September 23, 2022

*) Five-day annexation polls open in Ukraine's Russian-held territories Russia-held regions of Ukraine have begun voting on whether to become part of Russia, in referendums that Kiev and the West slam as an unlawful land grab. The five-day votes in four regions controlled entirely or in part by Russian troops will end on September 27. The ballot covers around 15 percent of Ukraine's territory. The regions where the voting is being held are the eastern Luhansk and Donetsk regions — which are self-proclaimed republics controlled by Moscow-backed separatists — and Kherson and Zaporizhia (zah-POH-reeja) provinces in the south. *) Lapid calls for 'two-state solution' to end Israel-Palestine conflict Israel's Prime Minister Yair Lapid has called for a two-state solution to end the decades-long Palestine issue. An agreement with Palestinians, based on two states for two peoples, is the right thing for the future of our children, Lapid said at the UN General Assembly. While Lapid was short on details, lawmakers in Israel's parliament are divided on whether they want to pursue a two-state solution with Palestine. *) Death toll from Iran protests climbs as internet restricted The US has placed Iran's morality police on its sanctions blacklist following the death in custody of a 22-year-old arrested for allegedly wearing her hijab headscarf improperly. The move came as violent protests erupted across Iran following Mahsa Amini’s death last week. According to an official count, at least 17 people have died in the unrest. With no sign of the protests easing, Iran has blocked access to Instagram and WhatsApp and imposed drastic restrictions on internet access. *) US aircraft carrier arrives in South Korea as warning to North A US aircraft carrier has arrived in South Korea for the first time in about four years. It is set to join other military vessels in a show of force intended to send a message to North Korea. The USS Ronald Reagan and ships from its accompanying strike group docked at a naval base in the