June 19, 2025

MIDDLE EAST | Updates from regional conflicts:

• Israeli officials say at least 240 people were wounded today in Iranian missile attacks that struck several residential buildings near Tel Aviv and a hospital in the southern Israel city of Beersheba. [more]
• Israel carried out airstrikes yesterday on Iran's Arak heavy water nuclear reactor, aiming to "prevent the reactor from being restored and used for nuclear weapons development." According to Iranian state media, there is "no radiation danger whatsoever" from the attack on the site. [more]
• Both China and Russia have urged Israel and Iran to work toward de-escalation of their conflict and have offered to help mediate an end to the ongoing violence. [more]

UKRAINE | Today is day 1211 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here is your update:

• Ukrainian officials say the death toll from a Russian missile and drone attack on Kyiv earlier this week has risen to at least 28, making the attack Russia's deadliest strike on the capital city this year. Reports note that about 27 locations in Kyiv, including educational institutions and critical infrastructure, had been hit during the multi-wave attack, and that most of those killed were in a residential building that took a direct hit and collapsed. [more]

U.S. ECONOMY | The Federal Reserve left its benchmark interest rate unchanged at about 4.3% yesterday, but predicted two rate cuts later this year. In announcing the decision, Fed Chair Jerome Powell said much more will be learned over the summer about the effects of U.S. tariffs on the economy. [more]

U.S. STUDENT VISAS | The State Department announced yesterday that it is restarting its suspended process for foreigners to apply for student visas, but noted that all applicants will be required to unlock their social media accounts for government review "to ensure that those applying for admission into the United States do not intend to harm Americans and our national interests." [more]

U.S. TRANSGENDER | In a 6-3 decision yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld Tennessee's ban on gender-affirming care for minors. In the majority opinion, Chief Justice John Roberts said the state law does not violate the Constitution’s equal protection clause, while Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in a dissent that the ruling "abandons transgender children and their families to political whims." [more]

U.S. EMPLOYMENT | According to Labor Department data released yesterday, the number of Americans filing for initial unemployment benefits fell to 245,000 last week – down from 250,000 the previous week. [more]

U.S. STEEL | After more than a year of delays and talks centered on national security and political concerns, Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel announced yesterday that they have finalized Nippon's $15 billion purchase of the American steelmaker. The purchase agreement includes a so-called "golden share" provision that allows the U.S. government to appoint a board member to the company and have a say in company decisions that affect domestic steel production and competition with overseas producers. [more]

HURRICANE ERICK | The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Hurricane Erick – currently off southern Mexico's Pacific coast – is now an "extremely dangerous" Category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph. Emergency operations were implemented in the coastal regions surrounding Oaxaca state and the resort city of Acapulco ahead of the storm making landfall this morning. [National Hurricane Center info] [more]

E.U. DEFENSE | Ambassadors from the European Union's 27 countries are expected to give final approval today to a 1.5-billion-euro plan to fund bloc-wide defense investments. Reports note that under the final agreement, 65% of related spending must be done with European companies. [more]

RWANDA AND CONGO | According to a joint press release from both countries, Rwanda and Congo will sign a peace agreement in Washington, DC, on June 27. The agreement – aimed at ending years of fighting in eastern Congo – includes “provisions on respect for territorial integrity and a prohibition of hostilities; disengagement, disarmament, and conditional integration of non-state armed groups." [more]

BRAZIL | Emergency officials say at least two people have died, and more than 2,600 have been forced to evacuate, due to widespread flooding in Brazil's southern Rio Grande do Sul region. Reports note that some areas in the region have seen 14 inches of rain since the weekend and that army troops have bene deployed to at least seven cities in the region to assist in recovery efforts. [more]

MORE BRAZIL | In court documents unsealed yesterday, Brazil’s federal police accused former president Jair Bolsonaro and 35 others of involvement in operations that used the country’s intelligence services to spy on members of the judiciary, lawmakers, and journalists. [more]

IRAN | In a report to the Geneva-based Human Rights Council yesterday, U.N. deputy human rights commissioner Nada Al-Nashif said Iran executed 975 people in 2024 – up from 834 in 2023 and the highest level since 2015. Al-Nashif noted that a disproportionate number of those executed were from Iran’s minorities and that 52% of executions were for drug-related offenses, 43% for murder, 2% for sexual offenses, and 3% for security-related offenses. [more]

NIGERIA | President Bola Tinubu ordered increased operations by Nigerian security forces today to capture the perpetrators of a weekend attack that killed at least 150 people in the African nation's north-central Benue state. [more]

FINLAND | Amidst concerns over military threats posed by neighboring Russia, the Finnish parliament voted today to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention that bans the use of anti-personnel landmines. [more]

SWITZERLAND | Noting strong national economic growth in the first quarter of 2025, the Swiss National Bank announced yesterday that it will reduce its key interest rate from 0.25% to 0%. [more]

BASKETBALL | The potentially championship-clinching Game 6 of the NBA Finals is scheduled for tonight, with the Oklahoma City Thunder leading the best-of-seven series, 3-2, over the Indiana Pacers. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1865, Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, with news that the American Civil War was over and that all remaining enslaved people in Texas were free — an event now celebrated nationwide as Juneteenth. [more history]