With 85 percent of votes counted, Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc leads Gadi Eisenkot’s opposition bloc, but neither is on track to win the 61 seats needed for a majority. Israel faces talks over forming a government, and President Isaac Herzog will consult the parties next week; if no bloc can secure a majority, another election could take place as early as April.
Key Facts
Netanyahu’s bloc is projected to win 53 seats, while Eisenkot’s bloc is projected to win 48.
Arab parties are on track to win 19 seats, a record, but their support for an Eisenkot-led government is described as highly unlikely.
About 500,000 votes remain to be counted, including ballots from soldiers, diplomats and prisoners.
The remaining votes could shift seat totals but are not expected to change the overall balance between the blocs.
President Isaac Herzog plans to consult the parties next week before asking Netanyahu or Eisenkot to form a government.
Netanyahu has called for a strong right-wing government, while opposition leaders publicly pledged not to join his bloc.
The opposition is expected to take key positions in the Knesset after the new parliament is sworn in next week.
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A federal judge ruled Tuesday that Bill Essayli is unlawfully serving as the top federal prosecutor in Los Angeles. Essayli is the First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California and a former Republican state assemblymember.
Key Facts
U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright issued the ruling.
The ruling concerns Bill Essayli’s service as the top prosecutor in Los Angeles.
Essayli is the First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California.
The judge said Essayli is unlawfully serving in the role.
Essayli previously served as a Republican member of California’s state assembly.
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Walmart says its holiday meal basket costs $35 and is designed to feed 10 people, or $3.50 per person. The 17-product basket is available in stores and online through Dec. 24, and Walmart is offering free express delivery through Nov. 30.
Key Facts
Walmart says the basket contains 17 different products and 26 items in total.
The basket includes a frozen turkey, stuffing, vegetables, potatoes, rolls, and ingredients for pie.
Walmart says the basket has 18% more items and costs 12% less than the same items did last year.
Walmart describes this as the lowest-priced one-click basket in the program's history.
Walmart cited internal survey data indicating that consumers are seeking lower prices.
U.S. food prices had risen 2.5% through September, according to the CBS News Price Tracker.
Federal Reserve data show that grocery food costs for home consumption have risen more than 30% since 2020.
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Newsweek reports that Chinese state media, sponsors and social media accounts criticized Kylian Mbappé after an April interview in which he joked about a meme depicting him as a Chinese dictator. Mbappé, Real Madrid and La Liga apologized amid concerns about losing access to Chinese audiences and commercial deals, while the original joke was reportedly censored inside China.
Key Facts
Mbappé said in an April interview that he found a meme depicting him as a Chinese dictator funny.
The article says Chinese sponsors threatened to drop Mbappé and state television said it would stop showing Spanish league games.
State media and social media accounts accused Mbappé of disrespect and insensitivity toward Chinese fans.
The article reports that the meme was largely censored inside China, leaving some people unclear about the controversy.
Mbappé, Real Madrid and La Liga apologized.
The article says the criticism appeared in similar language across state media and social media accounts.
The piece notes that China’s national soccer team lost 5–0 to Palestine and 1–0 to Tajikistan in early October.
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At Winchester Crown Court, Joanne Young told jurors that she woke restrained and blindfolded and once saw a stranger in her bedroom. Her ex-husband, Philip Young, has pleaded guilty to multiple abuse charges; four men accused of sexually assaulting her are on trial, and the charges against them are denied.
Key Facts
Joanne Young told police in a recorded interview that she and Philip Young had been married for 20 years and had three children.
She said they had been a monogamous couple and that she had not agreed to have other people involved in their sex life.
She told the court she sometimes woke up restrained and blindfolded without remembering how the restraints had been put on.
She said she saw a stranger in her bedroom in February 2023 and later learned Philip Young had invited him to watch them have sex.
Joanne Young said Philip Young told her after his arrest that he had shared explicit images of her.
Philip Young, 50, has pleaded guilty to multiple charges of abuse and will be sentenced after the trial.
Four men face charges related to alleged sexual assaults of Joanne Young; they have pleaded not guilty or deny the charges.
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Thirty-four House Democrats from 17 states and the District of Columbia urged the Federal Trade Commission to investigate reports that Dollar General, Family Dollar, 7-Eleven and Circle K charged customers more at checkout than shelf labels or gas signs showed. Their October 28 letter followed investigations reporting price-check failures and an FTC lawsuit, joined by 20 states, that accuses Dollar General of inaccurate pricing.
Key Facts
A Guardian investigation reported that Dollar General failed more than 4,300 government price-accuracy inspections in 23 states over three years.
The same investigation reported that Family Dollar failed 2,100 price inspections in 20 states during that period.
A separate investigation reported overcharges at 7-Eleven and Circle K for items including snacks, drinks, toiletries, tobacco and medication, as well as some gasoline prices above those displayed on roadside signs.
The four retailers have said in written statements that they try to keep register prices consistent with shelf prices.
The lawmakers’ letter was addressed to FTC Chair Andrew N. Ferguson, a Trump appointee, and asked for a broad investigation.
Two days before the letter, the FTC and 20 states filed a lawsuit accusing Dollar General of a pattern of inaccurate pricing affecting millions of purchases.
Dollar General said it would vigorously defend the lawsuit, aims for 100% price accuracy and cooperated with the FTC investigation.
The letter’s lead author, Representative Nikki Budzinski of Illinois, said affordability concerns informed the lawmakers’ request.
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Stephen Mwiti Joseph says all six of his children are presumed dead after his wife took them to follow self-proclaimed pastor Paul Mackenzie in Kenya’s Shakahola Forest. A court found Mackenzie guilty of murdering 191 people; his cult was alleged to have forced children to starve to “meet Jesus.”
Key Facts
Stephen Mwiti Joseph has six children who are presumed dead.
Joseph’s wife abducted the children to follow Paul Mackenzie.
Mackenzie is a self-proclaimed pastor.
The events took place in Kenya’s Shakahola Forest.
A court found Mackenzie guilty of the murder of 191 people.
Mackenzie’s cult was alleged to have forced children to starve to “meet Jesus.”
Joseph wants Mackenzie locked away for life.
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President Donald Trump said he could end the Iran war “whenever I want it to end.” The war’s cost has topped $47 billion and is affecting the U.S. midterm election climate as rising gas prices pressure voters.
Key Facts
Trump said he can end the Iran war whenever he wants.
The cost of the war has topped $47 billion, according to the article headline.
The war is a factor in the lead-up to the U.S. midterm elections.
Rising gas prices are squeezing voters’ budgets.
CBS News correspondent Weijia Jiang reported on the war and its effects.
Lana Zak reported on election races in Iowa.
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A joke by Barack Obama comparing President Donald Trump’s White House renovations to Cheesecake Factory decor sparked political commentary and social media posts ahead of the midterm election. Trump defended the renovations, while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and the restaurant chain’s former design vice president also responded to the dispute.
Key Facts
Obama joked that Trump had made the White House look like Saddam Hussein had opened a Cheesecake Factory.
The article says Obama’s joke renewed attention to the 2014 controversy over his tan suit.
The White House posted a cartoon of Trump in front of a Cheesecake Factory with lo-fi music.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent criticized Obama’s remark outside a Cheesecake Factory and said he had enjoyed a meal there.
Trump said the White House is a symbol of America and criticized Obama’s comment about the renovations.
The Cheesecake Factory’s former longtime vice president of design, Rick McCormack, said he was disappointed the company had been drawn into the dispute.
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UK income tax thresholds, frozen since 2021, are expected to rise with inflation after 2031, according to documents from the Office for Budget Responsibility. Until then, pay rises can push more income into taxable or higher-rate bands, increasing tax bills; the article says a separate allowance will protect people whose only income is the state pension.
Key Facts
The personal allowance remains £12,570, and income above it is generally subject to income tax.
The higher-rate threshold is £50,271, while the additional 45% rate applies to income above £125,140.
Frozen thresholds mean that as wages rise, more income may become taxable or fall into a higher tax band.
The OBR documents say personal and other tax thresholds are scheduled to rise with inflation after 2031.
The government’s official forecaster estimates that almost one in four taxpayers will pay some income tax at the higher rate by 2031.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies estimates that more than six million additional people will be brought into income tax by 2031 because of the frozen personal allowance.
A new separate Pension Tax Allowance is intended to prevent people whose only income is the state pension from paying tax on it.
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Israel’s election has produced no clear path to power, and the outcome will depend on which leader can build a governing coalition. Yedioth Ahronoth correspondent Tamar Sebok said parties’ public refusals to work with Arab parties may change during negotiations, as they did after the 2021 election.
Key Facts
The election featured high voter participation and strong mobilisation among Arab voters.
The article says no clear winner had emerged as votes were counted.
In Israel’s parliamentary system, a party’s ability to form a coalition can matter more than winning the most seats.
Smaller parties can gain influence when larger parties need their support to secure a parliamentary majority.
Sebok said statements ruling out cooperation with Arab parties may not determine the eventual coalition.
Sebok cited the 2021 coalition negotiations as an example of political boundaries shifting after an election.
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Some Silicon Valley parents are choosing private schools that restrict screens, citing concerns about how digital devices affect children’s learning and development. The article contrasts that trend with research on classroom distraction and links between screen exposure and academic and language outcomes, while noting that digital tools can also support some students.
Key Facts
San Francisco Waldorf does not allow screens in the classroom, according to the article.
Software engineer German Gil told The Guardian that he enrolled his daughter at San Francisco Waldorf to give her a screen-free school experience.
San Francisco Waldorf said applications for early-childhood places had risen, with many prospective parents working in technology.
The article reports that early-childhood tuition at the school is nearly $40,000 a year and high-school tuition is nearly $60,000 a year.
An OECD report in 2023 found that nearly one-third of surveyed students across member states said digital devices distracted them in most or every math lesson.
A 2024 Norwegian study of 36 university students found greater brain connectivity during handwriting than typing, especially in networks linked to learning and memory.
A September 2026 JAMA Pediatrics review covering more than 2.8 million children found that greater screen exposure was associated with poorer academic performance and language skills.
The article notes that classroom technology can help students through tools such as text-to-speech, dyslexia-friendly fonts and subtitles.
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A recent KFF poll found that healthcare costs are the biggest cost-of-living concern among U.S. voters. CBS News medical correspondent Dr. Céline Gounder discussed the findings.
Key Facts
The poll was conducted by KFF.
Healthcare costs ranked as voters’ top financial worry.
The poll focused on U.S. voters.
CBS News medical correspondent Dr. Céline Gounder discussed the results.
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With almost all votes counted, Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc leads in projections but falls short of the 61 seats needed for a Knesset majority. Gadi Eisenkot’s opposition bloc also lacks a majority, leaving the Palestinian Israeli parties’ seats potentially decisive as absentee ballots are counted.
Key Facts
Projections give Netanyahu’s bloc 53 seats and Eisenkot’s opposition bloc 48 seats.
The Palestinian parties are projected to win 19 seats combined.
The Joint List has at least 12 seats, while Ra’am has seven.
Absentee ballots remain to be counted, with final results expected by Thursday, according to the article.
Eisenkot’s bloc could seek support from Palestinian Israeli parties, call for a new election, or consider other governing arrangements.
Netanyahu said Likud would be the country’s largest party and called for a strong right-wing government.
Eisenkot said voters had rejected Netanyahu’s continued service as prime minister.
The article says nearly 80% of IDF soldiers voted in what it describes as Israel’s most-voted-for election.
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Former Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel said Tuesday that Democrats would probably win control of the House in the midterm elections. She noted that Democrats need to gain three seats, with one week remaining before Election Day.
Key Facts
Ronna McDaniel previously chaired the Republican National Committee.
McDaniel said Democrats would probably take control of the House.
She said Democrats need to gain three seats.
Her remarks came one week before the midterm elections.
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Russell Brand testified Wednesday at Southwark Crown Court in London, where he faces seven charges involving six women and alleged incidents from 1999 to 2009. He pleaded not guilty and denied the allegations, saying he believed the sexual encounters were consensual.
Key Facts
The charges are three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of attempted indecent assault.
The six complainants’ allegations span a 10-year period, from 1999 to 2009.
Brand answered “no” when asked whether he committed each charge.
One complainant alleged Brand raped her after they met at a Labour Party conference in 1999; Brand denied the allegation.
A woman who worked with Brand at MTV alleged he grabbed her arm in 2001; he said he did not recall meeting her or taking her by the arm.
A complainant alleged Brand sexually assaulted her at a London bar in 2004; Brand denied the allegations and said he later recalled an encounter at the location.
Brand confirmed having anal sex with a complainant in 2009 but said she consented and he had no indication she was in pain.
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Barack Obama is set to headline a rally for Georgia Democrats. The rally is intended to support Jon Ossoff and Keisha Lance Bottoms in their Georgia races.
Key Facts
Obama is scheduled to headline a rally for Georgia Democrats.
The rally is connected to races in Georgia.
Jon Ossoff is among the candidates the rally aims to support.
Keisha Lance Bottoms is also among the candidates the rally aims to support.
CBS News correspondent Skyler Henry reported on the rally.
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Flavio Bolsonaro, described in the article as Brazil’s defeated presidential candidate, arrived in Florida with his family. The article says Brazil’s Supreme Court had ordered him to surrender his passports during a money-laundering probe, and his whereabouts then became unknown.
Key Facts
Flavio Bolsonaro landed in Florida.
He traveled with his family.
The article says his family received U.S. visas from the Trump administration.
Brazil’s Supreme Court ordered him to surrender his passports.
The order came amid a money-laundering probe.
His whereabouts became unknown before he appeared in Florida.
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Digital parenting coach Dr. Elizabeth Milovidov shares advice on keeping children safe online during Halloween while allowing them to enjoy the holiday. The article identifies the topic but does not provide specific safety tips.
Key Facts
The segment is titled “Top tips for a safe Halloween online.”
Digital parenting coach Dr. Elizabeth Milovidov offers advice.
The advice focuses on children's digital safety during Halloween.
The segment aired on France 24’s Entre Nous.
The article was issued on October 28, 2026.
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Russia said it test-fired a Bulava intercontinental ballistic missile from the nuclear-powered submarine Generalissimo Suvorov in the Sea of Okhotsk. The launch came shortly after Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre spoke with Vladimir Putin, prompting criticism from some European leaders who called for a united approach to contact with Moscow.
Key Facts
Russia’s Defense Ministry said the submarine launched the missile on Wednesday.
The missile was aimed at the Chizha testing range in Russia’s Arkhangelsk Region.
The Bulava has a stated range of more than 5,000 miles (8,000 kilometers).
Borei-class submarines can carry up to 16 Bulava missiles, according to the article.
Stubb and Støre said they discussed the war in Ukraine, possible three-way talks involving Russia, the United States and Ukraine, and European security concerns.
Putin accused the European Union and NATO of prolonging the war through what he called confrontational policies.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and other European officials voiced skepticism about the call and urged coordination in contacts with Putin.
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