October 2, 2025

MIDDLE EAST | Updates from regional conflicts:

• In a social media post yesterday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered all remaining Palestinians to leave Gaza City, saying that those who remain in the city would be considered terrorists and terror supporters. Reports note that about 400,000 people are estimated to have fled the city since Israel began a major offensive in the area last month but that hundreds of thousands of residents remain. [more]
• Reports say the Israeli navy boarded vessels and detained dozens of activists aboard a flotilla of boats attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza today, but that several boats continued on an were close to entering the Palestinian enclave's territorial water. Among those detained by Israeli officials were activist Greta Thunberg, former mayor of Barcelona Ada Colau, and European parliament member Rima Hassan. [more]

UKRAINE | Today is day 1,316 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned last night of the increased "threat of radiation incidents" amidst the Russian invasion after power was cut for more than three hours to the site of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster and the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in southern Ukraine remains off-grid. Reports note that power to nuclear plants is required to run crucial cooling systems for spent fuel rods even when a plant is not operating. [more]
• The Wall Street Journal cites unnamed U.S. officials as saying that the U.S. will provide Ukraine with intelligence on long-range energy infrastructure targets within Russia and is asking NATO allies to provide similar support. The report follows recent U.S. statements that Ukraine's request for long-range Tomahawk missiles is being considered. [more]

U.S. HIGHER EDUCATION | In a memo sent yesterday to nine U.S. colleges and universities, the Trump administration asked the schools to sign a compact to adhere to administration policy stances, including abolishing entities or departments that "“purposefully punish, belittle, and even spark violence against conservative ideas," limiting foreign student enrollment, banning the use of race or sex in hiring and admissions, and freezing tuition for five years. The memo said agreeing to the compact would grant schools preferential access to federal funds, but that schools are free to develop models and values other than those laid out if they want to "forgo federal benefits." Schools to which the memo was sent include: Vanderbilt University, Dartmouth College, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Southern California, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Arizona, Brown University, and the University of Virginia. [more]

U.S. AND QATAR | President Donald Trump signed an executive order this week saying that, "The United States shall regard any armed attack on the territory, sovereignty, or critical infrastructure of the State of Qatar as a threat to the peace and security of the United States," and that "In the event of such an attack, the United States shall take all lawful and appropriate measures — including diplomatic, economic, and, if necessary, military — to defend the interests of the United States and of the State of Qatar and to restore peace and stability." Analysts note that the executive order appears to attempt to grant Qatar a NATO-like security guarantee from the U.S. but that its legal status remains unclear as legally binding international agreements and treaties require approval of the U.S. Senate. [full executive order] [more]

U.S. GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN | Today is day 2 of the ongoing U.S. government shutdown. Trump administration officials said yesterday that federal agency layoffs, not just furloughs, are "imminent" as the government shutdown continues. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that furloughs of an estimated 750,000 federal workers will result in a loss of about $400 million in daily wages. [more]

NEW YORK | Granting a temporary restraining order yesterday, U.S. District Court Judge Lewis A. Kaplan blocked Trump administration plans to divert or withdraw some $34 million in funding to help protect New York City's transportation system from terrorist attacks over the city's decision to not cooperate with the administration's immigrant deportation programs. [more]

WASHINGTON | Granting summary judgment for a class action case impacting people detained at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington, a federal judge ruled yesterday that a new Immigration and Customs Enforcement policy that denies bond hearings for jailed immigrants is unlawful. [more]

U.S. FEDERAL RESERVE | In an unsigned order yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed Lisa Cook to remain in her position as a Federal Reserve governor pending hearings early next year on President Donald Trump’s effort to force Cook off the Fed board. [more]

U.K. | Police in Manchester, England, say at least two people were killed, and at least three others were injured, today when an assailant drove a car into pedestrians and stabbed a security guard near a synagogue in the city on Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar. Authorities say the suspect, who was believed to be carrying a bomb, was shot by police. [more]

SERBIA | Thousands of people took part in protest marches overnight in several Serbian towns in continuing anti-government action sparked by the collapse of a concrete canopy at a rail station almost a year ago that protesters believe was the result of graft-fueled negligence in construction projects. [more]

PHILIPPINES AND CHINA | Tropical Storm Matmo is expected to make landfall in the northern Philippines tomorrow before strengthening to typhoon status as it moves into the South China Sea and threatens southern China over the weekend. [more]

PAKISTAN | Authorities say at least four people, including three police officers, were killed, and more than 100 others were injured, yesterday when thousands of demonstrators demanding subsidies on food, electricity and other services clashed with police in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. [more]

GLACIER MELT | In a report released by the Swiss glacier monitoring group GLAMOS and the Swiss Academy of Sciences yesterday, researchers say Switzerland’s glaciers have faced “enormous” melting this year with a 3% drop in total volume — the fourth-largest annual drop on record — due to the effects of global warming. [press release and full report] [more]

PHILIPPINES | Authorities say the death toll from Tuesday night's earthquake in the central Philippines has risen to at least 72 and that more than 300 people were injured in the quake. [more]

PAPUA NEW GUINEA AND AUSTRALIA | A new bilateral treaty with Australia was approved by Papua New Guinea’s Cabinet today, paving the way for the two nation's leaders to sign a formal agreement strengthening their defense ties amidst regional concerns over Chinese influence. [more]

R.I.P. | Conservationist and environmental advocate Jane Goodall, widely known for her groundbreaking and immersive chimpanzee field research, died yesterday at the age of 91. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1836, naturalist Charles Darwin returned to England after a five-year journey on the HMS Beagle, during which he gathered the specimens and observations that led to his theory of evolution by natural selection. [more history]