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A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the past 24 hours. Here’s today’s news:
ISRAEL-HEZBOLLAH CONFLICT
The Israeli military said it was carrying out a new wave of “extensive” strikes in southern Lebanon and the Beqaa area. The Lebanese health ministry said 10 people were killed in the latest strikes. Meanwhile, Hezbollah fired a missile at Tel Aviv early today, the first time the group had targeted the country’s economic hub. The Israeli military said it intercepted the rocket. BBC News reports; NBC News reports.
Hezbollah yesterday confirmed the death of one of its senior commanders, Ibrahim Qubaisi, after the Israeli military said he and two other commanders were killed in an airstrike on south Beirut. Charbel Mallo reports for CNN.
Israel’s strikes on Hezbollah over the last week achieved many short-term goals, but there is no clear strategy for restoring calm or returning civilians to the north, according to five current and former senior Israeli officials. Ronen Bergman reports for the New York Times.
The U.N. said it was “outraged and deeply saddened” after two of its staff members in Lebanon were killed amid the ongoing violence. The UNHCR said an Israeli strike killed one of its employees, but did not specify how the other was killed. Kelsey Ables and Adela Suliman report for the Washington Post.
ISRAEL-HEZBOLLAH CONFLICT — U.S. RESPONSE
President Biden yesterday urged Israel and Hezbollah to step away from the brink of all-out war, arguing in his final speech at the U.N. that there was still time for them to pull back. Yasmeen Abutaleb, Michael Birnbaum, and John Hudson report for the Washington Post.
ISRAEL-HEZBOLLAH CONFLICT — INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE
The U.N. Security Council will convene an emergency meeting on Lebanon later today at France’s request. Farnaz Fassihi reports for the New York Times.
Norway has begun a preliminary investigation into reports that a Norwegian-owned company was linked to the sale of pagers to Hezbollah that exploded last week, a police lawyer told Reuters. Nerijus Adomaitis reports.
The British government yesterday said it deployed around 700 troops to Cyprus to bolster its military presence in the Middle East. Jennifer Hauser reports for CNN.
HOUTHI DEVELOPMENTS
Iran has brokered ongoing covert talks between Russia and Yemen’s Houthis to transfer anti-ship missiles to the group, three sources said, a development that highlights Tehran’s increasing ties to Moscow. John Irish, Parisa Hafezi, and Jonathan Landay report for Reuters.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the U.N. Security Council yesterday that “Russia can only be forced into peace” and urged the world not to overlook the Russia-Ukraine war amid other global conflicts. Edward Wong and Farnaz Fassihi report for the New York Times.
A Russian glide bomb that struck an apartment block in Kharkiv yesterday killed at least three people and injured 31 others, according to the local officials. Frances Mao reports for BBC News.
The United States will send Ukraine a military aid package totaling about $375 million, U.S. officials said yesterday. Lolita C. Baldor and Matthew Lee report for AP News.
U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
A panel of federal judges heard arguments yesterday about whether mail ballots in Mississippi should still be counted if they arrive up to five days after Election Day and are postmarked by Election Day or earlier. Patrick Marely and Colby Itkowitz report for the Washington Post.
The Trump campaign said early today that after intelligence officials briefed him on Iran’s efforts to assassinate him, he believes Tehran “will try again.” Rebecca Falconer reports for Axios.
OTHER U.S. DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
The Kentucky sheriff who authorities say shot and killed a district judge in his chambers after an argument between the two men last week is set to be arraigned today. Emma Tucker reports for CNN.
The Portage County Ohio elections board has barred its Sheriff Bruce Zuchowski (R) from working providing security during early voting, a week after he urged residents in Facebook posts to collect the addresses of people displaying yard signs for Vice President Kamala Harris. Praveena Somasundaram reports for the Washington Post.
The Senate yesterday unanimously passed a House bill that would require an equal standard of U.S. Secret Service protection to be applied to presidents and all major party candidates. Allusion Pecorin reports for ABC News.
The U.S. Navy yesterday said that one of its oil tankers in the Middle East suffered significant damage while at sea, without providing details. The incident is under investigation. Dan Lamothe reports for the Washington Post.
U.S. FOREIGN RELATIONS
The State Department has approved the potential sale of 720 Stinger missiles to Egypt for $740 million, the Pentagon announced yesterday.
The Treasury Department yesterday said it sanctioned a Mexican ice cream chain and a pharmacy for allegedly using drug trafficking proceeds to finance their operations linked to the Sinaloa cartel. Mariana Martínez Barba reports for AP News.
The United States will today sign a $920 million direct loan agreement with Romania to support its defense modernization program, the Romanian government said. Reuters reports.
TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPTS
The gunman accused of bringing a rifle to former President Trump’s golf course in Florida was indicted yesterday and charged with attempting to assassinate the former president. Ryan Routh, 58, faces a life sentence if convicted. The case was assigned to U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon. Perry Stein and Mark Berman reports for the Washington Post.
TRUMP LEGAL MATTERS
A federal judge yesterday rejected an attempt by Trump’s lawyers to delay an assessment of whether plotting to overturn the 2020 election can survive the Supreme Court’s immunity ruling until after November’s election. In a brief order, Judge Chutkan said that by tomorrow evening, special counsel Jack Smith should file his written representation about why the immunity decision should not lead to the dismissal of Trump’s charges. Alan Feuer reports for the New York Times.
GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
Lawyers and families of jailed Tunisian opposition leaders yesterday called on the International Criminal Court to investigate a crackdown on political opposition and claims of migrant abuse. Mike Corder reports for AP News.
Russia has signed a telecommunication and satellite deal with three West African countries led by military juntas. The partnership between Russia’s space agency and the governments of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger bolsters the countries’ ties to the Kremlin in their fight against Islamist insurgents, after they severed relations with U.S. and EU allies. Elien Peltier reports for the New York Times.
Some 1,685 “seriously ill” inmates have been released from one of the most notorious prisons in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Emery Makumeno and Damien Zane report for BBC News.
Sri Lanka’s new president dissolved the country’s Parliament yesterday and called for a parliamentary election in November, in an apparent effort to consolidate power after his weekend election victory. Bharatha Mallawarchi reports for ABC News.
Zambia’s President suspended three senior judges over alleged judicial misconduct, prompting accusations of political interference in the judiciary. Kennedy Gondwe reports for BBC News.