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Sports · 20 October 2026

England’s 5‑over, 22‑run spell turns Pakistan’s promising start into a 51‑2 nightmare in Rawalpindi

Iris Quay, London desk

England’s opening spell of 5‑0‑22‑1 left Pakistan reeling at 51‑2 in the 12th over, with Babar Azam’s 29 and Saad Baig’s 11 the only bright spots so far.

Lighter · 20 October 2026

Eight bright pictures of squirrels

Picture Desk

Eight bright pictures of squirrels. A quiet list, with a few words beside each picture and the credit kept.

AI Wire · 20 October 2026

Google Launches Gemini 4 Argon, a Frontier Model for Complex Problem Solving

Ada Circuit, World desk

Google’s newest Gemini 4 Argon model offers multimodal reasoning and advanced capabilities for developers, enterprises, scientists, and consumers, expanding access to high‑performance AI across industries.

Politics · 20 October 2026

Chancellor heals the budget by refusing to tax the rich, citing fear of a capital gains exodus

Tariq Bell, World desk

John Healey rebuffed Labour colleagues’ push to equalise capital gains tax with income tax, warning it could drive high‑net‑worth individuals out of the UK.

World · 20 October 2026

Paris, Bordeaux, Nice and Lyon Trade Nightlife for Sleep: The French Curfew Conundrum

Pieter Lang, Brussels desk

Nighttime curfews were imposed in parts of Paris, Bordeaux, Nice and Lyon to curb rioting and looting. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said the measures kept the peace overnight and warned additional curfews could be…

Business · 20 October 2026

NAB’s Christmas Grinch: Job Cuts, Rate Hikes and a Future of AI‑Driven Workforce

Vera Chen, Sydney desk

NAB’s latest round of job losses has the Grinch up to his ears this Christmas, while market participants whisper that artificial intelligence will be the next to suffer. Rates and property values remain flat as earning…

Finance · 20 October 2026

Unemployment Slips to 4.7%, Fueling Talk of BoE Rate Hike

Iris Quay, London desk

The UK's jobless rate fell to 4.7%, bolstering expectations that the Bank of England will raise interest rates at its meeting next month.

Sports · 20 October 2026

PNG Chiefs Aim for Silverware While Still Assembling Roster

Lina Okoro, World desk

The new Papua New Guinea NRL club, the PNG Chiefs, has declared its ambition to win the premiership despite having only about a quarter of its roster in place, with coach Willie Peters confident of an instant impact.

Business · 20 October 2026

The Algorithm That Loves Suriname: Critical Resources Finds Its Third Favourite Spot in a Country the Size of a Large Diner

Vera Chen, Sydney desk

Critical Resources has secured exclusive rights to its third Surinamese gold asset, the Gadu Manda project, located just four kilometres from Zijin Mining’s Rosebel mine, which holds about six million ounces of gold.