Key Storylines
- AFRICA: Gunfire erupted near Mogadishu’s airport as security forces clashed with armed men attempting to storm a heavily fortified area of the Somali capital.
- AMERICAS: The FBI warned that it is seeing increased interest by Russian hackers in energy companies since the beginning of the war in Ukraine.
- ASIA: Cambodia’s foreign minister made minor initial progress in his mission as a special regional envoy seeking to facilitate peacemaking in Myanmar.
- EUROPE: Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to attend the next G20 summit in Indonesia later this year.
- MIDDLE EAST: Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian landed in Damascus where he will discuss mutual relations between the two strong allies and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine with top officials.
- TECH & COMMUNICATIONS: A US judge ruled that China’s ZTE Corp should be allowed to end its five-year probation in the United States from its 2017 guilty plea for violating sanctions on Iran and North Korea.
Top Story
- China: Black Box of Crashed China Eastern Jet Recovered.
- China found one of the two black boxes belonging to the China Eastern Airlines plane that crashed on Monday.
- The flight recorder could contain data that revealed what happened to the aircraft before it plummeted and crashed into a hillside.
- Mao Yanfeng, an official at the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), said “At present, it is unclear whether it is a data recorder or a cockpit voice recorder,” that has been found.
- Investigators said it is too early to speculate on the cause, but the plane went into an unexplained dive an hour after departure and stopped transmitting data 96 seconds into the fall.
- China Eastern Airlines chairman Sun Shiying said the plane had been deemed airworthy and had met required maintenance standards.
- Authorities said late Tuesday Rescue workers have not found any survivors from this week’s crash.
- Reuters, SCMP, AFP, AP, BBC, CNBC
Africa
- Gambia: The government reported that over 6,000 people have fled their homes amid clashes between Senegal soldiers and separatists near the border. (AFP)
- Kenya: The police service locked out graduates from its latest drive to recruit 5,000 new officers. (BBC)
- Somalia: Gunfire erupted near Mogadishu’s airport as security forces clashed with armed men attempting to storm a heavily fortified area of the capital. (AFP)
- South Sudan: The main opposition party has withdrawn from the country’s peace monitoring body, accusing rival forces of unprovoked attacks. (BBC)
- Uganda: Officials said three government officials, including one of the country’s top geologists, and their two military escorts were killed in a remote, mineral-rich region bordering South Sudan and Kenya. (AFP)
Americas
- Argentina: The Economy Ministry reported the country has been granted an extension to pay its $2 billion debt to the Paris Club. (Reuters)
- Colombia: Six children died and over a dozen were injured after a school bus rolled down a cliff in the northeast province of Santander. (AFP)
- Guatemala: The Supreme Court of Justice suspended Judge Pablo Xitumul amid wider allegations of persecution against anti-corruption officials. (Reuters)
- Venezuela: Opposition groups urged the United States to condition any easing of oil sanctions on political concessions as the US seeks replacements for Russian energy resources. (Reuters)
- United States: The FBI warned that it is seeing increased interest by Russian hackers in energy companies since the beginning of the war in Ukraine. (Reuters)
Asia
- Region: The US named senior diplomat Joseph Yun to lead negotiations to renew the Compacts of Free Association (COFA) with Palau, Micronesia, and the Marshall Islands. (Reuters)
- Japan: The government lifted a warning of potential blackouts for the Tokyo region as weather and conservation efforts improved, but the supply outlook still appears fragile with several coal-fired plants offline. (AP)
- Myanmar: Cambodia’s foreign minister made minor initial progress in his mission as a special regional envoy seeking to facilitate peacemaking in the country. (AP)
- New Zealand: The government announced the lifting of most vaccine mandates from April 4 as the current COVID-19 outbreak nears its peak. (Reuters)
- Taiwan: Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said the island is considering extending compulsory military service beyond four months. (Reuters)
Europe
- Belarus: Evan Neumann, an American charged with participating in the January 2021 US Capitol riots, was granted political asylum. (BBC)
- Germany: Chancellor Olaf Scholtz said Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has stalled despite the daily assaults inflicted by his troops. (AFP)
- Poland: The country’s counter-espionage service ABW has identified 45 Russian diplomats as suspected spies and called on the foreign ministry to expel them. (AFP)
- Russia: President Vladimir Putin plans to attend the next G20 summit in Indonesia later this year. (Reuters)
- Ukraine: The government has retained US law firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan to represent it before the European Court of Human Rights in its petition against Russia. (Reuters)
Middle East
- Region: Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian landed in Damascus where he will discuss mutual relations between the two strong allies and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine with top officials. (AP)
- Afghanistan: Taliban rulers decided against opening schools to girls above the sixth grade, reneging on a previous promise and opting to appease their hardline base at the expense of further alienating the international community. (AP)
- Egypt: The Suez Canal Authority announced an increase in transit fees for vessels to take effect May 1. (AP)
- Iran: The Embassy in Kyiv relocated to neighboring Moldova, citing “the impossibility of maintaining normal operations” amid the intensifying Russian war on Ukraine. (Al-Monitor)
- Israel: A one-time top aide to Benjamin Netanyahu has taken the stand to testify against the former prime minister on corruption charges. (AP)
Tech & Communications
- Technology: A US judge ruled that China’s ZTE Corp should be allowed to end its five-year probation in the United States from its 2017 guilty plea for violating sanctions on Iran and North Korea. (Reuters)
World
- Cyclones: Nothing to Report.
- Hurricanes: Nothing to Report.
- Earthquakes: Nothing to Report.
- Volcanoes: Nothing to Report.
- Global Disease Outbreaks:
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global (as of 22MAR22)
- Confirmed cases: 472,222,374
- Deaths: 6,094,632
- Countries with confirmed cases: 192
- Sourcing: John Hopkins University
- COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease: Global (as of 22MAR22)
Tomorrow’s Outlook (24MAR22)
- Global: World Tuberculosis Day
- Argentina: Day of Remembrance for Truth and Justice
- Belgium: Visit by US President Joe Biden (to 25MAR)
- Belgium: Meeting of G7 leaders in Brussels
- Europe: European Parliament plenary session
- Europe: European Council meeting of EU leaders in Brussels
- Europe: NATO North Atlantic Council in Brussels
- France: International Energy Agency ministerial meeting in Paris
- Germany: European Central Bank General Council meeting in Frankfurt
- United States: Senate Judiciary Committee hearing for SCOTUS nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson
- United States: Senate Foreign Relations Committee top secret briefing on U.S.-Taiwan policy.
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