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U.S. President Donald Trump has discussed efforts to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East in a telephone call with Qatar’s emir as the region remained on edge over the possibility of renewed U.S. military action against Iran.
Meanwhile, deadly Saudi airstrikes at a popular market in Yemen killed at least 20 people Friday, the Houthi-run health ministry said. Authorities in the government-controlled city blamed the Houthis and said there were no airstrikes.
Here is the latest news from the Middle East on Friday. Read our full coverage here.
President Donald Trump talks to reporters during a tour of White House Ballroom construction at the White House, Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Trump discusses de-escalation efforts with Qatar’s emir
The telephone call between Trump and Qatar’s Emir Sheik Tamim bin Hamad al Thani centered on international efforts to end tensions, according to a statement from the Qatari ruler’s media office. The two discussed in particular Qatar’s mediation efforts aimed at reaching “a comprehensive agreement that ends the crisis and achieves security and stability in the region.”
Qatar has been mediating between the United States and Iran to end the war. Qatar and other U.S.-allied Gulf Arab countries came under heavy fire by Iran earlier in the U.S.-Iran war and have been anxious to avoid a new escalation that could leave them vulnerable to attacks.
During the call, Sheik Tamim “stressed the importance of continuing dialogue and adopting diplomatic means to resolve disputes, sparing the region further escalation, and ensuring freedom of maritime navigation and the security of energy supplies,” according to the statement.
Iran’s foreign minister continues telephone diplomacy with Egypt
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty stressed the need to prioritize diplomatic solutions during a telephone call with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
During the call on Thursday, Abdelatty urged all sides to display flexibility and compromise to reach a political solution and avoid further escalation, Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nader Zaki said.
This week, Araghchi held phone calls with Turkey and Gulf leaders, discussing regional developments and securing freedom of maritime navigation.
One of the deadliest strikes in Yemen since fighting resumed
Airstrikes hit a popular market in southwestern Yemen on Friday, killing at least 20 people, according to an official with the Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
If confirmed, it would be one of the deadliest attacks since fighting resumed between the Houthis and Saudi-backed government forces.
Houthi health ministry spokesperson Anees Alsabahi told Houthi-run TV Al Masirah that 15 people were also wounded in three airstrikes on the market in al-Waziyah in the province of Taiz. He said that the death toll was expected to rise from the strikes, which he blamed on the Saudi-led coalition.
Local authorities in Taiz acknowledged that an attack on a busy market killed and wounded people, without providing details on the actual toll. But they blamed the Houthis, saying no airstrikes were carried out in the area.
The Associated Press couldn’t immediately independently verify the claims of responsibility. Saudi Arabia’s information ministry didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
This report will be updated throughout the day as new developments emerge.
Authorities are investigating the theft of more than $11 million worth of Nvidia computer hardware in what experts describe as a sophisticated cargo heist.
Q: Hey Dr. Honk! Part of the thetollroads.com‘s website has been down at least since Oct. 28, claiming “maintenance.” But that would be super uncommon for routine website maintenance — it’s normally scheduled for a late, overnight window or on the weekends, not a multi-day outage during weekdays.
– Steve Friedl, Irvine
A: It is unclear what is going on, Steve, but something is amiss.
Customers of the 241, 133, 261 and 73 toll roads in Orange County were told on the website that these customer chores were unavailable online:
Account updates
Paying a toll
Trying to resolve a violation
Setting up an account
Getting a transponder
As of Thursday afternoon, Nov. 5, the problem persisted.
Honk reached out several times this week to the Transportation Corridor Agencies, which operates those toll roads, and asked what caused the disruption, if the system was hacked, and if anyone’s personal data was at risk.
Officials for the toll roads did not answer those questions.
“The system was taken offline by TCA last week,” said Michele Miller, an agency spokesperson, in an email. “Time extensions will be granted for customer payments. We appreciate customers’ patience while we continue to work to get the online customer account and payment portal and The Toll Roads app available for self-help use.”
An alternative for the chores is to call the toll agency at 949-727-4800, or go to the Customer Service Walk-In Center at 125 Pacifica in Irvine; it is open 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. weekdays.
Miller said she would update us here, when the system is back up.
Honk will try to figure out what happened.
Q: In 2023, the Department of Motor Vehicles closed its office in Anaheim on Lincoln Avenue. So here it is a couple of years later, and the building still has its DMV signs. Why doesn’t the DMV take down the signs off of the building and out of the parking lot?
– Mario Luna, Anaheim
A: Honk slipped on his deerstalker hat, similar to the one worn by his hero Sherlock Holmes, and rang up the DMV.
“The former Anaheim DMV office was in a leased facility,” Ronald Ongtoaboc, a DMV spokesman, told him via email. “The DMV no longer has rights to the building. Questions about signage should be directed to the property owner.”
Then Sherlock Honk hopped into the Honkmobile a recent night and visited the site.
The ex-DMV building sits back from the street, in a small retail center. The “DMV” sign on the building was darkened. Small signs that even Honk could pry off pretty easily were on columns, offering office hours. The office was clearly vacant.
But out on Lincoln, a brightly lit sign for the Anaheim West Plaza lists a couple of tenants — or in the case of the DMV, a former one.
The DMV sign, in front of one of the agency’s long-closed offices, is well-lit a recent night. (Photo by Honk, Southern California News Group)
Jeff Helm, the real estate broker for the property, said the DMV got out of the leasing contract early.
“They didn’t do anything,” he said. “They just got up and left.”
His firm is working with prospective new tenants, and if that is successful, the signs would ostensibly change.
HONKIN’ FACT: Los Angeles International Airport is No. 1 for “best major airports for avoiding travel disruptions,” according to Consumer Affairs. “Cancellations are relatively rare, but when one does happen, there are around 5.68 other flights heading to the same destination on a given day.”
To ask Honk questions, reach him at honk@ocregister.com. He only answers those that are published. To see Honk online: ocregister.com/tag/honk. Twitter: @OCRegisterHonk
TOKYO (AP) — Global shares tumbled Friday following a broad selloff on Wall Street of shares related to artificial intelligence as the prospect of more regulation in the wake of the US midterm elections compounds fears about high levels of debt and spending in the sector.
France’s CAC 40 shed 1.2% in early trading to 8,107.20, while the German DAX lost 1.4% to 25,961.60. Britain’s FTSE 100 fell 1.5% to 10,625.40. U.S. shares were set to trade mixed, with Dow futures down 0.9% at 51,075.10. S&P 500 futures edged up 0.1% to 7,362.20.
Tokyo’s benchmark Nikkei 225 slipped 6.0% to finish at 57,434.77, falling below 60,000 points for the first time in nearly half a year. Japanese technology shares were among the biggest losers, including SoftBank Group Corp. and Advantest Corp.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 lost 0.5% to 9,020.80. South Korea’s Kospi dropped 6.0% to 5,059.69, as shares in Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix plunged. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 1.3% to 24,481.86, while the Shanghai Composite dipped 1.1% to 3,649.18.
Stock markets around the world have been feeling pressure from continued declines for companies that have benefited from the boom in the artificial-intelligence technology industry. Critics also say AI stock prices shot too high and were in a bubble amid concerns about high levels of borrowing and spending as companies race to build the massive computing capacity needed to train AI applications. What might come next remains uncertain, they say.
The Democrats’ win in the US midterm elections Tuesday also raises the prospect of more regulation, including at the state level where popular resistance to data center construction remains strong.
“Of course, the selloff in companies that have so long whetted investors’ appetite could create buying opportunities at a discount,” said Ipek Ozkardeskaya, senior analyst at Swissquote.
In Tokyo trading, Toyota Motor Corp.’s stock fell sharply after the Japanese automaker reported lackluster profits the day before.
Thursday was Wall Street’s worst day since U.S. President Donald Trump shook markets worldwide in April 2025 with his “Liberation Day” tariffs. The wipeout more than erased the U.S. stock market’s gain from the day before, which was its best in three months. AI chip stocks are some of Wall Street’s most influential.
In energy trading Friday, benchmark U.S. crude rose 0.2% to $90.69 per barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, fell a bare 0.1% to $98.28 per barrel. Uncertainty still reigns about what will happen in the war with Iran and when the global energy industry can return to normal.
In currency trading, the U.S. dollar rose to 158.26 Japanese yen from 157.68 yen. The euro cost $1.1172, down from $1.1219.