This week saw heavy fighting continue in the east of Ukraine, which has reportedly become Moscow's new focus. On Saturday, Russia claimed to have all but taken control of Mariupol, calling on remaining forces to surrender; this ultimatum was rejected on Sunday. Shelling of Kyiv also resumed on Friday, after Moscow accused Ukraine of an attack on Russian territory. Ukraine, however, says the renewed attacks on Kyiv are in response to the Thursday sinking of the Moskva, a Russian warship which Ukraine claims to have struck with missiles, though Russia maintains it was downed by an ammunition fire. On Wednesday, Biden accused Russia of genocide, while on Tuesday Moscow was accused of using chemical weapons. Meanwhile, Ukrainian police have begun investigating 900 civilian bodies reportedly found shot in areas surrounding Kyiv.

Germany seized a superyacht linked to a Russian businessman,Russia threatened nuclear deployment if Sweden and Finland join NATO,US intelligence admitted to releasing false information about the Ukraine war,and China staged military exercises after US representatives visited Taiwan.Meanwhile, Macron and Le Pen won the first-round vote in France's presidential election,Shehbaz Sharif became Pakistan's new PM after Imran Khan was ousted,and Mexico's president won his recall referendum.Elsewhere, Biden and Indian PM Modi met to discuss the war in Ukraine,the US ordered consular staff to leave Shanghai amid its COVID lockdown,and Texas ended inspections of some trucks coming from Mexico.In the UK, PM Boris Johnson & Chan. Rishi Sunak were fined over Partygate, a justice minister resigned, and the government announced a scheme to send Channel migrants to Rwanda.

The RNC voted to withdraw from the Commission on Presidential Debates,Biden hit record-low approval ratings,the Lt. Gov. of New York resigned following an indictment,and Florida legislators gave Gov. DeSantis the power to draw the House map.In mid-term news, an Iowa Democrat was reinstated on the Senate primary ballot after initially being barred,Trump endorsed Dr. Oz in the PA Senate race while "anti-endorsing" Bill McSwain and Herschel Walker missed Georgia's first GOP debate.Meanwhile, Rep. Cheney said the Jan. 6 Committee hasn't decided whether to refer Trump to the DOJ for criminal investigation.

In the Middle East, violence continued in Israel and Palestine: clashes erupted at the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem on Friday,Israeli forces killed a Palestinian man after an alleged attempted stabbing on Tuesday,and two Jews were wounded on Monday, a day after Palestinian demonstrators vandalized a West Bank shrine.Meanwhile, in the US, ten people were shot in a subway station in New York,while LA police reported an increase in 'follow-home' robberies.In the courts, a member of the IS group "Beatles" was found guilty,the DOJ settled a case over 2020 BLM protests,a judge denied a motion to dismiss in the Durham probe case,the libel trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard began,and the Texas DA dismissed murder charges against a woman over a self-induced abortion.Elsewhere, Republicans called for an investigation into 5 fetuses found in a DC home.

Biden vowed to crack down on "ghost guns,"Oklahoma Gov. Stitt signed a bill to make abortion illegal,Alabama was sued over a transgender law,and Maryland lawmakers overrode Gov. Hogan's veto on a measure to expand abortion access.

Sri Lanka announced it will suspend foreign debt payments, whileRussia reportedly slipped into 'selective default' after santions froze $300Bn of its funds in Western banks.In the US, Google announced plans to invest $9.5B in facilities as employees return to the office,while Elon Musk said he will not join Twitter's board, after initially agreeing to, and then offered to buy the company.Meanwhile, Biden announced a summer gas waiver,inflation was reported to have jumped to 8.5%,and it was revealed that a Saudi fund invested $2B with one of Jared Kushner's firms, despite panel objections.

Pfizer announced that it's seeking approval for a booster for kids 5-11,a poll found that most Americans no longer consider COVID a "serious crisis,"and the WHO said it's investigating two new Omicron subvariants.Meanwhile, Fauci said COVID measures were "pretty strong" around Biden at a superspreader dinner,where NYC Mayor Adams was among 70 infected.In other news, NHS waiting lists in the UK were reported to have reached a record high, while in the US drug overdoses were found to have contributed to making 2021 the deadliest year in history.

South Africa was hit by catastrophic floods, while severe storms continued to sweep across the south of the US.

Oxfam has predicted that more than a quarter of a billion people will face extreme poverty this year..