First Thing: Both blocs claim upper hand in crucial Israeli election
Benjamin Netanyahu vows to form new coalition while opposition bloc leader says result shows prime minister should step down. Plus, a scathing review of Elon MuskâÂÂs AI-generated version of The Odyssey
Good morning. Israel could be in for weeks of political haggling after exit polls and partial official results showed neither Benjamin NetanyahuâÂÂs coalition nor the opposition bloc led by the former general Gadi Eisenkot had won enough seats to form a government.
With 70% of the vote, or 4m ballots, counted so far, the Netanyahu bloc had 54 seats, the Eisenkot-led Change bloc 47 seats, and the Palestinian parties 19 seats. Sixty-one seats are needed for a majority.
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What have the two leaders said so far? IsraelâÂÂs longest-serving prime minister vowed to assemble a coalition through agreements between his Likud party, far-right factions and Jewish religious parties. Eisenkot had said earlier in the evening that âÂÂpeople decided in favour of changeâ and Netanyahu should have âÂÂannounced today his retirement from politicsâÂÂ.
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What does the increase in the Palestinian bloc mean? The election was marked by a record participation by Israeli citizens of Palestinian origin, a discriminated minority that makes up about 20% of the countryâÂÂs population. Julian Borger explains from Nazareth that opposition leader Eisenkot will have to work with Arab-Israeli leaders to have a hope of governing. Millions of other Palestinians living under Israeli rule in the occupied West Bank and Gaza cannot vote.
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Here is what we know about the declared results so far. Our live coverage continues on the website.
Trump says government to âÂÂterminateâ Biden-era methane emissions rules

Donald Trump has announced his administration is âÂÂterminatingâ Biden-era regulations holding oil and gas companies accountable for large leaks of planet-warming methane. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the proposal is expected to save $45bn in costs to consumers and businesses. Last year, the US emitted more methane from its oil and gas sector than any other country in the world. Methane is responsible for at least a quarter of todayâÂÂs warming.
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What else has Trump been saying about fossil fuels? Trump suggested on Tuesday that Venezuela would become the 51st US state as the president showed off a tanker he claimed had âÂÂ1m barrels of oil on itâ from the country, nine months after deposing its president.
Flávio Bolsonaro flees Brazil after presidential election loss, reports say

The far-right senator Flávio Bolsonaro has reportedly fled Brazil and is on his way to the United States after losing SundayâÂÂs presidential election to the leftwing incumbent, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Bolsonaro allies told the news website Metrópoles that he would land in Florida and planned to request political asylum. âÂÂThe Trump administration has been informed,â the website added. Brazilian federal police are investigating him for possible involvement in a money-laundering scheme worth about ã680m ($905m) involving betting companies.
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What has re-elected president Lula had to say about BolsonaroâÂÂs exit? He condemned BolsonaroâÂÂs apparent decision to flee. âÂÂThis is what the family Bolsonaro are like. Brazil is their second homeland. Their first homeland is licking the boots of the US, as heâÂÂs become accustomed to doing. The act of leaving Brazil is shameful.âÂÂ
Death toll in Spain train collision rises to 30
A high-speed train collision south of Madrid killed has killed at least 30 people, according to regional authorities, as Spain reels from its second such disaster this year. A collision between two high-speed trains in southern Spain in January resulted in the deaths of 46 people.
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Read the full report here and live blog here.
Oleshky truce appears to hold as two European leaders have âÂÂfrankâ call with Putin

A local ceasefire in a southern Ukrainian city under Russian occupation appeared to be holding, with both sides ceasing drone attacks ahead of an apparent evacuation of about 2,000 trapped and desperate civilians. Witnesses reported that the deadly frontline across the river was quiet for the first time in four years.
Meanwhile FinlandâÂÂs president, Alexander Stubb, and NorwayâÂÂs prime minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, held what they described as a âÂÂfrank and substantiveâ phone call with Vladimir Putin. Writing on social media, UkraineâÂÂs president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said Russia âÂÂmust stop dragging out this warâ and said he welcomed European attempts to end it.
Doctor removes prostate from 35 miles away in first telerobotic surgery in US

A Florida surgeon has performed the first telerobotic operation between two US hospitals, removing the prostate of a man with cancer from 35 miles away, according to officials. Telesurgery allows surgeons to control robotic instruments remotely but researchers are still evaluating its safety, reliability and cybersecurity.
In other news â¦

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Gulf states are working on multipart peace deal to avert a renewal of US-Iran war after the midterms. The talks are aimed at reopening the strait of Hormuz, lifting sanctions on Iran, and for Houthis to withdraw in Yemen.
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The US Federal Reserve is expected to leave interest rates unchanged, keeping rates at one of the highest pre-election levels seen in over 20 years.
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An Illinois man accused of sending letters containing suspicious white powder to four members of Congress has been arrested after he allegedly wrote his own name and return address on the envelopes.
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Three Florida brothers, Oren, Alon and Tal Alexander, have each been sentenced to 30 years for drugging and raping dozens of women by exploiting the wealth and influence of their familyâÂÂs luxury real estate business.
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Trump-appointed CDC deputy director Jennifer Shuford is to resign after six months on the job. She was appointed in April as part of a four-person senior leadership team meant to stabilize the agency after the previous CDC director left less than a month into the job.
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The US â military â said â it killed â five âÂÂpeople âÂÂafter âÂÂan airstrike on a âÂÂsuspected drug-trafficking vessel in âÂÂthe â eastern Pacific.
Stat of the day: Rare Nanotyrannus skeleton sells for $47.3m at New York auction

The skeleton, named âÂÂJodiâÂÂ, is now one of the worldâÂÂs most expensive fossils, but the sale and cost of the fossil has prompted criticism. âÂÂA person really interested in paleontology could do vastly more good by supporting the ongoing operations of multiple museums than the sale of one specimen,â said one academic.
Well Actually: Is having urine the color of Mountain Dew normal?

A Trump administration doctor says neon yellow urine is normal because of diets consisting entirely of meat and fermented foods. Keren Landman has found out what experts actually say.
DonâÂÂt miss this: The shocking rise of rib remodelling

Possibly not for the squeamish, but Emma Russell investigates the growing popularity of a practice that involves fracturing three ribs on each side and binding them in a corset for three months to set them in a new position to give a wasplike waist.
⦠or this: Why horror shows are taking over the New York stage

Hit London plays 2:22, Paranormal Activity and A Ghost in Your Ear are now spooking audiences on and off Broadway amid high demand for communal experiences. But if youâÂÂd rather get your frights in the comfort of your own home, Keith Stuart lists eight great new indie horror games for Halloween.
Climate check: TrumpâÂÂs cuts have exposed US to âÂÂcascadeâ of El Niño dangers, experts warn

The US president has taken an axe to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, stalling climate research and hampering the response to extreme weather events.
Last Thing: Peter Bradshaw reviews Elon MuskâÂÂs AI Odyssey

Peter Bradshaw is on scathing form in this one-star review of what he says is the dullest, most pointless riposte possible to Christopher NolanâÂÂs brilliant epic The Odyssey. Elon MuskâÂÂs AI version has, he says, all the meaning of âÂÂa laptop screensaverâÂÂ.
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