Travelers scramble to catch flights to and from Europe after Russia invaded Ukraine. More than 30 countries have so far closed their airspace to Russia – Moscow responded in kind – and several companies are suspending key operations. Russia’s largest airline, Aeroflot, was also ripped from global reservation systems and travel websites, crippling the airline’s ability to sell seats. Here’s what else you need to know Start your week smart.
That was the weekend
• More than 1.5 million refugees from Ukraine have crossed into neighboring countries in 10 days, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said today, calling the situation “the fastest growing refugee crisis in Europe since World War II”.
• A tornado that landed near Des Moines, Iowa yesterday killed six people – including two children – officials said. The Des Moines office of the National Weather Service said an initial estimate shows it was an EF3 tornado with winds of at least 136 miles per hour.
• US gas prices continue to rise, hitting a national average of $3.92 a gallon yesterday. Prices are up 11% since February 23, the day before Russia invaded Ukraine.
• Sydney braces for more rain as the death toll from flooding in Australia has risen to 17. Thousands of people were displaced as heavy downpours swept away property, livestock and roads.
• North Korea launched a single ballistic missile into waters off Korea’s east coast yesterday, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff. It was the country’s ninth such test this year.
Next week
Tuesday
Happy International Women’s Day! The day not only recognizes the achievements of women, but also raises awareness against prejudice and promotes equality for women worldwide.
Apple will hold its first major product event of the year. The company is rumored to be unveiling a range of new MacBooks and iMacs with the second iteration of its powerful internal processor, as well as a 5G version of its cheaper iPhone SE and an updated iPad Air.
The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing on the US and world response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Victoria Nuland, is due to testify.
the Wednesday
Voters in South Korea are electing a successor to Moon Jae-in who is running for only one term. Moon replaced Park Geun-hye in May 2017 following her impeachment in an abuse of power scandal. The ruling Democratic Party’s candidate is Lee Jae-Myung. Last week, during a phone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Moon expressed his condolences for the lives lost and his “respect” for the “courage and sacrifice” of the Ukrainian people. He also said South Korea will provide $10 million in humanitarian aid.
Thursday
Jussie Smollett, the former ‘Empire’ actor convicted of orchestrating a fake hate crime, is to be sentenced. Smollett was found guilty in December of five counts of disorderly conduct over false allegations that he was the target of a racist and homophobic attack in 2019. A misconduct charge based on a false felony report is a Class 4 felony and is punishable by up to 3 years in prison and a $25,000 fine. Cook County Judge James Linn will determine whether a concurrent or consecutive sentence will be imposed on each of the five counts.
Wall Street will get the latest snapshot of inflation when the February CPI is released before the start of trading. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI rose 7.5% in the 12 months to January, unadjusted for seasonal fluctuations. It was the steepest annual rise in prices since February 1982 and worse than economists had predicted.
Friday
On Friday it was two years since the World Health Organization declared the Covid 19 pandemic. According to data from Johns Hopkins University, Covid-19 has killed more than 950,000 people and infected about 79.2 million in the United States since January 2020.
The US federal government’s temporary funding measure, which helped avert a government shutdown last month, is ending. The bill, signed into law by President Joe Biden, extended funding through March 11. Lawmakers are working to finalize a broader spending package for the full year, but last month opted to extend funding at short notice because they said they needed more time to work out the details.
Want more 5 things?
This week on Sunday’s 5 Things podcast, Elizabeth Cohen, CNN’s senior medical correspondent, explains what’s different about this “new phase” of the Covid-19 pandemic and examines a possible flaw in the Biden administration’s new plan for it. Listen!
photos of the week
Here’s a look at other moving, fascinating, and thought-provoking images from the past week, curated by CNN Photos.
What Happens in Conversation
The Batman hits theaters this weekend
“The Batman,” starring Robert Pattinson as Batman/Bruce Wayne and Zoë Kravitz as Catwoman, caused a stir when it premiered in US theaters on Friday. “Batman has a long history of provoking passionate response and debate, and the latest entry will be no exception,” writes CNN’s Brian Lowry in his review. “In Pattinson, the producers have found a Dark Knight worthy of the fanfare while creating a Gotham that needs him badly,” he added, offering two disclaimers: The film hangs on a little too long at almost three hours , and he owes that more to detective films like “Seven” and “LA Confidential” than to any other superhero fare.
What happens in sports
MLB cancels more spring training games
Major League Baseball has canceled spring practice games until at least March 17 as negotiations for a new contract between the league and the players’ union drag on.
Russian teams banned from competitions by FIFA and UEFA
FIFA and UEFA have suspended all Russian national and club teams from competitions “until further notice”, the football federations announced in a joint statement last week. Spartak Moscow were scheduled to take on RB Leipzig in the Europa League, with the first leg in Germany scheduled for March 10 and the second leg for March 17.
Russian and Belarusian gymnasts banned from competitions
Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials will be banned from competitions indefinitely, the International Gymnastics Federation announced on Friday. The decision means that athletes and officials, including judges, from these two federations will be barred from attending the World Acrobatics Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan from March 10-13.
quiz time!
Take CNN’s weekly news quiz to see how much you remember from the past week! So far this week, 81% of fellow quiz fans have scored 8 out of 10 or better. How good are you?
play me
“Somewhere Over the Rainbow”
take a deep breath Relax and enjoy this iconic, unmistakable classic from Hawaiian music great Israel “IZ” Kamakawiwoʻole. (click here to view)
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