August 10, 2022

UKRAINE | Today is day 168 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• Reports say at least one person was killed, and nine others wounded, in a series of explosions yesterday at a Russian air base in Crimea. Ukraine’s Defense Ministry has not claimed direct responsibility for the blasts. [more]
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky suggested yesterday that the Russian invasion of Ukraine began with the 2014 annexation of Crimea and that the war must end with the liberation of the Black Sea peninsula. [more]
• The leaders of Finland and Estonia have called for European countries to stop issuing tourist visas to Russian citizens over the ongoing war in Ukraine. On Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky suggested that all Western countries should ban Russian tourists. [more]

TAIWAN | The Chinese cabinet's Taiwan Affairs Office released a statement yesterday saying that while China hopes to achieve a "peaceful reunification" with Taiwan, it "will not renounce the use of force" to obtain and maintain its control over the island. [more]

MONKEYPOX | The U.S. Food and Drug Administration yesterday authorized a dose-sparing plan for the administration of monkeypox vaccine. The plan, aimed at stretching the supply of vaccine, calls for vaccinating high-risk populations with two rounds of injections that are one-fifth the size of a usual dose, which the FDA says is about as effective as a traditional dose. [more]

U.S. ECONOMY | Research company FactSet says economists predict that government inflation data to be released today will show that prices rose 8.7% in July, compared to the year-ago period -- down from a 9.1% increase in June. [more]

ALBUQUERQUE | Police in Albuquerque, New Mexico, say Muhammad Syed, 51, has been arrested in connection with the recent killings of four Muslim men in the city. Syed, a Muslim immigrant from Afghanistan, is reported to have known all the victims. [more]

TRUMP INVESTIGATIONS | In a social media post yesterday, former President Donald Trump suggested that he would be testifying today in a New York investigation by the state's attorney general into his family's business practices. [more]

SPYING CONVICTION | Former Twitter employee Ahmad Abouammo was convicted on six criminal counts by a San Francisco federal court yesterday in connection with charges that he used his position at the company to collect data for Saudi Arabia on users critical of the Middle East kingdom.  [more]

GREECE | Search and rescue operations are underway today east of the Greek island of Karpathos after a boat carrying an estimated 60-80 migrants sank overnight. Reports say 29 migrants have been rescued so far. [more]

JAPAN | Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida today announced the replacement of several members of his cabinet following a drop in approval ratings linked to members' association with the conservative Unification Church. [more]

HEALTH | Researchers in China say they have detected a new animal-derived virus in 35 people in eastern China. The novel Langya henipavirus is thought to exist predominantly in shrews and a few other animals, and researchers say there is no evidence at this point that the virus, which has been linked to kidney and liver issues, as well as symptoms such as cough, fever, and fatigue, can spread between humans. [more]

TENNIS | In a story for Vogue.com published yesterday, Serena Williams suggested that she will be stepping away from tennis in the near future to focus on family goals. Williams, who has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, turns 41 next month. [more]

FOOTBALL | Reports say the National Football League yesterday approved the $4.65 billion sale of the Denver Broncos to a group of investors led by Walmart heir Rob Walton and his family. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1846, the Smithsonian Institution was founded in Washington, D.C., by the U.S. Congress with funds bequeathed by English scientist James Smithson. [more history]