First Thing: Israel bombs Beirut after US says it opposes ‘scope’ of strikes

Two strikes near center of Lebanese capital kill 22 people. Plus, Diddy asks for the identities of his accusers to be disclosed

Good morning.

Within hours of the US saying it opposed the “scope” of its bombing of Beirut, the Israeli army carried out further strikes on the Lebanese capital’s southern suburbs.

The state department spokesperson, Matthew Miller, said the US had voiced concerns to Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration about the recent strikes, as the death toll grows and amid fears of the conflict spiralling into a regional war.

Miller appeared to take a harder line than previously, telling reporters: “When it comes to the scope and nature of the bombing campaign that we saw in Beirut over the past few weeks, it’s something that we made clear to the government of Israel we had concerns with and we were opposed to.”

When did Israel last strike Beirut? On 10 October. Its two strikes near the city center killed 22 people.

How many are directly affected? Israeli military evacuation alerts are in place across more than a quarter of Lebanon, according to the UN refugee agency.

Elon Musk gives $75m to pro-Trump group, putting him among the largest Republican donors

Elon Musk has given about $75m to his pro-Donald Trump group over a period of three months, federal disclosures show, making the world’s richest person one of the former president’s top donors.

Musk’s America PAC, which is working to increase Republican voter turnout in critical swing states, spent about $72m of that in the July-September period, according to Federal Election Commission’s figures.

After saying he had previously voted Democrat, Musk endorsed Trump in July and appeared at a Pennsylvania rally this month. On Tuesday, Trump repeatedly mentioned Musk’s support at an Atlanta rally.

Who are Trump’s other mega donors? The list includes the banking heir Timothy Mellon and the casino billionaire Miriam Adelson.

What is Harris’s funding like? The Harris Victory Fund raised $633m in the three months from 1 July to 30 September – over a third more than the amount raised by Biden in that period in 2020, according to the New York Times.

Diddy asks judge for identities of accusers to be disclosed

Sean “Diddy” Combs has asked prosecutors in his sex-trafficking case to share the names of his accusers, Manhattan federal court documents show.

His legal team have argued in a letter to the judge that Combs needs to know the identities of his accusers to prepare for his 5 May trial. “This case is unique, in part because of the number of individuals levying allegations against Mr Combs due to his celebrity status, wealth” and extensive media coverage of lawsuits and other legal proceedings against him, they argued.

The team added that it has had a “pervasive ripple effect” with allegations from anonymous complainants “spanning from the false to outright absurd”.

What charges does Combs face? Racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty to the indictment.

In other news …

Six Russian soldiers who deserted have been granted temporary visas in France while they seek asylum, in a first for an EU country.

The 19-year-old son of the British photojournalist Paul Lowe has been charged with his murder, according to Los Angeles police, after the 60-year-old was found to have been fatally stabbed on a hiking trail.

Jerry Seinfeld has walked back on comments blaming the “extreme left and PC crap” for ruining comedy, saying he now believes “it is not true”.

Giza’s Grand Egyptian Museum will finally partly open its main galleries on Wednesday, after years of delays to the $1bn-plus mega-project that has been in the works for than a decade.

Stat of the day: Record 328,000 people vote cast ballots on Georgia’s first day of early voting, more than doubling 2020 figure

More than double the number of people voted early in the swing state of Georgia on Tuesday compared with 2020, with 328,000 people casting a vote in person or by mail on the first day they were able to. The candidate who wins the state has a good chance of becoming president, according to polling analysis website FiveThirtyEight.

Don’t miss this: When veneers go very wrong: ‘I knew I’d made the biggest mistake of my life’

When Catherine spotted a discounted rate to get her teeth done at a private clinic in London, she thought snagged a deal. But when the experience of getting veneers – which includes shaving down your teeth into “pegs” for the false teeth to be fitted on to – went badly wrong, she was left feeling traumatized. With dentists reporting that veneers are becoming routine, Simon Usborne looks at what’s driving this – and what happens when it’s messed up.

Climate check: Fossil fuels could soon ‘become cheaper and more abundant’

As the world transitions toward clean energy by the end of the 2020s, the price of fossil fuels may plummet, according to the International Energy Agency. As governments hasten their energy transitions, we will enter an era where countries have surplus oil, gas and coal, the global energy watchdog said, leading household bills to fall – and green alternatives must become cheaper to compete.

Last Thing: Good gourd! Minnesota teacher clinches pumpkin weigh-off with 2,471lb winner

A Minnesota horticulture teacher has won an annual pumpkin-weighing contest in northern California for the fourth year in the row, taking home the top prize for his 2,471lb gourd. Next, the giant pumpkin will head to southern California to be carved up professionally at a Halloween event.

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