April 22, 2025

MIDDLE EAST | Update from regional conflicts:

• Palestinian health officials say a U.N.-backed polio vaccination campaign in Gaza has been suspended due to ongoing security risks amidst Israel's renewed military operations and blockading of aid supplies. [more]

UKRAINE | Today is day 1153 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• Officials in Ukraine's southern Kherson region say at lest three people the region were killed in Russian attacks during the Easter cease-fire unilaterally declared by President Vladimir Putin over the weekend. Both sides in the conflict have blamed the other for hundreds of violations during the 30-hour cease-fire period. [more]
• Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said today that Russian President Vladimir Putin is willing to discuss a Ukrainian proposal to halt to attacks by both sides on each other's civilian infrastructure. [more]

U.S. EDUCATION | Harvard University filed a lawsuit yesterday seeking to block the Trump administration from freezing more than $2.2 billion in grants and contracts to the school for rejecting administration demands to change its practices and policies to conform with administration positions and priorities. [more]

U.S. ECONOMY | Amidst ongoing economic turmoil and new criticism of the Federal Reserve by President Donald Trump, U.S. stock indices fell sharply yesterday, with the S&P 500 down 2.4%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 2.5%, and the Nasdaq composite down 2.6%. [more]

MORE U.S. ECONOMY | The U.S. dollar fell to nearly multi-year lows versus the euro and the Swiss franc today amidst ongoing economic concerns and market volatility sparked by the Trump administration's tariff policies that analysts suggest is raising concerns about the dollar's value as an international reserve currency. [more]

U.S. STUDENT LOANS | Saying that, "American taxpayers will no longer be forced to serve as collateral for irresponsible student loan policies,” U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon announced yesterday that the Department of Education will begin new collection actions on student loans that are in default beginning May 5, including through federal payment offsets and, potentially, wage garnishment. Education Department officials say an estimated 5.3 million borrowers are in default on their federal student loans. [more]

U.S. MEASLES | Amidst the ongoing spread of measles outbreaks that included more than 800 cases in nine states as of the end of last week, Montana announced an outbreak of five new cases – the state's first in 35 years. [more]

U.S. OPIOID CRISIS | In a settlement with the Justice Department, drugstore chain Walgreens agreed yesterday to pay up to $350 million for what the government has said was the company's illegal filling of millions of prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances between 2012 and 2023. [more]

U.S. AND IRAN | Reports say negotiations between Iran and the United States over the state of Tehran's nuclear program have progressed to an "expert" or "technical" level – a sign, according to analysts, not that an agreement is imminent, but that progress has been made in exploring the details of agreed-upon objectives. [more]

U.S. AND INDIA | U.S. Vice President JD Vance met yesterday with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi for talks on strengthening bilateral cooperation between their countries. A White House statement said the talks included ""laying down a roadmap for further discussions" on trade and tariff issues. [more]

HAITI | Speaking before the U.N. Security Council yesterday, María Isabel Salvador, the top United Nations official in Haiti, said that 1,086 people were killed in gang-related violence in Haiti in February and March of this year, and that the Caribbean nation could face "total chaos" without increased support for the Kenya-led multinational force assisting Haitian police in addressing violence and gang expansion. [more]

EUROPEAN SECURITY | A new report from Dutch military intelligence agency MIVD says that Russia has increased cyber operations against critical infrastructure in the Netherlands and its European allies and warns that Russia continues to map infrastructure in the North Sea for espionage and acts of sabotage aimed at internet cables, water and energy supplies – all allegations that Russian officials have denied. [more]

AUSTRALIA | Early voting begins today in Australia's general elections ahead of the May 3 main election day that will see voters choose between major candidates Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and opposition leader Peter Dutton. [more]

PAKISTAN | Authorities in Pakistan's southern Sindh province say at least 13 people were killed, and 20 others were injured, overnight when a truck carrying laborers, women, and children fell into a ravine in the province's Jamshoro district. [more]

VATICAN | The funeral service for Pope Francis will be held Saturday in St. Peter's Square, according to Vatican officials, who note that Francis chose the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, one of the main four Christian churches in Rome, as his burial site. [more]

RIDE-SHARE REGULATION | The U.S. Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit against ride-share company Uber yesterday, claiming the company enrolled consumers in its Uber One subscription program without their permission and made it too difficult for them to cancel the service. Uber has denied the allegations. [more]

FILM AWARDS | Under a new rule announced yesterday, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences will now require members to watch all nominated films in a category to be eligible to vote in that category's final round of Oscar voting. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 2016, more than 170 countries signed the Paris Agreement on climate change – a landmark treaty aimed at controlling and reducing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere. [more history]