VR

The French government plans to take 17% of forgotten bank accounts, Livret A savings and life insurance policies, aiming to recover around 1.4 billion euros. The move comes as public finances deteriorate, with reports warning of higher costs for households on housing, taxes and credit, while the Cour des comptes also proposes cutting inheritance and gift tax rates by five points.

VR manufacturer Pimax has announced the Crystal Pro, a new high-end PC VR headset that streams the image from the computer wirelessly and without video compression. The battery has also been moved from the headset to the user's pocket, improving comfort. The device is being positioned as a competitor to Valve's Steam Frame, and VR enthusiasts are debating whether it can deliver on its ambitious promises.

Google has updated the rules of its Open Source Software Vulnerability Reward Program so that product vulnerabilities are no longer accepted under it. Submissions concerning products like Chrome or Android will instead need to go through the company's dedicated product-specific reward programs. Security researchers discussing the change are weighing whether it simplifies reporting or makes it harder to know where to submit findings.

Daniil Medvedev is set to play Czech player Dalibor Svrcina at the ATP Shanghai Masters, with predictions and previews focusing on the matchup. Medvedev is the clear favourite against the lower-ranked Svrcina, and tennis fans are discussing whether the former world number one can advance without difficulty.

Interest in Alexandra of Hanover, daughter of Caroline of Monaco, is circulating in French media alongside new reporting on how Caroline helped Virginie Viard, Karl Lagerfeld's former right-hand woman and ex-artistic director, join the Chanel fashion house. Nice-Matin recounts that Viard 'couldn't really say no' thanks to Caroline's intervention, putting the Monaco royal family back in fashion and society conversations.

Astrologer PVR Narasimha Rao, speaking with lawyer Ishkaran Singh Bhandari, has predicted a major crisis beginning in mid-November, with warnings covering war, the global economy and India's future. The prediction has drawn large attention online, with audiences debating the claims and what they could mean for the country in the weeks ahead.

The Sun and Moon Show channel has released a new episode in which a character apparently dates Bloodmoon, staged inside VRChat. The animated roleplay series, popular with younger audiences, continues its ongoing storylines involving Sun, Moon and the Bloodmoon character. Fans are engaging heavily with the new installment.

Czech tennis player Dalibor Svrcina is drawing attention for his match against Daniil Medvedev at the Shanghai Masters, with live streaming details followed by fans in the USA, Czech Republic, India and worldwide. The matchup pits the rising Svrcina against the former world number one Medvedev, prompting predictions and viewing guides across sports outlets.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov delivered a statement at the general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The speech set out Russia's positions before the international body, drawing attention amid ongoing tensions between Moscow and Western states over the war in Ukraine. Observers were watching closely for signals about Russia's diplomatic stance on global security and its relations with the United States and other UN member states.

Transport for London is marking National Hate Crime Awareness Week by encouraging Londoners to act as active bystanders when they witness abuse or hostility on the network. The campaign asks passengers to safely support victims and report incidents, highlighting the role of stations and public transport staff in tackling hate crime across the capital.

Indian nutritionist Dr. Shikha Singh is promoting a Navratri diet plan aimed at fast weight loss, built around traditional fasting foods eaten during the nine-day Hindu festival. The plan, framed as an Indian diet approach, is drawing wide attention as devotees look for ways to observe the fast without gaining weight, or even to slim down during the festive period.

Anniversaries are prompting renewed attention to Gillo Pontecorvo, the Italian director of The Battle of Algiers, who died 20 years ago, and to the film's 1966 release in Italy, 60 years ago. France, where the film depicts the Algerian war of independence, did not show it until 1971. Commentators highlight the film's still-contested question of what distinguishes a liberation struggle from terrorism, and Ennio Morricone's celebrated score.

A French high school student movement has launched blockades and protests, demanding better school funding and an end to what they see as favouritism towards Paris and wealthy cities. Coverage questions whether school inequalities really concentrate on luxury urban centres, pointing to crumbling school buildings, students lacking adequate lycées and wider claims of neglect in less affluent areas.

Port Polska has announced the launch of a wave of projects worth €3.2 billion, drawing attention in European rail, freight and transport market circles. The investment programme is being discussed as a major development for Poland's transport infrastructure, with industry observers watching its implications for rail freight and the wider logistics sector.

Engineers have built a swimming robot modelled on the feather star, a marine crinoid that moves through water using flexible, feather-like arms. The robot can manoeuvre in three dimensions underwater, an ability the researchers say could inform future designs for agile aquatic machines. Coverage highlights the unusual choice of biological inspiration.

Europe's rail freight industry has concluded its first round of discussions on revising the General Contract of Use for Wagons (GCU), the framework governing cross-border wagon use. ERFA, the European Rail Freight Association, has been highlighting the debate, with sector players weighing how updated liability and usage rules could affect operators across the continent.

NATO has carried out nuclear-related military manoeuvres in Italy, according to defence reporting. The exercises involve allied forces practising missions connected to NATO's nuclear deterrent posture in Europe. The drills come amid heightened concern over nuclear signalling in the context of the war in Ukraine and wider tensions with Russia, drawing attention across international defence media.

Food publication Slurrp has shared a beetroot raita recipe aimed at the Navratri 2026 fasting season, pitching it as a colourful and nutritious addition to the vrat thali. The recipe uses beetroot in a yogurt-based side that fits fasting-food rules, offering cooks a fresh option for festive meals during the nine-day Hindu festival.

Reports attributed to internal engineering work at Rockstar North claim the PC version of Grand Theft Auto VI will drop support for legacy SATA hard drives and instead require an NVMe SSD with DirectStorage 2.0, alongside a 16GB VRAM baseline. If accurate, it would mark one of the strictest storage requirements for a mainstream PC release. Gamers are debating the accessibility of such minimum specs, though the claims have not been confirmed by Rockstar Games.

Ukrainian officials say their forces can continue long-range strikes deep inside Russian territory, including attacks on oil refineries, without American intelligence support, provided European allies keep supplying assistance. The claim underscores Kyiv's effort to sustain its drone campaign against Russian energy infrastructure despite reduced US backing.

Kristin Chevrier and Kristina Robinson are facing off in the election for Utah House District 54. The race has been covered by The Salt Lake Tribune as part of its coverage of Utah's legislative contests. Beyond the matchup itself, no details about the candidates' platforms, results, or campaign developments have been reported yet.

A fifth episode titled 'The First Encounters' has been made available, continuing an ongoing series. The release covers first meetings or early interactions, according to its title, and is being shared with a small but interested audience. No further details about the subject, participants, or reception are currently available.

French authorities have arrested a man in Paris on suspicion of planning a terrorist attack targeting the Louvre Museum, one of the world's most visited cultural sites. No details have been released about the suspect's identity or how the alleged plot was uncovered. The arrest comes amid heightened security concerns in France, and officials are expected to provide more information as the investigation continues.

Weather warnings have been issued for parts of Croatia as a major shift in conditions sets in. A cloud system moving across the country is bringing pronounced instability, especially along the Adriatic coast, with forecasters warning of heavy rain and stormy weather in several areas. Reports outline which regions can expect the most intense downpours and where severe weather is most likely to develop during the day.

Jon Favreau once developed Magic Kingdom, a Disney film set inside the company's theme parks, but the project never moved into production. The abandoned movie imagined a family drawn into the world of Disney's attractions, with Favreau attached before his later success on Iron Man and The Jungle Book. The project is being recalled as a curiosity of Disney's filmmaking history.