August 22, 2022

UKRAINE | Today is day 180 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• The leaders of the U.S., Germany, France, and the U.K. discussed the security of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant yesterday, as reports say artillery shelling in the region around the plant continued over the weekend. [more]
• Natural gas supplies to Europe through Russia's Nord Stream 1 pipeline will be suspended from August 31 through September 2, according to a statement on Friday from the Russian state energy company Gazprom. [more]
• The U.S. Department of Defense announced a new $775 million military aid package for Ukraine on Friday. The package consists largely of missile and artillery weapons and ammunition, but also includes vehicles and drones. [more]
• Russian officials say drone attacks triggered air-defense systems in western Crimea over the weekend and that the attacking drones were all destroyed prior to causing any casualties or material damage. [more]

STUDENT LOANS | U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said yesterday that President Biden will make an announcement regarding student loans in the coming weeks as a moratorium on federal student loan payments is scheduled to expire on August 31. [more]

WEATHER | Much of the U.S. southern plains, including large parts of Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana, is under a flood watch this week, as meteorologists predict heavy rains in areas that have seen very little rainfall this year. [more]

GEORGIA | The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals yesterday put on hold a lower court ruling that had ordered Senator Lindsey Graham to testify before a grand jury about efforts to alter Georgia's 2020 presidential election results. [more]

SOMALIA | At least 21 people were killed, and more than 100 injured, when gunmen entered a hotel in Mogadishu, Somalia, on Friday, and opened fire. A standoff with authorities lasted through Sunday morning. The Al Qaeda-linked terrorist group Al-Shabaab has claimed responsibility for the attack. [more]

INDIA | Government officials in India said yesterday that at least 40 people have died in flash floods since late last week in the states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Heavy rain is expected in the regions for the next two days, raising the risk of more flooding. [more]

PAKISTAN | Police in Pakistan have filed terrorism-related charges against former Prime Minister Imran Khan following a speech by Khan this weekend in which he threatened to sue police and a judge and alleged that a former aide had been tortured by authorities. [more]

SOUTH KOREA | U.S. and South Korean forces began their largest combined military exercises in years today. The Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises are scheduled to continue through September 1. [more]

TURKEY | Reuters cites data from financial analysis and industry research firm Refinitiv Eikon as showing that Turkey, which has not sanctioned Russia due to its actions in Ukraine, has doubled its imports of Russian oil so far this year, compared to the same period in 2021. [more]

GYMNASTICS | Konnor McClain won the women's all-around title yesterday at the 2022 U.S. Gymnastics Championships. Brody Malone won the men's all-around title. [full results] [more]

GOLF | Patrick Cantlay won the BMW Championship golf tournament for the second year in a row yesterday, shooting a final-round 2-under-par 69 to finish one shot ahead of Scott Stallings. [more]

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE | "Dragon Ball Super" topped the North America box office over the weekend with an estimated $20.1 million in receipts, followed by "Beast," and "Bullet Train." [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1485, Henry Tudor (the future Henry VII) defeated the Yorkist king Richard III in the Battle of Bosworth Field, effectively ending the Wars of the Roses and establishing the Tudor dynasty on the English throne. [more history]