Over the next few weeks, many of America’s largest technology companies will report their operating results for the quarter ended Sept. 30. They will provide investors with a valuable update on their progress in the artificial intelligence (AI) race, which is driving an enormous amount of value right now.

Sept. 30 marked the end of Microsoft‘s (MSFT -0.43%) fiscal 2026 first quarter, and it is scheduled to report those results on Oct. 29. The company’s Azure cloud computing platform and its Copilot virtual assistant will be key points of focus for Wall Street because they are at the center of the company’s AI strategy.

Microsoft stock has already climbed 25% year to date. Is it still a buy ahead of the Oct. 29 earnings report?

Keep an eye on Copilot adoption

Microsoft launched its Copilot virtual assistant in early 2023. It was created using a combination of the company’s own AI models and those developed by its longtime partner OpenAI. The chatbot can be used for free in some of Microsoft’s flagship software products like Windows, Edge, and Bing, but it’s also available as a paid add-on for enterprise products like the 365 productivity suite.

Copilot can rapidly generate content in applications like Word and PowerPoint, autonomously transcribe meetings in Teams, and help users craft email replies in Outlook, so it has the potential to significantly increase productivity for enterprises. Microsoft says organizations around the world pay for over 400 million licenses for 365, all of which are candidates for the paid Copilot add-on, so the AI assistant could generate billions of dollars in recurring revenue for the company over the long term.

During the fiscal 2025 fourth quarter (ended June 30), Microsoft said several large customers expanded their Copilot adoption through 365. Barclays, for example, bought 100,000 licenses for its employees after running an initial test with 15,000, which implies a high degree of satisfaction with the assistant’s capabilities. This is the kind of information investors should look out for on Oct. 29, because it could be a predictor of future revenue.

But 365 isn’t Microsoft’s only enterprise opportunity when it comes to Copilot. There is Copilot Dragon, an innovative healthcare solution that autonomously documents millions of doctor-patient interactions, saving clinicians valuable time. Then there is Copilot Studio, a platform that allows businesses to create custom AI agents to automate workflows in any application, even those outside Microsoft’s ecosystem.

The most important segment to watch on Oct. 29

Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform operates hundreds of data centers spread across dozens of different regions around the world. They are fitted with the most advanced chips from suppliers like Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices, and businesses rent the computing capacity from Azure to power their AI training and AI inference workloads.

Microsoft also launched Azure AI Foundry earlier this year, which ties many of the cloud platform’s AI services together to form a holistic solution for enterprises. It can be used to turn raw data into documents, build AI chat applications, deploy AI software, perform multimodal content processing, and more. It also offers access to the latest large language models (LLMs) from third parties like OpenAI to accelerate AI development.

Azure is regularly the fastest-growing part of Microsoft’s entire business, but it surprised even the most bullish analysts during the fiscal 2025 fourth quarter when its revenue soared by a whopping 39% year over year. It was the fastest growth rate in three years, and it marked a significant acceleration from the 33% growth Azure generated in the third quarter just three months earlier.

Demand for data center capacity and Foundry were the key drivers of the incredible result, so this is where investors should focus most of their attention on Oct. 29.

Should you buy Microsoft stock before Oct. 29?

Microsoft stock isn’t cheap right now. It’s trading at a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 38.3, which is a 14% premium to its five-year average of 33.5. It’s also notably more expensive than the 33.3 P/E of the Nasdaq-100 index, which is home to many of Microsoft’s big-tech peers.

MSFT PE Ratio data by YCharts

As a result, investors who are looking for short-term gains over the next few months might be left disappointed. That doesn’t mean the stock is a bad buy ahead of Oct. 29, but investors who pull the trigger must be willing to hold it for the long term — preferably for three to five years — to maximize their chances of earning a positive return.

One single quarter is unlikely to shift Microsoft’s momentum in either direction, but as long as Copilot adoption continues to expand and Azure’s revenue growth maintains its recent momentum, investors will probably be glad this stock is in their portfolio.

Seth Jarvis scored his 100th and 101st NHL goals and added an assist, and the Carolina Hurricanes remained the NHL’s only unbeaten team with a 4-1 victory over the Ducks on Thursday night.

Alexander Nikishin scored his first NHL goal and Shayne Gostisbehere matched his career high with three assists for the Hurricanes, who improved to 4-0-0 with their second win to start a six-game trip.

Sebastian Aho had a goal and an assist and Frederik Andersen made 23 saves against his former team for Carolina. Jarvis scored the Canes’ first two goals, giving him five in four games during his sizzling start.

The Hurricanes reached the Eastern Conference finals last summer, and they appear loaded for another memorable season after outscoring their opponents 19-8 so far. Jarvis, Nikishin, Gostisbehere, Aho and Jackson Blake have all scored in each of Carolina’s first four games.

Leo Carlsson scored and Lukas Dostal stopped 27 shots for the Ducks in their first home defeat under new coach Joel Quenneville.

Carolina went ahead late in the first when Jarvis scored on a rebound after Gostisbehere intercepted Mikael Granlund’s poor pass. Jarvis added a power-play goal in the second, but Carlsson scored for the Ducks 70 seconds later.

Nikishin scored in the slot early in the third period. The promising 24-year-old Russian defenseman joined Carolina for four playoff games last summer, and he spent the summer learning English with a tutor before making the Canes’ opening-night lineup and racking up three assists in his first three regular-season games.

Aho scored his first goal of the season with 4:12 to play.

Oct. 17 (UPI) — More than 20 states are suing the Trump administration for rescinding $7 billion in Congress-approved funds to equip nearly 1 million homes in low-income and disadvantaged communities with solar power.

The lawsuit, filed Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, accuses the Environmental Protection Agency of breaching grant agreements by unilaterally terminated grants that had already been awarded.

“The administration is again targeting people struggling to get by in America, this time by gutting programs that help low-income households afford electricity, Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown said in a statement.

“Congress passed a solar energy program to help make electricity costs more affordable, but the administration is ignoring the law and focused on the conspiracy theory that climate change is a hoax.

The Solar for All program was established with the passage of the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act in 2022, which included a $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund for the EPA to administer.

Using that Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, Congress appropriated $7 billion for the EPA to make grants, loans and financial assistance available for low-income and disadvantaged communities to benefit from zero-emission technologies, including solar power.

In April 2024, the EPA announced it had selected 60 applicants to receive the grants. By August of that year, the EPA had awarded program funds to states and other grant recipients.

But in August, the EPA, under the Trump administration, ended the program and reclaimed about 90% of the funds already awarded.

The 22 states, along with the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, are accusing the Trump administration of violating the Administrative Procedure Act, which governs how administrative agencies operate, and the Constitution’s separation of powers doctrine by canceling the program.

The plaintiffs allege that the EPA is using an “erroneous interpretation” of H.R. 1, which the Trump administration calls the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, passed by Congress in July, to justify the termination of the grants.

The states on Wednesday also filed a complaint in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims to recover damages caused by the alleged breach of the grant agreements.

Earlier this month, a coalition of solar energy companies, labor unions and homeowners sued the EPA over the termination of the grants.

According to visitors, the ‘hidden gem’ is “pure magic” and has “stunning views”

A “hidden gem” in the UK has been hailed as a “bucket list must-see” by visitors. Nestled in Porthcurno, Cornwall, the tranquil spot is celebrated for its ‘stunning views.’

The Minack Theatre, perched on the cliffs of South-West Cornwall, hosts live performances throughout the year, including plays, musicals, opera, music and children’s events. While the theatre may look as if it’s been here forever, it’s actually less than a hundred years old.

The theatre, built by Rowena Cade, has been labelled “pure magic” and “breathtaking” by visitors. While it’s a well-known treasure among locals, the Minack Theatre offers a serene escape for those from further afield.

The TikTok account @ukhiddengems posted a video highlighting the beauty of the theatre. The caption read: “Did you know about this place in England?”

In the clip, they said: “There’s a theatre in England built into the edge of a cliff and when the tide comes in, the ocean becomes the stage. It looks ancient like something the Romans might have left behind, but it was actually built less than a century ago, almost entirely by one woman.

“In the 1930s Rowena Cade carved this open-air theatre into the granite cliffs with her own hands, hauling stone and sand from the beach below. Today, it’s one of the most spectacular performance spaces in the world; a full working theatre with the Atlantic Ocean as its backdrop.

“You can sit on stone seats cut from the rock, watch waves crash beneath the stage and see plays under open skies, with gulls flying overhead. At sunset, when the light turns gold across the sea, it’s pure magic.”

TripAdvisor reviewers have also been praising the theatre, which has racked up an impressive 4.7 star rating. Among them, one person said: “Wow what a place! Little gem hidden away in Cornwall. Well worth going to take a look and take in the views. There was also a performance from a band with instramental which we sat and watched for a while. The views are unbelievable here!!”

A second wrote: “Stunning views, gardens and hospitality and entrance fee good value. Loved the effort made to tell the story and it made my trip to Cornwall.” A third review read: “Utterly breathtaking. We went on March 20th as part of a bucket list and we were not disappointed. Reading the astonishing history of this special place was in itself incredible. Seeing it in real life was amazing, we have vowed to book tickets for a performance.”

Another said: “What a beautiful place to visit! The views are breathtaking and can make some beautiful photos. I love the history of this and learning a wonderful women and her gardeners built this beautiful place when it was just a patch of grass, it’s crazy as it looks like it could be built by the Romans!”

The praise continued, with one person writing: “A truly incredible and beautiful place. All the passion and hard work by Rowena Cade and all those who worked alongside her can really be felt here. One of the most breathtaking places I have ever had coffee and cake and entry fee not extortionately expensive either. Pre booking is essential though. A bucket list must see.”

The Minack Theatre is open until December 31 and booking is essential for anyone hoping to visit. Local residents go free, but there is an entry fee for anyone else. Tickets include free readmission to the theatre for 12 months from the date of first entry.

The theatre is open for visits from 10am. Last admission may vary, depending on performance schedule, so it is worth checking opening times before you visit. The site is steep and includes many steps. It is open to the elements and surfaces may be slippery in wet weather.

Getty Images

‘This represents hope’

BBC Breakfast presenters Charlie Stayt and Naga Munchetty paid tribute to a late rock star on the show following news of his death

BBC Breakfast launched Friday’s programme (17 October) with heartbreaking news about a beloved rock legend’s passing, as the show delivered a touching tribute.

Charlie Stayt and Naga Munchetty returned to screens with another jam-packed edition of BBC Breakfast, packed with various interviews, news bulletins, and weather forecasts.

Just moments into Friday’s broadcast, Charlie and Naga revealed the tragic news of KISS guitarist Ace Frehley’s death, who died aged 74 on 16 October.

The musician, whose real name was Paul Daniel Frehley, was famous for his Spaceman character and served as a founding member of the American group, along with singer and guitarist Paul Stanley, bassist Gene Simmons, and drummer Peter Criss.

“Tributes have been paid to one of the founding members of the band KISS. Paul ‘Ace’ Frehley, who has died at the age of 74,” Charlie revealed on BBC Breakfast.

A compilation featuring multiple clips of Ace was subsequently shown, whilst Charlie added: “He was known for guitar solos and he wore the Spaceman outfit from the band’s formation in 1973 until he left the band in 1982.

“He later rejoined in the late 1990s. His bandmates Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley called him ‘an essential and irreplaceable rock soldier’.”

Ace’s passing was confirmed on Thursday evening through a statement issued by his family. He leaves behind his wife, Jeanette, and his daughter, Monique, reports the Express.

“We are completely devastated and heartbroken. In his last moments, we were fortunate enough to have been able to surround him with loving, caring, peaceful words, thoughts, prayers, and intentions as he left this earth,” the statement read.

The family continued: “We cherish all of his finest memories, his laughter, and celebrate his strengths and kindness that he bestowed upon others. The magnitude of his passing is of epic proportions and beyond comprehension.

“Reflecting on all of his incredible life achievements, Ace’s memory will continue to live on forever!”

Meanwhile, Ace’s bandmates Paul and Gene issued a joint statement, which read: “We are devastated by the passing of Ace Frehley.

“He was an essential and irreplaceable rock soldier during some of the most formative foundational chapters of the band and its history. He is and will always be a part of KISS’s legacy.”

BBC Breakfast airs at 6am daily on BBC One.

You probably think of the money in your retirement accounts as yours, but if you have traditional IRAs or 401(k)s, it’s not that straightforward. You owe the IRS a cut of your savings, and at a certain point, it forces you to start taking required minimum distributions (RMDs). These are mandatory annual withdrawals that you must pay taxes on.

If you’re new to RMDs, they can seem a little intimidating. Failing to withdraw the required amount results in a steep 25% tax penalty on the amount you should’ve withdrawn, so it’s important to know how to calculate yours correctly. Let’s look at the example of a retirement account with a $500,000 balance.

Image source: Getty Images.

Three situations where you don’t have to take an RMD

You won’t have to take an RMD from your retirement account if any of the following are true:

• You’re under age 73: RMDs begin in the year you turn 73. If you turn 73 in 2025, you technically have until April 1, 2026 to take your first RMD. In all subsequent years, you must take RMDs no later than Dec. 31 of that year.
• It’s a Roth account: You fund Roth accounts with after-tax dollars, so you can enjoy tax-free withdrawals in retirement. Because of this, the government has no incentive to force you to take money out each year.
• The account is associated with your current employer: If you’re still working, you can delay RMDs from your current employer’s retirement plan until the year after the year you retire. However, you still have to take RMDs from old 401(k)s and traditional IRAs,if you have any.

If none of these things apply to you, then you will need to take an RMD. Fortunately, they’re not too difficult to calculate.

How to calculate your RMD on a $500,000 account

You calculate your RMD using the balance as of Dec. 31 of the previous year — Dec. 31, 2024 for your 2025 RMD. If you don’t know what your balance was at that time, you may need to look it up or speak to your plan administrator.

Once you know the amount, all you need to do is divide that by the distribution period next to your age in the IRS’ Uniform Lifetime Table. The result is your RMD.

So, for example, if you had $500,000 in your 401(k) as of Dec. 31, 2024 and you turned 73 in 2025, your RMD would be $500,000 divided by 27.4 — the distribution period for 73-year-olds. That comes out to about $18,248.

You’re free to take out more than this if you’d like. But this is the minimum amount you must withdraw in order to avoid the 25% penalty.

What if you don’t want to take your RMD?

Avoiding mandatory withdrawals generally isn’t worth it. The 25% penalty will likely cost you more than what you would’ve paid in income taxes if you’d just taken the RMD as scheduled.

That said, sometimes you may not want to deal with the extra taxes an RMD can bring. In that case, consider making a qualifying charitable distribution (QCD). This is where you ask your plan administrator to send an amount equal to your RMD or a portion of it to a qualifying tax-exempt organization.

The money must go directly to the charity. If the plan administrator distributes it to you first, it does not count, even if you give it all away to charitable causes. Done properly, the IRS won’t tax you on this retirement account withdrawal, and it’ll consider your RMD satisfied for the year.

The maximum QCD you can make in 2025 is $108,000. This should be more than enough for most people.

You may have already spent an amount equal to your RMD on living expenses this year. In that case, you’re in the clear until next year. Check with your plan administrator if you’re unsure how much you’ve already withdrawn from your accounts in 2025. If you come up a little short, be sure to make some more withdrawals in the next few weeks.

Naomi Osaka has pulled out of the Japan Open before Friday’s quarter-final because of a leg injury sustained in the second round.

The former world number one held back tears and needed painkillers to come through a three-set last-16 win over defending champion Suzan Lamens on Wednesday.

Top seed Osaka, who completed the match with strapping on her left thigh, was due to face Jaqueline Cristian in the last eight but the Romanian will instead progress to the semi-finals.

The Japan Open made the announcement on X, saying: “We regret to announce that Naomi Osaka has not recovered from a left leg injury sustained during the second round of this tournament and has withdrawn from the quarter-finals scheduled for today.”

It is not yet known whether Osaka will play in the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo later this month.

The four-time Grand Slam champion is the latest high-profile player to suffer late-season injury issues.

In September, Iga Swiatek complained the season is “too long and too intense” following a string of injuries among players at the China Open.

British number one Emma Raducanu called time on her season on Thursday after retiring from her two previous matches with illness.

Australia’s Daria Kasatkina, Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina and Spain’s Paula Badosa also ended their seasons early in recent weeks.

Across two tournaments in China last week, five players retired injured.

Past visits by top leaders to Yasukuni, which honours convicted war criminals, have angered Japan’s neighbours.

The new leader of Japan’s governing party, Sanae Takaichi, has decided not to visit a controversial World War II shrine in Tokyo, as uncertainty remains over whether she will be appointed prime minister ahead of a visit by United States President Donald Trump before the end of the month.

Takaichi, 64, seen as an arch-conservative from the right of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), has previously visited the Yasukuni Shrine, including as a government minister.

However, Takaichi opted on Friday to send an offering, and reports said she was likely to refrain from visiting in order not to antagonise the country’s neighbours whom Imperial Japan had occupied and committed atrocities against in the first half of the 20th century.

Past visits by top leaders to Yasukuni, which honours convicted war criminals, have angered China and South Korea. The last visit by a Japanese premier was in 2013 by the late Shinzo Abe, Takaichi’s mentor.

Takaichi’s decision not to visit the shrine came as Japan’s former Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama, best known for making a statement apologising for atrocities Japan committed in Asia over the course of World War II, died aged 101.

Murayama, in office from 1994 to 1996, issued the 1995 “Murayama statement” on the 50th anniversary of Japan’s unconditional surrender.

Murayama died on Friday at a hospital in his hometown, Oita, in southwestern Japan, according to a statement from Mizuho Fukushima, head of Japan’s Social Democratic Party (SDP).

Hiroyuki Takano, secretary-general of the SDP in Oita, told the AFP news agency he had been informed that Murayama died of old age.

Political wrangling

Takaichi became LDP leader on October 4, but her aim to become Japan’s first female prime minister was derailed after the LDP’s coalition partner of 26 years, the Komeito party, pulled the plug on their alliance last week.

The LDP is now in talks about forming a different alliance, boosting Takaichi’s chances of becoming premier in a parliamentary vote that local media reports said will likely happen on Tuesday.

The clock is ticking for Takaichi to become Japan’s fifth prime minister in as many years with Trump’s impending visit.

Details of Washington and Tokyo’s trade deal remain unresolved and Trump – who had warm relations with Abe in his first term – wants Japan to stop Russian energy imports and boost defence spending.

Komeito said that the LDP has failed to tighten rules on party funding following a damaging slush fund scandal involving dodgy payments of millions of dollars.

The LDP this week began talks on forming a new coalition with the Japan Innovation Party instead.

The two parties would be two seats short of a majority but the alliance would still likely ensure that Takaichi succeeds in becoming premier.

A spanner in the works could be if opposition parties agreed on a rival candidate but talks earlier this week appeared to make little headway.

More talks were due to take place on Friday.

State of emergency to be declared in capital as protests that led to last week’s ouster of former president intensify.

Peru’s new president, Jose Jeri, is refusing to resign amid Gen Z antigovernment protests, inflamed by the death of a popular rapper, as crime grips the nation.

The government said late on Thursday that a state of emergency would be declared in the capital, Lima, as the prosecutor’s office announced it was investigating the previous day’s killing of 32-year-old protester and hip-hop singer Eduardo Ruiz in a mass demonstration.

Peru’s police chief, General Oscar Arriola, said that Luis Magallanes, a member of the force, was believed to have fired the bullet and had subsequently been detained and dismissed from his job. Arriola added that Magallanes was being treated in hospital after being physically assaulted.

Ruiz was the first person to die in the protests, which began a month ago with calls for better pensions and wages for young people and later became a lightning rod for broader frustrations with crime and corruption, culminating in the ouster of former President Dina Boluarte last week.

On Wednesday, thousands massed around the country, with hundreds clashing with police outside Congress in Lima, as they called on recently appointed Jeri, the seventh president in less than a decade, to resign.

“My responsibility is to maintain the stability of the country; that is my responsibility and my commitment,” Jeri told the local media after visiting Peru’s parliament, where he said he would request powers to combat crime.

Jeri expressed regret over Ruiz’s death in a post on X, saying the death would be “objectively” investigated. He blamed violence on “delinquents who infiltrated a peaceful demonstration to sow chaos”.

“The full force of the law will be on them,” he wrote.

Reporting from Lima, Al Jazeera’s Mariana Sanchez said that Ruiz’s death had “added another layer to the ongoing political crisis” in the country and had “angered even more Peruvians who are frustrated with the corruption, with the insecurity in the country”.

“He was peacefully hanging out with his friends. Unfortunately, the bullet hit his chest. We want justice for him,” activist Milagros Samillan told Al Jazeera.

The prosecutor’s office wrote on X that it had ordered the removal of Ruíz’s body from a Lima hospital and the “collection of audiovisual and ballistic evidence in the area where the incident occurred, in the context of serious human rights violations”.

Newly appointed interior minister, Vicente Tiburcio, said that 89 police and 22 civilians had been injured during Wednesday’s protest and 11 people were detained.

ACTOR Kevin Spacey sexually assaulted a man despite being told, “No, this is not right”, court documents allege.

The star is being sued at the High Court by the man known only as LNP, who says he suffered pain, anxiety and distress.

Elizabeth-Anne Gumbel, for LNP, says in papers filed at the court that the alleged assaults happened on about 12 occasions from 2000 to 2005.

She says: “Mr Spacey would place his own hand on the claimant’s leg without consent.

“The claimant would attempt to remove the hand and say, ‘No, this is not right’.”

She called it a “breach of trust and exploitation by a powerful man in a position of responsibility on a much younger man”.

READ MORE ON KEVIN SPACEY

CANCELLED STAR RETURNS

Hollywood outcast Kevin Spacey plots shock comeback as hotel singer

WATCH THIS SPACEY

Kevin Spacey’s cunning Hollywood comeback plan as A-list star backs actor

Ms Gumbel said that LNP had suffered “pain and suffering at the time of the abuse itself, which was exacerbated by feelings of embarrassment, shame, dirtiness and confusion”.

He also suffered “anxiety and distress and mild post-traumatic symptoms from the abuse”.

She said: “The assaults were committed in circumstances of breach of trust and exploitation by a powerful man in a position of responsibility on a much younger man.

“The claimant seeks to claim aggravated damages.”

Oscar-winner Spacey, 66, has previously denied allegations of inappropriate behaviour and wrongdoing.

He has yet to file a defence to the claim.

Oct. 16 (UPI) — A federal judge in Chicago ruled Thursday that immigration agents must begin wearing body cameras to record their actions during enforcement operations.

U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis issued the order in federal court in Chicago after reports of immigration agents clashing with residents of the city’s Southeast Side, incidents that ended with officers spraying people with tear gas and other chemical agents.

Ellis’ decision comes following a temporary restraining order that she issued on Oct. 9 restricting immigration agents’ use of non-lethal weapons on civilians.

“I am profoundly disappointed about what has been happening over the last week since I entered this order,” Ellis said, the Chicago Sun Times reported. “I live in Chicago, if folks haven’t noticed, and I’m not blind, right? So, I don’t live in a cave. I have a phone. I have a TV. I have a computer and I tend to get news.”

Ellis said she believes the Trump administration is not following her orders to stand down on the clashes, which is causing her “serious concerns,” she said.

Ellis said Thursday that she will expand her restraining order to require all federal agents who are part of Operation Midway Blitz, and who wear body cameras, to have them on when encountering protesters.

She initially required all immigration agents to wear body cameras, but moderated after a Trump administration attorney said equipping all officers to wear cameras was logistically impossible and would be cost prohibitive.

The Justice Department continued in opposition, saying it would be challenging to review body camera footage of every officer in response to every allegation.

Ellis issued the restraining order after a group of local journalists and protesters sued the Trump administration, alleging that agents targeted people engaging in peaceful protests, including multiple reporters who claimed they were shot with pepper balls despite being identified as members of the media.

Ellis ordered a Homeland Security official to appear in court on Monday to discuss the matter.

According to local reports, Ellis ordered a top Homeland Security official to appear in court on Monday to address the issue.

Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt remains closed as Trump threatens Hamas over gang clashes.

Kelly Reichardt’s watchful cinema is one of the indie world’s most exquisite bounties, a space for pioneers (“Meek’s Cutoff,” “First Cow”), artists (“Showing Up”) and wanderers (“Old Joy,” “Wendy and Lucy”) who command your attention the way an ER waiting room does, lingering tensely.

One might not consider a heist film in such anthropological terms. And yet “The Mastermind,” Reichardt’s latest and one of her best, while set in motion by a daylight art grab orchestrated by Josh O’Connor’s middle-class Massachusetts suburbanite, is another precisely turned Reichardt movie: honest, sad, funny and inherently philosophical about our engagement with the world. As you might expect, it’s really about the crime’s aftermath, our cut from this robbery being a deft, fascinating character study rooted in an apathy that’s starkly juxtaposed with the restive year it’s set in: 1970.

By the look of things, preppy, soft-spoken James Mooney (O’Connor), an unemployed carpenter, isn’t obvious criminal material, no matter what composer Ray Mazurek’s propulsive, horn-forward jazz score might imply. James cases his local art museum, often with his unwitting wife, Teri (Alana Haim), and two young boys in tow. Otherwise, James is just a distracted dad, checked-out husband and disappointing son living off the status and largesse of his parents, an esteemed judge (Bill Camp) and a society mother (Hope Davis).

Still, based solely on the error-prone heist — it’s been ages since pantyhose masks seemed so ridiculous — thievery isn’t this spoiled man’s strong suit either. (You didn’t think that title was respectful, did you?) When he’s stashing the stolen paintings later in a farmhouse’s hayloft and accidentally knocks the ladder out from under him, the moment is amusing and appropriately metaphorical.

Reichardt is laying bare a privileged man’s half-assed delinquency, especially with O’Connor so hypnotic at conveying self-absorbed cluelessness with his woeful eyes, posture and movement. As the movie then hits the road for his escape, the early fall colors of Christopher Blauvelt’s cinematography shift to gray tones and darker interiors, and James’ vibe is less rebel eluding capture — even if a pal he visits (John Magaro) expresses admiration — than alienated loser leaving behind a mess, an assessment radiating from Gaby Hoffmann as Magaro’s wife. The bebop groove abandons James, too, slowing into jagged drum solos.

The last contextual indignity are the details of the period itself: Nixon posters, anti-war signs, Vietnam footage on televisions, a protest march. Unforced but ever-present in Reichardt’s mise-en-scène, they remind us that this bored aesthete’s misadventure is an especially empty way to buck conformity. When good trouble beckons, why pick the bad kind?

One can even detect, in this brilliant, captivating Reichardt gem about fortune and fate, a what-if attached to her disaffected male protagonist: Would today’s version of James, just as adrift and arrogant, steal art to assuage his emptiness? Or, thanks to the internet, succeed at something much worse? “The Mastermind” may be an ironic title as heists go. But it also hints at the male-pattern badness still to come.

Winning tip: rediscovering Interrail 45 years on

I went Interrailing at 16 – so decided to do it again at 61! My wife and I bought our passes for all of Europe (under £500 for one-month unlimited rail trips) and it was great to rediscover the sense of freedom and adventure travelling by train gave. Having a romantic dinner in Paris, getting on the night train and having coffee and croissants for breakfast in Nice on the Côte d’Azur for example. I corrected the teenage mistake of trying to do too much and see too many places so we lingered longer in places such as Poland and Romania, soaking up the atmosphere in Wrocław and Bucharest. It was interesting to compare the speed, quality and comfort of train services too. We found that sometimes slow travel was better – like when we got on the wrong train from Rome to Naples, allowing us to appreciate the scenery, locals and way of life of people who were not in a hurry. The trip was a learning experience at 61 as much as it had been at 16.
Peter

Flight and fancy-free, cycling from Saint-Malo to Nice

In pursuit of a flight-free adventure, we packed our bikes (and several panniers) on to the Eurostar for a three-week cycling trip across France. Our initial worries about sore legs and flat tyres quickly faded away as we pedalled along comfortable cycle lanes in the picturesque French countryside, fuelled by village boulangeries and cold local beer. We covered 1,040 miles from Saint-Malo to Nice via the Dordogne, staying in B&Bs or rented apartments each night (from £100 per night). Highlights included stops for refreshing swims in rivers, avoiding airport chaos, and proving that holidays in your 60s can be active and fun.
Karen and Andrew

I put away the atlas and had the time of my life in Powys

I turned 60 in 2015. With one eye on my pension settlement and another on the atlas, I dreamed of travelling the world, staying in breathtaking locations with stupendous views. I never realised that the most rewarding stay would be in a tiny cabin in Clyro, Powys. Was it the compact design, the comfortable bed, the picture windows framed by woods and pasture? Partly, but more importantly I learned how little I needed to feel happy and comfortable. In this beautiful woodland setting, within walking distance of a pub and not too far from twee little Hay-on-Wye, I had everything I needed.
Linda

I went to Japan for the cherry blossom – and saw it at its peak

At 69, I embarked on an 18-day solo adventure across Japan. My goal was to witness the cherry blossom, and I saw it at its peak. Starting in Osaka, my journey led me through Kyoto, Kobe, Okayama, Kurashiki and finally Tokyo. I wandered through historic gardens unchanged for centuries, admired weeping cherry trees along riverbanks, and watched sakura reflections dance across still ponds. Every path seemed lined with blossom, and side trips to shrines, temples and castles deepened the sense of timeless wonder.
Marilisa Fiorani

Squabbles and giggles from London to San Sebastián

Five female friends from York to Brighton, collected over 54 years from university, between 74 and 84, do rail trips round Europe. Last year we did London to Paris, staying in La Rochelle, Bordeaux and San Sebastián. We are like an extended marriage, dipping in and out of shared history, politics, and to disagree and insult each other with only temporary hurt. It takes months of planning, each person booking accommodation or part of the rail journey – which is where the Man in Seat 61 is so helpful. We are three vegetarians, two meat eaters, four fish eaters, two teetotallers. At an amazing fish restaurant in La Rochelle, one of the two vegetarians asked: “Couldn’t you do us an omelette?” The waiter chased them away rather angrily, but the rest of us had delicious seafood with good wine. In La Rochelle we disagreed over the way to the Airbnb. Running late, we were greeted with applause by the owner’s mother, who had spotted five old ladies with backpacks and wheelie suitcases from many metres away!
Sue

Brittany on two wheels is heaven

Earlier this summer, at 64, I used a 22-year-old van conversion as a base for exploring Brittany’s Gulf of Morbihan by bicycle. Pedalling along deserted lanes and canal paths, I discovered picture-book villages and towns, tidal creeks, coastal cliffs and ancient woodlands. I came across dolmens and menhirs, medieval castles and Nazi bunkers, and took ferries to car-free islands with empty beaches and incredible views. I rode to creperies for lunch and restaurants for dinner, ate like a king and slept like a baby. For a 64-year-old on two wheels, Brittany is nothing short of heaven.
Kelvin Atkins

Bewildering but beautiful Baku, Azerbaijan

The old town in Baku, Azerbaijan, is a bewildering labyrinth of alleys and roads, all packed inside fortified walls. Islamic, Russian colonial and post-independence influences merge in the architecture. A palace, mosques, museums, galleries and caravanserais are jammed together in delightful disarray. One highlight is the Maiden Tower, certainly 12th century and possibly once a Zoroastrian fire temple. The Philharmonic Garden, just beyond the wall, provides a calming green space. We enjoyed our stay at the Two Seasons boutique hotel in Sabir Street, and would recommend it.
Alex

I left my comfort zone for Turkmenistan

Visiting five former-Soviet “stans” in 34 days was destined to be challenging, regardless of age. But when you’re a pampered, weak-bladdered 65-year-old, yurt camps with outdoor toilets and shared facilities in family homes were not within my comfort zone. Crossing into countries with difficult neighbouring relationships proved time-consuming, with Turkmenistan, one of the world’s least visited countries, involving copious paperwork, expensive visas and, in June 2024, a Covid test. There was no ideal time to visit, and temperatures ranged from 40C to -10C at night. However, stunning scenery, friendly people and ubiquitous plov (a rice-based pilaf), meant I not only survived the trip but thoroughly loved it.
Helen Jackson

A trek to a holy valley in Nepal

In 2017, aged 69 and with friends, I took an eight-hour minibus journey from Kathmandu then walked for four days to get to the Tsum valley, a remote Himalayan valley close to the Nepalese border with Tibet. The path was about 3,000 metres high and was surrounded by the 7,000-metre peaks of the Ganesh Himāl; we found people living without mechanisation, roads, vehicles or wifi. Buddhists regard it as a beyul, a hidden and holy refuge to be discovered when it is feared the planet is approaching destruction and the world has become too corrupt for spiritual practice. It seemed an appropriate place to be, then and now. I planned the journey using Kathmandu-based trekking company Beyond the Limits.
Michael Wilson

Pedalling through Portugal’s Alentejo

My friend and I are both in our early 60s and love cycling in Portugal. It’s safe, has bicycle-considerate drivers and we always meet lovely, helpful local people. In September, we began our self-mapped tour in the southern Alentejo town of Évora, pedalling our way through remote, beautiful, rolling countryside, to our final destination of Olhão with its beautiful beaches, on the Algarve’s eastern coast.
Ruth Morris

Available for over a year

It’s a bit of a mad one with Wayne this episode that includes Liverpool v Man Utd chat, his birthday weekend, opinions on England and Marcus Rashford, and meet-ups with 50 Cent and Ed Sheeran.

Wayne takes us inside his 40th birthday bash, but who did he dress up as? Which songs did he belt out on karaoke? And who ended up with a nasty injury?

Musician and Liverpool fan Jamie Webster joins Wayne, Kelly and Kae to discuss why their rivalry with Manchester United is the biggest in English football. But who is this match more important for: Arne Slot or Ruben Amorim?

Jamie’s appearance on the show leads to a number of musical revelations from Wayne: how did he end up on stage with 50 Cent? And Why did Coleen have to step in when he tried to change an Ed Sheeran song?

Wayne gives his thoughts on England’s World Cup qualification and explains why he’s pleased the players are less certain of their places under Thomas Tuchel. He also has strong words for Marcus Rashford’s recent comments about the “inconsistent environment” at Old Trafford not helping his form.

Meanwhile, we discover what led Wayne and Jermain Defoe to watch his entire wedding DVD together while they were away at the 2010 World Cup and what was Wayne gutted to find out on the last day at Glastonbury?

You can watch The Wayne Rooney Show on BBC Sport YouTube, iPlayer, as well as listen on BBC Sounds.

Programme WebsiteShow less

Oct. 16 (UPI) — With less than three weeks before New Yorkers head to the polls to select the city’s 111th mayor, candidates Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani, Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa and independent Andrew Cuomo squared off for a heated debate Thursday night in Manhattan.

Though a trio of candidates stood before lecterns at WNBC’s 30 Rockefeller Center studios, the debate was mainly a fight between Mamdani, the New York City assemblyman leading in the polls, and Cuomo, the former governor of New York State, leaving Sliwa, founder of the nonprofit crime prevention Guardian Angels organization, trying to enter the fray.

Leadership

Cuomo, who left the New York governor’s mansion in August 2021 amid sexual harassment allegations, was quick to attack Mamdani, saying the New York assemblyman’s inexperience makes him unfit to oversee a 300,000-employee city workforce and a multi-billion-dollar budget.

“This is no job for on-the-job training,” he said. “And if you look at the failed mayors they’re ones that have no management experience. Don’t do it again.”

Mamdani, in rebuttal, attempted to frame Cuomo as an out-of-touch politician backed by wealthy donors, while pointing to his successes in the state’s assembly as proof of his own experience.

The former governor said Mamdani’s answer was proof of his lack of experience — and a lack of experience in leading New York could have deadly consequences.

“This is not a job for a first timer,” Cuomo said. “Any day you could have a hurricane, God forbid, a 9/11, a health pandemic. If you don’t know what you’re doing people will die.”

“If we have a health pandemic, then why would New Yorkers turn back to the governor who sent seniors to their deaths in nursing homes?” Mamdani replied, referring to a public scandal over how Cuomo’s administration handled COVID-19 in nursing homes and other elder-care facilities.

Sliwa, who has taken a tough-on-crime stance, attempted to interject into the conversation, at one point telling the moderators that he was being “marginalized.”

He then attempted to set himself apart from the two men who have held political seats, by emphasizing that he is not a politican, and referring to Cuomo as the “architect” and Mamdani the “apprentice.”

“Thank God I’m not a professional politician because they have helped create this crime crisis in the city that we face and I will resolve [it],” he said.

President Donald Trump

President Donald Trump’s presence and ongoing immigration crackdown have loomed large over the race and ahve put a greater spotlight on Mamdani, who was recently little known outside of the city, as the American leader has called him and his left-leaning policies out on social media.

Asked what he would say to Trump in their first phone call, Mamdani said he would tell the American leader that he is willing to work with him to help raise the living standards of New Yorkers, but if that he seeks to cut funds to the city “he’s going to have to get through me as the next mayor.”

Cuomo similarly offered that he’d like to work with Trump “but Number One, I will fight you every step of the way if you try to hurt New York.”

Sliwa criticized both candidates for trying to act “tough” when doing so would only end up hurting New Yorkers.

“They want to take on Donald Trump. Look, you can be tough, but you can’t be tough if its going to cost people desperately needed federal funds,” he said, stating he would sit down with the president and negotiate.

“But if you try to get tough with Trump, the only people who are going to suffer from that are the people of New York City.”

Israel-Hamas

With the first phase of the Israel-Hamas cease-fire deal underway, moderators called on Mamdani to clarify previous statements he has made about the Palestinian militant group specifically about whether it should disarm.

In response, Mamdani said he was “proud” to be among the first New York elected officials to call for a cease-fire, which he defined as meaning “all parties have to cease fire and put down their weapons.”

Sliwa then jumped in to chastise Cuomo and Mamdani for neither applauding Trump for securing the cease-fire deal.

Cuomo then rebutted that he did applaud Trump and his administration, using the topic to accuse Mamdani and his stance against Israel’s occupation of the West Bank as coded language meaning “Israel does not have a right to exist as a Jewish state.”

Mamdani then clapped back that “occupation” is an international legal term that “Mr. Cuomo has no regard for” as he has joined the legal defense team of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in their fight against arrest warrants at the International Criminal Court.

He was then pressed on his previous reluctance to condemn the use of the phrase “globalize the intifada,” which to some is a pro-Palestinian slogan of resistance against oppression and to others as encouragement of violence against Jews.

Sliwa also lashed out at Mamdani, stating “Jews don’t trust you’re going to be there for them when they are victims of anti-Semitic attacks.”

The second mayoral debate is scheduled for Oct. 22.

Early voting opens Oct. 25. The election is to be held Nov. 4.

Here are the key events from day 1,331 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Here is how things stand on Friday, October 17, 2025:

Fighting

• Russian war correspondent Ivan Zuyev has been killed by a Ukrainian drone strike while on assignment on the front line of the war in southern Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, his publication, state news agency RIA said. Zuyev’s colleague, Yuri Voitkevich, was seriously wounded in the attack.

• Russia launched a large armoured assault with more than 20 armoured vehicles near the eastern Ukrainian town of Dobropillia, Ukraine’s Azov brigade said, adding that its forces repelled the attack.
• Russia’s Defence Ministry said its forces carried out a massive overnight strike on Ukrainian gas infrastructure which supports Kyiv’s military, in retaliation for what it said were Ukrainian attacks on civilian infrastructure.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia launched a barrage of more than 300 drones and 37 missiles in that attack. Ukraine’s state grid operator, Ukrenergo, has also introduced emergency power cuts in every region of the country.
• Ukraine struck Russia’s Saratov oil refinery overnight, the Ukrainian military general staff said in a statement on Telegram.
• Some 84,000 people are still without power in the Russian-held part of Ukraine’s Kherson region after Ukrainian strikes this week on energy infrastructure, according to Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-appointed governor of the region.
• Alexei Likhachev, the head of Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom, said a decision could be taken as early as Friday on a pause in fighting to enable repairs to power lines at the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station in Ukraine.
• North Korean troops based in Russia are operating drones across the border into Ukraine on reconnaissance missions, the Ukrainian military said, the first time Kyiv has reported a battlefield role for North Koreans in months.

Ceasefire talks

• In a surprise move, US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed to another summit on the war in Ukraine after the leaders held a more than two-hour phone conversation. Trump and Putin may meet within the next two weeks in Budapest, Hungary, Trump said after the conversation, which he called productive.
• The Kremlin confirmed plans for the meeting, adding that Putin told Trump on the call that supplying US Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine would harm the peace process and damage ties.
• US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will speak in the coming days to prepare the summit, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said, adding that the timing would depend on how preparatory work progressed.
• The development came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was headed to the White House on Friday to push for more military support. Zelenskyy said on the eve of those talks that momentum in the Middle East peace process would help end his country’s more than three-year-old war with Russia.

Europe

• The European Commission has proposed four flagship European defence projects, including a counter-drone system and a plan to fortify the eastern border, as part of a drive to get the continent ready to defend itself by 2030.
• The proposals, in a defence policy “roadmap”, reflect fears fuelled by the war in Ukraine that Russia may attack an EU member in the coming years, and calls by President Trump for Europe to do more for its own security.

Sanctions

• Britain has targeted Russia’s two largest oil companies, Lukoil and Rosneft, and 44 shadow fleet tankers in what it described as a new bid to tighten energy sanctions and choke off Kremlin revenues. Lukoil and Rosneft were designated under Britain’s Russia sanctions laws for their role in supporting the Russian government. They are subject to an asset freeze, director disqualification, transport restrictions, and a ban on British trust services.
• German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he would call for the European Union to use Russian assets frozen in the West to provide a large loan to Ukraine to finance its war effort at the upcoming EU summit on October 23.
• Canada and Britain have expressed interest in working on the EU idea of a reparations loan for Ukraine based on immobilised Russian assets, European Economic Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis told the Reuters news agency on the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund meetings in Washington.
• Dombrovskis said he presented the idea of the EU loan, which could be up to 185bn euros ($216.5bn) over two years, to G7 finance ministers.

Zack Polanski, the Green Party Leader, had called Zia Yusuf, of Reform UK, “a fascist” on Question Time on the BBC last week, and he was asked about this on The Jeremy Vine Show

Green Party leader Zack Polanski made a thinly veiled goad at Reform UK’s Zia Yusuf.

The 42-year-old politician, who became leader of the party last month, said he feels the Greens’ popularity has surged recently because, in part, of his honesty and desire to challenge issues. He had clashed with Mr Yusuf, who is Nigel Farage’s top aide, during last week’s Question Time, during which Mr Polanski called the politician “a fascist”.

And Mr Polanski, from Salford, Greater Manchester, was interrogated about this on by Jeremy Vine on his Channel 5 show this week. The Green Party leader said: “The reason why we are surging in the polls and the reason why we are getting so many members is because if something walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, I’ll call it a duck, and actually Nigel Farage, when he worked in the European Parliament, used to join forces with the Swedish Democrats.”

He later used the term “far right” in his response to Mr Vine, which led to a furious reaction from fellow panelist Carole Malone on Wednesday. The journalist and columnist said: “How dare you throw words like ‘Nazi’ around? Do you even know what that means? You are just going to let Reform get more votes by talking like that.”

READ MORE: Sarah Ferguson’s aide speaks out on ‘menacing’ Jeffrey Epstein threat to ‘destroy’ familyREAD MORE: Gasps as BBC Question Time guest challenges Reform UK’s Zia Yusuf on immigration

But Mr Polanski hit back at Ms Malone, describing her response as “faux outrage” and bringing the discussion onto immigration. He made the point he feels there are no “safe and legal routes” for anyone to reach the UK.

The topic came up on The Jeremy Vine Show after Mr Polanski was praised for his work on Question Time last week. He sat alongside the likes of Mr Yusuf, Tory MP Nigel Huddleston and journalist Annabel Denham in Shrewsbury, Shropshire.

Audience members applauded Mr Polanski when he accused the Reform politician of “spreading misinformation and fear” during a discussion, sparked by a guest challenging Mr Yusuf not to use the word “immigration” for the whole of the programme.

But Mr Yusuf swiftly declined the challenge, and instead insisted immigration is “the number one issue” in the UK at the moment. The 39-year-old businessman argued there has been “far too much mass immigration in this country” for some time.

Yet, Mr Polanski remained defiant – and continued his approach on The Jeremy Vine Show this week. Mr Vine, who has presented the programme since 2018, said Mr Polanski was “very tough” on Question Time, a stance for which the Green Party politician expressed no regrets. Later on the Channel 5 show, Mr Polanski stressed it is this approach which has led to the continued rise in the polls of the Green Party.