NTD News Today

The Israel Defense Forces said on Tuesday that they had rescued a hostage from a tunnel in southern Gaza in a "complex operation." 52-year-old Qaid Farhan Alkadi, an Arab citizen of Israel, has been transferred to an Israeli hospital and reunited with his family members some 326 days after being kidnapped by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7, 2023.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said senior Biden administration officials pressured his company to censor COVID-19 content during the pandemic. In a letter sent on Monday to the House Judiciary Committee, Zuckerberg expressed regret for not speaking out sooner and for some of Meta’s decisions to remove content.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan arrived in Beijing on Tuesday for a three-day visit. He and Chinese officials are expected to focus on the U.S.–China bilateral relationship, including advancing counternarcotics cooperation, military-to-military communication, and discussions on AI safety and risk.

Monday, Aug. 26, marks the 3rd anniversary of the Kabul Airport suicide bombing during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan that killed 13 U.S. service members. Former President Donald Trump laid wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery to commemorate the fallen service members.

Ukrainian officials said Russia launched an airstrike involving over 100 missiles and around 100 drones, killing at least five people. It appeared to be Russia’s biggest attack against Ukraine in weeks. Russia said the strike hit energy facilities across Ukraine and disrupted arms supplies.

Prosecutors in Italy have placed under investigation the captain of a superyacht that sank during a storm off Sicily last week, killing seven people. James Cutfield, a 51-year old New Zealand national, is being investigated for possible manslaughter and culpable shipwreck.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell signaled an interest rate cut on Friday in the first such move since 2020. He told an annual gathering of central bankers and economists that “the time has come for policy to adjust.”

Arizona's Secretary of State Adrian Fontes has confirmed that independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. filed paperwork to withdraw from presidential ballots in Arizona. This is fueling speculation that Kennedy will withdraw from the race as he prepares to address the nation on Friday.

A Canadian Teamsters union issued a 72-hour strike notice to one of Canada’s two major freight railroads on Friday—just hours after Canadian National trains had begun rolling again following a damaging stoppage. The union announced that it plans to challenge a government order that forced it into arbitration with both CN and CPKC railroads to end a lockout.

Vice President Kamala Harris will address the Democratic National Convention on Thursday, where she will formally accept the party's nomination for president. Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump plans to visit the Southern border in Arizona and offer a live commentary of Harris's speech.

Divers searching the wreck of a superyacht that sank off Sicily found the bodies of five passengers on Wednesday, including that of the yacht's owner, British tech magnate Mike Lynch. One unidentified woman remains missing.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Ukraine of trying to strike Russia's Kursk nuclear power plant, and said Moscow had informed the UN's nuclear safety watchdog about the situation. This came while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited a border area from which Ukrainian forces had launched their cross-border incursion into Russia's Kursk region.

Day 3 of the Democratic National Convention is underway on Wednesday in Chicago, with Gov. Tim Walz (D-Minnesota) set to deliver his keynote speech and officially accept his vice presidential nomination. Other speakers include former President Bill Clinton and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Florida, Alaska, and Wyoming held primary elections on Tuesday. All incumbents in Florida and Wyoming seeking reelection advanced to the general election. In Alaska, GOP House hopefuls vowed to not target each other in the ranked-vote general election race to unseat Rep. Mary Peltola (D-Alaska).

Russia's foreign ministry said Ukraine's cross-border incursion into its Kursk region has ended all hopes of peace talks. As Ukrainian forces advance in Kursk, Russian troops are closing in on Ukraine's eastern region.

Day 2 of the Democratic National Convention is underway in Chicago on Tuesday. Former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama are set to speak Tuesday night.

Florida, Alaska, and Wyoming hold primary elections, with just four state preliminaries remaining before the November election. None of the races are expected to be competitive.

The European Commission cut its proposed tariff on imports of Tesla cars built in China from 20.8% to 9%. The Commission said some Chinese firms in joint ventures with EU automakers may receive lower planned punitive duties on Chinese-made electric vehicles.

Day 1 of the Democratic National Convention kicked off in Chicago's United Center on Monday, with a focus on President Joe Biden's legacy. Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters are expected to hold a rally and march close to the convention center where Vice President Kamala Harris will officially accept the party’s nomination for president.

The Biden administration has launched the "Keeping Families Together" program, which grants a path to citizenship to spouses of U.S. citizens who have lived in the United States for at least 10 years. Some 500,000 spouses, along with some 50,000 children under 21, are expected to qualify.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken is visiting Israel as part of his ninth trip to the Middle East since the Israel–Hamas war began. He met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and said that the time has come to conclude a cease-fire agreement for Gaza.

Gaza cease-fire talks in Doha, Qatar were paused on Friday with negotiators set to meet again next week in search of an agreement to end fighting between Israel and the Hamas terrorist organization—and to free the remaining hostages. The United States presented a new proposal that built upon points of agreement reached over the past week, closing gaps between the sides in a way that could allow rapid implementation of a deal.

Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to announce plans to lower housing costs during her first economic policy speech in North Carolina on Friday. The plan includes $25,000 in down payment assistance for first-time homeowners and a call for the construction of 3 million new housing units.

Hurricane Ernesto is expected to strengthen further before it passes near or over Bermuda on Saturday morning. Tropical storm conditions including strong winds and life-threatening floods were expected to start affecting Bermuda by Friday afternoon, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Former President Donald Trump is asking the judge in his New York criminal case to delay his sentencing until after the November presidential election. In a letter made public on Thursday, a lawyer for Trump suggested that sentencing him as scheduled on Sept. 18—about seven weeks before Election Day—would amount to election interference.

Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) have agreed to debate each other on Oct. 1, setting up a faceoff between the potential vice presidents as early voting for the general election will begin in some states. Meanwhile, independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said he has no plans to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris for president.

Authorities have arrested at least one person in connection with actor Matthew Perry's death from an accidental ketamine overdose last year. Los Angeles police said that they were working with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service on a probe into why the 54-year-old had so much of the surgical anesthetic in his system.

Former President Donald Trump lost his latest bid on Wednesday to have a new judge appointed for his New York criminal case, as Justice Juan Merchan declined to step aside. This came as Trump is set to rally in Asheville, North Carolina with a focus on his economic policy.

Tropical Storm Ernesto has continued to gain strength and is just shy of a Category One hurricane as it moves through the Caribbean. The storm has brought rain, flooding, and strong gusts to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Ukraine said it has made more advances into Russia's Kursk region as part of its cross-border incursion. It plans to create a "security zone" in the region and organize humanitarian assistance and evacuation corridors for civilians looking to go to either Russia or Ukraine.