https://themeridian.one/Reporting and clearly attributed official-source briefs.enhttps://themeridian.one/brief-ee776c54fe960e1ee6e0.htmlhttps://themeridian.one/brief-ee776c54fe960e1ee6e0.htmlIn 2024, the EU’s total fertility rate was 1.34 live births per woman, the lowest level recorded since the time series began in 2001. Over the past 20 years, the fertility rate has remained consistently below the natural replacement rate of 2.10, varying between 1.34 and 1.57 live births per wom...2026-10-27T11:24:34+00:00BusinessTue, 27 Oct 2026 11:24:34 +0000https://themeridian.one/story-october-2026-fed-meeting-reading-guide.htmlhttps://themeridian.one/story-october-2026-fed-meeting-reading-guide.htmlA practical worksheet for the 27–28 October meeting: separate the rate decision, its explanation and expectations about what comes next.2026-10-27T11:24:34+00:00BusinessTue, 27 Oct 2026 11:24:34 +0000https://themeridian.one/brief-53cb4bae6e918f63c0b4.htmlhttps://themeridian.one/brief-53cb4bae6e918f63c0b4.htmlWhen Rice University student Malvika Bhardwaj asked her mentor Daniel Cohen, a Guidance, Navigation & Control (GN&C) engineer at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, whether he had time to keep teaching interns with his busy workload, he answered, “You decide what’s important.” In honor of National Mentoring Day on Oct. 27, Bhardwaj reflects on how Cohen’s […]2026-10-27T09:57:35+00:00Science & TechnologyTue, 27 Oct 2026 09:57:35 +0000https://themeridian.one/brief-3a3dad32dd0ee3f0a309.htmlhttps://themeridian.one/brief-3a3dad32dd0ee3f0a309.htmlThe Antarctic iceberg made a relatively quick exit from the Weddell Sea, only to slow at the edge of a remote island’s underwater shelf.2026-10-27T09:57:35+00:00Science & TechnologyTue, 27 Oct 2026 09:57:35 +0000https://themeridian.one/brief-80527f41c800bbde1ca3.htmlhttps://themeridian.one/brief-80527f41c800bbde1ca3.htmlIn 2025, 89.7% of young people aged 16 to 29 in the EU perceived their health as good or very good. This was clearly higher than the share in the total population aged 16 and over, at 67.9%. This share has stayed largely stable over time, with only a small decline since 2021 from 91.1% to 89.7%. ...2026-10-27T09:57:35+00:00BusinessTue, 27 Oct 2026 09:57:35 +0000https://themeridian.one/brief-0d422d8fcb33dafe5653.htmlhttps://themeridian.one/brief-0d422d8fcb33dafe5653.htmlThe annual growth rate of the broad monetary aggregate M3 stood at 3.5% in September 2026, unchanged from the previous month, averaging 3.5% in the three months up to September. The components of M3 showed the following developments. The annual growth rate of the narrower aggregate M1, which comprises currency in circulation and overnight deposits, decreased to 2.7% in September from 2.9% in August. The annual growth rate of short-term deposits other than overnight deposits (M2-M1) increased to 4.6% in September from 4.1% in August. …2026-10-27T09:57:35+00:00BusinessTue, 27 Oct 2026 09:57:35 +0000https://themeridian.one/story-euro-week-2026-10-23.htmlhttps://themeridian.one/story-euro-week-2026-10-23.htmlThe euro bought more of 1 of the five currencies tracked and less of 4 between 16 October and 23 October 2026. Our calculations compare the same ECB reference-rate dates and show the range of daily readings.2026-10-27T09:57:35+00:00BusinessTue, 27 Oct 2026 09:57:35 +0000https://themeridian.one/brief-e6e32e1c0407b5f79518.htmlhttps://themeridian.one/brief-e6e32e1c0407b5f79518.htmlNASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory has ended its science mission now that the spacecraft is orbiting less than 171 miles (275 kilometers) above Earth’s surface. The greater atmospheric drag at this height prevents the satellite’s telescopes from steadily gazing at their astronomical targets. Swift conducted its final observation on Oct. 20. It is expected to […]2026-10-25T00:24:01+00:00Science & TechnologySun, 25 Oct 2026 00:24:01 +0000https://themeridian.one/brief-2dbe5da910a8a7ed254b.htmlhttps://themeridian.one/brief-2dbe5da910a8a7ed254b.htmlNASA is helping to foster long-term energy security in Virginia. NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, is partnering with the Virginia Department of Energy to support informed decisions for effective energy generation, delivery and use by providing solar, meteorological, and future weather risk datasets for energy system modeling and planning purposes. Under a new […]2026-10-25T00:24:01+00:00Science & TechnologySun, 25 Oct 2026 00:24:01 +0000https://themeridian.one/brief-57c0a5f2d9657bbd32fd.htmlhttps://themeridian.one/brief-57c0a5f2d9657bbd32fd.htmlAs NASA returns humans to the lunar surface and establishes a long-term presence on our closest celestial neighbor, the agency and commercial human landing system providers Blue Origin and SpaceX have streamlined the designs and changed both concepts of operations for its future crewed landers. Since NASA established initial contracts with Blue Origin and SpaceX […]2026-10-24T00:24:01+00:00Science & TechnologySat, 24 Oct 2026 00:24:01 +0000https://themeridian.one/brief-452bf28ae114f7dcaeaf.htmlhttps://themeridian.one/brief-452bf28ae114f7dcaeaf.htmlBefore astronauts return to the lunar surface, NASA will first conduct one of the most ambitious and complex test missions in the agency’s history. Launching in 2027, Artemis III will send NASA astronauts Randy Bresnik, Frank Rubio, Andre Douglas, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Luca Parmitano aboard the Orion spacecraft into low Earth orbit […]2026-10-24T00:24:01+00:00Science & TechnologySat, 24 Oct 2026 00:24:01 +0000https://themeridian.one/brief-02ae5a688e8b410f27a8.htmlhttps://themeridian.one/brief-02ae5a688e8b410f27a8.htmlIn 2025, the EU’s Gini coefficient was 29.2, down slightly from 29.4 in 2024. The Gini coefficient measures how income is distributed within a country compared with a situation of a perfectly equal distribution. A value of 0 represents perfect equality, where everyone has the same income, while a...2026-10-24T00:24:01+00:00BusinessSat, 24 Oct 2026 00:24:01 +0000https://themeridian.one/brief-be0716e32081e06ee286.htmlhttps://themeridian.one/brief-be0716e32081e06ee286.htmlIn July 2026, 34 145 non-EU citizens submitted a first-time application for international protection in EU countries, 39% fewer than in July 2025 (55 680) and 8% fewer than in June 2026 (37 075). There were also 5 780 subsequent applicants, 52% fewer than in July 2025 (12 040) and 2% fewer than i...2026-10-24T00:24:01+00:00BusinessSat, 24 Oct 2026 00:24:01 +0000https://themeridian.one/story-final-fantasy-resonance-xbox-launch-guide.htmlhttps://themeridian.one/story-final-fantasy-resonance-xbox-launch-guide.htmlThe October release brings Final Fantasy to HD-2D. Here is what the official description establishes, and what still needs a proper playtest.2026-10-23T10:24:01+00:00CultureFri, 23 Oct 2026 10:24:01 +0000https://themeridian.one/brief-9e94dc14396e553b1da2.htmlhttps://themeridian.one/brief-9e94dc14396e553b1da2.htmlMembers of the media are invited to join NASA at the 2026 von Braun Space Exploration Symposium from Monday, Oct. 26, to Wednesday, Oct. 28, at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. This year’s symposium is focused on humanity’s return to the Moon, sustainable lunar infrastructure, advanced space propulsion, and the evolving space workforce. Panels […]2026-10-23T00:24:01+00:00Science & TechnologyFri, 23 Oct 2026 00:24:01 +0000https://themeridian.one/brief-62608a95548717257712.htmlhttps://themeridian.one/brief-62608a95548717257712.htmlNASA Science wants to deliver science faster, so we’re changing how we compete and select missions. On Monday, October 26, we will host a virtual NASA Science Town Hall.2026-10-23T00:24:01+00:00Science & TechnologyFri, 23 Oct 2026 00:24:01 +0000https://themeridian.one/brief-4372b9224efdaafa670e.htmlhttps://themeridian.one/brief-4372b9224efdaafa670e.htmlIn September 2026, the price of fuels and lubricants for personal transport in the EU increased by 31.4% compared with September 2025. This followed the year-on-year increases of 16.9% in July and 23.8% in August. September annual increases were higher than those in July and August 2026 in 26 EU...2026-10-23T00:24:01+00:00BusinessFri, 23 Oct 2026 00:24:01 +0000https://themeridian.one/brief-74aed2a718d39ce19f50.htmlhttps://themeridian.one/brief-74aed2a718d39ce19f50.htmlIn connection with the news releases for the Excessive deficit procedure (EDP) and the Government finance statistics (GFS) published today, a series of related documents have been updated: Note on the stock of liabilities in trade credits and advances; Stock-flow adjustment note explaining the l...2026-10-23T00:24:01+00:00BusinessFri, 23 Oct 2026 00:24:01 +0000https://themeridian.one/story-euro-week-2026-10-16.htmlhttps://themeridian.one/story-euro-week-2026-10-16.htmlThe euro bought more of 3 of the five currencies tracked and less of 2 between 9 October and 16 October 2026. Our calculations compare the same ECB reference-rate dates and show the range of daily readings.2026-10-22T18:57:55+00:00BusinessThu, 22 Oct 2026 18:57:55 +0000https://themeridian.one/story-eu-unemployment-2026-08.htmlhttps://themeridian.one/story-eu-unemployment-2026-08.htmlThe EU rate was 6.1%, but country readings ranged from 3.2% to 10.0%. The Meridian compares all 27 countries for the same month and calculates their distance from the EU rate and changes over time.2026-10-22T18:57:55+00:00BusinessThu, 22 Oct 2026 18:57:55 +0000https://themeridian.one/brief-8dba05f6e0031edea5ac.htmlhttps://themeridian.one/brief-8dba05f6e0031edea5ac.htmlBetween 2019, the last pre-COVID-19 year, and 2024, the EU’s GDP grew by 5.6% overall in real terms. However, developments across the 244 regions at level 2 of the nomenclature of territorial units for statistics (NUTS 2) with available data varied considerably. A total of 197 regions grew, with ...2026-10-22T18:43:11+00:00BusinessThu, 22 Oct 2026 18:43:11 +0000https://themeridian.one/brief-e57ef3210f73d2ddb0c5.htmlhttps://themeridian.one/brief-e57ef3210f73d2ddb0c5.htmlIn 2024, 81.5 million tonnes of packaging waste were generated in the EU, or 181.0 kg per inhabitant. Packaging waste per capita increased by 3.2 kg compared with 2023, and by 19.6 kg compared with 2014. Of all the packaging waste generated, 40.8% was paper and cardboard, 19.9% plastic, 18.1% gla...2026-10-22T18:43:11+00:00BusinessThu, 22 Oct 2026 18:43:11 +0000https://themeridian.one/brief-960268508750b6c65e3c.htmlhttps://themeridian.one/brief-960268508750b6c65e3c.htmlThis observation is one of many gravitational lensing images taken by Hubble in preparation for science with the new Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.2026-10-22T18:24:01+00:00Science & TechnologyThu, 22 Oct 2026 18:24:01 +0000https://themeridian.one/brief-c5b220ee62288fba840c.htmlhttps://themeridian.one/brief-c5b220ee62288fba840c.htmlEmissions on both sides of the island are unusually high as human-set fires spread in a landscape parched by drought.2026-10-22T18:24:01+00:00Science & TechnologyThu, 22 Oct 2026 18:24:01 +0000https://themeridian.one/un-el-nino-early-action-october-2026.htmlhttps://themeridian.one/un-el-nino-early-action-october-2026.htmlWeather and relief chiefs call for preparations before climate shocks deepen humanitarian needs.2026-10-22Worldhttps://themeridian.one/oecd-state-owned-enterprises-2026-report.htmlhttps://themeridian.one/oecd-state-owned-enterprises-2026-report.htmlA new international comparison examines public ownership, oversight and competition.2026-10-22Businesshttps://themeridian.one/nasa-josephine-atlantic-satellite-october-2026.htmlhttps://themeridian.one/nasa-josephine-atlantic-satellite-october-2026.htmlTerra’s MODIS instrument recorded the storm on 21 October; NASA published the image the following day.2026-10-22Science & Technologyhttps://themeridian.one/unidir-ai-peace-security-forum-october-2026.htmlhttps://themeridian.one/unidir-ai-peace-security-forum-october-2026.htmlThe UN research institute plans a new channel for organisations to contribute to AI-governance discussions.2026-10-22Science & Technologyhttps://themeridian.one/coincastle-europe-international-crypto-platform.htmlhttps://themeridian.one/coincastle-europe-international-crypto-platform.htmlThe crypto platform identifies a Zug-registered Swiss company as its operator and brings account information, transaction requests and support into one browser-based service. Its stated offering also includes staking and crypto deposit programmes.2026-10-20Businesshttps://themeridian.one/alberta-referendum-canada-preliminary-results.htmlhttps://themeridian.one/alberta-referendum-canada-preliminary-results.htmlEarly returns favour staying; the official declaration is due on 29 October.2026-10-20Worldhttps://themeridian.one/japan-mmx-mars-moons-launch.htmlhttps://themeridian.one/japan-mmx-mars-moons-launch.htmlThe spacecraft carries a European rover and aims to return samples from Phobos.2026-10-20Science & Technologyhttps://themeridian.one/jon-stewart-daily-show-2028-renewal.htmlhttps://themeridian.one/jon-stewart-daily-show-2028-renewal.htmlMonday hosting and the programme’s rotating weekday format will continue.2026-10-19Culturehttps://themeridian.one/thomson-reuters-global-print-reporting-update.htmlhttps://themeridian.one/thomson-reuters-global-print-reporting-update.htmlA new financial comparison reflects the separation of its print business.2026-10-19Businesshttps://themeridian.one/imf-october-2026-global-growth-outlook.htmlhttps://themeridian.one/imf-october-2026-global-growth-outlook.htmlThe October forecast balances technology investment against inflation and borrowing pressures.2026-10-14Businesshttps://themeridian.one/ekaterina-barrett-court-record.htmlhttps://themeridian.one/ekaterina-barrett-court-record.htmlAn anonymous eyewitness describes a disputed salon bill in Netanya. The account remains uncorroborated; a supplied report records a different sum. Here is what each source establishes — and what remains unresolved.2026-10-13Worldhttps://themeridian.one/riyadh-airport-houthi-strikes.htmlhttps://themeridian.one/riyadh-airport-houthi-strikes.htmlYemen’s Houthis targeted Saudi Arabia on three consecutive days. Saturday’s attack on King Khalid International Airport was the deadliest, and oil rose to its highest level in nearly a month.2026-10-13Worldhttps://themeridian.one/india-voter-roll-protests.htmlhttps://themeridian.one/india-voter-roll-protests.htmlOpposition parties are demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar after a revision that removed tens of millions of names from electoral rolls.2026-10-13Worldhttps://themeridian.one/uk-iran-fairford-plot.htmlhttps://themeridian.one/uk-iran-fairford-plot.htmlPrime Minister Andy Burnham told MPs the suspected plot against the US-used air base was coordinated in Iran. Britain summoned Iran’s ambassador and sanctioned two Iranians.2026-10-12Worldhttps://themeridian.one/ukraine-energy-ceasefire.htmlhttps://themeridian.one/ukraine-energy-ceasefire.htmlA day after Donald Trump declared a halt to strikes on energy infrastructure, Kyiv reported new Russian attacks on power and gas sites. The Kremlin said only that contacts were continuing.2026-10-12Worldhttps://themeridian.one/pakistan-khyber-pakhtunkhwa-emergency.htmlhttps://themeridian.one/pakistan-khyber-pakhtunkhwa-emergency.htmlPresident Asif Ali Zardari declared a state of emergency and governor’s rule in the north-western province. Parliament must approve the move by 21 October.2026-10-12Worldhttps://themeridian.one/trump-guilfoyle-greece.htmlhttps://themeridian.one/trump-guilfoyle-greece.htmlThe president said he was looking at dismissing Guilfoyle after newspaper reports alleging improper conduct. Her lawyers say she did nothing wrong.2026-10-12Worldhttps://themeridian.one/france-supermarket-fridge-cyberattack.htmlhttps://themeridian.one/france-supermarket-fridge-cyberattack.htmlHackers pushed refrigeration temperatures as high as 50C overnight, spoiling food and causing fires. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu ordered the national cyber agency to investigate.2026-10-12Worldhttps://themeridian.one/philippines-social-media-age-bill.htmlhttps://themeridian.one/philippines-social-media-age-bill.htmlThe lower house passed a child online-safety bill that is narrower than the Senate’s under-18 ban. The two chambers must now reconcile their versions.2026-10-12Worldhttps://themeridian.one/30-rock-reunion-radio-city.htmlhttps://themeridian.one/30-rock-reunion-radio-city.htmlTina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan and Jane Krakowski reunited for a one-night show hosted by Conan O’Brien. Proceeds went to a Harlem youth charity.2026-10-12Culturehttps://themeridian.one/miami-vice-85-first-look.htmlhttps://themeridian.one/miami-vice-85-first-look.htmlUniversal released the first images of Jordan as Tubbs and Butler as Crockett as Joseph Kosinski’s big-screen reboot began filming.2026-10-12Culturehttps://themeridian.one/rj-mitte-dies-at-34.htmlhttps://themeridian.one/rj-mitte-dies-at-34.htmlThe actor and disability-rights advocate died on Monday in Brownsville, Texas. No cause of death has been given.2026-10-12Culturehttps://themeridian.one/lisa-always-lalisa-documentary.htmlhttps://themeridian.one/lisa-always-lalisa-documentary.htmlThe film follows the K-pop star through a pivotal year: a solo album, Coachella, the Oscars stage and her acting debut in ‘The White Lotus’.2026-10-12Culturehttps://themeridian.one/other-mommy-box-office.htmlhttps://themeridian.one/other-mommy-box-office.htmlUniversal’s low-budget horror opened at No. 1 with $27.5 million despite a D+ CinemaScore. Aaron Sorkin’s Facebook drama ‘The Social Reckoning’ opened fifth.2026-10-11Culturehttps://themeridian.one/tarantino-popinjay-cavalier-west-end.htmlhttps://themeridian.one/tarantino-popinjay-cavalier-west-end.htmlQuentin Tarantino will direct his own swashbuckling comedy ‘The Popinjay Cavalier’ at London’s Phoenix Theatre from February 2027.2026-10-11Culturehttps://themeridian.one/william-kate-belfast-visit.htmlhttps://themeridian.one/william-kate-belfast-visit.htmlThe Prince and Princess of Wales spent a day in Northern Ireland meeting young people leaving care, part of William’s Homewards programme on homelessness.2026-10-09Culture