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Today’s edition of quick hits.
* In Israel: “Israel’s parliament voted Monday to ban the operations of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, the main humanitarian aid agency operating in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a statement on the legislation reiterating the accusations that UNRWA employees are involved in terrorist activities in the region.”
* In Iran: “Three waves of predawn strikes on military targets in Iran on Saturday completed Israel’s retaliation on Iran, the Israel Defense Forces said, in what U.S. officials and others hoped would be the last shot in a hostile exchange between the two regional powers that has had the world on edge for weeks, fearing a dangerous expansion of the war. An Iranian civilian was killed in one of the strikes on the outskirts of Tehran, the country’s state-media outlet FARS news agency reported on Sunday.”
* North Korean troops in Russia: “North Korea has sent about 10,000 troops to Russia for training, some of whom are already moving toward the front lines near the Ukrainian border, the Pentagon warned Monday. ‘We are increasingly concerned that Russia intends to use these soldiers in combat or to support combat operations against Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk’ region, Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh told reporters.”
* We’ve reached the ballot-box-fires stage? “Ballot drop boxes in Portland, Oregon, and neighboring Vancouver, Washington, were set on fire early Monday morning, police said, just over a week out from Election Day. Local officials said three ballots were damaged in Portland while potentially ‘hundreds’ were affected in Vancouver.”
* SCOTUS: “Republicans on Monday asked the U.S. Supreme Court for an emergency order in Pennsylvania that could result in thousands of votes not being counted in this year’s election in the battleground state.”
* The fallout continues: “One third of The Washington Post’s nine-member editorial board stepped down Monday in the wake of Friday’s decision by the newspaper’s owner and publisher to end the publication of endorsements in presidential races.”
* Another overdue apology: “A U.S. Navy commander on Saturday offered what he called a ‘long overdue’ apology for a bombardment of a native Alaskan community 142 years ago that killed six children and led to widespread suffering during a winter in which residents lacked food and shelter.”
See you tomorrow.