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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
Russia is releasing Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan as part of a major prisoner swap with the United States, sources say. Putin critic Vladimir Kara-Murza is also reportedly on the list of prisoners being released. Jennifer Jacobs and Kagan Koc report for Bloomberg; Mary Ilyushina reports for the Washington Post. For more background on Kara-Murza and his imprisonment, read Just Security’s collection of articles including by his wife Evgenia Kara-Murza and regional experts (as well as a Feb. 2024 podcast discussion with both Evgenia and Vladimir’s long-time lawyer).
The United States has reached a plea deal with alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two other defendants accused of plotting the attacks, according to the Defense Department. The pretrial agreement takes the death penalty off the table after all three men pled guilty to all charges, including the murder of 2,976 people listed on the charging list. Oren Liebermann and Lauren del Valle report for CNN.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro yesterday warned that he will call for a “new revolution” if forced by what he calls “North American imperialism and fascist criminals.” He also insisted his party is ready to present all the vote tallies from the country’s disputed election, which has sparked deadly violence and unrest. Abel Avarado reports for CNN.
A former U.S. Green Beret who in 2020 organized a failed armed incursion aimed at ousting Maduro has been arrested in New York on federal arms smuggling charges. Joshua Goodman, Jim Mustian, and Eric Tucker report for AP News.
Italy, which receives the most migrant arrivals in the E.U., today opened the first of its two planned camps in neighboring Albania. The centers will be used to house up to 3,000 migrants per month rescued en route to Italy as part of Europe’s first “offshoring” scheme. Mark Lowen reports for BBC News.
A court in Guinea sentenced former military ruler Moussa Dadis Camara to 20 years in prison for crimes against humanity. The charges stem from one of the worst massacres in the nation’s history after troops opened fire at a rally in 2009 to demand a return to civilian rule. Paul Nije reports for BBC News.
Fresh violence has erupted in Bangladesh between police and student protesters demanding justice for victims of recent civil unrest. Over 200 people have been killed in this month’s violence, mostly as a result of police opening fire. Lipika Pelham reports for BBC News.
The United States yesterday suspended $95 million in assistance to Georgia after its parliament adopted the controversial “foreign agents” law, which critics say will be used to crack down on political dissent. AP News reports.
ISRAEL-IRAN CONFLICT
Iran’s supreme leader has issued an order for Iran to strike Israel directly in retaliation for the killing in Tehran of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, according to three Iranian officials. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei gave the order at an emergency meeting of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council yesterday. Farnaz Fassihi reports for the New York Times. Readers may also be interested in Brianna Rosen’s analysis for Just Security of Haniyeh’s killing and prospects for avoiding a wider regional war.
Thousands gathered in Tehran for Haniyeh’s funeral ceremony, according to state media, which described the event as a “state funeral.” Khamenei led the funeral prayers. Qasim Nauman reports for the New York Times; CNN reports.
ISRAEL-HEZBOLLAH CONFLICT
Lebanese Hezbollah yesterday confirmed its senior military commander Fuad Shukr was killed in an Israeli air strike in Beirut on Tuesday. At least four civilians were killed in the strike, including two children, in what the Israeli military described as an “intelligence-based elimination.” Alex Smith and Hugo Bachega report for BBC News.
The leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, is set to outline his group’s “political stance” later today on the Israeli strike on Beirut, according to a statement. Euan Ward reports for the New York Times.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
Al Jazeera said two of its journalists were killed yesterday in an Israeli airstrike on their car in Gaza City. The network said they were killed in Shati camp in northern Gaza after reporting from or near Haniyeh’s house, accusing the Israeli military of targeting the journalists with a “direct hit.” Anika Ephrat Livni reports for the New York Times; Arora Seth reports for the Washington Post.
The Israeli military today announced that it killed the leader of Hamas’s armed wing, Muhammad Deif, in a strike in Gaza in mid-July. The military said its conclusion was based on an intelligence assessment. Hamas has not commented at the time of writing. Aaron Boxerman reports for the New York Times.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — U.S. RESPONSE
Secretary of State Antony Blinken today urged “all parties” in the Gaza conflict to stop taking escalatory actions, “a message that was clearly aimed at Israel a day after the assassination of Haniyeh in Tehran.” Michael Birnbaum reports for the Washington Post.
The Biden administration is “very concerned” that Haniyeh’s assassination could derail Gaza ceasefire negotiations and increase the risk of a regional war, three U.S. officials said. Barak Ravid reports for Axios.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — REGIONAL RESPONSE
Turkey will invite Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to address its parliament in the coming days to “explain the Palestinian cause,” state media reported yesterday. Reuters reports.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE
Israel will not be invited to this year’s ceremony commemorating the 1945 atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan on Aug. 9, the city’s mayor said yesterday. Shiro Suzuki told reporters that Israel’s exclusion was due to security concerns, and was not a political move. Hanako Montgomery, Manveena Suri, Nodoka Katsura, and Chris Lau report for CNN.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR
Ukraine has received the first F-16 fighter jets it has sought for months, a U.S. official confirmed to AP News. A Ukrainian lawmaker also confirmed Ukraine had received a small number of F-16 fighter jets. Tara Copp reports.
U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
Former President Trump yesterday accused Vice President Kamala Harris of once hiding her Black heritage, saying Harris “was Indian all the way” before “all of a sudden she made a turn” and “became a Black person.” Harris condemned Trump’s comments, saying, “It was the same old show — the divisiveness and the disrespect.” Brianna Tucker and Hannah Knowles report for the Washington Post; Joshua Jamerson reports for the Wall Street Journal.
OTHER U.S. DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
South Carolina’s Supreme Court ruled yesterday that death by firing squad and other execution methods commonly held to be cruel are legal in the state if the inmate requests the method of execution. Nick Roberston reports for The Hill.
New York City lawmakers are calling for the police commissioner to be stripped of his power to bury officer misconduct cases. The New York Police Department has opened an investigation into the use of the practice, known as “retention,” following reporting by ProPublica that revealed Commissioner Edward Caban has used this authority to prevent dozens of abuse allegations from getting a public hearing. Eric Umansky reports for ProPublica.