March 18, 2022

UKRAINE | Today is day 23 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates [more]:

• The New York Times cites unnamed U.S. officials as saying that intelligence estimates suggest more than 7,000 Russian soldiers have died in Ukraine since the invasion began.
• Russian forces hit an airport near the western Ukraine city of Lviv with a missile attack this morning. No casualties were reported from the attack, which took place only four miles from the city that has become a major transit area for Ukrainians fleeing violence in eastern portions of the country.
• Talks between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping today are expected to focus on the war in Ukraine and suspected requests from Russian for Chinese financial and military aid.

HBCUs | The FBI says it has identified six juvenile suspects in connection with investigations into more than 50 bomb threats made against historically Black colleges and universities in the U.S. this year. [more]

PERU | Former President Alberto Fujimori was ordered freed from prison yesterday by Peru’s Constitutional Court on humanitarian and medical grounds. Fujimori is serving a 25-year sentence for human rights abuses. [more]

TEXAS | Authorities in central Texas say evacuation orders are in place today for portions of Eastland, Brown and Comanche counties due to wildfires fueled by strong winds and dry conditions. [more]

ECONOMY | The average rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage exceeded 4% this week — the first time to reach that level since May 2019. Rates reached a record low of 2.65% in January 2021. [more]

COVID-19 | Pharmaceutical company Moderna has asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to approve a fourth dose of its COVID-19 vaccine as a booster dose for all adults. [more]

AIR TRAVEL | In an interview with the BBC, Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian says prices for flights on the carrier will likely be increased 5-10% due to higher fuel and oil prices. [more]

GERMANY | German health officials are expected to let most pandemic-related restrictions expire this weekend, even as the country experiences a surge in newly confirmed COVID-19 infection cases. [more]

CUBA | Cuba's Supreme Court said yesterday that more than 100 people have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from four to 30 years in connection with their participation in anti-government protests in July of last year. [more]

CANADA | Canadian officials announced yesterday that, as of April 1, fully vaccinated travelers will no longer be required to show a negative pre-departure coronavirus test to enter the country. [more]

META | The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has filed a lawsuit against Facebook parent company Meta, alleging the company knowingly hosted ads for bogus cryptocurrencies that featured false endorsements by Australian celebrities. [more]

ENTERTAINMENT | Amazon and MGM announced yesterday that the e-commerce giant's acquisition of the movie studio has been completed. Reports say Amazon will use the studio's film and television catalog to complement its Prime Video and Amazon Studios’ work. [more]

NCAA BASKETBALL | In a major upset, Saint Peters defeated two-seed Kentucky last night, 85-79, in the first round of the 2022 NCAA men's basketball tournament. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1965, Soviet cosmonaut Aleksei Leonov, after passing through an air lock on the spacecraft Voskhod 2, became the first man to walk in space. [more history]