The written briefing — October 24, 2026
Good morning. A drive-by shooting near Paris that President Emmanuel Macron called a racist terrorist attack leads today’s briefing, followed by a sharp fall on Wall Street as oil topped $114 a barrel on reports of U.S.-Israel strike plans for Iran, a deadly shooting near Hebron four days before Israel’s general election, and a White House announcement that First Lady Melania Trump brokered a humanitarian ceasefire for the occupied Ukrainian city of Oleshky. A note on today’s edition: no new stories dated October 24 had been published when this briefing was produced, so it is built from the four newest stories published late on October 23, after yesterday’s briefing had closed. Here are the four stories in full, with links to our reporting.
Macron Calls Paris-Area Drive-By Shooting a ‘Racist Terrorist Attack’ as One Killed, Five Wounded
A gunman opened fire from a car on Friday morning in the Paris suburbs of Trappes and La Verrière, killing one person and wounding five others, including a 12-year-old girl who was shot eight times and remained in serious condition, French authorities said. President Emmanuel Macron visited the scene on Friday evening and described the attack as a “racist terrorist attack” and a turning point for the country. Police arrested the suspect, identified by prosecutors only as Kevin T., 39, about 20 minutes later in Coignières, and investigators said he had booby-trapped his apartment; the national anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office has taken over the investigation into whether victims were targeted because of race, ethnicity, nationality or religion.
Dow Sheds 500 in Friday Trading as Oil Tops $114 a Barrel on Reports of U.S.-Israel Plans for Iran Strikes
U.S. stocks fell again in Friday trading, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average shedding more than 500 points at one point, as Brent crude climbed above $114 a barrel — a five-month high — on reports that the United States and Israel are drawing up plans to strike Iran after the Nov. 3 midterm elections. The Wall Street Journal reported the U.S. is preparing options for military action and moving more forces toward the region, while Iran’s foreign minister said Tehran is “just as prepared for diplomacy as we are for war.” A five-month high in crude points to higher gasoline prices in the coming weeks, and the 10-year Treasury yield hovered around 4.97% as investors sought safety.
Two Attackers Killed, Five Israelis Wounded in West Bank Shooting Days Before Israeli Election; Netanyahu Orders Closure
Two gunmen were shot dead by Israeli troops near Hebron in the occupied West Bank on Friday morning after a shooting at the Farsh al-Hawa checkpoint that wounded five Israelis, all in their 20s, two of them in critical condition. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered an immediate cordon around Hebron and preparations for a full closure of the West Bank, and all Likud campaign events for Friday were cancelled. The attack lands four days before Israel’s general election on Tuesday, Oct. 27; Hamas praised the attack as a “heroic operation” but did not claim responsibility.
White House Says Melania Trump Brokered a Humanitarian Ceasefire in Ukraine’s Oleshky
The White House said on Friday that First Lady Melania Trump had secured a temporary ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky, to allow humanitarian aid in and civilians out of a town facing a deepening food crisis. The Kremlin confirmed the agreement, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov praising Melania Trump’s “significant contribution,” though the two sides’ accounts differed on the start time — October 29 in the White House’s initial account, October 27 in Russian and Ukrainian statements. The White House estimates only 1,700 to 2,000 people remain in the city, including about 50 children; the ceasefire has not yet taken effect.
That is today’s briefing. Full coverage of every story is at zarknews.com.
