May 10, 2024

ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR | Updates from day 217 of the conflict:

• Reports say Israeli forces captured the main road dividing the eastern and western regions of the southern Gaza city of Rafah today, effectively encircling the entire eastern portion of the city. [more]
• The U.N. General Assembly is expected to vote today on a resolution that calls for the Security Council to reconsider Palestine’s application for U.N. membership and recommends that such membership be approved with limitations, including that Palestine not be able to vote on U.N. proceedings. [more]

UKRAINE | Today is day 806 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• Ukrainian officials say their forces repelled a preliminary Russian armor and ground forces attack in the northeastern Kharkiv region today that sought to break through Ukrainian defensive lines. [more]
• Vyacheslav Gladkov, regional governor of Russia’s Belgorod region, says at least eight people were injured, and dozens of buildings were damaged, yesterday in Ukrainian air attacks throughout the region. [more]

U.S. MORTGAGES | According to mortgage firm Freddie Mac, the average rate for a fixed-rate, 30-year mortgage in the U.S. fell to 7.09% this week – down from 7.22% last week and the first decline in nearly six weeks. [more]

U.S. POLITICS | Cryptocurrency nonprofit Stand With Crypto has reportedly formed a new political action committee, or PAC, to raise money from its 440,000 members to support a bipartisan slate of crypto-friendly politicians in upcoming House and Senate races. [more]

U.S. AND CHINA | Chinese military officials say their naval forces monitored and “drove away” the USS Halsey after the U.S. destroyer entered disputed territorial waters today near the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea. U.S. officials say the destroyer asserted navigational rights and freedoms and exited the area following its operation. [more]

GLOBAL PANDEMIC RESPONSE | Global health and government delegates are scheduled to end a ninth and final round of talks today aimed at finalizing the text of a so-called “pandemic treaty” – a World Health Organization-sponsored effort to set guidelines on fighting future pandemics and better sharing scarce resources during such disease outbreaks. [more]

WORLD FOOD PRIZE | Cary Fowler and Geoffrey Hawtin were named the 2024 winners of the World Food Prize yesterday for their work in establishing the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, which operates as a secure backup facility for the world's crop diversity and currently holds some 1.25 million seed samples in an underground facility in the Arctic Circle. [press release] [more]

U.K. ECONOMY | New data from Britain’s Office for National Statistics shows that the U.K. economy grew by 0.6% in the first quarter of 2024 – a higher-than-expected rate of growth that ends the country’s technical recession. [more]

CHAD | Releasing preliminary election results weeks earlier than expected, Chad’s electoral agency said yesterday that Mahamat Deby Itno, the country’s military leader, won this week’s presidential election – a result disputed by Itno’s main rival, Prime Minister Succès Masra. [more]

SWEDEN | Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters took part in demonstrations yesterday in Malmo, Sweden, against Israel’s participation in the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest, which is being held in the port city. [more]

COSTA RICA | Citing decreased hydroelectric power plant output due to the country’s worst drought in five decades, Costa Rica yesterday announced a new electricity rationing plan that, beginning next week, will cut power to many areas for up to three hours per day. [more]

JAPAN | The Japanese Fisheries Agency this week proposed expanding the country’s commercial whaling to include fin whales – a larger species than the three currently permitted. [more]

RUSSIA | As expected, Russian President Vladimir Putin today nominated Mikhail Mishustin, 58, for a second term as Russia's prime minister. [more]

SOCIAL MEDIA AND AI | Social media platform TikTok announced yesterday that it has begun rolling out features that will automatically label content uploaded to its sites that is created using artificial intelligence. [more]

SOCCER | With a 2-2 draw against Roma yesterday, Germany’s Leverkusen advanced to the UEFA Europa League May 22 final in Dublin, Ireland, in which they will face Italy’s Atalanta, which advanced to the final with a 3-0 win over Olympique de Marseille. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1775, the Green Mountain Boys, under the joint command of Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold, captured the British-controlled Fort Ticonderoga during the American Revolution. [more history]