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A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the over the past 24 hours. Here’s today’s news:
TRUMP LEGAL MATTERS
Special counsel Jack Smith yesterday asked two courts to effectively close the federal criminal cases against President-elect Trump, bowing to a long-standing Justice Department view that the Constitution prohibits prosecuting a sitting president but “standing fully behind” the merits of the cases. Smith’s motion notes that he intends to continue pursuing the charges against Trump’s two co-defendants in the classified documents case. Alan Feuer, Charlie Savage, and Devlin Barrett report for the New York Times.
Judge Tanya Chutkan granted Smith’s request to drop charges against Trump in the federal case over his alleged election interference hours after the motion was filed yesterday. Avery Lotz reports for Axios.
U.S. PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION AND NEW CONGRESS
Trump yesterday pledged to impose 25% tariffs on all imported goods from Canada and Mexico and a 10% rate on goods from China as one of his first acts as president. David J. Lynch and Niha Masih report for the Washington Post.
President Biden and first lady Jill Biden will attend Trump’s inauguration in January, a White House spokesperson said yesterday. Heather Timmons and Nandita Bose report for Reuters.
In an internal investigation, Trump’s legal team found evidence that Boris Epshteyn, a top transition adviser, asked for retainer fees from potential appointees in order to promote them for new administration jobs, sources say. Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan report for the New York Times.
Trump is expected to appoint loyalist Kash Patel to a high-profile position at either the FBI or the Justice Department, sources close to the transition say. Zachary Basu and Mike Allen report for Axios.
ISRAEL-HEZBOLLAH WAR
Israel and Lebanon have reached a ceasefire agreement to end the Israel-Hezbollah war, a senior U.S. official said yesterday. According to senior Lebanese sources, Biden and France’s Emmanuel Macron are expected to announce a ceasefire within 36 hours. Barak Ravid reports for Axios; Laila Bassam reports for Reuters.
The Israeli cabinet is expected to agree to a ceasefire deal in Lebanon today, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s spokesperson told CNN, with sources saying Netanyahu had approved the plan “in principle.” Jeremy Diamond reports.
Israeli airstrikes killed at least 31 people across Lebanon yesterday, including in areas not subjected to evacuation warnings. Sally Abou Aljoud, Josef Federman, and Sam Metz report for AP News.
The Israeli military said it carried out strikes on the Syria-Lebanon border yesterday evening, targeting “transit routes” used by Iran to “transfer weapons” to Hezbollah. Syrian state media said the strikes injured at least two people and damaged several bridges. BBC News reports; Jaidaa Taha reports for Reuters.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
A winter storm flooded the tent encampments of displaced Palestinians across Gaza yesterday, with Hamas-run Government Media Office reporting some 10,000 tents were either washed away or damaged. Nidal Al-Mughrabi and Mohammed Salem report for Reuters.
Violent thefts by criminal gangs are becoming the main obstacle to distributing supplies in southern Gaza amid severe food shortages, aid workers and local residents say. Yolande Knell and Rushdi Abualouf report for BBC News.
ISRAEL-HEZBOLLAH WAR — INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE
Norway’s security police force yesterday said it found no grounds to further investigate Norwegian links to the supply of exploding pagers to Hezbollah. Nerijus Adomaitis reports for Reuters.
An Israeli strike that killed three journalists in Lebanon last month was “most likely a deliberate attack on civilians and an apparent war crime,” Human Rights Watch said today.
ISRAEL-IRAN CONFLICT
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei yesterday called for “death sentences, not arrest warrants” to be issued for Israeli leaders, commenting on the International Criminal Court’s recent arrest warrants. Parisa Hafezi and Elwely Elwelly report for Reuters.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR
Russia staged its largest-ever drone attack on Ukraine overnight, Ukrainian officials said today, adding that the strikes damaged residential buildings in the Kyiv region and hit critical infrastructure. Valentyn Ogirenko reports for Reuters.
Russian forces are advancing in Ukraine at the fastest rate since the start of the 2022 invasion, capturing almost 235 square kilometers (91 square miles) in Ukraine over the past week, according to analysts and war bloggers. Guy Faulconbridge and Lidia Kelly report for Reuters.
North Korea is expanding a key weapons manufacturing complex used to assemble a type of short-range missile used by Russia in Ukraine, U.S.-based researchers concluded. Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart, and Josh Smith report for Reuters.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR — INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE
Human rights groups are fiercely criticizing Biden’s decision to give Ukraine anti-personnel landmines, pointing to the weapons “special and long-term dangers.” Robbie Gramer, Nahal Toosi, and Jack Detsch report for POLITICO.
The United Kingdom sanctioned 30 ships in Russia’s so-called shadow fleet that has been skirting restrictions to transport petroleum, the Foreign Office said yesterday. AP News reports.
The EU is proposing to sanction several Chinese firms that allegedly helped Russian companies develop attack drones used against Ukraine and are looking to impose further restrictions on Russian oil tankers. Chandni Shah reports for Reuters via Bloomberg News.
GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
Pakistan today deployed its army in the nation’s capital with orders to shoot protesters if necessary, amid escalating deadly clashes between the police and supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. At least six security force members have been killed, the government said. Salman Masood reports for the New York Times.
Part of Myanmar’s rebel army yesterday said it is willing to hold talks with the junta, citing China’s mediation efforts. Shoon Naing reports for Reuters.
Pakistan’s government mediated a seven-day ceasefire deal between rival sectarian groups on Sunday, a mediator said, after days of clashes killed at least 68 people. Mushtaq Ali reports for Reuters.
Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. yesterday said he is taking seriously “deeply concerning” threats against him, after his vice president suggested she had arranged for an assassin to kill him if she were murdered. Sui-Lee Wee and Aie Balagtas See report for the New York Times.
United Arab Emirates police arrested three Uzbek nationals over the killing of an Israeli-Moldovan rabbi, the country’s Interior Ministry said yesterday. Jon Gambrell reports for AP News.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz yesterday suggested sabotage or hybrid warfare may have caused the recent DHL cargo plane crash in Lithuania. Rob Picheta reports for CNN.
The U.N. and international aid agencies are evacuating their workers from Haiti’s capital amid growing concerns over gang violence. Frances Robles and David C. Adams report for the New York Times.
U.S. FOREIGN AFFAIRS
The leaders of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party yesterday asked Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to rethink ties with Hong Kong’s banking sector, pointing to violations of U.S. trade controls and sanctions evasion. Pretish M J and Michael Martina report for Reuters.
The “ISIS threat in Africa” is “potentially one of the greatest long-term threats to U.S. interests,” U.S. National Counterterrorism Center head Brett Holmgren said in an interview. Robbie Gramer reports for POLITICO.
U.K. authorities yesterday said they have arrested a man in connection with a bomb hoax near the U.S. Embassy in London last week. AP News reports.
OTHER U.S. DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
A former Kentucky sheriff was arraigned on a murder charge yesterday over allegedly shooting a judge to death in his chambers two months ago. Kendra Sanchez and Campbell Robertson report for the New York Times.