Daily briefing · Saturday, November 7

Trump reports new U.S. strikes on Iran

President Donald Trump said U.S. forces struck Iranian air-defense equipment Friday. Iranian state media separately reported explosions around Qeshm Island near the Strait of Hormuz, an important oil-shipping route. Those accounts did not establish the extent of damage. AP also reported, citing two regional government officials, that Iran was reviewing proposals presented through Qatari mediation over differences with Washington about its nuclear program. No agreement was announced. The developments show military action and diplomatic exchanges continuing together; the existence of proposals does not establish that either side has accepted their terms. US military carries out new targeted strike on Iran; new security alert issued for region

U.S. employers add 165,000 jobs in October

U.S. employers added 165,000 jobs in October, above the preceding year’s monthly average of 48,000, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday. Unemployment stood at 4.1%, and revisions added 84,000 jobs to the combined August and September estimates. Professional and business services, health care, and transportation led hiring. Another measure was less favorable: people working part time because they could not obtain full-time work or had reduced hours increased by 339,000 to 4.8 million. Stronger payroll growth and continuing difficulty finding enough work can coexist because the measures capture different aspects of employment. The Employment Situation — October 2026

Flood cleanup continues as storm moves north

Residents and crews cleaned up Friday in McCaysville, Georgia, and Copperhill, Tennessee, after flooding forced dozens of rescues and disabled a water-treatment plant. Authorities reported at least one death associated with the flooding. The storm moved north along the East Coast, with flooded roads also reported in Massachusetts. The National Weather Service described the Tennessee-Georgia flooding as a 1,000-year event. That means an estimated 0.1% chance in any given year at a particular location, rather than an expected thousand-year gap. Multiple such events can occur close together. Storms that caused 1-in-1,000 year flood event in Tennessee and Georgia move up Atlantic coast

New Zealand election leaves government formation unresolved

New Zealand’s National and Labour parties were nearly tied, each just below 30%, after most preliminary votes were counted Saturday, Reuters reported. The Electoral Commission’s projection gave the existing National-led coalition a two-seat majority, but both major parties acknowledged uncertainty. Official results are due November 27, after special votes, including overseas ballots, are counted. New Zealand’s proportional electoral system makes coalition support central to forming a government. A narrow lead for one party therefore does not settle who can govern, and the outstanding ballots can change the projected parliamentary arithmetic. New Zealand election: National and Labour nearly deadlocked in preliminary count

COP31 approaches with implementation and finance in focus

The UN climate conference COP31 opens Monday in Antalya, Turkey, with negotiations focused on carrying out earlier commitments and financing emissions cuts, adaptation and recovery from climate-related damage. A Friday AP preview described Turkey’s push to replace more direct fossil-fuel use with renewable electricity. That involves both generating cleaner power and shifting activities such as transport onto electricity; renewable growth alone does not mean fossil-fuel use is falling. Decisions on funding and implementation remain ahead, so the agenda should not be mistaken for an agreement. UN climate talks start in the year of disasters, energy price shocks and fast rising temperatures

Fruit flies prepare a water barrier before metamorphosis

Fruit-fly larvae manufacture and store unusually long hydrocarbon molecules before becoming immobile pupae, according to research described Friday by the Francis Crick Institute. The molecules form an internal barrier beneath the pupa’s outer casing, helping retain water during metamorphosis. Removing a key enzyme nearly doubled dehydration under hot, dry experimental conditions, although its removal had much less effect in ordinary lab conditions. That difference shows why an adaptation can appear dispensable until conditions change. The findings explain a protective mechanism in fruit flies and offer questions to test in other insects. Fruit fly study offers clues to insect survival in a hotter, drier world

New Zealand reaches women’s Rugby League World Cup final

New Zealand beat Samoa 32–0 in Newcastle on Saturday to reach the Women’s Rugby League World Cup final. Stacey Waaka scored three tries, bringing her tournament total to nine and drawing level with Australia’s Jaime Chapman at the top of the try-scoring list. The Kiwi Ferns added four tries in the final 12 minutes, widening a game that had been more closely contested early on. They will face the winner of Sunday’s Australia–Fiji semifinal in Brisbane next weekend, seeking to improve on their defeat in the previous final. Hat-trick hero helps Kiwis secure World Cup final spot