August 24, 2022

UKRAINE | Today is day 182 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• Today marks six months since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, as well as the 31st anniversary of Ukraine's independence from Russia. Six months into the war, Ukrainian military officials say nearly 9,000 Ukrainian military personnel have been killed, while U.S. intelligence reports suggest that some 15,000 Russian soldiers have been killed. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights says more than 5,500 civilians have died in the fighting, and that about 7,800 more have been injured. [more]
• Reports say the U.S. is expected to announce today that it will provide an additional $3 billion in aid to train and equip Ukrainian forces for the coming 1-2 years. [more]

U.S. STUDENT LOANS | Reports say the Biden administration is expected to announce today that it will cancel up to $10,000 in student loan debt for borrowers who earn less than $125,000 per year. [more]

MICHIGAN | Two men – Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr. – were convicted yesterday of conspiring to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2020. It was the second trial for Fox and Croft, after a different jury failed to reach unanimous decisions in their cases earlier this year. [more]

TRUMP INVESTIGATIONS | A newly released letter sent from the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration to attorneys for former President Donald Trump in May says that more than 700 pages from 100 classified documents were among the records retained by Trump when he left office and turned over to the government in January. [more]

TENNESSEE | The U.S. Justice Department announced yesterday that it has charged former Tennessee state House Speaker Glen Casada and his former Chief of Staff Cade Cothren of conspiring with another legislator in a bribery and kickback scheme involving government funds. Casada and Cade have pleaded not guilty to the charges. [more]

ENVIRONMENT | A new study published in the journal "Plants People Planet" concludes that between 11% and 16% of 881 U.S. tree species studied are threatened with extinction and that the most common threats to the at-risk species are invasive and problematic pests and diseases. [full study] [more]

PHILIPPINES | Schools and government offices across the northern Philippines, including in the capital Manila, are closed today following a tropical storm that hit the region yesterday, injuring at least three people and forcing the evacuation of more than 7,000 due to flood risks. [more]

SYRIA | The U.S. military’s Central Command said today that it carried out airstrikes overnight in eastern Syria in response to an August 15 militia attack on U.S. forces in the region. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports that the U.S. airstrikes killed at least six Syrian and foreign militants. [more]

IRAN | The Iranian military reportedly began two days of exercises today intended to test its combat and reconnaissance drones. The drills will involve some 150 drones, according to Iranian state television. [more]

THAILAND | Thailand’s Constitutional Court has suspended Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha from his active duties during consideration of a legal petition that contends Prayuth has held office for longer than the eight years that the Thai constitution allows. [more]

ETHIOPIA | Fighting between the Ethiopian military and militias supporting the country's rebellious northern Tigray region broke out this morning, effectively ending a ceasefire that has been in place since March. [more]

INDIA | Three Indian military officers have been dismissed as the result of an investigation into the March 9 accidental firing of an unarmed missile into Pakistan, according to Indian air force officials. [more]

JAPAN | Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced today that Japan will ease its COVID-19-related border restrictions starting September 7. Under the updated entry requirements, travelers who have received at least three coronavirus vaccine doses will no longer be required to provide negative PCR test results within 72 hours of departure for Japan. [more]

MORE JAPAN | Japanese government officials say they are considering constructing next-generation nuclear power plants to support the goals of reducing carbon emissions and providing a stable supply of electricity, marking a major shift in Japan's policy of no new nuclear energy, according to the Kyodo News agency. [more]

GOLF | Will Zalatoris – ranked as the number nine player in the world – has withdrawn from this week's Tour Championship tournament due to a back injury. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 79 A.D., Mount Vesuvius in Italy erupted, destroying the ancient cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. The excavations of these sites in the mid-18th century precipitated the modern science of archaeology. [more history]