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A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the last 24 hours. Here’s today’s news:
IRAN WAR
President Trump yesterday said no one knew who is running Iran during the war. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei on Sunday said the United States knows who Trump’s counterpart is and how the decision-making process in Iran works. Gram Slattery and Kanishka Singh report for Reuters.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance yesterday told Reuters that Iran must make a “meaningful” reduction in its nuclear enrichment capacity to satisfy U.S. demands and end the war. Vance said the United States remained open to an agreement, but questioned why Iran needed 60% enriched fuel if they don’t want a nuclear weapon. Jacob Bogage reports.
IRAN WAR – YEMEN
Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation yesterday said attacks by the Iran-aligned Houthis damaged two airports near the border with Yemen in the kingdom. The agency said three people were wounded. Yemen’s internationally recognized government today said the Houthis targeted an airport in Aden, Yemen, where the government is currently located. Jon Gambrell reports for the Wall Street Journal.
Yemen’s government forces yesterday posted videos showing their armed forces driving armoured cars over Houthi fighters as they recaptured areas around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Monday. A Houthi statement said the videos were proof of war crimes and showed the “true nature of the Saudi regime and the forces it has mobilized from extremist factions.” Edward Carron reports for Reuters.
IRAN WAR – OTHER DEVELOPMENTS
Trump during a rally speech on Monday said about Iran, “let them take out Los Angeles. Let them take out San Diego,” and has faced significant backlash for the comments. The White House yesterday insisted Trump was misunderstood, and an argument that the Iran war was worth enduring to protect Americans came out sounding like an invitation to attack two California cities. Avery Lotz reports for Axios.
U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) yesterday said the U.S. Defense Department denied him access to Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. Murphy described the refusal as part of a U.S. government effort to conceal the impact of the Iran war. Timour Azhari reports for Reuters.
Texas Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton last month privately lamented the impact of the Iran war and gas prices on his campaign in a meeting with a group of donors and lobbyists, according to audio obtained by Axios. Andrew Solender and Stef W. Kight report.
Counter-terror police yesterday said a 22-year-old U.K. national has been arrested on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts in connection with an incident close to Royal Air Force Fairford. Senior national coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing Vicki Evans said the investigation remains live and police are continuing to “pursue multiple lines of enquiry.” The man is the seventh arrest in connection to the incident, but no one has been charged. Henry Moore reports for BBC News.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
Israelis today marked three years since the Oct. 7 attacks. A vigil was held in Kfar Aza, where Hamas militants killed dozens of Israelis before taking 19 hostages back to Gaza. Rami Amichay and Mahmoud Issa report for Reuters.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy today said Russian missiles and drones targeted Ukraine’s energy sector in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities overnight, killing at least 19 people. The attacks came after Zelenskyy yesterday said the latest Ukrainian intelligence suggested Russia was preparing a “massive attack” in Ukraine. Head of the Cherinihiv Regional Military Administration Viacheslav Chaus said a missile struck an apartment building in the northern city of Pryluky and there were reports of dead and injured. Head of the Kyiv Regional Military Administration Tymur Tkachenko said the broader Kyiv region was also subject to strikes. Olena Harmash reports for Reuters; AP News reports.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev yesterday said two commercial vessels were struck by drones in the first attack on shipping in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea. The origins of the drones are under investigation, but Zelenskyy blamed Russia for the strikes. Radev said the attacks were a blatant “violation of international law and maritime law.” Vice-Admiral Rumen Nikolov of the Maritime Administration Executive Agency today said Bulgaria has halted its search for the missing crew. Veselin Toshkov reports for AP News; Alex Lefkowitz reports for Reuters.
Presidential Commissioner for Ukrainian Sanctions Policy Vladyslav Vlasiuk yesterday said Russia imported more than 176,000 tons of petroleum products from South Korean ports in July and August. The supplies made up 31% of Russian fuel imports in August according to Vlasiuk, and eased the impact of a fuel crisis caused by Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil refineries. Vlasiuk provided statistics and figures first seen in a Guardian article, and South Korea’s Foreign Ministry response to the article said the Korean government “supports and actively participates in global efforts to end the war,” and is strictly enforcing export controls against Russia. Tom Balmforth and Joyce Lee report for Reuters.
OTHER GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
The World Health Organization today said it has requested information from Russian authorities on media reports of a second laboratory employee with pneumonia of undetermined cause, and further information to clarify the cause of the severe pneumonia and the pathogen that prompted public health measures. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia had properly informed WHO about the incident and urged caution when it came to using media reports as a reference for the situation due to “false information.” Jennifer Rigby, Shubham Kalia, Andrew Osborn, and Dmitry Antonov report for Reuters.
Germany’s Far Right AFD member Tobias Rausch yesterday was sworn in and elected as president of Saxony-Anhalt’s parliament. Rausch’s election represents the first time a far-right politician has been elected to lead a state legislature since 1945. The AFD won 39 out of 83 seats in the east German state, but a total of 48 lawmakers anonymously voted Rausch into the position, meaning he received the support of some members of mainstream parties that have officially refused to work with the AfD. The minister president will be decided in December, which controls the executive branch in the state. Christopher F. Scheutze reports for the New York Times.
Azerbaijan’s Media and Broadcasting Council today said that allegations of an Azerbaijani connection to the German case against former Intelligence Chief August Hanning were false. The council said the intent of the disinformation is to “damage Azerbaijan-Germany relations.” Nailia Bagirova reports for Reuters.
CLIMATE DEVELOPMENTS
Interpol today said a two-month international crackdown of environmental crime across Latin America and the Caribbean led to 233 arrests and uncovered links between large-scale Amazon deforestation and 161 companies across several continents. The operation identified 60,000 hectares of illegally cleared forest, and in one investigation originating in Colombia, 11 foreign companies were suspected of involvement in clearing more than 52,000 hectares of protected Amazon forest. Steven Grattan reports for AP News.
Indigenous and civil-society organizations in Indonesia’s West Kalimantan region today criticized the national government for failing to attend its first court proceedings in their class action lawsuit seeking to hold the government responsible for the haze engulfing the province caused by forest fires. The suit claims the government was negligent for failing to prevent and adequately deal with forest and land fires that burn every year. Judges adjourned the case until Oct. 21. Soepriyadi Gunawan reports for Reuters.
AI DEVELOPMENTS
Two South Korean megachurches and a cybersecurity firm today said they are investigating suspected cyberattacks that may have exposed the personal data of hundreds of thousands of congregants, with evidence suggesting AI may have been used in the attacks. Cybersecurity company Oasis found data, attack records, and account information on an overseas server containing information linked to the churches, and the alleged attacks included signs that AI tools were used. Joyce Lee reports for Reuters.
U.S. CHINA DEVELOPMENTS
North Korea today criticized the United States over its arms sales and military support for Taiwan, and accused the United States of fueling tension in the Taiwan Strait. The state news agency broadcast said the United States should “think twice whether it is ready to stand in frontal confrontation” with China over Taiwan. Joyce Lee reports for Reuters.
The Trump administration has discussed beginning reciprocal nuclear site visits with China and plans to continue pushing for possible in-person meetings in the coming months, sources told CNN. The discussions have been informal and preliminary, and the idea was initially raised by the Chinese while meeting U.S. officials this year. Kylie Atwood and Davis Winkie report.
U.S. FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Lt. Gen. Benjamin Watson yesterday issued an order prohibiting U.S. soldiers stationed in Japan’s Okinawa prefecture from drinking alcohol, and gave them a month-long curfew while they undergo discipline training. Lance Corp. Devin Jacob Ballard is suspected of killing Anna Yagi in the capital of Okinawa, Naha. Ballard denied the allegations. John Geddie reports for Reuters.
The United States yesterday issued a démarche to Russia that said Russia’s failure to disclose details about the death of the plague lab worker runs counter to its international health obligations, U.S. officials told the Wall Street Journal. Trump said he has a call scheduled with Russian President Vladimir Putin “soon” about the issue, and said he would share more U.S. intelligence today. Michael R. Gordon, Robbie Gramer, Vera Bergengruen, and Thomas Grove report.
Trump yesterday framed the French protests over underfunding for public schools as evidence of France’s “out of control mass migration” and Islam. Neither migration nor religion spurred the protests. French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez today said he requested a pause on the use of stun grenades for policing student protests until the facts of Monday’s incident in Lens, where a 15-year-old’s hand was blown off, had been clarified. Ashley Ahn reports for POLITICO; Maia Davies reports for BBC News.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio yesterday said the Trump administration was open to expanding security cooperation with Iceland during his visit to the island. Rubio praised Iceland for allowing the United States to “project power using your land, your air, your sea.” Vera Bergengruen reports for the Wall Street Journal.
Rubio today said that “strong and model NATO ally” Greece and the United States are launching new counterterrorism information sharing between their law enforcement agencies. Rubio said Greece was particularly exposed to the threats posed by mass migration and human trafficking. Ivana Sekularac, Angeliki Koutantou, Lefteris Papadimas, and Jonathan Landay report for Reuters.
Trump yesterday framed the French protests over underfunding for public schools as evidence of France’s “out of control mass migration” and the spread of Islam. Neither migration nor religion spurred the protests. French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez today said he requested a pause on the use of stun grenades for policing student protests until the facts of Monday’s incident in Lens, where a 15-year-old’s hand was blown off, had been clarified. Ashley Ahn reports for POLITICO; Maia Davies reports for BBC News.
U.S. IMMIGRATION DEVELOPMENTS
The shock gloves ICE agents could soon use worked so powerfully during a military exercise that participants felt intense pain, stopped fighting immediately, and feared additional exposures, according to a previously unreleased Army study. ICE leaders were aware of the findings before signing a $16.7 million contract to purchase 6,000 pairs of gloves in August, according to records shared with AP News. ICE has called the gloves “distraction and de-escalation devices.” Ryan J. Foley reports.
The Justice Department on Monday said the department filed 40 denaturalization actions for citizens accused of crimes in federal courts across the country between Aug. 21 and Oct. 2. Attorney General Todd Blanche said the filings are part of the “largest denaturalization effort in modern history.” A DOJ spokesperson told Axios that the department has filed more than 200 denaturalization complaints since the Trump administration made denaturalization a priority, and remains on track to meet its objective of 250 cases by the end of October. Avery Lotz reports.
A Trump-appointed federal judge on Monday accused ICE officers of lying, lacking proper training, and fabricating records to cover up illegal arrests. The ruling condemned the agency’s tactics when it mistakenly arrested two Hispanic men, including a U.S. citizen, and said their actions formed part of a “troubling” pattern by ICE to justify erroneous arrests. Luis Ferré-Sadurní reports for the New York Times.
U.S. DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
The Department of Homeland Security has investigated more than 150 organizations as part of its efforts to scrutinize nonprofits that they claim may be helping noncitizens illegally register to vote, according to internal government documents reviewed by the New York Times. The documents reveal that the DHS has considered deploying undercover agents to investigate the organizations. Madeleine Ngo, Richard Fausset, and Alexandra Berzon report.
Massachusetts man Jacob D. Miller yesterday pleaded guilty to charges of importing and selling plutonium obtained from Russia and mailing the material, as well as other toxic hazardous substances, according to the State Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts. Because of Miller’s previous felony convictions, he faced charges for possessing ammunition and explosive materials. Christine Hauser reports for the New York Times.
Former C.I.A. officer David J. Rush in court yesterday admitted to a $145 million scam involving luxury real estate and providing sensitive intelligence to a foreign government official. The new details of his crimes surpassed what had previously been known, as authorities accused him of stashing hundreds of gold bars in his home. Devlin Barrett reports for the New York Times.
Lawyers of former U.S. Olympian David Hearn yesterday urged the Interior Department and DOJ inspector generals to examine the flawed installation of an “American flag blue” liner at the bottom of the Washington Reflecting Pool and the prosecution case that accused Hearn of destruction of property. The lawyers alleged “incompetence and wrongdoing” in both the DOJ and Interior Department. Andrew Goudsward reports for Reuters.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ACTION
The White House yesterday told POLITICO that Trump would not reimburse the federal government for taxpayer-funded advertisements promoting Trump and his administration ahead of the midterms. Cheyanne M. Daniels reports.
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