We’re overlaying Russia’s navy actions and the outcomes from India’s election.

Russian forces push forward as talks stall

Russian forces have been making gradual advances in Ukraine on Thursday as high-level talks did not yield progress on ending the struggle and even brokering a brief cease-fire. Listed here are the most recent updates.

Russian troops have been laying siege to Chernihiv, close to the Belarus border, because the mayor reported that the town was operating out of burial area amid the rising loss of life toll from the combating. Russian forces gained management of the city of Bucha and moved southwest in an try and encircle the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. They have been additionally approaching Kyiv from the east.

Russian forces have been additionally persevering with their siege of Mariupol, a day after bombing a maternity hospital. These maps present the devastation.

Negotiations: Ukrainian and Russian diplomats in Turkey failed to achieve an settlement a couple of cease-fire or “humanitarian corridors” to permit protected passage for civilians, they usually have been nonetheless far aside by day’s finish. Russia’s overseas minister, Sergey Lavrov, indicated a cease-fire was not even on the desk.

B.J.P. wins huge in Indian elections

The governing Bharatiya Janata Get together maintained its electoral success after a serious native authorities election interval in India, in keeping with outcomes launched on Thursday, as voters reckoned with the coronavirus pandemic restoration and nationalist views rose within the nation.

The elections in 5 states have been the largest check of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s B.J.P. since its dealing with of the pandemic got here below intense scrutiny, significantly when the second wave of Covid wreaked havoc in India within the spring of 2021.

The B.J.P. stayed in energy in India’s most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, whose hard-line chief minister, Yogi Adityanath, is seen as a possible successor to Modi. He has railed towards interfaith marriages, banned the slaughter of cows and vowed to keep up regulation and order.

The Indian Nationwide Congress Get together appeared to proceed its speedy decline: In Punjab, one of many few states it nonetheless runs, it misplaced to the regional Aam Aadmi Get together, and it was trailing the B.J.P. in shut races within the smaller states of Goa and Uttarakhand. The B.J.P. led in Manipur.

Techniques: In latest elections, campaigns have more and more integrated skilled strategists, public relations corporations and voter information and have additionally relied closely on social media.

Vacationers return amid an Omicron surge in Asia

The Omicron wave that retreated in some areas of the world continues to be flaring up in elements of East and Southeast Asia, the place caseloads are rising and a few international locations are enduring their worst waves of the pandemic, the W.H.O. famous this week.

Locations together with China and Hong Kong have saved caseloads low by way of strict guidelines, however the newest surge has worsened in Japan, South Korea and Vietnam.

The W.H.O. has additionally voiced fear a couple of subvariant of Omicron reported in a number of Asian international locations, together with Bangladesh, China, India, Pakistan and the Philippines.

The rise in Covid instances got here as Southeast Asia reopened to worldwide journey. After touch-and-go makes an attempt to welcome tourism, Vietnam opened its borders to worldwide vacationers on Tuesday, with only a one-day isolation rule. Thailand launched resort isolation and testing, Bali dropped its quarantine requirement and the Philippines required social distancing in some areas however no quarantine.

Our reporter writes that vacationers to the area can anticipate extra paperwork, greater airfares, cheaper resorts and thinner crowds.

Listed here are the most recent updates and maps of the pandemic.

In different developments:

• BTS carried out reside in Seoul for the primary time in over two years. Followers weren’t allowed to cheer.

• The tennis star Novak Djokovic is not going to take part in U.S. tennis tournaments, as he’s unable to enter the nation due to his vaccination standing.

• The U.S. will lengthen its masks mandate for airplanes and different public transportation by way of mid-April.

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Asia Pacific

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ARTS AND IDEAS

How ‘Encanto’ turned a pop hit

This week, the soundtrack to the Disney movie “Encanto,” that includes “We Don’t Discuss About Bruno” and different songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda, spent its eighth week at No. 1 on Billboard’s album chart. However the soundtrack wasn’t all the time a smash, as Ben Sisario writes, and its newfound success highlights how followers drive hits by way of social media.

The TikTok-to-streaming pipeline. After the movie got here to Disney+ in December, followers on TikTok began recreating scenes, performing dances and singing alongside. Quickly after, “Bruno” and different songs from the soundtrack climbed in recognition on streaming platforms.

Radio is usually behind the curve. “Bruno” was nearly completely absent from the radio for many of that ascent. Disney didn’t start selling it to stations till late January, and it nonetheless will get a fraction of the radio performs of songs by stars like Adele.

Movies improve the expertise. If you become bored with the unique songs, YouTube affords variations, together with variations of “Bruno” translated into 21 languages or mashed up with different pop songs. Clips on social media assist contextualize the songs in a manner that radio play by no means may, Ben writes, and let followers relive the movie.

PLAY, WATCH, EAT

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