Russia determined to "win or lose" with Britain; US intelligence tries to "seduce" Russian diplomats

1. Russia determined to "settle the score" with the UK, increasing diplomatic sanctions

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zakharova.

According to Sputnik news agency, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova recently said that they have informed the UK that more than 50 British diplomats should return home. Ms. Zakharova said: "We want to have a balance in personnel. Currently, the number of British diplomats in Russia is 50 more than the number of Russian officials in the UK."

Over the past few days, more than 25 countries, including a number of EU member states, the US, Canada, Albania, Norway and Ukraine, have announced that they will jointly expel more than 150 Russian diplomats in solidarity with the UK over the Skripal poisoning. Russia then took retaliatory measures by expelling the same number of diplomats from the US and European countries.

2. US intelligence tries to "seduce" Russian diplomats to be expelled

Mr. Anatoly Antonov, Russian Ambassador to the United States.

On March 31, in an interview with RIA Novosti, Mr. Anatoly Antonov, Russian Ambassador to the US, said that US intelligence agencies are trying to force Russian diplomats to betray their homeland.

Earlier, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that provocations against Russian diplomats in the United States have increased sharply - "American intelligence agencies are trying to contact them" and offer "help" in exchange for informal relations on a mutually beneficial basis.

"We know the approaches of the US intelligence service, which, from a diplomatic point of view, is trying to establish unofficial relations with our diplomats, and in fact is forcing them to betray their homeland," Antonov revealed.

He said these were not isolated cases and he was forced to report them to Moscow.

3. The US and South Korea begin annual joint military exercises Foal Eagle

US and South Korean Marines participate in the joint exercise "Key Resolve" in Goyang, South Korea on March 15, 2017. Source: AFP/VNA

South Korea and the United States began annual joint military exercises on April 1 after they were delayed for about a month because of the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, and helped facilitate the resumption of talks between North and South Korea, Reuters reported.

The Foal Eagle exercise, which regularly involves special operations forces, the navy, army and air force, will continue for a month, while the computer-simulated Key Resolve exercise will be held for two weeks starting in mid-April.

4. Syria liberates Eastern Ghouta

Syrian army completely liberates Eastern Ghouta

The Syrian army has declared complete liberation of the Eastern Ghouta region on the outskirts of the capital Damascus. The Syrian army claimed victory over terrorist groups in the area after months of fierce fighting. The liberation of Eastern Ghouta is considered Syria's biggest victory against terrorists since regaining control of Aleppo in 2016.

In a statement, the spokesman for the Syrian Armed Forces, General Ali Mahyoub, said that after a series of well-planned battles and operations, along with a high level of coordination between various forces, the Syrian Armed Forces, with the support of allied forces, have completed the military operation in Eastern Ghouta. According to General Mahyoub, the Syrian Army has now established control over all areas of Eastern Ghouta.

5. Governor of Kemerovo region (Russia) resigns after fire kills 64 people

Aman Tuleyev, governor of the Kemerovo region, has just resigned. Photo: Sputnik.

The longtime governor of the Kemerovo region has resigned after a fire at a shopping mall in Siberia killed 64 people, including 41 children.

"I have submitted my resignation letter to the President of Russia," AFP quoted Aman Tuleyev as saying on April 1 in a three-minute video released by his office.

Mr Tuleyev, 73, who has led the region since 1997, said he could not stay in office "with such a burden" and that resigning was "the only right choice".

6. Israel threatens to attack Gaza Strip

Palestinians carry the body of Hamdan Abu Amsha, who died in Israeli fire on March 30 in the Gaza Strip. Photo: AFP.

The Islamist Hamas movement, the militant group that controls the Gaza Strip, is using protests as a cover to cover up attacks on Israel and destabilize the region, Brigadier General Ronen Manelis, a spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces, said on March 31.

"We will not let this place become a combat zone for them to carry out terrorist acts, and we will respond with precise strikes. If this continues, we will have no choice but to respond inside the Gaza Strip,"BBCquoted Mr. Manelis as saying. He predicted that violence would continue along the border until May 15.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Israel bears "full responsibility" for the bloodshed on March 30. Sixteen Palestinians were killed in clashes with Israeli soldiers in the Gaza Strip.

7. The first group of Russian diplomats expelled by the US has returned home.

A plane carrying Russian diplomats and their families lands at Vnukovo airport. Photo: AFP.

The Il-96 plane carrying 46 diplomats and their family members landed at Vnukovo airport, Moscow on April 1, according toTass. Russian television showed passengers disembarking from the plane as buses waited to pick them up. A second plane is expected to land in the Russian capital tonight. 171 people, including diplomats and their families, are expected to leave the United States.

Washington joined dozens of London’s allies in expelling Russian diplomats in response to the nerve agent attack on former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Britain. Russia has flatly denied involvement. More than 150 people have been ordered to leave the United States, European Union (EU) member states, NATO countries and other countries.

The US announced that it would expel 60 Russian diplomats it considered "spies" and close the Russian consulate in Seattle. Russia responded by expelling 60 US diplomats and closing the US consulate in Saint Petersburg.