November 18, 2024

MIDDLE EAST | Updates from regional conflicts:

• Officials at northern Gaza’s Kamal Adwan hospital say at least 30 people were killed, and dozens of others were wounded, yesterday in an Israeli airstrike on the city of Beit Lahia. Reports cite local officials as saying the death toll from the strike will likely rise. [more]
• Reports say Hezbollah spokesman Mohammed Afif al-Naboulsi was killed in an Israeli strike yesterday on the Lebanese capital Beirut. [more]

UKRAINE | Today is day 998 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• U.S. President Joe Biden has reportedly authorized Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied long-range missiles to strike deep within Russia – a use case long-sought by Ukraine. Reports note that Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned in the past that such a move would be considered a serious escalation of the conflict. [more]
• Ukrainian officials say a combined drone and missile attack targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure yesterday was one of the largest Russian strikes in months. Reports note that a nine-story building in the northern Ukraine city of Sumy was struck during the attack, killing at least eight people and wounding dozens of others. [more]

U.S. GUN VIOLENCE | Police in New Orleans, Louisiana, say two people were killed, and 10 others were wounded, yesterday in two separate shootings in the city’s St. Roch neighborhood during a parade and celebration being held in the area. No related arrests have been made and authorities say it is not yet known if the two shootings were related. [more]

U.S. E. COLI OUTBREAK | The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says at one person has died, and 19 others have been hospitalized, due to E. Coli infection after consuming bagged whole and baby organic carrots sold by Grimmway Farms under various brand names, including 365, Trader Joe's, Wegmans, and Wholesome Pantry. [CDC fact sheet] [more]

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION | Among newly announced selections for roles in the upcoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump are: fossil fuel company executive Chris Wright to head the Department of Energy and Brendan Carr, currently the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, to chair the FCC. [more]

U.S. AND PHILIPPINES | U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Philippine counterpart, Gilberto Teodoro, signed an agreement in Manila today that formalizes the exchange of highly confidential military intelligence and technology between their two countries. [more]

G20 | A two-day summit of Group of 20 leaders opens today in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with the main topics of discussion expected to include: trade issues, climate change, international security, sustainable development, and fighting poverty and hunger. [more]

INDIA | Amidst ongoing air pollution levels considered about 50 times higher than the World Health Organization’s safety limit, authorities in the Indian capital of Delhi closed schools, halted construction, and banned non-essential truck traffic from entering the city today. [more]

NORTH KOREA | Following a Friday meeting between the leaders of the U.S., South Korea, and Japan on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Lima, Peru, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called yesterday for his country to expand its military nuclear program to counter what he said were increased U.S.-led threats. [more]

GABON | Voters in the Central African nation of Gabon overwhelmingly approved a new constitution over the weekend, a year after the country’s president was overthrown in a military coup. The new constitution would limit the country’s president to two seven-year terms, abolish the position of prime minister, and ban family members from succeeding a president. [more]

TURKEY | In a trial that opens today in Istanbul, Turkey, 47 people, including doctors, nurses, and an ambulance driver are facing charges related to the deaths of at least 10 infants who were transferred to neonatal units at 19 private hospitals for sometimes unnecessary treatment as part of an alleged scheme to defraud Turkey’s social security system. [more]

PHILIPPINES | Authorities in the Philippines’ eastern island province of Catanduanes say Typhoon Man-yi, the sixth major storm to hit the country over the past month, left at least seven people dead, destroyed dozens of houses, and displaced thousands of people when it struck the region Saturday night. [more]

HONDURAS | According to national emergency officials, some 1,700 mostly smaller communities across Honduras have been cut off by flooding and landslides brought on by Tropical Storm Sara, which struck the Central American country over the weekend. [more]

AIRLINE INDUSTRY | U.S. budget carrier Spirit Airlines announced today that it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy as part of efforts to recover from high debt levels incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. The airline says it intends to operate normally during the bankruptcy proceedings and that all tickets, credits, and loyalty points remain valid. [more]

COLLEGE FOOTBALL | Oregon remains No. 1 in the Associated Press Top 25 college football poll following this weekend’s games, followed by Ohio State, Texas, Penn State, and Indiana. [full AP Top 25 rankings] [more]

WEEKEND MOVIES | "Red One" topped the North American box office over the weekend with an estimated $34.1 million in receipts, followed by "Venom: The Last Dance" and "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever." [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1477, William Caxton, a pioneering English printer, published Dictes and Sayenges of the Phylosophers, the first dated book printed in England. [more history]