The Justice Department charged a man on Friday who was tasked with planning an Iranian plot to murder President-elect Trump ahead of the election.
The big picture: U.S. officials have long warned about Iran targeting American leaders. U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said on Friday Iran poses a "grave" threat to the United States' national security.
President-elect Trump told Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during a phone call on Friday — their first since 2017 — that he will work to end the war in Gaza, according to a statement from the Palestinian presidency and a Palestinian official briefed on the call.
Why it matters: Abbas and Trump had not spoken since Trump decided to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and move the U.S. embassy there. But the call is the latest sign the Palestinian leadership wants to start fresh with Trump after a bruising four years when he was last in the White House.
Donald Trump's phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday included two surprises: Elon Musk was also on the line, and Zelensky was somewhat reassured by what he heard from the president-elect, two sources with knowledge of the call tell Axios.
Why it matters: The new details of the call underscore how influential Musk could be in the second Trump administration, and the uncertainty over how exactly Trump will approach Ukraine.
Nearly 70% of the verified fatalities in Gaza as a result of the Israel-Hamas war are women and children, according to a new report published Friday by the UN Human Rights Office.
Why it matters: The report's findings indicate a "systematic violation of the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law," the UN Human Rights Office said in a press release.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed Thursday that North Korean troops have engaged in combat with Ukrainian forces on the battlefield.
Why it matters: The clashes represent a stark escalation in the war as President-elect Trump, who has repeatedly criticized U.S. aid to Ukraine and suggested the country instead make a deal with Russia, prepares to reshape U.S. policy in the region.
President-elect Trump's decisive reelection this week poses a major roadblock for countries seeking to address global climate change via the U.N. negotiations process.
Why it matters: With the world now on course to sail past the Paris temperature targets, countries can't wait until 2029 to curtail emissions and get money flowing to the most vulnerable nations.
A federal judge in Texas on Thursday ruled against a Biden administration program for undocumented immigrants married to U.S. citizens.
Why it matters: The ruling means roughly 500,000 people who lack legal status but are married to a citizen will have a longer process to get a green card. The program, called "Keeping Families Together," would also have benefited stepchildren of U.S. citizens by creating an easier path to citizenship.
