November 1, 2024

MIDDLE EAST | Updates from regional conflicts:

• Israeli officials say rockets presumed to have been fired by Hezbollah militants into northern Israel from Lebanon yesterday killed at least seven people, including four foreign agricultural workers. Hezbollah officials have not explicitly claimed responsibility for the attack. [more]
• A report from Palestinian news agency WAFA today says 47 Palestinians were killed, and dozens of others were injured, in overnight Israeli strikes in central Gaza that hit the city of Deir Al-Balah, the Nuseirat refugee camp, and the town of Al-Zawayda. [more]

UKRAINE | Today is day 981 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said yesterday that the U.S. expects some 8,000 North Korean troops deployed to areas near Russia's border with Ukraine to begin taking part in combat operations to support Russia within days. [more]
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy yesterday condemned what he called his Western allies’ “zero” response to Russia’s deployment of North Korean troops for the war in Ukraine, saying that Russian President Vladimir Putin is gauging the West’s response to the move as part of the decision-making process for additional similar actions. [more]
• Erik Møse, chair of the independent, U.N.-backed commission investigating human rights violations in Ukraine, says the commission’s investigation into Russian detention centers in both Russia and occupied areas of Ukraine have found evidence of widespread mistreatment and torture of prisoners that constitute crimes against humanity. [more]

U.S. GUN VIOLENCE | Police in Orlando, Florida, say two people were killed, and six others were wounded, in a shooting incident in the city’s entertainment district overnight as crowds of people were taking part in Halloween festivities. Orlando Police Chief Eric Smith says the alleged gunman, a 17-year-old boy, has been identified and taken into custody. [more]

U.S. ECONOMY | According to Commerce Department data released yesterday, consumer prices rose 2.1% in September compared to the year-ago period – down from 2.3% in August. Analysts say the lower inflation measure increases confidence that the Federal Reserve will move forward with a quarter-point cut to its benchmark interest rate when it meets next week. [more]

U.S. UNEMPLOYMENT | The Labor Department reported yesterday that filings for initial unemployment benefits fell by 12,000 to a lower-than-expected 216,000 in the week ended October 26. [more]

U.S. E. COLI OUTBREAK | The Food and Drug Administration said this week that raw, slivered onions used at McDonald’s restaurants in multiple states were the likely source of the recent E. coli outbreak linked to the fast-food chain that sickened at least 90 people and was linked to at least one death. [more]

WASHINGTON | The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers says its 33,000 members who have been on strike against aerospace giant Boeing for seven weeks will vote Monday on a new contract offer from the company. [more]

TEXAS | Starting today, hospitals in Texas are required to ask patients whether they are in the U.S. legally and to track the cost of treating people without legal status – a mandate that critics suggest could discourage people from seeking medical treatment. Reports note that patients cannot be required to answer the question and must be informed that their response, or lack of response, will not affect their care. [more]

SPAIN | Authorities in eastern Spain say the death toll from widespread flash floods that struct the region this week has risen to 158 and that a yet-unknown number of people remain missing as rescue and recovery efforts continue. [more]

INDIA | Officials at India’s main environmental monitoring agency say air pollution in the capital New Delhi spiked to dangerous levels today as smoke from firecrackers used to celebrate the Hindu festival Diwali remained trapped in the area. Reports say levels of airborne particulate matter in many areas of the city have been measured at up to seven times the World Health Organization’s safety limit. [more]

NORTH KOREA | Military officials in North Korea today characterized the new intercontinental ballistic missile launched yesterday as “the world’s strongest,” despite contentions by U.S. and South Korean experts that the missile suffers from various technical issues that make its practical use in war difficult. [more]

FRANCE | French police say five people were injured last night in a drive-by shooting in the western city of Poitiers and that the incident appears to be linked to local drug trafficking. Reports say violence broke out among rival groups following the shooting, with some 400-600 people taking part in street fights. [more]

PAKISTAN | Authorities in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province say a roadside bomb exploded in the city of Quetta today, killing seven people, including five children. No claims of responsibility for the bomb attack have yet been made. [more]

GREECE | Police in the Greek capital of Athens say an explosion yesterday at an apartment building in the city was likely caused by an improvised bomb and that the incident is being investigated by a special anti-terrorism unit. [more]

BOTSWANA | With final election results expected within hours, Botswana’s President Mokgweetsi Masisi conceded his defeat in the country’s general elections today, effectively signaling the end of his Botswana Democratic Party’s 58 consecutive years in power. [more]

TECH SALES | According to quarterly results released yesterday, sales of Apple’s iPhone totaled $46.2 billion in the July-September period – up 6% from the same period last year and a reversal of a nearly two-year decline in sales of the devices. [more]

BASKETBALL | In last night’s Los Angeles Clippers’ 125-119 loss to the Phoenix Suns, the Clippers’ James Harden became the 20th player in NBA history to have scored 26,000 career points. [more]

BASEBALL | Ratings company Nielsen says Wednesday’s championship-clinching Game 5 of the World Series averaged 18.6 million U.S. viewers across all platforms and that the Series averaged 15.81 million viewers across all games – both representing the highest World Series viewership in several years. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1755, Lisbon, Portugal was struck by an earthquake that destroyed more than 9,000 buildings and killed an estimated 30,000 people. [more history]