February 7, 2024

ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR | Updates from day 124 of the conflict:

• U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to meet with Israeli and Palestinian leaders today to discuss yesterday’s Hamas’ response to a proposed cease-fire and hostage release deal. Preliminary reports say the Hamas response proposed a phased 135-day cease-fire during which all hostages would be released, Israeli troops would withdraw from Gaza, and an agreement would be finalized to end the war – conditions that analysts say Israel is unlikely to fully accept. [more]
• Reports say Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a statement saying it will not normalize diplomatic relations with Israel unless an independent Palestinian state is recognized. [more]

UKRAINE | Today is day 713 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• Ukrainian authorities say at least five civilians were killed, and 30 others were wounded, overnight in a series of Russian missile and drone strikes on the cities of Kyiv, Mykolaiv, and Kharkiv. Military officials say Ukrainian air defenses shot down 44 of the 64 drones and missiles launched by Russia in the attack. [more]
• Ukrainian security officials said yesterday that five current and former intelligence officers were arrested on charges of secretly working for Russia to pass along information on Ukrainian military sites, defensive fortifications, and strategic energy facilities. [more]

TRUMP FEDERAL ELECTION TRIAL | A panel of judges at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled yesterday that former President Donald Trump is not immune from facing criminal charges related to alleged attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Trump is expected to appeal the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court. [more]

NEVADA | Voters in yesterday’s Republican primary chose “none of these candidates” over former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley, while President Joe Biden won the Democratic primary. The state also holds a Republican caucus tomorrow, with former President Donald Trump projected to win. [more]

U.S. HOMELAND SECURITY | Articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas failed to pass in the U.S. House Of Representatives yesterday, with three Republicans joining all Democrats in rejecting the charges. House Republicans, who contend that Mayorkas should be removed from office due to what they say is his failure to enforce immigration laws, are expected to revisit the charges in the future. [more]

MICHIGAN | A Michigan jury yesterday convicted Jennifer Crumbley on four counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the 2021 Oxford High School shooting carried out by her son. Prosecutors in the case said Crumbley had a duty to ensure her son got help for his mental health issues and to secure a gun and ammunition at home. [more]

CALIFORNIA | Authorities in southern California’s Los Angeles County say rainstorms that dropped more than a foot of water on the region over the past two days caused at least 475 mudslides. More rain from two so-called atmospheric rivers is expected to fall in the area today before the weather patterns begin to clear. [more]

SUDAN | The U.N. humanitarian aid and refugee agencies issued a joint appeal today for $4.1 billion in international support for civilians affected by Sudan’s nearly year-old civil war. Aid officials say as many as 25 million people – or about half of Sudan’s population – require support or protection. [more]

NORD STREAM PIPELINES | Citing a lack of jurisdiction, Sweden announced yesterday that it is ending its investigation into the September 2022 explosions that damaged the Nord Stream I and II pipelines built to carry natural gas from Russia to Germany. Statements from both Germany and Denmark say their related investigations are continuing. [more]

PAKISTAN | A day before the country’s parliamentary elections, at least 24 people were killed today in bombings at two election offices in the Pakistani cities of Pashin and Qilla Saifullah. Reports say no claims of responsibility for the attacks have yet been made. [more]

GERMANY | German airline Lufthansa cancelled hundreds of flights today as ground staff members of the Verdi transportation union took part in a one-day strike at the Frankfurt, Munich, Berlin, Duesseldorf, and Hamburg airports. [more]

SENEGAL | The 15-nation Economic Community of West African States bloc urged Senegal to reverse its parliamentary decision to postpone this month’s presidential election to December, saying the country’s electoral calendar should be restored in compliance with its constitution to prevent damage to its history of democracy. [more]

CHILE | Three days of national mourning have been declared in Chile following the death yesterday of former President Sebastian Pinera in a helicopter crash in the country’s southern lake region. [more]

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE | Reports say the White House is expected to announce today that Biden administration aide Elizabeth Kelly will head a new AI Safety Institute at the Commerce Department’s National Institute for Standards and Technology, which is expected to develop testing and safety standards for major AI developers. [more]

SPACE | NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has announced plans to cut about 570 positions, or about 8% of its workforce, citing budget constraints as the reason for the move. [more]

BASEBALL | MLB’s Houston Astros have reportedly agreed to a new contract extension with José Altuve under which the eight-time All-Star second baseman will be paid $125 million from 2025 to 2029. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1613, Michael Romanov, founder of the Romanov dynasty, became tsar of Russia. [more history]