FBI director Christopher Wray said on Wednesday that the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan could lead to the region becoming "a safe haven" for terrorist groups again.
What he's saying: "We are, of course, concerned that there will be an opportunity for a safe haven to be re-created there, which is certainly something we’ve seen in the past," Wray said during a House Homeland Security Committee briefing.
Starting in November, women in India will be allowed to take the entrance examination for the national defense academy for the first time, India's Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday, per AP.
Why it matters: The ruling marks a landmark achievement in the push to allow women into the premier academy that churns out the country's top army, navy and air force commanders and become full-time officers, according to the New York Times.
Rather than uniting in the face of a shared threat, a foiled coup attempt in Sudan on Tuesday has further exposed the divisions between the civilian and military elements of the government
Driving the news: On Tuesday morning, Sudanese state media announced that a coup attempt was underway.
The U.S. and Israel held secret talks on Iran last week to discuss a possible “plan B” if nuclear talks are not resumed, two senior Israeli officials tell me.
Why it matters: This is the first time a top-secret U.S.-Israel strategic working group on Iran has convened since the new Israeli government took office in June.
White House National Security adviser Jake Sullivanis planning to travel to the Middle East next week, including a stop in Saudi Arabia. He would be the most senior Biden administration official to visit the kingdom.
Why it matters: Sullivan's first trip to the region since taking office is expected to include stops in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, sources briefed on the plans tell Axios. All three countries are longtime U.S. partners who have faced some early tensions with Biden.
The World Health Organization on Wednesday updated air quality guidelines it set roughly 15 years ago, saying that negative health effects from air pollutants can begin at lower levels than it previously thought.
Why it matters: The changes are meant to reduce deaths from pollutants that cause cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and prematurely kill an estimated 7 million people around the world annually, according to the WHO.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland on Wednesday arrested two additional men in connection with the murder of investigative journalist Lyra McKee, who was killed covering a riot in Londonderry in 2019, AP reports.
Driving the news: The two men arrested Wednesday, ages 24 and 29, were detained under the Terrorism Act, per AP.
A top aide for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was shot at Tuesday while riding in a vehicle outside of Kyiv in what authorities described as an assassination attempt, according to the New York Times.
Why it matters: The adviser, Serhiy Shefir, survived the attack but his driver was wounded and hospitalized. It came while Zelenskyy was out of the country in New York for the United Nations General Assembly meeting.
A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck northeast of Melbourne, Australia, on Wednesday, causing buildings to shake over 300 miles away in the national capital, Canberra, per the Canberra Times.
Why it matters: Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison noted at a briefing that earthquakes are "very rare events in Australia." It was one of seven quakes to strike the state of Victoria Wednesday, with tremors felt across four states, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation notes.
Brazilian Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga has tested positive for COVID-19 while in New York City for the UN General Assembly (UNGA), he confirmed Tuesday night.
Why it matters: Hours earlier, Queirog had accompanied Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro to the UNGA. The Biden administration expressed concern last week that the gathering of world leaders could become a coronavirus "superspreader event."
Federal law enforcement agencies are purchasing surveillance drones from a Chinese company the Pentagon has deemed a potential national security threat, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Efforts to purge military and law enforcement agencies of potentially compromised Chinese technology have stalled amid bureaucratic red tape, and experts worry the federal government is needlessly exposing itself to snooping by malicious foreign actors.
Iranian officials said Tuesday they expect nuclear talks with world powers to resume in the "next few weeks," but they signaled they would take a tougher stance against the U.S, per the state-run IRNA news agency.
Why it matters: The talks to salvage the 2015 Iran nuclear deal have been stalled since June, when hardliner President Ebrahim Raisi was elected to office.
