Trump says US should ‘re-examine’ all Afghan refugees after suspect named in national guard shooting | First Thing
President called the shooting in Washington an ‘act of terror’. Plus, Hong Kong fire death toll rises to 65
Good morning.
Donald Trump has said the government should review every Afghan immigrant who entered the US during Joe Biden’s administration, after authorities identified the suspect in the shooting of two national guard members in Washington as an Afghan national.
A statement from the Department of Homeland Security named the suspect as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old who came to the US after the withdrawal of its armed forces from Afghanistan in 2021. Immigration authorities granted Lakanwal asylum earlier this year, according to CNN. The shooting, which happened near the Farragut West metro station, close to the White House, took place amid the Trump administration’s controversial deployment of troops to Washington DC.
What is the latest on the condition of the national guard members? They remained in critical condition overnight.
Police blame construction company’s ‘gross negligence’ as Hong Kong fire death toll rises to 65
Police have alleged that the use of unsafe construction materials during maintenance work may be to blame for the rapid spread of a fire at a group of residential tower blocks that has killed at least 65 people in Hong Kong’s deadliest blaze in decades.
Firefighters were still trying to reach people who could be trapped on the upper floors of the Wang Fuk Court housing complex on Thursday because of the fire’s intense heat and thick smoke. More than 250 remained missing and a further 45 people have been taken to hospital in critical condition.
Have there been arrests? Yes – police have arrested two directors and an engineering consultant at a construction company.
West is ‘missing obscure sanctions that could set back Russia’s war machine’
The west is missing several “obscure” – but potentially key – sanctions that could impede Russia’s war effort in Ukraine, research by a US civil society group has found.
While previous sanctions have focused on Russian energy companies, banks, military suppliers and oil tankers, Dekleptocracy’s research has identified chemicals used to make mechanical lubricants and military-grade tires as an important vulnerability that US, UK and EU policymakers have so far failed to exploit.
Why might it be significant? A small number of companies manufacture the chemicals for mechanical lubricants – and almost all stopped selling to Russia after it invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Targeting its remaining main supplier would create a lubricant shortage that “would seriously damage Russia’s war machine”.
Can’t Russia produce these chemicals domestically? It currently lacks domestic producers of many key chemicals. Moscow launched an initiative this year to produce hundreds of chemicals itself – further evidence that the sector is a weakness, Dekeleptocracy says.
In other news …
Georgia’s state prosecutor has confirmed the last criminal case against Trump is “over”, after a superior court judge issued an order on Wednesday dismissing the 2020 racketeering case.
Karoline Leavitt’s nephew’s mother, who migrated from Brazil as a child, has been detained by US immigration agents in Massachusetts and is being held in custody in Louisiana.
A monthly injection could be used to control severe asthma, a clinical trial has found.
Trump reportedly asked the Japanese prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, to avoid further escalation in a dispute with China during a call this week.
Stat of the day: Global number of incarcerated women rising at nearly three times the rate of men
The number of women in prisons around the world is approaching 1 million, with this figure rising at nearly three times the rate of men in recent decades. While women are a small minority in prison populations around the world, since 2000 the number imprisoned has grown by 57%, compared with a 22% increase in the men’s prison population. Women are disproportionately jailed for petty crimes linked to poverty, and prisoners face sexual violence and forced labour in prisons, while pregnant women receive inadequate maternal care.
Don’t miss this: Why are so many pro-Trump X accounts based in Asia?
When X recently rolled out a new feature revealing the locations of popular accounts, it became clear that dozens of big “America first” and pro-Trump accounts were based overseas. Many are based in Asia – but experts are split over whether these accounts, many of which claim to be run by Americans, are part of state-backed influence campaigns, or just opportunists looking to make some fast cash.
Climate check: Australia projected to miss 2035 emissions reduction target by huge margin
Australia will need to drastically step up its climate policies to meet its recently announced 2035 emissions reduction target, according to an official projection. Under existing policies, the country will reduce emissions by 2035 by just 48% compared with 2005 levels – well below its target of a cut of between 62% and 70% by that year.
Last Thing: How to be a good party host (or guest)
Planning – and hosting – a great party can seem daunting. While a few points in this guide might come too late if you’re hosting today, the number one thing to remember is that, for you and your guests to have a good time, you need to not be stressed. (It really, really helps to avoid serving your guests a dish you’ve never attempted before.) As for being a good guest, Zoe Williams’s guide has that covered, too: don’t cancel at the last minute and don’t be cliquey – talk to people you don’t know.
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