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A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the past 24 hours. Here’s today’s news:
TRUMP-LEGAL MATTERS
The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 yesterday that former President Trump enjoys “absolute immunity” for clearly official acts, but no immunity for unofficial acts. The court has sent the case back to the Federal District Court in Washington to determine what acts alleged in Trump’s indictment on charges of trying to subvert the 2020 election are official or unofficial, making it unlikely he will go on trial before November’s election. President Biden called the ruling a “terrible disservice” to the nation. The Washington Post reports. Readers may be interested in Adam Klasfeld and Paras Shah’s analysis of the ruling for Just Security, including major takeaways and what comes next.
Trump’s legal team filed a letter yesterday — based on the Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity — seeking to challenge his conviction from his New York criminal hush money trial, a source told CNN. Kara Scannell and Kaitlan Collins report.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE DEVELOPMENTS
Ukraine’s security service said yesterday it had foiled another Russian plot to topple the government and stir civil unrest. The S.B.U. said it had discovered a “group” of conspirators accused of planning to start a riot, seize Ukraine’s parliament building, and replace the leadership. Four people have been arrested and charged, though it is unclear whether any of the accused have connections to Russia. Marc Santora reports for the New York Times; Mariya Knight and Lex Harvey report for CNN.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Putin’s biggest European ally, is in Kyiv today for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, his first trip to the country since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. Justin Spike reports for AP News.
NATO will establish a senior civilian official in Kyiv, among a string of new measures designed to shore up support for Ukraine, U.S. and alliance officials say. The measure is expected to be announced at a summit in Washington next week. Michael R. Gordon and Daniel Michaels reports for the Wall Street Journal.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday that Israeli forces were “advancing toward the final stage of eliminating” Hamas’s “terrorist army,” adding that they will “continue striking its remnants.” The Washington Post reports.
The Israeli military yesterday ordered Palestinians to leave a region east of the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis after rockets were fired towards Israel. Palestinian Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attack. While Israel pulled back its forces from Khan Younis in April, the evacuation orders indicate Israel could be preparing for a fresh raid. The New York Times reports; David Gritten and Rushdi Abualouf report for BBC News.
The chief of Gaza’s largest hospital claimed he was repeatedly tortured during his seven months in Israeli detention, following his sudden release yesterday along with 50 other Palestinian detainees. In response to allegations, the Israeli Prison Service told CNN yesterday it was “not aware of the claims,” that “all prisoners are detained according to the law,” and “all basic rights required are fully applied by professionally trained prison guards.”
Netanyahu has privately shown openness to Palestinian Authority involvement in a post-war Gaza, Israeli and U.S. officials told The Times of Israel. While Netanyahu continues to publicly reject the idea of PA rule over Gaza, his top aides have privately concluded that individuals with links to the PA are the only viable option Israel has if it wants to rely on “local Palestinians” to manage civilian affairs in Gaza, the officials said. Jacob Magid reports.
GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
A new right-wing government was installed in the Netherlands today, nearly a year after the previous administration resigned. Far-right anti-Islam leader Geert Wilders, the winner of last year’s general election, will not be part of the government himself, but he has selected hardliners from his party to represent him in cabinet, meaning his shadow will loom large. Reuters reports.
The chancellor of Germany and Poland’s prime minister will meet in Warsaw today to reinforce cooperation in the face of security challenges and political turbulence in Europe. The leaders will participate in intergovernmental consultations featuring the countries’ cabinets, the first such meeting since 2018. Marek Strzelecki and Andreas Rinke report for Reuters.
North Korea said today it had tested a new ballistic missile with a “super-large warhead,” the latest development in its arms race with the South. Choe Sang-Hun reports for the New York Times.
Satellite images show an expansion of a suspected Chinese spy base in Cuba, including new construction at a previously unreported site around 70 miles from the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, according to a new report. Warren P. Strobel reports for the Wall Street Journal.
The United States and Panama have signed an agreement on immigration issues that aims to “close the passage of illegal migrants” through the Darién Gap, Panama’s government announced yesterday. News of the agreement comes after Panama’s new president, José Raúl Mulino, was sworn in yesterday. Abel Alvarado and Omar Fajardo report for CNN.
Venezuela’s government plans to resume negotiations with the U.S. government this week, President Nicolás Maduro announced yesterday. In his third term and less than a month before a highly anticipated election, Maduro wants the U.S. government to lift crippling economic sanctions imposed over the last decade. Regina Garcia Cano reports for AP News.
Bolivia’s government yesterday summoned the Argentine ambassador for reprimand over the country’s claim that last week’s attempted military coup was a hoax. Carlos Valdez reports for AP News.
Spain’s Supreme Court yesterday refused to grant amnesty to the Catalonia region’s former leader Carles Puigdemont for embezzlement charges. The decision affirms the validity of an existing arrest warrant for Puigdemont. Voice of America reports.
The leader of Germany’s far-right AfD party, Björn Höcke, was convicted yesterday for using a Nazi slogan for a second time. A court in Eastern Germany ruled that Höcke must pay a fine of €16,900 ($18,100) for using the phrase at an AfD event in December. Höcke is expected to appeal the verdict. Ketrin Jochecová reports for POLITICO.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — U.S. RESPONSE
More than 100 victims and relatives of victims of the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks filed a lawsuit yesterday against Iran, Syria and North Korea, accusing the countries of providing Hamas support and demanding at least $4 billion in damages. The lawsuit, filed in Washington by the Anti-Defamation League, is the largest case against foreign countries in connection with the attack, and the first backed by a Jewish organization, the ADL said. Joseph Ax reports for Reuters.
ISRAEL-HEZBOLLAH TENSIONS
The Israeli military said seven “projectiles” launched from Lebanon yesterday, landing in three Israeli farming communities along the northern border. No injuries were reported. Separately, the Israeli Air Force struck five targets in southern Lebanon yesterday that it described as “terrorist infrastructure.” The New York Times reports.
DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
A federal appeals court yesterday ordered white nationalists to pay more than $2 million in punitive damages to people with injuries from the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville. Denise Lavoie reports for ABC News.