September 27, 2022

UKRAINE | Today is day 215 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said yesterday that Russia would face "catastrophic consequences" if it follows through with its veiled threats of using nuclear weapons in Ukraine. [more]
• Five days of voting in Russian-organized referendums to join Russia conclude tomorrow in the Ukrainian regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson, which represent about 15% of Ukrainian territory. [more]
• Sergei Tsekov, a senior member of Russia's upper house of parliament, said today in an interview that draft-age men should not be allowed to travel abroad while the country's mobilization of military reserve forces is being implemented. The statement comes amidst widespread reports of Russian men of fighting age fleeing the country to avoid being called to active duty, which Russian officials have denied. [more]

HURRICANE IAN | Governor Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency for all of Florida as Hurricane Ian approaches the state. Authorities say the storm, which is projected to reach Florida by Wednesday, is expected to hit Cuba and the Cayman Islands and then strengthen as it moves through the Gulf of Mexico. [more]

RUSSIA | At least 13 people, including seven children, were killed, and 21 were injured today in a school shooting in the Russian city of Izhevsk, according to reports from Russia's TASS news agency. [more]

IRAN | Protests continued throughout the weekend in Iran over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in police custody after being charged with violating the Islamic Republic's strict restrictions on women's dress. Protests also took place this weekend outside the Iranian embassies in multiple countries. [more]

ITALY | Near-final results from yesterday's elections in Italy project Giorgia Meloni and her far-right Brothers of Italy party to win the most parliamentary seats. Meloni would be Italy's first woman premier if the projection holds. [more]

CUBA | Voting in Cuba took place yesterday in a government-backed referendum on revisions to the country's family law. The ballot measures would allow same-sex couples to marry and adopt children, allow surrogate pregnancies, and grant broader rights for grandparents in regard to grandchildren, and include provisions for protection of the elderly and against gender-based violence. [more]

CHINA | Multiple countries, including the U.S. and the U.K., have called for the U.N. Human Rights Council to open a debate to discuss concerns about China's treatment of Uyghurs and other Muslims in the western China region of Xinjiang. A recent U.N report concluded that serious human rights violations by China, possibly amounting to crimes against humanity, have been committed in Xinjiang. [more]

U.K. ECONOMY | The British pound fell to an all-time low against the U.S. dollar today, with the exchange rate falling to $1.0373 per pound in early trading, before rallying to $1.0672 per pound. [more]

NORTH KOREA | Freight train service between North Korea and China resumed today after a five-month pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to South Korean officials. [more]

SYRIA | The Syrian health ministry said today that 338 cases of cholera have been confirmed, killing at least 29 people, in several regions of the country since the outbreak was first reported last month. U.N. reports say the outbreak may well be linked to the use of contaminated water on crops and the drinking of unsafe water from the Euphrates River. [more]

CANADA | Reports say hundreds of thousands of people in Canada's Atlantic provinces remain without power today in the wake of remnants of Hurricane Fiona. The Canadian government says military troops have been sent to the region to assist in disaster recovery efforts. [more]

SPACE | NASA has postponed tomorrow's launch of the Artemis 1 moon rocket due to the approach of Hurricane Ian, which is expected to reach Florida's Gulf coast by Wednesday. [more]

GOLF | The American team won their ninth straight Presidents Cup tournament over the International team yesterday, 17 1/2-12 1/2, at Quail Hollow Golf Club in Charlotte, North Carolina. [more]

MUSIC | The National Football League has announced that pop music superstar Rihanna will perform at the Super Bowl halftime show in February in Glendale, Arizona. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1580, after nearly three years at sea, English Admiral Francis Drake arrived in Plymouth Sound, England, completing his circumnavigation of the world. [more history]