March 11, 2024

ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR | Updates from day 157 of the conflict:

• Negotiations for a temporary cease-fire and hostage exchange in Gaza continue today – extending past today’s beginning of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which had been an unofficial deadline for an agreement to be reached. Reports say talks on competing proposals from Israel and Hamas appear to have made little progress in recent days. [more]
• In an interview Saturday, U.S. President Joe Biden said he believes that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s approach to the war against Hamas in Gaza is “hurting Israel more than helping Israel,” and called for more steps to be taken to limit civilian casualties in the Palestinian enclave. [more]

UKRAINE | Today is day 746 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• CNN cites NATO intelligence estimates and unnamed sources as saying that Russia is currently producing about 250,000 artillery munitions per month, or about 3 million a year – nearly three times more than the U.S. and European Union combined – and that such production levels could be a key advantage for Russia as its invasion of Ukraine continues. [more]
• Following a meeting with former U.S. President Donald Trump in Florida over the weekend, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said Trump will not give money to help Ukraine fight against the Russian invasion if he is re-elected and that the lack of such money will hasten an end to the war in Ukraine. [more]

U.S. EMPLOYMENT | The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday that U.S. employers added 275,000 jobs in February – up from a revised gain of 229,000 jobs in January. The unemployment rate stood at 3.9% for February – up 0.2% from January and the highest rate in nearly two years, but a 25th straight month of sub-4% joblessness. [full report] [more]

SOUTH CAROLINA | Downtown Charleston, South Carolina, received 3.63 inches of rain Saturday, breaking the city’s previous one-day record of 1.43 inches set in 1948. Emergency responders say some relocations from flooded areas of the city were required, but that no injuries or deaths from the storm have been reported. [more]

HAWAII | Authorities in Honolulu, Hawaii, say preliminary evidence suggests that a man fatally stabbed his wife and three children and then killed himself early Sunday in the city’s Manoa neighborhood in what Honolulu Police Chief Joe Logan said is Hawaii’s worst mass killing since 1999. [more]

U.S. BUDGET | President Joe Biden is expected to release details today of his 2025 U.S. budget proposal, which, according to White House officials, would reduce the federal deficit by about $3 trillion over 10 years and will include provisions for lower taxes and health care costs and higher taxes on the wealthy and corporations. Biden’s proposal will compete with a budget plan released by House Republicans last week, which they said would cut the deficit by $14 trillion over 10 years – largely through some $8.7 trillion in Medicare and Medicaid expenditure reductions. [more]

HAITI | The Caribbean Community regional organization has called for an emergency meeting to be held today to address ongoing violence and instability in Haiti. The meeting comes a day after the U.S. flew additional military troops in to increase security at its embassy in Port-au-Prince and began using military helicopters to evacuate nonessential personnel. [more]

INDONESIA | Disaster management officials on the Indonesian island of Sumatra say at least 26 people died, and at least 11 others remain missing, in flash floods and landslides triggered by heavy rains over the weekend. Reports say more than 80,000 people have been relocated to temporary government shelters due to the flooding, which has destroyed an estimated 20,000 homes. [more]

YEMEN | The al-Qaida militant group in Yemen says that its leader, Khalid al-Batarfi, has died. Reports say the details of al-Batarfi's death remain unclear, but note that the U.S. government had offered a $5 million reward for his capture. [more]

INDIA AND EUROPE | India signed a trade agreement with the four member nations of the European Free Trade Association – Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland – yesterday under which the European countries will invest $100 billion in India over the next 15 years. EFTA and Indian trade officials say the agreement will increase trade, create jobs, and spur economic growth for both parties. [more]

BOLIVIA | Flooding from heavy rains in the Bolivian capital of La Paz has prompted officials to declare a state of emergency as parts of the city remain isolated by high waters and many areas remain without potable water and electricity. [more]

GERMANY | Transportation disruptions continue this week in Germany as the GDL union has called for drivers of Deutsche Bahn’s passenger trains to take part in a one-day strike over pay and working condition issues starting tomorrow morning. [more]

SOCCER | The U.S. beat Brazil, 1-0, last night to win the inaugural CONCACAF Women’s Gold Cup. U.S. team captain Lindsey Horan scored the game’s only goal late in the first half. [more]

OSCARS | “Oppenheimer” was the big winner at last night’s 96th Academy Awards, winning seven awards, including for best picture, best director (Christopher Nolan), best actor (Cillian Murphy), and best supporting actor (Robert Downey, Jr.). Emma Stone won the Oscar for best actress for her performance in “Poor Things,” while Da’Vine Joy Randolph won best supporting actress for her role in “The Holdovers.” The best international film award went to “The Zone of Interest,” and best documentary went to “20 Days in Mariupol.” [full list of winners and nominees] [more]

WEEKEND MOVIES | "Kung Fu Panda 4" topped the North American box office over the weekend with an estimated $58.3 million in receipts, followed by "Dune: Part Two" and "Imaginary." [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 2011, a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and resulting tsunami struck Japan’s northeastern coast, killing nearly 20,000 people and severely damaging the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station. [more history]