March 17, Thursday, 2022 (1:30 p.m.) Newsline

1.People across much of eastern Japan were woken Wednesday night by a powerful earthquake. Figures gathered by NHK show it left three people dead and more than 200 injured. The quake registered 6 plus on the Japanese seismic scale of zero to 7. Damage has been reported in a number of places.
2.Russian forces are intensifying their operations in areas along the Black Sea coast in southern Ukraine three weeks into the invasion. The two sides are holding ceasefire negotiations, but there is little optimism for the talks as Russia remains staunchly opposed to US military support for Ukraine.
3.People in a village in Moldova near the border with Ukraine are offering assistance to people with children who have fled their country. The volunteers in Palanca have set up a temporary nursery in a tent near where evacuees are waiting for buses to take them to their next destination. The nursery is equipped with baby supplies, including diapers and cribs.