U.S. and world news for Oct. 23

Israel-Hamas war: Israeli warplanes struck targets across Gaza and also hit two airports in Syria and a West Bank mosque believed to be used by terrorists as the nation’s war against Hamas expanded in scope. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed troops in northern Israel and warned that Hezbollah faces “the mistake of its life” if it begins a ground campaign in support of Hamas.

Italian leader warns world of Hamas “trap”: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni accused the Hamas terrorists of attempting to sabotage the cause of Middle East peace through its Oct. 7 attack on Israel that killed 1,400 people. Speaking at a Cairo international summit for Middle East peace, Meloni said, “I have the impression that this was the real aim of the Hamas attack, not to defend the rights of the Palestinian people, but an attack that would create an unbridgeable gap between the Palestinians and the Israelis, meaning that the target is all of us, and we cannot fall into this trap, which would be very stupid.” Meloni met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Cairo before traveling to Tel Aviv to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Chinese warships in Middle East: The tumult in the Middle East became more convoluted with reports that up to six Chinese warships have been operating in the Middle. China’ 44th naval escort task force is not a stranger to the region – it has been moving around the Middle East for the past six months, initially as an escort for shipping fleets in the Gulf of Aden – but its presence gained regional attention when it spent part of last week in a joint training exercise with Oman’s navy before leaving on Saturday for an unspecified destination.

Funeral for slain Detroit synagogue leader: Funeral services were held Sunday for Samantha Woll, the president of a Detroit synagogue who was found stabbed to death in her home on Saturday morning. Detroit Police Chief James E. White said his department “mobilized many of its resources and has been leveraging every law enforcement and community resource it has to help further the investigation.” Woll was known in Detroit for efforts to encourage interfaith relations, and the Michigan chapter of Council on American Islamic Relations called her death a “tragic loss.”

A wave of Speaker candidates: The race to fill the vacancy for Speakers of the House of Representative has become crowded with contenders after Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) failed to secure his colleagues’ backing after three attempts. TheHill.com reported House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) and Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OK), the chairman of the Republican Study Committee, are the main contenders vying for the position after GOP legislators voted on Friday not to continue with Jordan’s candidacy. House Republican Conference Vice Chairman Mike Johnson (R-LA) and second-term Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) also announced their candidacy, and four other GOP representatives are positioning themselves for this opportunity.

Soccer legend Bobby Charlton dies: Sir Robert “Bobby” Charlton, a longtime staple of the Manchester United soccer team who led England to its 1966 World Cup victory, passed away on Saturday at the age of 86 complications from dementia. A midfielder known for his ferocity and determination, Charlton played for Manchester United from 1956 to 1973 and scored 249 goals during his years with the team and helped the team win the FA Cup in 1963 and the Football League in 1965 and 1967. He also captained the United team that won the European Cup in 1968 and served as a director of the club after he retired from playing. He was knighted in 1994 and was an Inaugural Inductee to the English Football Hall of Fame in 2002.

Swift outpaces Scorsese: “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” dominated the U.S. box office for the second consecutive weekend, grossing $31 million – down from its premiere weekend take of $92.8 million, but still enough to fend off the challenge from Martin Scorsese’s highly anticipated epic “Killers of the Flower Moon,” which took in $23 million. “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” also made history as the first concert film to gross more than $100 million in ticket sales. Rounding out the top five films at the weekend box office were “Exorcist: The Believer” with $5.6 million, the animated “Paw Patrol 2” with $4.4 million and a re-release of the 1993 “Nightmare Before Christmas” with $4.1 million.

Cover photo courtesy of AMC