Geoff Bennett:

The strike started just over five weeks ago. So far, more than 34,000 union members at selected plants have walked off the job.

In Russia, a court has ordered a Russian-American journalist to be detained for another three days. Alsu Kurmasheva works for the U.S.-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. She's been held since early June, accused of failing to register as a foreign agent. Kurmasheva was shown in court today confined to a defendant's cage. The lawyer said she is pleading not guilty.

Torrential rain and gale-force winds battered much of Northern Europe again today, killing at least three people in the United Kingdom. Scotland bore the brunt, and forecasters called it an exceptional event. Rescue teams deployed boats and flooded streets after the storm dumped a month's worth of rain. A rare red alert for more dangerous flooding will be in effect through Saturday in Eastern Scotland.

On Wall Street, worries about interest rates fueled more selling. The Dow Jones industrial average lost 287 points to close at 33127. The Nasdaq fell 202 points. The S&P 500 was down nearly 54 points.

And, in Australia, the landmark Sydney Opera House, with its famed shell design, turned 50 years old today. A laser show brought out crowds to celebrate the occasion and to admire one of the great examples of architecture of the 20th century.

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