September 19, 2023

UKRAINE | Today is day 572 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is scheduled to address the U.N. General Assembly session in New York City today and the U.N. Security Council tomorrow before heading to Washington, D.C., where he will meet with U.S. President Joe Biden and members of Congress. [more]
• Ukrainian officials say at least two people were killed today in Russian drone and artillery strikes on the cities of Lviv and Kherson. Reports say the attack on Lviv struck three industrial warehouses, causing a large fire. [more]

UNITED NATIONS | Ahead of today’s opening of general debate at the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged the international community yesterday to re-commit to achieving the 17 global sustainable development goals agreed to in 2015 to build “a world of health, progress and opportunity” for all people. [AP UNGA briefing] [more]

U.S. LABOR | United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain said yesterday that the union could expand its current limited strike against the Big 3 U.S. automakers if substantial progress is not made toward a new contract by noon on Friday. [more]

SOUTH CAROLINA | U.S. Marine Corps officials say the crash site of a fighter jet that crashed over the weekend after its pilot ejected has been located in South Carolina’s Williamsburg County and that the incident is currently under investigation. [more]

U.S. ECONOMY | The U.S. Federal Reserve is widely expected to keep its key interest rate at the current range of between 5.25% and 5.5% at the conclusion of its latest two-day policy meeting, which begins today. A new policy statement and interest rate decision will be released tomorrow at 2 pm, followed by a press conference with Fed Chair Jerome Powell [more]

U.S. AND IRAN | Five Americans freed by Iran yesterday in exchange for five detained Iranians and the release of nearly $6 billion in frozen funds returned to the U.S. last night after being originally released in Qatar. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi suggested yesterday that the exchange could signal a “step in the direction of a humanitarian action between us and America.” [more]

AZERBAIJAN AND ARMENIA | Military officials in Azerbaijan say they launched “anti-terrorist” operations today in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region to “disarm and secure the withdrawal of formations of Armenia’s armed forces from our territories.” Armenia has denied that it has armed forces in the region. [more]

SUDAN | A new report from the United Nations’ refugee agency says more than 1,200 children under the age of five have died in Sudan from malnutrition and a suspected measles outbreak since the onset of fighting between the African country’s military and paramilitary forces in May. [more]

SOMALIA | Reuters cites unnamed senior European Union officials as saying the European Commission has temporarily suspended funding for the World Food Program in Somalia following a U.N. investigation that found widespread misuse and theft of aid by landowners, local authorities, members of the security forces, and humanitarian workers in the African country. [more]

AUSTRALIA | Authorities imposed a total fire ban today for Australia’s Greater Sydney region and coastal communities to the south due to heightened risks of wildfires amidst unusually hot and dry conditions. [more]

CANADA AND INDIA | In a growing diplomatic standoff, India and Canada have each expelled at least one of the other country’s diplomats amidst tensions centered on what India says is Canada’s support of the Sikh independence, or Khalistan, movement and Canadian allegations of possible Indian government involvement in the killing of a Sikh activist on Canadian soil. [more]

U.K. | Officials with London’s Metropolitan Police Service say more than 1,000 of the service’s officers are currently suspended or on restricted duty due to investigations in the wake of a March independent review and report that found the agency to be institutionally racist, homophobic, and misogynistic. [more]

GERMANY | The German government today banned the neo-Nazi group Hammerskins Germany and conducted raids on the homes of 28 of the group’s members, according to Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, who said the moves were an important blow against “organized right-wing extremism.” [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1955, President Juan Perón of Argentina was overthrown and fled to Paraguay after a military revolt led by democratically inspired officers.  [more history]