News Wrap: Israeli official expects 7 more months of fighting in Gaza

Geoff Bennett:

Israel's national security adviser says he expects another seven months of fighting in Gaza. The remarks come amid growing international pressure on Israel over its offensive against Hamas. It also raises questions about who will control Gaza after the war.

At a press conference today in Moldova, Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Israel to come up with a strategy.

Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State: In the absence of a plan for the day after, there won't be a day after. And this is where we need to go. Or, if not, we will have chaos, lawlessness, and a vacuum that eventually will be filled again by Hamas or maybe something, if it's possible to imagine, even worse, jihadis.

Geoff Bennett:

On the ground, Israel's military said today it has seized a key corridor along Gaza's border with Egypt. Israel says the area is a focal point for tunnels that Hamas uses to smuggle weapons and other goods.

Meantime, Israel expanded its offensive in the Southern Gaza City of Rafah. The IDF released video today of its troops operating in and around buildings within the city. Thousands of Gazans continue to evacuate the areas nearby.

South Africans voted today in what could be the country's most significant election in decades. The African National Congress party led South Africa out of apartheid and has dominated the political scene for the last three decades. But several polls have put the ANC support among voters below 50 percent, meaning it could lose its majority in Parliament. The economy is a driving factor for many voters, with an estimated half of South Africa's 62 million residents living in poverty.

Muhamad Makgotho, Cape Town, South Africa, Resident:

So, I think, if we want to change the economic state and all the things that we complain about and we post about on social media and all of that, I think all of us need to come out and actually do something about it.

Geoff Bennett:

Roughly 45 percent of South Africans are registered to vote, and final results are expected by this Sunday.

A volcano in Southwestern Iceland has erupted for a fifth time since December. The eruption shot red hot bursts of lava more than 150 feet in the air along a fissure over a mile long. This particular stretch of volcanoes had been dormant for nearly 800 years before eruptions started again in 2021.

Criminal charges against the world's top golfer have been dismissed. Scottie Scheffler was facing a felony charge and three misdemeanors related to a traffic incident at the PGA Championship in Kentucky earlier this month. Scheffler did not appear in court for today's brief hearing, and it was not his lawyer, but, rather, the county prosecutor who requested the case be dismissed.

Mike O’Connell, Prosecutor, Jefferson County, Kentucky, Attorney’s Office:

My office cannot move forward in the prosecution of the charges filed against Mr. Scheffler. Mr. Scheffler's characterization that this was — quote — "a big misunderstanding" — close quote — is corroborated by the evidence.

Geoff Bennett:

Scheffler's attorney says the golfer is happy it's over. The police officer involved in the incident has since been disciplined for not activating his body camera during the arrest.

Nissan has issued an urgent do-not-drive warning to owners of older vehicles, citing an increased risk of explosions from their Takata brand airbag inflators. The malfunction sends dangerous metal fragments flying toward the driver. The recall affects 84,000 older vehicles that includes the early 2000s Pathfinder, an Infiniti QX4 SUV, as well as the early-to-mid 2000s Sentra compact cars.

Today's recall comes after one person was killed and as many as 58 injured by exploding inflators since 2015.

On Wall Street today, stocks struggled amid ongoing worries over the timing of potential interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve. The Dow Jones industrial average lost more than 400 points to close at 38441. The Nasdaq gave back nearly 100 points after closing at an all-time high on Tuesday. The S&P 500 dropped 39 points.

And giant pandas are returning to Washington. The Smithsonian's National Zoo announced today that China has agreed to send a pair of pandas to the U.S. They will fill the void left by the three pandas who were returned to China last November. The number of pandas in American zoos has dwindled as loan agreements lapsed during diplomatic tensions between the U.S. and China.

The National Zoo's director laid out the details of the agreement earlier today.

Brandie Smith, Director, National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute: We are welcoming giant pandas back to our nation's capital by the end of this year.

(Applause)

Brandie Smith:

Yes. Yes, absolutely. The Smithsonian and the China Wildlife Conservation Association have reached a 10-year cooperative breeding and research agreement.

Geoff Bennett:

The only pandas currently in the U.S. live at the Zoo Atlanta and are scheduled to go back to China at the end of the year, so some sad days ahead for Atlanta, but some very good news for panda fans in D.C.