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America's secretary of state, Anthony Blinken, visited Israel in a show of solidarity after it was attacked by Hamas, promising that America would always be by Israel's side.

Mr. Blinken, who invoked his Jewish heritage, said the Palestinian incursion had harrowing echoes of the Holocaust.

He said he would urge other countries in the region to reign in the conflict.

Meanwhile, Syria said that Israeli missiles had hit airports in Aleppo and Damascus, putting both out of action.

On Friday, the foreign minister of Iran, an ally of Syria and an enemy of Israel, is due to visit Syria.

Steve Scalice, the Republican congressman, who won his party's nomination to be speaker of America's House of Representatives, withdrew from the race after failing to secure broad Republican support.

Quote, there are still some people that have their own agendas. He said, winning the speakership of the full House floor requires 217 votes.

The House cannot consider legislation without a permanent speaker.

America will block Iran from accessing the $6 billion in Iranian funds that was transferred to Qatar last month in exchange for the release of imprisoned Americans.

Republicans have slammed President Joe Biden for making money available to Iran, even with strict restrictions since Hamas's attack on Israel.

American officials said no evidence tied Iran to the operation, but it has historically supported the terrorist group.

America's annual rate of consumer price inflation held at 3.7% in September, maintained by high housing costs.

Economists had expected a slightly lower figure after energy prices eased.

The new data alongside America's continuing jobs bananza raised concerns about the stickiness of inflation above the Federal Reserve's 2% target.

Policymakers may be tempted to resume their protracted fight against inflation before long.

Federal prosecutors charged Bob Menendez, a senator from New Jersey and his wife, with conspiracy to have Mr. Menendez act as a foreign agent of Egypt, even as he served as the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

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