May 9, 2023

UKRAINE | Today is day 439 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• At the Victory Day parade today in Moscow marking the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the West’s “untamed ambitions” were responsible for the current conflict in Ukraine. Victory Day celebrations were cancelled in many Russian cities today due to unspecified security concerns. [more]
• Reports say U.S. officials are expected to announce plans today to provide a new $1.2 billion long-term security package to Ukraine. The aid package, provided under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, is expected to fund the purchase of HAWK air-defense systems, air-defense munitions, and drones, as well as artillery, rockets, and satellite imagery technology. [more]
• Ukrainian defense officials say 23 of 25 Russian missiles fired at Kyiv overnight were shot down and that no casualties were associated with the attacks. [more]

U.S. DEBT | President Joe Biden is scheduled to meet with congressional leaders today at the White House for talks aimed at resolving a standoff over the U.S. federal debt limit and potential default, which could happen as early as the beginning of June. Biden is seeking a debt limit increase without conditions, while Republican lawmakers are seeking to tie a debt limit increase to wide-ranging spending cuts. [more]

NEW YORK | Officials in New York State’s Rockland and Orange counties have declared states of emergency and other measures in an attempt to block plans by New York City Mayor Eric Adams to house migrants in hotels in the counties for up to four months. [more]

TEXAS | Sentencing hearings begin today in Texas the case of Daniel Perry, who was convicted of murder in the 2020 shooting death of Black Lives Matter protester Garrett Foster. Perry faces up to life in prison. [more]

MORE TEXAS | Authorities say right-wing and neo-Nazi ideologies appear to have influenced Mauricio Garcia, the man suspected of carrying out Saturday’s shooting attack at an Allen, Texas, shopping mall that killed eight people, and that his online activity indicates he had been planning the attack for weeks. [more]

SERBIA | Reports say thousands of people took part in a silent protest march yesterday in the Serbian capital of Belgrade to express their grief and demand government, legal, and media reforms following two mass shootings in the country last week in which 17 people were killed and 21 others wounded. [more]

PAKISTAN | Supporters of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan called for nationwide protests today following Khan’s arrest for failing to appear before the country’s anti-corruption National Accountability Bureau to face charges of “corruption and corrupt practices.” [more]

ISRAEL AND GAZA | Israeli military officials say three senior commanders of the Islamic Jihad militant group were killed in targeted Israeli airstrikes today in Gaza City and the southern Gaza town of Rafah. Palestinian health officials say a total of 13 people, including family members of the Islamic Jihad commanders, were killed in the attacks. [more]

NEW ZEALAND | Authorities in Auckland — New Zealand’s largest metropolitan area — declared a state of emergency today due to flooding caused by heavy rains. Reports say some public transportation in the city has been cancelled and that residents have been advised to avoid unnecessary travel. [more]

TURKEY | Just days before Turkey’s presidential and parliamentary elections, in which economic pressures are a major policy concern, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced today that Turkish government workers will receive a 45% pay increase. [more]

CHINESE ECONOMY | Data from China’s General Administration of Customs indicates the country’s overall trade surplus grew 82.3% in April, compared to the year-ago period. [more]

AUSTRALIA | Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers said today that his country is expected to have its first budget surplus in 15 years this year, but warned that increased inflation and other economic pressures would likely push the country deeper into debt in future years. [more]

TECH LAYOFFS | Microsoft-owned, business-focused social media network LinkedIn has announced plans to cut 716 jobs in a move to streamline operations amidst growing economic and demand pressures. [more]

HOCKEY | The National Hockey League’s Chicago Blackhawks won the league’s draft lottery last night and are expected to select top-ranked prospect Connor Bedard in the 2023 NHL Draft in June. [more]

SPORTS AWARDS | Argentinian soccer legend Lionel Messi and Jamaican sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce were named the sportsman and sportswoman of the year, respectively at the 2023 Laureus World Sports Awards. [complete list of winners and nominees] [more]

PULITZER | Among the winners of the 2023 Pulitzer Prizes announced yesterday were:

• In journalism: the staff of the Los Angeles Times for breaking news reporting, the staff of the Wall Street Journal for investigative reporting, and Caroline Kitchener of The Washington Post and the staff of the New York Times for national and international reporting, respectively.
• In the book categories: Barbara Kingsolver, for her book “Demon Copperhead” and Hernan Diaz, for his book “Trust,” won in the fiction category; Beverly Gage won in the biography category for “G-Man: J. Edgar Hoover and the Making of the American Century;” and Robert Samuels received the general nonfiction prize for his work “His Name Is George Floyd: One Man’s Life and the Struggle for Racial Justice.” [full list of winners] [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1974, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee began formal hearings in the impeachment investigation of President Richard M. Nixon.  [more history]