The Evening: Sinwar Killed, U.S. Targets Yemen, Playing For Change, and More

Sinwar Killed

The Israeli military confirmed on Thursday that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, the architect of the October 7 attack, who has been the No. 1 target for Israel since the beginning of the war, had been killed in battle, as the NYT reports. 

U.S. Strikes Target Houthi Weapons Stores in Yemen

The U.S. said Thursday that it hit Houthi targets in Yemen with long-range bombers, the latest in a series of strikes aimed at stopping the Iran-backed group from attacking commercial and military vessels in the Middle East, as the WSJ reports.

China’s Military Drills Around Taiwan

China’s coast guard, the world’s largest maritime law enforcement agency, played an unprecedented role in this week’s military drills around Taiwan, participating in a simulated blockade of the island and raising the chance of escalation as Beijing muddies the waters with “gray zone” tactics, as The Washington Post reports.

Executive Education

Step into the unfolding story of superpower strategy as U.S.-China relations continue to redefine the global order. Flashpoints and Future of the U.S.-China Relationship explores the complex dynamics driving this critical relationship through expert insights and simulated futures. Register by November 6. 

Audio Briefs

CSIS now offers full audio versions of our latest analysis. Listen to the latest Critical Questions by CSIS's Jon Alterman, "What Does Yahya Sinwar’s Death Mean?" 

In That Number

17

During this week’s military drills, 17 Chinese coast guard ships fully encircled Taiwan and its outlying islands, representing the first time Beijing has simulated a maritime blockade of the island.
Source: The Washington Post

Critical Quote

iDeas Lab

CSIS satellite imagery analysis of the Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Facility shows that it continues to be maintained to allow for nuclear testing, and that North Korea's seventh nuclear test may occur around the U.S. election in November. Read the full analysis here.

The Andreas C. Dracopoulos iDeas Lab at CSIS enhances our research with the latest in cutting-edge web technologies, design, and multimedia.

Optics

Israelis take part in a protest in Tel Aviv calling for the release of hostages from Hamas captivity following the announcement of Yahya Sinwar's death, on October 17, 2024.

Recommended Reading

“What Does Yahya Sinwar's Death Mean?” by CSIS's Jon B. Alterman.

This Town Upcoming

Tomorrow, at 8:30 a.m., the CSIS Japan Chair and the Japan Foundation host a symposium on the U.S.-Japan relationship with keynote remarks from Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell.  

On Monday, at 9:30 a.m., the CSIS Korea Chair hosts the 100th episode of The Capital Cable with CSIS President and CEO John Hamre and Dr. Park Jin, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea. 

Also on Monday, at 4:00 p.m., the CSIS Freeman Chair and CSIS Australia Chair welcome Kevin Rudd, Australian Ambassador to the United States and former Australian Prime Minister, to discuss his new book, On Xi Jinping: How Xi's Marxist Nationalism is Shaping China and the World. 

Video

Earlier today, the CSIS Human Rights Initiative hosted a conversation with Oleksandra Matviichuk. the head of the Nobel Peace Prize winning organization Center for Civil Liberties in Kyiv, Ukraine. Watch the full video here.

Podcasts

Ben Cahill and Eddie Fishman join the podcast to discuss the current state of Russia's energy industry and the prospects for the country's lucrative hydrocarbon exports. They also assess the impacts of Western sanctions on the industry to date and ways those sanctions could potentially be tightened going forward. 

Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

Smiles

The folks at “Playing For Change” have done it again with one of their uplifting, global music videos. And as far as song selection, it’s hard to top Bob Marley’s iconic “No Woman, No Cry.”

I invite you to email me at aschwartz@csis.org and follow me on Twitter @handrewschwartz