April 25, 2024

ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR | Updates from day 202 of the conflict:

• Palestinian officials say at least five people were killed in overnight Israeli airstrikes on the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where an estimated half of the territory’s population has taken refuge, and which is expected to be the focus of an upcoming Israeli ground offensive. [more]
• The Associated Press cites Hamas political official Khalil al-Hayya as saying in an interview yesterday that the Palestinian militant group would dissolve its military arm if Israel would agree to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along pre-1967 borders – a status Israel has long opposed. [more]

UKRAINE | Today is day 791 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said today that long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems reportedly provided to Ukraine by the U.S. in recent weeks “will not fundamentally change the outcome of the special military operation” in Ukraine. [more]
• According to a Reuters report, China is providing moorage for a U.S.-sanctioned Russian cargo ship implicated in the transfer of North Korean arms to Russia for use in Ukraine. [more]

U.S. PRESIDENTIAL IMMUNITY | In a case linked to former President Donald Trump’s claims of immunity from prosecution, the U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments today on “whether and if so to what extent does a former president enjoy presidential immunity from criminal prosecution for conduct alleged to involve official acts during his tenure in office.” [more]

U.S. COLLEGE PROTESTS | Pro-Palestinian protests and encampments continue at multiple U.S. colleges and universities today after dozens of activists were arrested yesterday, most notably at the University of Southern California and the University of Texas at Austin. [more]

ARIZONA | An Arizona state grand jury returned indictments on conspiracy, fraud, and forgery charges against 18 people, including former President Donald Trump ‘s chief of staff Mark Meadows and lawyer Rudy Giuliani, in connection with alleged attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election by submitting false documents to Congress declaring that Trump won the election in the state. [more]

U.S. BIRTH RATE | According to provisional data released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today, 3,591,328 children were born in the U.S. in 2023 – down about 2% from 2022 and the lowest number since 1979. [CDC report] [more]

U.S. RETIREMENT | Results of a new survey conducted by the AARP and the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research indicates that about 25% of U.S. adults aged 50 and older who are not yet retired say they expect to never retire and that the same number report having no retirement savings. [more]

U.S. SOCIAL MEDIA | ByteDance, the Chinese owner of social media platform TikTok, says it intends to launch court challenges against the newly passed law that would block the platform in the U.S. if it is not sold within nine months. [more]

GLOBAL HUNGER | The United Nations’ latest Global Report on Food Crises says nearly 282 million people in 59 countries suffered from acute hunger in 2023, with food crises in Gaza, South Sudan, Burkina Faso, Somalia, and Mali having the highest numbers of people affected. [full report] [more]

SPACE | Russia yesterday vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution calling on all nations to not develop or deploy nuclear arms or other weapons of mass destruction in space and to agree to the need to verify compliance. Thirteen Council members voted to approve the resolution, while Russia voted against and China abstained from voting. [more]

BURKINA FASO | Rights advocacy and watchdog group Human Rights Watch says in a new report that Burkina Faso’s army killed 223 civilians in the African country’s northern villages of Nondin and Soro on February 25. [more]

AUSTRALIA | Conservation authorities in Australia say most of some 160 long-finned pilot whales that beached on the Western Australia coast today have returned to sea, while 31 died on the shore. [more]

HAITI | Installation of a presidential transition council is scheduled to take place this morning on the outskirts of the gang-ridden Haitian capital Port-au-Prince, according to the office of outgoing Prime Minister Ariel Henry. [more]

NIGERIA | Authorities say more than 100 inmates escaped from a prison near the Nigerian capital of Abuja today after the facility’s walls and surrounding buildings were damaged by heavy rains. Reports say about 10 of the inmates have since been recaptured. [more]

NORWAY | Airspace in southern Norway was closed for more than three hours today, leading to significant and ongoing delays at Oslo airport. State-owned airport operator Avinor says the closure was due to a “technical error at the Oslo Control Center.” [more]

PORTUGAL | Thousands of people across Portugal are expected to attend parades, reenactments, and other celebrations today marking the 50th anniversary of the 1974 so-called Carnation Revolution military coup, which brought democracy to the country. [more]

ITALY | A new pilot program aimed at addressing over-tourism goes into effect in Venice, Italy, today, with daytime visitors to the historic city being charged a five-euro entry fee to discourage visits during peak hours and promote livability for city residents. [more]

GOLF | The PGA Tour reportedly began informing current and former players yesterday of their eligibility for, and amounts of, payouts from the new $930 million “Player Equity Program” that is seen as a counter to attempts to lure players to the Saudi-backed LIV Golf league with lucrative contracts. [more]

HEISMAN TROPHY | The Heisman Trust reinstated Southern California tailback Reggie Bush’s Heisman Trophy as the best college football player of 2005 yesterday, citing recent changes in college athletics that allow player compensation as the reason for the move. Bush’s award was vacated in 2010 following an investigation that found him to have received money and gifts from marketing agents who were hoping to represent him. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope, a sophisticated optical observatory built in the United States under the supervision of NASA, was placed into operation by the crew of the space shuttle Discovery. [more history]