May 2, 2022

UKRAINE | Today is day 68 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• New data from the U.N. Refugee Agency (UNHCR) released today says more than 5.5 million people have fled Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion. [more]
• U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi led a congressional delegation to Ukraine yesterday, where she met with Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky. Pelosi praised the courage of the Ukrainian people and pledged U.S. support for Ukraine in the ongoing fight against Russian forces. [more]
• Energy ministers from European Union nations are holding emergency talks today to discuss a possible united response to Russia's demand that payments for Russian gas be made in rubles or face supplies being cut off. [more]
• Bloomberg cites Russian state media as reporting that Russia intends to end its participation in International Space Station missions over global sanctions surrounding its invasion of Ukraine. [more]

KANSAS | Officials say more than 1,000 homes were damaged by a tornado that struck south-central Kansas on Friday. The EF3 tornado was on the ground for about 21 minutes near the Wichita suburb of Andover, according to the National Weather Service. [more]

WILDFIRES | Thousands of New Mexico residents are under mandatory evacuation orders today, as the Calf Canyon and Hermits Peak wildfires surpassed 100,000 acres burned over the weekend. [more]

ARMENIA | Reports say at least 125 people were detained by police today in the Armenian capital of Yerevan while taking part in protests against the government of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. [more]

PHILIPPINES | The Manila Times newspaper reports that up to 40,000 members of the Philippines' armed forces will be deployed around the country to ensure security on the May 9 national election day. [more]

COVID-19 | Both Italy and Greece announced the easing of COVID-19 restrictions yesterday. Italian officials lifted the health pass requirement for entering restaurants, cinemas, gyms and other public venues, while Greece lifted all COVID-19 rules for international and domestic air travel  except for the wearing of face masks during flights and at airports. [more]

TRAVEL | New Zealand is welcoming tourists again today for the first time in more than two years, dropping most of its COVID-19 border restrictions for visitors from more than 50 visa-waiver countries. Visitors must still be vaccinated and show negative COVID test results. [more]

MORE TRAVEL | Australian airline Qantas Airways has announced plans to offer direct Sydney-to-London flights starting in 2025. The new 20-hour flight will be the world's longest non-stop flight. [more]

R.I.P. | Grammy-winning country singer Naomi Judd died this weekend at the age of 76. A family statement said Judd was lost to "the disease of mental illness" and that no further details on the cause of death would be released. [more]

MUSIC | Ray Charles and The Judds were among the artists inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame last night in Nashville. The Judds' induction came just a day after one half of the duo, Naomi Judd, died at the age of 76. [more]

TENNIS | Former Wimbledon champion and world top-ranked men's tennis player Boris Becker was sentenced in Germany to 30 months in prison Friday for concealing assets while filing for bankruptcy. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1803, the United States purchased the Louisiana Territory from France at a rate of less than three cents per acre for 828,000 square miles [more history]