November 13, 2023

ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR | Updates from day 38 of the conflict:

• Reports say thousands of people sheltering in and around Gaza’s largest hospital have fled the area as Israeli forces continue ground operations in the area. The Shifa Hospital, which Israeli officials claim has been used as a Hamas staging location, remains without power and “is not functioning as a hospital anymore,” according to World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. [more]
• European Union foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell released a statement today issued on behalf of all 27 E.U. nations that condemns the Hamas use of hospitals and civilians as “human shields” in Gaza, but also calls for Israel to establish humanitarian relief and evacuation corridors and to show “maximum restraint” in order to avoid civilian casualties. [full statement] [more]
• Concern over possible expansion of the Israel-Hamas conflict continued to increase over the weekend as Hezbollah militants in Lebanon launched multiple rocket attacks on northern Israel and the Israeli military carried out bomb strikes on southern Lebanon in response. [more]

UKRAINE | Today is day 627 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said yesterday that Ukrainians should prepare for increased Russian attacks on the country’s infrastructure ahead of winter weather and that all attention should be focused on “everything that Ukraine can do to get through the winter and improve our soldiers' capabilities.” [more]
• German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said today that Germany’s support and aid for Ukraine will be “massively expanded for next year.” [more]

U.S. GUN VIOLENCE | Police in Pearland, Texas, say five people, including two children, one of whom later died, were shot yesterday evening at a local flea market when two marketgoers exchanged gunfire. Reports say one of the shooters remains at large. [more]

CALIFORNIA | Officials in Los Angeles, California, have urged residents to make use of public transportation as much as possible today following a weekend fire that damaged and closed a section of Interstate 10 that runs through the city’s downtown area. [more]

U.S. GOVERNMENT FUNDING | House Speaker Mike Johnson released a plan for avoiding a partial government shutdown ahead of a Friday funding deadline. Johnson proposed a two-step stopgap measure that would fund some federal operations through mid-January and others through the beginning of February. The proposal has already seen opposition from President Biden, Senate leaders, and some members of Johnson’s GOP House conference. [more]

U.S. POLITICS | South Carolina Senator Tim Scott suspended his campaign for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination last night, citing low voter response to his bid. Scott declined to endorse any of the remaining Republican candidates. [more]

U.S. MILITARY | The Defense Department reports that a U.S. military helicopter crashed over the eastern Mediterranean Sea during a training mission late Friday, killing all five crew members aboard. Officials note that there were no indications of any type of hostile activity involved. [more]

U.S., IRAN, AND SYRIA | Responding to multiple attacks on bases housing U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria, the United States conducted airstrikes yesterday near the Syrian cities of Abukama and Mayadin that U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said were used by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps and Iran-backed militias. [more]

U.S. AND INDONESIA | Mineral production, clean energy, and Pacific peace, stability, and prosperity are expected to be among the main topics of discussion today when President Joe Biden hosts Indonesian President Joko Widodo at the White House. [more]

U.K. | As part of a Cabinet shakeup by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak today, former British Prime Minister David Cameron returned to government, having been named the U.K.’s new foreign secretary. [more]

ICELAND | Officials in southwestern Iceland evacuated the town of Grindavik, declared a state of emergency, and issued aviation alerts over the weekend amidst increased seismic activity in the region that has led to heightened concern of a possible volcanic eruption. [more]

INDIA | As many as 150 rescue personnel are attempting to reach 40 construction workers trapped in a tunnel by a landslide yesterday in India’s northern Uttarakhand state. Authorities say the workers appear to be safe and that they have been supplied with water and oxygen. [more]

PAKISTAN | Pakistani officials opened three new border crossings along the border with Afghanistan today to speed the forced repatriation of hundreds of thousands of undocumented Afghan refugees. [more]

COLLEGE FOOTBALL | Texas A&M fired head football coach Jimbo Fisher yesterday, citing issues with the team’s direction and plan despite a 6-4 record so far this season. The school will reportedly pay Fisher the $75 million due on his contract. [more]

SOCCER | Gotham FC beat OL Reign, 2-1, Saturday night to win the 2023 U.S. National Women’s Soccer League championship. Retiring U.S. star Megan Rapinoe was injured in the game’s opening minutes, bringing an early end to her final professional outing. [more]

AIRCRAFT INDUSTRY | The Dubai Air Show opened today with long-haul carrier Emirates announcing a $52 billion purchase of 90 Boeing 777 aircraft. [more]

WEEKEND MOVIES | "The Marvels" topped the North American box office over the weekend with an estimated $47 million in receipts, followed by "Five Nights at Freddy's" and "Taylor Swift – The Eras Tour." [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1985, [Mount Ruiz](Mount Ruiz) in the Cordillera Central of the Andes, in west-central Colombia, erupted twice, burying the town of Armero on the Lagunilla River and killing an estimated 25,000 people.  [more history]