Daily briefing · Wednesday, November 4

CVS plans to split retail pharmacies from insurance

CVS Health announced Wednesday that it plans to become two publicly traded companies. Aetna insurance, Caremark prescription-benefit management and several care businesses would remain together. About 9,000 retail pharmacies, mail pharmacy and MinuteClinic would form the second company. Completion is targeted for the first half of 2028, subject to final board approval and other conditions. The plan changes the corporate structure of services used for insurance, prescriptions and routine care. CVS says customers will continue receiving services during the transition. Whether the split improves affordability or access remains to be demonstrated. CVS Health announces intent to create two distinct leaders in healthcare

Israel’s election review finds no fraud affecting the result

Israel’s election commission said Wednesday that its review found no irregularities compromising last week’s parliamentary vote or changing the result. The findings did not support Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s claims that Arab-led parties had stolen the election. Neither Netanyahu’s bloc nor the opposition bloc secured a governing majority. President Isaac Herzog will consult the elected parties before choosing a candidate to try to assemble a coalition. Validating the count and forming a government are separate processes. An intelligence-service investigation into alleged foreign interference continues; its existence does not establish that votes were altered. Euronews: Israel’s election commission says no fraud found in last week’s vote

Energy pushes eurozone inflation to 4%

Eurozone consumer prices were an estimated 4% higher in October than a year earlier, up from September’s 3.8%, Eurostat reported Wednesday. Energy prices rose 20.8% over the year, while core inflation, excluding energy, food, alcohol and tobacco, stayed at 2.5%. The gap shows how strongly energy is affecting the overall figure without a matching acceleration in the core measure. Prices increased 0.4% during October itself; the 4% headline measures a full year’s change. These are preliminary estimates, with fuller figures due November 18. Eurostat: Euro area annual inflation up to 4.0%

Ukraine reports 37 deaths after aid-centre bombing

Ukrainian officials said Wednesday that the death toll from Monday’s Russian bombing of an aid distribution point in Komyshuvakha had risen to 37, with 59 people still missing. Rescue teams continued searching the former school used for shelter and humanitarian assistance. Russia’s defence ministry said the attack targeted Ukrainian military units around Komyshuvakha and other settlements. The casualty figures remain attributed to Ukrainian authorities, and the continuing search means they may change. Wednesday’s update concerns the toll and rescue effort two days after the attack. Reuters: Dozens dead and missing after Russian strike on Ukrainian aid centre, officials say

Google changes school access controls and expands guided learning

Google announced Tuesday that Search and several Gemini services will be switched off for K–12 student accounts unless school administrators enable them. The access changes will follow further guidance to schools. Services can be enabled separately, allowing different decisions about Search and chatbots. Guided Learning also became available globally in Classroom, where teachers can assign activities that coach students through problems. A Search version will begin a pilot in selected U.S. schools later this month. The practical distinction is between tools available now, a limited trial and access changes still ahead. Google: Designing responsible AI for learning · CBS News: Google will block search access for schools that ban AI use

Kenya discharges five recovered Ebola patients

Kenya discharged five recovered Ebola patients Tuesday after negative tests, leaving two receiving supportive care, AP reported. Authorities also released 46 contacts after 21 days in quarantine and said no new infections had been recorded for two weeks. Kenya’s first case was identified October 6 after travel from Congo, where the wider outbreak began. Another 52 contacts are due to complete quarantine next week. Recovery and completed quarantine mark progress, while officials say the outbreak cannot be declared over until a 42-day period has passed following the final patient’s recovery. AP: Kenya releases 5 Ebola patients after negative tests as 2 remain hospitalized

Australia raises its cash rate to 4.85%

Australia’s central bank raised its cash rate by a quarter of a percentage point to 4.85% Tuesday. It cited persistent inflation, higher fuel costs and pressures on the economy’s ability to meet demand. The bank now expects inflation to return to the top of its 2–3% target range in late 2027. For scale, a fully passed-on quarter-point rise adds A$250 in annual interest per A$100,000 borrowed, assuming an unchanged balance. Actual repayments depend on loan terms. The decision comes as the bank reports slowing activity, falling housing prices and rising unemployment. Reserve Bank of Australia: Statement by the Monetary Policy Board

Qatar continues U.S.–Iran mediation

Qatar said Tuesday that Washington and Tehran were reviewing mediation proposals, with talks continuing after a Qatari delegation returned from Iran. A senior Iranian official told Reuters that the sides remained far apart. Tehran’s stated conditions include sanctions relief, an end to the U.S. naval blockade and access to frozen funds. Negotiations concern ending the war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, an important energy-shipping route. Continued exchanges keep a diplomatic channel open, but no agreement has been announced. Iran’s demands describe its negotiating position, with the sequence of concessions still unresolved. Reuters: Iran, US still far apart on deal; Trump says ready but in no hurry for strikes

CERN finds evidence of an exceptionally rare particle decay

CERN’s LHCb experiment reported evidence Tuesday of a particle called a B-d meson decaying into two muons, heavier relatives of electrons. Theory predicts this roughly once in ten billion decays of that particle. Combining recent and earlier collision data gave a statistical significance of 3.2 standard deviations, below the five needed for a confirmed observation. Rare decays help test physics because undiscovered particles could influence how often they happen. The result agrees with existing predictions, helping constrain theories about particles beyond those already known. CERN: LHCb finds evidence of one-in-ten-billion particle decay

Tiny radio tags map monarch migration connections

Nearly 1,750 monarch butterflies have received solar-powered radio tags this year in an ongoing North American project described by AP Tuesday. Researchers report migration connections from Utah to central Mexico and through Florida toward Mexico; about 175 tagged butterflies have been detected in Mexico during this migration. Finding feeding and overnight resting places could help conservationists protect habitat along the journey. The tracking records where receivers detect a tag, leaving gaps between sightings. A detection does not establish that the butterfly remains alive, and possible effects of the tags need further study. AP: Monarch butterflies get tiny trackers to help scientists follow their mysterious migration

PSG score six as Manchester United recover against Roma

Paris Saint-Germain beat Villarreal 6–0 Tuesday in the Champions League. Manchester United recovered from two goals down to defeat Roma 3–2, with Matheus Cunha scoring twice late after Bruno Fernandes began the comeback from the penalty spot. Bayern Munich won 2–0 at Atlético Madrid, while Barcelona beat Aston Villa 3–0. PSG led the league-phase standings after Tuesday’s matches with 12 points, three ahead of a group of six teams including Barcelona and Villa. Teams accumulate points toward qualification for the knockout stages. Reuters: PSG hit Villarreal for six as Bayern win and Man United fight back