Friday, October 9, 2026

Oscar Bergal (also spelled Belgal), 28, was shot once in the neck by an ICE agent who fired at his car Thursday in Marble Hill during what DHS called a "targeted enforcement operation." Mayor Zohran Mamdani said a child was in the car at the time. Bergal survived and is being held at a detention facility outside New York. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said ICE will not pause enforcement in the city, and Mamdani said negotiations with the Trump administration to free the man had failed.

President Trump established a committee of inquiry to examine allegations that Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook made false statements on mortgage documents, part of his effort to remove her since August 2025. The Supreme Court blocked her firing in June 2026, ruling she lacked adequate chance to respond. Cook may submit a written statement before a hearing at the White House on Nov. 5, 2026, lasting up to four hours.

Katie Zacharia, a conservative commentator and senior communications adviser at Trump Media & Technology Group, has been offered the role of White House press secretary, officials confirmed. She would succeed Karoline Leavitt, who left in August after giving birth. Zacharia previously served about two months as a spokesperson and deputy assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security. It was not immediately clear whether she has accepted the offer.

A U.S. Army report found systemic safety breakdowns contributed to the January 2025 midair collision between an American Airlines jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter near Washington, D.C., which killed 67 people. The 50-page report recommends changes to prevent future incidents. It was made public after months of pressure from victims' families.

The Arlington County Board in Virginia filed a lawsuit Thursday opposing construction of President Trump's planned 250-foot Triumphal Arch, becoming the first governmental body to take legal action against the monument. The lawsuit follows the project's April approval by the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts and cites concerns about impacts on tourism, safety for local residents, and proximity to Arlington National Cemetery.

President Trump said Friday that Vladimir Putin agreed to immediately supply over 300,000 tons of diesel fuel to US and global markets, another 500,000 tons in November, 1,000,000 tons "immediately thereafter," and 3,000,000 tons later. The announcement includes a waiver on US energy sanctions, despite Russia's ongoing diesel export ban following Ukrainian strikes on refineries. US diesel averaged $6.28 per gallon Friday. Ukraine called the deal a gift to Putin.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Friday that the Trump administration imposed financial sanctions directly on the International Criminal Court, marking the first time the U.S. has targeted the institution rather than individuals. The sanctions could cut the ICC off from the U.S. financial system and bar it from dollar transactions. The ICC called the move "an assault on the rule of law." The UK and other member states said they "strongly disagree" with the sanctions.

A federal grand jury in Washington has heard evidence regarding possible false statements by Cassidy Hutchinson, a former aide to Mark Meadows, in her 2022 testimony to the House Jan. 6 committee about Trump's actions during the Capitol riot. A source said more evidence could be presented next week. The proceedings remain at the grand jury stage, with no decision yet on criminal charges.

OpenAI fired three researchers last week. The researchers say they were dismissed for prioritizing safety and described the circumstances as suspicious. OpenAI denies this, saying the firings resulted from a breach of trust involving mishandling sensitive information and violating its sensitive information policy, not from raising safety concerns about its AI models.

FBI Director Kash Patel said this week that the bureau arrested a person believed to be connected to ShinyHunters, a hacking group that breached FBI computer systems, including its jobs website. The hack exposed personal information about agency personnel, and the group had threatened to release it. Patel did not provide further details about the suspect.

Saudi authorities said missile strikes by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels killed three people, including a pilot, at Riyadh's international airport on Thursday, with others injured. The attacks mark an escalation in fighting between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia, which backs Yemen's government. Separately, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned 17 tankers it says make up Iran's remaining "shadow fleet."

A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off Panama's southern coast Friday at 1:56 p.m. ET, about 6 miles deep near Pitaloza Arriba, shaking Panama City and San José, Costa Rica. The USGS initially estimated it at 8.0 before revising to 7.7. A 5.5 magnitude aftershock followed. Tsunami warnings were issued for Panama, Ecuador and other coastal countries, then later canceled. Buildings were damaged and residents evacuated; the Panama Canal continued normal operations.

Russian strikes killed people across Ukraine on Friday, officials said; Associated Press reported 3 dead, while other officials reported 2 killed and 5 wounded. Ukrainian officials said Russian bombardments have killed more than 50 people over the past three days as Kyiv struggles to counter escalating attacks.

South Africa withdrew an asylum directive following violence that erupted over the policy, with cars torched and shops looted in protests described as anti-migrant. South Africa has experienced recurrent outbreaks of violence targeting migrants from neighbouring countries. The protests had raged over the asylum ruling before the directive was withdrawn.

UAE Attorney General Hamad Saif al Shamsi said Omani co-pilot Hammam al Hammami, 29, planned a 9/11-inspired suicide attack to crash a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv into Ben Gurion International Airport's terminal on Sept. 30. He used two earlier flights to the route to familiarize himself with it, officials said. The other pilot and passengers thwarted the attempt. Al Hammami confessed to acting alone; the UAE is still investigating possible accomplices.

Montenegrin police detained Mikhail Zvinchuk, head of the pro-Kremlin Telegram channel Rybar, which covers Russia's invasion of Ukraine, along with four other people on suspicion of trying to destabilize the country. Authorities said the five were being expelled from Montenegro on Friday for security reasons.

Thousands marched in Brussels on Friday against the Belgian government's budget-tightening measures and rising living costs, in a strike organized by two major labor unions. Police estimated about 30,000 participants. Masked demonstrators threw rocks and firecrackers at officers near the central railway station and set fires, including an electric scooter. Police used tear gas and water cannons, saying the unrest was caused by people not affiliated with the organized march. A separate public-sector strike is planned for Monday.

The European Union and China agreed to an interim deal that could cut Chinese hybrid vehicle exports to Europe by roughly half over the next four years, according to the EU's envoy. The agreement follows trade tensions over Chinese auto imports, though the EU acknowledged the deal could also strengthen China's auto industry.