In a news wrap on Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke at the U.N. General Assembly, where he dismissed allegations of genocide in Gaza, calling them 'the biggest lie of the century.' He also stated that attacking Iran was one of the easiest decisions he has made. Many delegates walked out during his speech, which led Netanyahu to label them as moral cowards, asserting that Israel's military actions contribute to their safety.
Earlier, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, in prerecorded remarks, reiterated his call for a two-state solution, accusing Israel of conducting a genocidal war against Palestinians. Abbas was unable to attend in person due to a visa denial from the Trump administration.
In related news, Israel's Ambassador to the U.S., Michael Leiter, reported that his son remains in critical condition after a Palestinian man drove into a military checkpoint in the occupied West Bank. The suspect was shot dead. Leiter expressed gratitude to the medical staff for stabilizing his son, who is a reservist in the Israeli military. Leiter's older son was killed in the early months of the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
In Ukraine, officials reported that at least eight people were killed in recent Russian drone and missile attacks, with six farmworkers among the casualties in Kharkiv. An attack in Kyiv resulted in the deaths of a man and a woman, with significant damage to infrastructure and power outages reported. Residents are preparing for a harsh winter despite the ongoing violence.
Tropical Storm Nolo is intensifying south of Hawaii, with warnings of potential life-threatening floods as it approaches the Big Island. The storm is expected to become a major hurricane and could bring up to 35 inches of rain. Schools and government offices on the Big Island are closed in anticipation of the storm.
On the East Coast, a nor'easter is expected to bring flooding and strong winds from the mid-Atlantic to New England.
In Texas, election officials are addressing a backlog of voter registration applications caused by a state-level error, which may have affected eligible voters ahead of the midterm elections. Local officials are working to process these applications as voting approaches.
In Iowa, President Trump's legal team plans to appeal a judge's ruling that dismissed his lawsuit against The Des Moines Register and its former pollster, Ann Selzer, over claims of misleading poll results. The judge stated that the coverage was protected political speech.
Mortgage rates have surpassed 7 percent for the first time since early last year, with Freddie Mac reporting an average 30-year fixed rate mortgage at 7.03 percent. Rates had dipped below 6 percent earlier this year but have been on the rise since the start of the Iran war.
On Wall Street, stocks ended with little change, with the Dow Jones industrial average down approximately 160 points, while the Nasdaq rose by three points, and the S&P 500 remained virtually unchanged.