Tuesday morning news: October 6, 2026

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Yemeni forces expel Houthis from several areas » New developments in the Middle East with possible implications for the world’s oil supply.

Yemen’s government says its troops have pushed Houthi rebels out of several towns near the Red Sea.

They say jets from a Saudi-led coalition helped the troops advance Monday.

The gains put them near a strait at the Red Sea’s southern entrance, a key route for cargo ships and oil tankers.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio:

RUBIO: The Saudis and the Yemeni forces clearly are not in favor of the Houthis controlling that territory close to the, to the strait there. And, uh, it's territory that was gained as a result of a Houthi offensive, and this is the counter to it. We expected that would happen, and that's what's happening.

Asked whether Washington coordinated the push, Rubio pointed to a defense pact with Saudi Arabia but gave no details. The Associated Press reports that the U.S. provided intelligence to the Saudis.

The Iran-backed Houthis claim they launched missiles and drones at Saudi airports, military bases and an oil refinery.

And fighting continues. A government source told Reuters troops were still battling Houthis near the strait Monday.

Russia plague report » Secretary Rubio also commented on reports that a worker at a Russian plague research lab has died.

Russian health officials say she had pneumonia but haven’t identified what caused it.

RUBIO: There's very limited travel between the US and Russia, obviously. Uh, but like anything else, something like that gets out, it could quickly spread. So we're watching and monitoring it closely. I, I don't think it's cause for alarm, but it is cause for focus and a cause, uh, to just keep an eye on, and we're doing that

Local state TV reports the woman died last week in Siberia.

Authorities say they quarantined the hospital where she died and are keeping a close eye on people who had contact with her.

Reports that she had plague remain unconfirmed. Russia’s public health agency says it found no sign of the germs she worked with, and no evidence of a lab accident involving those germs.

U.S. deploys troops to Middle East » A third U.S. aircraft carrier is heading for the Middle East, as President Trump weighs new strikes in the war with Iran. WORLD’s Kristen Flavin reports.

KRISTEN FLAVIN: The USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group is en route to the region. The deployment also includes the Makin Island amphibious group — together carrying more than 7,000 sailors and 2,000 Marines.

Trump has suggested there are early indications linking Iran to a co-pilot who attempted to crash an Israel-bound flight last Wednesday. And he warned of retaliation if the link is confirmed.

The buildup also follows Trump's remark last month that he's in—his words—"deciding mode" on Iran. He predicted "very big things" in the not-so-distant future, and he's said stepped-up bombing is possible.

However, Trump has also predicted a deal with Iran after next month’s midterm election.

For WORLD, I’m Kristen Flavin.

Missing medical jet update » Officials with an air ambulance company say they now have to face the “heartbreaking reality”, that all six people aboard a medical jet that went down near the Massachusetts coast are presumed dead.

Searchers found wreckage near Nantucket island, but no survivors. The Coast Guard has called off its search after nearly three days covering more than 4,000 square miles.

The jet vanished early Saturday on a flight from Bermuda to Boston. It carried a patient and a relative from Bermuda, plus four Canadian crew members.

Investigators are trying to determine what went wrong.

Ukraine: We've taken out over half of Russia’s oil ref capacity » Russia's war with Ukraine is expanding, and it's putting lives across Europe at risk.

That was the message from European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on Monday:

KALLAS: Europe has seen a spike in the Russian hybrid attacks and sabotage attempts, and airspace violations in recent weeks. Russian missiles and drones violated Moldovan airspace again over the weekend, and this is completely unacceptable.

Meanwhile in Ukraine:

SOUND: [Body recovery]

Rescue crews recovered a body Monday in Kharkiv, in northeastern Ukraine. Authorities say Russian bombs hit a clothing workshop there. Russian attacks killed at least four other people.

But Ukraine is hitting back, its defense ministry says Ukrainian strikes have knocked out more than half of Russia’s oil-refining capacity. If that’s true, Russia could have a much harder time getting fuel to its troops.

I'm Kent Covington.

Straight ahead: A closer look at some big changes at the Pentagon. And later, parents challenging the growing trend away from childhood chores.

This is The World and Everything in It.

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