October 26, 2022

UKRAINE | Today is day 244 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• The Ukrainian state company that operates the country’s nuclear power plants, says that Russian forces have engaged in secret construction work at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power   plant over the past week and that Ukrainian and U.N. monitors have been denied access to the construction area. The statement comes amidst Russian and Ukrainian officials trading accusations that the opposing side may be preparing to escalate the war using an explosive radioactive device.  [more]
• Amidst Russia’s ongoing targeting of Ukraine’s electrical infrastructure, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Irina Vereshchuk yesterday urged citizens who have been staying abroad to not return to Ukraine for the winter in order to limit pressure on the country’s electrical network. [more]

U.S. GUN VIOLENCE | A report from Education Week says this week’s shooting at St. Louis’ Central Visual and Performing Arts High School, in which one student and one teacher were killed, was the 40th school shooting in the U.S. this year that resulted in injuries or deaths. The report notes that 34 people have been killed and 88 injured in the 40 incidents in 2022. [more]

U.S. ELECTIONS | A newly released Reuters/Ipsos poll of more than 4,000 U.S. registered voters finds that 43% of respondents said they are concerned about threats of violence or intimidation at polling stations and that 67% indicated they are concerned that extremists will commit acts of violence after the election if they are unhappy with the results. [more]

NORTH KOREA | Ahead of meetings with South Korean and Japanese allies today in Tokyo, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said that the U.S. would use all available means, “including nuclear, conventional and missile defense,” to defend its allies from North Korean aggression. The statement came amidst increased levels of weapons testing by the North and reports that Pyongyang is preparing to conduct its latest nuclear test. [more]

COVID-19 | Reports from Shanghai, China, say the city has begun administering the world’s first inhalable COVID-19 booster vaccine. The aerosol vaccine was developed by Chinese biopharmaceutical company Cansino Biologics and was approved in China for use as a booster dose in September. [more]

CALIFORNIA | Regulators in California proposed yesterday that Pacific Gas & Electric be fined more than $155 million for sparking the 2020 Zogg wildfire in Northern California that destroyed 200 homes and left four people dead. [more]

CLIMATE | A new report from U.N. Climate Change warns that while government climate policies worldwide are reducing global greenhouse emissions, they are insufficient to limit rising temperatures to 1.5 degrees Celsius as set out in the 2015 Paris Agreement. [more]

ISRAEL | Israeli President Isaac Herzog was invited yesterday to address a joint session of the U.S. Congress to mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of Israel. A date for the Herzog’s address has not yet been set. [more]

ETHIOPIA | African Union-mediated peace talks aimed at ending two years of conflict between Ethiopia’s government and the country’s northern Tigray region opened yesterday in South Africa and are expected to continue through Sunday. [more]

BANGLADESH | The death toll from Tropical Storm Sitrang has risen to at least 24 in Bangladesh, according to officials. Government reports say about 10,000 homes were damaged, and more than 15,000 acres of crops were destroyed, when the storm hit the South Asian nation earlier this week. [more]

U.K. ECONOMY | The government of newly installed U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced today that it will delay the release of a plan to repair the country’s finances until November 17. [more]

GERMANY | German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach presented a paper today laying out a framework for the government’s proposed legislation to regulate the distribution and consumption of cannabis for recreational purposes by adults. A preliminary version of the cannabis legalization plan was leaked last week. [more]

GOOGLE | Google’s parent company Alphabet reported revenue of $69.1 billion and earnings of $13.9 billion for the July-September quarter yesterday. Revenue and earnings were both lower than projected for the quarter. [more]

GRINER | A Russian court yesterday rejected the prison sentence appeal of WNBA basketball player Brittney Griner, who was sentenced in August to nine years in prison for drug possession. [more]

HOCKEY | Vegas Golden Knights’ Phil Kessel started in his record-setting 990th consecutive game and also became the 12th American-born National Hockey League player to score 400 career goals, in last night’s 4-2 Vegas win over the San Jose Sharks. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1825, after some eight years of construction, the Erie Canal, which connects the Great Lakes with New York City via the Hudson River at Albany, officially opened. Its success propelled New York City into a major commercial center and encouraged canal construction throughout the United States. [more history]