February 2, 2024

ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR | Updates from day 119 of the conflict:

• An Associated Press report says analysis of satellite photos suggests that Israel may be moving forward with the clearing of a 1-kilometer-wide buffer zone along its border with Gaza – a move rumored to have been under consideration by Israeli leadership as a defensive measure. [more]
• The Hamas-controlled Palestinian Health Ministry says the Palestinian death toll in Gaza since the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel has risen to more than 27,000 as of yesterday morning. [more]

UKRAINE | Today is day 708 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• The U.N.’s International Court of Justice is expected to issue a ruling today on whether it has jurisdiction to hear a case filed by Ukraine against Russia that accuses Moscow of violating the landmark 1948 genocide convention by using claims of genocide to justify its invasion of eastern Ukraine nearly two years ago. [more]
• Ukraine’s intelligence service says the Russian naval ship Ivanovets sank yesterday after being hit in a Ukrainian sea drone attack while on patrol on Lake Donuzlav in western Crimea. [more]

U.S. ECONOMY | The Labor Department is scheduled to release its initial January employment report later this morning. Reports say economists predict that non-farm payrolls will have increased by about 180,000 during the month, while the unemployment rate is expected increase 0.1% from the previous month to 3.8%. [more]

OREGON | Citing a 2022 amendment to the state's constitution that bars legislators from seeking reelection if they have  excessive unexcused absences from state business, the Oregon Supreme Court ruled yesterday that 10 Republican state senators who staged a six-week walkout last year to stall bills on abortion, transgender health care, and gun rights are ineligible to run in upcoming elections. [more]

WEATHER FORECAST | At Pennsylvania’s famous Groundhog Day event, Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow today after emerging from his burrow — signaling, according to tradition, an early spring. [more]

U.S.-MEXICO BORDER | Reports say a convoy of as many as 300 vehicles is expected to arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border town of Eagle Pass, Texas, tomorrow as part of the “Take Our Border Back” protest action against illegal immigration. Organizers say the convoy is intended as a peaceful protest, but critics have suggested it could be a possible motivator for further action against migrants and groups that support them. [more]

U.S., ISRAEL, AND WEST BANK | U.S. President Joe Biden issued an executive order yesterday authorizing sanctions against individuals and other entities found to have advanced violent action against Palestinians in the West Bank. The order states that violence and unrest in the West Bank “has reached intolerable levels and constitutes a serious threat to the peace, security, and stability of the West Bank and Gaza, Israel, and the broader Middle East region,” and that the situation “undermines the foreign policy objectives of the United States, including the viability of a two-state solution.” [full executive order] [more]

KENYA | A gas truck explosion set off a series of secondary explosions and fires last night in Nairobi, Kenya, killing at least three people and wounding more than 270. Reports say both industrial and residential buildings were damaged in the incident, which is still under investigation. [more]

ETHIOPIA | A state of emergency declared in response to an insurgency in Ethiopia’s northern Amhara region last August was extended for another four months today by the country’s parliament amidst ongoing unrest and conflicts between government forces and the regional Fano militia. [more]

NORWAY | Officials issued avalanche warnings for southern and central Norway today as Storm Ingunn continues to affect the Nordic country with high winds and heavy rains. [more]

GERMANY | In the country’s third transport-related strike in two weeks, local buses, trams, and subway lines are cancelled across much of Germany today as transportation workers stage a one-day strike amidst stalled contract negotiations between the Verdi service workers union and employers. [more]

NORTH KOREA | U.S. and South Korean officials say North Korea launched multiple cruise missiles into the sea off its western coast today – the North’s fourth round of such missile tests in 2024. [more]

FOOTBALL | The Associated Press cites unnamed sources as saying that the NFL’s Washington Commanders have reached an agreement to hire Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn to be the team’s new head coach. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1990, South African President F.W. de Klerk lifted the 30-year ban on the African National Congress, resulting in the release from prison of Nelson Mandela and marking the beginning of the end of apartheid. [more history]