Afternoon Premium Edition · Wed, Oct 28 · 1:06 p.m.

The Essential 10 · about 3 minutes

1. Two high-speed trains collided in Spain, killing at least 68 people

   The death toll from Wednesday’s high-speed train collision in Spain’s Toledo province has risen to at least 68, Deutsche Welle reported, superseding earlier reports of at least 10. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced three days of mourning. The cause of the collision remains unknown, according to reports.

   Reporting: USA Today (with Reuters), New York Post, ABC News, CBS News, Deutsche Welle, Associated Press, NBC News, Reuters

   Updated since this edition · Read the latest

2. Netanyahu and Eisenkot both fall short of a projected Knesset majority

   Exit polls showed no clear winner in Israel’s election, with neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nor his main rival Gadi Eisenkot near the 61 seats needed for a Knesset majority. Israel’s three main TV channels projected Netanyahu’s bloc at 51–52 seats, down from its 68-seat outgoing coalition; Likud was projected to remain the largest party.

   Reporting: CNN, PBS News, ktalnews.com

   Updated since this edition · Read the latest

3. The Supreme Court refused to intervene in a dispute over pausing deportation cases

   The Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to intervene in a dispute over a Biden-era rule, leaving immigration judges unable to pause some deportation proceedings. Baltimore, Columbus, New Haven and the nonprofit Centro Legal de la Raza had sought to defend the rule. Texas alleged administrative closure had expanded dramatically during the Biden administration and effectively allowed people to stay indefinitely.

   Reporting: The San Diego Union-Tribune (with Associated Press), Associated Press, The Texas Tribune, mundonow.com

4. The U.S. military killed five people in a strike on a Pacific vessel

   The U.S. military said it killed five people Tuesday, Oct. 27, in a strike on a suspected drug-trafficking boat in the eastern Pacific. U.S. Southern Command described those killed as “narco-terrorists.” PBS News said the military provided no evidence that the vessel was carrying drugs; the strike was part of a campaign begun in September 2025.

   Reporting: Around Prague, PBS News (with Associated Press), Ukrainian National News, Al Jazeera, The Guardian, katu.com

5. Houthi missiles struck Aden International Airport in Yemen

   Yemen said Houthi forces targeted Aden International Airport with two ballistic missiles on Wednesday, Al Arabiya reported. Arab News said the attack caused civilian injuries and material damage. The strike came hours after the Iran-backed group warned people to evacuate the area, The Washington Times reported.

   Reporting: The Washington Times, Arab News, Al Arabiya, Reuters, The Times of Israel

6. An Iranian official called Qatari mediation ideas to end the war unacceptable

   A senior Iranian official told Reuters Qatar’s ideas to end the war with the United States and Israel were “unacceptable,” and Tehran would show no flexibility on the nuclear issue, saying Qatar had not presented a proposal. Separately, an official briefed on the negotiations said Iran was considering a draft deal and expected to respond by week’s end.

   Reporting: L’Orient Today, News.Az, Arab News, Reuters, The New Arab, investingLive, Hromadske

   Updated since this edition · Read the latest

7. The United States told several Gulf Arab countries to prepare for potential strikes against Iran

   According to The Wall Street Journal, Washington warned several Gulf Arab countries through diplomatic and military channels to prepare for a possible short, intense campaign against Iran after the Nov. 3 midterms. Reports also say U.S. forces are reinforcing missile defenses and replenishing munitions. Trump has not decided, though reports say he is weighing strikes on infrastructure and nuclear sites.

   Reporting: The New Arab, investingLive, The Times of Israel, Free Press Kashmir, Yeni Şafak, The Wall Street Journal, NewsCord, WION

   Updated since this edition · Read the latest

8. The Federal Election Commission took its filing system offline after a reported breach attempt

   The Federal Election Commission took its electronic filing system offline after a reported attempt to breach its systems, interrupting new campaign-finance disclosures a week before the Nov. 3 midterm elections. On Tuesday night, the agency said it had identified the issue and was implementing a fix; it has not said who was behind the attempt or whether data was compromised. The outage does not affect voting.

   Reporting: Politico, Newsweek, CNBC, NBC News, securityboulevard.com, techtimes.co.uk

9. Chancellor John Healey announced a 100-pound energy payment in his first budget

   Chancellor John Healey announced a £100 energy payment for households in council tax bands A to D in his first Budget. He extended the electricity VAT cut to July and said gas standing charges in England, Scotland and Wales will be scrapped during 2027, or as soon as possible after. He also promised similar electricity-bill reforms.

   Reporting: The Independent, BBC News, The Guardian

10. Labor and civil rights advocate Dolores Huerta died at age 96

    Labor leader and civil rights activist Dolores Huerta, who co-founded the organization that became the United Farm Workers, died Wednesday at 96, her family said. The New York Times reported that Huerta died of cancer at her home in Bakersfield, citing family spokesman Erik Olvera. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012.

    Reporting: NBC News, NBC Los Angeles, KCRA 3 Sacramento, ABC News, The New York Times, National Public Radio, Reuters, 19thnews.org

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11. Brazilian Senator Flávio Bolsonaro landed in Miami following his departure from Brazil

    Brazilian senator and defeated presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro landed in Miami Wednesday with his wife and two daughters after fleeing Brazil amid a money-laundering investigation. He traveled via Argentina and Ecuador aboard a private jet. Bolsonaro denies wrongdoing and has not been charged; President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva called his departure “shameful,” Reuters reported.

    Reporting: U.S. News & World Report (with Reuters), PBS News (with Associated Press), The New York Times, Radio France Internationale, Deutsche Welle, BBC News, Miami Herald

    Updated since this edition · Read the latest

12. The United States sanctioned Rwanda’s defense ministry over its role in Congo

    The United States sanctioned Rwanda’s defense ministry on Wednesday, increasing pressure on Kigali to withdraw troops from neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo. Demócrata reported that the Treasury considers the ministry a financier and military adviser to M23 operations. Rwanda denies supporting M23 and blames militias funded by the Congolese government; peace dialogue continues.

    Reporting: Bloomberg, Demócrata

13. DRC public health institute reports 10,060 confirmed Ebola cases

    The Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ebola outbreak has reached 10,060 confirmed cases and 4,887 deaths, according to the country’s public health institute, with figures through October 25. ABC News said it is the country’s largest outbreak on record and the world’s second largest. Cases have also been recorded in Kenya and Nigeria, AP reported.

    Reporting: ABC News (Australia), HuffPost, watchers.news

    Updated since this edition · Read the latest

14. A federal grand jury declined to indict former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson

    A federal grand jury in Washington declined to indict Cassidy Hutchinson, a former White House aide, over her testimony to the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack. Hutchinson has maintained her testimony was truthful, Reuters reported. The Justice Department could present the case again, and some department prosecutors doubted they could secure a conviction, The New York Times reported.

    Reporting: Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Fresno Bee (with Reuters), The New York Times, CNBC, The Washington Post, ABC News, abc45.com

15. A federal judge disqualified prosecutor Bill Essayli from overseeing two criminal cases

    Senior U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright ruled that Bill Essayli, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, is unlawfully serving as a de facto U.S. attorney. He barred Essayli from participating in or supervising two criminal prosecutions, but delayed the disqualification while considering an anticipated Justice Department request for a stay pending appeal.

    Reporting: Fox News, The Hill, Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, ABC News, mynewsla.com

    Updated since this edition · Read the latest

16. The FBI searched a Beverly Hills home linked to donor Stephen Cloobeck

    The FBI searched a Beverly Hills home linked to billionaire political donor Stephen Cloobeck on Tuesday, Oct. 27, under a court-authorized warrant, the bureau told ABC News. Law Commentary reported agents sought electronic devices and records related to prostitution. ABC News, citing sources, said former Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell does not live there but is believed to have stayed there.

    Reporting: Law Commentary, The Washington Post, ABC News, Reuters, The Sacramento Bee

17. A Canadian official cited limited progress in recent trade talks with the United States

    Canada has made limited progress in recent trade talks with the United States, a Canadian government official with knowledge of the discussions said Wednesday, Reuters reported. The Canadian Press also reported limited progress. Prime Minister Mark Carney has said Donald Trump is moving closer to Canada's position, amid mixed signals from Washington, CTV News reported.

    Reporting: Reuters, CTV News, meadowlakenow.com

18. The CDC warned that drug-resistant germs cause 50,800 deaths annually in the United States

    The CDC warned Tuesday that drug-resistant germs cause an estimated 9.7 million infections and 50,800 deaths annually in the United States, calling them a growing threat, according to a new report. CDC director Dr. Erica Schwartz said antimicrobial resistance threatens modern medicine. The agency classifies four germs as urgent and tracks six on a watch list, including drug-resistant ringworm.

    Reporting: ABC News, NBC News

19. Judge Valerie Caproni sentenced Tal, Oren, and Alon Alexander to 30 years in prison

    District Judge Valerie Caproni sentenced brothers Tal Alexander, 40, and twins Oren and Alon Alexander, 39, to 30 years each in federal prison after their sex-trafficking convictions. The Justice Department said they operated a yearslong scheme targeting women and minors. At least 11 accusers spoke at sentencing; the brothers deny wrongdoing and are expected to appeal.

    Reporting: Anadolu Agency, The New York Times, CNN, ABC News, USA Today, The Guardian, NewsNation

20. Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski endorsed Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins for governor

    Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska endorsed Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, crossing party lines about a week before Election Day. She said his approach could bridge partisan divisions; her father, former Republican Sen. Frank Murkowski, also endorsed him. Kreiss-Tomkins leads a four-way race, with a September New York Times/Siena poll reporting 40 percent support among likely voters.

    Reporting: NBC News, Politico, Alaska Beacon, The Washington Post, Fox News, The Hill, Alaska Public Media, alaskasnewssource.com

21. An Egyptian court ordered news outlet Mada Masr closed and fined its editor-in-chief

    Mada Masr editor-in-chief Lina Attalah learned during release procedures that she had received a separate one-year prison sentence in absentia in 2024, the Associated Press reported. Democracy Now reported the case involved charges of publishing false news and managing an unlicensed website, and that Attalah faces a retrial in two weeks. Mada Masr said she intends to appeal.

    Reporting: Al Jazeera, Los Angeles Times, The Jerusalem Post, Le Monde, Deutsche Welle, Democracy Now!, editorandpublisher.com

22. British authorities charged two men over a suspected plot against RAF Fairford

    UK authorities charged Mohmed Ahmad Abdulkarim, 24, with conduct to assist a foreign intelligence service, and Nouman Essghir, 24, with entering, accessing, inspecting or approaching a prohibited place, over a suspected plot involving RAF Fairford. Both appeared Tuesday at Westminster Magistrates’ Court. Laurence Taylor, head of British counterterrorism policing, said he believed Iran was the country involved.

    Reporting: The Hill, Iran International, asisonline.org

23. Halima Salman convicted of receiving weapons training from the Islamic State

    New York woman Halima Salman was convicted Tuesday of receiving weapons training from the Islamic State, after her father took her to Syria as a teenager and arranged her marriage to a fighter, CBS News reported. CBS News said she recalled bombings during her final year of marriage.

    Reporting: CBS News, The Guardian, richmondregister.com

24. Melania Trump says ceasefire zone expanded across Kherson region

    Officials say a ceasefire around Russian-occupied Oleshky has expanded across a wider area of Kherson region and is holding. Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said both sides were meeting commitments; BBC News reported no violations. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it proceeded “according to plan.” Evacuations are planned Friday; a local volunteer said about 500 people wanted to leave.

    Reporting: BBC News, UA News, Latin Times, ukranews.com, abc17news.com

25. The U.N. General Assembly voted to condemn the U.S. economic embargo on Cuba

    The U.N. General Assembly voted Wednesday for the 34th time to condemn the U.S. economic embargo on Cuba, despite an intense American pressure campaign led by Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz. Just the News reported a 134-17 vote, while Responsible Statecraft reported 130 in favor, 17 opposed and 25 abstentions.

    Reporting: Just the News, responsiblestatecraft.org

26. Mike Waltz said a Cuban diplomat would be sent back to Havana

    U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said a Cuban diplomat involved in Tuesday’s General Assembly confrontation would be sent to Havana within 24 hours. The clash came during debate over the U.S. embargo on Cuba, as Waltz urged member states to reject a resolution condemning it; he accused Cuban officials of disrupting his speech.

    Reporting: Newsweek, CNN, Los Angeles Times, KSL News, Fox News

27. Villa Vie Residences suspended a three-year world voyage in Cambodia over soaring fuel costs

    Villa Vie Residences suspended the MV Odyssey’s three-year world voyage in Cambodia, citing unsustainable fuel costs. The Florida-based company is evaluating restructuring and recapitalization options over 60 days. Villa Vie CEO Kathy Villalba said it could not secure fuel. The Los Angeles Times reported 203 mostly American passengers faced uncertainty; residents said they got seven hours’ notice to disembark.

    Reporting: The Baltimore Sun, Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, gCaptain, thetraveler.org

28. Senator Darline Graham narrowly leads Democratic nominee Dr. Annie Andrews in South Carolina poll

    A New York Times/Siena poll found South Carolina’s Senate race effectively tied: Republican incumbent Darline Graham leads Democratic nominee Dr. Annie Andrews by less than one percentage point. The poll surveyed 707 South Carolina voters and had a 4.3-percentage-point margin of error. Graham was appointed to finish the term of her late brother, Lindsey Graham, who died in July.

    Reporting: The Hill, The New York Times, siena.edu

29. Michigan’s Senate contest is drawing attention to attacks on a Muslim candidate and debate over a progressive agenda

    Republican Mike Rogers is attacking Democrat Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan’s tight race for an open Senate seat, portraying him as sympathetic to Islamist extremism and arguing his progressive policies are outside the mainstream. El-Sayed denies the allegation, while supporters call the attacks Islamophobic. Strategists say they aim to deter Jewish and Black Detroit-area voters who backed Representative Haley Stevens.

    Reporting: Reuters