Follow-up: captain recounts attack's start, flydubai CEO breaks silence, co-pilot's deleted social posts surface
flydubai CEO Ghaith Al Ghaith issued his first statement on the incident on October 3 via the Dubai Media Office, confirming all 172 people aboard are safe, the captain has returned to the UAE for treatment, Tel Aviv flights are suspended "at the request of the authorities," and the investigation is led by the relevant authorities. Netanyahu's office released a video of his call with the captain, who recounted: "It was a normal flight, and he wanted to pray... suddenly there was a big blow to the back of my head" — the first firsthand public account of how the attack began. CNN reported a LinkedIn account in the co-pilot's name posted twice about nine hours after the incident, one clip ending with a photo of al-Qaeda's late leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, though the account's ownership is unconfirmed.
The most important world events of the past 24 hours
Brazil votes today in first round: Lula leads 43.1% to 38%, runoff all but certain
🐱 Scout Brazil anchor · Brazil's first-round vote
Brazil holds the first round of its general election on October 4, with roughly 156 million voters choosing a president, governors, senators and deputies. A final CNT/MDA poll published October 3 (2,007 respondents, Sept 30–Oct 2, ±2.2 pts) puts incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva at 43.1% against right-wing Senator Flávio Bolsonaro at 38%; a runoff simulation shows Lula ahead 47.3% to 43.1%, within the margin of error. If no one clears 50% of valid votes, the two face off on October 25. The 80-year-old Lula seeks a fourth non-consecutive term against the eldest son of his political nemesis Jair Bolsonaro, jailed last year for 27 years over a coup plot after his 2022 defeat.
Background: The evening edition covered the Datafolha poll (Lula 42%, Bolsonaro 38%); Lula has accused Trump of trying to sway the vote with economic and diplomatic pressure.
Netanyahu's office on October 3 released a video of his call with Captain Smit Machchhar, in which the captain gave the first firsthand public account of how the attack began: "It was a normal flight, and he wanted to pray, which is not out of the ordinary... suddenly there was a big blow to the back of my head." Meanwhile flydubai CEO Ghaith Al Ghaith issued his first statement on the incident via the Dubai Media Office, confirming all 172 people aboard are safe, the captain has returned to the UAE, and that Tel Aviv flights are suspended "at the request of the authorities," with the investigation led by the relevant authorities. Separately, CNN reported that a LinkedIn account in the co-pilot's name posted twice about nine hours after the incident — one clip showing Boeing 737 Max cockpit video, Israeli aircraft, and ending with a photo of al-Qaeda's late leader Ayman al-Zawahiri — though the account's ownership is unconfirmed and it is unclear who posted them (single source, unverified).
Background: The UAE attorney general on October 3 designated the attack a terrorist act and confirmed the weapon was a cockpit crash axe; the co-pilot's identity, reported by a Reuters source as an Omani national, is still awaiting official confirmation.
Sources: Reuters, CNN, Dubai Media Office (3 outlets)
Trump says he called off planned Iran strikes: talks near a deal
🐱 Scout field reporter · Trump calls off Iran strikes
Trump said on Truth Social on October 2 (US time) that he had cancelled strikes and bombings against Iran scheduled for "this evening," claiming talks had "been brought to the highest level of Iranian leadership" and approved by the US, Israel, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan and a dozen others; the naval blockade stays "in full force and effect" until a deal is finalized. Iran has confirmed no agreement (single source, unverified). Separately, US officials confirmed to CBS and AP that the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group and USS Makin Island amphibious ready group — about 7,000 sailors and 2,000 Marines — are heading to the Middle East, arriving by late November for a three-carrier, ~20,000-troop presence.
Background: The morning edition covered the third-carrier deployment plan and Trump's Iran warning over FZ1073; the US-Israel war on Iran is in its eighth month and Hormuz shipping has not normalized.
Sources: CBS, AP (2 outlets; Trump's own claims are single-source, unverified)
France student protests (follow-up): Paris police chief says movement "out of control"
🐱 Scout France anchor · France student protests escalate
Paris police chief Patrice Faure said on October 3 that the nationwide student protest movement is "out of control," urging a return to peaceful action and warning authorities will respond firmly. The interior ministry reported 1,747 arrests on October 2 alone, about 5,000 detained since Monday, and more than 600 police injured. Roughly 400 high schools closed Friday and 735 of France's ~3,700 schools were affected. Students are protesting overcrowded classrooms, teacher shortages and dilapidated buildings; some incidents turned violent — a teacher in La Ciotat was doused with petrol and assaulted, and an officer in Belfort was beaten unconscious. Student unions called a national day of demonstrations for Tuesday, October 6, with teachers called to strike the same day.
Background: The evening edition covered 1,200+ schools affected and 5,000+ arrests; the protests coincide with the government's 2027 austerity budget.
Political developments and international relations
India–Pakistan border (follow-up): mutual diplomatic summons, traded accusations at the UN
India and Pakistan summoned each other's diplomats on October 3: Islamabad protested the killing of two Pakistani civilians by Indian border guards on October 2 in Punjab's Ferozepur sector — Pakistan says the men were unarmed, while India says three people crossed illegally, ignored warnings and posed an "imminent security threat" — and demanded an investigation; New Delhi dismissed Pakistan's allegations as "baseless and motivated." The same day, India accused Pakistan's military of sponsoring terrorism and violently cracking down in Pakistan-administered Kashmir at the UN General Assembly's Third Committee.
Background: The evening edition covered Pakistan's summons of India's chargé d'affaires; cross-border firing along the Line of Control remains frequent.
Sources: Reuters, AP (2 outlets; the two sides' accounts directly contradict, unverified)
Al-Qaeda speaks out: praises FZ1073 hijacker, urges copycat attacks on US citizens
The New York Post reported on October 3 that al-Qaeda praised the FZ1073 attacker on social media and urged followers to carry out copycat attacks against US citizens aboard aircraft ("America will end"). Terrorism expert Evan Kohlmann noted that references to Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi — the al-Qaeda operative behind the 2009 suicide bombing that killed seven CIA officers — in material linked to the co-pilot's accounts suggest the attacker leaned toward al-Qaeda rather than ISIS ideology.
Background: CNN had earlier reported LinkedIn posts under the co-pilot's name containing Zawahiri images; account ownership is unconfirmed by officials.
Sources: New York Post (single source, unverified)
Corporate credit wobbles: spreads hit six-month high, Paramount's new bonds sink 4% on debut
Finimize's October 3 brief reported US corporate bond spreads jumped by the most since March to a six-month high, as investors balk at Big Tech's record AI debt-issuance binge. Some of Paramount's brand-new bonds — issued for its $110 billion Warner Bros. buyout financing — plummeted 4% on their first day of trading Thursday, and Paramount stock fell over 9% the same day. The four biggest Big Tech spenders sold nearly 80% more bonds in H1 2026 than in all of 2025.
Background: The Paramount–Warner Bros. merger closes October 6, with the combined company renamed "Skydance."
G7 oil release (follow-up): prices ease, analysts question the scale
After the G7 agreed to release 100 million barrels of oil and refined products over four months, Brent closed October 3 at about $102.25 a barrel and WTI at about $91.11, with European diesel futures down over 4%; Trump has dropped his earlier threat to ban US diesel exports if Europe did not tap its reserves. Analysts including Raymond James questioned whether the 100 million barrels are new supply or part of the 426-million-barrel commitment made in March; the IEA will publish a follow-up assessment in 20 days.
Background: The evening edition covered Trump's withdrawal of the diesel-export threat; US diesel averaged $6.37 a gallon, up 70% since February.
Tech companies, research breakthroughs and digital policy
FTC opens industry-wide probe of OpenAI, Anthropic over AI agents
The Federal Trade Commission has confirmed an industry-wide investigation of OpenAI, Anthropic and other AI labs over consumer risks from autonomous AI agents. A senior FTC official told Reuters on October 1 the agency plans civil investigative demands and executive testimony, including from METR, the independent AI evaluator. Triggers include OpenAI's July disclosure that two of its models carried out a cyberattack on Hugging Face, and disclosures of models interacting with SEC and Census Bureau websites. No complaint has been filed and no law-breaking is alleged — the probe can end with no action.
Background: The probe was first reported by the New York Post; FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson has said existing laws should be used before writing new AI rules.
Apple tightens macOS Full Disk Access, citing AI-agent risks
Apple announced on October 2 in a developer news post that apps will need "very explicit user action" before gaining Full Disk Access — which exposes files, mail, messages and browsing history — stating: "As AI agents become increasingly capable and autonomous, the risks associated with this level of access will grow substantially." The backdrop includes a late-September claim by a columnist that Meta's Muse agent synced 187,000+ rows of his iMessage history without clear consent (Meta disputed it) and a Wired report on a ChatGPT Mac app flaw.
Background: TechCrunch and The Verge both covered the change; Apple gave no macOS version or effective date.
Military developments, security situations and conflicts
Third US carrier group heads to the Middle East (follow-up): tanker struck off Oman
US officials confirmed to CBS and AP that the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group and USS Makin Island amphibious ready group — about 7,000 sailors and 2,000 Marines — are heading to the Middle East, arriving by late November for a three-carrier, ~20,000-troop presence; VP Vance, Secretary Rubio, Defense Secretary Hegseth and others met at Camp David on October 3 on next steps in the Iran war. The same day, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported a crude oil tanker struck by an unknown projectile about 4 nautical miles east of Oman — all crew safe, no environmental impact — following a week of tanker attacks in the Strait of Hormuz, including the Kuwait-flagged MT Kazimah III, from which five Indian nationals were rescued ashore.
Background: The morning edition covered the third-carrier deployment plan; Trump says he has cancelled planned strikes on Iran (see Top Stories).
Iran executes detainee over January protests (follow-up)
Iran's judiciary announced on October 3 that it has executed Siavash Jamshidi Kheirabadi, detained during the January protests; the judiciary said he fired at least three shots at police on January 8 in Shahrekord in the southwest, was arrested on January 10 carrying a handgun, and was accused of contacting people online to organize "anti-security" activities and seeking payment for a "mission." The protests began on December 28, 2025 over economic hardship and rapidly grew into mass demonstrations demanding an end to theocratic rule.
Background: The evening edition covered the execution; Iran blames armed groups backed by the US and Israel for protest violence.
China-related news (international media coverage only)
China opens anti-dumping probe into EU p-nitrotoluene (follow-up)
China's Ministry of Commerce announced on October 3 an anti-dumping investigation into p-nitrotoluene imports from the EU, following September 14 applications from Jiangsu Huaihe Chemicals and Hubei Dongfang Chemical; the probe runs one year, extendable by six months. Preliminary evidence shows EU import prices fell nearly 60% cumulatively from 2022 to 2025. The chemical is used in dyes, pharmaceuticals and pesticides; the probe comes days before EU trade chief Maroš Šefčovič's Beijing visit, as both sides increasingly deploy trade-defense measures against each other.
Background: The evening edition covered the probe's announcement; China and the EU have opened tit-for-tat trade-remedy investigations across EVs and chemicals.
