News Wrap: UK police investigating possible plot targeting U.S. base

Geoff Bennett:

In the U.K., counterterrorism police say they're releasing five British nationals on bail after they were arrested in connection with a possible plot at an air base. The men were initially detained on suspected explosives offenses. They remain under investigation with what officials called stringent conditions.

The base, RAF Fairford, is home to U.S. bombers used in the war with Iran. Today, Iran's embassy in London denied any involvement in the alleged plot, but U.K. officials say they're still looking at possible links to Iran, Russia, or nonstate actors.

Laurence Taylor (Head of U.K. Counterterrorism Coordination Committee):

Be assured we are considering this from every possible angle, including that this may be actively committed by proxies or individuals either knowingly or unknowingly working on behalf of a foreign state.

Geoff Bennett:

Dozens of homes were evacuated yesterday as bomb disposal teams investigated three suspicious vehicles. Residents have since been allowed back home, and the investigation is ongoing.

Prosecutors in Central New York say they are reopening a criminal investigation into an alleged sexual assault at a Cornell University fraternity back in 2024. The move follows a civil lawsuit filed this month by a former student who says she was drugged and assaulted by seven fraternity members. The Tompkins County district attorney says the case will be presented to a grand jury for possible indictments.

Officials in Ukraine say at least seven people were killed and more than 80 were wounded today in the latest Russian strikes. In Kyiv, survivors clung to the window ledges of Ukraine's National Academy of Sciences after a Russian jet-powered drone struck the building. It's just the latest Ukrainian landmark to be hit by Russian attacks.

A separate strike set this medical center ablaze. Officials say several people were injured. Kyiv's mayor called the attacks an effort to destabilize Ukraine's society.

Vitali Klitschko, Mayor of Kyiv, Ukraine (through interpreter): I can say one thing. This is pure terror by the Russian Federation. It does not distinguish between residential buildings and historic buildings. Every Ukrainian is the enemy's target.

Geoff Bennett:

Russian strikes also hit this apartment building in the Northeast city of Kharkiv overnight. Local authorities say 35 people were injured, including 10 children.

FBI Deputy Director Andrew Bailey is resigning in the latest leadership departure at the bureau. The former Missouri attorney general took on the role about a year ago as one of two deputy directors under FBI boss Kash Patel. The leadership structure was a first for the FBI, which has traditionally had just one person in that role.

In a social media post, Bailey said he's leaving to spend more time with his family in Missouri. His departure comes amid reported tensions with FBI Director Patel, who had increasingly sidelined him. Bailey was once viewed as a potential successor to Patel, but that never materialized.

The U.S. and China are lowering tariffs on $60 billion of goods between them. According to details released today, that includes more than 1,600 U.S. items going to China, including agricultural products, medical equipment, and coal, and nearly 80 categories of goods coming from China into the U.S., such as fireworks, soccer balls, and Christmas ornaments.

Notably absent were sensitive items like rare earth minerals and technology related to AI. The announcement is one of the few tangible outcomes from last week's state visit by China's President Xi Jinping.

SpaceX launched its massive Starship rocket into orbit for the first time today, but ended the mission early over engine problems.

Man:

Three, two, one.

Geoff Bennett:

Today's test flight was its 14th in the last three years and was a major step toward the company's hopes of sending people to the moon and Mars.

There were some tense moments early on after one of its 33 engines failed.

Man:

Starship is orbital.

(Cheering)

Geoff Bennett:

But once the rocket made it to orbit, mission control burst into cheers. The unmanned spacecraft then deployed more than two dozen Starlink satellites before returning to Earth hours earlier than planned.

(Cheering)

Geoff Bennett:

And there was more drama upon splashdown, where Starship tipped over and erupted into flames. Still, SpaceX employees cheered the mission's overall successes.

On Wall Street today, stocks ended lower to start the week. The Dow Jones industrial average fell nearly 350 points. The Nasdaq lost almost 1 percent. The S&P 500 also closed in negative territory.