U.S. pushes Russia for information on suspected plague death

Health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor says no special measures have been ordered regarding a reported plague death in Russia (Igor IVANKO)

The United States made a formal request pressing Russia for information on the reported plague death of a laboratory technician, a source close to the matter said Tuesday, as calls grew for transparency from Moscow.

Russian authorities have denied that they are imposing anti-plague measures and played down the reports of an incident at a plague research institute in Siberia's Irkutsk region last week.

But US President Donald Trump said he would speak soon with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the World Health Organization's head called on Moscow to be open about the situation. 

"We have officially requested additional information from the Russian government," a State Department spokesperson said Tuesday.

"We are also in official communication with other countries around the world to share information," they added. 

The request for information was sent via a confidential diplomatic communication, known as a demarche, according to a source close to the matter. 

During a trip to Iceland, Rubio said: "We encourage Russia to be transparent and share more information with the world so that all of us could react accordingly and appropriately."

Trump later said he would be speaking to Putin about what happened.

"I have a call scheduled, yes," Trump told reporters at the White House when asked if he had spoken to Putin, adding that it would happen "very soon."

Asked what US intelligence agencies were saying about the situation, Trump said: "We're in very deep discussions. We'll be able to report on it probably tomorrow."

- Cause of death 'undetermined' -

Russian news outlet People of Baikal reported Friday that the dead woman -- named as 28-year-old Darya Shipilova -- may have contracted pneumonic plague from a broken test tube.

Other media reported a possible link between her death and a lab accident at the facility.

The People of Baikal outlet also said up to 200 people with whom she may have had contact were under quarantine.

But Russian authorities say the cause of death is not confirmed and health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor has denied claims circulating in a document online that special measures had been put in place.

"We wish to clarify that the document and information in question do not originate from official sources and are untrue," it said on Telegram.

Russian officials said postmortem tests had not detected the disease.

Irkutsk Regional Governor Igor Kobzev said Monday that an inspection by health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor had found the woman died of pneumonia and the cause was "undetermined."

"No microorganisms linked to the young woman's professional work were found in her biological samples," he said, adding that no other staff at the institute had sought medical attention since her death.

WHO said that an update received Tuesday from Russia stressed that "no case of this dangerous disease has been recorded in the city of Irkutsk."

But its director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus later urged Moscow to be transparent, saying WHO had "requested further information" on the cause of the pneumonia case and other details.

"Timely, complete and transparent information sharing under the International Health Regulations is essential to clarify conflicting reports and enable an accurate assessment of potential public health risks," he wrote on X.

- Bacterial disease -

Plague is a bacterial disease that can occur in several forms, including pneumonic plague, which is the most contagious type and can be transmitted by respiratory means. Bubonic plague is transmitted by infected fleas.

Pneumonic plague, which causes lung failure, can be fatal if not treated early, according to WHO.

Trump said Monday he was ready to help Russia if needed.

But in an apparent response to Trump's offer, the Russian watchdog said Tuesday that Moscow was prepared to assist the US in combating its own outbreaks of infectious diseases.

It highlighted a "significantly worsened" measles situation in three US states, and a "fatal case of plague" recorded in New Mexico in June, among other things. 

Measles cases have increased under the Trump administration, in which vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr serves as health secretary.

An international conference on plague and other infectious diseases will be held in Irkutsk on October 21-22, although organizers said it was "unrelated to the recent death of an employee of the anti-plague institute."

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Fuel industry warns truck stops not to sell red dye diesel after Trump lifts restrictions

Truck stops nationwide were warned to “proceed with caution” Tuesday by a major industry group after President Donald Trump signed an executive order to promote the use of “red dye” diesel fuel.

Red dye diesel is exempt from federal excise taxes because it is intended for farm equipment and other off-road uses.

The order, signed before farmers in Nebraska on Monday night, aims to bring down fuel prices by “temporarily” allowing highway use of red dye diesel fuel, according to a White House statement.

U.S. voters are deeply frustrated by the high price of gas, and the Trump administration is under intense pressure to bring down fuel costs before the Nov. 3 midterm elections.

Monday’s order instructs Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to “defer certain diesel fuel tax payment obligations and to provide penalty relief to the extent permitted by law.”

It does not waive the federal taxes, because only Congress can eliminate a tax.

Following Trump’s directive, the Energy Marketers of America warned gas stations to “proceed with caution.”

“Whether relief is available, whom it covers, and on what conditions depend on Treasury determinations and guidance not yet issued,” the group said. “Deferral is not forgiveness.”

Moreover, the order does not “resolve EPA or state restrictions” on the dyed variety of diesel fuel, the EMA said.

Other trucking and gas industry groups sounded a similar note of caution.

“The White House appears to be trying to encourage the supply chain to move toward selling dyed fuel in non-traditional ways,” the Society of Independent Gasoline Marketers of America and the National Association of Truck Stop Owners said in a note to their members.

“We do not expect most reputable diesel retailers and fuel marketers to do this,” they said. “First, the tax is still owed, so there’s limited upside.”

In addition, “the logistical challenges outweigh any visible upside: Residual dye lingers in tanks and fuel systems.”

For most fuel sellers, “the liability and customer risk outweigh any temporary, uncertain benefit.”

The White House did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

Despite an executive order promoting red dye diesel, trucking and fuel industry groups are warning their members it may not be worth the risk. (Clayton Steward / Bloomberg via Getty)

A group representing independent long-haul truckers also suggested Trump’s move would provide little benefit to its members.

“Allowing the wider use of red-dyed diesel will provide minimal relief. Market stability is essential to bring down costs for the long haul,” said Todd Spencer, president of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association.

Since the war with Iran began, the price of diesel has surged from $3.76 per gallon to $6.32 as of Tuesday, a nearly 70% increase.

The Iran conflict is not the only conflict contributing to diesel’s skyrocketing price.

A recent escalation of the Ukraine-Russia war has included strikes by Ukrainian drones on Russian refineries.

Russia, traditionally one of the world’s large diesel exporters, has responded to the attacks by imposing a diesel export ban through at least the end of October.

Trump has urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to halt strikes on Russia’s diesel infrastructure.

“Mr. Zelenskyy has to do one thing. He has to stop knocking out diesel fuel in Russia,” Trump told reporters in early September. “There are plenty of other targets. Don’t hit diesel fuel, because that’s hurting the world.”

Oil prices also remain sharply elevated since the beginning of the year. Brent crude oil, which traded Tuesday night above $101 per barrel, is up more than 66% since the start of the year.

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Israelis mark 3 years since Oct. 7 attack as Palestinians struggle amid Gaza’s ruins

REIM, Israel (AP) — Israelis gathered on Wednesday to commemorate the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack that killed 1,200 people, saw 251 taken hostage, and sparked a devastating war in Gaza that has left much of the territory in ruins and its 2 million people living in dire conditions.

In southern Israel, families mourned at intersections, bomb shelters, and the site of a music festival that the militants overran three years ago in the deadliest attack against Israel. It is the first anniversary that all the hostages are home, marking a new stage of grief.

For Palestinians, the anniversary brings another day of life of misery and difficulties after an Israeli retaliatory campaign in Gaza that has killed tens of thousands of people.

Most of the population of about 2 million people lives in vast, squalid tent camps, with large parts of the strip’s cities reduced to rubble. More than half the territory remains in the hands of the Israeli military. Despite a ceasefire deal reached nearly a year ago, Israeli strikes continue almost daily.

For the region, the day highlights a startling transformation over the past three years.

Israeli troops occupy a large chunk of southern Lebanon in their conflict with the Hezbollah militant group, which began firing on Israel in 2023 in support of Hamas. Iran and the United States are locked in a confrontation that has seen attacks across Gulf Arab countries and has shaken the global economy — a conflict that Israel helped launch and that the Gaza war paved the way for, even if they weren’t directly connected.

Families mourn at the Nova Festival site

In Reim, the town where the music festival was underway on the day of the attack, families gathered around photos of their killed relatives. They hugged at 6:29 a.m. — the exact time the first rockets were launched three years ago — as booms from explosions in nearby Gaza were heard.

Anya Davitashili, who lost her 25-year-old son, Sean, said she comes to the site every Saturday because it’s where she feels closest to him.

“I have a video of him dancing here that ends at 6:29 in the morning, it’s in front of my eyes all the time,” she said. “Every morning, you wake up and there is just endless missing.”

Hundreds of people came to pay their respects to the more than 350 people killed in and around the festival site.

A released hostage marks his first Oct. 7

Elkana Bohbot, 37, is marking the anniversary in Israel for the first time, after being released from 738 days of captivity last year. For most of that time, he said, he was held 50 meters (165 feet) underground in a dark, damp tunnel.

Bohbot, who was abducted from the festival, was kept in a small cell with other hostages, given very little food, and allowed to bathe only every few weeks, he said. His captors forced him to take part in several propaganda videos, including one where he acts out a fake call to his family.

In the 11 months since his release, Bohbot has undergone physical and emotional rehabilitation. In August, his wife, Rivka, gave birth to a daughter, fulfilling a promise that Bohbot made to himself in the tunnels to give his 5-year-old son, Reem, a sibling.

The newborn Michele is “not a symbol for my people, she is more of a symbol for the enemy,” Bohbot told The Associated Press. “So this child is the message for you that we were here, and we will always be here forever.”

In Gaza, Palestinians struggle to recover

No events are expected on Wednesday in Gaza, where Israel’s offensive has devastated the territory and displaced around 90% of its population, often multiple times. Restrictions on the entry of goods and aid have contributed to a severe hunger crisis.

More than 74,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to the territory's Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and militants in its figures but says around half were women and children. The numbers from the ministry, part of the Hamas-run government, are seen as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts.

While a ceasefire that took effect on Oct. 10 has halted the heaviest fighting, Israeli strikes have continued, targeting what Israel says are Hamas militants. Since the ceasefire, 1,460 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to the ministry. Seven Israeli soldiers have been killed in that period.

Hamas portrayed the Oct. 7 attack as a response to decades of Israeli military occupation, land seizures and settlement construction. But the Palestinians’ dream of an independent state appears even more distant.

The anniversary comes to a radically altered Middle East

A contentious election in Israel at the end of the month hangs over this year's anniversary. The government’s official memorial services took place on Oct. 5, closer to the Hebrew calendar's anniversary of the attack.

The separate commemorations reflected deep divisions over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his handling of the war and his reluctance to launch an official inquiry into failings of the day.

Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who is hoping to unseat Netanyahu in Israel's upcoming elections, looked at the photos of the dead in Reim and spoke with sobbing family members.

Gadi Eisenkot, the head of the opposition Yashar! party, met with families at a bomb shelter in southern Israel where many were killed as they tried to flee.

The attack set in motion a cascade of events that led to wars across the Middle East as Israel confronted Hamas, Hezbollah and their backer Iran. Israel has seized swaths of territory in Syria and Lebanon, where more than 300,000 Lebanese remain displaced. The United States joined Israel in attacking Iran’s military and nuclear program in two rounds, battering Iran and upending global markets far from the battlefield.

Violence has also risen across the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where Israel’s far-right government has emboldened extremist settlers who have attacked Palestinians and destroyed their property.

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Multiple countries consider restrictions on smart glasses amid privacy concerns

Oct 6 (Reuters) - Governments, courts and companies are considering restrictions and examining existing rules on smart glasses amid worries that the technology, ‌brought to mainstream by Meta's Ray-Bans, could be used to photograph, film or ‌audio-record confidential materials or people without their knowledge.

Here is a summary of what countries and regions ​are doing to protect people's privacy, in alphabetical order.

AUSTRALIA

The federal government said in September it was considering barring the use of camera-equipped smart glasses in government workplaces due to privacy and security concerns.

Public Service Minister Katy Gallagher asked the country's Public ‌Service Commission for advice on ⁠whether their use should be prohibited and what exemptions might be required.

BRITAIN

Courts in England and Wales have prohibited the use ⁠of Meta smart glasses because of restrictions on taking images and videos in courts.

British cinema operators are also introducing policies to prohibit or restrict camera-enabled smart glasses, the ​UK ​Cinema Association said in August.

EUROPEAN UNION

Smart glasses ​have attracted scrutiny from European privacy ‌regulators and some lawmakers, and the European Data Protection Board has commissioned a report into their "social acceptability".

Member of the European Parliament Veronika Cifrová Ostrihoňová also urged the European Commission, which has not proposed legislation specifically targeting smart glasses, to consider possible action.

NORWAY

The government said it planned to propose a temporary ban on the ‌use of AI glasses in places where the ​public regularly gather, such as parks, beaches, museums, ​shopping centres and public events.

Norway's ​capital Oslo banned smart glasses in schools in August.

UNITED STATES

New ‌York's Unified Court System banned smart glasses ​from all its ​court facilities from July 20. The rule covers prescription and non-prescription eyewear or headwear containing cameras, microphones, computers or other technology capable of recording ​video or audio. Visitors ‌carrying them must hand them over to court personnel for safekeeping ​before entering.

(Reporting by Reuters bureaus; compiled by Mirko Miorelli and Cian ​Muenster in Gdansk; editing by Milla Nissi-Prussak.)

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Trump says his super PAC will now pay for ads after taxpayer-funded blitz

President Donald Trump said Monday night that he will no longer use taxpayer funds to pay for a multimillion-dollar pro-Trump ad blitz ahead of the midterm elections, saying his super PAC will now pay for them. 

While he dismissed criticism of the ads as "a rather standard thing to do," he said he had decided to run them on his own dime rather than that of the U.S. government in a post on his social media platform.

"I have decided to do the Patriotic Ads, among others, and pay for them myself, and with money I raised for MAGA, Inc," Trump wrote, referring to his super PAC.

Eric Lee/Reuters - PHOTO: President Donald Trump speaks with media before boarding Marine One as he travels to Grand Island, Nebraska, on the South Lawn of the White House, Oct. 5, 2026.

The move comes after the U.S. government bankrolled a series of ads that aired nationally and heavily featured the president. One of the ads was a direct copy of a spot Trump's campaign ran in 2024.

A White House official confirmed to ABC News Monday night that MAGA Inc. will pay for ads moving forward but defended them as something previous administrations have used.

"Presidential Public service announcements are nothing new. Administrations of both parties have used public service announcements to explain policy and make the case for the nation’s direction," the official said.

Trump defends spending millions on taxpayer-funded promotional ads: 'For the country'

Earlier Monday, Vice President JD Vance defended using taxpayer money to run the ads, claiming they are "public service announcements."

"They're not partisan. They're not -- you know, it's not like we're advocating for a particular candidate. We're trying to tell a story, I think, about how great the United States of America is," Vance said.

Trump defended the ads last week at an event in the Oval Office, saying they were "for the spirit of our country" and not a political endorsement for Republican candidates on the ballot this November or for his administration's policies.

"You have to understand; I'm not promoting a candidate. I'm not promoting myself because I'm not running for office. I'm promoting the country," Trump said. 

"Now, if somebody said that that's wrong, I'll gladly pay the money. But these are ads for the country," he said.

U.S. Government - PHOTO: A fourth taxpayer-funded ad that promotes President Donald Trump’s policies ahead of the midterm elections shows scenes of Trump and the U.S. military amid the war in Iran as audio of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the president play over them.

Trump has implored Republican voters to "pretend" that he is on the ballot in the November midterm elections to boost voter turnout for GOP congressional candidates.

The federal government has spent at least $2.5 million to air the TV ads, according to an estimate from AdImpact, an advertising agency that analyzes ad spending across television.

A total of $20 million from the Department of Homeland Security's budget had been allocated for the effort.

Ethics watchdogs and several Congressional Democrats -- as well as some Republicans -- have said the ads are inappropriate. Some critics have said the ads could violate federal propaganda law.

Four ads have been aired over the last two weeks. One features Trump in monochrome, slowly walking down a hallway, describing "the final battle" against "the deep state," "the globalists," and "the sick political class that hates our country."

U.S. government video - PHOTO: The Trump administration appeared to run an ad on Fox News that has drawn criticism from Democrats as violating federal rules preventing the use of tax dollars for political purposes.

Another ad includes a montage of clips and images of Trump at events and rallies featuring onscreen text about the "largest tax cuts in history."

The latest ad, released last week, focuses on the U.S. war with Iran, now in its eighth month. Audio of Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth plays in the background as U.S. military footage, including unclassified strikes, is displayed.

The video in the ad appears to be the same as one played during the Republican midterm convention last month. And it played last Wednesday before Hegseth addressed 600 service members in his State of the Force speech at the Marine Corps base at Quantico, Virginia.

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Thune sees no 'clear path forward' for permanent daylight saving time

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said in an Oct. 5 interview that "there’s no clear path forward" for legislation that would make daylight saving time permanent.

Thune's comments, made to Politico, come days after President Donald Trump appeared to give out Sen. Tom Cotton's phone number amid the senator's objections to the bill.

"The president feels strongly on it like he does a lot of issues," Thune told Politico. "It’s something we’re having conversations about, but there’s no clear path forward or consensus on it yet."

When to set your clocks back. The 2026 daylight saving time start, end

In July, the House of Representatives voted to allow states to enact year-round daylight saving time, but the bill has stalled in the Senate. Cotton emerged as one of the leaders of the opposition to the Sunshine Protection Act.

During an October 2025 Senate floor speech, Cotton pointed to when daylight saving was briefly made permanent by Congress in 1974 and said that "millions of Americans traveled to work and school in darkness."

He said that returning to permanent daylight saving would "again make winter a dark and dismal time for millions of Americans" and "push winter sunrises to an absurdly late hour, depriving Americans of morning sunshine that’s essential for our safety and well-being."  

While Cotton drew the president's ire, Thune told Politico that opposition among Senate Republicans extended beyond Cotton.

Daylight saving time's future in limbo. See when it ends in 2026

Sen. Roger Wicker raised concerns similar to those of Cotton's in remarks to reporters on Capitol Hill on Oct. 5, according to Politico. He said he was mindful of "safety concerns in the more northern and rural states where children get on the school bus in very early hours."

Thune has opposed previous attempts to make daylight saving time permanent, Politico reported. "Your geography probably has as much to do with your position on that as anything," he said, according to the news outlet.

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Iran-linked threat prompted U.S. to move bombers from U.K., Trump says

By Kate Holton and Steve Holland

LONDON/WASHINGTON, Oct 5 (Reuters) - US President Donald Trump said on Monday that a threat linked to Iran had prompted the removal of American B-1 bombers from a British airbase.

The planes had been stationed at RAF Fairford, the preferred European base for US bombers, and had recently been used in US strikes on Iran. Last week, five British ‌men were arrested near the base — which Iran's Revolutionary Guards previously said was a legitimate target — on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts.

"We had an idea that there might be a threat, and why ‌would I leave them there? It costs very little money to move them," Trump told reporters on Monday. "So we had a threat, and if we're going to be threatened, we just move them, and that sort of alleviates that. And we actually know the people ​that made the threat."

When asked if they were linked to Iran, Trump responded: "They would be linked to Iran."

Earlier on Monday, Vice President JD Vance said the US moved the bombers out of an abundance of caution.

"We do feel with some confidence that the Iranians are, you know, they're trying to do what the Iranian state has done for 49 years, which is engaged in acts of terrorism against the United States (and others), so we are being extremely cautious, and that's all I'd say about that," Vance told reporters.

However, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there was no direct link between the sudden removal of the bombers and the suspected Iranian plot. He said the Pentagon is "constantly reallocating resources where ‌they need to be."

A NATO military source had said on Monday: "It is still ⁠believed that Iran poses an acute threat to US assets in the UK."

While much about the incident remains unexplained, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said any plot was likely backed by Iran.

Iran has said accusations that it was involved in any plot are baseless, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi wrote on X: "I can confirm Iran's belief that releasing supposed ⁠terrorists working for foreign states really says it all. You're barking up the wrong tree."

KEY AIR BASE FOR US STRIKES

Rubio said on Monday the US had confidence in the security of all its bases.

Fairford, located 90 miles (145 km) west of London, is one of the most important European bases for the US, being one of only a few suitable for heavy bombers such as the B-1 aircraft. It has played a key role in previous US campaigns in the Middle East, although its ​bombers ​are not stationed there permanently.

During the current conflict, the US had permission to use Fairford only to strike Iranian missile sites ​that were attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz, or so-called defensive strikes. London had ‌refused permission for the US to use British bases for offensive strikes on Iran.

That approach has strained ties between the US and Britain, typically one of Washington's closest allies.

A Pentagon official confirmed on Sunday that all US bombers that had been deployed to Fairford had headed to their home stations in the US.

The Pentagon said the US bomber force remained ready to deliver precision global strike capabilities "anywhere, anytime".

The New York Times, citing two US officials, said the US had rushed over the weekend to move the bombers after commanders received new threats about an Iran-backed plot. It said some of the planes had left while aerial refuelling aircraft were still being scrambled.

A US official declined to comment. The British government also declined to comment, although a spokesman for Burnham said the base was safe.

Christoph Bergs, research analyst at defence think tank the Royal United Services Institute, said the redeployment would in the ‌short term reduce US capacity "to quickly surge sorties against Iran, reducing the threat level somewhat".

But he noted that use of Fairford ​was already limited given London's stipulation on defensive strikes. The aircraft could now potentially be sent to either Diego Garcia or bases in ​the Gulf, to reduce the need for more air-to-air refuelling to cover the additional distance, but ​that would depend on capacity availability, negotiations with allies and security, he added.

TRUMP SAID PLOT WAS FOR 'BIG DAMAGE'

In the early hours of September 27, five British men in their 20s ‌were arrested after being seen running into fields from three white vans parked near ​the base. Police said no explosive devices were found ​but a quantity of petrol was present.

The men have since been released on bail. A sixth man, a dual UK-Iranian national arrested on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts four days later, has also been released on bail.

Trump said at the time of the first arrests that the plot had planned "big damage" and that it might have been connected to Iran. Trump later said he would not have released the ​suspects on bail.

A senior NATO military official said the removal of the bombers would ‌have no impact on the alliance: "NATO's defensive agility towards any aggression remains unchanged and unmatched thanks to the unity, strength, and combined capabilities of 32 nations."

The Wall Street Journal first reported ​the removal of the US bombers.

(Reporting by Svea Herbst-Bayliss in New York, Kate Holton and Sarah Young in London, Sabine Siebold in Germany, Jonathan Landay and Daphne Psaledakis in Washington; writing ​by Sarah Young and Kate Holton; Editing by Nia Williams, Hugh Lawson, Gareth Jones, Andrew Heavens and Sanjeev Miglani)

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