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PoliticsOct 31Prediction markets missed Brazil. U.S. midterms are the big test.(The Center Square) – Prediction markets spent three weeks heavily favoring Flávio Bolsonaro to be Brazil's next president. That collapsed Sunday night. Tuesday, the same markets take on the U.S. Senate.sanfordherald · united states of america
PoliticsOct 31Prediction markets missed Brazil. U.S. midterms are the big test.(The Center Square) – Prediction markets spent three weeks heavily favoring Flávio Bolsonaro to be Brazil's next president. That collapsed Sunday night. Tuesday, the same markets take on the U.S. Senate.newsargus · united states of america
PoliticsOct 31Prediction markets missed Brazil. U.S. midterms are the big test.(The Center Square) – Prediction markets spent three weeks heavily favoring Flávio Bolsonaro to be Brazil's next president. That collapsed Sunday night. Tuesday, the same markets take on the U.S. Senate.romesentinel · united states of america
PoliticsOct 31Prediction markets missed Brazil. U.S. midterms are the big test.(The Center Square) – Prediction markets spent three weeks heavily favoring Flávio Bolsonaro to be Brazil's next president. That collapsed Sunday night. Tuesday, the same markets take on the U.S. Senate.emporiagazette · united states of america
PoliticsOct 31Prediction markets missed Brazil. U.S. midterms are the big test.(The Center Square) – Prediction markets spent three weeks heavily favoring Flávio Bolsonaro to be Brazil's next president. That collapsed Sunday night. Tuesday, the same markets take on the U.S. Senate.messenger_inquirer · united states of america
BusinessOct 31Our energy sector is off the railsAS I indicated in my Thursday column (“An imperfect but workable alternative,” Oct. 29, 2026), I have fallen victim to the pestilence that the Department of Health is describing as a “flu-like illness,” which has, unfortunately, severely restricted my activities for a few days and given me a mild case of brain fog. Not that the latter is much of a problem in the real world; brain fog for me is still superior mental capability than about 90 percent of the people I know. But it does compromise my ability to properly assess and explain some complex subjects to some degree, particularly in times like now when the news is flying thick and fast in the energy sector. In the interest of providing useful information and actionable guidance to my audience, I am going to take my time in parsing the various issues that have appeared on the radar in the past day or two. As a teaser, these include: – A couple of ridiculous aspirations that emerged from the Singapore International Energy Week (SIEW) this past week, namely the Department of Energy’s (DOE) assertions that nuclear energy could be deployed in the Philippines by 2032, and that the country can become the “offshore wind powerhouse of Southeast Asia”; – The chaos that has erupted around the DOE’s planned capacity auction for natural gas generation, which was supposed to take place this weekend — a schedule that was highly questionable — but has apparently been put off due to disputes over the ridiculously high proposed floor price; – Disturbing developments involving the planned auction for waste-to-energy generation capacity, which, besides having an indicative price that is probably twice what it ought to be, is allegedly designed to benefit an entity connected to a DOE insider; – The resurfacing of the “China can shut down our transmission grid” shibboleth, promoted by Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr., who, despite being an intelligent, well-educated and experienced official who should be demonstrating his superiority to that corrupt trailer-trash harpy from Davao as a potential national leader, has lately decided to run his mouth along the low road in the country’s relations with China; and – The Philippine Competition Commission’s (PCC) demonstrating once again that its existence only serves as an unnecessary bureaucratic roadblock, with its intercession in a merger/acquisition case involving Meralco Power Generation Corp. (MGEN), in which the PCC did not have an issue with the actual transaction being questioned, but got its feelings hurt because the parties involved did not honor its reporting deadlines. I will deal with all of these at, as they like to say here in the Philippines, “at the appropriate time.” For today, however, I would like to highlight a report that came across my desk earlier in the week from an organization called the We Mean Business Coalition (WMBC), which casts a rather disparaging light on the Philippines’ energy sector. Now, to be fair, this is an organization I am fairly sure no one in this country has heard about until now, and given the Philippines’ culture of having an overweening concern for one’s credentials, it might be easily dismissed. However, I believe it should be taken seriously for a couple of reasons. First of all, any outside analysis of the Philippines’ power sector, provided it is done with an acceptable level of empirical rigor, should be given some consideration. The WMBC’s Electrification Competitiveness Index covers 52 countries, and is designed in the standard way that any of us who took courses in statistics would recognize as mathematically valid. Second, the viewpoint from outside the sphere of the Philippines’ energy environment, given that most of the country’s aspirations will require some external investment at some point, should not be dismissed. To be fair to the local industry, most of the key players already understand this; it is still highly questionable whether or not the DOE itself does. Finally, the index is skewed toward social rather than commercial progress, which I believe is entirely appropriate. Just as reliable access to shelter, water, and food should be considered responsibilities of the state toward its citizens, I believe access to at least basic electricity services is no less important. To be fair to the government, the goal of “100-percent electrification” has been held onto for a long time, but it has proved elusive. That is partly the fault of the government but also an unavoidable challenge due to this country’s geography. Most domestic statistics put the level of electrification in the 94–95 percent range, but that additional 5 or 6 percent has proved to be notoriously difficult to achieve. So, how is the Philippines actually doing so far? The Electrification Competitiveness Index said: “The analysis finds that the Philippines has introduced major electricity market reforms, electric vehicle incentives and building efficiency standards. But delays in expanding electricity networks and connecting new clean power projects, limited charging infrastructure and shortages of skilled workers are holding back progress.” “The Philippines scores 43 percent for enabling conditions and 39 percent for deployment, placing it in the Index’s ‘early-stage adoption’ group alongside Indonesia and South Africa. Electricity market reforms and policies supporting electric transport and building efficiency provide a foundation for further electrification, but infrastructure constraints, uneven implementation and gaps in industrial policy are limiting progress,” it added. My concern right now is that the current leadership of the DOE and the broader economic leadership of the country are too focused on aspirational future goals, such as the oft-repeated “35 percent by 2030 and 50 percent by 2040” renewable-energy targets, and things such as the nuclear and wind power aspirations expressed by our fish-out-of-water energy secretary in recent meetings in Singapore. Just because the Philippines has achieved the statistical marker of being an “upper-middle-income country” and just because it has prospects in the areas of nuclear power, offshore wind, geothermal, and secondary generation (waste-to-energy and biomass) doesn’t mean the country is anywhere near what should be the priority goal of providing reliable electricity to every one of its citizen-households. Once that is accomplished — if it can be accomplished — then the Philippines can truly focus on upgrading the overall system to support further growth. ben.kritz@manilatimes.net Bluesky: @benkritz. bsky.social Website: www.badmannersgunclub.commanilatimes · philippines
CyberOct 31Binance says 90% of $6.3 billion hack losses are now covered, plans to resume withdrawals SundayBinance says it has restored backing for 90% of assets affected by its $6.3 billion hack and resumed phased withdrawals.CNBC
Sci & TechOct 31Forget AI, Europe has a plan to win the next tech revolutionDraft strategy on quantum computing obtained by POLITICO shows Europe won’t repeat its AI regulatory playbook.Politico Europe
PoliticsOct 31Breaking news on Blocus demonstrations in Spain, live | Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, and San Sebastian brace for possible unrestLos Mossos y la Guardia Urbana identifican en la capital catalana a un millar de personas para prevenir altercados | El comercio echa el cierre en todo el país ante el temor de saqueosEl País
PoliticsOct 31Mexico’s week in review: Farewell to Cárdenas, a resignation at the INE and a record-breaking CatrinaThe week of Oct. 26 in Mexico started with a corruption scandal at the National Electoral Institute (INE) and ended with the death of Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas, a towering figure of Mexico's democratic transition. Read on for more top headlines of the week. The post Mexico’s week in review: Farewell to Cárdenas, a resignation at the INE and a record-breaking Catrina appeared first on Mexico News DailyMexico News Daily
BusinessOct 31Real estate stocks shine in October amid broader tech rout, lower long-term borrowing costsReal estate stocks performed well in October, contrasting with a general decline in tech stocks and benefiting from reduced long-term borrowing costs, signaling a shift in market investment trends.Seeking Alpha Tech
PoliticsOct 31New York State Police will now investigate all sexual assault complaints at Cornell after gang-rape scandal‘When someone reports sexual assault, they deserve to be heard, treated with compassion, and know their allegations will be taken seriously and thoroughly investigated,’ Governor Kathy Hochul announcedThe Independent World
WorldOct 31Why I’m grateful my son is getting the Halloween-Día de Muertos experience I never hadHalloween or Día de Muertos? If you've grown up in California but moved to Mexico, there are reasons to celebrate both, writes Alan Chazaro. The post Why I’m grateful my son is getting the Halloween-Día de Muertos experience I never had appeared first on Mexico News DailyMexico News Daily
PoliticsOct 31Trump predicts changes in the Cuban Government in less than two and a half yearsEl líder estadounidense predice cambios inminentes en el país caribeño, al que califica como "fallido". Su administración observa de cerca. Trump sugiere que la situación de la isla podría resolverse pronto, aludiendo a estrategias similares en naciones vecinas como Venezuela.Clarín
PoliticsOct 31Progressive Democrats gain ground, but can they win swing voters?From the Tea Party to MAGA and democratic socialism, political movements have reshaped American politics. As a new class of lawmakers heads to Congress, what comes next?CBS News
PoliticsOct 31Germany's Gen Z protests disrupted by violence on SaturdayNationwide protests led by young people were largely peaceful throughout the day, but reports about looting and rioting in the evening, especially in Frankfurt, overshadowed the spirit of the demonstrations.DW News [en]
PoliticsOct 31Massive Gen Z protests sweep cities across GermanyYoung people in Germany have taken to the streets in some 34 cities, calling for greater political say and a more hopeful future. The protests come amid a wave of youth demonstrations across Europe. DW has more.DW News [en]
HealthOct 31Allergic reactions after sex should be listed as an antibiotic risk, experts sayA woman developed a severe allergic reaction to an antibiotic in her partner's semen after sex, prompting clinicians to call for this risk to be listed on the drug's patient information leafletNew Scientist
PoliticsOct 31The 6 races that could decide Senate controlThe midterm tug-of-war for Senate control will come down to half a dozen coin-toss contests, giving both parties a path to the upper chamber majority.  All six seats rated as “toss-ups” by DDHQ — Texas, Maine, Alaska, Ohio, Iowa and Kansas — are currently held by Republicans. The GOP’s best chance of flipping a seat…The Hill
PoliticsOct 31Will Tuesday be a a blue wave or just an anti-Trump surge?All partisan roads seem to lead back to Donald Trump.The Hill
PoliticsOct 31Gen Z protests sweep cities across GermanyYoung people in Germany have taken to the streets in some 34 cities, calling for greater political say and a more hopeful future. The protests come amid a wave of youth demonstrations across Europe. DW has more.DW News [en]
WorldOct 31Cheranalloor crash: court orders production of case diary on November 2A court has issued an order for the production of a case diary on November 2, pertaining to a crash in Cheranalloor. This signifies a procedural step in an ongoing legal investigation.The Hindu
WorldOct 31Yeyo de Gregorio's disappointment for not being invited to Lali Espósito and Pedro Rosemblat's wedding: “We were family for many years”El actor habló de las diferencias que terminaron alejándolo de la cantante. También hizo una reflexión sobre los cambios en los vínculos a medida que las carreras profesionales toman caminos distintos.Clarín
PoliticsOct 31‘Internal democracy’, not ‘rebellion’, NC says of 17 MLAs meeting over party affairsThe list of demands sent to Dr. Abdullah urged “intensifying of struggle for restoration of Statehood, implementation of the promises made in the 2024 manifesto within six months, removing CM’s advisor Wani, and reconsidering portfolios assigned to Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary”.The Hindu
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