WeekDay AM: 10 Things you need to know this morning
Flooding in Spain, mpox in the UK, and Russia's $20 decillion fine for Google

 
today's international story

Floods in Spain kill 95

What happened
At least 95 people have died in Spain after torrential rainfall triggered the country's worst floods in three decades.

Who said what
"The whole of Spain weeps with you," Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez told victims in a national address yesterday, pledging: "We won't abandon you."

Huge rain events swept through eastern, central and southern Spain, "unleashing torrents of muddy water that surged through cities, towns and villages, trapping people in their homes", said The Guardian. Dozens of people are still missing, meaning the death toll is likely to climb.

There are "widespread accusations" that, in many cases, disaster relief authorities were "too slow to act with warnings, meaning people could not get off roads or seek higher ground", said the BBC.

The extreme weather is "the result of the gota fría – literally 'cold drop', a term used in Spain to describe a sudden drop in temperatures along the east coast", said El País. This cold drop is the "worst of the 21st century, comparable to those experienced in 1987 and 1982".

What next?
Trains to and from Valencia are currently suspended and Spain's air traffic control has reported the diversion of 30 flights from Valencia airport and another 19 from Madrid-Barajas. PM Sánchez has urged the public "not to let their guard down" as the weather phenomenon continues to wreak havoc.

 
 
today's health story

First case of more spreadable mpox detected in UK

What happened
A case of a new strain of mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) has been detected in Britain for the first time, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has announced.

Who said what
Fewer than 10 direct contacts are being traced after the discovery, and according to Professor Susan Hopkins, chief medical adviser at UKHSA, the "risk to the UK population remains low".

There is "no evidence of community transmission from the patient", said Sky News. The person involved had been on holiday in Africa and, after flying home on 21 October, quickly developed flu-like symptoms and a rash.

Laboratory testing confirmed the infection was Clade 1b, which is the "form of the virus that has been causing mounting concern" due to the ease with which it spreads, said the BBC.

What next?
The patient is now being treated at the Royal Free Hospital's specialist high consequence infectious diseases unit in London.

 
 
Today's technology story

Russia fines Google more than the global GDP

What happened
Russia has fined Google more than $20 decillion – a figure well above the world's $100 trillion annual GDP – for allegedly blocking pro-Kremlin propaganda on YouTube. A decillion is a 1 with 33 zeros after it.

Who said what
A Russian court initially imposed a fine of 100,000 rubles (£792) a day on Google until it complied with orders to unblock a list of pro-Kremlin channels, with the fine doubling every week. Thanks to compound interest, Google "is now on the hook for an insane amount of money", said The Register. On Monday the judge overseeing the matter said this was now "a case in which there are many, many zeros".

Google appears unperturbed by the ruling. "We do not believe these ongoing legal matters will have a material adverse effect," said the tech giant as it released its latest earnings statement on Tuesday.

What next?
The fines have not appeared to impact Google's parent company Alphabet, which saw its share value rise by more than 5% in the latest earnings statement, beating third quarter expectations.

 
 

It's not all bad

A Nasa astronaut hospitalised after the 25 October splashdown of SpaceX's Crew-8 mission has been released and is in good health, the agency confirmed. The SpaceX Crew Dragon "Endeavour" returned from an unexpected eight-month ISS mission, landing off Florida's coast. All four Crew-8 astronauts – NASA's Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, Jeanette Epps and Roscosmos's Alexander Grebenkin – underwent evaluations "out of an abundance of caution". Three returned to Houston immediately, while one stayed overnight.

 
 
under the radar

How tech could let offenders serve time at home

Nudge watches and alcohol sensors could take over from "slopping out" and exercise yards as authorities consider proposals to replace some jail sentences with house arrest, drawing on the latest technology to monitor offenders in their homes.

A new review, chaired by the former Conservative justice minister David Gauke, will consider ways to punish thousands more offenders within the community, turning their homes into "virtual prisons", said The Independent.

With the problem of crumbling and overcrowded prisons getting worse, judges may be given the power to hand down sentences that force offenders to stay at home while being monitored by electronic tags. Offenders are able to "earn income, maintain family and other relationships", and "attend probation appointments" and "substance abuse treatment" while being monitored via an electronic bracelet, said The Guardian.

Demand for prison places is rising fast and currently stands at a rate of about 4,500 prisoners a year at a time when the government has admitted that overcrowding has already pushed jails to "the point of collapse".

"It is, undoubtedly, a mess", said The Independent, but the house arrest proposal "appears to miss a crucial point". Mike Nellis, professor of criminal and community justice at the University of Strathclyde, told the paper that "we're in a position right now where we can’t even find accommodation for people when they're released from prison"; sometimes "we're giving them tents". If "we can't even do the basics", the idea that hi-tech gadgets like smart watches are a "significant contribution" to solving the prison crisis is "ridiculous", added Nellis. "We've got to produce something that’s equal to the challenges the service is facing."

 
 
on this day

31 October 1541

Michelangelo's "The Last Judgement" fresco is unveiled on the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel after four years of work – and 25 years after his completion of the famous ceiling frescoes. Having been denied permission to film inside the chapel, producers of the new Vatican thriller "Conclave" built a replica in 10 weeks using flat-pack scenery from a previous movie production.

 
 
Today's newspapers

Most papers lead on the Budget this morning, with The Mirror focussing on Rachel Reeves' ambition to undo "14 years of Tory neglect" by announcing £70 billion in spending on public services. The Times says the Budget has created a "record tax burden", which according to the FT will land on businesses and the wealthy most heavily. Away from the Budget, The Telegraph says there was an "information gap" after the Southport killings. Meanwhile, The Guardian leads on the search for survivors after this week's "devastating" floods in Spain.

See the newspaper front pages

 
 
tall tale

Sniffing out stolen 'dollarbucks'

Australian police say they have recovered about 40,000 of the 63,000 limited-edition "Bluey" coins that were stolen from a warehouse in Sydney in July. Based on the hit children's television show, the "Bluey dollarbucks" are produced by the Royal Australian Mint and are worth one Australian dollar, though some have sold on eBay for up to 10 times their face value. Three people, including one warehouse employee, have been charged over their alleged involvement in the heist.

 
 

Morning Report was written and edited by Arion McNicoll, Tess Foley-Cox and Chas Newkey-Burden, with illustrations by Julia Wytrazek.

Image credits, from top: David Ramos / Getty Images; Smith Collection / Gado / Getty Images; Jakub Porzycki / NurPhoto / Getty Images.