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A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the last 24 hours. Here’s today’s news:
GLOBAL AFFAIRS
China will seek to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 7 to 10 percent by 2035, Chinese President Xi Jinping told a climate summit hosted by U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres yesterday. Xi urged stronger climate action from the world’s developed countries, stating that “despite some countries going against the trend, the international community should stay on the right track.” Valerie Volcovici and Yukun Zhang report for Reuters.
Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda said in a joint statement yesterday that they would start implementing security measures agreed under a deal mediated by the United States from October onward. The parties agreed to complete the measures by the end of the year, sources told Reuters. Sonia Rolley, Daphne Psaledakis, and Robbie Corey-Boulet report.
Danish defence minister Troels Lund Poulsen said this morning that drone incursions overnight led to the closure of two of Denmark’s airports. Lund Poulsen described the violations as “hybrid attacks” intended to spread fear. At the time of writing, the responsible party remains unknown. Reuters reports.
The U.K. National Crime Agency arrested a man on Tuesday evening in connection with the cyber-attacks on software provider Collins Aerospace, which have caused hundreds of flight delays in Europe over the last few days. Imran Rahman-Jones and Joe Tidy report for BBC News.
A drone strike, allegedly by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, killed 15 people and wounded 12 others in a market in el-Fasher, Sudan on Tuesday, an Emergency Response Rooms aid worker told AP News yesterday. The Resistance Committees, a network of local people in el-Fasher, confirmed the attack in a statement on social media. Fatma Khaled reports.
A Paris court today has sentenced former French President Nicolas Sarkozy to five years in prison for criminal association in a scheme from 2005 to 2007 to finance his political campaign using funds from Libya in exchange for diplomatic favors. The court has said Sarkozy will be incarcerated even if he appeals. Sylvie Corbet reports for AP News.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — U.S. RESPONSE
Trump on Tuesday promised Arab and Muslim leaders that he would not allow Israel to annex the occupied West Bank, several sources say. U.S. Special Envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, said that during the meeting, Trump and his team “presented what we call the Trump 21-point-plan for peace in the Mideast in Gaza.” Felicia Schwartz, Eli Stokols, Nicholas Vinocur, and Hans von der Burchard report for POLITICO.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
An Israeli strike near a market in Gaza City killed at least 22 people yesterday, according to the Palestinian Civil Defense rescue service. The Wafa news agency, linked to the Palestinian Authority administration, said that all of those killed were seeking shelter in a warehouse targeted by Israel. The Israeli military said it had hit two “Hamas terrorists,” without providing evidence. Israeli fire killed a total of 80 people across Gaza yesterday, with most of the deaths occurring in Gaza City, according to local hospitals. Liam Stack reports for the New York Times; David Gritten reports for BBC News.
Italy and Spain yesterday said they are sending vessels to offer assistance to a flotilla that was targeted by drones while carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stressed that the Italian navy is not planning to use force and criticised the flotilla as “gratuitous, dangerous and irresponsible.” The Global Sumud Flotilla has accused Israel of targeting its vessels. Alvise Armellini reports for Reuters.
HOUTHI DEVELOPMENTS
A drone fired from Yemen yesterday has injured at least 22 people in Eilat, Southern Israel. It is unclear how the drone penetrated Israel’s air defenses. The Iran-backed Houthi rebels have claimed responsibility for the attack, calling it a “qualitative military operation.” Eugenia Yosef, Mohammed Tawfeeq, and Oren Liebermann report for CNN
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR — U.S. AND INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE
Trump’s apparent shift on the war in Ukraine this week is a “negotiating tactic” intended to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin, a senior White House official said yesterday. Trump’s escalating rhetoric against Russia is a marker of his frustration towards Putin but does not signify a major policy shift, the official said. Vice President JD Vance downplayed any “shift in position,” instead describing Trump’s comment as an acknowledgement of “reality on the ground.” Michael Birnbaum and Natalie Allison report for the Washington Post; Kevin Liptak reports for CNN.
“We are now living through the most destructive arms race in human history,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the U.N. General Assembly yesterday. Zelenskyy called on leaders to act against Russia, stating that Putin wants to expand his war into Europe and painting a picture of deadly drones that could eventually carry nuclear warheads. Marc Santora and Ivan Nechepurenko report for the New York Times; Edith M. Lederer reports for AP News.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Russia’s foreign minister Sergey Lavrov in New York yesterday. The Russian statement following the meeting noted “mutual interest in finding a peaceful solution” while criticising “schemes promoted by Kyiv and certain European capitals” dragging out the war. In contrast, the U.S. statement said that Rubio “reiterated President Trump’s call for the killing to stop and the need for Moscow to take meaningful steps towards a durable resolution.” Ephrat Livni reports for the New York Times.
Several European officials said yesterday that Trump’s rhetoric shift on Ukraine may be a strategic handover of responsibility to Europe for Ukraine’s defense. A European government aide said that Trump “is building the off ramp” so he can blame Europe when he needs to, concluding that the shift in Trump’s position in Ukraine was “spectacular” but “setting a very high bar.” Anne-Sylvaine Chassany, Ben Hall, Amy Mackinnon and Christopher Miller report for the Financial Times.
Chinese drone experts have visited Western sanctioned arms maker IEMZ Kupol in Russia to conduct development work on military drones more than half a dozen times since spring 2024, according to two European security officials and documents seen by Reuters. The documents also show that Kupol has received shipments of Chinese- made attack and surveillance drones.
TECH DEVELOPMENTS
Cybersecurity firm Mandiant said yesterday that a team of suspected Chinese hackers has infiltrated U.S. law firms and software developers in a campaign to collect intelligence. Mandiant’s chief technology officer said “we believe there are many organizations that are actively compromised that don’t know about it,” calling this “the most prevalent [cyber] adversary in the United States over the past several years.” Sean Lyngaas reports for CNN.
Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) hinted yesterday that one of the bills on his desk “strikes the right balance” between bolstering California’s AI industry and addressing concerns about the technology. Newsom said “we worked with industry, but we didn’t submit to industry.” He did not confirm exactly which bill he was referring to. Camille von Kaenel and Chase Difeliciantonio report for POLITICO.
Trump is set to sign an executive order today declaring that the Beijing-Washington TikTok deal announced last week will meet the requirements set out in a 2024 law that bans the app unless its Chinese ownership is ended, according to a White House source. Reuters reports.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ACTIONS
Under pressure from the White House, the new U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Lindsey Halligan, is racing to seek an indictment against former FBI Director James Comey ahead of a statute of limitations deadline next week, officials say. Career prosecutors working in the Eastern District of Virginia previously informed the Department of Justice that there was insufficient evidence to bring charges. The office was investigating whether Comey should be charged with lying to Congress in connection to the FBI investigation of Trump’s 2016 campaign’s ties to Russia. Glenn Thrush and Maggie Haberman report for the New York Times; Katherine Faulders, Alexander Mallin, Peter Charalambous, and Luke Barr report for ABC News.
Federal prosecutors are struggling to put together a criminal case against former CIA Director John Brennan in relation to the CIA response to Russian election interference in 2016, senior administration officials say. National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard’s decision to revoke the security clearances of current and former national security officials who could have testified against Brennan has particularly hampered the inquiry, some of the sources said. Other sources asserted that the DNI has provided huge amounts of material to prosecutors, and that the prosecutors were looking for a “scapegoat” to blame for the inquiry stalling. Marc Caputo reports for Axios; Julian E. Barnes, Maggie Haberman, and Devlin Barrett report for the New York Times.
The White House Office of Management and Budget yesterday instructed federal agencies to prepare for another potential round of mass firings during a possible government shutdown. In its letter, the OMB told agency leaders to prioritize eliminating positions where funding has expired that are “not consistent” with Trump’s agenda if a deal is not reached. Sophia Cai reports for POLITICO.
Director of the DOJ Weaponization Working Group, Ed Martin, yesterday retracted a letter in which he suggested a FBI agent who responded to the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre was being investigated in relation to his participation in a defamation lawsuit against Alex Jones. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche ordered Martin to retract the letter, sources say. Kaitlan Collins, Hannah Rabinowitz, and Katelyn Polantz report for CNN.
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich will leave the administration for the private sector later this month, according to a source. A long-time Trump ally, Budowich is currently a top deputy to Trump’s Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and holds a large portfolio that includes oversight of the offices of communications, public liaison, cabinet affairs and speechwriting. Alex Isenstadt reports for Axios.
During the deadly Texas floods in July, FEMA officials could not reach FEMA’s acting administrator, David Richardson, for approximately 24 hours, the Washington Post reports, citing several current and former officials. Combined with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s introduction of a new rule that requires her approval for any expenditure over $100,000, Richardson’s absence contributed to the delay in FEMA’s response to the floods, the officials said. Richardson is frequently away from FEMA headquarters and regularly absent from meetings, according to the officials. Brianna Sacks reports.
U.S. FOREIGN AFFAIRS
The United States is in talks to provide Argentina with a $20 billion swap line to stabilize Buenos Aires’ finances, and is looking at other measures to support President Javier Milei’s economic overhaul, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said yesterday. Ryan Dubé and Jack Pitcher report for the Wall Street Journal.
The Trump administration intends to move almost $2 billion in U.S. foreign aid toward advancing the “America First” agenda, including initiatives seeking to counter “Marxist, anti-American regimes” in Latin America as well as investments in Greenland and Ukraine, according to a plan outlined in a document the State Department shared with lawmakers earlier this month. Noah Robertson reports for the Washington Post.
The United States’ future provision of funding for the the U.N.-backed security force in Haiti will not be guaranteed if the U.N. Security Council rejects the U.S. proposal to restructure and expand the mission, U.S. charge d’affaires in Haiti Henry Wooster said yesterday. Sarah Morland and Daphne Psaledakis report for Reuters.
Iran and the United States yesterday signalled a possible softening in nuclear tensions, with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian telling the U.N. General Assembly that Iran will never seek to build a nuclear bomb and U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff saying that the United States is talking to and has “no desire to hurt” Tehran. Parisa Hafezi and John Irish report for Reuters.
Trump will today hold talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the White House. In a social media post last week, Trump suggested that the discussions may touch on the ongoing U.S. hold on selling F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, implemented during Trump’s first term in response to Ankara purchasing an air defense system from Russia. Trump is also expected to meet Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif today, according to a Trump administration official. Aamer Madhani reports for AP News; Trevor Hunnicutt and Saeed Shah report for Reuters.
U.S. DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
Two Justice Department employees may have violated a court order limiting public opinions about the prosecution of Luigi Mangione, accused of killing the UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, by reposting Trump’s social media statements about the case, a judge said yesterday. The judge ordered the DOJ to explain how the apparent violations happened by the end of next week, and said she would consider Trump’s comments separately. Kara Scannell reports for CNN.
A federal court yesterday ordered the University of South Dakota to temporarily reinstate a professor who was put on administrative leave over making negative comments about Charlie Kirk’s killing. The judge said that although the professor was an employee at a public institution, he made his post in his capacity as a private citizen, making it protected speech. Andrew Jeong reports for the Washington Post.
The top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. Jamie Raskin (MD), the ranking member of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) yesterday informed law firms that they are investigating whether the firms are breaking the law by doing free legal work for the Commerce Department, the New York Times reports. Michael S. Schmidt and Maggie Haberman report.
A D.C. court yesterday suspended Kenneth Chesebro from practicing in the D.C. circuit as a lawyer. Chesebro is Trump’s former personal attorney who was indicted for plotting to enlist fake electors to alter the 2020 election result. He was disbarred in New York in June this year and is facing a monthlong suspension in Florida. Jared Foretek reports for Law360.
U.S. IMMIGRATION DEVELOPMENTS
California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office confirmed yesterday that he is considering a potential legal challenge to Trump’s recent order to charge $100,000 for H1-B visas. Trump’s “latest move will harm our businesses and make our country less competitive in science, technology, engineering and medicine,” and Bonta’s office is “closely monitoring the implementation of this EO and its effects,” a spokesperson for Bonta told POLITICO. Tyler Katzenberger, Christine Mui, and Juliann Ventura report.
A gunman opened fire on an ICE Office in Dallas yesterday, killing one detainee, critically injuring two other detainees, and killing himself. FBI Special Agent R. Joseph Rothrock said that the rounds found near the incident were marked with “anti-ICE” messages and that the FBI were investigating the shooting as an “act of targeted violence.” FBI Director Kash Patel has posted a photo of a bullet inscribed with the words “ANTI-ICE” on social media. The inscription has not been independently verified by the New York Times. J. David Goodman, Hamed Aleaziz, and Michael Levenson report.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION
A federal judge yesterday refused to reinstate eight former inspectors general who Trump fired in violation of federal law, ruling that even if the inspectors were reinstated, Trump could move to lawfully remove them again by providing a legally mandated notice and reasons to Congress. The judge opined that inspectors general “deserved better from their government. They still do. Unfortunately, this court cannot provide plaintiffs more.” Chris Cameron reports for the New York Times.
The Trump administration cannot deny disaster relief mitigation money to states that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement efforts, a judge ruled yesterday. The DHS’ attachment of “sweeping immigration conditions” to the grants was “arbitrary and capricious,” the judge said. Anna Griffin reports for the New York Times.
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