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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 — U.S. AND INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE
The United States, its European allies, and several Arab states yesterday unveiled a joint ceasefire proposal to temporarily end the recent fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. The deal would see a 21-day pause in the fighting. In a joint statement, President Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron called for international endorsement of the plan to “give diplomacy a chance.” Michael D. Shear, Edward Wong, and Farnaz Fassihi report for the New York Times.
French President Emmanuel Macron told the U.N. General Assembly yesterday that Israel cannot widen its war into Lebanon without consequences. Farnaz Fassihi reports for the New York Times.
Taiwan prosecutors said today they have questioned four people in their investigation into a Taiwanese company linked to Hezbollah pagers that detonated last week. Reuters reports.
ISRAEL-HEZBOLLAH CONFLICT
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told his military to keep fighting with “full force,” an apparent rejection of last night’s ceasefire proposal. “The news about a ceasefire – not true. This is an American-French proposal, to which the prime minister did not even respond,” Netanyahu’s office said. The comments have dashed hopes of a swift peaceful settlement. BBC News reports; James Mackenzie reports for Reuters.
Israel said yesterday it was readying troops for a potential ground incursion into Lebanon, as it called up more reservists. Israeli’s military chief told troops in the north, “You will go in, destroy the enemy there and decisively destroy their infrastructure.” Claire Parker, Lior Soroka, and Suzan Haidamous report for the Washington Post.
ISRAEL-HEZBOLLAH CONFLICT — REGIONAL RESPONSE
A drone launched by the Islamic Resistance of Iraq struck the Israeli port city of Eilat, causing some damage and lightly injuring two civilians. “We are following the threat from Iraq,” an IDF spokesperson said, without detailing how Israel might respond. Ephrat Livni reports for the New York Times.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
Videos show Israeli bulldozers flattening miles of infrastructure and businesses in the West Bank towns of Tulkarm and Jenin, as well as soldiers blocking emergency responders, according to a New York Times analysis. Erika Solomon, Lauren Leatherby, and Aric Toler report.
U.S. DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted in a federal corruption investigation, making him the first sitting mayor of New York City to be charged with a federal crime. The indictment remained sealed yesterday, and it was unclear what charge(s) Adams will face. Federal prosecutors are expected to announce more details today. William K. Rashbaum, Dana Rubinstein, Michael Rothfeld, Edward Wong, and Chelsia Rose Marcius report for the New York Times.
Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) quietly ended his hold on the promotion of Lt. Gen. Ronald P. Clark, a senior military aide to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, after he met privately with Clark on Tuesday, sources say. Dan Lamothe reports for the Washington Post.
Congress yesterday approved legislation for a stopgap spending bill and a $231 million boost to the Secret Service, avoiding a government shutdown. Jacob Bogage reports for the Washington Post.
A review of the Justice Department’s Jan. 6 Capitol riot response is unlikely to be completed until after November’s election, the agency’s top internal watchdog said yesterday. Josh Gerstein and Kyle Cheney report for POLITICO.
The Kentucky sheriff charged with fatally shooting a judge in chambers yesterday pleaded not guilty to murder. CBS News reports.
A Maryland woman was sentenced yesterday to 18 years in federal prison for conspiring to attack Baltimore’s power grid with a neo-Nazi leader. Lea Skene reports for AP News.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR
Russian President Vladimir Putin said yesterday his government is considering changing its nuclear weapons use policy, saying it would consider an attack from a non-nuclear state that was backed by a nuclear-armed one to be a “joint attack.” The remarks were an apparent threat to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine. Frances Mao reports for BBC News.
Russia is preparing to attack Ukrainian nuclear plants to disconnect them from the power grid, risking “a nuclear disaster,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned yesterday at the U.N. General Assembly. Michael Birnbaum reports for the Washington Post.
Russia “has established a weapons programme in China to develop and produce long-range attack drones for use in the war against Ukraine,” according to two sources from a European intelligence agency and documents analyzed by Reuters.
The United States will announce over $8 billion in military assistance for Ukraine during Zelenskyy’s visit to Washington today, officials say. Mike Stone, Patricia Zengerle, and Phil Steward report for Reuters.
U.S. FOREIGN RELATIONS
A “deepfake” caller impersonated a top Ukrainian official in a recent video conference call with the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Benjamin Cardin (D-MD), according to three sources and communications reviewed by Punchbowl News.
TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPTS
“Foreseeable” and “preventable” Secret Service planning lapses led up to the first assassination attempt on former President Trump, according to a preliminary report from a bipartisan Senate investigation released yesterday. Avery Lotz reports for Axios.
TRUMP LEGAL MATTERS
A New York appeals court is set to hear Trump’s appeal of his $489 million civil fraud verdict today. Trump’s legal team is contesting the decision on a number of grounds, including accusations of judicial bias. Michael R. Sisak reports for AP News.
GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau survived a no-confidence vote in parliament yesterday aimed at bringing down his government and triggering an election. It was the first in a series of similar votes the opposition Conservative Party is expected to introduce as Trudeau’s approval ratings plummet. Nadine Yousif reports for BBC News.
Japan, Australia, and New Zealand yesterday expressed concerns about China’s first intercontinental ballistic missile test in 40 years. According to Chinese media, Beijing said it gave “relevant countries” notice of the missile’s launch into international waters, a claim Japan has challenged. Kelly Ng and Frances Mao report for BBC News.
Chinese-linked hackers have broken into several U.S. internet service providers in recent months hoping to access sensitive information. The Salt Typhoon campaign, previously unreported, is the latest in a series of intrusions into core U.S. infrastructure tied to Beijing. Sarah Krouse, Robert McMillan, and Dustin Volz report for the Wall Street Journal.
A Japanese warship sailed through the Taiwan Strait between Taiwan and China for the first time yesterday, Japanese media reports. Kelly Ng and Rupert Wingfield-Hayes report for BBC News.
Two Hong Kong journalists are set to be sentenced today in a sedition case widely seen as an indicator of press freedom in the city. Kanis Leung reports AP News.
Three men in Benin, including a former minister and the head of President Patrice Talon’s security, have been arrested on suspicion of plotting a coup, the country’s state prosecutor said. Wycliffe Muia and Azeezat Olaoluwa report for BBC News.
Eswatini’s main opposition leader was poisoned in an assassination attempt in neighboring South Africa on Tuesday, his party claimed. Gerald Imray reports for AP News.