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A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the past 24 hours. Here’s today’s news:
U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
Former President Trump accepted the Republican presidential nomination for the third time yesterday. Speaking publicly for the first time since surviving an assassination attempt, Trump opened his speech with a somber appeal for unity, but quickly pivoted to making baseless claims about election fraud and disparaging Democrats. The speech, which lasted around 92 minutes, shattered his own record for the longest convention speech. Michael Gold reports for the New York Times.
More Democrats yesterday suggested Biden should end his campaign. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) urged Biden in a letter to consult with fellow Democrats over his candidacy, while Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) said he believed the president should exit the race. Meanwhile, former President Obama told allies this week that Biden’s path to winning has significantly shrunk and he thinks the president should reconsider his candidacy. Michael Shear reports for the New York Times; Tyler Pager and Michael Scherer report for the Washington Post.
Former House speaker Nancy Pelosi has told some House Democrats she believes Biden can be persuaded “fairly soon” to exit the presidential race, according to three Democratic officials. Marianna Sotomayor, Jacqueline Alemany, and Paul Kane report for the Washington Post.
TRUMP RALLY SHOOTING
Former President Trump received a private, in-person briefing on Tuesday from Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle regarding his failed assassination attempt. The following day, senators confronted Cheatle at the Republican National Convention after they said she refused to answer questions about the assassination attempt. Alayna Treene reports for CNN.
Top Trump advisor Chris LaCivita yesterday called for Cheatle to resign after she reportedly fled angry questions from Republican senators. Isaac Arnsdorf, Maria Sacchetti, and Josh Dawsey report for the Washington Post.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
A surprise drone attack in Tel Aviv early today near the U.S. embassy killed at least one and injured eight others. Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi group claimed responsibility for the strike, saying it was in response to Israeli “massacres” in Gaza. The Israeli military said it was still investigating the episode. Heidi Levine, Shira Rubin, Kareem Fahim, Steve Hendrix, and Kelsey Ables report for the Washington Post; Gabby Sobelman, Aaron Boxerman, Adam Rasgon, and Rawan Sheikh Ahmad report for the New York Times.
Israel’s far-right national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir made a provocative visit today to Al-Aqsa Mosque, a contested holy site in Jerusalem, as he seeks to disrupt renewed ceasefire talks. Ben Gvir’s visit came a day after an Israeli delegation resumed negotiations in Cairo through U.S. and Egyptian mediators. Steve Hendrix, Leo Sands, and Bryan Pietsch report for the Washington Post.
Netanyahu made a surprise visit to Israeli troops in Rafah today, hours after Ben-Gvir’s visit to Al-Aqsa mosque. Netanyahu said it was essential that Israel maintain control of a strip of territory along the Egypt-Gaza border, underscoring the remaining differences in ceasefire negotiations. Melanie Lidman reports for the Associated Press.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR – INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE
The International Court of Justice is set to issue an opinion today on the legality of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories. It is the first time the world’s highest court has set out its stance on an issue that has been the subject of debates and U.N. resolutions for decades. Matthew Mpoke Bigg reports for the New York Times.
The U.N. human rights office today warned that “anarchy” was spreading in the Gaza Strip, with rampant looting and unlawful killings as the population faces an acute humanitarian crisis. Reuters reports.
ISRAEL-HEZBOLLAH TENSIONS
An Israeli airstrike on south Lebanon killed a field commander in Hezbollah’s elite Radwan forces, the Israeli military and two security sources said yesterday. Habib Maatouk is the latest senior member of the group to be killed in cross-border strikes with Israel. Laila Bassam reports for Reuters.
GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
A Microsoft outage has hit industries across the world, with airlines, banks, media companies, and healthcare affected. The company says it is aware of an issue affecting Windows devices due to an update from a third-party software platform. Owen Amos and Barbara Tasch report for BBC News.
Germany’s proposed 2025 budget requested only a moderate increase in military spending, raising doubts that Chancellor Olaf Scholz will be able to fulfill his promise to overhaul the country’s military. While the country’s defense minister requested an increase of 6.7bn ($7.3bn), he was only given 1.2bn. Christopher F. Schuetze reports for the New York Times.
Ursula Von Der Leyen was reelected yesterday as president of the European Commission. She has pledged to create a continental “defense union” and to move forward with Europe’s green transition while helping industries stay competitive. Von Der Leyen will serve another five-year term. Kate Abnett and Marta Fiorin report for Reuters.
Pakistani counterterror officials said today they have arrested an Al-Qaeda leader, Amin ul Haq, describing him as a close associate of 9/11 mastermind Osama Bin Laden. Reuters reports.
Rwandan President Kagame officially won a new seven-year term with over 99% of votes, the country’s electoral commission said yesterday. Kagame has been the president of Rwanda since 2000. Ncholars Bariyo reports for the Wall Street Journal.
Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado’s security chief has been released from jail a day after he was arrested on charges of gender violence. Reuters reports.
The head of Vietnam’s Communist Party, Nguyen Phu Trong, stepped back from official duties due to poor health. Trong’s departure leaves a rare power vacuum in Vietnam, one of the world’s few remaining communist dictatorships that typically orchestrates transitions of power. Rebecca Tan reports for the Washington Post.
China reaffirmed its commitment to President Xi’s state-led, tech-focused economic strategy despite concerns over economic growth. After a four-day meeting of leaders, the Chinese Communist Party released an official summary which “showed unusual candor in acknowledging the problems the economy faces,” but offered few specifics on how to overcome major challenges. Rebecca Feng and Chun Han Wong report for the Wall Street Journal.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR
Evan Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal reporter detained in Russia for false espionage charges, attended a closed-door hearing yesterday. The unusually rapid pace of the trial, which brought Thursday’s hearing forward by a month and moved quickly through witness testimony, may prompt speculation that Gershkovich is involved in a long-discussed U.S.-Russia prisoner exchange deal. Georgi Kantchev for the Wall Street Journal; Andrew Osborn and Mark Trevelyan report for Reuters.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Downing Street today, where he was due to meet U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his top ministers. Reuters reports.
HOUTHI DEVELOPMENTS
The United States yesterday imposed new sanctions on about a dozen people, businesses, and vessels it said were part of a financial network enabling the Houthis to continue attacking ships in the Red Sea. Ephrat Livni reports for the New York Times.
OTHER U.S. DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
President Biden tested positive for Covid-19 amid a wave of summer cases across the United States. According to Biden’s physician, the president is experiencing “mild upper respiratory symptoms” but does not currently have a fever. The White House said he is still expected to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington next week. Erika Edwards and Aria Bendix report for NBC News; Laura Kelly reports for The Hill.
A federal appeals court yesterday upheld Mississippi’s lifetime ban on voting for people convicted of certain felonies. The New Orleans-based 5th Circuit Court of Appeals held 13-6 that section 241 of the Mississippi Constitution–which dates to the Jim Crow era and today disenfranchises people convicted of crimes including murder, rape, and theft–does not violate the U.S. Constitution. Yash Roy reports for The Hill; Nate Raymond reports for Reuters.
A federal judge in a case stemming from one of the worst known cyberattacks rejected a bid by the Securities and Exchange Commission to regulate corporate cybersecurity controls. The ruling has assuaged companies concerned they would be penalized by the government after cyberattacks. Joseph Menn reports for the Washington Post.