February 24, 2023

UKRAINE | Today is the one-year anniversary of the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• Memorials, vigils, and other ceremonies are taking place across Ukraine today to mark the one-year anniversary of the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelensky described the past year of war as one of "pain, sorrow, faith, and unity” and said Ukraine would push to win the war in 2023. [more]
• The Chinese Foreign Ministry today released a 12-point proposal for ending the war in Ukraine. Among the proposals in the “China’s Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis” document are: an end to hostilities, a resumption of peace talks, an end to unilateral sanctions, protection of nuclear power plants, ensuring there are no threats or use of nuclear weapons, and resolving humanitarian, supply chain, and grain shipment issues. [more]
• The U.N. General Assembly yesterday approved a non-binding resolution calling for an end to Russian hostilities in Ukraine and the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops. The resolution passed with a 141-7 vote, with 32 countries abstaining. Belarus, Nicaragua, Russia, Syria, North Korea, Eritrea, and Mali were the countries that voted against the resolution. [more]
• The U.S. announced a new $2 billion security aid package for Ukraine this morning, which includes funds for drones, anti-drone systems, and multiple types of rocket system and artillery ammunition. [more]

GUANTANAMO | The U.S. Department of Defense has announced the release of two Pakistani brothers from the Guantanamo Bay U.S. military prison in Cuba after 20 years in custody without charges having been filed against them. Abdul and Mohammed Rabbani were transferred to U.S. custody by Pakistan in 2002 as part of operations to detain suspected terrorists following the September 11, 2001, al-Qaida attacks on the United States. [more]

U.S. ECONOMY | The Commerce Department yesterday revised its estimate of fourth-quarter 2022 gross domestic product growth to 2.7% — down from its earlier estimate of 2.9%. [more]

WINTER WEATHER | A large winter storm continued to affect the northern U.S. yesterday, with an estimated 900,000 homes and businesses left without power, more than 2,000 airline flights cancelled, and many highways and other roads closed. [more]

TRUMP | U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson yesterday ordered former President Donald Trump to participate in two-hours of questioning associated with lawsuits from two former FBI agents, Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, who were fired after exchanging text messages critical of Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign. [more]

IRAN | Iranian authorities have denounced reports that International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors found Iran to have enriched uranium to 84% purity, which would be near the 90% considered to be weapons-grade, as a “conspiracy”. IAEA officials have not denied the reports, but say they are discussing the results of recent inspections with Iran. [more]

CHINA | Chinese state media reports that six deaths have been confirmed in this week’s collapse of an open-pit coal mine in China’s Inner Mongolia region. Work continues to locate 47 miners still missing in the incident, according to broadcaster CCTV. [more]

NORTH KOREA | The launches of four long-range cruise missiles into the sea off North Korea’s eastern coast yesterday were intended to test missile reliability and rapid-response capabilities, according to North Korean state media. [more]

TURKEY | In the wake of recent earthquakes that killed more than 45,000 people and destroyed or severely damaged more than 160,000 buildings, Turkish officials yesterday issued rebuilding regulations under which individuals, institutions, and organizations will be able to build residences and workplaces to be donated to the country’s urbanization ministry and later distributed to people impacted by the earthquakes. [more]

AVIATION INDUSTRY | U.S. Federal Aviation Administration officials say planemaker Boeing has temporarily halted deliveries of its 787 Dreamliner jets due to possible analysis errors associated with the planes’ forward pressure bulkhead. [more]

AI AND COPYRIGHT | In a matter involving the use of images created by an AI generation system in a graphic novel, the U.S. Copyright Office ruled this week that such images should not be granted copyright protection, saying that while the text and selection and arrangement of elements in Kris Kashtanova’s graphic novel “Zarya of the Dawn” could be protected under copyright, the AI-generated  images were “not the product of human authorship” and therefore not copyrightable. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1803, in Marbury v. Madison, the U.S. Supreme Court declared an act of Congress unconstitutional, thus establishing the doctrine of judicial review. [more history]