Author: staff
Officials in the Trump administration are advocating the nomination of former Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán for the post of UN secretary-general, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal. The newspaper reports that Orbán could be a joint American, Russian and Chinese candidate, and that sources in all three countries have confirmed the Trump administration is backing his bid. Orbán lost power in Hungary’s parliamentary election in April, when Péter Magyar’s Tisza party defeated him after 16 years of governing with an absolute majority. His hard-right, fiercely anti-migration and eurosceptic policies, together with the rule of law backsliding…
Published on 26/10/2026 – 11:50 GMT+1 Private technology companies are taking longer to go public, with the median age at listing rising from 6.9 years in 2014 to 11 years in 2025, according to figures cited by Revolut in an announcement released on Monday. This means more of their growth takes place before shares become available on public markets and can be accessed by retail investors. “With Revolut Ventures, we’re aiming to dismantle one of the final barriers in wealth management: retail investor exclusion from non-listed companies,” Rolandas Juteika, Head of Revolut Wealth and Trading (EEA) at Revolut stated. “Value…
Published on 26/10/2026 – 10:37 GMT+1 Anthopic, the company behind AI assistant Claude, is being sued by Elvis Presley rightsholders over alleged copyright infringement of 274 of the King’s songs. They have launched legal action against AI company, accusing it of using Elvis’ songs to train its models without permission. The lawsuit was filed on Friday (23 October) in the US District Court for the Northern District of California by a subsidiary of Authentic Brands Group, the company that controls much of Presley’s intellectual property and trademark rights. The suit states 274 songs, including ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’, ‘Don’t…
At the ruling Labour Party’s conference last month, Burnham called for closer links with the EU. He has yet to spell out precise details of the relationship he would seek — but the party’s 2024 election-winning manifesto under Keir Starmer ruled out rejoining the single market, customs union or accepting freedom of movement with the bloc. Burnham said Monday that the promises of the 2016 referendum that took Britain out of the EU have not been delivered. “We got a harder Brexit than was proposed in the referendum campaign,” he said. “It’s weakened our economy. It’s also weakened our control…
Wearing extravagant headdresses, glittering gowns and painted skull faces transformed Mexico City’s Paseo de la Reforma into a colourful procession on Sunday, 25 October, as thousands took part in the annual Catrinas Parade. Dancers, couples dressed as skeletal brides and grooms, and even costumed dogs made their way through cheering crowds. Some participants wore illuminated outfits, while others displayed elaborate embroidery and striking headpieces. Make-up artists worked behind the scenes to create the distinctive Catrina look, with full face designs taking between 20 and 40 minutes. The parade celebrates La Catrina, a skeletal figure created by illustrator José Guadalupe Posada…
Published on 26/10/2026 – 9:08 GMT+1 Emmy-award winning voice actor Eric Bauza, best known as the modern voice of iconic Looney Tunes characters Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, has died aged 46. The voice actor’s death was announced by his family, who shared a statement to the actor’s Instagram account. The cause of death, hypertensive cardiovascular disease, was released by the Los Angeles county medical examiner. “Eric Bauza, Emmy award-winning voice actor and the modern voice of iconic Looney Tunes characters Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, along with dozens of other beloved cartoon characters, has passed away suddenly. More details…
Philippe’s main ideological rival, fellow former PM Gabriel Attal, fares little better in the poll. When tested instead of Philippe as the main centrist candidate, Attal netted just 12%. Raphaël Glucksmann, fresh off his dominant victory in a center-left primary, is holding steady at fourth place with 13% in Cluster 17’s survey. The pollster found Glucksmann would net 29% of those who supported President Emmanuel Macron in 2022, while 49% of those voters back Philippe. Macron cannot run for a third consecutive term. Conservative leader Bruno Retailleau is still struggling to break into double digits. Though he held steady in the…
Rapper Nicki Minaj publicly endorsed US President Donald Trump at a Republican campaign rally in Port Huron, Michigan, on Sunday, 25 October, ahead of the November midterm elections. After travelling aboard Air Force One, the Trinidadian-born artist joined him on stage, telling the crowd “We love Trump” and promising to support him “forever”. Nicki Minaj’s increasingly public support for Donald Trump represents a notable political shift for a rapper whose provocative performances and sexually explicit lyrics have often sparked controversy. In 2020, she had criticised his administration’s strict immigration policies, particularly the separation of children from their parents at the…
Back in 2018, Lithuania’s capital Vilnius marketed itself as the “G-spot of Europe”, claiming that “nobody knows where it is but when you find it, it’s amazing”. While I can’t comment on improvements around sex education (except anecdotally), more and more people are finally discovering the joys of the Baltics with the rise of “coolcations”. I visited both Latvia and Estonia in the summer last year, and this October, after a quick return to Riga and a detour to Sigulda, Latvia’s autumn capital, I made it down to Vilnius. Amazing? With its UNESCO-listed baroque Old Town, its growing food scene,…
At its core, will this be a John Healey or an Andy Burnham budget – and will it deliver any real breathing space? With the biggest fiscal event of the year looming, Sam Coates and Anne McElvoy examine some of the cabinet divisions across a range of topics, including oil drilling, migration policy and a new relationship with Europe. Plus, is the prime minister reopening Labour’s battle over Europe and free movement? Where are the red lines for the party, Andy Burnham and the country?