August 26, 2022

UKRAINE | Today is day 184 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday ordered the Russian military to boost its troop levels by 137,000, or 13%, to 1.15 million by the end of the year. [more]
• The Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine was cut off from the electrical grid yesterday following damage to the plant's power transmission lines, causing regional blackouts and increasing concerns over the plant's security. Ukraine and Russia have each blamed the other for damaging the power transmission lines. A mission from the U.N.’s International Atomic Energy Agency is expected to visit the plant next week for inspections. [more]

TRUMP INVESTIGATIONS | U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart yesterday ordered the Justice Department to release a redacted version of the affidavit used to obtain the search warrant that authorized the search of former President Donald Trump's Florida home on August 8 by noon today. [more]

U.S. TAXES | The Internal Revenue Service announced this week that it will refund some $1.2 billion in late tax filing penalties to 1.6 million taxpayers who were late filing returns for 2019 and 2020. The agency says the move is part of the government's COVID-19-related tax relief efforts. [more]

NATO | Officials from Turkey, Finland, and Sweden are scheduled to meet today in Finland to discuss security concerns that Turkey has raised in considering its vote on whether to approve the Nordic countries' applications to join the NATO alliance. [more]

U.K. POWER | U.K. government energy regulators said today that new price caps on energy costs will result in the country's residents seeing about an 80% increase in their annual household energy bills when they go into effect in October. The Office of Gas and Electricity Markets cites Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and reduction of gas supplies to Europe as reasons for the increased energy costs. [more]

PAKISTAN | The Pakistan Telecom Authority says communication with the country's southwestern Balochistan province has been largely cut off due to infrastructure damage and breakdown in communication lines caused by torrential rains and flooding. [more]

COLOMBIA | The government of Colombia says it plans to suspend aerial bombing of armed groups in the South American country in a move aimed at minimizing civilian deaths and risks to children who have been forcibly recruited into the groups. [more]

TRAVEL AND COVID-19 | The U.S. Department of Transportation yesterday suspended 26 flights by Chinese airlines from the U.S. to China over a dispute involving China's requirement that airlines suspend flights if passengers test positive for COVID-19. [more]

CELLULAR COVERAGE | U.S wireless carrier T-Mobile has announced plans to use satellite service from SpaceX's Starlink to provide mobile users with network access in parts of the U.S. where cellular service is not currently available. The company says most phones used by its customers will be compatible with the new service, which is scheduled to begin testing in 2023. [more]

TENNIS | Novak Djokovic withdrew from the 2022 U.S. Open tournament yesterday due to U.S. policies that require non-citizens to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to enter the country. [more]

ENTERTAINMENT | Music stars Britney Spears and Elton John have released a collaborative dance track that features Spears singing portions of multiple Elton John songs. The "Hold Me Closer" single is Spears' first musical release since 2016. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1883, Indonesia's Krakatoa volcano began to erupt. An estimated 36,000 people died in the following days as a result of the explosion and resulting tsunamis. [more history]