February 6, 2025

MIDDLE EAST | Update from regional conflicts:

• Despite widespread international condemnation of U.S. President Donald Trump’s suggestion that Palestinians be relocated from Gaza while the enclave is rebuilt, Israeli officials say they have begun planning and preparations for the departure of a large number of the territory’s residents. [more]

UKRAINE | Today is day 1078 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here is your update:

• Reuters cites unnamed senior Ukrainian sources as saying that North Korean ballistic missiles recently fired at Ukraine by Russian forces have shown a significant improvement in accuracy and precision over similar missiles used over the past year. [more]

U.S. TRANSGENDER SPORTS | President Donald Trump signed an executive order yesterday aimed at banning transgender athletes from participating in girls’ and women’s sports at schools and organizations that receive federal funding. Reports note that Trump has also indicated he would pressure the International Olympic Committee to adopt an all-sport ban on transgender athletes taking part in women’s Olympic competitions. [more]

U.S. POSTAL SERVICE | Just one day after announcing that it would reject all inbound packages and parcels from China and Hong Kong, the U.S. Postal Service reversed its policy, saying items would be accepted and that it would work with Customs and Border Protection to implement a collection process for the new import tariffs on Chinese goods. [more]

PENNSYLVANIA | Amidst ongoing increases in the price of eggs in the U.S. – largely driven by the slaughter of millions of chickens due to bird flu infections – Pennsylvania State Police say a shipment of about 100,000 eggs was stolen last weekend in Antrim Township. The stolen eggs have a retail value of about $40,000. [more]

U.S. CITIZENSHIP | Maryland-based U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman yesterday imposed a nationwide block on implementing President Donald Trump’s order to end the granting of birthright citizenship to children born to illegal immigrants, saying such citizenship is “expressly granted by the 14th Amendment to the Constitution.” [more]

U.S. MATERNAL DEATHS | According to a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 669 women in the U.S. died during pregnancy or shortly after childbirth in 2023 – down from 817 deaths in 2022. The report further notes that the mortality rate among pregnant Black women in 2023 was nearly 3.5-times higher than that of white women. [full report] [more]

HAWAII | Hawaii’s Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments today over a disputed $4 billion proposed settlement related to the August 2023 wildfire on the island of Maui that killed more than 100 people and destroyed thousands of properties. [more]

U.S. BIRD FLU | The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed yesterday that a new strain of bird flu has been detected in dairy cattle in Nevada, raising concerns about the virus’ spread and the difficulty of controlling infection outbreaks. [more]

U.S. AND MEXICO | The Mexican National Guard confirmed yesterday that it has begun deploying the first of some 10,000 new troops to the U.S.-Mexico border to help prevent drug trafficking and illegal immigration as part of an agreement reached to prevent the imposition of tariffs by U.S. President Donald Trump. [more]

GLOBAL CLIMATE | Last month was the warmest January on record, according to the European Union’s Copernicus climate service, with global temperatures averaging 1.75 degrees Celsius higher than pre-industrial averages for the month. [more]

SOUTH CHINA SEA | China has condemned joint naval exercises carried out by the U.S., the Philippines, Australia, and Japan in the South China Sea yesterday, saying the countries were working together to destabilize the region, which China claims as its own. [more]

BANGLADESH | Thousands of protesters stormed and destroyed the family home of exiled former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka yesterday. The protest was sparked by Hasina’s plans to deliver a speech to her supporters remotely, via video-link. [more]

IRAN | Iranian state media reports that Iran has launched its first drone-carrier warship, the Shahid Bagheri, which can also carry helicopters and launch cruise missiles. [more]

SWEDEN | The yet-unidentified shooter who killed 10 people at an adult education center in Orebro, Sweden, earlier this week was associated with the school, according to police. [more]

U.K. | The Bank of England lowered its benchmark interest rate for the third time in six months today, despite persistently high inflation. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1778, during the American Revolutionary War, the United States won official recognition and military support from France with the signing of a Treaty of Alliance in Paris. [more history]