Axios

The commander of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) tells Axios the U.S. has a "moral duty" to do more to prevent Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan from ordering a ground offensive into Kurdish-controlled northeastern Syria.

The big picture: Turkey has launched drone, air and artillery strikes across the border into Syria over the past four days, with Erdoğan now promising to send in troops and tanks.

The Dominican Republic is facing international criticism over its treatment and deportation of Haitian migrants.

Driving the news: Dominican authorities expelled more than 60,000 Haitians between August and October, a government spokesperson said in a tweet earlier this month.

Measles vaccination rates have steadily declined around the world since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving millions of children susceptible to the virus, according to new data in a joint report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Why it matters: The organizations said measles is "an imminent threat in every region of the world," as it is one of the most contagious human viruses — though it is also entirely preventable through vaccination.

Israel in recent weeks has provided a dossier with intelligence about Iranian arms transfers to Russia to its embassies in dozens of Western countries and senior NATO officials, according to Israeli officials and Israeli Foreign Ministry cables.

Why it matters: The new diplomatic and intelligence effort, which started at the end of October, represents a change in Israeli behavior around Iran's role in the war in Ukraine, which until last month didn’t include active lobbying on the issue to avoid tensions with Russia.

Israel's Security Cabinet reached a decision earlier this month that significantly tightens government oversight on foreign investments, two senior Israeli officials say.

Why it matters: While the decision doesn't explicitly mention China, Israeli officials say the new policy is a response to two years of pressure by the Biden administration to limit China's role in sectors like energy, infrastructure, telecommunications and transportation. 

Qatar 2022 is the most confined World Cup ever, with all eight stadiums located within 33 miles of each other.

Why it matters: The compact setup significantly lessens the travel demands for teams and fans, which has its perks.

Russia launched more missile strikes across Ukraine on Wednesday, hitting energy facilities and causing blackouts throughout the country.

The big picture: Since early October Russia has escalated its missile strikes on Ukraine, targeting the country's critical infrastructure and causing massive blackouts and energy rationing.

An Israeli teen was killed and at least 15 others, including two U.S. citizens, were wounded in two explosions in Jerusalem on Wednesday in what Israeli officials are calling a terrorist attack.

The big picture: These are the first bomb attacks against Israeli citizens in years.

The Biden administration notified congress on Tuesday that it has appointed Hady Amr as a new special representative for Palestinian affairs, a senior State Department official said.

Why it matters: The move is an upgrade in U.S.-Palestinian relations. It is the first time the U.S. has created a Washington-based position at the State Department that is solely responsible for Palestinian Affairs.

At least 268 people were killed and 151 are missing after a 5.6 magnitude earthquake struck the Indonesian island of Java on Monday, AP reported, citing the National Disaster Mitigation Agency.

Driving the news: The agency said 1,083 people were wounded and another 151 are still missing as search efforts intensified on Tuesday.

New Mexico has elected the most Latinos to statewide office of any state — and they're all Democrats.

• Hispanics will now hold almost all statewide offices in New Mexico.

Since 1990, November has been designated as Native American Heritage Month.

Through the lens: These photos show how Indigenous people keep their heritage, customs, and truth alive today.

The U.S. Coast Guard said Tuesday that it has rescued more than 180 people from an overloaded vessel that eventually hit a sandbar in the Florida Keys.

The big picture: This is the second rescue of such a vessel in recent days. The first one, which capsized over the weekend, led to at least five deaths, the Coast Guard said.

Argentina's stunning loss to Saudi Arabia put a damper — but didn't end — fans' hopes this could be the year South America reigns at the World Cup again.

The big picture: The World Cup started this weekend in Qatar. South American teams have won it nine times since the tournament began in 1930. But no South American team has won it since 2002, when Brazil triumphed over Germany.

The resumption of U.S.-China climate talks at the recent COP27 summit is a positive sign for global cooperation on climate change, but it's not clear how both sides will now follow through at home to meet their climate commitments.

Why it matters: The global community will not be able to meet its climate targets without stepped-up decarbonization efforts in the U.S. and China, which are the world's two largest emitters.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday criticized FIFA's decision to threaten sporting sanctions against team captains who wear rainbow "one love" armbands, calling the move "concerning."

Driving the news: Seven European teams announced on Monday that they had abandoned plans to wear the armbands — intended as a show of inclusion and anti-discrimination — following FIFA's threat of sanctions, which would include automatic yellow cards.

Saudi Arabia pulled off one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history with a stunning 2-1 victory over Argentina on Tuesday.

Why it matters: Argentina's loss ends its 36-match unbeaten streak and comes during what is expected to be soccer star Lionel Messi's last chance to win a World Cup.