RUSSIA UKRAINE WAR TOP UPDATES

With the war in Ukraine entering its third week, the war of words between world leaders has escalated significantly. Here are the key updates:

•           US President Joe Biden called Russian President Vladimir Putin a "war criminal"in brief remarks to reporters at a domestic event on Wednesday

•           Russia swiftly condemned the comments, denouncing Biden's "unacceptable and unforgivable rhetoric" and accusing the US of killing "hundreds of thousands of people around the world"

•           Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky spoke to the US Congress in a virtual address in which he invoked Pearl Harbor and 9/11 and called for more Western support

•           In an address to the Ukrainian people later in the day, he claimed that Russian losses have been higher than the wars in Syria, Afghanistan and Chechnya

•           The US pledged an additional $1bn (£764m) in weapons to Ukraine - including tactical drones, rocket and grenade launchers, rifles, machine guns, body armour, and ammunition

•           A theatre sheltering some 1,200 civilians in the southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol was reportedly hit with a large Russian bomb

•           In the northern city of Chernihiv, 13 people waiting in a queue for bread were reportedly killed by Russian shelling

•           The mayor of Melitopol, one of the first cities to fall to Russia, has been released in exchange for nine Russian conscripts, according to Ukraine

•           More than three million people have now fled Ukraine, according to the United Nations

BIDEN CALLS PUTIN A 'WAR CRIMINAL'

President Biden said Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin is a “war criminal” as atrocities from Moscow’s deadly invasion of Ukraine continued to mount.

“I think he is a war criminal,” Biden told reporters at the White House following an event celebrating the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act.

Biden initially said “no” when asked by a reporter whether he was ready to give Putin that label. But he then returned to the same reporter to ask her to repeat the question, and he answered in the affirmative.

Asked about Biden’s comments at a press briefing a short while later, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that “the president's remarks speak for themselves.”

“He was speaking from his heart and speaking from what he's seen on television, which is barbaric actions by a brutal dictator through his invasion of a foreign country,” Psaki said, adding that a “legal process” by the State Department and United Nations to determine whether Putin should be charged with war crimes is ongoing.

The Kremlin labels Biden's comments "unacceptable and unforgivable rhetoric"

UKRAINE, RUSSIA DRAW UP TENTATIVE PEACE PLAN TO END WAR: REPORT

Ukraine and Russia reached a tentative peace plan to end the war that was in its third week, The Kyiv Independent reported.

It further said the deal included a ceasefire and withdrawal of Russian troops if Kyiv renounced its ambitions for a membership of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and accepted limits on its armed forces.

Both sides have projected optimism during the fresh round of talks that began on Monday, even as Russian forces rained fire on Kyiv and other major cities in a bid to crush the resistance that has frustrated Kremlin hopes for a lightning victory.

Ukraine rejects Russian neutrality proposals:

However, Ukraine on Wednesday rejected Russia's proposals to adopt neutral status like Austria or Sweden as it continued negotiations on a peace deal with Moscow’s delegation.

"Ukraine is now in a direct state of war with Russia. As a result, the model can only be 'Ukrainian' and only on legally verified security guarantees," Ukraine’s top negotiator Mikhailo Podolyak said in comments published by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's office.

Instead, Ukraine is pressing Russia for a legally binding security agreement, signed by international partners, who would "not stand aside in the event of an attack on Ukraine, as they do today".

This comes a day after the Kremlin said that a neutral Ukraine along the lines of Sweden or Austria could be a possible compromise to end three weeks of onslaught in the east European nations. "This is an option that is being discussed now and that can be considered as a compromise," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday.

His comments came after Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also said neutrality was taking centre stage at the talks.

What is neutral status?

According to international law, neutrality refers to an obligation of a state to not interfere in military conflicts of other states. This includes avoiding entering into military alliances such as NATO or Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). As a type of non-combatant status, nationals of neutral countries enjoy protection under the law of war from belligerent actions to a greater extent than other non-combatants such as enemy civilians and prisoners of war.

ZELENSKY REQUESTS NO-FLY ZONE, SECURITY AID IN CONGRESS SPEECH

In a sombre and sometimes emotional address, delivered virtually to members of the U.S. Congress, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for a closing of the sky over Ukraine — a no fly zone and further sanctions against Russia. His address on Wednesday morning, his first to U.S. Representatives and Senators, was also directed to Americans and — at one point — to U.S. President Joe Biden.

Comparing the skies over Ukraine to what America had witnessed during Pearl Harbor (when the Japanese conducted an aerial attack on the U.S. in December 1941 in Pearl Harbour, Hawaii) and the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York, Mr. Zelenksy said, “Russia has turned the Ukrainian sky into a source of death.”

“They use drones to kill us with precision. This is a terror that Europe has not seen has not seen for 80 years and we are asking...for an answer to this terror from the whole world,” Mr. Zelensky said, speaking in the Ukrainian language except at the very end of his speech when he switched to English.

“Is this a lot to ask for, to create a no fly zone zone over Ukraine to save people? “ he said. The U.S. and NATO have dismissed the no fly zone option, with Mr. Biden saying last week that it would be tantamount to “World War Three”.

Mr. Zelenksy said if the no fly zone was too much of an ask, then he would need defence systems to protect the sky, such as the S 300 surface-to-air missile defence system. The U.S. Congress has also been nudging the White House to get Ukraine access to this in addition to Russian-made MiG fighters, which Ukrainian pilots are familiar with. It has been harder for the Biden administration to facilitate the transfer of Russian systems (which would have to happen through a third country) to Ukraine, relative to transferring American weaponry.

Mr. Zelenksky also called or sanctioned all Russian politicians — from Duma members to “the last official” who had not cut ties with Mr. Putin’s government.

Saying the current institutions to prevent war do not work, Mr. Zelensky called for the creation of a group called ‘U24: United for Peace’, which would seek to end conflict within 24 hours using weapons, sanctions, humanitarian aid, finance, political support and so forth.

“Being the leader of the world means to be the leader of peace,” Mr. Zelensky said at the end of his remarks, speaking in English and exhorting Mr. Biden, directly, to take on take on this role.

Mr. Biden is going to be announcing $800 million in security assistance to Ukraine, as first reported by the Wall Street Journal. This is in addition to the $200 million already sanctioned. The total amount will come from the approximately $13.6 billion that Congress approved - and Mr Biden signed - in assistance to Ukraine and includes defence equipment.

WHITE HOUSE CAUTIONS INDIA AGAINST RUSSIAN OIL DEAL: ‘THINK ABOUT WHERE YOU WANT TO STAND’

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said India would not be violating US sanctions by purchasing discounted Russian oil but warned that such a move would put the world’s largest democracy on the wrong side of history.

On Monday, Reuters reported that India’s largest refiner, Indian Oil Corp, purchased 3 million barrels of Russian crude oil, the first such transaction since Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February.

Indian officials have also told Reuters that Delhi may take up a Russian offer of oil and other commodities at a discount.

Asked about the reports at her daily White House press briefing on Tuesday, Ms Psaki said the Biden’s administration’s message would be for countries to abide by US sanctions.

“I don't believe this would be violating that, but also think about where you want to stand,” she said. “When the history books are written in this moment in time, support for Russia – the Russian leadership – is support for an invasion that obviously is having a devastating impact”.

Ms Psaki said the the sanctions levied against Russia by the US and American allies have already imposed “unprecedented costs” on Moscow by reversing three decades of progress made since the fall of the Soviet Union in less than a month.

“Our actions have hit hard at the things President Putin cares about the most – degrading his military access to cutting edge technology and ability to project power and influence,” she said.

Russia’s oil and gas sectors have taken a particularly significant hit since the imposition of sanctions last month.

PUTIN SAYS WILL ACHIEVE GOALS IN UKRAINE, WON’T BOW TO WEST

President Putin said on Wednesday that Russia would achieve its goals in Ukraine and would not submit to what he called a Western attempt to achieve global dominance and dismember Russia. He also said that what Russia calls its special military operation was “going to plan”. In a televised speech to government ministers, Putin went further than before in acknowledging the pain that Western sanctions were inflicting on the economy, but insisted that Russia could withstand the blow. There was no sign of any softening in his bitter invective against the West and Ukraine. “In the foreseeable future, it was possible that the pro-Nazi regime in Kyiv could have got its hands on weapons of mass destruction, and its target, of course, would have been Russia,” Putin said. Putin has consistently described the leaders of Ukraine as neo-Nazis bent on committing genocide against Russian-speakers in the east of the country.

He said Western countries wanted to turn Russia into a “weak dependent country; violate its territorial integrity; to dismember Russia in a way that suits them”. If the West thought that Russia would break down or back down, “they don’t know our history or our people”, Putin said. “Behind the hypocritical talk of the socalled collective West are hostile geopolitical goals. They just don’t want a strong and sovereign Russia. ” He said Russia was ready to discuss Ukraine’s neutral status in talks: “The question of principle for our country and its future – the neutral status of Ukraine, its demilitarisation, and its denazification –we were ready and we are ready to discuss as part of negotiations. ” Acknowledging the pain inflicted by Western sanctions, Putin said inflation and unemployment would rise, and structural changes to the economy would be needed. But he promised support to families with children. “The West doesn’t even bother to hide that their aim is to damage the entire Russian economy, every Russian,” Putin said.

EU LEADERS RETURN SAFELY AFTER KYIV TRIP, ZELENSKY URGES MORE SUCH VISITS

Warsaw : The prime ministers of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia safely returned to Poland on Wednesday after a visit to Kyiv intended to show support for Ukraine as it defends itself against Russia’s military onslaught. The leaders met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday to convey a message of solidarity with Ukraine and of support for the nation’s aspirations to one day join the European Union. All three countries are members of the EU and Nato. They won widespread praise for travelling into a war zone when other Western leaders dare not, but some criticised them for making a risky trip that was largely symbolic without a clear mandate. Zelensky thanked the leaders and urged others to do the same. “I am sure that with such friends, with such countries, with such neighbors and partners, we will really be able to win,” he said after the meeting.

INDIAN JUDGE DALVEER BHANDARI VOTES AGAINST RUSSIA AS WORLD COURT ASKS MOSCOW TO STOP

The International Court of Justice has asked Russia to immediately halt its military operation in Ukraine, in a 13-2 decision which means 13 voters were in favour of the direction to Russia, while 2 were against. Indian judge at the UN court Justice Dalveer Bhandari voted in favour of the majority, against Russia.

"The Russian Federation, pending the final decision in the case, must immediately suspend the military operations it commenced in the territory of Ukraine on February 24, 2022," the order of the UN court said.

The rulings of the International Court of Justice are binding but there have been cases where countries have ignored them, as ICJ has no direct means of enforcing its orders.

Who all voted in favour and against:

The UN court comprises 15 judges. President of the ICJ Judge Joan E Donoghue (USA), Judge Peter Tomka (Slovakia), Judge Ronny Abraham (France), Judge Mohamed Bennouna (Morocco), Judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf (Somalia), Judge Julia Sebutinde (Uganda), Judge Dalveer Bhandari (India), Judge Patrick Lipton Robinson (Jamaica), Judge Nawaf Salam (Lebanon), Judge Iwasawa Yuji (Japan), Judge Georg Nolte (Germany), Judge Hilary Charlesworth (Australia), Judge ad hoc Daudet voted in favour of the direction.

Two judges who were against the direction were Vice-President Kirill Gevorgian (Russia) and Judge Sue Hanqin (China).

SANCTIONED RUSSIA TEETERS ON BRINK OF HISTORIC DEFAULT

The economic cost of Russia’s assault on Ukraine was further exposed on Wednesday as the sanctions-hit country teetered on the brink of its first default on international debt since the Bolshevik revolution. Moscow is due to pay $117 million in interest on two dollar-denominated sovereign bonds it sold in 2013.

But the limits it now faces in making payments, and talk from the Kremlin that it might pay in roubles — triggering a default anyway — has left even veteran investors guessing at what might happen. One described it as the most closely watched government debt payment since Greece’s default at the height of the euro zone crisis. Others said a grace period that allows Russia another 30 days to make the payment could drag the saga out. “There is a grace period, so we are not really going to know whether this is a default or not until April 15,” said Pictet emerging market portfolio manager Guido Chamorro.

By midday in London, creditors were still waiting to see if the funds would arrive. Russian finance minister Anton Siluanov, meanwhile, said Moscow had already bmade the payment which had reached the correspondent American bank, and it was now down to Washington to clarify whether settlement is possible. The two payments on Wednesday are the first of several, with another $615 million due over the rest of March, and the first “principal” — final full payment of a bond — on April 4 worth $2 billion alone.

Investors see three potential scenarios for the crucial deadline: The first is that Moscow pays in full and in dollars, meaning default worries go away for the time being; the second that Moscow doesn’t pay, starting the 30-day grace period; the third where Russia pays but in roubles, although the legal terms of the bonds would mean that is still tantamount to a default. The 30-day grace rule would still apply.

4 DEAD, MORE THAN 100 INJURED AFTER JAPAN HIT BY POWERFUL EARTHQUAKE

Four people were reported dead and more than 100 injured in Japan on Thursday after a powerful overnight earthquake rattled large parts of the east coast and prompted a tsunami warning, authorities said.

The 7.4-magnitude quake off the coast of Fukushima derailed a bullet train, opened cracks in highways and threw products from shelves in shops.

A tsunami warning for waves of up to a metre (three feet) in parts of northeast Japan was lifted in the early hours of Thursday, after authorities recorded water levels up to 30 centimetres higher than usual in some areas.

Multiple smaller jolts continued to hit the region into Thursday morning, straining nerves just days after Japan marked the 11th anniversary of the massive quake, tsunami and nuclear disaster in the area.

Damage appeared comparatively minor, in a country with tough building codes intended to protect against devastation from frequent earthquakes, and officials said there were no abnormalities at nuclear plants.

Government spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno said four deaths had been reported, though investigations were still under way into whether they were a direct result of the quake.

Another 107 people were injured, he added.

UK PM FAILS TO GET ASSURANCE FROM SAUDI, UAE TO RAISE OIL OUTPUT

Riyadh/London : British PM Boris Johnson held talks about energy security on Wednesday with the de facto leaders of Gulf oil exporters Saudi Arabia and the UAE but secured no public pledge to ramp up production. Johnson’s trip was aimed at securing oil supplies and raising pressure on President Putin over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Johnson’s office said that in his meeting with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, he stressed the need to work together to stabilise global energy markets. After his talks in Riyadh with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Johnson was asked whether the kingdom would increase oil production. “I think you’d need to talk to the Saudis about that. But I think there was an understanding of the need to ensure stability in global oil markets and gas markets,” he said. So far Saudi Arabia and the UAEhave snubbed US pleas to ramp up oil production. They have tried to steer a neutral stance between Western allies and Moscow, their partner in oil producers’ grouping known as OPEC+.

ISRAEL RECORDS TWO CASES OF NEW COVID VARIANT

Israel’s Ministry of Health said on Wednesday it had recorded two cases of new COVID variant, but which officials said they were not unduly worried about.

The strain, combining two sub-variants of the Omicron version of the COVID-19 virus — dubbed BA.1 and BA.2 — was recorded during PCR tests on two passengers arriving at Israel’s Ben Gurion airport.

“The two cases of the combined strain, which have been discovered so far, suffered from mild symptoms of fever, headaches and muscle dystrophy, and do not require a special medical response,” the Ministry statement read.

‘COVID DEATHS ON THE WANE, CASES RISE’

The number of new coronavirus deaths reported worldwide fell by 17% in the last week while COVID-19 infections rose, reversing a decline in cases that first began in January, according to the World Health Organization.

In the UN health agency’s weekly report, WHO said there were more than 11 million new COVID-19 infections last week - about an 8% rise - and 43,000 new deaths. The number of COVID-19 deaths globally has been dropping for the past three weeks.

The biggest increase in cases were seen in the Western Pacific and Africa.