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A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the weekend. Here’s today’s news:
IRAN WAR
Iranian Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Mohsen Rezaei yesterday said the U.S. response to Iran’s seven conditions in a proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz was “insufficient.” Rezaei said Iran is “no longer in the process of responding to the Americans.” Elwely Elwelly, Yasmine Ghania, Menna Ala El Din, and Steve Holland report for Reuters.
IRAN WAR – YEMEN
Saudi Arabia yesterday confirmed a projectile struck a passenger terminal at Riyadh airport, killing one person and injuring 11, a day after strikes by the Iran-aligned Houthis killed 12 people and wounded more than 300 in the same terminal at the airport. President Trump said he was considering whether to join Saudi strikes against the rebels. The Houthis reported that two airstrikes hit Sanaa, the capital of Yemen, and the Houthi-run Health Ministry says 91 Yemenis have been killed and 168 injured by the Saudi-led coalition in five weeks. Samy Magdy, Cara Anna, and Julia Frankel report for AP News.
Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia today condemned attacks by the Houthis on Riyadh airport, saying they were a “dangerous escalation that cannot be justified or accepted under any pretext.” The group of regional powers, dubbed the R4, reaffirmed their solidarity and support for all “legitimate measures and steps” taken by Saudi Arabia to counter the attacks and deter threats. Tuvan Gumrukcu reports for Reuters.
IRAN WAR – OTHER DEVELOPMENTS
The U.S. Defense Department on Friday raised the number of U.S. service members killed and wounded during operations related to the Iran war amid criticism over the lack of transparency around the costs of the operation. The death toll rose from 18 to 21, and the number of wounded increased by 98 to 865. U.S. House Reps. Adam Smith (D-WA) and Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) said that there is “no excuse for a mistake of this magnitude,” and demanded an explanation for the discrepancies. John Ismay reports for the New York Times.
The United Arab Emirates’ Attorney General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi on Friday said Hamam al-Hammami, the co-pilot who tried to hijack a FlyDubai flight bound for Israel, was inspired by the 9/11 attacks and planned to crash the plane into Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv to kill as many people as he could. Al Shamsi said al-Hammami had drifted toward “extremism and terrorism” beginning in 2017 while studying in Australia. Jon Gambrell reports for the Wall Street Journal.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
An Israeli strike today killed at least two people in southern Gaza, according to local health officials. The Israeli military said it targeted a militant in the area. Late yesterday night, an Israeli airstrike hit a tent in the Mawai area of Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, killing three people, according to medics. The IDF today told Reuters they struck militants in the area. Nidal al-Mughrabi reports.
Two separate Israeli airstrike attacks on Saturday killed at least five people, according to local health officials. An Israeli strike near Panda Mall in Gaza City killed four people, while another in the Tufah neighborhood further south of the city killed one person. The IDF said the two strikes targeted militants. Nidal al-Mughrabi reports for Reuters.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR
Trump on Friday announced a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin for Russia to release 300,000 tonnes of diesel immediately “to the American and global marketplace,” followed by 500,000 tonnes in November and a further one million after that. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Axios that Trump’s deal was “not fair and honest,” and that it shows a “weakness of the world.” In a statement released later, Zelenskyy said Trump used the peace talks in Miami, Florida as a “smokescreen” while the United States pursued a deal with Russia. Rachel Clun and Anthony Zurcher report for BBC News; Barak Ravid reports; Ashley Ahn reports for POLITICO.
Kremlin Foreign Policy Aide Yuri Ushakov on Saturday said the phone call between Trump and Putin on Friday was “very substantive and friendly,” and added that neither side wanted to be the first to end the call. The presidents agreed that Russia would supply the United States with diesel during the call, and the Kremlin said the hour and a half conversation mostly focused on the war in Ukraine. Alessandra Prentice reports for Reuters.
A U.S. official told Axios that Trump decided to make the deal with Putin after Zelenskyy ignored half a dozen U.S. requests to stop attacking Russian oil refineries, and that Trump didn’t see the attacks on refineries as equivalent to Russian strikes on Ukraine’s power grid. Barak Ravid reports.
Trump on Saturday called for Ukraine to replace Zelenskyy as president with someone “who can make a deal” with Russia. Trump said Zelenskyy could have reached a deal with Russia many times “but chooses not to.” The United Kingdom, Germany, and Poland yesterday all reaffirmed their support for Zelenskyy. U.K. Defense Secretary Wes Streeting said the United Kingdom’s priority would be to seek reconciliation between Ukraine and the United States. Barak Ravid reports for Axios; Clea Caulcutt reports for POLITICO.
European officials, who were in communication with U.S. officials, yesterday told the Financial Times that the Trump administration is threatening to stop the procurement system that provides Ukraine with weapons in order to pressure Ukraine to stop its strikes on Russian energy infrastructure. The U.S. message included threats to cut off intelligence sharing and “Purl,” the NATO managed Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List mechanism for procuring U.S. weapons for Ukraine. Christopher Miller, Henry Foy, and Abigail Hauslohner report.
Zelenskyy yesterday told ABC News he would hold an election in Ukraine if Russia agreed to a 60-day ceasefire. Zelenskyy said Ukraine would be ready for any result in the election. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov today said Russia wanted a long-term peace deal rather than a temporary ceasefire. Quinn Scanian reports; Anastasia Lyrchikova reports for Reuters.
Trump yesterday announced an “energy ceasefire” between Ukraine and Russia “effective immediately,” saying both parties agreed to the arrangement. Zelenskyy was surprised by the announcement but said Ukraine supports the ceasefire and any steps toward de-escalation, and before the announcement said Ukraine is ready for an energy ceasefire. Zelenskyy told Axios that if “Trump negotiated it with Putin, please tell us when the ceasefire begins.” Zelenskyy later said Russia had struck a power plant in Kharkiv, Ukraine after Trump’s announcement. David Cohen and Veronika Melkozerova report for POLITICO; Barak Ravid reports.
U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) yesterday said Trump’s energy deal with Russia may be breaking a 2022 law passed by Congress that banned Russian oil imports unless specific conditions were met, which include full Russian withdrawal from Ukraine. When reached for comment, the White House referred to Trump’s announcement of an energy ceasefire. There is no evidence that Russia has agreed to the ceasefire deal. Tillis also insisted the blame for high diesel costs lies with the Iran war and with Putin. Cheyanne M. Daniels reports for POLITICO.
Ukraine drone strikes yesterday hit a data center owned by Russian company Yandex, damaging the facility and forcing the pause of its operations. Yandex said no one was injured. Hafsa Khalil reports for BBC News.
EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas today said the foreign ministers of EU nations have adopted nearly 1,600 new sanctions targeting Russia’s military-industrial complex. Kallas said more than half “are connected to the production chain for ballistic missiles.” Inti Landauro reports for Reuters.
OTHER GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham yesterday said Russia interfered in the United Kingdom’s 2016 Brexit referendum and warned that similar activities were taking place in France and Germany. U.K. Foreign Office Minister Stephen Doughty said he would not get “into specifics” about Russian interference. Kate Whannel reports for BBC News.
The World Health Organization on Saturday said it still does not know what caused the pneumonia that killed a Russian anti-plague research center lab worker. WHO said the Russian state regulator reported that tests of the lab worker and those who came in contact with her were negative for the high-threat pathogens tested, and that the lab worker’s contacts still showed no symptoms. Gnaneshwar Rajan and Alessandra Prentice report for Reuters.
Pakistan yesterday declared a state of emergency in the opposition-controlled Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and imposed direct federal control. The province is governed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, the party founded by former Prime Minister Imran Khan. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf condemned the move as “an undemocratic attempt” to overturn the electoral mandate of voters in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The federal government today said politicians were arrested after suspension of the provincial government. Zia ur-Rehman reports for the New York Times; Asif Shahzed reports for Reuters.
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te during Saturday’s National Day speech said Taiwan cherishes peace but will not give up its freedom, and there must be respect for the right of Taiwan’s people to exist. China denounced the speech and said it “distorts the truth” and reveals “ulterior motives.” Taiwanese Defense Minister Wellington Koo today said the military is monitoring a series of Chinese live-fire drills taking place along China’s coast this week. Yimou Lee and Ben Blanchard report for Reuters; Ben Blanchard and Liz Lee report for Reuters.
An airstrike on Saturday killed at least 13 artisanal miners and injured at least 28 others in a border area reportedly in Egypt near Sudan, according to the Sudan Doctors Network yesterday. It was not immediately clear who was behind the strikes. Miners were repeatedly warned by Egyptian authorities to evacuate the area. AP News reports.
Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Saleh on Saturday asked the U.N. Security Council to take deterrent measures against Ethiopia, according to a letter seen by Reuters. Saleh said Ethiopian claims of Eritrean incursions into northern Ethiopia were part of a plan to justify a war of aggression.
The U.N. International Organization for Migration yesterday said at least 139 migrants, including 15 children, have died and dozens more are still missing after a boat sank off the coast of Djibouti. IOM’s Djibouti Mission Chief Alexandre Coissac said the deaths were a “stark reminder” of the dangers migrants face. Hafsa Khalil reports for BBC News.
CLIMATE DEVELOPMENTS
The EU will use next month’s COP31 climate summit to push for agreement on a “package” of efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions heating the planet, according to an internal EU document seen by Reuters. The EU will push for a “mitigation package” focused on reducing emissions by turning countries’ existing climate pledges into real-world actions. Kate Abnett reports.
U.S. AI DEVELOPMENTS
Police in Philadelphia on Friday said Anthropic alerted them last week that one of its AI models submitted a false homicide tip. Anthropic said the fake tip was among a group of rogue actions the company uncovered recently. Rogue activities involved websites run by U.S. government agencies at federal, state, and local levels, and Anthropic said they briefed the White House on these cases. Georgia Wells and Joseph Pisani report for the Wall Street Journal.
U.S. FOREIGN AFFAIRS
The United States on Friday pledged tens of millions of dollars to U.N. organizations in Geneva, sources told Reuters. The sources said the United States had sent pledge letters to several U.N. organizations, and the State Department confirmed it had made a payment to the U.N. without giving details on the amount. Emma Farge and Olivia Le Poidevin report.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday announced that the Trump administration is imposing severe financial sanctions on the International Criminal Court. The sanctions would prohibit transactions with the court after a grace period of six months, and any companies doing business with the court afterward could be subject to punishment by the U.S. government. Edward Wong and Jeanna Smialek report for the New York Times.
U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle bragged about her close ties to two Greek tycoons and said they were bankrolling her trips around the world, according to sources and an audio recording reviewed by the Wall Street Journal. Guilfoyle made these statements during a conversation with a U.S. businessman in January, who she wanted help from to get onto a guest list for an upcoming dinner being held for Eric Trump. A senior U.S. official told AP News yesterday that Trump and Rubio are “extremely pissed off” by Guilfoyle’s reported conduct and would likely decide on what action to take this week after Columbus Day. Rebecca Ballhaus, Joe Parkinson, Drew Hinshaw, and Dana Mattioli report; Matthew Lee reports.
Rubio on Saturday vowed to cooperate with Japanese authorities investigating allegations that U.S. Marine Devin Jacob Ballard killed Japanese woman Anna Yugi in a hotel while he was stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Okinawa prefecture. The State Department said Rubio had a call with his Japanese counterpart Motegi Toshimitsu and expressed his condolences over the death of Yugi. Susan Heavey reports for Reuters.
The State Department on Friday confirmed the removal of sanctions against the daughter of Myanmar businessman Thein Win Zaw. Win Zaw is accused of supporting Myanmar’s military, and the State Department said the removal “reflects the administration’s determination that this designation no longer effectively supports U.S. policy objectives related to Burma.” Simon Lewis reports for Reuters.
U.S. IMMIGRATION DEVELOPMENTS
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin on Friday criticized New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) and the city’s sanctuary city policies. Mullin said the city’s policies limiting cooperation with ICE put the community in danger and added that it is “shameful you have a mayor who goes out there and puts criminals over law-abiding citizens.” Mullin also said ICE officers did not know a child was in the car at the time they opened fire. Joseph De Avila, Jack Morphet, and Joseph Pisani report for the Wall Street Journal.
U.S. DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
Vice President JD Vance on Friday said he won’t watch the potential livestream of the execution of convicted Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan. Vance also questioned whether the execution would actually be public, while Trump told reporters he “absolutely” approves the public execution. Josephine Walker reports for Axios.
The FBI on Friday arrested Canadian cybersecurity expert Edward Dubrovsky in Pennsylvania on suspicion of carrying out the ShinyHunters hack of the FBI systems last month, sources told the New York Times. Dubrovsky is expected to be transported to Texas to face charges of conspiracy to commit extortion. Devlin Barrett and Dustin Volz report.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ACTION
Trump on Friday announced former Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Katie Zacharia will be the next White House press secretary. Josephine Walker reports for Axios.
Trump on Friday and Saturday criticized the decision to award Navi Pillay the Nobel Peace Prize 2026. Trump called the decision an “indelible stain on Norway” and said he “should have won 8 Nobel Peace Prizes, not just 1,” for settling eight wars. Mark Waller reports for the New York Times.
Trump on Saturday suggested renaming either the Pacific or Atlantic Ocean “Trump Ocean” or “Ocean of the Americas.” Dan Diamond reports for the Washington Post.
The Justice Department yesterday said it is investigating several TV networks over whether they broke federal competition laws when they suspended pool coverage of Trump. The DOJ asked ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC, and Fox News to hand over communications related to the pool and said the boycott could violate the Sherman Act, a law that bars companies from engaging in monopolistic business practices. Madeline Halpert reports for BBC News.
The White House has scheduled a closed-door hearing on Nov. 5 where DOJ officials can question Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook about mortgage-fraud allegations she has denied. A presidential memo directed Cook to appear at the White House to be “examined by” a committee of Trump appointees, including the National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett. Matt Grossman and Brian Schwartz report for the Wall Street Journal.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION
A federal judge yesterday said Trump must cancel any remaining TV advertisements paid for with taxpayer money. The order included any ads scheduled to be televised yesterday evening. Gene Johnson reports for AP News.
Did you miss this? Stay up-to-date with our Litigation Tracker: Legal Challenges to Trump Administration Actions.
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