Sign up to receive the Early Edition in your inbox here.
A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the last 24 hours. Here’s today’s news:
IRAN WAR
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung today declared that South Korea would not deploy troops or military assets to support the United States in the Iran war, amid pressure from the Trump administration. Lee said South Korea is considering expanding the operational scope of a South Korean navy destroyer and its support ships currently stationed off the coast of Somalia for antipiracy operations, but that the focus of these vessels would be protecting South Korean oil tankers and other commercial vessels. Choe Sang-Hun reports for the New York Times.
President Trump yesterday told Axios that he is approaching a critical juncture in the Iran war over whether to restart attacks in an effort to bring the war to a close. Trump declined to say whether he’ll decide the path forward before or after the midterm elections. Barak Ravid reports.
IRAN WAR – YEMEN
Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis yesterday exchanged strikes across their border. Saudi’s civil defense said a Yemeni living in Saudi Arabia had been killed by debris from a drone intercepted over the western city of Taif, the first death Saudi Arabia has announced during Houthi attacks over the last week. Houthi-controlled television reported Saudi airstrikes in the Hajjah province close to the Saudi border near the Red Sea coast. Nayera Abdallah, Yomna Ehab, and Hatem Maher report for Reuters.
The U.N. migration agency today said at least 112,000 people have been displaced inside Yemen within the last two weeks. The representative for the U.N. Refugee Agency Sandrine Desamours said nearly 3,000 people have crossed the Gulf of Aden to Djibouti in the Horn of Africa in less than a week. Olivia Le Poidevin reports for Reuters.
China on Wednesday privately asked Iran to help rein in the Houthis after an appeal to China by Saudi Arabia, Iranian sources told Reuters. China wants Iran to use its influence with the Houthis to help prevent the conflict spreading further across the energy routes which China depends on. The request came during Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s visit to China. Parisa Hafezi reports.
IRAN WAR – OTHER DEVELOPMENTS
The U.S. State Department yesterday said it had approved visas for Iran’s “core delegation” to attend next week’s U.N. General Assembly in New York. The core delegation includes Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Araghchi, according to U.S. officials. Matthew Lee reports for AP News.
Russia and China yesterday vetoed a U.S. resolution to renew that mandate of U.N. experts monitoring nuclear sanctions against Iran at the U.N. Security Council. China’s U.N. ambassador Fu Cong urged Council members to avoid “double standards, political manipulation, pressure and confrontation” at the meeting. Russia’s U.N. ambassador Vasily Nebenzya condemned what he called the destructive path of the West determined “purely by their economic interests in exerting pressure” on Iran. Zane Irwin reports for the New York Times.
WEST BANK DEVELOPMENTS
The U.N. General Assembly yesterday voted to allow Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to address the annual gathering of world leaders next week via video for the second year in a row. Deputy U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Tammy Bruce told the assembly before the vote that if the Palestinian Authority wants to be treated as a partner, it must “stop subsidizing terror and stop using diplomatic theater as a substitute for serious governance.” Michelle Nichols reports for Reuters.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR
Ukraine’s Zhytomyr region Gov. Vitali Bunecko yesterday said a strike on an industrial park west of Kyiv killed one person. The strike occurred near the town of Korosten, and was part of a barrage of strikes on Ukrainian cities. Ron Popeski reports for Reuters.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk yesterday warned that Russia is planning hybrid strikes on European countries supporting Ukraine. Tusk said Russia would pretend the attacks are “accidental” to “weaken the motivation of NATO countries.” Claudia Ciobanu reports for AP News.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen yesterday said the EU will disburse €3.3 billion to Ukraine today to procure missiles and drones, following discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy said the conversations with von der Leyen were “very productive” and focused on “vital steps for the resilience of our defense.” Dominique Vidalon reports for Reuters.
OTHER GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
Von der Leyen yesterday announced a plan to ban under-13s from social media and require online services to design safe children’s accounts. The move follows similar initiatives seen in Australia, China, and several other countries over concerns of the effect social media can have on children’s mental health and safety. Von der Leyen said the proposed EU Kids Act will “set clear boundaries in the digital world.” Yves Herman and Foo Yun Chee report for Reuters.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson yesterday submitted a letter of resignation following the announcement of a final vote count for Sunday’s election. The center-left bloc won 176 seats while the incumbent right-wing bloc secured 173. Stine Jacobsen and Simon Johnson report for Reuters.
The U.K. security service MI5 today accepted it gave false evidence to three courts while defending a violent neo-Nazi spy. The confession in the High Court followed a report published in July by Sir John Goldring which heavily criticized senior MI5 figures and concluded that MI5 gave evidence based on “lies.” The High Court judges will decide whether to initiate contempt of court proceedings against certain MI5 officers or the service itself. Daniel De Simone reports for BBC News.
The Pakistani military and local police today confirmed a roadside bomb struck a security forces convoy in northwestern Pakistan, killing six soldiers, while troops conducted raids resulting in the deaths of 10 militants believed to be members of the Pakistani Taliban. AP News reports.
Pakistani police yesterday re-arrested prominent human rights lawyer Imaan Mazari and her husband hours after Pakistan’s Supreme Court suspended their 17-year prison sentences over a cybercrime case, and granted them bail. The couple was re-arrested “from prison in an old case,” Mazari’s lawyer Faisal Siddiqi told Reuters. Mubasher Bukhari reports.
U.S. CLIMATE DEVELOPMENTS
A directive sent this week to Fish and Wildlife Services employees said endangered animals or plants must be intentionally targeted for their killing to now be considered illegal. The directive represents a new interpretation of the Endangered Species Act by the Trump administration. Former Fish and Wildlife Director and current President of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Dan Ashe said the move cuts against the entire history of the Act and creates a “huge loophole,” as it “completely relieves people of any responsibility for their actions” even where the consequences are easily predicted. Matthew Brown reports for AP News.
U.S. AI DEVELOPMENTS
Independent security researchers revealed to the Wall Street Journal that they used Anthropic’s Claude software to gain access to an OpenAI employee’s ChatGPT account, two weeks after OpenAI AI agents hacked Hugging Face. The researchers quickly reported their findings to OpenAI, who paid them a $6,500 bounty. Robert McMillan reports.
Anthropic yesterday announced that Claude is helping the company develop the next, more intelligent version of the AI model. 90% of Anthropic’s research and development is done in “collaboration” with Claude. Kaitlyn Huamani reports for AP News.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on Wednesday told POLITICO that he plans to take further action on AI safety before leaving office. Newsom said his plans could take the form of a special session, executive action, or steps by state agencies under their existing authority. Chase Difeliciantonio and Jeremy B. White report.
A U.S. government website employed AI model Qwen from Chinese company Alibaba for users to search proposed federal regulations despite the FBI accusing Alibaba of “malicious” copying of Anthropic’s technology. According to an archived version of the site’s source code reviewed by Reuters, the Qwen-powered search was taken down on Wednesday. Courtney Rozen reports.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon plan to attend next week’s state dinner with Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, sources told POLITICO. Katherine Long reports.
U.S. FOREIGN AFFAIRS
The DOS yesterday said that the Trump administration was advancing with their sale of 48 F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, despite internal reports by U.S. intelligence agencies that China could obtain the warplane’s technology. The announcement was made one day after the New York Times reported on U.S. intelligence concerns on the sales. Edward Wong reports.
The Treasury Department is working on rules for pharmaceutical companies investing in China that would preserve their ability to create licensing deals for Chinese drugs, sources told Reuters. The rules would allow companies to invest in promising new drugs from China as long as they are not related to pathogens or biotechnology that could be weaponized. Michael Erman reports.
A State Department spokesman yesterday said a delegation of U.S. officials traveled to Myanmar this week and met with the country’s military-backed government to secure the release of detained U.S. citizen Adam Castillo. Myanmar on Wednesday said it freed Castillo “in consideration of the bilateral friendly relations” between the two countries. Simon Lewis reports for Reuters.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio yesterday said four Cuban state-run enterprises related to nickel reserves, four military enterprises dedicated to research and development including for weapons systems, and three military officials were being sanctioned. Rubio said the companies were part of a system that enriched the Cuban elite and hurt ordinary Cubans. Costas Pitas reports for Reuters.
Trump in a social media post yesterday suggested the United States might set up its first Army base in Poland. Trump said Polish President Karol Mawrocki’s leadership helped with “major progress” in the project. A NATO official told POLITICO the talks have been happening “for months.” Jack Detsch reports.
Trump and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum spoke by phone on Wednesday as the two countries close in on a trade deal, a source told POLITICO. The source described the conversation as “so-so” and added that “new topics” were introduced but did not specify who mentioned them or what they were. Megan Messerly reports.
Trump is making plans to meet Venezuelan Interim President Delcy Rodriguez as early as next week, sources told Axios. The meeting would happen on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York, and could happen as early as Tuesday. Marc Caputo reports.
U.S. IMMIGRATION DEVELOPMENTS
The White House is pulling Lance Schroyer’s stalled nomination to lead ICE. Schroyer’s limited immigration experience created tension between Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and border czar Tom Homan. The White House did not explain the withdrawal. Avery Lotz reports for Axios.
The former Chief Judge of Minnesota’s Federal District Court Patrick J. Schiltz told the New York Times that ICE’s action in Minnesota in January constituted a “grave threat to the rule of law.” Kiersten Pels, a Justice Department spokeswoman, said the Trump administration will continue “to fully comply with court orders,” and added that she found it “remarkable that sitting federal judges are giving on-the-record interviews.” Mattathias Schwartz reports.
U.S. DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
Ousted board members of the Institute of Peace yesterday asked a federal court to block the imminent carving of Trump’s name on the institution’s headquarters. The motion was filed as an emergency petition, alleging that a contractor has already been selected to carve Trump’s name, and argues that the building is a “work of expressive architecture designed to be ‘symbolic of USIP’s’ independent ‘mission’.” Ashley Ahn reports for POLITICO.
Virginia’s Attorney General Jay Jones (D) yesterday sent a letter warning Mullin that the Department of Homeland Security’s search for evidence of election fraud “potentially violates several Virginia laws,” and demanded the investigation cease immediately. Jones also questioned justifications found in training materials from the DOH that agents were allowed to use tools to look up state voters for investigatory purposes. Nick Corasaniti and Hamed Aleaziz report for the New York Times.
A federal judge on Wednesday warned Attorney General Todd Blanche that he could face contempt proceedings if the DOJ fails to comply with an order involving the release or review of Epstein files. The 20-page order said a civil contempt charge would be “premature” for now, but warned that it would become appropriate if Blanche fails to comply with the court’s renewed order. Josephine Walker reports for Axios.
New York’s Department of Investigation yesterday suggested that former Mayor Eric Adams’ administration secured inflated New York Police Department pensions that should be lowered. The report revolves around the use of so-called 821 waivers under Adams’ administration, which allow NYPD employees to be “on loan” to other agencies, including the mayor’s office, so they can maintain a police title that comes with pension benefits while working in another capacity. Chris Sommerfeldt reports for POLITICO.
The Pennsylvanian Secretary of Health Debra Bogen on Wednesday requested emergency support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Erica Schwartz amid one of the country’s largest measles outbreaks, according to a document reviewed by Reuters yesterday. The request comes on the condition that the federal agency recognize four measles-associated deaths reported by the state. The Pennsylvanian Health Department previously resisted CDC help. Yasmeen Abutaleb and Dan Levine report.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ACTION
Trump ordered the DOJ not to appeal a court ruling that loosened restrictions on “gangster weapons,” sources told CBS News. The firearms had been among the most heavily regulated because they are particularly dangerous and easily concealable. Letting the lower court ruling stand runs counter to the recommendations of some lawyers at the DOJ across multiple offices who disagree with the court’s opinion, who added it is already impacting federal firearms prosecutions across the country. Sarah N. Lynch and Jennifer Jacobs report.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION
A federal judge yesterday said Trump officials must give 30 days’ written notice before making any changes to the Kennedy Center “including but not limited to any ‘demolition’.” Trump was recently pictured looking at a markup reading “Kennedy Center DEMOLISHED.” Josephine Walker reports for Axios.
A federal judge yesterday ruled against a policy that was adopted early in Trump’s term that required the Department of Education to terminate millions of dollars in grants funding DEI initiatives. The judge said the policy provided no discernable criteria for what programs would be considered DEI and disfavored for funding, and that the department failed to consider how canceling the grants would impact those who relied on the funding. Nate Raymond reports for Reuters.
Did you miss this? Stay up-to-date with our Litigation Tracker: Legal Challenges to Trump Administration Actions.
If you enjoy listening, Just Security’s analytic articles are also available in audio form on the justsecurity.org website.
ICYMI: Yesterday on Just Security
Reinvention Blueprint No. 3: To Unmake the Surveillance State, Rethink the Privacy Act
By Hannah Bloch-Wehba
