#BREAKING : British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called for a surprise general election, a high-stakes gamble as his Conservative party trails in the polls. (WSJ)

Although Hamas’ communications and military abilities have been degraded, only 30 to 35 percent of its fighters — those who were a part of Hamas before Oct. 7 — have been killed and about 65 percent of its tunnels are still intact, U.S. intelligence indicates. (Politico)

#BREAKING : Ireland and Spain recognized a Palestinian state shortly after Norway announced its recognition. (AP)

#BREAKING : Russia announces start of tactical nuclear weapons drills near Ukraine. (AFP)

The US State Department on Monday said Iran asked Washington for assistance after Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi's helicopter crashed in the mountains near the Azerbaijan border, but ultimately, the US was unable to provide help largely for logistical reasons. (Jpost)

#BREAKING : International Criminal Court seeking arrest warrants for both Hamas leader Sinwar as well as Israeli PM Netanyahu over war crimes. (CNN)

Iran’s Cabinet holds emergency meeting after President’s death. (AP)

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, says intelligence authorities informed him that there is 'no evidence of foul play' in the helicopter crash in. (NBC)

#BREAKING : The US and Saudi Arabia are 'days away' from concluding the documents that would forge a historic bilateral agreement that has long been a top priority for President Joe Biden as it would begin a parallel track to normalize relations between the Kingdom and Israel-CBS

#BREAKING : Rescuers in Iran are trying to reach a helicopter involved in “an incident” while traveling with an entourage including President Ebrahim Raisi, state television reported. (AP)

Yemen's Houthi rebels launch a missile that strikes an oil tanker in the Red Sea, US military says. (AP)

U.S. officials are privately delivering an unusual warning to telecom companies: Undersea cables that ferry internet traffic across the Pacific Ocean could be vulnerable to tampering by Chinese repair ships. (WSJ)

Hezbollah has now admitted their death toll from Israeli strikes in Lebanon stands at 301 dead since October 7, significantly more than the 250 dead they claimed during the second Lebanon war in 2006

Spain has refused permission for an Israel-bound ship carrying arms to call at the southeastern port of Cartagena, Transport Minister Oscar Puente said on Thursday. (Reuters)

Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Wednesday claimed targeting a U.S. Navy destroyer and a commercial ship in the Red Sea. However, the attack on the warship apparently happened nearly two days earlier and saw the vessel intercept the missile targeting it. (AP)

#BREAKING : Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's office says he has postponed upcoming foreign visits amid a Russian offensive. (AP)

#BREAKING : A US Army ammunition plant in Oklahoma is being expanded to at least triple monthly production of the US’s biggest non-nuclear bomb, a weapon often invoked in debates about a potential attack on deeply buried nuclear facilities in Iran or North Korea. (Bloomberg)

The US has assessed that Israel has amassed enough troops on the edge of Rafah in Gaza to move forward with a full-scale incursion in the coming days, but officials are currently unsure if it has made a final decision to carry out such a move in defiance of President Biden. (CBS)