Ukraine said Russia broke its own Easter cease-fire
Ukraine and Russia yesterday accused each other of violating an Easter truce declared by President Vladimir Putin on Saturday afternoon. The cease-fire, announced as lasting 30 hours, appeared to be a gambit by Putin to show the U.S. that Russia was serious about peace.
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, who had agreed to abide by the truce so long as Russia did, said that Russian troops had fired artillery, ambushed troops and used drones. Russia’s defense ministry said that its forces had observed the truce, and accused Ukraine of violating it with drones and nighttime attacks.
A Ukrainian drone unit commander said that the fighting in eastern Ukraine during the cease-fire was similar to how it had been since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. “So in reality, there was no cease-fire at all,” he said.
U.S. threat to move on: On Friday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that if the U.S. could not make progress in ending the war, it would walk away. The remarks appeared to pile pressure on Ukraine.
How a rampage of killing unfolded in a Syrian city
A Times reporter and a photographer traveled to the city of Baniyas in Syria, the site of sectarian violence last month. Over three days, gunmen went house to house, summarily executing civilians and opening fire in the streets, according to dozens of residents.
My colleagues were able to report from the city for nearly a day as the killings unfolded. What they found was evidence of a massacre targeting the Alawites, the group that dominated the Syrian elite during the Assad family’s decades-long rule. The reporting also showed how little control the new government exercises over the various armed groups and former rebels that have joined the administration.
In this video, Christina Goldbaum, The Times’s bureau chief in Syria, explained how at least 300 people were killed over three days in Baniyas in early March.
A draft order would shut down U.S. operations in Africa
A draft executive order proposes a drastic restructuring of the State Department, including the elimination of almost all of its Africa operations and the shutdown of embassies and consulates across the continent, according to U.S. officials and a copy of the draft.
The draft called for eliminating the bureau of African affairs, which oversees U.S. policy in sub-Saharan Africa, and shutting down the bureau overseeing democracy and human rights issues; one that handles refugees and migration; and another that works with international organizations. It was not immediately clear who had compiled the document or what stage of internal debates it reflected. Substantial parts of the draft, if officials tried to enact them, would most likely face lawsuits.
Thierno Agne left behind studying law in Senegal to become a strawberry farmer. Now, he grows 50 tons of berries a year and is turning what was recently a luxury treat for the Senegalese into an everyday fruit. He’s also changing perceptions of farming as something the poor do.
Lives lived: Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Malaysia’s fifth prime minister who extended the country’s political freedoms, died at 85.
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Flowers from alien worlds
What would a rose look like on a distant planet with supersonic winds? It would need curling petals for protection, with a spiral interior to direct the gusts and flush out pollen. One artist set out to bring the possibilities to life.
Vincent Fournier, a French artist and photographer, created Flora Incognita, a project that posits what plants might look like in alien conditions. In consultation with scientists, Fournier created images of insulated ferns, shimmering cactuses and bristled orchids. Take a look.