Qatar's Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and the director of Egyptian intelligence Abbas Kamel met with Hamas negotiators on Wednesday to try to break the deadlock in the hostage-release and ceasefire in Gaza deal talks, three sources with knowledge of the meeting said.
Why it matters: The meeting in Doha was aimed at trying to get Hamas to lessen its new demands about the release of Palestinian prisoners who are serving life sentences in Israeli prisons, the sources said.
President Biden said Wednesday that he was "outraged" by the killing of an American activist by an Israeli soldier last week and that Israel needs to take "full accountability" for the incident.
The big picture: Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, 26, was shot in the head during a protest in the town of Beita last Friday. The Biden administration had pressed Israel to swiftly provide information on the incident, and the IDF investigation was concluded unusually fast due primarily to the fact that she was an American.
Over and over at last night's presidential debate, Kamala Harris set traps surgically designed to provoke, rattle and enrage Donald Trump.
And over and over, Trump stepped right into them.
Why it matters: With just eight weeks until the election, Harris delivered for Democrats on the biggest possible stage — the type of national stage that ended President Biden's political career less than three months ago.
Former President Trump raised a baseless conspiracy theory on Haitian immigrants eating pets during the presidential debate with Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday night.
Why it matters: A presidential nominee on the debate stage accused people, without evidence, of eating cats and dogs.
Former President Donald Trump claimed during Tuesday's presidential debate that his opponent Vice President Kamala Harris "hates Israel" while she fired back that he "admires dictators."
Why it matters: The candidates' exchange about foreign affairs and national security was less about policy and more about personal attacks.
The Pentagon is urging the Senate to confirm Lt. Gen. Ronald Clark to a top Army role after Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) announced he's blocking the nomination over concerns about details surrounding Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's hospitalization.
Why it matters: Tuberville's decision stalls in the Senate the promotion of Austin's senior military assistant Clark as the four-star commander of U.S. Army Pacific force just weeks out from the presidential elections, per the Washington Post, which first reported the news.
Editor's note: This is part of a monthly series spotlighting Latinos who are making a mark in their communities.
Jorge Herrera is the co-founder and CEO of Nopetro, a Florida-based company that helps businesses and governments transition from petroleum to renewable gas.
Why do you do what you do? Our world's energy demand is growing at an exponential rate, and I believe everyone has the right to reliable, affordable and clean energy. Nopetro Energy's mission is to ensure that we are delivering on this promise. As co-founder and CEO of Nopetro, I'm passionate about creating sustainable energy solutions that both positively impact the world as well as our client's finances.
1. A Mexican judicial reform that's been met with mass protests and a strike from justice workers is scheduled for a vote in the Senate tomorrow, after being passed in the lower house last week.
The reform, which calls for the election of all judges, including Supreme Court justices, is seen by experts and international groups as a dangerous precedent.
They say the hazy requirements for who gets to run and with which money could lead to the presidency or even criminals having undue influence in which candidates win.
2. The director of El Salvador's police was killed in a helicopter crash on Sunday, authorities say — reportedly while he was escorting an accused embezzler, who also died along with seven other people.
Mauricio Arriaza, who headed the country's police forces since 2019, had been in charge of implementing a state of emergency declared by President Nayib Bukele that allows for mass arrests without warrants of those suspected of being gang members.
Kids cashing in recyclable materials at the Banco Cooperativo del Estudiante in Arequipa, Peru. Source: via Noticias Telemundo
A special "eco-bank" in Peru started by a teenager helps kids earn money from recycling plastic, cardboard or newspapers.
State of play: José Quisocala, 19, started the Banco Cooperativo del Estudiante Bartselana two years ago in Arequipa, and this year expanded it to Lima, the Peruvian capital.
The bank takes in recyclable waste from kids, which it then carries to an industrial recycling plant that pays for the material by the kilo.
Russian disinformation warfare is more calculated and intentional than ever — as it employs more strategies that require hefty financial investments and long-term planning.
Why it matters: These new tactics make it much harder to decipher between a legitimate U.S. influencer posting about the election and a Russian operative posing as an American pundit.
Support for Venezuela's opposition coalition could lose steam after leader Edmundo González Urrutia had to flee the country, analysts say.
Why it matters: The departure of González, who the U.S. and others consider the rightful winner of the July 28 presidential elections, signals that repression of dissent under the regime of President Nicolás Maduro is more dangerous than it's been in many years.
Catch up quick: After being threatened with arrest on "terrorism" charges by the Maduro regime, González was granted political asylum in Spain, where he arrived Sunday.
María Corina Machado, who was last year elected to represent the opposition in the presidential elections but who was barred from running, is one of the last major opposition figures remaining in the country.
What they're saying: Even as González vowed Monday to keep fighting from Spain, Venezuelans might be too demoralized to keep putting pressure on Maduro to step down, says Ryan C. Berg, director of the Americas Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
"We can't underestimate how much fear there is now in Venezuela," Berg says.
If the opposition calls for another protest, "it's unclear if people will show up in droves like they had earlier and how that could affect" international support, he adds.
Zoom in: Maduro's regime, which claims without evidence that he won a third term, has increased mass arrests and threats against dissidents hiding in foreign embassies and has tried to shut down NGOs in the face of protests against his government.
Authorities have arbitrarily detained almost 2,000 people since July 29, human rights organizations say.
Paramilitary groups linked to the ruling PSUV party have been marking the doors of suspected Maduro critics to indicate they're being watched, while security forces have been checking people's phones and social media.
González says "coercion and threats" from the Maduro government led him to leave.
What we're watching: Some Venezuelan analysts say the opposition could create a government in exile in Spain.
In the meantime, Chile is among the countries that has been sketching out tentative policies to deal with an even greater influx of Venezuelans, as Berg says it's highly likely more people will try to leave the country in the coming months.
The European Union's top court ruled against Apple Tuesday in the tech company's protracted legal battle over contested back taxes in Ireland.
Why it matters: The ruling means Apple will be forced to pay Ireland up to €13 billion ($14.4 billion) in back taxes and represents the latest setback in Europe for the tech giant.
Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Trump are set to face off in their first presidential debate on Tuesday, giving voters a chance to finally compare the them side-by-side.
Why it matters: This is the only presidential debate scheduled between Harris and Trump so far, making it a high-stakes opportunity for both candidates to lay out their priorities as voters begin casting ballots.
For Vice President Harris, tonight's debate against Donald Trump is a high-risk, high-reward moment that will test whether her re-introduction to voters can carry her to the White House.
Why it matters: Most voters already know how they feel about Trump, but fewer know how they feel about Harris.
