August 5, 2022

UKRAINE | Today is day 163 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• Reports say three more ships operating under the U.N.-backed plan to resume grain shipments from Ukraine departed from Ukrainian ports today carrying more than 58,000 tons of corn. The first grain ship, which departed Ukraine earlier this week, is making its way to Lebanon after being inspected in Turkey. [more]
• A report released yesterday by Amnesty International accuses the Ukrainian military of endangering civilians by stationing troops and armaments near hospitals, schools, and residential buildings. [full report] [more]
• Canada has announced that it will send more than 200 military troops to the U.K., where they will work with counterparts from the U.K., the Netherlands, and New Zealand to train Ukrainian fighters. [more]
• Ukrainian General Oleksiy Gromov said today that Russia appears to be building up forces in the southern Kherson region in preparation for a possible renewed offensive in the area. [more]

TAIWAN | U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken today characterized Chinese live-fire military exercises around Taiwan in response to a visit to the island by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as a "significant escalation." [more]

U.S. ECONOMY | Mortgage company Freddie Mac reports that the average interest rate for a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage in the U.S. fell to 4.99% this week -- down from 5.3% last week. [more]

MORE U.S. ECONOMY | The Labor Department reported yesterday that the number of people filing initial claims for unemployment benefits in the U.S. rose to 260,000 in the week ended July 30 -- up from 254,000 in the previous week. [more]

MONKEYPOX | The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services yesterday declared the ongoing monkeypox outbreak to be a national health emergency. More than 6,600 cases of the disease have been detected in the U.S. in the current outbreak. [more]

U.S. POLITICS | Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban delivered a keynote address at the Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, meeting in Dallas, Texas, yesterday. Orban urged conservatives to fight for control of government institutions, maintain hardline stances on LGBT rights and immigration, and prepare for the next presidential election. [more]

MORE U.S. POLITICS | Reports say Senate Democrats have negotiated last-minute changes to major economic legislation to ensure the support of all members of their caucus, including Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema, who had been a holdout on supporting the package. The legislation is aimed at raising more than $739 billion in revenue over 10 years, which would be used for, among other things, clean energy initiatives, health care improvements, and debt reduction. [more]

CIVIL RIGHTS | The U.S. Justice Department filed federal civil rights charges yesterday against four current and former Louisville police officers in connection with the 2020 police shooting death of Breonna Taylor. The charges center mainly on the drug warrant authorizing the search of Taylor’s home, and include unlawful conspiracy, use of force, and obstruction of justice. [more]

SANDY HOOK | A Texas jury yesterday ordered Infowars host and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones to pay $4.1 million in compensatory damages to the parents of Jesse Lewis, who was one of 20 children killed in the 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. The parents had sought compensation from Jones for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress over Jones' claims that the school shooting was a hoax. [more]

RUSSIA | A Russian court yesterday convicted U.S. basketball player Brittney Griner on charges of drug possession and smuggling, and sentenced her to nine years in prison. Reports indicate that talks are ongoing about a potential prisoner-exchange between the U.S. and Russia that could see Griner returned to the United States. [more]

CAUCASUS | The European Union yesterday called for an immediate end to military clashes between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces along their countries' disputed border, which have escalated this week. [more]

THAILAND | Authorities in Thailand's eastern Chonburi province say at least 13 people were killed, and dozens of others injured, when a fire broke out early today in a pub in the province's Sattahip district. [more]

SERBIA-KOSOVO | The leaders of Serbia and Kosovo have reportedly agreed to take part in E.U.-mediated talks in Brussels on August 18 to discuss border crossing issues between their two countries that have escalated recently. [more]

KENYA | Kenya's Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission said yesterday that more than 18,000 local and international election observers will monitor polls next Tuesday to ensure the integrity of the country's general election. [more]

SPACE EXPLORATION | South Korea launched its first lunar orbiter yesterday. The "Danuri" orbiter, carried aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, will collect imaging and geologic data on the moon, as well as scout locations for potential future lunar landing sites. [more]

GOLF | Eleven professional golfers taking part in the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series, including Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau, have filed an antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour, seeking to overturn suspensions and allow them to participate in PGA Tour events. [more]

FOOTBALL | The 2022 NFL preseason kicked off last night with a 27-11 Las Vegas Raiders win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in the annual Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1963, the United States, the Soviet Union, and the United Kingdom signed the Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty in Moscow. [more history]