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World Monthly Headline News March 2022 - Page 2
By Yuras Karmanau, Associated Press

LVIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused the West of lacking courage as his country fights to stave off Russia's invasion, making an exasperated plea for fighter jets and tanks to sustain a defense in a conflict that has ground into a war of attrition. Speaking after U.S. President Joe Biden said in a lacerating speech that Russian President Vladimir Putin could not stay in power — words the White House immediately sought to downplay — Zelenskyy lashed out at the West's "ping-pong about who and how should hand over jets" and other weapons while Russian missile attacks kill and trap civilians. "I've talked to the defenders of Mariupol today. I'm in constant contact with them. Their determination, heroism and firmness are astonishing," Zelenskyy said in a video address early Sunday, referring to the besieged southern city that has suffered some of the war's greatest deprivations and horrors. "If only those who have been thinking for 31 days on how to hand over dozens of jets and tanks had 1% of their courage."
CBS News

Long before Russia invaded Ukraine, long before you ever heard of Vladimir Putin, Russia invaded Afghanistan. It was Christmas of 1979, and Michael Vickers was working for the CIA. "Nobody gave the Afghans a chance in 1979," he said. And yet, "It was the only time the Red Army had been defeated in its history." It's only a month into Putin's invasion of Ukraine and already what was supposed to be a cakewalk has turned into a bloody slog. Vickers said, "Putin's in a, probably even a tougher box than the Soviets were then." "Tougher box, how?" asked CBS News national security correspondent David Martin. "His economy is being destroyed. You have to look at this and see Russian power being destroyed, you know, both militarily and economically, and its international position," said Vickers. "How long are you going to let this go on?"
Matthew Chapman

On Thursday's edition of CNN's "The Situation Room," retired Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling outlined how Vladimir Putin is accomplishing none of his objectives in the invasion of Ukraine. "President Biden says 'NATO has never been as united,'" said anchor Wolf Blitzer. "How much of a message does that summit here in Brussels actually send to Putin?" "It's a very big message, Wolf, because we're talking about what were Mr. Putin's strategic and operational objectives," said Hertling. "He is currently stalemated on the battlefields in the east and south of Ukraine and ... the battle in the north, around Kyiv, was Mr. Putin's primary objective. Take the capital city, replace the government. He has not been able to do that in four weeks when he planned for it in three days."
Dmitry Polyanskiy spoke to Sky News from inside Russia's mission to the UN in New York, where pictures of Vladimir Putin adorn the walls.
Martha Kelne

The Russian deputy ambassador to the UN says Russia retains the right to use nuclear weapons if the country is "provoked" by NATO. Dmitry Polyanskiy, one of Russia's top diplomats in the United States, spoke to Sky News after Vladimir Putin's spokesman said his boss could push the nuclear button if the country feels it is facing an "existential" threat. Asked if Putin was right to hold the prospect of nuclear war over the rest of the world, Mr Polyanskiy said: "If Russia is provoked by NATO, if Russia is attacked by NATO, why not, we are a nuclear power.
More than two dozen girls and women stage protests in front of the Ministry of Education against the Taliban’s decision to shut schools.
Aljazeera

More than two dozen girls and women have staged protests in front of the Ministry of Education in the capital, Kabul, days after the Taliban administration shut secondary schools for girls until further notice, following which the Afghan group has been accused of reneging on its promise on higher education for girls. Thousands of jubilant girls across Afghanistan had flocked to learning institutions on Wednesday – the date the education ministry had set for classes to resume for girls of all ages. But just hours into the first day, the ministry announced a shock policy reversal that left youngsters saying they felt betrayed and foreign governments expressing outrage.
Carl Samson

The U.S. has imposed new sanctions on Russian and North Korean entities and individuals over the transfer of sensitive items to Pyongyang’s missile program, the State Department announced on Thursday. The move was made on the same day North Korea fired its most powerful intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) yet — the Hwasong-17 — under the orders of Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un. First revealed in October 2020, the Hwasong-17 is believed to be not only North Korea’s longest-range weapon, but also the world’s largest road-mobile ICBM to carry nuclear warheads. During its 67-minute flight on Thursday, the missile reached a maximum altitude of 3,880 miles (approximately 6,244 kilometers) and traveled 680 miles (approximately 1,094 kilometers) before landing in waters between North Korea and Japan, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Pyongyang’s official mouthpiece.
By Claire Parker

All 132 people aboard the China Eastern Airlines plane that crashed into a mountain in southern China are dead, a senior official in the Chinese aviation administration told Chinese state media Saturday. China Daily reported the death toll, which comes after a rescue mission that scoured for days the site of the deadliest plane crash in the country in nearly three decades. Search teams recovered a black box from the wreckage of the Boeing 737 jet earlier in the week but found no survivors. China Eastern Airlines Flight 5735 had been carrying 123 passengers and nine crew members from Kunming toward Guangzhou when it nosedived into the mountains in Guangxi on Monday afternoon, according to video footage and witness accounts.
By Lexi Lonas

NATO Deputy-General Secretary Mircea Geoana said in an interview with The Associated Press that the group would respond if Russia used chemical or nuclear weapons in its war against Ukraine. “NATO is a defensive alliance, but also it’s a nuclear alliance,” said Geoana, who is also the former Romanian foreign minister and ambassador to the United States. “If they will be using chemical weapons or other kinds of higher-end systems against Ukraine, this will be changing fundamentally the nature of the war that Mr. Putin has waged against Ukraine." “I can guarantee that NATO is ready to respond proportionately,” Geoana added.
By Alexander Downes, opinion contributor

Russia’s armored offensive in Ukraine, which Russian President Vladimir Putin clearly believed would be over in a few days, has been stymied by fierce Ukrainian resistance and is bogged down without having taken any major cities. The world has watched in horror as Russian forces have turned their guns, bombs, and missiles on civilian areas of these cities. This is not collateral damage. Russian ordnance is being lobbed into neighborhoods, hitting apartment buildings, schools, hospitals, and even a theater specifically marked as sheltering children. This is intentional targeting of civilians.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on energy-rich nations to increase their production of oil and natural gas to counteract the loss of Russian supplies amid sanctions over Moscow’s war on his country
By LUJAIN JO Associated Press

DOHA, Qatar -- Ukraine's president called Saturday on energy-rich nations to increase their production of oil and natural gas to counteract the loss of Russian supplies amid sanctions over Moscow's war on his country. Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a surprise video appearance at Qatar’s Doha Forum, an annual summit in the gas-rich nation that will host the 2022 FIFA World Cup later this year. It's part of a rhetorical offensive of addresses he's given around the world since the start of the war Feb. 24. Zelenskyy asked countries to increase their energy exports — something particularly important as Qatar is a world leader in the export of natural gas. Western sanctions have deeply cut into Russian exports, which are crucial for European nations.
Diaa Hadid, Abdul Sattar

ISLAMABAD – It wasn't long ago that many in Pakistan thought Imran Khan, the cricket star-turned-politician, might defy the odds to become the only prime minister in recent history to actually serve a full term. After all, he was relatively popular. And more importantly, he enjoyed the firm support of the military, which many say helped catapult him to power in 2018. But Khan's fortunes have rapidly shifted. The military appears to have withdrawn support and defections within the ranks of Khan's own party, known as the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, or PTI, mean that a no-confidence move in parliament planned to get underway on Monday, looks like it has a good chance to succeed.

The military backs away from Khan
Khan's shaky grasp on power has made for more than the usual amount of messy politics in Pakistan. The current crisis erupted after the military appeared to suddenly back away from him, signaling to the opposition that it was open season on the prime minister. "The opposition now has free rein to go after Khan," says Madiha Afzal, a fellow at the Brookings Institution.
Abbie Shull

North Korea claims it successfuly launched its largest intercontinental ballistic missile in a test run on Thursday, but there are signs everything is not as it appears. This was North Korea's first successful ICBM test since Nov. 2017 and the Hwasong-17 is considered the country's largest nuclear-capable missile. The missile reached an altitude of 3,853 miles and traveled 671 miles during its 71-minute flight before it crashed into Japanese waters, according to reports from South Korean and Japanese officials, NK News first reported. North Korea's KCNA gave a simliar report on the missiles capabilities.
By Kyle Blaine

Warsaw, Poland (CNN) President Joe Biden on Saturday called Russian President Vladimir Putin a "butcher" after visiting with refugees in Warsaw, Poland, in an intense criticism of the Russian leader's actions in Ukraine that have seen millions of refugees flee to neighboring countries. During the visit, Biden was asked by reporters what seeing the Ukrainian refugees at Stadion Narodowy made him think of as he deals with Putin every day. Biden responded: "He's a butcher." After initially looking to downplay a personal rivalry between himself and Putin, Biden has ramped up his rhetoric against Putin over the last 10 days. Last week, Biden for the first time called Putin a "war criminal" and then later referred to him as a "murderous dictator, a pure thug who is waging an immoral war against the people of Ukraine." He's also called the Russian invasion of Ukraine "inhumane."
By Arnaud Siad, Nathan Hodge and Toyin Owoseje, CNN

(CNN) J.K. Rowling has hit back at Vladimir Putin after the Russian President compared the West's treatment of his country to a public backlash faced by the Harry Potter author. In a message shared on her Twitter account on Friday, the writer said critiques of cancel culture are "not best made" by those "slaughtering civilians." Rowling also posted a link to a 2021 BBC News article about jailed anti-corruption campaigner Alexei Navalny and denounced the invasion of Ukraine. "Critiques of Western cancel culture are possibly not best made by those currently slaughtering civilians for the crime of resistance, or who jail and poison their critics," she told her 13.9 million followers on Twitter, along with the hashtag #IStandWithUkraine
Brad Reed

The Russian military is reportedly losing an average of more than a general per week, and The Daily Beast's Julia Davis reports that tensions over the war are now boiling over on the country's state-run TV news stations and are even resulting in "screaming matches." One particularly fraught debate came when analyst Vitaly Tretyakov gave a blunt assessment of the state of the war, which the Kremlin has insisted on calling a "special military operation." "The situation is serious," he said. "We have to admit that there was no psychological breakthrough in our operation, where the opposing side would lose their will to resist... The resistance from the Ukrainian side is neither stopping nor weakening." This drew an angry response from host Olga Skabeeva, who grilled Tretyakov about what he would do.
Sam Meredith

The U.S. said Friday it will work with international partners to provide at least 15 billion cubic meters more of liquified natural gas to Europe this year, seeking to end the bloc’s dependence on Russian energy exports following the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine. These additional volumes of LNG are expected to increase going forward, the White House said in a statement. It comes amid heightened concern that energy-importing countries continue to top up President Vladimir Putin’s war chest with oil and gas revenue on a daily basis.
Matt Clinch

A huge plume of smoke could be seen above an oil facility in the Saudi city of Jeddah on Friday, according to multiple media reports, with Yemen’s Houthi group claiming they had attacked an Aramco site with missiles. The Associated Press cited videos of a raging fire at an oil depot, saying that the location of the blaze was near the North Jeddah Bulk Plant — which is southeast of the city’s international airport. Meanwhile, a Reuters source said that a Saudi Aramco facility had been hit. The Iran-backed Houthis claimed they were behind the strike with a military spokesperson adding that they had also used drones to hit the Ras Tanura and Rabigh refineries, according to Reuters.
By Kate Abnett

BRUSSELS, March 24 (Reuters) - Leaders from some European Union member states said on Thursday Russia's demand that "unfriendly" countries use roubles to buy for its oil and gas could breach supply contracts.
Damien Cave

SYDNEY — A leaked document has revealed that China and the Solomon Islands are close to signing a security agreement that could open the door to Chinese troops and naval warships flowing into a Pacific Island nation that played a pivotal role in World War II. The agreement, kept secret until now, was shared online Thursday night by opponents of the deal and verified as legitimate by the Australian government. Although it is marked as a draft and cites a need for “social order” as a justification for sending Chinese forces, it has set off alarms throughout the Pacific, where concerns about China’s intentions have been growing for years.
Reports surfaced Wednesday indicating a teenager is the group’s mastermind
By Jay Peters

City of London Police have arrested seven teenagers due to their suspected connections with a hacking group that is believed to be the recently prolific Lapsus$ group, BBC News reports. “The City of London Police has been conducting an investigation with its partners into members of a hacking group,” Detective Inspector Michael O’Sullivan of the City of London Police said in a statement to The Verge. “Seven people between the ages of 16 and 21 have been arrested in connection with this investigation and have all been released under investigation. Our enquiries remain ongoing.” Lapsus$ has taken responsibility for some major security breaches at tech companies, including Nvidia, Samsung, Ubisoft, Okta, and Microsoft. On Wednesday, reports surfaced indicating an Oxford-based teenager is the mastermind of the group. City of London Police did not say if this teenager was among those arrested.
Opinion by Benjamin Sawyer

On March 9, a committee in the Russian Duma approved a law that would allow the Russian government to nationalize the property of foreign firms that have exited or ceased operations inside the country since it invaded Ukraine. This follows calls from prominent Russian leaders, including former president Dmitry Medvedev and United Russia General Council Secretary Andrei Turchak, to punish these firms. The law has yet to move forward in the Duma, but the mere threat of such a step will probably harm Russia’s economy for years to come. Sanctions can hurt an economy, but they can be revoked. Reputation, on the other hand, is not so easily repaired. Vladimir Putin has spent years working to distinguish modern Russia from its czarist and Soviet predecessors, and he is well aware of the costs associated with proposing nationalization as a wartime policy.
Bloomberg News

Russia is set to erase 15 years of economic gains by the end of 2023 after its invasion of Ukraine spurred a multitude of sanctions and prompted companies to pull out of the country, according to the Institute of International Finance. The economy is expected to contract 15% in 2022, followed by a decline of 3% in 2023, leaving gross domestic product where it was about fifteen years ago, economists Benjamin Hilgenstock and Elina Ribakova wrote in a preliminary assessment of the impact of the war, noting that further sanctions may change their view. “Sharply lower domestic demand is likely to play a crucial role while a collapse in imports should offset lower exports, leading to a marginally-positive contribution from net foreign demand,” the economists wrote. “However, should further sanctions in the form of trade embargos be implemented, exports might fall more than we currently forecast.”
Adam Smith

Hacking group Anonymous has claimed an attack on Russia’s Central Bank. In a post on Twitter, an account representing the group said that it would release 35,000 files in 48 hours that apparently contains “secret agreements”. The account has not yet given proof that it had successfully undertaken the hack, or that it had access to the promised documents. The Russian Central Bank did not respond to a request for comment from The Independent before time of publication. The hacking group has attacked numerous other Russian organisations as part of a solidarity campaign in support of Ukraine following the invasion of the country on 24 February.
The use of phosphorous bombs is curtailed but not outright banned under international law.
By Daniel Arkin

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday accused Russian President Vladimir Putin’s forces of using phosphorus bombs in their latest wave of attacks on his country, telling NATO leaders in Brussels that “people were killed,” including children. “Europe is going through a war, every day of which is full of war crimes of Russian troops,” Zelenskyy said, according to an NBC News translation. “This morning, I received information that Russian troops had used phosphorus bombs against civilians in Ukraine.” He did not provide evidence in his address, and the Pentagon said it was not able to confirm the Ukrainian leader’s allegation when contacted by NBC News. It is difficult to verify the claims without U.S. personnel on the ground, three U.S. defense officials said.
State media says Kim Jong-un directly guided the launch of the powerful new Hwasong-17 missile
Justin McCurry in Tokyo and agencies

North Korea has confirmed that it tested a new, powerful type of intercontinental ballistic missile, marking an end to a self-imposed moratorium on long-range testing in place since 2017 and drawing international condemnation. State media said on Friday that leader Kim Jong-un had directly guided the test of the Hwasong-17 – a “new type” of intercontinental ballistic missile that is North Korea’s biggest to date. He said it was key to deterring nuclear war. The missile reportedly flew for 1,090km (681 miles) to a maximum altitude of 6,248.5km (3,905 miles) and hit a target in the sea.
NBC News

During a press conference from Brussels, President Biden said he believes Russia should be removed from the G20, the group featuring the 20 biggest economies in the world, and that it was discussed during the NATO summit. He also added that the suggestion was for Ukraine to be able to attend G20 meetings.
The president said chemical warfare in Ukraine would “trigger a response” from NATO and called for Russia to be booted from the G-20. But there are limits, as always.
By Christopher Cadelago, Jonathan Lemire and Samuel Benson

BRUSSELS — President Joe Biden on Thursday called for expelling Russia from the G-20 group of the world’s largest economies, suggested Ukraine join the meetings if that cannot happen and pledged to respond in kind if Vladimir Putin uses chemical weapons in the assault on his neighbor. Speaking with reporters at NATO headquarters in Brussels during an extraordinary day of meetings, Biden said the question of booting Russia from the G-20 was entertained, but he was deferential to the country now chairing the organization, Indonesia. His comments were part of a harder-line stance on Putin, who reportedly plans to attend the G-20 summit this October. While Biden declined to share U.S. intelligence on the possibility that Putin might deploy chemical weapons in his nation’s war on Ukraine, he threatened to “respond if he uses it” and promised that such an attack would “trigger a response in kind” from NATO forces.
By Anna Cooban, CNN Business

London (CNN Business) Russia's invasion of Ukraine has ended globalization as we know it, says the head of BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager. BlackRock CEO Larry Fink told shareholders in a letter on Thursday that Russia's "decoupling from the global economy" following its assault on Ukraine has caused governments and companies to examine their reliance on other nations. "The Russian invasion of Ukraine has put an end to the globalization we have experienced over the last three decades," Fink wrote. The CEO, whose company manages $10 trillion in assets, predicted that Russia's isolation will "prompt companies and governments worldwide to reevaluate their dependencies and reanalyze their manufacturing and assembly footprints."
Reuters

March 24 (Reuters) - Russia accused Poland on Thursday of trying to destroy bilateral relations by expelling 45 of its diplomats, and said it would respond harshly. The Russian ambassador said Poland, which said on Wednesday it was expelling the diplomats on suspicion of working for Russian intelligence, had also blocked the embassy's bank accounts. The Russian foreign ministry said the expulsions were "a conscious step towards the final destruction of bilateral relations, the dismantling of which our Polish 'partners' have been systematically carrying out for a long time". It added: "Russia will not leave this hostile attack without a response, which will make Polish provocateurs think and will hurt them."
Ahead of the royal couple's visit, the Bahamas National Reparations Committee called on the British monarchy to acknowledge "crimes against humanity" and pay reparations.
By Carly Ledbetter

A Bahamian government committee called on Prince William and Kate Middleton to admit the British economy was “built on the backs” of colonized ancestors and to pay reparations. The National Reparations Committee, established in 2014 to make a legal case against European countries for reparations, demanded the British royal family issue “a full and formal apology for their crimes against humanity” as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge continue their controversial Caribbean trip celebrating Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee year. The royal couple plan to visit the Bahamas later this week, which the reparations committee noted in an unsparing statement falls on the 15th anniversary of the United Nations’ International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
Erin Doherty

NATO will agree at a summit on Thursday to significantly bolster its troop presence on its eastern flank, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters at a press conference on Wednesday.

State of play: The deployment will consist of four new battle groups in Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia. Stoltenberg said he expects leaders at Thursday's emergency summit in Brussels — which Biden will attend — to OK strengthening "NATO’s posture in all domains."
Danielle Wallace

The head of Russia's Ministry of Defense Sergei Shoigu has not been seen in public for 12 days and is possibly missing, according to reports and messages circulated on Telegram on Wednesday. Investigative journalists from the Russian independent news outlets Mediazona and Agentstvo claimed on Wednesday that the normally media savvy Shoigu has not appeared in public since March 11. There are rumors that Shoigu is in poor health and is experiencing heart problems, while other messages are swirling online suggest Shoigu might have been fired from the ministry and is on house arrest, according to Russian journalists. Fox News has not yet independently verified these allegations.
Reuters

March 23 (Reuters) - Russia plans to resume some stock trading on Thursday after a near month-long hiatus, with 33 rouble securities to be traded on the Moscow Exchange. Non-residents will have to wait, though - they will be barred from selling stocks and OFZ rouble bonds until April 1. Trading in blue chips, including state lenders Sberbank (SBER.MM) and VTB (VTBR.MM), energy majors Rosneft (ROSN.MM) and Gazprom (GAZP.MM), will take place between 0650 and 1100 GMT, with short-selling banned, the central bank said on Wednesday. Russian stocks last traded on the Moscow Exchange on Feb. 25. The central bank then curbed trading as Western sanctions over events in Ukraine threw markets into turmoil.
Rachel Treisman

Two superyachts linked to Russian oligarch and Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich have reportedly docked in the sanction-free waters of Turkey in recent days, though not without protest. The Solaris yacht left Montenegro last week and traveled southeast to Turkey, avoiding European waters and arriving at the port city of Bodrum on Monday, Reuters reported, citing shipping data. There, the 460-foot yacht was met by a small group of young Ukrainian sailors who tried to block it from reaching the dock. Video footage from the BBC, CNN, SkyNews and others shows people on a small boat, waving Ukrainian flags and chanting "no war in Ukraine."
AP News

LONDON (AP) — Russian Olympic athletes who participated in a rally supporting President Vladimir Putin and the invasion of Ukraine are facing a backlash, with one losing a sponsorship deal and facing a disciplinary investigation. Medalists from cross-country skiing, gymnastics, figure skating and swimming gathered on stage at the Luzhniki Stadium on Friday as part of the concert and entertainment program around Putin’s speech. Olympic champion swimmer Evgeny Rylov is under investigation from the sport’s governing body, known as FINA, for attending the event.
By Katherine Fung

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged French companies to leave the Russian market in his Wednesday address to the French National Assembly, naming large retailers and automobile manufacturers as "sponsors" of the war in his home country. "French companies must leave the Russian market," Zelensky said to French lawmakers via Zoom. "Renault, Auchan, Leroy Merlin and others. They must cease to be sponsors of Russia's military machine, sponsors of the killing of children and women, sponsors of rape, robbery and looting by the Russian army." "All companies must remember once and for all that values are worth more than profit, especially profit on blood," he continued. "We must already think about the future. About how we will live after this war."
By Harry Howard, History Correspondent For Mailonline

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's tour of the Caribbean has been overshadowed by protests focused on the legacy of the British Empire and slavery in the region. In Jamaica – the second stop on the eight-day visit – demonstrators in the capital Kingston accused the couple of benefiting from the 'blood, sweat and tears of slaves' and called for reparations to be paid. The couple were also forced to cancel a visit to a cacao farm shortly after arriving in Belize following residents' anger that they weren't consulted about the football pitch earmarked for the landing of their helicopter. And in the Bahamas, which William and Kate arrive in tomorrow, the country's national reparations committee has called on the royal couple to acknowledge that the British economy was 'built on the backs' of past Bahamians. In each nation – all of which were once part of the British Empire and are now Commonwealth countries – there is a complicated history of slavery that has contributed to varying amounts of ill-feeling towards the Royal family and the UK. In Jamaica alone, hundreds of thousands of African slaves were shipped by Britain from the 17th century onwards and forced to work in brutal conditions on sugar plantations.
He'll meet with NATO and G-7 leaders in Brussels and visit Poland.
By Ben Gittleson

President Joe Biden headed to Europe Wednesday as he tries to keep NATO allies and other European partners united against Russian President Vladimir Putin and his invasion of Ukraine. With fighting lasting nearly a month -- and Ukrainian forces unexpectedly holding Russia to a standoff -- Biden and other world leaders will seek to speed an end to the conflict. They'll face pressure to make announcements about new sanctions on Russia, humanitarian assistance for refugees and additional support for Ukraine's military. Putin and China will be watching, with the fate of Ukraine -- and Russia's place in the world -- hanging in the balance.
The Associated Press

KABUL, Afghanistan — Afghanistan's Taliban rulers decided against opening schools to girls above the sixth grade, reneging on a previous promise and opting to appease their hardline base at the expense of further alienating the international community. The unexpected decision, confirmed by a Taliban official Wednesday, came at the start of the new school year in Afghanistan. It is bound to disrupt Taliban efforts to win recognition from potential international donors, at a time when the country is mired in a worsening humanitarian crisis. The international community has been urging Taliban leaders to open schools and give women their right to public space. A statement by the ministry earlier in the week urged "all students" to come to school.
By Nina Chestney

LONDON, March 23 (Reuters) - Russia will seek payment in roubles for gas sales from “unfriendly” countries, President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday, sending European gas prices soaring on concerns the move would exacerbate the region’s energy crunch. European countries' dependence on Russian gas to heat their homes and power their economies has been thrown into the spotlight since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24 and the subsequent imposition of Western sanctions aimed at isolating Russia economically. With the financial noose tightening and the European Union split on whether to sanction Russia's energy sector, Putin hit back with a clear message -- if you want our gas, buy our currency. "Russia will continue, of course, to supply natural gas in accordance with volumes and prices ... fixed in previously concluded contracts," Putin said at a televised meeting with top government ministers. "The changes will only affect the currency of payment, which will be changed to Russian roubles," he said.
Ravi Buddhavarapu

India is expected to announce a payment arrangement that would allow trade with Russia to continue, the president of an Indian exporters’ association told CNBC’s “Street Signs” on Wednesday. The so-called rupee-ruble trade mechanism could come as early as next week, according to A Sakthivel, president of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO). The FIEO, a government-backed association representing over 200,000 exporters, oversees India’s export promotion councils. India’s finance ministry and the Reserve Bank of India have not commented so far on the mechanism, which would let Indian exporters continue their business with Russia even after Western sanctions restricted international payment mechanisms. The arrangement would also allow India to buy Russian energy exports and other goods.
By COLLEEN LONG, AMANDA SEITZ and NOMAAN MERCHANT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. and Ukraine have knocked back Russian President Vladimir Putin’s efforts to falsely frame the narrative of his brutal war, but they are struggling to get a more accurate view of the Kremlin’s invasion in front of the Russian people. While the Russian military suffers thousands of deaths and fails to capture key cities, Putin is intensifying his two-decade crackdown on information. The Kremlin has shut down Russia’s last three independent media outlets, barred major social media platforms, created new laws against journalists who defy its propaganda and insisted on calling the war a “special military operation.” The result is a Russian public with little to no access to any alternative to Putin’s own anti-Ukraine, anti-Western narrative. It’s a heat shield for Putin against any backlash to the war and Western sanctions that have crippled Russia’s economy.
Reuters

WARSAW, March 23 (Reuters) - Poland is expelling 45 Russian diplomats suspected of working for Russian intelligence, the foreign ministry said on Wednesday. Russia said the accusations were baseless. Relations between Russia and Central European countries that once formed part of its sphere of influence have long been fraught but the invasion of Ukraine has significantly increased fear and suspicion about Moscow's intentions. "In total, 45 people with varying diplomatic status... were ordered to leave the territory of the Republic of Poland within 5 days," Foreign Ministry spokesman Lukasz Jasina told a news conference.
Evelyn Cheng

BEIJING — One of the two black boxes containing data from Monday’s China Eastern Airlines plane crash has been found, Chinese state media said Wednesday. The black boxes are the technical equipment on airplanes that could reveal reasons for the crash. The box found was “heavily damaged,” state media said, noting that it was not immediately clear whether it was the one that recorded flight data or cockpit communications with air traffic controllers. A Boeing 737-800 flight carrying 132 people nosedived Monday afternoon in a rural, mountainous part of the southern region of Guangxi. Authorities haven’t confirmed any fatalities or shared why the crash happened.
Josh Dickey

They couldn't ignore Arnold Schwarzenegger for long: After failing to contain the actor's lengthy video directly urging the Russian people to see through state-sponsored lies, Moscow mouthpieces went on offense. Schwarzenegger's personal-appeal video was viewed by millions across Twitter and Telegram, the latter of which is used mostly by Russians, according to the Daily Beast. After a few days of pretending there was nothing to see here, pro-Russia voices from inside the warring nation began to push back this week. "That face is the cover page of American imperialism and colonialism," a "visibly furious" TV host Vadim Gigin said on "Sunday Evening with Vladimir Solovievon," according to the Beast. "Not the caricature image of Uncle Sam, but this Schwarz, in a Hollywood production."
Concerns over the war in Ukraine, as well as the Iran nuclear deal, are reportedly on the agenda.

Leaders of Egypt, Israel, and the United Arab Emirates have met for a three-way summit, the first of its kind since the UAE normalised relations with Israel, with the aftermath of the invasion of Ukraine, as well as the Iran nuclear deal, on the agenda. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi hosted the talks on Tuesday at the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and the UAE’s de facto ruler, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
By Ellen Mitchell

The Biden administration has transferred a significant number of Patriot missiles to Saudi Arabia in the past several weeks after the country urgently requested a resupply, The Wall Street Journal reported. The transfers, which were not formally announced but notified to Congress, are to make sure Saudi Arabia can defend itself against drone and missile attacks from the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, a senior U.S. official told the outlet.
By Mark Thompson and James Frater, CNN Business

London (CNN Business) Europe will consider joining a US-led embargo of Russian oil this week as the West looks for new ways to punish President Vladimir Putin for waging his devastating war in Ukraine. EU leaders will discuss whether to dump by far the biggest supplier of oil to the region, having already committed to cutting Russian natural gas use by 66% this year. They will be joined Thursday by US President Joe Biden, who is visiting Europe for EU, NATO and G7 summits. The European Union's top diplomat said that the bloc was ready to impose more sanctions on Russia but that no decision was taken at Monday's meeting of EU foreign ministers on whether to target energy specifically. "Today was not a day to take decisions in that area so no decision was taken but this and other possible measures were subject to analysis by the ministers," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters. The issue of Russian energy imports was raised by various member states and "there was an interesting exchange of views, information on this," he added.
CBS News

Lviv — Russia continued flattening Ukraine's besieged port city of Mariupol on Tuesday amid escalating warnings from Washington that a cornered President Vladimir Putin, frustrated by his military's slow progress 26 days into the invasion of Ukraine, could resort to unleashing chemical or biological weapons on his neighbors. President Joe Biden said Monday that Putin's "back is against the wall," with his assault on Ukraine not going to plan. Mr. Biden called the Russian leader's allegations that the U.S. has labs in Ukraine to develop chemical and biological weapons a "clear sign he's considering using both" himself. As U.S.-Russian relations plummet to new lows, the U.S. leader also warned businesses that a Russian cyberattack could soon target companies or infrastructure on American soil.
By Anna Wlodarczak-semczuk, Karol Badohal and Luiza Ilie

WARSAW/BUCHAREST, March 22 (Reuters) - More than 3.5 million people have fled abroad from the war in Ukraine, United Nations data showed on Tuesday, leaving Eastern Europe scrambling to provide them with care, schools and jobs even as daily numbers crossing borders ease. The millions who have left Ukraine since Russia's invasion began have made their way on foot, by rail, bus or car to neighbouring countries such as Poland and Romania before some travel on across Europe. Most, however, have not done so. While fewer have crossed borders over the past week, the scale of the task of providing homes to those seeking safety in the European Union is becoming increasingly apparent, above all in Eastern and Central Europe.
By Stephanie Halasz and George Ramsay, CNN

(CNN) Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny has been sentenced to nine years in a maximum-security jail, according to Russian state-owned news agency Tass. A prominent Kremlin critic, Navalny was convicted on fraud charges by Moscow's Lefortovo court over allegations that he stole from his Anti-Corruption Foundation. Navalny, 45, is currently serving a two-and-a-half-year sentence in a detention center east of the Russian capital after being arrested in February 2021 for violating probation terms, a verdict he said was politically motivated. After Tuesday's sentence was announced, Navalny wrote on Twitter: "9 years. Well, as the characters of my favorite TV series 'The Wire' used to say: 'You only do two days. That's the day you go in and the day you come out.'"
By Michelle Nichols

UNITED NATIONS, March 22 (Reuters) - Russia is seeking to blunt Western-led efforts at the United Nations to further isolate Moscow for invading Ukraine, with the Security Council and General Assembly gearing up to vote this week on competing measures on Ukraine's humanitarian crisis.
By Haley Ott

London — A local journalist working for a French radio station in Ukraine was kidnapped and tortured by Russian soldiers earlier this month, according to the non-profit group Reporters Without Borders (RSF). Nikita, 32, whose name has been changed for his security, was held for nine days and subjected to electric shocks, beatings with an iron bar and mock execution, he told the group. "Nikita has given us a chilling testimony that confirms the intensity of the war crimes perpetrated by the Russian army against journalists," the secretary-general of Reporters Without Borders, Christophe Deloire, said in a statement. "Passing his testimony on to the ICC [International Criminal Court] prosecutor is the least we can do for this courageous young fixer."
CBS News

Ankara, Turkey — A second superyacht belonging to Chelsea soccer club owner and sanctioned Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich has docked in a resort in southwestern Turkey - a country that's not applying sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, Turkish media reports said Tuesday. The private DHA news agency said the Bermuda-registered Eclipse docked at a port in the resort of Marmaris amid international efforts to freeze assets belonging to top Russian businessmen linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
By Jon Nazca

GIBRALTAR, March 21 (Reuters) - A luxurious super-yacht linked to the owner of Russia's largest steel pipe maker, who is currently under British and European Union sanctions, docked in Gibraltar on Monday and was then detained by the authorities.
By Luke McGee and Claire Calzonetti, CNN

(CNN) Russian President Vladimir Putin's chief spokesman has conceded that Russia has yet to achieve any of its military goals in Ukraine and refused to deny that Moscow could resort to the use of nuclear weapons. In an interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour on Tuesday, Dmitry Peskov repeatedly refused to rule out that Russia would consider using nuclear weapons against what Moscow saw as an "existential threat." When asked under what conditions Putin would use Russia's nuclear capability, Peskov replied, "if it is an existential threat for our country, then it can be." Putin has previously hinted at using nuclear weapons against nations that he saw as a threat to Russia. Back in February, the Russian President said in a televised statement, "No matter who tries to stand in our way or all the more so create threats for our country and our people, they must know that Russia will respond immediately, and the consequences will be such as you have never seen in your entire history."
State of the Union

New Yorker staff writer Masha Gessen tells CNN's Jake Tapper that "people have real fear" of getting prosecuted inside Russia.
Alexander Nazaryan·Senior White House Correspondent | Yahoo News

In a blistering social media post, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, now a top Kremlin security adviser, lashed out at Poland for its support of Ukraine, reviving and escalating decades-long tensions between Moscow and Warsaw. Poland’s surprisingly spirited defense of Ukraine would prove “expensive and pointless,” Medvedev predicted, ominously adding that he was confident that Warsaw would “make the right choice” and embrace Russia again. Medvedev is a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin and served a four-year placeholder presidency when Putin was facing term limits. Medvedev went on to serve as Putin’s prime minister and is now deputy chairman of the Kremlin’s security council. Putin is the chairman.
Leyland Cecco

Canada’s prime minister, Justin Trudeau, has struck a deal with a political rival that would keep in him power until 2025. In exchange for support from the New Democratic party on key votes, Trudeau’s Liberals have pledged progress on national pharmaceutical and dental care programs. “With so much instability around us, Canadians need stability,” said the prime minister as he announced the deal with the NDP on Tuesday morning. Trudeau said “nobody benefits” when parliament “doesn’t work properly”, and that his Liberals would look for common goals with the NDP and other opposition parties. Trudeau was elected to a third term in September, but commands only a minority of seats in parliament, meaning he requires the support of other parties to govern. Minority governments have a relatively short lifespan and governing parties attempt to legislate with the ever-present fear of a looming election.
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LAURA GEGGEL, LIVE SCIENCE

When the dinosaur-destroying asteroid collided with Earth 66 million years ago, massive amounts of sulfur – volumes more than were previously thought – were thrown high above land into the stratosphere, a new study finds. Once airborne, this vast cloud of sulfur-bearing gases blocked the Sun and cooled Earth for decades to centuries, then fell down as lethal acid rain on Earth, changing the chemistry of the oceans for tens of thousands of years, which is longer than previously thought, the study found. The findings show that "we've underestimated the amount of this sulfur that this asteroid impact created," study co-researcher James Witts, a lecturer in the School of Earth Sciences at the University of Bristol in the UK, told Live Science. As a result, "the climate change that was associated with it was much greater perhaps than we thought previously".
Jordan Novet

President Joe Biden on Monday advised U.S. corporations to strengthen their cybersecurity practices because of intelligence reports indicating that Russia is looking at possibilities to attack. The guidance came almost a month after Russian troops invaded Ukraine in a war that has brought over 900 deaths, including 39 children. “I have previously warned about the potential that Russia could conduct malicious cyber activity against the United States, including as a response to the unprecedented economic costs we’ve imposed on Russia alongside our allies and partners,” the president said in a statement. “It’s part of Russia’s playbook. Today, my Administration is reiterating those warnings based on evolving intelligence that the Russian Government is exploring options for potential cyberattacks.”
By Sabine Siebold and Robin Emmott

ON BOARD THE SUPPLY SHIP ELBE, Latvia (Reuters) - Hours after Russian missiles first struck Ukrainian cities on Feb. 24, German naval commander Terje Schmitt-Eliassen received notice to sail five warships under his command to the former Soviet Republic of Latvia to help protect the most vulnerable part of NATO's eastern flank. The hasty dispatch was part of Germany's scramble to send "everything that can swim out to sea," as the navy's top boss phrased it, to defend an area military strategists have long deemed the weakest point for the alliance. The vessels' sudden departure demonstrated how NATO, and Germany, were propelled by Russia's invasion into a new reality and face what officials, diplomats, intelligence officials and security sources agree is the most serious threat to the alliance's collective security since the Cold War.
Holly Ellyatt

With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine now approaching its fourth week, President Vladimir Putin’s forces have exerted brutal force and destruction on the Eastern European nation, forcing people to flee and making millions homeless. Russia’s economy is now creaking under the immense weight of international sanctions and the costs of war, having largely failed to achieve major military victories in Ukraine. Close watchers of Moscow, and Putin, say there are increasing signs of desperation in Russia’s military campaign and siege tactics. “I don’t think Russia can win,” Kurt Volker, a former U.S. ambassador to NATO, told CNBC.
By Mark Thompson and James Frater, CNN Business

Europe will consider joining a US-led embargo of Russian oil this week as the West looks for new ways to punish President Vladimir Putin for waging his devastating war in Ukraine. At a series of meetings beginning Monday, EU leaders will discuss whether to dump by far the biggest supplier of oil to the region, having already committed to cutting Russian natural gas use by 66% this year. They'll be joined by US President Joe Biden at a summit on Thursday. "We have to discuss how we can support Ukraine even further, politically, economically, with humanitarian aid, security wise, everything is on the table. So we can ensure that we will do what we can to stop Putin and his aggression against Ukraine," Denmark's foreign minister Jeppe Kofod told reporters. "It's important with economic sanctions to continue along that track." Russia is the world's second biggest exporter of oil, behind Saudi Arabia, and despite the chilling effect of unprecedented Western financial sanctions and an embargo announced by the United States and the United Kingdom, it continues to earn hundreds of millions of dollars a day from energy exports.
Reuters

March 20 (Reuters) - The Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen said on Sunday it had intercepted and destroyed a "hostile air target" which was aimed towards the Red Sea city of Jeddah, Saudi state media reported. Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi group had earlier attacked an Aramco distribution plant in Jeddah, after firing missiles and drones at Saudi energy and water desalination facilities in the southern Jizan region.
By Jack Dutton

Europe's top energy firms are rushing to buy more Russian gas, even after President Vladimir Putin declared war on Ukraine on Thursday. Energy Voice reported on Friday that utility firms are ordering more fuel under long-term contracts with Gazprom PJSC, the largest extractor of natural gas in the world, after European prices rose by 62 percent on Thursday. International benchmark Brent crude oil surged above $100 for the first time since 2014. The energy website said this was because imports of Russian gas are currently cheaper than spot gas traded in other European countries, leading to imports of Russian gas through Ukraine spiking by almost 38 percent on Thursday.
Reuters

BEIJING, March 21 (Reuters) - A China Eastern Airlines (600115.SS) Boeing 737-800 with 132 people on board crashed in mountains in southern China on a domestic flight on Monday after a sudden descent from cruising altitude. Media said there were no signs of survivors.
Sarakshi Rai

(The Hill) – A Ukrainian historian wrote in an opinion piece in The New York Times on Sunday that Russian President Vladimir Putin made two major miscalculations regarding the invasion of Ukraine. Yaroslav Hrytsak, a historian and professor at the Ukrainian Catholic University, wrote that “Russian aggression has been met with heroic Ukrainian resistance and united the West.” He referred to Putin as a “master tactician but inept strategist” and said he has made his most profound miscalculation by not anticipating a response from the West and Ukrainian resistance. “First, he was hoping that, as had been the case with his war against Georgia, the West would tacitly swallow his aggression against Ukraine. A unified response from the West was not something he expected. Second, since in his mind Russians and Ukrainians were one nation, Mr. Putin believed Russian troops needed barely to enter Ukraine to be welcomed with flowers. This never materialized,” he wrote.
Xander Landen

Germany said Sunday that it had reached a deal on an energy partnership with Qatar, as the European powerhouse seeks to reduce its dependence on Russia amid the invasion of Ukraine. Robert Habeck, Germany's Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, met with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani on Sunday. State-owned QatarEnergy said in a statement that the two countries "would re-engage and progress discussions on long term LNG supplies," Reuters reported. While Qatar didn't say that an agreement had been reached, and a German spokesperson told the news outlet that a deal between the nations had been finalized. "The companies that have come to Qatar with (Habeck) will now enter into contract negotiations with the Qatari side," the German spokesperson said, according to Reuters. The deal with Qatar comes as Germany has taken other steps to reduce its dependence on Russian energy in recent weeks.
Sam Tabahriti

Three of the world's largest oilfield service companies have suspended their operations in Russia in response to US sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine. Reuters and other outlets first reported the story. Schlumberger and Halliburton each announced their decision in news releases on Friday, saying their policies would take immediate effect. Baker Hughes followed on Saturday, noting in a press statement the company would suspend all new investments in Russia. According to Oil Industry Insight, Schlumberger is the world's largest oilfield company service, followed by Baker Hughes and Halliburton, respectively.
By Melissa Quinn

Washington — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned Sunday a chemical or biological weapons attack by Russia in Ukraine would prompt a "significant reaction" from the United States, as well as global allies and partners. "If a chemical or biological weapon was used, you'd see a significant reaction from not only the United States, but also the global community," Austin said in an interview on "Face the Nation." "I don't want to speculate about what exactly would change our calculation. I think engaging in hypotheticals is probably not helpful here either, but this is a very serious step and as you heard our president say, we won't take that lightly."
Essay on US site republished in China before being censored, reflecting balancing act between Russia and west
Helen Davidson

When an essay from a prominent Shanghai scholar suggested China needed to cut ties with Vladimir Putin as soon as possible over the Ukraine war, the online reaction was swift. Despite being published late on a Friday evening in the Carter Center’s US-China Perception Monitor, Hu Wei’s essay soon gained a million views in and outside China, and was republished into Chinese blogs, non-official media sites and social media accounts. Then came the backlash, as the article was criticised for being “reckless and dangerous” vitriol. Personal attacks on Hu and the USCPM followed. By Sunday morning, their websites were blocked in China. “Usually when the government or the censors don’t like a particular article – like [something published by] FT Chinese – they’ll just block that particular article, they don’t block the website,” said Liu Yawei, the director of the China programme at the US-based Carter Center. “So this is highly unusual.”
Bloomberg Quicktake: Now

Zelenskiy called out Israel for its hesitancy to provide military aid to Ukraine and join in international sanctions against Moscow even as Russian bombs destroy Holocaust sites.
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