Special events from 10.00 pm yesterday (14) to 7 am today (15) Sri Lanka time.
Chechen fighters to Mariupol
The Chechen leader, who serves the interests of the Kremlin in the Russian territory of Chechnya, says Chechen militants are launching a Russian offensive on the financially important port of Mariupol in Ukraine.
Chechnya’s regional leader Ramzan Kadyrov said in a telegram that Chechen militants had stopped their attack at night and that they had traveled 1.5 km (about 1 mile) in the Sea of Azov.
More than 43,000 people in the UK are offering their homes to Ukrainian refugees
The UK has launched a program to sponsor refugees from Ukraine, with 43,800 people signing up to offer their homes in the first five hours.
Protesters seize London mansion linked to Russia.
The protesters in London were a balcony in Belgrave Square, exhibiting the Ukraine Flag, which exhibits the Ukraine Flag.
London police said on Monday they had arrested four protesters who had entered the building’s balcony.
New Zealand announces ‘Special Ukraine Policy’
The New Zealand government says it is introducing a new policy that will allow about 4,000 family members of Ukrainian-New Zealanders to repatriate in the short term.
New Zealand citizens and residents born in Ukraine will be able to sponsor a member of the Ukrainian family and their immediate family, Immigration Minister Chris Fari said in a statement.
Recognizers will be issued a two-year work visa and their children will be able to attend school.
China is in a ‘tight spot’ amid Russia’s request for assistance from China.
Brett Brown, a former Obama administration official, says Russia’s invasion of Ukraine poses both a threat to China and a future opportunity.
“China is in a tough spot at the moment, as they see Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as an opportunity to weaken the West and re-establish international order. But at the same time, they pose a number of risks, both economic and security. He told Al Jazeera.
“Russia’s failure to carry out this invasion in accordance with the plan is certainly relevant to Beijing and will greatly weigh on their next step,” he said.
“If this is going to be a quick and relatively easy invasion, it would be better to go with China. The more complex it is, the more complicated it becomes in China. What the Americans are doing now is publicly putting pressure on Beijing to force them to make a decision. I think the consensus in the international community on this issue makes it even more challenging to be outside Beijing. ” He added.
Spanish authorities arrest super ship believed to be linked to Russia.
The Spanish prime minister has said that Barcelona authorities have seized a $ 853 (279 ft) luxury yacht worth $ 153 million (මිලියන 140 million) and are investigating links to a leading Russian arms dealer.
The Spanish newspaper El Pais reported that the vessel was named Valerie, which is linked to Sergei Chemesov, the head of Rostek Defense Company, an ally of Russian President Putin.
The impact of the war is reaching ‘dangerous’ levels on civilians.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said that the effects of the war are threatening Ukraine’s civilians. He therefore confirmed that an additional $ 40 million would be allocated to increase aid through the United Nations Emergency Fund.
Efforts to restore external power to the Chernobyl power plant continue – Ukraine tells IAEA
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in a statement that Ukraine had informed the UN Nuclear Monitoring Group that it was trying to resume external power supply to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.
IAEA Director-General Rafael Mariano Grozi said on Sunday that a team of Ukrainian experts had repaired one of the two damaged power lines.
Russian forces have reportedly detonated weapons at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
In the middle of the Ukraine war, the Middle East and North Africa are facing food shortages.
A spokesman for the World Food Program (WFP) said nations in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) were facing food shortages as the conflict in Ukraine continued.
Ukraine and Russia are the world’s leading exporters of wheat, with Lebanon supplying up to 50 percent of its supply, Ukraine up to 42 percent, Tunisia 42 percent and Yemen 22 percent.
Russian forces fail.
Lauren Sperenza, director of the European Policy Analysis Center in Washington, DC, said it was unlikely that Russian President Vladimir Putin would persuade NATO forces to go to war in Ukraine, as Russian forces continue to suffer from supply and organizational failures.
“I think he would be reluctant to really escalate this war completely in order to bring in NATO,” Sperenza told Al Jazeera. He says Russia has no successful political or military end.
He added that if NATO got involved in the war, it would be a disaster for Russia, and it would be even more devastating than the current war.
Ukrainian president to extend martial law
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has introduced a bill in parliament seeking to extend martial law for another 30 days from March 24, according to the president’s website.
Selensky declared martial law on February 24, when Russia began its invasion of Ukraine.
Russia temporarily bans exports of sugar and wheat to former Soviet Union
Russia’s prime minister has signed an order banning the export of white and raw sugar to neighboring Eurasian Economic Union states until August 31, a government statement said.
Russia will also ban the export of wheat, rye, barley and maize until June 30, the statement said.
However, Deputy Prime Minister Victoria Abramchenko said that the country would continue to issue special export licenses to traders within the current quota.
US Secretary of Defense joins ‘Bulgaria’ on European tour
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who has focused on strengthening NATO countries in the wake of the war in Ukraine, has also joined Bulgaria. Austin will leave for Brussels on Tuesday, where he will travel to Slovakia to attend a NATO meeting.
Bulgaria, a close ally of Moscow during the Cold War, is now a member of the European Union and NATO, and Bulgaria has condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
More than 4,000 people are being evacuated from threatened cities.
Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Irina Verschuk said in a video statement Monday that Ukraine had evacuated more than 4,000 people from seven frontier cities through seven humanitarian corridors.
She said three more humanitarian corridors were not operating successfully, accusing Russian forces of firing on civilians being evacuated from the Kiev region.
Russia repeatedly denies firing on civilians.
Fox News reporter injured in Ukraine
The U.S. television network says a Fox News reporter has been injured and hospitalized while Ukraine was covering the Russian invasion.
Benjamin Holk, a British national who covers the US State Department for Fox News, was injured while collecting news outside the city of Fif News, Fox News said in a statement.
The World Bank approves $ 200 million in additional funding for Ukraine
In addition to the $ 723 million approved last week, the World Bank announced nearly $ 200 million in additional and re-programmed financing to strengthen social services in Ukraine for vulnerable individuals.
US official raises ‘deep’ concerns over China’s alignment with Russia
A senior Biden administration official said US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan had raised major concerns about China’s alignment with Russia during a seven – hour standing talks with China’s top diplomat, Yang Jiechi.
