March 22, Tuesday, 2022 (1:30 p.m.) Newsline

1.A human rights group says a local official told it that more than 3,000 civilians may have been killed in Russia’s attacks on the eastern Ukrainian city of Mariupol. It says that the exact death toll in Mariupol is unknown. But a city official told the group that at least 200,000 people were still in the city as of Sunday. That figure represents half of the city’s pre-war population.
2.US President Joe Biden and four European leaders agreed on Monday to continue providing humanitarian and security assistance to Ukraine. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters that “they discussed their serious concerns about Russia’s brutal tactics in Ukraine, including its attacks on civilians.”
3.Russia’s foreign ministry says it is suspending peace treaty talks with Japan in response to sanctions imposed by Tokyo in relation to the invasion of Ukraine. In a statement issued on Monday, the ministry says Moscow does not intend to continue peace talks, because it is impossible to discuss a fundamental document on bilateral relations with a state that holds an explicitly unfriendly position.