CEASEFIRE IN ETHIOPIA

The Ethiopian federal government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front reached an agreement on March 25. According to The New York Times the ceasefire comes after 17 months of fighting in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. 

They declared the truce in the interest of delivering aid to millions in the Tigray—a region where the Times reported has not received aid since December. The Times reported that the United Nations remains optimistic about the developments but suspects the conflict is unlikely to resolve quickly.

According to Bloomberg, hundreds of Ethiopian forces were deployed to the region to support the truce. The deployment leaves people in the area wary of the pressure the troops place on the truce. 

BIDEN’S BUDGET

In a March 28 briefing President Joe Biden announced the budget for 2023 fiscal year. His budget includes more funding for police, military and money set aside to support families and health care. This comes as part of what Biden called “the investments needed to build a better America.“

For students, Biden strengthened the Pell Grant, a scholarship available for students coming from households making less than $50,000 a year. According to Biden’s briefing the new maximum Pell Grant will be $13,000.

The Los Angeles Times reported that the budget includes a plan for higher taxes on households worth more than $100 million. The new tax would require these households to pay a minimum 20% in taxes. The L.A. Times reported that this new tax on households worth over $100 million is unlikely to become a law anytime soon.

UKRAINE TO BEGIN TALKS WITH RUSSIA

Ukraine and Russia are set to begin peace talks in Istanbul on Tuesday.

According to the L.A. Times, the talks come after five weeks of war. They reported that this will be the fifth round of peace talks since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine.

More than 1,150 civilians have already been killed in the conflict and Ukrainian officials seem less optimistic than heading into previous talks, according to the L.A. Times.