Thursday, October 8, 2026

The Department of Labor suspended Microsoft, Adobe, Cognizant, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro, HCL Technologies and Capgemini from the Permanent Labor Certification program, which lets employers sponsor foreign workers for permanent residency. Vice President JD Vance announced the move Thursday, accusing the companies of visa abuse and saying firms must hire American workers. The administration also launched investigations into nine universities over use of J-1 visas.

A superseding indictment filed Thursday in the Southern District of New York charged former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, with conspiracy to commit torture against American detainees. Prosecutors allege Maduro authorized torture, arbitrary detention and violence against political opposition, including electrocution, beatings and simulated drowning. The couple already faced narcoterrorism, drug trafficking and weapons charges after being captured from Caracas and held in US custody since January.

Federal authorities arrested Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud, 18, a U.S. citizen of Somali descent, Tuesday in a Minnesota park, charging him with plotting an ISIS-inspired mass shooting at the Mall of America. He had been under investigation since December 2024 and allegedly bought an AK-47 and 200 rounds of ammunition for $600 from an undercover FBI informant, telling the informant he intended to kill 30 to 60 people. He faces one federal firearms-terrorism charge. Sen. Amy Klobuchar praised law enforcement Wednesday, calling for more anti-terrorism investment.

President Trump said Thursday the US will not strike Iran before the Nov. 3 midterm elections, citing "productive discussions" with Tehran. He said Iran remains in "very bad condition" economically and militarily, and that the naval blockade of Iranian ports will continue while oil keeps flowing through the Strait of Hormuz. Oil prices had risen on reports the US was weighing renewed strikes; the rise slowed after his statement.

A man pulled out a gun inside the Fred D. Thompson U.S. Courthouse and Federal Building in Nashville on Thursday, police said. The gun failed to fire, so he then wielded a knife, according to police. Security shot and killed him inside the building. No other injuries were reported.

The Pentagon instructed U.S. Central Command to finish preparations for resuming major combat operations in Iran, U.S. officials said. No date has been set and President Trump has not made a final decision, though U.S. and Israeli sources say action could come before U.S. midterm elections. A White House official said Trump "has all options available at any time."

A federal judge extended the temporary block on the Trump administration's ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico reporters from the White House until next week, saying he would decide whether to extend it further by Tuesday. An attorney for the outlets argued the ban amounts to viewpoint discrimination punishing them for what they say, violating their First Amendment rights.

The US Treasury Department announced new sanctions targeting Iran's shadow fleet, a network of vessels used to evade oil export restrictions and sell Iranian crude abroad in violation of US sanctions.

A Russian glide bomb struck two crowded public buses in a frontline eastern Ukrainian city Thursday, killing at least 30 people; officials cited by BBC and CNN put the toll at 33. The attack came amid a broader bombardment that worsened power outages in Kyiv. Ukraine accused Russia of deliberately targeting civilians. President Zelensky said Russian strikes have killed more than 70 people over two days and accused the United States of inaction.

Explosions were heard in the Saudi capital on Thursday and Riyadh's airport was reported closed, with smoke seen rising from an aircraft there. The cause remained unclear. The blasts came a day after Houthi strikes on two Saudi airports killed three people and wounded dozens, an escalation the Houthis claimed as the kingdom is drawn deeper into conflict with the Iran-backed group.

Israel had threatened to shut Britain's East Jerusalem consulate after the UK halted trade from Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Following last-minute talks, the facility will stay open under a new name, the UK Mission, with most diplomats leaving but what Foreign Secretary David Miliband called "vital services" continuing. Israel said in September it would act over the UK sanctions.

Russia's public health watchdog said it has completed checks following the death of a researcher at the Irkutsk plague institute on October 2, and again denied reports that a second person was infected. Russian officials maintain she died of pneumonia of unknown origin unrelated to her lab work, after a local official initially linked the death to plague. The World Health Organization has asked Russia for more details on the cause.

A serving member of Britain's Royal Navy has been charged under the National Security Act with preparing to disclose sensitive information to a foreign power, London police said. Counter terror police described the alleged offenses as "very serious." The serviceman was due to appear in court in London. The foreign country allegedly involved was not identified.

South Korea recalled its ambassador to Ukraine on Thursday after President Lee Jae Myung had threatened unspecified punitive steps unless Kyiv apologized over its disclosure that two North Korean prisoners of war had defected to South Korea. Seoul says President Volodymyr Zelensky broke a confidentiality agreement by revealing the transfer last month. The move escalates the diplomatic dispute between the two countries.

Protests over school funding and conditions, now in their third week, continue across France, with a 15-year-old boy having lost a hand after being hit by a police-fired stun grenade. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said his policy response will not come until the end of the month. The unrest, which began in Paris in mid-September, has spread to Belgium, where police have made at least 139 arrests in Liège. More than 6,500 people, mostly minors, have been arrested in France.

Italy's parliament approved an overhaul of the electoral system ahead of the 2027 vote. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni says the change will produce more stable government. Opposition parties say the reform is intended to help her stay in power, with some calling it a scam.

Counterterrorism police in the UK are questioning two Latvian men after they broke into the perimeter of RAF Molesworth, a base used by the US military and NATO forces as an intelligence hub. The incident has raised security concerns about the facility. Authorities have not stated a motive for the breach.