Today’s edition of quick hits:
* Afghanistan: "The Taliban announced Tuesday that it is withdrawing from the key northern Afghan city of Kunduz, the site of its first significant military gain since the militants’ ouster in late 2001."
* Deadly violence in Israel: "At least three people were killed and more than a dozen injured in a series of stabbing and shooting attacks in Israel on Tuesday, officials said, as the wave of recent violence showed no signs of abating."
* Iraq: "After months of preliminary skirmishes and hundreds of U.S. airstrikes, conditions are now right for Iraq to launch a decisive assault on Ramadi and reclaim the provincial capital from Islamic State fighters, a U.S. military official said Tuesday."
* Oregon: "A U.S. Energy Department lab in Albany, Oregon, remained under evacuation Tuesday afternoon as authorities scoured the 10-acre campus after a 'credible' bomb threat was phoned in, the agency said."
* MH17: "Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was downed by a Russian-made "warhead" fired from eastern Ukraine that detonated outside the jet's cockpit, Dutch investigators concluded in their final report Tuesday."
* ISIS: "The hardline Islamic State group called on Muslims to launch a 'holy war' against Russians and Americans over what it called their 'crusaders' war' in the Middle East, according to an audio message distributed by their supporters on Tuesday."
* Moscow: "Russia’s main security agency on Monday detained what it said was a terrorist cell operating out of a central Moscow apartment, where, it said, an 'explosive device' was found."
* Ohio: "The attorney for Tamir Rice’s father blasted the release of two reports from use-of-force experts, calling the killing of 12-year-old Rice last November 'tragic' and 'heartbreaking' but reasonable under the circumstances. Cuyahoga County, Ohio Prosecutor Timothy McGinty released the reports Saturday as part of an investigation that has stretched on for 11 months."
* I remain highly skeptical that this could work, but it's something to watch: "One House Democrat indicated Monday that Republicans should consider turning to his party to find a majority coalition to elect a new Speaker. Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.) said centrist GOP lawmakers who are frustrated with the roughly 40-member Freedom Caucus could find potential allies in Democrats."
Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.