January 9, 2025

MIDDLE EAST | Updates from regional conflicts:

• U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken suggested yesterday that a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas is “very close” to being achieved and that there is hope an agreement can be reached prior to the end of U.S. President Joe Biden’s term in office on January 20. [more]
• Gaza’s Hamas-controlled health ministry said today that more than 46,000 Palestinians have been killed, and more than 109,000 have been wounded, in the 16 months of Israel-Hamas conflict since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel. [more]
• In an interview yesterday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the United States needs to keep troops deployed to Syria to prevent a resurgence of the Islamic State militant group as a major threat. [more]

UKRAINE | Today is day 1050 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here is your update:

• Ukrainian officials say at least 13 people were killed, and dozens of others were wounded, yesterday in a daytime Russian missile and glide-bomb attack on the southern Ukraine city of Zaporizhzhia. [more]

CALIFORNIA | At least 2,000 homes have been destroyed as multiple wildfires continue to burn in and around Los Angeles, California. Five deaths have been attributed to the blazes and authorities say some 130,000 people are under evacuation orders, while 450,000 were without power as of last night. Dangerously high winds and dry conditions in the area are expected to continue at least through tomorrow. [AP wildfire tracker] [more]

TRUMP NEW YORK SENTENCING | Attorneys for President-elect Donald Trump asked the U.S. Supreme Court yesterday to delay his sentencing in his New York felony business records falsification and hush money conviction, which is scheduled for tomorrow. In related news, Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito says he spoke with Trump this week prior to the court filing, but insists that the case was not discussed. [more]

JIMMY CARTER | A state funeral for late President Jimmy Carter is scheduled for later this morning at Washington National Cathedral, after which Carter’s body will be flown to Georgia for a second service and burial in his hometown of Plains. President Biden has declared today to be a national day of mourning, and many federal offices will be closed for the day. [more]

U.S. EMPLOYMENT | Labor Department data released yesterday shows that initial applications for unemployment benefits fell to 201,000 for the week ended January 4 – down from 211,000 the previous week and the lowest level since February 2024. [more]

U.S. HEALTHCARE | In a new report on healthcare in the United States, the Biden administration says nearly 24 million Americans signed up for Affordable Care Act medical insurance coverage for 2025 – an increase of nearly 12 million over enrollment levels when Biden took office – bringing the country’s uninsured rate to a record low of about 8%. [White House fact sheet] [full report] [more]

COUNTERFEIT AND PIRATE MARKETS | In its annual report on “notorious markets,” the Office of the United States Trade Representative identifies 38 online markets and 33 physical markets that are reported to engage in or facilitate substantial trademark counterfeiting or copyright piracy. The annual report also highlights the rising prevalence and dangers of unlicensed online pharmacies. [press release] [full report] [more]

TAIWAN AND CHINA | Amidst ongoing tensions with China, which claims the territory as its own, Taiwan held major naval exercises today, highlighting its fast attack missile boats and other vessels as effective deterrents to any potential Chinese invasion. [more]

EUROPEAN POLITICS | Authorities in France, Spain, Germany, and the U.K. are among critics of what they say is Elon Musk’s interference in European politics, citing the world’s richest man’s recent criticism of various governments and alleged support for far-right parties. [more]

LEBANON | Army commander Joseph Aoun was elected head of state by Lebanon’s parliament today, filling the country’s presidency, which had remained vacant for more than two years. [more]

CHAD | Reports say at least 18 assailants and one soldier were killed last night in an attack on Chad’s presidential palace. Officials say Chadian President Mahamat Deby Itno was inside the palace when the attack took place, but that the situation was quickly brought under control. [more]

JAPAN AND CHINA | Japan’s National Police Agency yesterday linked more than 200 cyberattacks targeting national security and technology data between 2019 and 2024 to what it says is a Chinese government-linked hacking group called MirrorFace. [more]

ENTERTAINMENT | Nominees for the for the 31st Screen Actors Guild Awards were announced yesterday, with “A Complete Unknown,” “Anora,” “Conclave,” “Emilia Pérez,” and “Wicked” vying for the top movie ensemble prize. [complete nominee list] [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1839, Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre of France proclaimed his invention of the daguerreotype, the first commercially successful form of photography. [more history]