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A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the past 24 hours. Here’s today’s news:
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — U.S. RESPONSE
Two key Democrats in the House and Senate signed off on a major arms sale to Israel, including 50 F-15 fighter jets worth more than $18 billion, according to three U.S. officials. Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY) and Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) approved the sale several weeks ago — despite concerns about the civilian death toll in Gaza — after facing intense pressure from the Biden administration and pro-Israel advocates, the officials said. John Hudson reports for the Washington Post.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE
Britain’s approval of arms export licenses to Israel plunged to a 13-year-low after the start of the Gaza war, according to a Reuters investigation. By contrast, the United States and Germany increased arms sales to Israel after the war broke out. Andrew Macaskill reports.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
Two Israeli strikes hit the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, reportedly killing 17 displaced Palestinians, including women and children. The Guardian reports.
Gaza has become the most dangerous place in the world for aid workers, the U.N. said yesterday. At least 250 aid workers had been killed since the war erupted on Oct. 7, the U.N. said, adding that nearly 200 of them worked for its main agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA. Raja Abdulrahim reports for the New York Times.
UNRWA said that over 1,000 truckloads of aid were piled up at the Gazan side of the Kerem Shalom border crossing yesterday, a day after Israel implemented a humanitarian pause in fighting. U.N. officials say people are looting trucks when they reach the enclave, making it unsafe for their employees to deliver aid. Dov Lieber reports for the Wall Street Journal.
GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
Russian President Vladimir Putin is traveling to North Korea today where he will meet his counterpart, Kim Jong Un. The two leaders last met in September in Vladivostok, but this is Putin’s first visit to Pyongyang since 2000. Both Seoul and Washington have accused North Korea of supplying Russia with military equipment, an accusation Moscow and Pyongyang deny. BBC News reports.
A fleet of Russian warships has left Havana’s port after a five-day visit to Cuba, following planned military drills. The vessels included a nuclear-powered submarine and a frigate, which had been docked at Havana Bay, about 90 miles from Florida. Cuba’s foreign ministry said none of the vessels had nuclear arms on board and the visit did not pose a threat to the region. George Wright reports for BBC News.
A record 23 out of 32 NATO countries are meeting the alliance’s 2% defense spending target, according to the latest NATO statistics released yesterday. “Across Europe and Canada, NATO allies are, this year, increasing defense spending by 18 percent,” NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said yesterday at the White House, adding, “That’s the biggest increase in decades.” Stuart Lau reports for POLITICO.
China and the Philippines are trading accusations after ships from both countries collided yesterday morning near a disputed archipelago in the South China Sea, according to statements from the two nations. The clash is the latest in a string of maritime confrontations that have escalated bilateral tensions. Eve Sampson reports for the New York Times; Kathleen Magramo and Nectar Gan report for CNN.
South Korean soldiers fired warning shots after North Korean soldiers temporarily crossed the land border today for the second time this month, South Korea’s military said. Kim Tong-Hyung reports for AP News.
The trial of eight alleged members of the German far-right Reichsbürger accused of plotting a coup has opened. It is the third trial in a row of similar court cases being held across the country. Kate Connolly reports for The Guardian.
A U.S. soldier arrested in Russia on suspicion of theft appeared in court in the Russian city of Vladivostok, as his trial began yesterday. Staff Sgt. Gordon Black did not admit to charges of threatening to kill a Russian woman, but partially admitted guilt to theft charges, according to Russian state media. Sergey Gudkov and Alex Stambaugh report for CNN.
Former Thai Premier Thaskin Shinawatra was indicted today on charges of insulting the monarchy. Thaskin is the most high-profile figure charged with violating the royal defamation law. Sui-Lee Wee reports for the New York Times.
DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
President Biden is expected to announce a new immigration program today that would pave the way for undocumented immigrants married to U.S. citizens to apply for legal residency. The program could benefit immigrants who have been living in the country for at least a decade, offering them work permits, deportation protections, and a green card route. The application process is expected to open by the end of the summer, an administration official said. Michelle Hackman reports for the Wall Street Journal; Maria Sacchetti reports for the Washington Post.
A federal judge yesterday temporarily suspended an Iowa law that would have permitted law enforcement to file criminal charges against people facing deportation or who previously had been denied entry to the United States. In his decision, U.S. District Court Judge Stephen Loche wrote, “As a matter of politics, the new legislation might be defensible. As a matter of constitutional law, it is not.” Scott Mcfetridge reports for AP News.
A North Carolina Supreme Court secretly decided not to publicly punish two Republican judges who admitted to violating the judicial code, according to three sources. The decisions came despite the Judicial Standards Commission’s recommendation to publicly reprimand the judges. Doug Bock Clark reports for ProPublica.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) yesterday pardoned more than 175,000 marijuana convictions for an estimated 100,000 people. Maryland legalized recreational marijuana last year. Moore wrote on X yesterday that the rollout of the recreational market “must go hand-in-hand with pardoning past conduct.” Noah Bressner reports for Axios.
A Texas man was sentenced yesterday to nearly three years in prison for making a series of threatening phone calls to Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California said. Sareen Habeshian reports for Axios.
ISRAEL-HEZBOLLAH TENSIONS
The IDF said it killed a senior member of Lebanese Hezbollah’s rocket unit in a drone strike in southern Lebanon yesterday. Meanwhile, U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein held talks today in Lebanon aimed at halting cross-border strikes between Israel and Hezbollah. Prospects for a breakthrough were reportedly slim, with Hezbollah saying it will only halt its attacks if Israel ends its offensive in Gaza. Emanuel Fabian, Jacob Magid, and Tal Schneider report for The Times of Israel; the New York Times reports.
HOUTHI DEVELOPMENTS
The United States imposed fresh sanctions yesterday aimed at cutting off weapons, supplies, and funding to Yemen’s Houthis. In a statement, the Treasury Department said the sanctions were placed on two individuals and five entities that have facilitated weapons procurement for the Houthis. Ephrat Livni reports for the New York Times.
U.S. forces destroyed four Houthi militant radars and a surface sea drone in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, U.S. Central Command said. In a statement, CENTCOM said the U.S. military also destroyed a Houthi drone over the Red Sea. CNN reports.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE DEVELOPMENTS
A Russian official said yesterday that fighting was gripping parts of Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region which Moscow has been trying to seize, and that Ukraine was pouring troops into the area. Reuters reports.