Here is today's roundup of the ten stories shaping the news across current affairs, technology, faith, science and more.
1. Current Affairs: Blasts Reported in Addis Ababa as Ethiopia's Conflict Widens
A series of explosions were heard across the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, on Wednesday night, hours after the government's intelligence service banned drone flights over the city and surrounding areas. An intelligence official confirmed three blasts in three separate locations, including near the 4 Kilo area and close to the Ethiopian National Defense Force headquarters, though officials declined to say whether the explosions were an attack or training exercises. A source linked to the Ethiopian Peoples' Forces Alliance for Survival told reporters the rebel alliance carried out drone strikes on military targets in the capital. The incident follows weeks of escalating fighting in the northern Tigray region, where rebel forces have taken control of several towns and recently seized the region's main airport. The government has not issued a formal statement attributing responsibility for the blasts. Source: Bloomberg
2. AI: FTC Opens Probe Into OpenAI and Anthropic Over Rogue AI Agents
The Federal Trade Commission has opened a consumer protection inquiry into OpenAI, Anthropic and the AI safety research group METR, examining the risks posed by autonomous AI agents. A senior FTC official said the agency is preparing civil investigative demands, instruments similar to subpoenas, and plans to compel executive testimony from the companies in the coming weeks. As of October 1, formal demands had not yet been served, putting the inquiry at an early investigative stage rather than a formal enforcement action. FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson reportedly had concerns about agentic AI systems before a July incident in which OpenAI's own test agents were involved in an automated attack on the Hugging Face platform, an episode officials say added urgency to the probe. The inquiry marks one of the first major U.S. regulatory actions focused specifically on the safety of autonomous, task performing AI agents rather than chatbots. Source: ABC News
3. Gaming: Gears of War: E-Day Enters Early Access Worldwide
Early access for Gears of War: E-Day went live worldwide on Wednesday at 8 a.m. Pacific time, giving players who purchased the Premium Edition the first chance to play the long-anticipated prequel ahead of its full release on October 6. The game depicts the original Emergence Day, the moment the Locust Horde first surfaced on Sera, and serves as an origin story for the long-running franchise. The early access launch was one of more than fifteen titles arriving on Xbox and PC this week, alongside a full release of aerial combat sequel Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve. Developer The Coalition has promoted the prequel as a return to the series' survival horror roots, with a heavier emphasis on resource scarcity and atmosphere than recent entries. Players who wait for the general release will be able to join six days after early adopters. Source: Xbox Wire
4. Faith: Latter-day Saints Prepare for 196th Semiannual General Conference
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will hold its October 2026 General Conference this Saturday and Sunday, October 3 and 4, with four sessions running from 10 a.m. to noon and 2 to 4 p.m. each day. The conference, held at the Church's Conference Center in Salt Lake City, will replace regular Sunday worship services for members worldwide and will stream live on the Church's broadcast website, the Gospel Library app and its YouTube channel. Sessions will feature addresses from the First Presidency, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and other general leaders, with announcements historically including new temple locations and organizational updates. The gathering is the 196th semiannual conference in the Church's history. Separately, Vatican officials said Pope Leo XIV used recent remarks to stress that Christian churches need unified, "ecumenical witnesses to Christ" amid growing global secularization. Source: ABC4 Utah
5. Scam Alert: FBI's Operation Blackout Seizes 17 Billion Dollars From Fraud Networks
The FBI has disclosed new details of Operation Blackout, a sustained campaign against transnational fraud networks that has seized approximately 17 billion dollars in assets linked to organized scam operations. Officials said the effort has led to hundreds of arrests, the rescue of thousands of trafficked workers forced to run scam call centers abroad, and warnings delivered to more than 10,000 Americans before they sent money to fraudsters, preventing an estimated 660 million dollars in additional losses. The operation targets the industrial scale "pig butchering" and romance investment scam compounds that have proliferated across parts of Southeast Asia, many of which rely on trafficked labor. Separately, authorities continue to warn of a surge in callers impersonating Secret Service, FBI and DEA agents who spoof real agency phone numbers to pressure victims into transferring funds. Source: GBHackers
6. Tech Tip: Hang Up and Call Back to Verify Any Government Caller
With federal agent impersonation scams surging alongside the FBI's crackdown on fraud networks, security officials recommend a simple rule: no legitimate federal agent will demand immediate payment, gift cards, wire transfers or cryptocurrency over the phone. If a caller claims to represent the FBI, Secret Service, DEA or IRS, hang up immediately, even if the caller ID appears to show a real agency number, since criminals can easily spoof those numbers. Then look up the agency's official phone number independently, through its public website rather than a number the caller provides, and call to verify whether contact was genuine. The same rule applies to callers claiming to be from a bank or credit union: never share a card number, PIN or online banking login over an inbound call, and instead call the institution back using the number printed on a card or statement. Source: Federal Trade Commission
7. Science: MIND Diet Linked to Years of Slower Brain Aging
A long-term study published this week in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry found that closer adherence to the MIND diet, a hybrid of the Mediterranean and DASH eating patterns, was associated with significantly slower brain shrinkage over time. Researchers tracked dietary records and repeated brain scans for 1,647 adults with an average starting age of 61 over roughly twelve years. Every three point increase in diet adherence score corresponded to about 20 percent less shrinkage in grey matter, the tissue governing memory and decision making, equivalent to slowing brain aging by about two and a half years. The diet emphasizes berries, leafy greens, poultry, nuts and olive oil while limiting fried foods, sweets and red meat. Notably, researchers found cheese consumption correlated with healthier brain outcomes, while higher whole grain intake was unexpectedly linked to faster grey matter decline, a finding they say warrants further study. Source: ScienceDaily
8. Space: SpaceX Launches NASA's Crew-13 on Fastest-Ever Trip to Space Station
SpaceX lifted off with NASA's Crew-13 mission at 11:10 a.m. Eastern time on Thursday, sending four astronauts toward the International Space Station aboard the Crew Dragon spacecraft Grace on what is being billed as the fastest crewed trip to the station in the program's history. The mission is commanded by NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins, who becomes the first NASA astronaut to launch to orbit aboard a Crew Dragon for a second time. She is joined by a NASA crewmate along with astronauts from Canada and Russia, continuing the long-standing international partnership aboard the orbiting laboratory. The crew is expected to dock roughly eight hours after liftoff and will begin a six-month science and maintenance rotation aboard the station. The launch followed a readiness review earlier in the week that cleared the Falcon 9 rocket and capsule for flight. Source: Space.com
9. Business and Finance: Accenture Shares Jump 18 Percent on Strong Earnings
Accenture shares surged as much as 18 percent after the consulting giant reported fiscal fourth quarter revenue of 18.7 billion dollars, topping both its own guidance range of 17.8 to 18.4 billion dollars and analyst estimates of roughly 18.3 billion dollars. Earnings of 3.29 dollars per share also beat Wall Street expectations, helping push broader markets higher on the first trading session of October. The S&P 500 added 0.2 percent and the Nasdaq Composite edged up 0.04 percent as Treasury yields pulled back slightly after touching their highest levels in more than two decades earlier in the week. A cooler than expected core inflation reading, with the Commerce Department's core PCE index rising just 0.2 percent in August against forecasts of 0.3 percent, also eased investor concern about the pace of future interest rate moves. Source: Yahoo Finance
10. Consumer Tech: Vivo Unveils V80 and S2 FE With Record-Setting Batteries
Vivo has confirmed its V80 and S2 FE smartphones will launch on October 6, headlined by unusually large batteries aimed at buyers who prioritize endurance over slimness. The V80 pairs a 6.59 inch, 144Hz AMOLED display and a Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 chipset with a 7,200 mAh battery and 90 watt fast charging. The S2 FE goes further still, packing a 10,000 mAh battery, the largest yet fitted to a Vivo S-series phone, aimed squarely at users who find themselves frequently reaching for a charger. The announcements arrive amid a crowded month of mid-range smartphone launches across Asian markets, with OPPO, OnePlus and Motorola all preparing competing devices before the end of October. Pricing for both Vivo models is expected to be confirmed closer to the October 6 launch date. Source: Gizmochina
Written by Lonnon Jensen. Read more about the author.