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A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the past 24 hours. Here’s today’s news:
U.S. ELECTIONS
Vice President Kamala Harris yesterday conceded the presidential race to President-elect Trump, saying she will keep up the fight that “fueled her campaign” while urging her supporters to accept the results. Nicholas Nehamas and Erica L. Green report for the New York Times.
President Biden yesterday called Trump to congratulate him on his election victory and invite him to meet at the White House. Jeff Mason reports for Reuters.
More than a day after the polls closed, future control of the House of Representatives remains unclear amid ongoing vote counts in key districts. Leo Sands, Victoria Bisset, and Mark Berman report for the Washington Post.
For the first time ever, independent voters’ share of overall turnout exceeded that of one of the two major parties, overtaking Democrats and tying Republicans, Edison Research polling data suggests. Dan Burns reports for Reuters.
Tuesday’s presidential election proceeded in a generally “peaceful and orderly” manner, but Trump’s claims of electoral fraud “eroded public trust in democratic processes,” international monitors said yesterday. Kelsey Baker reports for the Washington Post.
Ohio voters on Tuesday rejected a constitutional amendment that would ban partisan redistricting of state legislative and congressional districts. Julie Carr Smyth reports for AP News.
Elon Musk and America PAC are facing two class-action lawsuits alleging fraud over Musk’s $1 million swing state voter lottery, which Musk’s attorneys recently said did not choose winners by chance. Kyle Melnick reports for the Washington Post.
U.S. ELECTIONS — INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE
France’s Emmanuel Macron and Germany’s Olaf Scholz spoke to coordinate their approach to the “new context” of cooperation with the United States, Macron said on X yesterday. John Irish reports for Reuters.
Chinese President Xi Jinping congratulated Trump on his victory in a phone call yesterday, sources say. Kevin Liptak, Kristen Holmes, Kylie Atwood, and Jennifer Hansler report for CNN.
Iranian officials yesterday played down the impact of Trump’s win, saying it will not affect Iranian people’s livelihoods or the country’s Israel strategy. Reuters reports.
TRUMP LEGAL MATTERS
Special counsel Jack Smith is assessing how to wind down the federal cases against Trump, in keeping with a Justice Department policy barring the prosecution of sitting presidents. Devlin Barrett reports for the New York Times.
Legal experts expect Trump’s Nov. 26 sentencing in a hush money case to be called off over interference with the soon-to-be-President’s legal duties. Erica Oden reports for POLITICO.
The attorneys of two Jan 6. Capitol riot defendants yesterday asked judges to delay hearings in their cases, citing Trump’s promises to abandon riot prosecutions. Both requests were subsequently denied. Spencer S. Hsu, Tom Jackman, and Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff report for the Washington Post.
OTHER U.S. DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
The Biden administration is preparing for a possible migrant surge before Trump takes office, according to two officials. The Homeland Security Department said it has not yet seen an increase in border crossing attempts. Julia Ainsley and Didi Martinez report for NBC News.
A military judge yesterday ruled that plea agreements between the alleged 9/11 conspirators and the U.S. government are “valid and enforceable,” overruling Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s attempt to revoke the deals. Hayley Britzky reports for CNN.
A former U.S. Navy defense contractor was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Tuesday for masterminding a decade-long $35 million bribery scheme. AP News reports.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
Palestinians will not be allowed to return to northern Gaza following the conclusion of the “complete evacuation” of the area by Israeli ground forces, the IDF said late on Tuesday, in what appears to be the first official acknowledgement of Israel’s systematic removal of Palestinians from the area. Bethan McKernan and William Christou report for the Guardian.
The Israeli military said yesterday that aid organizations completed a second round of polio vaccination for children in Gaza, achieving 90% coverage. The territory’s WHO representative said mass evacuations in northern Gaza make it difficult to estimate the number of children who the campaign may have missed. James Mackenzie reports for Reuters.
The Knesset passed a law early today allowing Israel to deport the family members of Palestinian attackers to the Gaza Strip or other locations. Legal experts say any attempt to implement the law is likely to be struck down by Israeli courts. Julia Frankel and Melanie Lidman report for AP News.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE
The head of the U.N. aid agency for Palestinians (UNRWA) yesterday urged the world to save it from an Israeli ban. Separately, the United Nations suggested replacing UNRWA is Israel’s responsibility. Edith M. Lederer reports for AP News.
ISRAEL-HEZBOLLAH WAR
Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem said yesterday that indirect truce talks will only be possible if Israel stops its attacks on Lebanon. Laila Bassam and Maya Gebeily report for Reuters.
Lebanon filed a complaint against Israel at the International Labor Organization over the deadly exploding pager attacks, a government minister said yesterday. Jamey Keaten reports for AP News.
Israeli strikes killed at least 40 people in eastern Lebanon yesterday, according to the Lebanese health ministry. David Gritten reports for BBC News.
ISRAEL-HEZBOLLAH WAR — INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE
A group of NGOs pressed countries yesterday to convene an emergency session of the United Nations Human Rights Council and set up an investigation into abuses committed by the belligerents taking part in the Israel-Hezbollah conflict. Emma Farge reports for Reuters.
ISRAEL-IRAN CONFLICT
The Iraqi government yesterday said reports about Iraqi territory being used by Iran for attacks on Israel are “false pretexts” aimed at justifying aggression towards Iraq. Ahmed Rasheed reports for Reuters.
Iran’s judiciary said on Tuesday that Iranian-German dissident Jamshid Sharmahd died before his planned execution was carried out. David Gritten reports for BBC News.
ISRAEL-IRAN CONFLICT — INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE
The U.N. nuclear watchdog chief said yesterday he may head to Iran in the coming days to discuss its atomic programme with Iranian officials. Angelo Amante and John Irish report for Reuters.
U.S. FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Biden and his aides are debating how to protect Biden’s foreign policy priorities from being dismantled when Trump returns to the Oval Office, officials say. Nahal Toosi and Robbie Gramer report for POLITICO.
The United States and Somalia on Tuesday signed an agreement formalizing the cancellation of a $1.14 billion debt owed by Mogadishu. Faisal Ali reports for the Guardian.
The Treasury Department yesterday expanded sanctions against an individual and entity who helped Bosnian Serb nationalist leader Milorad Dodik avoid existing U.S. sanctions. Daria Sito-Sucic reports for Reuters.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR
The Biden administration will expedite the transfer of what remains of the $6 billion Ukraine security assistance in a bid to prevent a Trump halt to the shipments, administration officials say. Paul McLeary and Jack Detsch report for POLITICO.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said yesterday he spoke with Trump following his election victory. Jasper Ward reports for Reuters.
Russian officials yesterday said only time will tell if Trump’s rhetoric on ending the Ukraine war will translate into action. Guy Faulconbridge, Andrew Osborn, and Dmitry Antonov report for Reuters.
GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
Germany’s three-way governing coalition collapsed after Chancellor Olaf Scholz yesterday unexpectedly fired his finance minister after months of budget disputes, with Deputy Finance Minister Joerg Kukies expected to take over. Scholz also announced he will hold a vote of confidence in mid-January, setting the stage for snap elections in March. Kate Connolly reports for the Guardian; Reuters reports.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol today denied wrongdoing in a growing by-election meddling scandal involving him and his wife. Hyung-Jin Kim and Kim Tong-Hyung report for AP News.
South Sudan peace talks are set to resume after President Salva Kiir and his Kenyan counterpart William Ruto yesterday directed the mediation team to reconvene and resolve outstanding issues within two weeks. Deng Machol reports for AP News.
Mozambican authorities on Tuesday threatened to deploy military forces to quell the ongoing post-election protests, describing them as attempts to overthrow the democratically-elected government. AP News reports.