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Sports

NBA opening night: Knicks raise a banner as LeBron James and Jaylen Brown debut for Philadelphia

The NBA's 2026-27 regular season opens on Tuesday, 20 October, with three games on NBC and Peacock, according to the league's schedule [1][2][3]. The New York Knicks will raise their 2025-26 championship banner at Madison Square Garden before hosting the Philadelphia 76ers. For Philadelphia, LeBron James and Jaylen Brown are scheduled to make their regular-season debuts, NBA.com said [1][2].

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World

USΓÇôIran talks on reopening the Strait of Hormuz stall over what comes first

Iran says it is still reviewing a U.S. reply to its proposal for reopening the Strait of Hormuz and will answer through mediators, including Qatar and Pakistan [1][2]. A senior Iranian security official has called the U.S. reply "insufficient" [3]. The main dispute is about sequencing. Washington wants Iran's nuclear program addressed from the outset, and Tehran wants the strait and its security dealt with first [1][4]. Attacks on shipping in and around the strait have continued [5][6][9]. The U.S. military's Central Command said on 13 October that U.S. and partner forces "clearly control" the strait [16]. No U.S. official has commented on the record about the substance of the talks or what the U.S. reply contains.

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Sports

Rays even ALCS at 1-1 behind Peralta; series moves to Cleveland

The Tampa Bay Rays beat the Cleveland Guardians 3-1 in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series on Tuesday, 13 October, at Tropicana Field, tying the best-of-seven series at 1-1 [4][5]. Cleveland had won Game 1 7-3 on 12 October [1][2]. Game 3 is Thursday, 15 October, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, according to the AP and USA Today [5][6]. MLB's official schedule data and MLB.com list a 6 p.m. ET start, with Griffin Jax starting for Tampa Bay [12][18].

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World

Houthi strikes shut Riyadh's main airport as Saudi Arabia investigates air-defense failure

A week of Houthi missile and drone attacks has killed civilians and closed King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. The deadliest strike, on 10 October, killed 13 people, the AP and Reuters reported [1][9]. The AP put the wounded at more than 300 [1], and The Epoch Times, citing Saudi authorities, reported 309 injured [11]. The AP reported that Saudi Arabia is investigating why its air defenses failed, citing officials it did not name [1]. A notice issued on 12 October keeps the airport closed until 5 p.m. ET on Saturday, 17 October. No reopening date has been set [9]. Iran's foreign minister has said Tehran is ready to help start SaudiΓÇôYemen talks. The Saudi account of the call did not mention mediation [5][12].

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Sports

Brewers bring 2-0 NLCS lead to Los Angeles; Gasser and Snell set for Game 3

The Milwaukee Brewers lead the Los Angeles Dodgers two games to none in the National League Championship Series. They won Game 1 2-1 on 11 October and Game 2 7-4 on 12 October, both at American Family Field [1][2][3]. Game 3 is Wednesday, 14 October, at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT) at Dodger Stadium, with left-hander Robert Gasser starting for Milwaukee and left-hander Blake Snell for Los Angeles, according to MLB.com on 13 October [6]. ESPN's Game 3 page and MLB's official schedule data, both checked 14 October, list the same matchup, time and venue, on FS1 [7][12].

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Money

The 10-year Treasury yield closed at its highest level since 2002. Here's what that means for borrowers

The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note closed at 5.31% on 5 October, according to the Treasury Department's daily data. That is its highest close since 5.32% on 14 May 2002 [1]. Mortgage rates have risen with it: Freddie Mac's 30-year average reached 7.40% in the week to 8 October, up from 6.30% a year earlier [4]. Federal interest costs have also climbed. Net interest reached $1.017 trillion in fiscal 2026 through August, more than the government spent on national defense, according to the Monthly Treasury Statement [16]. Fed Governor Christopher Waller has attributed the rise in yields to growth expectations, fiscal concerns and heavy AI-related borrowing rather than higher inflation expectations, in remarks on 13 October [8][9]. The yield has since eased, to 5.21% at the 13 October close, the latest in Treasury's data [1].

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Science & Tech

Starship Flight 15 slips on FAA planning slide to no earlier than Nov 8. The date is unconfirmed.

SpaceX has not announced a launch date for the 15th Starship flight. An FAA air-traffic planning slide dated 8 October lists the flight "no earlier than" (NET) 8 November from Starbase, Texas. NASASpaceflight, which reported the slide, calls the schedule "unofficial" [1][2]. An earlier planning date was NET 19 October [2][3]. The new slide appeared after SpaceX removed the engines from Ship 42, the upper stage assigned to the flight, for more ground testing, according to NASASpaceflight [1]. **The 8 November date is unconfirmed.** As of 14 October, SpaceX, Elon Musk, the FAA (no Flight 15 license modification) and maritime and airspace authorities (no NOTAM or marine notice) have published no date. A final check at about 2:56 a.m. ET on 14 October found no change.

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Politics

Vermont lieutenant governor debate: What the records show about the farm housing case Rodgers raised against Gray

At a 6 October debate, Republican Lt. Gov. John Rodgers questioned Democratic challenger Molly Gray about worker-housing investigations at her family's farm. Agency documents and reporting by VTDigger, Vermont Public and Seven Days show real citations, a reduced penalty that was paid, and repairs. They describe no official finding of "mistreatment", and nothing in them ties Gray to running the farm or to the investigations [4][6][15].

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