On this version of Hot off the Wire:
Israel has agreed to allow Egypt to deliver limited humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip while the Israeli military keeps up its airstrikes on the Palestinian territory. More than 1 million Palestinians, roughly half of Gaza’s population, have fled homes in the north and Gaza City after Israel told them evacuate. The airstrikes early Thursday continued across the entire territory, including in areas in the south that Israel had declared as “safe zones.” President Joe Biden will deliver an address from the Oval Office on Thursday discussing the war as well as the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Refusing to drop out, Republican Rep. Jim Jordan has brought the House speaker’s race to a stalemate. The hard-fighting ally of Donald Trump has been unable to win the gavel but he and his far-right allies won’t step aside for a more viable GOP nominee. On Thursday, the House is tentatively set to convene in the afternoon for Jordan to try again.
CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (AP) — A Marine has been killed in a homicide at Camp Lejeune and a second Marine is being held on suspicion of being involved. A statement from the North Carolina base says authorities took the Marine into custody about 10:15 p.m. Wednesday after an incident that occurred in a barracks room earlier in the evening. The statement called the death a homicide and described the other Marine as a suspect but didn’t provide any other details, including how the Marine died.
PARIS (AP) — France’s government is threatening prison terms and heavy fines for callers who make fake bomb threats after a rash of false alarms forced the evacuation of 15 airports and cancellation of 130 flights and shut the doors of Versailles Palace three times in five days. French officials suggested that young people and children may be responsible.
HELSINKI (AP) — Telecom gear maker Nokia says it's planning to cut up to 14,000 jobs worldwide, or 16% of its workforce, as part of a push to reduce costs following a plunge in third-quarter sales and profit. The Finnish wireless and fixed-network equipment provider said Thursday that the planned measures are aimed at reducing its cost base and increasing operational efficiency “to navigate the current market uncertainty." Nokia says it's aiming to lower its cost base by between 800 million euros and 1.2 billion euros by the end of 2026. That's set to lead to a reduction from 86,000 employees now to between 72,000 and 77,000 during that time period.
ISLAMABAD (AP) — A group of former U.S. diplomats and representatives of resettlement organizations has asked Pakistan not to deport thousands of Afghans who have been waiting for U.S. visas under an American program that relocates at-risk Afghan refugees fleeing Taliban rule. The appeal in an open letter on Wednesday came weeks after Pakistan announced a crackdown on migrants living in the country illegally, including 1.7 million Afghans, telling them to return to their home countries by Oct. 31 to avoid mass arrest and expulsion. On Thursday, authorities in Pakistan said illegal migrants must leave before the crackdown starts.
The Astros take Game 3 of the ALCS, the Aces now have a pair of WNBA championships, the Red Wings and Senators each score six to cop victories, and Roger Goodell is good to go three more years as NFL Commissioner.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The trial of a Fugees rapper, who was convicted in multimillion-dollar political conspiracies, stretched across the worlds of politics and entertainment. Now the case is touching on the tech world with arguments that his defense attorney used an “experimental” artificial intelligence program to write his closing arguments. Prakazrel “Pras” Michel argued this week that use of the generative AI program was one of a number of errors his previous attorney made a trial for which he was “unqualified, unprepared and ineffectual,” according to a motion for new trial his new lawyers filed this week.
President Joe Biden is in Israel on an urgent mission to keep the Israel-Hamas war from spiraling into a broader regional conflict. The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that limited humanitarian aid will be allowed into Gaza following a request from Biden. The president's visit comes after hundreds of Palestinians were reported killed in an explosion at a Gaza hospital the night before. Hamas blamed the blast on an Israeli airstrike, while the Israeli military blamed a rocket misfired by Palestinian militants. The Associated Press has not independently verified any of the claims or evidence released by the parties.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. has imposed sanctions on a group of people and firms based in Iran, China, Hong Kong and Venezuela, tied to the development of Iran’s ballistic missile and drone programs. The Wednesday penalties come as the United Nations’ restrictions on Iran missile-related activities under a Security Council Resolution are set to expire, as well as the E.U. restrictions on Iran ability to obtain nuclear and conventional arms.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The net worth of the typical U.S. household grew at the fastest pace in more than three decades from 2020 through 2022, while relatively low interest rates at that time made it easier for households to pay their debts. Wealth for the median household — the midpoint between the richest and poorest households — jumped 37% during those three years, the Federal Reserve reported, to nearly $193,000. (The figures are adjusted for inflation.) The increase reflected primarily a jump in home values and higher stock prices and a rise in the proportion of Americans who own homes and stocks.
PARIS (AP) — Reporters Without Borders says a Taliban court in Afghanistan has released a French-Afghan journalist held for 284 days and cleared him of espionage and other charges. The press freedom group said it is now working to quickly reunite Mortaza Behboudi with his wife, Alexandra, in Paris. The group’s secretary general called the journalist's release “the end of a painful ordeal." Behboudi was arrested on Jan. 7, two days after he arrived in Afghanistan as part of a reporting assignment. Behboudi was awarded the Bayeux Prize for War Correspondents last year for a series of reports about life in Afghanistan under the Taliban regime.
HONG KONG (AP) — A Hong Kong man who was shot by police during pro-democracy protests in 2019 has been sentenced to 47 months in prison on charges of rioting, assaulting a police officer and perverting the course of justice. Tsang Chi-kin was the first known victim of police gunfire during the months-long protests. After he was released on bail, he tried to seek asylum at the U.S. Consulate in Hong Kong but failed. He then hid in various locations in the city before being rearrested in July 2022. The judge said Tsang’s sentence reflected the court's determination to safeguard public order.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — The chief suspect in the 2005 disappearance of Natalee Holloway has admitted he killed her and disposed of her remains in the sea. Joran van der Sloot’s confession comes as part of a plea deal with prosecutors on extortion charges. Joran van der Sloot pleaded guilty Wednesday to trying to extort money from Holloway’s mother in exchange for revealing the location of her daughter’s body. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison for extortion and wire fraud but is not charged in Holloway’s death or disappearance. U.S. Judge Anna Manasco said she considered van der Sloot’s confession to Holloway’s murder and destruction of her remains in her sentencing decision.
MOSCOW (AP) — The lower house of Russia’s parliament has approved a bill revoking the ratification of a global nuclear test ban treaty, a move Moscow described as putting it on par with the United States. The State Duma lawmakers voted unanimously to revoke the ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty on Wednesday. The bill will now go to the upper house, the Federation Council, which is expected to support the legislation. The bill was introduced to parliament following a statement from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who warned earlier this month that Moscow could revoke its 2000 decision to ratify the treaty to “mirror” the stand taken by the United States, which has signed but not ratified the nuclear test ban.
NEW YORK (AP) — A new report says that crash and fatality rates among drivers under 21 have fallen dramatically in the U.S. during the past 20 years but young drivers are still the riskiest group behind the wheel. Using data from 2002-2021, a non-profit group of state highway safety offices says that fatal crashes involving a young driver fell by 38%, while deaths of young drivers fell even more, by about 45%. The report from the Governors Highway Safety Association acknowledges that young people are driving less than they were 20 years ago, but it highlights several other reasons for the improvement, including the phasing in driving privileges.
FORT MILL, S.C. (AP) — The South Carolina hot pepper expert who set a world record for the hottest pepper a decade ago is at it again. Ed Currie has officially broken the record with Pepper X, a crossbreed of the Carolina Reaper, which was Currie's old record holder. Pepper X is hotter than pepper and bear sprays, coming in at 2.69 million Scoville units, the scientific measurement for a pepper's hotness. A regular jalapeno registers around 5,000 units and a habanero, the record-holder about 25 years ago, usually tops 100,000. The Guinness Book of World Records lists the Carolina Reaper at 1.64 million units. Currie said he ate a Pepper X and felt the heat for three-and-a-half hours.
Families in Gaza hit hard from losing loved ones, and more of today's top videos
Palestinians who have lost relatives in Israeli air strikes are bracing for more destruction, underrated Disney characters that make the perfect Halloween costume, and more of today's top videos.
