Heavy rains and flooding have killed more than 340 people in South Africa, and the death toll is expected to continue rising. Persistent rains have collapsed buildings, swept away roads and flooded schools, prompting protests over a lack of official assistance. Also, Finland says it will decide as soon as this spring whether to join NATO, a rapid change in foreign policy from its historically neutral stance. It's Good Friday, and in Germany, that means dancing is banned in public. And, Ukrainian runners who had planned to compete in the Boston Marathon this Monday have had to scrap their plans. But even with fears of airstrikes looming, many have still found solace and a sense of normalcy by running on the streets of Ukraine.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has implemented a new vehicle inspection policy at the Texas-Mexico border that’s led to traffic jams for miles on both sides. Abbott accuses the Biden administration of not doing enough to secure the southern US border, but the White House says the new policy hurts American businesses and consumers. And Israel and the West Bank are on edge after one of the worst outbursts of violence broke out in years. This violence comes during the confluence of three major religious holidays in Israel: Ramadan, Passover and Easter. Plus, Ukraine’s oldest-running children’s choir was going to mark its 50th anniversary with a world tour this year. The war made a tour impossible, but they’re finding other ways to get their music out into the world.

US President Joe Biden has called Russian war atrocities in Ukraine "genocide." We hear from a genocide scholar who agrees. And a growing number of Haitians have been arriving on the coast of Florida since last fall. It's the latest challenge for authorities trying to control the numbers of new undocumented immigrants. Also, Russian opposition politician Vladimir Kara-Murza was arrested earlier this week in Moscow, and sentenced to 15 days in jail for "disobeying a police order." Plus, members of Ukrainian quartet DhakaBrakha say that touring during wartime is necessary — and awkward.

The Russian military is retreating from Kyiv and other northern cities, and regrouping in eastern Ukraine. Moscow has also appointed a new top commander, Gen. Alexander Dvornikov, to lead the war effort. And across Europe, countries are telling Russian diplomats to leave, accusing them of working covertly as spies. Plus, the United Kingdom's frigid North Devon coastline has been selected as a World Surfing Reserve — only the 12th location around the globe with this status and the first cold-water reserve.

China's lockdown in Shanghai has been intense, with harsh restrictions on movement testing residents' patience. COVID-19 cases are also growing in the manufacturing hub of Guangzhou. We hear about what life has been like as the lockdown continues. And while India has sent aid to Ukraine, it has not censored or imposed sanctions against Russia. The country also abstained from UN Security Council votes on the war and bought discounted oil from Russia. Plus, Mexico has voted to allow President Andrés Manuel López Obrador to complete his six-year term in a referendum held Sunday. But fewer than 2 of every 10 eligible voters participated, raising questions about the validity of the referendum.

Russia’s military continues to target Ukrainian civilians, with revelations of possible war crimes committed in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha. Most countries, including the US, have responded with more sanctions. What impact does economic pressure have on Vladimir Putin’s war effort? And, the United Kingdom’s government has promised to ban the discredited practice of conversion therapy. But this week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that the ban does not include transgender and nonbinary people. Plus, Orizaba Peak is home to one of Mexico’s last glaciers, and it’s melting, leaving 2 million people at risk of losing their water supply. Restoration efforts are underway.

Six weeks into the war in Ukraine, Russia’s military efforts are now targeting the eastern part of the country. As Russian troops retreat from Kyiv, journalists have been able to further document atrocities taking place there. And on Thursday, a Turkish court said it was moving the trial of the 26 Saudi nationals linked to the grisly murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi to Saudi Arabia. Plus, an enormous planet is being observed at a remarkably early stage of formation — upending our current understanding of how planets are formed.

The European Union has announced a ban on Russian coal. Squeezing Russia's energy exports is seen as the way to get Russian President Vladimir Putin to withdraw from Ukraine. But global sales of oil and gas — not coal — are the real contributors to Russia's coffers. And Human Rights Watch says that more than 300 civilians have been executed in an isolated village in Mali that is controlled by Islamist militants. The killings were reportedly conducted by the Malian army and contracted by Russian soldiers. Plus, losing one’s sense of smell and taste to COVID-19 is bad enough. But when it comes to those who rely on their senses for work — sommeliers, chefs, perfumers —  the loss comes at an especially high cost.

At a meeting of the UN Security Council, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called for Russia's removal as a permanent member and an investigation into possible war crimes by Russia's military. But Russia's veto power at the UN Security Council is a fundamental challenge. And in 2016, Ukraine enlisted the US military to help overhaul its defense systems — everything from recruitment to field hospital management. This has contributed to Ukraine's impressive performance on the battlefield against the much better-equipped Russian military. Plus, many economists say that Russia’s blitzkrieg on Ukraine has sped up a “decoupling” of the global economy. It started when the pandemic led to border closures. Now, Russia’s war in Ukraine is exacerbating that trend.

Eye witnesses have been reporting atrocities not just in Bucha, but also in other areas in the outskirts of Kyiv and throughout Ukraine. Ukrainian Oleksii Vostretsov was trapped in Bucha for 22 days at the start of the war and tells his story. And the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change sends a clear message: There’s still time to hold off catastrophic climate change — but not much. Emissions are still rising and need to fall by nearly half by 2030 to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Plus, hundreds of Russian dissidents who challenged Vladimir Putin’s government have settled in nearby Tbilisi, Georgia. Now, they’re working to support their fellow Russians and protest the war from afar.