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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
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his team will continue talks with Washington over a ceasefire initiative in Lebanon. In a statement yesterday, Netanyahu said that “Israel shares the aim” of the U.S.-led initiative for a 21-day ceasefire, walking back on previous remarks denying he had a private understanding with Washington about the proposal. BBC News reports; Barak Ravid reports for Axios.
Israel’s military said it carried out a “precise strike” in Beirut that killed a Hezbollah commander who had “directed numerous aerial terror attacks” against Israel. Hezbollah has confirmed the death. Two people were killed and 15 others injured in the strike, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. Victoria Bisset and Bryan Pietsch report for the Washington Post; Jomana Karadasheh reports for CNN.
Netanyahu arrived in New York yesterday, ahead of a speech to the U.N. General Assembly scheduled today. Meanwhile, thousands of demonstrators protested in Manhattan against Israel’s war in Gaza and its recent strikes on Lebanon. Alyce McFadden and Gaya Gupta report for the New York Times.
Israel concealed explosives inside the batteries of pagers sold to Hezbollah using technology so advanced that it was virtually undetectable, two Lebanese officials say. Tamara Qiblawi, Eliza Mackintosh, Wayne Chang, Eric Cheung, Yong Xiong, Kara Fox, Gianluca Mezzofiore, and Balint Bardi report for CNN.
ISRAEL-HEZBOLLAH CONFLICT — U.S. AND INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said yesterday that U.S. support for Israel defending itself “won’t change in the future,” but warned the prospect of an “all-out-war” in the Middle East could be “devastating for both Israel and Lebanon.” Dan Lamothe reports for the Washington Post; Stephen Castle reports for the New York Times.
Norway yesterday issued an international wanted notice for a man linked to a Bulgaria-based company that may have been involved in the Hezbollah pager explosions. Jan M. Olsen and Justin Spike report for AP News.
ISRAEL-HEZBOLLAH CONFLICT — REGIONAL RESPONSE
The Syrian defense ministry said today that five soldiers were killed and a sixth injured following an Israeli strike on the Syria-Lebanon border in the Damascus countryside. BBC News reports.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
An Israeli air strike on a school-turned-shelter in northern Gaza killed at least 11 people, the Hamas-run health ministry said. Israel’s military said a “precise” strike targeted a Hamas “command-and-control center,” a claim the group denies. David Gritten reports for BBC News.
Israel returned the bodies on Wednesday of 88 Palestinians killed in its military offensive in Gaza, without providing information about their identities or where they were recovered. Workers began burying the bodies yesterday after the Hamas-run health ministry had initially refused to accept them, demanding that Israel provide more information. Nidal Al-Mughrabi reports for Reuters; Anushka Patil reports for the New York Times.
Ten trade unions have accused Israel of breaching international labor law by withholding pay and benefits from over 200,000 Palestinian workers since Oct. 7. Michael Sainato reports for The Guardian.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy yesterday appealed to Biden to let Ukraine use U.S. weapons to strike deeper into Russia. Zelenskyy met separately with Vice President Kamala Harris, and is scheduled to meet former President Trump today. Yasmeen Abutaleb and Micahel Birnbaum report for the Washington Post.
U.S. FOREIGN RELATIONS
The Biden administration is offering a bounty of up to $20 million for information on a member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps charged with plotting to kill Trump’s former national security adviser, John Bolton. Dan De Luce reports for NBC News.
A militia leader convicted in the deadly 2012 attacks on U.S. diplomatic and intelligence facilities in Benghazi, Libya, was sentenced to 28 years in prison yesterday, after an appeal court ruled that his initial sentence was too lenient. Paul Duggan reports for the Washington Post.
Israel yesterday announced it had “reached agreement with the United States for an $8.7 billion aid package to support ongoing military efforts.” Laura Kelly reports for The Hill.
The U.S. government yesterday charged two Russian nationals and sanctioned a virtual currency exchange in a bid to crack down on transnational cybercrime involving cryptocurrency. Ashleigh Fields reports for The Hill.
U.S. DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
New York City Mayor Eric Adams was indicted yesterday on federal charges of bribery, fraud, and soliciting illegal foreign campaign donations. Adams, who has maintained his innocence, is due to appear today for an arraignment before a federal magistrate judge. Matthew Haag, William K. Rashbaum, Olivia Bensimon, Dana Rubenstein, and Michael Rothfield report for the New York Times.
Newsmax Media reached a confidential settlement of a lawsuit by Smartmatic, the voting machine maker that had alleged it was defamed by the news outlet’s false 2020 election claims, the companies said yesterday. Tom Hals reports for Reuters.
The D.C. Court of Appeals yesterday revoked Rudy Giuliani’s ability to practice law in the District for his role in the 2020 election subversion. Keith L. Alexander reports for the Washington Post.
TRUMP LEGAL MATTERS
A New York appeals court yesterday voiced concern over a $489 million civil-fraud judgment against Trump, questioning the proportionality of the penalty and the New York Attorney General’s application of a state consumer fraud law to Trump’s conduct. Corinne Ramey and Jacob Gershman report for the Wall Street Journal.
Special counsel Jack Smith filed new evidence under seal yesterday in Trump’s election subversion case, laying out never-before-seen documents. District Judge Tanya Chutkan will determine whether and when the evidence can be publicly released. Tierney Seed and Katelyn Polatnz report for CNN.
GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
Japan’s ruling party yesterday chose Shigeru Ishiba as its new leader, positioning the former defense minister to become Japan’s Prime Minister next week. Shaimaa Khalil reports for BBC News.
The Sudanese army yesterday launched a major offensive against the Rapid Support Forces, frustrating U.S.-led efforts to broker a ceasefire on the sidelines of this week’s U.N. summit. Frances Mao and Barbara Plett Usher report for BBC News.
Gunfire was heard near Guinea’s presidential palace late yesterday, causing a brief regional military lockdown. Mark Banchereau and Baba Ahmed report for AP News.
Congo yesterday accused Rwanda of violating its sovereignty by sending troops to help Congolese rebels in a case before a regional East African court. Sukhdev Chhatbar reports for AP News.
Myanmar’s ruling military junta yesterday invited the country’s resistance forces to lay down their arms and participate in upcoming elections. Sui-Lee Wee reports for the New York Times.
British authorities are investigating a Wednesday cyberattack that displayed “Islamophobic messaging” on a public train Wi-Fi system serving 19 stations across the country. Isabella Kwai reports for the New York Times.
Austrians are set to head to the polls Sunday in a pivotal parliamentary election, with the Freedom Party positioned to potentially form a far-right government for the first time since World War II. Eve Sampson reports for the New York Times.