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A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the past 24 hours. Here’s today’s news:
SYRIA
There is “no talk” of a ceasefire deal between Ankara and the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), contrary to the U.S. announcement of its extension, a Turkish Defense Ministry official said today. Huseyin Hayatsever reports for Reuters.
The presence of thousands of self-styled Islamic State fighters and their families in Syria’s makeshift prisons is a “ticking time bomb” amid Turkey-SDF clashes, a senior U.S. official said. Robbie Gramer and Paul McLeary report for POLITICO.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly instructed the country’s military to remain in Syria’s Mount Hermon area until “at least the end of 2025,” a source told CNN yesterday. Eugenia Yosef, Andrew Raine, and Irene Nasser report.
Revenge attacks are complicating Syria’s security situation, with the Washington Post saying its reporters saw evidence of extrajudicial killings and executions of alleged state security forces members. Loveday Morris, Suzan Haidamous, Louisa Loveluck, Nilo Tabrizy, and Imogen Piper report.
SYRIA — U.S. AND INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE
Russian President Vladimir Putin today said he will ask former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad about the missing U.S. journalist Austin Tice. Astha Rajvanshi reports for NBC News.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
Israeli strikes on north Gaza’s Kamal Adwan Hospital on Tuesday killed at least eight people and left the intensive care unit inoperative, the hospital’s director said yesterday. Heba Farouk Mahfouz and Amanda Coletta report for the Washington Post.
CIA Director William Burns yesterday arrived in Doha to discuss the Gaza ceasefire with Qatari officials, a U.S. official said. Karen DeYoung and Heba Farouk Mahfouz report for the Washington Post.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — U.S. AND INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE
In a report released today, Human Rights Watch accused Israel of committing the crime against humanity of extermination and an act of genocide by intentionally depriving Gazan civilians of adequate water access. In a post on X, Israel’s Foreign Ministry said “the truth is the complete opposite of HRW’s lies.” Stephanie van den Berg reports for Reuters.
ISRAEL-HEZBOLLAH CEASEFIRE
The Israeli military yesterday said it removed a small far-right group of Israeli civilians who had crossed into Lebanon and appeared to put up a tent settlement. Reuters reports.
HOUTHI DEVELOPMENTS
Israel early today launched strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen, killing nine people and injuring three others, a Houthi media officer said. The reported strikes came hours after Israel intercepted the latest Yemen-launched missile. Irene Nasser and Jessie Yeung report for CNN.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR
Putin today said he was “willing to compromise” over Ukraine in possible talks with Trump on ending the war and that Russia is moving toward “achieving its primary goals” on the battlefield. Vladimir Soldatkin and Andrew Osborn report for Reuters.
At least 100 North Korean soldiers have been killed while fighting in Ukraine, a South Korean lawmaker told media today, citing a briefing from the country’s intelligence service. Joohee Cho and Hakyung Kate Lee report for ABC News.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR — U.S. AND INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE
The United Kingdom is considering sending its troops to Ukraine to help train Kyiv’s forces, U.K. defense sources said. Separately, Britain today announced an additional $286 million Ukraine military aid package. Jonathan Beale and Kathryn Armstrong report for BBC News; William James reports for Reuters.
The World Bank yesterday said it approved $2.05 billion in funding for Ukraine, including a new $20 billion U.S. loan fund for Kyiv backed by income from frozen Russian assets. David Lawder reports for Reuters.
The Commerce Department’s enforcement of export controls on Russia’s and China’s access to U.S.-made semiconductors is “inadequate” amid “critical underfunding,” Senate Democrats said in a report released yesterday. Julie Tsirkin and Rob Wile report for NBC News.
A California company that allegedly illegally shipped transistors and other items to Russia last year settled proposed U.S. charges, the Commerce Department said yesterday. Karen Freifeld reports for Reuters.
U.S. FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Secretary of State Antony Blinken will announce additional humanitarian funding for Sudan today, officials say. Daphne Psaledakis and Simon Lewis report for Reuters.
China’s military and nuclear buildup has continued at “a rapid pace” despite the dismissal of several senior military officials over corruption allegations, a Pentagon assessment released yesterday says. Chris Buckley and John Ismay report for the New York Post.
Paraguayan officials yesterday announced a reversal of the country’s decision to halt cooperation between its anti-drug agency and the United States. Samantha Schmidt reports for the Washington Post.
U.S. DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
President-elect Trump yesterday sharply condemned a bipartisan spending deal, pushing Congress toward a shutdown by Friday night. Trump weighed in after Elon Musk spent the day warning Republicans not to support it. Sarah Ferris, Annie Grayer, Alayna Treene, Kristen Holmes, and Lauren Fox report for CNN; Catie Edmondson and Carl Hulse report for the New York Times; Lindsay Wise, Katy Stech Ferek, and Alex Leary report for the Wall Street Journal.
Florida prosecutors yesterday filed attempted felony murder charges against the man accused of trying to assassinate Trump at his golf course, citing the injuries suffered by a child during the police pursuit of the accused. Patricia Mazzei reports for the New York Times.
The Senate yesterday passed a nearly $900 billion defense policy bill that “strengthens U.S. defenses against China and expands investment in new military technologies and replenish[es] U.S. weapons stockpiles.” The bill also contains language forbidding the use of federal funds to cover medical care for the transgender children of U.S. military personnel. Abigail Hauslohner reports for the Washington Post.
A naturalized U.S. citizen accused of running an “overseas police station” in New York City yesterday pleaded guilty to conspiring to act as an agent of the Chinese government. China’s Foreign Ministry today denied the existence of such stations. Lauren del Valle reports for CNN; Reuters reports.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ former top aide who resigned earlier this week, Ingrid Lewis-Martin, is expected to be arraigned on corruption charges today, sources say. Michael R. Sisak, Anthony Izaguirre, and Jake Offenhartz report for AP News.
Former Rep. David Rivera (R-FL) was indicted for violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act and money laundering on Tuesday, the Justice Department said yesterday. Megan Lebowitz reports for NBC News.
The U.S. telecommunications Chinese hacking campaign is “still going on,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said today. Andrea Mitchell and Nicole Moeder report for NBC News.
TRUMP LEGAL MATTERS
The Justice Department is reviewing whether special counsel Jack Smith’s team ran afoul of any agency regulations in its Trump investigations, court filings and letters show. The review is a standard response to complaints about prosecutorial misconduct. Perry Stein and Jacqueline Alemany report for the Washington Post.
U.S. PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION AND NEW CONGRESS
The House Ethics Committee secretly voted to release its report into former Rep. Matt Gaetz’s conduct, sources say. Luke Broadwater and Robert Draper report for the New York Times.
Federal officials say they are concerned over Trump’s transition teams’ use of private email addresses and devices during the handover process. Alice Miranda Ollstein reports for POLITICO.
A watchdog nonprofit group said yesterday it asked 16 federal agencies for records of their interactions with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. David A. Fahrenthold reports for the New York Times.
OTHER GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
China and India yesterday resumed talks on their long-running border dispute for the first time in five years. Nectar Gan reports for CNN.
Dutch, Finnish, and Swedish jets intercepted Russian aircraft carrying supersonic missiles over the Baltic Sea on Tuesday, the Dutch defense minister said yesterday. Charlotte Van Campenhout reports for Reuters.
A Chinese man was arrested on the territory of a German naval base in Kiel, Germany, local police said yesterday. A public broadcaster suggested prosecutors were considering spying charges. Thomas Escritt reports for Reuters.