing, healthcare and the cost of living. Political watchers across Canada are following the count closely.

PwC has confirmed that learning records were breached in a cyberattack on a third-party vendor's site. The breach exposed training-related data held by the vendor rather than PwC's core systems. The firm disclosed the incident publicly, and security coverage of the attack is circulating widely as organisations continue to weigh the risks of third-party and supply-chain data exposure.

A shooting near the Mellwood Art Center in Louisville has led regulators to suspend the liquor license of the caterer tied to the event where it occurred. Authorities suspended the license pending investigation into how alcohol was served at the gathering. The move has drawn local attention as questions mount over accountability and safety at catered events held at the popular arts complex.

Organizers have confirmed that Interfoam China 2026 will take place from December 9 to 11, 2026, at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. Launched in 2019, Interfoam is a trade event focused on foam materials and foaming technology, serving the Asian market. The announcement is aimed at industry suppliers, manufacturers and buyers planning their exhibition calendars nearly two years ahead.

Some 60,000 people chanted 'Free Palestine' during a free benefit concert held on the National Mall in Washington, DC, on October 24, near the Washington Monument. Footage captured by Diana Krauthamer shows the large crowd joining the chant during the band's performance, which raised funds for humanitarian causes. The moment is being shared widely as a striking show of pro-Palestinian sentiment at a major US public event.

Tens of thousands of Nvidia GPUs in Meta's Prometheus supercluster are reportedly sitting idle, held in reserve simply to wait for failures elsewhere in the cluster. The report describes the scale of spare capacity Meta keeps on standby to maintain uptime in one of its largest AI training installations, raising questions about the economics of running hyperscale GPU fleets.

Amen Thompson blocked Victor Wembanyama's last-second shot as the Houston Rockets held off the San Antonio Spurs, per ESPN. Alperen Şengün, the Rockets' Turkish center, is drawing attention alongside the highlight as fans discuss Houston's win and his role in the team's strong form.

Formula 1 fans are looking up the start time for the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin. Motorsport outlets have published schedule information for the race, and searches around the session times are high as viewers check when to tune in.

Talks held in Geneva have put renewed attention on prospects for a political settlement in Sudan, where fighting between the army and the Rapid Support Forces has displaced millions and created one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. Al Jazeera's Behind the News programme examined what the Geneva meeting could achieve, with observers questioning whether the warring parties are willing to negotiate in good faith.

A remark contrasting science's duty to seek truth with the temptation to prove held beliefs is drawing on Hermann Hesse's novel Siddhartha. It cites the caution given to Govinda not to search for something specific but to find what is actually there, echoing the line that through seeking one cannot find.

A new article examines Go 1.28's HTTP/2 connection parking feature and benchmarks its memory savings. The author walks through measuring how much memory servers save when idle HTTP/2 connections are parked instead of held in memory, with concrete numbers for high-connection workloads. Readers on Hacker News are discussing the findings and what they mean for Go services handling large numbers of concurrent connections.