May 11, 2022

UKRAINE | Today is day 77 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• Reports say natural gas flow through Ukraine to Western Europe has been disrupted by the war for the first time, with flow through a distribution hub in eastern Ukraine being closed by its operator today. Increased flow through other pipelines is expected to make up for the closure. [more]
• Military officials in Belarus have announced that they plan to deploy special operations forces near the country's southern border with Ukraine in response to continued NATO troop buildups in neighboring countries. [more]
• Newly released data from the U.N. says more than 5.9 million Ukrainians have fled the country since the start of the Russian invasion, and that 14 million have been displaced within the country. [more]
• The U.S. House of Representatives yesterday approved an additional $40 billion in military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine. The bill is expected to pass the Senate in the coming days. [more]

ABORTION | Senate Democrats are expected to put forward a bill today that would codify the right to abortion in federal law. While admitting that they do not have the votes to pass the measure, Democratic leaders say the move will force legislators to publicly clarify their stances on the issue. [more]

MIDDLE EAST | The Qatar-based Al Jazeera news network says one of its journalists, Shireen Abu Akleh, was shot and killed today while covering an Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank town of Jenin. The network has blamed the shooting on Israeli forces, while Israeli officials say they are investigating the possibility that Palestinian gunfire may have been responsible. [more]

BREXIT | The U.K. yesterday threatened to unilaterally nullify portions of its trade treaty with the European Union over rules that it says are preventing the formation of a new government in Northern Ireland. At issue are rules for the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland -- the only part of the U.K. that shares a border with an EU nation. [more]

ABORTION | Gov. Kathy Hochul announced yesterday that New York will provide $35 million in grants to abortion providers in the state to expand services and improve security in anticipation of increased use if the Supreme Court overturns the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide. [more]

SRI LANKA | Armored vehicles and troops have been deployed in the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo today following two days of clashes between pro- and anti- government protesters. [more]

ENVIRONMENT | Government scientists in Australia say more than 90% of the Great Barrier Reef coral surveyed this year was bleached -- the fourth such mass event in the past seven years. Coral bleaching is a heat stress response that researchers say has become more prevalent due to global warming. [more]

TWITTER | Tesla CEO Elon Musk said yesterday that he intends to reverse Twitter's ban of former President Donald Trump if his purchase of the social media platform goes through. [more]

TRAVEL | Officials in New Zealand announced today that the country will reopen its borders to tourists from all countries by July 31, signaling a further easing of COVID-19 restrictions that had been among the most strict in the world. [more]

PHILIPPINES | Key rivals to Ferdinand Marcos Jr. have conceded defeat in the Philippines' presidential election. Marcos Jr. is expected to be sworn into office on June 30. [more]

COVID-19 | China today characterized as 'irresponsible" a statement by World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who said in a speech that the country's "zero COVID" policies which have resulted in ongoing large-scale restrictions are not sustainable. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1997, IBM's chess-playing computer Deep Blue defeated Garry Kasparov in the last game of a six-game match to claim a 3.5–2.5 victory, marking the first time a current world champion lost a match to a computer under tournament conditions. [more history]