April 4, 2022

*) Ukraine accuses Russia of ‘genocide’ Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russia of "genocide" as disturbing images of mass graves in Bucha emerge. On Sunday, the bodies of at least 410 civilians were recovered in the city of Bucha near the Ukrainian capital Kiev after the withdrawal of Russian forces. The UN calls for an independent investigation. However, Russia's defence ministry, in a Twitter post, says photos and video footage from Bucha are 'another hoax' and a 'staged provocation' by Kiev for western media. *) Ukraine: Over 2,600 civilians evacuated A total of 2,694 Ukrainian civilians have been evacuated from war zones to safe areas through humanitarian corridors, the country’s deputy prime minister says. Irina Vereshchuk said on Telegram that in the last 24 hours, 469 Mariupol residents traveled with their vehicles through humanitarian corridors from Mariupol and Berdyansk to Zaporizhzhia. In addition, a bus convoy carrying more than 350 people from Mariupol and Berdyansk that passed through Russian army checkpoints have reached Zaporizhia. She reported that 1,467 civilians from the towns of Lisichansk, Severodonetsk, Rubizhne and Kreminna in the Luhansk region were taken to a safe zone and 408 civilians who left Berdyansk on 10 buses reached the zone. *) Pakistan heads to polls Pakistan's President Arif Alvi has approved the dissolution of the country's National Assembly, paving the way for new general elections in the country within 90 days. The move came after the deputy speaker of the parliament blocked a no-confidence vote Sunday meant to remove Prime Minister Imran Khan from office. Opposition lawmakers have challenged the rejection of the vote in the Supreme Court, calling it a "blatant violation" of the constitution. *) Sri Lankan cabinet resigns All of Sri Lanka's cabinet ministers have resigned over the government's handling of a severe economic crisis. The prime minister and president, who are brothers, remain in office. The island is facing its worst fin