January 11, 2024

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ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR | Updates from day 97 of the conflict:

• Opening statements are taking place today before the International Court of Justice in The Hague in a case brought by South Africa that accuses Israel of genocide in Gaza and calls for an immediate halt to the Israeli military campaign. [more]
• In a statement posted online yesterday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “Israel has no intention of permanently occupying Gaza or displacing its civilian population” and that “Israel is fighting Hamas terrorists, not the Palestinian population.” [more]

UKRAINE | Today is day 686 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• At least 11 people were injured when a Russian missile hit a hotel in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv yesterday, according to regional governor Oleh Syniehubov, who notes that the city has been targeted by Russian strikes for four consecutive nights. [more]
• Turkey, Romania, and Bulgaria signed an agreement today to move forward with a joint operation to clear explosive mines in the Black Sea that were placed as part of the ongoing war in Ukraine. Three minehunting ships from each country will be assigned to the initiative, according to reports. [more]

U.S. ECONOMY | A survey of economists by data firm FactSet suggests that today’s December inflation report from the Labor Department will show that core U.S. inflation rose 0.2% from November – down from a 0.3% increase the previous month – and that year-over-year core prices rose 3.8% in December – down from the 4% level seen in November. [more]

U.S. EV CHARGING | The Department of Transportation is expected to announce $623 million in grants today as part of plans to build a nationwide electric vehicle charging network. The new grants will reportedly fund 47 EV charging stations and related projects in 22 states and Puerto Rico that include some 7,500 charging ports. [more]

U.S. POLITICS | Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie announced the suspension of his bid for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination yesterday. Christie did not endorse another candidate as part of the move. [more]

TRUMP FRAUD TRIAL | Reports say former U.S. President Donald Trump will not, as previously reported, give a closing statement today in his New York civil business fraud trial due to rules imposed by the trial judge on Trump's planned appearance. [more]

CRYPTOCURRENCY | In a move welcomed by cryptocurrency advocates and the broader crypto industry, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission yesterday approved the first U.S.-listed exchange traded funds, or ETFs, to track bitcoin. Some of the 11 funds approved are expected to begin trading in the U.S. today. [more]

COVID-19 | World Health Organization head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said yesterday that nearly 10,000 people died from COVID-19 worldwide in December and that global hospital admissions due to coronavirus rose about 42% compared to the previous month. [more]

PAPUA NEW GUINEA | Government officials in Papua New Guinea declared a state of emergency today after 16 people were killed in riots linked to police and public sector worker protests over a pay cut that officials say was due to an administrative error. [more]

U.K. | London mayor Sadiq Khan said today that, according to a report by economic consultants Cambridge Econometrics, Britain’s departure from the E.U. has reduced the country’s economy by about 6% at an annual cost of some $178 billion. [more]

BANGLADESH | Officials in the U.S. and U.K. have condemned political violence that preceded last weekend’s elections in Bangladesh that extended Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s time in office and have said the elections were not credible, free, and fair. [more]

SOCIAL MEDIA | Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta said yesterday that it plans to begin blocking inappropriate content, including posts about suicide, self-harm, and eating disorders, from teenagers’ accounts on its platforms. The move comes amidst numerous lawsuits against Meta that accuse the company of contributing to youth mental health issues. [more]

VEHICLE RECALL | Engine maker Cummins Inc. has announced the recall of some 600,000 Ram trucks as part of a settlement with regulators that also requires the company to pay $2 billion in penalties, including $325 million for environmental damage linked to software that manipulated diesel emissions test results. [more]

COLLEGE FOOTBALL | Alabama head coach Nick Saban announced his retirement yesterday. Saban ends his career having led teams to seven national championships with a record of 297 wins, 71 losses, and 1 tie. [more]

SOCCER | Real Madrid beat Atletico Madrid, 5-3, yesterday to advance to the Spanish Super League final, in which they will play the winner of today's match between Barcelona and Osasuna. [more]

ENTERTAINMENT | Nominations for the 30th Screen Actors Guild Awards were announced yesterday, with “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” receiving a pack-leading four nominations each.  Those two films, along with “Killers of the Flower Moon, “The Color Purple,” and “American Fiction” were nominated for the "outstanding performance by a cast" top SAG award. [full nomination list] [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1935, Amelia Earhart, one of the world's most celebrated aviators, made the first successful solo flight from Hawaii to California – a distance longer than that from the United States to Europe. [more history]