October 21, 2024

MIDDLE EAST | Updates from regional conflicts:

• Reports say U.S. officials are investigating an apparent leak of classified assessments of a planned Israeli retaliatory strike against Iran. The assessments, which were attributed to the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and National Security Agency, were posted to the Telegram messaging app Saturday, according to reports. [more]
• Israel announced operations yesterday against al-Qard al-Hassan, the financial arm of the Lebanon-based Hezbollah militant group, and ordered the evacuation of Beirut sites linked to the organization ahead of related airstrikes. [more]
• Hezbollah is reported to have fired more than 170 rockets into Israel yesterday, wounding three people in the northern Israel city of Safed. [more]
• The Israeli military has issued an apology for an airstrike in southern Lebanon that killed three Lebanese soldiers, saying it had intended to strike Hezbollah militants operating in the area of the incident. [more]
• The Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry says at least 87 people were killed, and another 40 were wounded, in a weekend Israeli airstrike on the northern Gaza city of Beit Lahia that struck several multi-story buildings. [more]

UKRAINE | Today is day 970 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• South Korea today demanded the immediate withdrawal of North Korean troops that have allegedly been deployed to Russia to support Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. [more]
• In her speech accepting the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade yesterday in Frankfurt, Germany, American journalist and historian Anne Applebaum urged Western nations to continue their support for Ukraine against the Russian invasion, saying that “a demand for pacifism in the face of an aggressive, advancing dictatorship can simply represent the appeasement and acceptance of that dictatorship.” [more]

U.S. POLITICAL VIOLENCE | A new Reuters report says at least 300 cases of political violence have occurred in the U.S. since the January 6, 2021, attacks on the U.S. Capitol, including 51 incidents this year in the lead-up to the November presidential election. [more]

U.S. ELECTIONS | At a weekend rally for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, billionaire Elon Musk pledged to give $1 million each day until Election Day to a registered voter in swing states who signs a petition supporting the 1st and 2nd Amendments, and $100 to every Pennsylvania registered voter who signs the petition. Reports say the payments from Musk are likely to face legal challenges over possible violation of laws against payments inducing or rewarding people to cast a vote or register to vote. [more]

WASHINGTON | U.S. Navy officials say two aviators died yesterday when the EA-18G Growler jet they were flying crashed during a training flight east of Washington state's Mount Rainier. [more]

U.S. SELF-DRIVING VEHICLES | The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced an investigation late last week into Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving” system following reports of vehicles using the system being involved in crashes in low-visibility condition, including one in which a pedestrian was killed. [more]

LOUISIANA | A federal judge is scheduled to hear arguments today on a challenge to a new Louisiana law that would require the Christian Bible’s Ten Commandments to be displayed in all public school classrooms by January 1. [more]

COP16 | Representatives of nearly 200 nations are expected to take part in the two-week U.N. COP16 biodiversity summit, which begins today in Cali, Colombia, with a major stated goal of developing new initiatives to help pay for conservation and biodiversity efforts. [more]

TAIWAN | Amidst ongoing tensions over Chinese military exercises around Taiwan, U.S. and Canadian naval ships sailed through the Taiwan Strait yesterday in maneuvers the U.S. Navy characterized as “routine.” The Chinese Foreign Ministry condemned the joint U.S.-Canada operation, saying that “China firmly opposes any country provoking or threatening China’s sovereignty and security in the name of freedom of navigation.” [more]

CUBA | Much of Cuba remains without power for a fourth straight day today following Friday's failure of one of the Caribbean island nation's main electrical plants. Reports say limited protests broke out in the capital Havana yesterday amidst the ongoing power crisis. [more]

INDIA | Indian authorities say gunmen killed at least seven workers at a tunnel project site in India-controlled Kashmir overnight. Local police say the attack was carried out by militants who have been fighting against Indian rule of the region for decades, though no claims of responsibility for the attack have yet been made. [more]

BRICS | Russian officials say 32 countries, including China, India, Turkey, and Iran, have confirmed participation in a summit of the BRICS block of developing countries, which begins tomorrow in the Russian city of Kazan. Reports note that Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to hold around 20 bilateral meetings during the course of the summit. [more]

MOLDOVA | After first-round voting in Moldova’s presidential election yesterday, incumbent President Maia Sandu will face former prosecutor general Alexandr Stoianoglo in a runoff election on November 3. Reports also note that, with almost all votes counted, voters appear to have narrowly approved enshrining a path toward European Union membership in the country’s constitution. [more]

MYANMAR | Officials say at least seven people died, and more than 30 others remain missing, after a boat on which passengers were fleeing fighting between government forces and pro-democracy guerrillas capsized yesterday in the Andaman Sea off Myanmar’s southwestern coast. [more]

BASKETBALL | The New York Liberty defeated the Minnesota Lynx, 67-62, in game five of the WNBA finals last night to claim the franchise’s first league championship. [more]

BASEBALL | Following weekend games, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees advanced to Major League Baseball's 2024 World Series, which begins on Friday. The matchup will be the 12th time the two franchises have faced off for the league championship. [more]

COLLEGE FOOTBALL | Oregon tops the latest AP Top 25 college football poll, followed by Georgia, Penn State, Ohio State, and Texas. [full rankings] [more]

FORMULA 1 | Charles Leclerc won the United States Grand Prix yesterday in Austin, Texas, giving the Ferrari team its first win of the U.S. race since 2018. [more]

WEEKEND MOVIES | "Smile 2" topped the North American box office over the weekend with an estimated $23 million in receipts, followed by "The Wild Robot" and "Terrifier 3." [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1805, a fleet of 33 ships (18 French and 15 Spanish) under Admiral Pierre-Charles-Jean-Baptiste-Silvestre de Villeneuve fought, and was defeated by, a British fleet of 27 ships under Admiral Horatio Nelson in the Battle of Trafalgar.  [more history]