March 10, 2023

UKRAINE | Today is day 379 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• Ukrainian military officials say Russian forces have fired a total of 95 missiles and conducted at least 31 airstrikes targeting locations across Ukraine over the past 24 hours. [more]
• The Lithuanian parliament passed a measure today calling on the International Olympic Committee and other sports bodies to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes until the war in Ukraine ends, war criminals are prosecuted, and reparations are paid. [more]

U.S. BUDGET | President Joe Biden announced details of his proposed $6.8 trillion federal budget for the fiscal year beginning in October yesterday. The proposal, detailed in a White House fact sheet, includes plans to cut the federal deficit by nearly $3 trillion over 10 years, raise taxes on those earning more than $400,000 per year, increase capital gains tax rates, lower health care costs and taxes for middle-income families, and expand healthcare and childcare programs. Biden’s budget proposal is expected to face strong opposition in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives. [White House fact sheet] [Biden speech] [more]

TRUMP INVESTIGATIONS | An attorney for former President Donald Trump has confirmed that Trump has been invited to testify before a New York grand jury investigating allegations of hush money payments made to Stormy Daniels on Trump's behalf during the 2016 presidential campaign. [more]

WEATHER | The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration declared yesterday that the 1.5-year-long La Niña weather pattern — characterized by cooler-than-normal water temperatures in the Pacific Ocean — has ended.  [more]

TIMEKEEPING | Daylight saving time begins in the U.S. this weekend, with clocks “springing forward” one hour at 2 a.m. on Sunday. [more]

GERMANY | Authorities in Hamburg, Germany, say eight people, including a suspect, were killed in a shooting incident yesterday at a Jehovah’s Witnesses hall in the city. Multiple other people are reported to have been wounded in the attack and no information on a possible motive has yet been released. [more]

AFGHANISTAN | Three people were killed, including the Taliban governor of Afghanistan’s northern Balkh province, and four others wounded, in a suicide bombing in the Afghan city of Mazar-e-Sharif yesterday. The Islamic State militant group has claimed responsibility for the attack. [more]

ENERGY CONSUMPTION | European Union national delegates and negotiators from the E.U. Parliament have reportedly reached an agreement on plans to reduce energy consumption across the 27-nation bloc by at least 11.7% by 2030. The agreement will require formal ratifications by the E.U. Parliament and Council. [more]

IRAN AND SAUDI ARABIA | In a deal reported to have been brokered by China, Iranian and Saudi leaders today announced an agreement to reestablish diplomatic relations between their countries after nearly seven years of tensions between the two Middle East nations. [more]

BELGIUM | Public sector workers are taking part in nationwide strikes today in Belgium over employment cuts and changes in pension laws. Industries ranging from train travel to schooling are expected to be significantly disrupted. [more]

U.K.-FRANCE RELATIONS | British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and French President Emmanuel Macron are scheduled to meet today in Paris for talks aimed at addressing immigration issues, improving military and business ties, and easing post-Brexit tensions between their two countries. [more]

NORTH KOREA | Live-fire artillery and missile drills were conducted by the North Korean military yesterday — three days ahead of the scheduled start of large-scale, joint U.S-South Korean military exercises. [more]

ISRAEL AND WEST BANK | Among several incidents in continuing Israeli-Palestinian violence over the past day were the killing of an armed Palestinian by an Israeli settler in the West Bank settlement of Karnei Shomron and  the wounding of three Israeli’s by a Palestinian gunman in Tel Aviv. [more]

CHINA | At the meeting of the largely ceremonial National People’s Congress today, Chinese leader Xi Jinping was appointed to a third five-year term as China's president. [more]

GLOBAL MARKETS | Stock indices around the world are largely down this morning ahead of the release of U.S. employment data. [more]

FILM | The 95th Academy Awards ceremony is scheduled for Sunday with best picture nominees “All Quiet on the Western Front,” “Avatar: The Way of Water,” “The Banshees of Inisherin,” “Elvis,” “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” “The Fabelmans,” “Tár,” “Top Gun: Maverick,” “Triangle of Sadness,” and “Women Talking” vying for the top prize. [more]

SWIMMING | Australian swimmer Kaylee McKeown broke the women’s world record in the 200-meter backstroke today at the New South Wales State Open swim championships, finishing with a time of 2 minutes, 3.14 seconds. [more]

R.I.P. | Actor Robert Blake, best known for his starring role in the 1970s television show “Baretta,” died yesterday in Los Angeles at the age of 89. Blake, who started acting as a child in the “Our Gang” TV series and had multiple starring movie roles, faced controversy later in life when he was charged, but acquitted, in the shooting death of his wife. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 2017, South Korean politician Park Geun-Hye's presidency ended as the country's Constitutional Court upheld her impeachment. She became South Korea's first democratically elected president to be removed from office. [more history]