Okay, I’m going to level with you here. It’s been another terrible week for news.

But you’re going to see it all on Twitter as soon as you exasperatedly close this link anyway – so you may well get it short and sweet from us.

Besides all this, everything that’s happening right now definitely deserves your attention because it’s all probably going to be in a history book one day.

After all, you will need to be able help your future grandkid with their school project.

Russia seizes a city and a nuclear plant

On Wednesday, Russia declared it had taken full control of Kherson – a strategic southern provincial capital where the Dnipro River flows into the Black Sea.

For the latest updates on the Russia-Ukraine war, visit our live blog: Russia-Ukraine live

People living there now have to abide by strict ‘military administration’ rules, including only walking around in daylight and only travelling in ones and twos.

It signalled a first major victory for Vladimir Putin after his invasion looked to have stalled in the days after giving the green light for his military to invade on February 24.

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Russian troops have also seized the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, Zaporizhzhia.

Fortunately, there has been no release of radioactive material, according to the head of the UN’s atomic watchdog.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has reportedly survived three assassination attempts in the last week and he is expected to face many more as the invasion continues.

Ukraine has suffered horrific destruction since the war began with more than 2,000 civilians reportedly dying in just one week.

The Kremlin has been accused of using cluster bombs in Ukraine – weapons that explode in midair before delivering a deadly rain of smaller ‘bomblets’.

The superpower is also said to have deployed vacuum bombs – which suck in oxygen from the surrounding air to create a more powerful high-temperature explosion capable of vaporising human bodies.

Both of these weapons are widely banned internationally and Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said Putin’s alleged use of the bombs on civilians amount to war crimes.

There have so far been two rounds of peace talks in Belarus but no one has yet been able to come to a resolution.

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Putin has scarily promised Europe the ‘worst is yet to come’ in a call with French President Emmanuel Macron.

Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba has accused Russian troops of raping women in occupied cities as he said it was difficult to ‘speak about the efficiency of the international law’.

On top of the violence, death and constant fear that people in Ukraine have to live with, the record-breaking number of people fleeing the country is on the verge of creating a humanitarian crisis.

TL;DR: More than 2,000 civilians have died in one week, peace talks have got nowhere yet.

Europe’s refugee crisis

More than a million people have been forced to leave their homes and seek refuge in neighbouring countries – 2% of the entire population.

The UN has said the history-making mass departure is the quickest of its kind this century, with most asylum seekers heading to Poland.

The UN Refugee Agency’s Shabia Mantoo said on Wednesday that ‘at this rate’ the outflows from Ukraine could make it the source of ‘the biggest refugee crisis this century’.

More than half of Ukrainian refugees have gone to Poland, while more than 116,000 have fled to Hungary, according to figures from Thursday.

Moldova has taken in more than 79,000 refugees, while Romania has welcomed more than 74,000 and 71,200 have gone to Slovakia.

The huge group of refugees is believed to include around 500,000 children and the United Nations Children’s Fund has warned this figure is only going to go up if the ‘violence doesn’t stop’.

There have been several reports of black and Asian people – many of whom are students in Ukraine – being held back from trans and buses leaving the country.

One Nigerian student said she and her brother had to ‘fight their way’ onto a train that eventually took them to Poland, despite border officials telling them to stand aside.

Ukraine said on Thursday that Russia had agreed to establish humanitarian corridors for those leaving the country and for aid to get in.

TL;DR: People are fleeing Ukraine in record-breaking numbers.

International response to the war

The UK and its western allies are still targetting Russia with harsh sanctions but none of it has seemed to sway Putin’s resolve, despite already downgrading Russia’s economic status to ‘junk’.

Sanctions have gradually become more severe as they are designed to plunge Russia’s economy into recession and make it impossible to Putin to continue funding his invasion.

Most recently, the UK targetted two more Russian oligarchs – Everton investor Alisher Usmanov and Russia’s former deputy prime minister Igor Shuvalov.

Multiple sports leagues, including the Paralympics, has banned Russian athletes from participating.

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Several companies have taken a stand on the war as well, with AirBnB offering free short-term stays for up to 100,000 people fleeing the country.

In the entertainment sphere, Netflex, Spotify, Apple, Google, WWE and others have pulled out of Russia altogether.

Europe and the US are under more pressure than ever to toughen their kickback on Russia as the superpower was declared a ‘direct threat to the safety of all of Europe’ after it took control of Zaporizhzhia.

Ukraine, which has long wanted to become part of the EU, submitted the application to join on February 28, requesting ‘immediate accession via a new special procedure’.

Ordinarily, it would take years for a nation to become part of the bloc and benefit from its defence alliance but Ukraine is hoping the process will be fast-tracked because of the war.

Ukraine is not part of Nato and is therefore not defended by the alliance, but Nato has sent troops to neighbouring countries which are members.

TL;DR: Europe and the US keep making the ‘harshest possible’ sanctions harsher.

Tube strikes

Commuting into London has been a nightmare this week, as members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union walked out in protest.

Regular tube services only resumed from around mid-morning most days – hours after the majority of Londoners would usually have to travel to get to work on time.

As people realised they would be late on the tubes, massive queues formed outside bus stations and taxi ranks in a knock-on effect.

The walk-out was sparked by spending cuts to the TFL, making union members worry there will be job cuts, reductions to their pensions and wages.

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: ‘Our members across London Underground are making it crystal clear that they are not going to be used as pawns in a political fight between the mayor and the Government which threatens their futures and their livelihoods.

Protests will continue into this weekend as strikes are expected to resume on Saturday night – between 8.30pm and 4.29am.

TL;DR: Just stay at home for a bit…

Gavin Williamson’s knighthood

The former education secretary Gavin Williamson has been approved for a knighthood and loads of people are not happy about it.

It is believed the South Staffordshire MP will recieve the honour from the Queen for his political and public service.

But has been heavily criticised for his handling of education during the pandemic, with many teachers calling it an ‘insult’.

General secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, Geoff Barton, said: ‘The experience of schools and colleges of Mr Williamson during his tenure as education secretary was one of endless muddle, inevitable U-turns, and even threats of legal action to override local decisions.’

Mr Williamson’s leadership during a very difficult time for pupils, students and teachers eventually earned him a demotion to the backbenches after a cabinet reshuffle in September.

Former shadow schools minister Wes Streeting said the knighthood was a ‘reward for failure’.

TL;DR: Don’t freak out about being late for work ever again.

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