LIVE: Biden warns direct NATO-Russia clash would trigger 'World War III'

Russia will pay a severe price for the use of chemical weapons, US President said on Friday

8:27 PM

UK sanctions 386 Russian parliamentarians over Ukraine crisis

The UK government on Friday sanctioned 386 members of the Duma, the lower house of the Russian Parliament, for their support for the Ukrainian breakaway regions of Luhansk and Donetsk as independent in the lead up to the current conflict.

 

The new sanctions will ban all those listed from travelling to the UK, accessing assets held within the UK and doing business in the country, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said.

 

The latest set of sanctions follows a crackdown on key oligarchs from Russian President Vladimir Putin's inner circle, including Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich.

8:09 PM

NATO chief says Ukraine needs more than 'bare minimum' humanitarian corridors

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Friday that humanitarian corridors constituted the "bare minimum" of what Ukraine needs at this moment, and called on Russia to withdraw its forces and engage in diplomatic efforts in good faith.

 

Talks between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba in Turkey on Thursday made no apparent progress towards a ceasefire as the conflict entered its third week.

 

Speaking to Reuters on the sidelines of a forum in Antalya, Turkey, Stoltenberg said talks between the warring parties were important, but added any real solution was dependent on Russia withdrawing its troops.

7:52 PM

Ukraine war threatens another global recession, deglobalisation: Patra

The sweeping economic sanctions on Russia - the second largest producer of crude oil - following its invasion of Ukraine late last month can cull global and domestic growth along with the added pains of higher inflation and currency depreciation, RBI Deputy Governor Michael Patra has said.

 

And if the war lingers on, it can even lead to deglobalisation and even a recession, he added.

 

The ongoing war has only added a whole new dimension to the outlook, and in fact, a weighty downside, Patra said in a lecture at the industry lobby IMC this evening.

7:28 PM

SP accepts people's mandate, thanks people of UP for increase in seat tally

7:26 PM

EBRD concerned about Chernobyl nuclear plant amid Ukrainian warnings

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development expressed concern about the situation at Ukraine's Chernobyl nuclear power plant on Friday following its takeover by Russian forces and a problem with its power supply.

 

Ukraine said on Wednesday there was an increased risk of a radiation leak at Chernobyl, which suffered the world's worst nuclear accident in 1986, after a high-voltage cable was severed during fighting and electricity to the plant was cut off.
 

Russia's energy ministry said on Thursday Belarusian specialists had restored the electricity supply and Russia's defence ministry said it had agreed to allow a Ukrainian repair team to access power lines in the area around the plant.

6:39 PM

Technical malfunction led to the accidental firing of a missile: Ministry of Defence

On 9 March 2022, in the course of a routine maintenance, a technical malfunction led to the accidental firing of a missile, said Ministry of Defence on Friday.

 

The Government of India has taken a serious view and ordered a high-level Court of Enquiry.

 

"It is learnt that the missile landed in an area of Pakistan. While the incident is deeply regrettable, it is also a matter of relief that there has been no loss of life due to the accident," the ministry said.

6:28 PM

UP CM Yogi Adityanath tenders his resignation to Governor Anandiben Patel

6:27 PM

Russia says it would shut Meta if Facebook permits Putin death calls

6:20 PM

EU disburses first instalment of EUR 300 million aid to Ukraine

Under the new emergency Macro-Financial Assistance (MFA) programme, European Union on Friday (Local Time) disbursed EUR 300 million, the first payment of a EUR 1.2 billion package to support war-torn Ukraine.

 

This is the initial part of the first EUR 600 million instalments under Ukraine's new EUR 1.2 billion emergency MFA programme. A further disbursement of EUR 300 million is expected to take place next week. The programme represents a concrete demonstration of the EU's unwavering support for Ukraine, the statement read.

 

"The disbursement of funds has been fast-tracked to help enhance Ukraine's macroeconomic stability in the context of Russia's unprovoked and unjustified invasion," said the EU statement.

6:08 PM

Kremlin says Ukraine conflict will end when West takes Russia seriously

The Kremlin said on Friday that the conflict in Ukraine would end when the West took action over Russia's repeatedly raised concerns about the killing of civilians in eastern Ukraine and NATO enlargement eastwards.

 

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, asked by reporters how the crisis could end, set out Russia's position and said he believed that Ukraine was discussing Moscow's demands with the United States and other allies.

5:54 PM

Embassy of India in Russia issues guidelines for Indian students studying in Russia

5:35 PM

Putin sees 'positive' developments in talks

President Vladimir Putin noted “positive” shifts in talks between Russia and Ukraine, IFX reported him saying at the start of a meeting Friday with Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko.

 

“There’s some positive movement there, as our negotiators have told me,” Putin said, noting talks are happening “practically on a daily basis.” He gave no further details but it’s likely a reference to President Volodymyr Zelensky this week indicating he’s willing to discuss Ukraine adopting a more neutral status. 

 

Ukraine’s leader has made clear though he won’t cede any territory and is still agitating for membership of the European Union and for security guarantees from the U.S. and Germany, making it hard to see how there can be agreement on neutrality. Talks this week between the foreign ministers of the two countries failed to make any headway on even a humanitarian cease-fire to allow more civilians to evacuate. 

 

U.S equity futures jumped along with European stocks after the report of Putin’s comments, while crude oil futures in New York pared gains and gold extended a decline.

5:07 PM

Russia strikes airports in western Ukraine as military offensive widens

Two Ukrainian servicemen were killed and six people wounded in Russian airstrikes Friday on the Lutsk military airfield, according to the head of the surrounding Volyn region, Yuriy Pohulyayko.

 

The mayor of Ivano-Frankiivsk, Ruslan Martsinkiv, had ordered residents in the neighboring areas to head to shelters after an air raid alert. The mayor of Lutsk had also announced an airstrike near the airport.

 

The strikes were far to the west from the main Russian offensive and could indicate new direction of the war.

 

The western cities hit Friday are between 130 and 150 kilometers (80-90 miles) from Lviv, the city that has become a refuge for Ukrainians from across the rest of the country and a hub for global humanitarian aid and other support for Ukraine.

5:00 PM

Ukraine says 78 children have been killed since Russia invaded

At least 78 children have been killed in Ukraine since Russian invaded, Ukrainian human rights ombudswoman Lyudmyla Denisova said on Friday.

 

She said fighting around the southern city of Mariupol, the eastern town of Volnovakha and the town of Irpin in the Kyiv region meant the authorities had not been able to establish how many people had been killed or wounded in those places.

4:56 PM

China to introduce rapid antigen tests for first time