November 14, 2023

ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR | Updates from day 39 of the conflict:

• Amidst ongoing Israeli air and ground military operations against Hamas in northern Gaza, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says more than 200,000 people have fled the region since November 5, bringing to 1.5 million the estimated total number of Palestinians who have fled their homes since the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel. [more]
• Israeli officials say video released yesterday shows weapons found in the basement of a children’s hospital in Gaza and evidence that hostages were held at the site. Officials say the discovery is evidence that Hamas has been using hospitals in the region as centers of operation. [more]
• According to a Reuters report, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said today that Gaza cannot survive as an independent entity and that it would be better for Palestinians there to leave for other countries. [more]
• Reports say tens of thousands of people are expected to take part in the “March for Israel” today on the U.S. national mall in Washington, D.C., calling for solidarity and support for Israel in the aftermath of the October 7 Hamas attacks. [more]

UKRAINE | Today is day 628 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• Ukrainian military officials said yesterday that Russian forces have, once again, intensified air and ground attacks on the eastern Ukraine town of Avdiivka – the site of intense fighting in the Donetsk region since mid-October. [more]
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said today that exports through Ukraine’s alternative Black Sea shipping corridor have reached almost four million metric tons since the route started operating in August. [more]

U.S. GOVERNMENT FUNDING | The House is scheduled to vote today on a stopgap funding measure proposed by Speaker Mike Johnson to prevent a partial federal government shutdown ahead of a Friday deadline. Johnson’s proposal, which appears to have opposition from some of his GOP colleagues, as well as from the White House and Senate leadership, does not contain requested funding for either Ukraine or Israel aid. [more]

CALIFORNIA | Governor Gavin Newsom said yesterday that the fire that damaged a portion of Interstate 10 in downtown Los Angeles, California, over the weekend was most likely a case of arson. Repair of the damaged highway section, which has caused major disruptions to vehicle travel in the area, is expected to take several weeks. [more]

U.S. SUPREME COURT | Following allegations of ethics improprieties by Justices over the past several months, the Supreme Court released a policy statement signed by all nine Justices yesterday that lays out, for the first time, a Code of Conduct for Supreme Court Justices. The policy has been criticized for not containing information on means of enforcing or investigating violations. [full Code of Conduct document] [more]

U.S. LABOR | Following recent action by the United Auto Workers union against the Big 3 U.S. automakers that resulted in new contracts, foreign automakers Hyundai, Honda, and Toyota have all increased workers’ wages at their U.S. factories. Analysts say the moves are part of attempts to dissuade workers from organizing unions at non-union plants. [more]

U.S. AND CHINA | U.S. President Joe Biden is scheduled to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in San Francisco, California, tomorrow on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. Reports say the two leaders are expected to discuss plans for disrupting production and transfer of the synthetic opioid fentanyl in addition to diplomatic, trade, and policy issues. [more]

INDIA | Officials in India’s northern Uttarakhand state say a rescue plan has been developed to retrieve 40 workers trapped by a landslide inside a tunnel construction site on Sunday. Reports say the rescue operation is expected to take place in the next 24 hours. [more]

U.K. CYBERSECURITY | In its latest annual review, Britain’s National Cyber Security Center says cyberespionage actions by state-aligned groups in Russia, China, and North Korea pose enduring and significant threats to U.K. infrastructure and that misuse of artificial intelligence poses a threat to national elections through actions such as the creation of deepfake videos and the spread of disinformation during campaigns. [full annual review document] [more]

ARGENTINA | Annualized inflation in Argentina rose to 142.7% in October, according to the South American nation’s statistic’s office – up 8.3% from September. [more]

NEPAL | The government of Nepal yesterday announced a nationwide ban of the social media platform TikTok, saying the platform is disruptive to social harmony and goodwill and that it facilitates the “flow of indecent materials.” [more]

GLOBAL OIL DEMAND | In its latest Oil Market Report, the Paris-based International Energy Agency raised its global oil demand growth forecasts for 2023 and 2024. The IAE predicts global demand to reach 102 million barrels per day this year and a record annual high of 102.9 barrels per day in 2024. [more]

COLLEGE BASKETBALL | Kansas is No. 1 in the first regular season AP Top 25 college basketball poll of the 2023-24 season, followed by Purdue, Arizona, Marquette, and UConn. [full poll] [more]

LITERATURE | Sarah Bernstein was named the winner of this year’s Scotiabank Giller Prize yesterday for her novel “Study for Obedience.” The $100,000 Giller prize, past winners of which include Margaret Atwood, Mordecai Richler, and Alice Munro, honors the best in Canadian fiction writing. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1889, American journalist Nellie Bly began her around-the-world race against the record of Phileas Fogg, the fictional hero of Jules Verne's Around the World in Eighty Days. Bly completed the journey in slightly more than 72 days. [more history]