January 10, 2024

ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR | Updates from day 96 of the conflict:

• U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken continues his Middle East visit today in an ongoing effort to prevent the spread of the Israeli-Hamas conflict and build support for post-war reconstruction in Gaza. Blinken will meet today with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, as well as the leaders of Jordan and Egypt. [more]
• Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen fired dozens of missiles and drones at ships in the Red Sea today in a continuation of action that rebel leaders say is a response to Israeli military operations in Gaza. U.S. and British naval forces say all the Houthi projectiles were shot down and that no damage to ships was reported. The U.N. Security Council is expected to vote today on a resolution calling for an immediate end to the Houthi attacks on ships. [more]

UKRAINE | Today is day 685 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says an estimated 14.6 million people in Ukraine – about 40% of the country's population – will need humanitarian assistance in 2024. [OCHA report] [more]
• Speaking to the Italy’s parliament today, Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said that “the time has come for incisive diplomacy, alongside military support” to pave the way for peace between Russia and Ukraine. [more]

GLOBAL RISKS | The World Economic Forum released its 2024 Global Risks Report today. The report says misinformation and disinformation, extreme weather events, and social polarization are the top three short-term global risks, while the leading long-term risks are extreme weather events, critical changes to Earth’s environmental systems, and biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse. [key findings] [full report] [more]

U.S. POLITICS | Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley will take part in the fifth Republican presidential debate of the 2024 election season tonight. Former President Donald Trump, who also qualified for the debate, will not participate. [more]

U.S. HOMELAND SECURITY | The House Homeland Security Committee is scheduled to hold a first impeachment hearing today for Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, who House Republicans accuse of refusing to enforce immigration and border laws passed by Congress. [more]

TRUMP FRAUD TRIAL | Reports say that, in addition to his legal team's summation, former U.S. President Donald Trump intends to deliver his own closing argument tomorrow at the conclusion of his New York civil business fraud trial. [more]

U.S., CHINA, AND TAIWAN | The U.S. and China concluded two days of direct military talks yesterday – their first since 2021. Reports cite Chinese defense officials as saying after the meetings that China will “never compromise” on the issue of Taiwan and that the U.S should stop providing weapons to the disputed territory. [more]

U.S. AND IRAQ | In an interview with Reuters yesterday, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said his country is seeking a quick withdrawal of U.S. troops from its territory but that no deadline for such a move has yet been set. Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Defense said some 2,500 U.S. troops are in Iraq for anti-terrorist operations at the request of the Iraqi government and that it has no current plans to withdraw its forces. [more]

ECUADOR | President Daniel Noboa says the recent escalation of organized crime violence and kidnappings in Ecuador is a response to government anti-crime measures, which he characterized as an ongoing “internal armed conflict.” [more]

GERMANY | Train travel across Germany is experiencing severe disruption today as the GDL train drivers' union begins a three-day strike over working hours and pay issues. About 80% of long-distance trains are expected to be cancelled during the strike and commuter rail service in many cities has been disrupted. [more]

GLOBAL EMPLOYMENT | According to the U.N. International Labor Organization’s  World Employment and Social Outlook report, the global unemployment rate fell to 5.1% in 2023 – down from 5.3% in 2022 – but is expected to rise slightly in 2024 to 5.2%. [press release] [full report] [more]

SPACE | U.S. space agency NASA announced yesterday that it will delay its manned moon-orbiting and moon-landing missions by a year each, now targeting September 2025 and September 2026 for the missions, respectively. NASA officials cite safety concerns and spacecraft and equipment development issues as reasons for the rescheduling. [more]

TENNIS | Seedings have been announced for the upcoming Australian Open, which begins Sunday. Novak Djokovic is the No. 1 men’s seed, followed by Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev. Iga Swiatek is the No. 1 women’s seed, followed by Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina. [full seedings] [more]

ENTERTAINMENT | Mel Brooks, Angela Basset, film editor Carol Littleton, and Sundance Institute leader Michelle Satter received honorary awards last night from the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in recognition of lifetime achievements and contributions to the film industry. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1776, Thomas Paine published Common Sense, a 47-page pamphlet that sold more than 500,000 copies within a few months and called for a war of independence that would become the American Revolution. [full text of Common Sense, 2nd Edition] [more history]