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A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the past 24 hours. Here’s today’s news.
GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
Twenty-nine soldiers are dead following an assault by suspected jihadists in Niger, marking the deadliest attack since the military seized power. Tackling the jihadists was used as a justification by the military to take control of Niger. Tom Bayly reports for BBC News.
The U.N. Security Council yesterday approved a Kenya-led multinational security mission to Haiti to tackle the rising gang violence. Kenya will contribute 1,000 security personnel to the mission, focusing on securing infrastructure, such as airports, schools, and hospitals. Almost 3,000 were killed in Haiti between October last year and June. Frances Robles and Farnaz Fassihi report for the New York Times.
Tunisia rejected the E.U.’s financial support package yesterday because it is smaller than was previously agreed in exchange for Tunisia’s help in curbing migration into Europe. The rejection could signal that the “strategic partnership” agreed in July may unravel. The disagreement comes as a record number of migrants from Tunisia and North Africa arrive in Italy. Tarek Amara reports for Reuters.
About 60 people were killed in a suicide attack in Pakistan last week, as violence remerges following the return of the Taliban in neighboring Afghanistan. Relative peace was achieved for nearly a decade following a military crackdown on militants. However, the Taliban has offered some militants a haven from which they regrouped. Attacks in Pakistan increased by 50 percent in the year following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. Christina Goldbaum and Zia ur-Rehman report for the New York Times.
Two Syrian soldiers were injured following an Israeli air attack on the Syrian Deir al Zor province yesterday. Reuters reports.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE DEVELOPMENTS – INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE
The Pentagon has $5 billion remaining in support funding for Ukraine, which may only last a few months after Congress declined to include more support in the funding bill that averted a government shutdown. Fears of wavering U.S. commitment may lead Russia to believe it can wait until U.S. fatigue sets in. Gordon Lubold, Lindsay Wise, and Isabel Coles report for the Wall Street Journal.
Almost all E.U. foreign ministers met in Kyiv yesterday in a surprise summit to confirm the bloc’s support for Ukraine. The summit appears intent on assuaging fears that European support for Ukraine might waver. Monika Pronczuk reports for the New York Times.
Josep Borrell, the E.U.’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, proposed an additional aid package for Ukraine of about $5.2 billion. Kelly Kasulis Cho reports for the Washington Post.
OTHER RUSSIA-UKRAINE DEVELOPMENTS
Russia may soon test an experimental nuclear-powered cruise missile, as suggested by satellite imagery and aviation data. The activity near one of Russia’s Arctic bases is consistent with those undertaken during missile tests in 2017 and 2018. The missile is designed to be able to fly for around 14,000 miles. However, previous tests failed as it only flew about 20 miles before crashing. Riley Mellen reports for the New York Times.
Ukraine shelled a Russian village near the border with cluster munitions today, damaging several houses, according to the Russian governor of the Bryansk region. Ukraine previously pledged to only use these controversial U.S. munitions on military targets. There were no reported casualties. Reuters reports.
Russia is deploying so-called “Storm-Z” squads comprised of convicts and regular soldiers being punished for disciplinary breaches to attack the frontline in what amounts to cannon fodder. These squads are typically sent to the most exposed parts of the front. One regular soldier described them as “just meat.” Reuters reports.
U.S. RELATIONS
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador yesterday said that 10,000 migrants are heading for the U.S. border every day. Obrador attributed the influx to U.S. economic sanctions on countries like Cuba and Venezuela, suggesting “sanctions and blockades cannot be maintained.” There should be “an integrated plan for cooperation so the Venezuelans, Cubans, Nicaraguans, Ecuadorans, Guatemalans and Hondurans wouldn’t be forced to emigrate,” he added. AP News reports.
A faction of the Sinaloa cartel, formerly led by ex-Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, banned fentanyl production and sales in Sinaloa. Banners were put up in the territory, stating, “The sale, manufacture, transportation or any type of business involving the substance known as fentanyl is strictly prohibited in Sinaloa.” The move comes at a time when the United States is pressuring Mexico to do more to curb the production of the deadly drug. Reuters reports.
The United States and the Philippines began two weeks of multilateral military exercises yesterday. The exercises are taking place off the Philippine coast, just as tensions between it and China begin to rise over a territorial dispute in the South China Sea. Australia, Canada, France, Japan, the United Kingdom, and Malaysia are also participating. Brad Lendon reports for CNN.
The Biden administration warned China that it intends to update export restrictions of A.I. chips and chipmaking tools to China in early October. The restrictions will align with new Dutch and Japanese rules. The forewarning given to China is indicative of U.S. efforts to stabilize relations. Karen Freifeld and Alexandra Alper report for Reuters.
DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
Former President Trump’s $250 million New York civil fraud trial began yesterday. Trump spoke outside the courthouse to criticize the proceedings as “a pure witch hunt,” calling New York Attorney General Letitia James “a total crook, a terrible person” and Judge Arthur Engoron “a disgrace” who should be disbarred. Shayna Jacobs, Mark Berman, Jonathan O’Connell, and Wesley Parnell report for the Washington Post.
John Kelly, ex-White House chief of staff under former President Trump, has given on-the-record confirmation of several statements made by Trump, including that he called fallen soldiers “losers” and “suckers.” Jake Tapper reports for CNN.
Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL) filed a motion to vacate to strip Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) of his speakership. The leadership has two days to call a vote, though procedural measures could delay this. A simple majority is needed to pass the motion. Some Democrats have said they could be willing to support McCarthy in a bid to extract concessions. Chloe Kim reports for BBC News.
Two U.S. soldiers died, and 12 were injured after a military vehicle crashed in Alaska yesterday. The soldiers heading to a training exercise apparently lost control of their vehicle. An investigation will examine what caused the accident. John Yoon reports for the New York Times.
Representative Henry Cuellar (D-TX) had his car stolen at gunpoint in Washington yesterday evening. Washington has seen a rise in violent crime since the COVID-19 pandemic, with homicides recently passing 200 for the year. Suryatapa Bhattacharya reports for the Wall Street Journal.