Reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine Russia–NATO relations The U.S. deploys 200 marines from the Marine Air Control Group 28, 10 F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets, and an unspecified number of C-130s to Lithuania as part of NATO's response to Russian military aggression in Eastern Europe. (USNI)
Russia expels diplomats from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, in retaliation for the earlier expulsions of Russian diplomats from these countries. (Reuters)
Russia–NATO relations The U.S. deploys 200 marines from the Marine Air Control Group 28, 10 F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets, and an unspecified number of C-130s to Lithuania as part of NATO's response to Russian military aggression in Eastern Europe. (USNI)
Russian officials agree to "fundamentally cut back military activity in the direction of Kyiv and Chernihiv" during the negotiations. (The Guardian)
Russian troops begin retreating from positions in Kyiv Oblast and Chernihiv Oblast, according to Ukrainian and American officials. The United States European Command confirms the Russian withdrawal, observing a "major strategy shift". (U.S. News & World Report) (Times of Israel)
Six Pakistani crew members and a Russian and a Serbian soldier are killed as a MONUSCO helicopter crashes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The rebel March 23 Movement group is accused of being behind the crash. The group has denied their involvement. (Reuters)
South Korean lawmakers and the defense ministry say that last week, North Korea has tested a Hwasong-15, which was successfully tested in November 2017, instead of a Hwasong-17. (ABC News) (AP)
The Democratic Republic of the Congo joins the East African Community, becoming the largest country in both area and population to do so, and thereby granting the bloc access to the Atlantic Ocean. (Bloomberg)
The Saudi-led military coalition suspends all military activity in Yemen. (Arab News)
The Ukrainian and Russian delegations hold face-to-face peace talks in Turkey for the first time in two weeks. (AP)
Cyberwarfare by Russia Russia announces that it will ban all usage of software from other countries in government agencies beginning in 2025. Additionally, beginning on March 31, all foreign software purchases for government agencies must be pre-approved by the government. (Reuters) (TASS) It is reported that Russian government hackers have attacked and compromised the servers of Hungary's Ministry of Foreign Affairs since late 2021. (Direkt36)
It is reported that Russian government hackers have attacked and compromised the servers of Hungary's Ministry of Foreign Affairs since late 2021. (Direkt36)
Russia announces that it will ban all usage of software from other countries in government agencies beginning in 2025. Additionally, beginning on March 31, all foreign software purchases for government agencies must be pre-approved by the government. (Reuters) (TASS)
2021–2022 Tunisian political crisis Tunisian President Kais Saied orders the Assembly of the Representatives of the People to be dissolved, after 116 of the 124 MPs who convened online voted earlier in the day to strip Saied of the "exceptional measures" he had taken on since last July. (Reuters)
COVID-19 pandemic in the United States COVID-19 vaccination in the United States U.S. President Joe Biden receives his second booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine. (CBS News)
COVID-19 pandemic on cruise ships The U.S. CDC removes their travel warnings for cruise ships, which were imposed during the beginning of the pandemic. However, passengers will still be required to be vaccinated and to test negative for COVID-19. (The Washington Post)
Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan attack a military base in Tank, Pakistan, killing six soldiers. (Arab News)
Peace negotiations in the Russo-Ukrainian War Ukrainian negotiator Davyd Arakhamia says that the Russian and Ukrainian delegations will resume their peace talks online on April 1 after the latest round of negotiations in Turkey has ended. (Reuters)
Russia–South Ossetia relations The President of South Ossetia, Anatoly Bibilov, declares that the partially recognised state will undertake "legal steps" in the near future for accession to become part of Russia. (Meduza)
The President of South Ossetia, Anatoly Bibilov, declares that the partially recognised state will undertake "legal steps" in the near future for accession to become part of Russia. (Meduza)
The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan attack a military base in Tank, Pakistan, killing six soldiers. (Arab News)
Tunisian President Kais Saied orders the Assembly of the Representatives of the People to be dissolved, after 116 of the 124 MPs who convened online voted earlier in the day to strip Saied of the "exceptional measures" he had taken on since last July. (Reuters)
2021–22 UEFA Women's Champions League knockout phase A crowd of 91,553 attends the second leg of the quarterfinal between archrivals FC Barcelona and Real Madrid at Camp Nou in Barcelona. This surpasses the 90,185 at the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup Final and is reportedly the largest attendance for a women's football match since Mexico–Denmark (110,000) in 1971. Barça won 5–2 on the day and 8–3 on aggregate. (ESPN)
2022 Ukrainian refugee crisis The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees says more than four million Ukrainians have fled the country since the invasion began on February 24. (France 24)
A crowd of 91,553 attends the second leg of the quarterfinal between archrivals FC Barcelona and Real Madrid at Camp Nou in Barcelona. This surpasses the 90,185 at the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup Final and is reportedly the largest attendance for a women's football match since Mexico–Denmark (110,000) in 1971. Barça won 5–2 on the day and 8–3 on aggregate. (ESPN)
According to a new study, the antiparasitic drug ivermectin does not prevent hospitalizations from COVID-19. (New England Journal of Medicine)
Eastern Ukraine offensive Siege of Mariupol Ukraine says that Russian artillery and aircraft have targeted a Red Cross hospital in the city of Mariupol. (Times of Israel)
North Korea–South Korea relations The South Korean military says that last week, North Korea tested Hwasong-15 from November 2017, instead of a Hwasong-17. This comes a day after the defense ministry and lawmakers also confirmed this. (DW) (CBS News)
Siege of Mariupol Ukraine says that Russian artillery and aircraft have targeted a Red Cross hospital in the city of Mariupol. (Times of Israel)
South Korea launches a solid-fuel indigenous space rocket at the Agency for Defense Development site in Taean County, South Chungcheong Province. (Korea Herald)
The Hubble Space Telescope observes the most distant single star ever. The star, named Earendel by astronomers, is 28 billion light-years away. It is the farthest detection of a star, dating back 900 million years after the Big Bang. This discovery surpasses Hubble's record from 2018, when it discovered a star that existed when the universe was roughly four billion years old. (CNN)
The South Korean military says that last week, North Korea tested Hwasong-15 from November 2017, instead of a Hwasong-17. This comes a day after the defense ministry and lawmakers also confirmed this. (DW) (CBS News)
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees says more than four million Ukrainians have fled the country since the invasion began on February 24. (France 24)
Treatment and management of COVID-19 According to a new study, the antiparasitic drug ivermectin does not prevent hospitalizations from COVID-19. (New England Journal of Medicine)
Ukraine says that Russian artillery and aircraft have targeted a Red Cross hospital in the city of Mariupol. (Times of Israel)
Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk calls for Russia to withdraw from the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone area and for Russian troops occupying the former nuclear plant to pull out. (Reuters)
Ukrainian negotiator Davyd Arakhamia says that the Russian and Ukrainian delegations will resume their peace talks online on April 1 after the latest round of negotiations in Turkey has ended. (Reuters)
2021–2022 global energy crisis U.S. President Joe Biden orders the release of up to one million barrels of crude oil per day from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve for the next six months in an attempt to contain inflation. (The Guardian)
Micronesian president David Panuelo urges Solomon Islands to not sign a security pact with China, citing "grave security concerns" and arguing that the Pacific islands would be "the epicenter of major confrontation" between major powers. (Reuters)
The acting Australian Information Commissioner orders the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) to comply with a request by The Guardian under the Freedom of Information Act 1982, which the PMO had previously rejected, and search the mobile phone of Prime Minister Scott Morrison for correspondence with Morrison's friend and QAnon conspiracy theorist Tim Stewart. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation has alleged that Stewart influenced Morrison's use of the term "ritual abuse" in a speech to survivors of child sexual abuse in 2019. (The Guardian)
A chartered helicopter travelling to Ulupna Island, Victoria, Australia, crashes into Mount Disappointment, killing all five people onboard. (ABC News Australia)
A Palestinian militant uses a screwdriver to stab and seriously injure an Israeli civilian on a bus in Neve Daniel, before being shot dead by another passenger. (Haaretz)
Australia revokes the most favoured nation status for Russia and Belarus, and will impose 35% tariffs on produce coming from these countries beginning on April 25. (The Guardian)
Battle of Chernobyl Energoatom confirms that the Russian forces who occupied the former nuclear power plant in Chernobyl have left the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. (Ukrinform) The International Atomic Energy Agency confirms that Russian forces have handed over control of the former nuclear power plant back to Ukraine. Russian troops also withdraw from the city of Slavutych, returning to Belarus. (CNBC)
Boycott of Russia and Belarus Australia revokes the most favoured nation status for Russia and Belarus, and will impose 35% tariffs on produce coming from these countries beginning on April 25. (The Guardian)
Censorship of Wikipedia, Media freedom in Russia Russian media censorship agency Roskomnadzor threatens to fine Wikipedia up to 4 million rubles (about US$49,000) if it does not delete information that contradicts the Kremlin's official narrative on the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Forbes)
COVID-19 pandemic COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan Pakistan disbands ll the National Command and Operations Center (NCOC), which was overseeing the COVID-19 response in the country, as the infection’s numbers were at the lowest since the start of the outbreak early in 2020. (Reuters)
COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan Pakistan disbands ll the National Command and Operations Center (NCOC), which was overseeing the COVID-19 response in the country, as the infection’s numbers were at the lowest since the start of the outbreak early in 2020. (Reuters)
Economic impact of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine Boycott of Russia and Belarus Australia revokes the most favoured nation status for Russia and Belarus, and will impose 35% tariffs on produce coming from these countries beginning on April 25. (The Guardian)
Energoatom confirms that the Russian forces who occupied the former nuclear power plant in Chernobyl have left the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. (Ukrinform)
Expo 2020 The world expo in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, which was delayed to October 1, 2021, closes after six months. (AP)
Georgia says plans by the breakaway state of South Ossetia, which is internationally recognized as occupied Georgian territory, to hold a referendum on becoming a part of Russia are "unacceptable". (Reuters)
Georgia–Russia relations Georgia says plans by the breakaway state of South Ossetia, which is internationally recognized as occupied Georgian territory, to hold a referendum on becoming a part of Russia are "unacceptable". (Reuters)
Israeli–Palestinian conflict, 2022 Bnei Brak shootings Two people are killed and 14 more injured as the Israeli Defense Forces raid the city of Jenin in the West Bank in order to capture a suspect linked to Tuesday's shooting in Bnei Brak. (Times of Israel) (Haaretz) A Palestinian militant uses a screwdriver to stab and seriously injure an Israeli civilian on a bus in Neve Daniel, before being shot dead by another passenger. (Haaretz) Rock throwing causes a bus to crash into a car in Halhul, West Bank, injuring two people. (Times of Israel)
Pakistan disbands ll the National Command and Operations Center (NCOC), which was overseeing the COVID-19 response in the country, as the infection’s numbers were at the lowest since the start of the outbreak early in 2020. (Reuters)
Rock throwing causes a bus to crash into a car in Halhul, West Bank, injuring two people. (Times of Israel)
Russian media censorship agency Roskomnadzor threatens to fine Wikipedia up to 4 million rubles (about US$49,000) if it does not delete information that contradicts the Kremlin's official narrative on the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Forbes)
Scientists sequence the complete human genome for the first time, more than three decades after the Human Genome Project was first commenced. (CNN)
Siege of Mariupol Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk says that Ukraine has sent buses to Mariupol in an effort to evacuate citizens from the city. (BBC News)
The International Atomic Energy Agency confirms that Russian forces have handed over control of the former nuclear power plant back to Ukraine. Russian troops also withdraw from the city of Slavutych, returning to Belarus. (CNBC)
The world expo in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, which was delayed to October 1, 2021, closes after six months. (AP)
Two people are killed and 14 more injured as the Israeli Defense Forces raid the city of Jenin in the West Bank in order to capture a suspect linked to Tuesday's shooting in Bnei Brak. (Times of Israel) (Haaretz)
Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk says that Ukraine has sent buses to Mariupol in an effort to evacuate citizens from the city. (BBC News)
President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola travels to Kyiv to meet with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk, and subsequently addresses the Verkhovna Rada. Metsola becomes the first EU official to visit Ukraine since the Russian invasion began. (Times of Malta)
Ukraine–European Union relations President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola travels to Kyiv to meet with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk, and subsequently addresses the Verkhovna Rada. Metsola becomes the first EU official to visit Ukraine since the Russian invasion began. (Times of Malta)
Attack on Belgorod Russia claims that the Ukrainian Air Force conducted an airstrike on Belgorod, hitting several fuel facilities. Videos on social media show low-flying attack helicopters firing rockets at a fuel depot in the city. (AP)
COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia Malaysia begins its transition from pandemic to endemic phase that shift the management of the pandemic from reliance on government-imposed standard operating procedures and existing laws to individual responsibility, and community solidarity. (The Star)
Insurgency in the Maghreb Mali War Mali says that it has killed 203 insurgents in a major nine-day military operation from 23 March to April 1. (The Guardian)
Malaysia begins its transition from pandemic to endemic phase that shift the management of the pandemic from reliance on government-imposed standard operating procedures and existing laws to individual responsibility, and community solidarity. (The Star)
Mali War Mali says that it has killed 203 insurgents in a major nine-day military operation from 23 March to April 1. (The Guardian)
Peace negotiations in the Russo-Ukrainian War Ceasefire talks between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations resume via video link. (Times of Israel)
Russia claims that the Ukrainian Air Force conducted an airstrike on Belgorod, hitting several fuel facilities. Videos on social media show low-flying attack helicopters firing rockets at a fuel depot in the city. (AP)
Yemeni Civil War The Saudi-led coalition and the Houthis agree to a UN-brokered nationwide truce, the first in years, for two months to mark the start of Ramadan. As part of the deal, fuel shipments will be allowed to enter the Houthi-controlled port of Al Hudaydah and commercial flights will resume in the capital of Sanaa. (Reuters)
2022 Waheen Market Fire A massive fire breaks out at the main marketplace in Hargeisa, Somaliland, injuring at least 28 people and completely destroying the market. (The Guardian)
A massive fire breaks out at the main marketplace in Hargeisa, Somaliland, injuring at least 28 people and completely destroying the market. (The Guardian)
