December 26, 2022

UKRAINE | Today is day 305 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• In a state television interview released yesterday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that while Russia has “no other choice” than to conduct its operations in Ukraine, Russia is “prepared to negotiate some acceptable outcomes with all the participants of this process.” [more]
• Ukrainian officials say at least 16 people were killed, and more than 60 others wounded, over the past two days due to continued Russian shelling of the eastern Kherson region and the city of Kherson. [more]
• Reports say three Russian servicemen were killed by falling debris when a Ukrainian drone was shot down today over Russia’s Engels military airbase, some 370 miles away from the Ukrainian border. [more]

U.S. WEATHER | At least 34 people across the U.S. are reported to have died as a result of the winter storm that brought heavy snowfall and extremely cold temperatures to much of the country over the holiday weekend. At times, up to 60% of the U.S. population was under winter weather advisories or warnings, with such conditions continuing this morning in many areas. [more]

U.S. ECONOMY | The Commerce Department reported Friday that consumer prices rose 5.5% in November, compared to the year-ago period — down from a 6.1% increase in October and the smallest increase since October 2021. [more]

MISSISSIPPI | Residents of Jackson, Mississippi, are under a ‘boil water’ advisory after water lines in the state capital city burst due to extremely cold temperatures. Residents of the city also lost running water for several days in August due to water treatment plant issues caused by local flooding. [more]

WASHINGTON | Authorities in Pierce County, Washington, say more than 14,000 homes and businesses lost power in the area yesterday after three electrical substations in the Tacoma-area region were vandalized. Reports say it is not yet known if the incidents, which are under investigation by federal law enforcement, were linked. [more]

CALIFORNIA | An agreement was reached Friday to end the six-week-old strike by some 48,000 University of California system student researchers and academic workers over pay and working condition issues. [more]

AFGHANISTAN | Multiple aid organizations have announced that they will no longer operate in Afghanistan following the Taliban government’s order Saturday that all foreign and domestic non-governmental organizations  in the country stop employing women. Taliban officials say the order was implemented due to complaints about female NGO workers not wearing headscarves correctly. [more]

TAIWAN | At least 71 military planes and seven warships took part in a Chinese military show of force directed at Taiwan yesterday and today, according to the Taiwanese Ministry of National Defense. Statements from China’s military say the combat patrols and strike drills were a “firm response to the current US-Taiwan escalation and provocation.” [more]

PAKISTAN | Officials at the U.S. embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan, have issued an advisory warning of possible plans by unknown persons to attack Americans at the city’s Marriott Hotel. [more]

SERBIA | Dozens of people were sickened yesterday and a major international highway was closed when a freight train carrying ammonia derailed near the eastern Serbia town of Pirot. [more]

NORTH MACEDONIA | The government of North Macedonia has imposed emergency health measures in the capital city of Skopje due to high levels of air pollution. The measures include outdoor activity and construction limitations, reduced use of official vehicles, and emergency shelter and other services for homeless people and those with chronic illnesses. [more]

JAPAN | At least 17 deaths and more than 90 injuries are being blamed on heavy snowfall over the past several days in northern Japan, according to the country’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency. [more]

KOREA | South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff reports that North Korean drones violated the South’s airspace today for the first time in five years. The South Korean military fired warning shots and scrambled fighter jets in response, but it is unclear as yet if any of the drones were shot down. [more]

CHINA | Reuters cites multiple health professionals in Beijing as saying the city’s emergency rooms, hospitals, and crematoria are having an increasingly hard time dealing with increased caseloads and deaths following the relaxation of strict anti-COVID measures. [more]

R.I.P. | Kathy Whitworth, whose 88 professional golf tournament victories are the most by any player ever, died Saturday at the age of 83. Whitworth’s final victory was in the 1985 United Virginia Bank Classic. [more]

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE | "Avatar: The Way of Water" topped the North American box office over the weekend with an estimated $56 million in receipts, followed by "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish," and "Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody." [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1647, Charles I and the Scots reached a secret agreement whereby the Scots offered to support the king's restoration to power in return for his acceptance of Presbyterianism in Scotland and its establishment in England for three years. [more history]