Morning Premium Edition · Thu, Oct 29 · 7:06 a.m.

The Essential 10 · about 3 minutes

1. Rescuers worked through train wreckage near Urda following a deadly crash

   Search teams continued combing wreckage near Urda on Thursday, a day after a deadly high-speed train collision, with about 80 injured, The Australia Today reported. Proto Thema said four bodies remained trapped and investigators were seeking to establish how a technical failure and recorded instructions to proceed at normal speed related to the crash.

   Reporting: The Australian, The Guardian, Proto Thema, nbcboston.com, theaustraliatoday.com.au

   Updated since this edition · Read the latest

2. Distributed Denial of Secrets published records for more than 40,000 DHS employees

   Distributed Denial of Secrets published records containing personal and work information for more than 40,000 DHS employees. The data includes names, job titles, work contacts and office locations, plus access-group links to tools such as surveillance software and a facial-recognition app. Okta said it has no evidence its systems were compromised.

   Reporting: Deutsche Welle, The Verge, Fox News, TechCrunch, technology.org

   Updated since this edition · Read the latest

3. Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy ordered an investigation into alleged state election manipulation

   Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy ordered the Department of Public Safety to investigate allegations that Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola’s campaign helped recruit an outside contender with a name similar to Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan’s. The probe follows a New York Times report and will assess whether the campaign could face criminal charges or civil action.

   Reporting: BBC News, The Washington Post

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4. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired Army Lt Gen Brett Sylvia from the Joint Staff

   Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth removed Army Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia from his role directing strategy, plans and policy on the Joint Staff, known as J-5. He is the second general removed from the post under Hegseth. CBS News reported an official attributed the firing to media leaks; i24NEWS said no reason had been given. No replacement was named.

   Reporting: i24NEWS, Anadolu Agency, The Hill, CBS News, CNN, theatlantic.com

   Updated since this edition · Read the latest

5. Iran’s IRGC Navy said three oil tankers exploded after striking naval mines

   Iran's Revolutionary Guard claimed three tankers hit mines in the Strait of Hormuz. Separately, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said a ship's master saw another vessel on fire about 9 nautical miles (17 kilometers) north of Khasab, Oman. The crew's condition was unknown, and no damage or environmental assessment was available.

   Reporting: Shafaq News

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6. European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde will step down on Feb. 7, 2027

   The ECB said European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde informed its Governing Council and European Council President António Costa that she will step down on Feb. 7, 2027. CNN reports former central bank governors Klaas Knot of the Netherlands and Pablo Hernandez de Cos of Spain are seen as frontrunners to succeed her.

   Reporting: CNN, CNBC

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7. Japan and the U.S. agreed to set up a Japanese missile assembly facility

   Japan and the United States agreed to establish a facility in Japan for final assembly and checkout of AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles. Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi announced the agreement in Cebu after meeting Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. Koizumi called it groundbreaking; the facility’s location has not been disclosed.

   Reporting: ABC News, WSLS 10 News, The Seattle Times, The Hamilton Spectator, Militarnyi, airandspaceforces.com, janes.com, migflug.com

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8. The Fed held its benchmark rate steady at 3.75% to 4%

   The Federal Reserve kept its benchmark rate unchanged Wednesday at a target range of 3.75% to 4%, days before the midterm elections. Fed Chair Kevin Warsh said the decision was economic, despite Donald Trump’s calls for cuts. NBC News reported inflation rose from 3.4% in August to 3.7% in September; economist Gerald Cohen warned cuts could overheat the economy.

   Reporting: CBS News, The Washington Post, NBC News, MS NOW (with Associated Press), Fox Business, Deutsche Welle, CNBC

   Updated since this edition · Read the latest

9. Netanyahu’s bloc falls short of a Knesset majority in Israel’s deadlocked election

   With over 90% counted, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc stood at 53 or 54 seats, seven or eight short of a majority in the 120-member Knesset, the World Socialist Web Site reported. It said ultra-Orthodox parties accounted for four of the bloc’s lost seats, largely through abstention. Up to 480,000 double-envelope ballots remained; official results were due November 4.

   Reporting: The New Arab, World Socialist Web Site, The Times of Israel, Asharq Al-Awsat, China Global Television Network

   Updated since this edition · Read the latest

10. Hong Kong leader John Lee apologized for a fire that killed 168 people

    Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee apologized Thursday for the Wang Fuk Court fire in Tai Po, which killed 168 people last November, and said Housing Secretary Winnie Ho had resigned. An inquiry found inadequate regulatory oversight. Lee said Ho should bear political responsibility, though no personal wrongdoing was found, and promised building and regulatory reforms.

    Reporting: A News, Business Today Malaysia, semissourian.com (with Associated Press)

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11. A Cairo court convicted Lina Attalah of managing an unlicensed website

    An Egyptian court convicted Lina Attalah, editor-in-chief of independent outlet Mada Masr, of managing an unlicensed website, fined her 3 million Egyptian pounds and ordered the site closed and its equipment confiscated. Attalah was detained and released after Mada Masr paid the fine. Her lawyers said they would appeal; Amnesty International and the Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the ruling.

    Reporting: The Guardian, The Jerusalem Post, United Press International, fidh.org, okayafrica.com, timep.org, cpj.org

12. The Energy Department's Savannah River Site declared an emergency after a fire

    A fire at the Savannah River National Laboratory in South Carolina prompted officials to declare an emergency at the Savannah River Site near Aiken at about 5:39 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28. Officials said the blaze was extinguished by 7:30 p.m.; radiological surveys found no detectable contamination. The emergency ended that night, and the site returned to normal operations.

    Reporting: Türkiye Today, United News of Bangladesh, Fox News, NBC News, USA Today, The Independent, kccrradio.com

13. Tennessee authorities say Jacob Morley's truck was found in Illinois

    Manhunt for escaped Tennessee inmate Jacob Morley, 28, has crossed into Illinois after authorities found the work truck he allegedly stole abandoned behind a business in Marion early Tuesday. Morley, serving a life sentence for a 2022 murder, remains at large. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s reward for information leading to his arrest has risen to $15,000.

    Reporting: ABC News, NBC News, CNN, Action News 5, WREG News Channel 3, wcyb.com

14. Villa Vie Residences halted cruise ship service in Cambodia

    Villa Vie Residences suspended operations in Cambodia, leaving more than 200 passengers, mostly Americans, stranded in the country. The company cited extraordinary increases in fuel costs. Its CEO said the operator had run out of money while seeking a financial partner and planned to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

    Reporting: CBS News, The New York Times, WION, The Guardian, gnyouth.net

15. Cyclone Arnab killed three people and caused extensive damage in Andhra Pradesh

    Three people were reported dead after Cyclone Arnab brought heavy rain and caused extensive damage in Andhra Pradesh, eastern India, the Associated Press reported. Tens of thousands of people had been evacuated from vulnerable coastal areas before the storm’s landfall on Wednesday. Prakhar Jain, head of the state’s disaster management authority, said the cyclone had weakened slightly before landfall.

    Reporting: irishnews.com

16. El Salvador pledged more than 2,000 troops to Haiti to find missing technicians

    El Salvador’s foreign ministry said Wednesday it would deploy more than 2,000 soldiers to Haiti to search for four missing Salvadoran air force technicians and support anti-gang operations. The technicians, members of the UN-backed Gang Suppression Force, disappeared Oct. 18 after an ambush in Croix-des-Bouquets, east of Port-au-Prince. Reuters said it was unclear whether the troops would join the force.

    Reporting: BBC News, Al Jazeera, Around Prague, Facebook, inquirer.net, charlotteobserver.com (with Reuters)

17. Contship Jet sank off Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast after drone strikes

    The Liberian-flagged container ship Contship Jet sank Thursday after three maritime drones struck it off Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast Wednesday, the local maritime administration said. All 18 crew members were rescued and taken to Varna for medical checks. Navy teams reported no signs of pollution; maritime.bg reported some containers carried hazardous materials, including lithium-ion batteries.

    Reporting: WRAL News, The Seattle Times, audacy.com

18. Russia said air defenses downed a record 1,214 Ukrainian drones overnight

    Russia’s Defense Ministry said air defenses intercepted 1,214 Ukrainian drones overnight, a record and one of the largest drone attacks launched by Kyiv. The total exceeded the previous record, set Sept. 20, when the military said more than 1,100 drones were downed in Russia and annexed Crimea. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said 613 drones were launched toward the Moscow region.

    Reporting: The Moscow Times, KTVN 2 News Nevada

    Updated since this edition · Read the latest

19. EU governments removed an associate member status proposal for Canada from a draft declaration

    EU countries have dropped “associate membership” for Canada from the draft declaration for the EU-Canada summit in Montreal, replacing it with a pledge of “ever closer association” that stops short of full membership. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen floated the idea in September. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and other leaders pushed to remove the term. The two-day summit begins Thursday.

    Reporting: POLITICO Europe, The Guardian, Euronews, Deutsche Welle

20. John Healey delivered his first Budget

    Chancellor of the Exchequer John Healey delivered his first Budget on Wednesday, announcing a one-off £100 payment for 20 million households struggling with higher energy costs, funded by doubling the additional corporate tax rate to 6%. He forecast 1.2% economic growth in 2026, slowing in 2027.

    Reporting: Euronews, The National, themanufacturer.com

21. Alphabet reports quarterly revenue miss, sending shares down more than 10%

    Alphabet shares fell more than 10% in Thursday premarket trading as Nasdaq futures dropped 1.1% after quarterly revenue missed expectations. Weak search sales drove the miss despite cloud growth, The Wall Street Journal said. Bloomberg said quarterly sales and profit fell short, signaling that Alphabet was not generating enough return to justify its massive AI investments.

    Reporting: The Wall Street Journal, Seeking Alpha, Bloomberg, lancasteronline.com (with Associated Press), hdfcsky.com, theedgesingapore.com

22. The Federal Trade Commission ordered nine companies to provide information on personal data use

    The Federal Trade Commission issued Section 6(b) orders to nine companies: Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, JetBlue, Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, Instacart, Target and Walmart. The inquiry will examine whether personal data, including loyalty-program participation, affects individual prices or worker compensation. The FTC says each has 45 days from receipt to respond, with possible legal action to compel compliance.

    Reporting: U.S. News & World Report, Fox Business, CiberCuba, fl360aero.com, dig.watch, ftc.gov, wincountry.com (with Reuters)

    Updated since this edition · Read the latest

23. Milwaukee claimed its first World Series title with a victory over Tampa Bay

    The Milwaukee Brewers won their first World Series title, beating the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 in Game 5 Wednesday in St. Petersburg, Florida. The victory ended the franchise’s 57-season wait and gave the city its first title since the Braves won in 1957. The Brewers went 11-2 in the postseason; 31,000 fans watched on a scoreboard at their domed home.

    Reporting: Spectrum News, NBC News, ESPN, fox11online.com, mlb.com, wpr.org

24. Utah accused Kalshi and its top executives of promoting online gambling

    Utah has filed criminal charges against prediction-market operator Kalshi, CEO Tarek Mansour and COO Luana Lopes Lara, accusing them of violating the state’s gambling ban. The charges include 13 counts of violating the ban and one count of profiting from illegal activity, based in part on an undercover investigator’s sports wagers. The CFTC sued Utah a day earlier.

    Reporting: ABC News, Reuters, Seeking Alpha, Santa Fe New Mexican, semissourian.com, crypto.news, stamfordadvocate.com

    Updated since this edition · Read the latest

25. The United States moved to expel Cuban diplomat Richard Tur de la Concepción

    U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said Cuban diplomat Richard Tur de la Concepción, first secretary of Cuba’s Permanent Mission to the U.N., would be expelled after allegedly shoving and trying to assault an American diplomat during a General Assembly confrontation, while AOL reported he had been expelled.

    Reporting: Hindustan Times, AOL, The Times of India, CiberCuba, MEAWW (Media Entertainment Arts WorldWide), flvoicenews.com

26. The U.N. General Assembly urged an end to the U.S. embargo on Cuba

    The U.N. General Assembly voted 130-17, with 25 abstentions, for a resolution urging an end to the U.S. embargo on Cuba. Last year's tally was 165-7, with 12 abstentions. Reuters reported a U.S. lobbying push led several countries to oppose it or abstain. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said on X the U.S. government was subjecting Cubans to collective punishment.

    Reporting: China Daily Asia, Reuters

27. Ethiopia received Russian fighter jets and plans to acquire air-defence systems, Abiy said

    Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said Wednesday that Ethiopia would receive 12 Russian Su-35 fighter jets and four S-400 air-defense batteries. Russia’s state arms exporter Rosoboronexport told Reuters that the first batch, comprising two jets, had been delivered. The deal’s value and deployment locations remain undisclosed, as renewed fighting follows a September rebel offensive in Tigray.

    Reporting: Somalia Today, Business Insider, Operativ Məlumat Mərkəzi, chimpreports.com, fakti.bg

28. Alice Huang was considered a Chinese intelligence asset by U.S. officials

    The New York Times reported that U.S. officials concluded Alice Huang, a top executive at Singapore-based data center company Megaspeed, was a Chinese intelligence asset who funneled information to Beijing. Surveillance revealed that Alice Huang had developed a close relationship with Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang. Donald Trump was briefed and took no action, the Times reported.

    Reporting: The New York Times, fourweekmba.com

    Updated since this edition · Read the latest

29. Labor activist Dolores Huerta died at 96 at her Bakersfield home

    Dolores Huerta, the labor leader and civil rights activist who co-founded the United Farm Workers, died at 96. Her family said through the Dolores Huerta Foundation that she died Wednesday, Oct. 28, at home in Bakersfield, California, and asked for privacy. A Facebook report said she died of cancer. Huerta coined “Sí, se puede!”

    Reporting: Facebook, PBS News, Associated Press, doloreshuerta.org

30. No new developments since Wednesday's 7:05 p.m. edition

    The Justice Department pursued politically sensitive actions ahead of the midterm election

    The Justice Department’s pre-midterm blitz includes lawsuits in Alaska and California related to next week’s voting, alongside a series of politically sensitive cases and actions. Defense lawyers, Democrats and other critics say the timing and targets reek of politics; the department said it is following the facts and the law, not anyone’s political timetable.

    Reporting: Greenwich Time (with Associated Press), Bozeman Daily Chronicle