November 6, 2023

ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR | Updates from day 31 of the conflict:

• Israel said this morning that its forces cut off the northern part of Gaza and surrounded Gaza City early this morning. Reports suggest that troops are expected to enter the city as early as today or tomorrow. [more]
• The Gaza Health Ministry said today that the Palestinian death toll in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war has surpassed 10,000 since the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel that killed more than 1,400 people. [more]
• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected calls from the U.S. and a growing number of other countries for a humanitarian pause in fighting in Gaza, saying no such pause is possible until there is progress on the release of the estimated 240 hostages taken by Hamas in its October 7 raids. [more]
• In an internationally broadcast speech on Friday, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah praised the Hamas attacks on Israel and suggested that his militant group is helping Hamas' fight by forcing Israel to maintain significant force levels on its border with Lebanon. Nasrallah did not indicate that there are plans for Hezbollah to become more actively involved in the war. [more]
• Reports say four civilians in southern Lebanon were killed yesterday in an Israeli airstrike that Israeli military officials say was in response to Hezbollah anti-tank fire that killed an Israeli civilian. [more]

UKRAINE | Today is day 620 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• The governor of Ukraine’s Odesa region says at least eight people were wounded, dozens of buildings and vehicles were damaged, and trucks loaded with grain were set on fire when Russia targeted the port city of Odesa overnight. Defense officials say 15 of 22 incoming Russian drones used in the attack were shot down. [more]
• The International Monetary Fund is scheduled to begin a review today on its $15.6 billion loan to Ukraine that is part of some $115 billion in global support for Ukraine’s economy amidst the ongoing Russian invasion. Among the items to be reviewed are Ukraine’s economic and budget progress and needs for the coming year. [more]
• Ukrainian arms manufacturer Ukroboronprom says it intends to increase its overall output by 62% by the end of 2023, compared to 2022 levels, and that its current production includes a new attack drone with a range of 1,000 km. [more]

TRUMP NEW YORK FRAUD TRIAL | Former U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to testify today in the New York civil fraud trial in which the Trump Organization is accused of financial statement misrepresentations when making deals and securing financing. [more]

GUN REGULATION | The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear a case challenging a ruling by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that overturned a Trump-era ban on bump stocks – gun attachments that allow some semi-automatic weapons to fire rapidly. Arguments before the Court are expected to take place early next year. [more]

U.S. NORTHEAST RAIL CORRIDOR | President Joe Biden is expected to announce $16.4 billion in funding today for modernization and expansion projects in rail and train infrastructure along the busy northeast corridor that stretches from Washington, D.C., to Boston. [more]

NEPAL | Authorities say at least 157 people were killed, and thousands were left homeless, when a 5.6-magnitude earthquake struck northwest Nepal near the city of Jajarkot late Friday. Rescue and relief efforts in the region continued through the weekend and have largely concluded this morning. [more]

RUSSIA | The Russian Defense Ministry yesterday announced the successful test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile designed to carry nuclear warheads from one of its new Borei-class nuclear submarines. [more]

TURKEY | Reports say hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters attempted to storm an air base in Turkey that houses U.S. troops yesterday. Police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse protesters at the Incirlik Air Base. [more]

AUSTRALIA AND CHINA | Following weekend meetings in Beijing that centered on trade and diplomatic issues, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Chinese President Xi Jinping said today that a healthy and stable relationship between their countries would be beneficial to all and that it is important to move forward with strengthening ties between China and Australia. [more]

KOREA | South Korea announced today that it will launch its first domestically built spy satellite into orbit on November 30 as part of its efforts to better monitor rival North Korea. The South Korean Defense Ministry says its new military spy satellite will be launched from California’s Vandenberg Air Force Base. [more]

SOMALIA | The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said today that more than 113,000 people have been displaced from their homes in Somalia due to heavy rains and flooding in the Horn of Africa nation in recent months that followed the country’s worst drought in decades. [more]

GERMANY | German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is scheduled to meet with the governors of Germany’s 16 states today to discuss the country’s growing migration issues. [more]

INDIA | Environmental officials in the Indian capital New Delhi said today that air pollution in the city remains “severe” despite mitigation efforts and that new vehicle traffic restrictions will be put in place for the period of November 13-20 as a further measure to improve air quality. [more]

CHICKEN RECALL | Tyson Foods has announced the recall of some 30,000 pounds of breaded chicken nuggets following consumer complaints of having found small pieces of metal in the dinosaur-shaped patties. [more]

NEW YORK CITY MARATHON | Finishing the 26.2-mile race in 2 hours, 4 minutes, and 58 seconds, Ethiopian runner Tamirat Tola won the New York City Marathon yesterday, breaking the all-time record for the course. Kenyan Hellen Obiri won the women's title, finishing in 2 hours, 27 minutes, and 23 seconds. [more]

WEEKEND MOVIES | "Five Nights at Freddy's" topped the North American box office over the weekend with an estimated $19.4 million in receipts, followed by "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour," and "Killers of the Flower Moon." [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected president of the United States. Lincoln led the Union through the American Civil War to defend the nation as a constitutional union and succeeded in defeating the insurgent Confederacy, abolishing slavery, and expanding the power of the federal government. [more history]