TEHRAN -- Iran said Friday it had struck an "enemy" unmanned surface vehicle (USV) east of the Strait of Hormuz, and that several "violating" oil tankers caught fire in separate incidents in the waterway, as a Qatari delegation visited Tehran.
The Iranian Army's Navy said in a statement that its forces destroyed the USV as it was moving and operating east of the strait, according to the army's website. (Iran-Hormuz Strait-Vessels)
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NEW YORK -- U.S. stocks fell sharply in early trading Friday, with the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite dropping more than 2 percent, as disappointing earnings reports fueled concerns over the artificial intelligence investment boom.
Intel shares plunged nearly 30 percent after the chipmaker reported disappointing results and issued a weaker-than-expected outlook. Amazon fell 4.4 percent while Alphabet shares had tumbled more than 12 percent on Thursday following weaker-than-expected revenue growth. The declines added to mounting pressure on technology stocks amid concerns over the costs and prospects of AI investment. (U.S.-Stocks)
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KINSHASA -- The death toll from the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is approaching 5,000, according to the latest official report released Friday, as the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) paid tribute to a doctor who died from the disease in the country's conflict-hit east.
The latest situation report from the DRC's National Institute of Public Health (INSP) showed that the country had recorded 10,274 confirmed Ebola cases, including 4,992 deaths, as of Oct. 28, with a case fatality rate of 48.6 percent. The outbreak has affected 67 health zones across eight of the country's 26 provinces. (DRC-Ebola-Health)
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BRUSSELS -- Gross domestic product (GDP) in the eurozone grew by 0.4 percent in the third quarter of 2026 compared with the previous quarter, slowing from 0.6 percent in the second quarter, according to a preliminary flash estimate released by Eurostat on Friday.
GDP in the European Union (EU) increased by 0.5 percent quarter on quarter, down from 0.7 percent in the previous quarter, the EU's statistical office said.
On a year-on-year basis, GDP growth edged up to 1.3 percent in the eurozone and 1.5 percent in the EU, compared with 1.2 percent and 1.4 percent, respectively, in the second quarter. (Eurozone-GDP-Growth) ■
