Monday Briefing: Ukraine insists on territorial integrity with talks set to resume

The Reuters Daily Briefing Monday, March 28, 2022 by Linda Noakes Hello Here's what you need to know. Biden says he is not calling for regime change in Russia, Shanghai launches a two-phase lockdown, and a violent outburst at the Oscars Today's biggest stories A Ukrainian serviceman stands in the village of Lukyanivka outside Kyiv, March 27, 2022. REUTERS/Marko Djurica RUSSIA AND UKRAINE AT WAR Ukraine and Russia were preparing for the first face-to-face peace talks in more than two weeks, with Kyiv insisting it would make no concessions on Ukraine's territorial integrity as battlefield momentum has shifted in its favor. Ukrainian officials played down the chances of a major breakthrough at the talks, due to be held in Istanbul after Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan spoke to Russia's Vladimir Putin yesterday. The mayor of Mariupol said all civilians must be evacuated from the encircled Ukrainian city to allow them to escape a humanitarian catastrophe. U.S. President Joe Biden clarified that the United States does not have a policy of regime change in Russia, after his declaration that Russian President Vladimir Putin "cannot remain in power." Russia's communications watchdog told Russian media to refrain from reporting an interview with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and said it had started a probe into the Russian outlets which had interviewed him. Here's what you need to know about the conflict right now Will Smith hits Chris Rock during the 94th Academy Awards in Hollywood, March 27, 2022. REUTERS/Brian Snyder OSCARS Best actor winner Will Smith smacked presenter Chris Rock in the face and shouted a vulgarity at the comedian for making a joke about his wife's hairstyle in a shocking moment overshadowing the Oscars ceremony. 'CODA', a heartwarming movie about a deaf family with a hearing daughter, won the best picture award - becoming the first movie from a streaming service to win the film industry's biggest prize. Jane Campion received the award for best director for her gothic Western 'The Power of the Dog', becoming just the third woman in the Oscars' 94-year history to take home the prize. Jessica Chastain won best lead actress for her mascara-laden title role as the on-air preaching partner and wife of Christian televangelist Jim Bakker in 'The Eyes of Tammy Faye'. Here's a list of the Oscar winners. WORLD NEWS China's financial hub of Shanghai launched a two-stage lockdown of its 26 million residents, closing bridges and tunnels, and restricting highway traffic in a scramble to contain surging COVID-19 cases. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made a show of unity with Middle East allies at a rare Israeli-hosted summit, hoping to allay their misgivings about an emerging Iranian nuclear deal and Washington's commitment to the region. North Korea will continue to develop "formidable striking capabilities" that cannot be bartered or sold for anything, leader Kim Jong Un said, according to state media, as he visited workers involved with the country's biggest missile test. Reports suggest North Korea's biggest missile test ever may not have been what it seemed, raising new questions over the secretive country's banned weapons program. Brazil's far-right President Jair Bolsonaro launched his re-election campaign, telling thousands of cheering supporters that opinion polls were wrong and he is sure to win this year's election that pits good against bad. Residents of a suburb of Anchorage in Alaska were ordered to evacuate a mountainous area after one massive avalanche buried a road and another huge slide was considered imminent. BUSINESS Oil prices slid as the coronavirus lockdown in Shanghai fueled worries about weak demand, while the yen extended its stomach-churning descent as the Bank of Japan stood in the way of higher yields. Dutch brewing giant Heineken said it has decided to exit its business in Russia at an expected cost of around $440 million, after previously saying it would only halt new investment and exports to the country. Huawei Technologies reported asset sale gains helped lift profit 76% in 2021, turning in its first set of results under Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou since she returned to China last year after nearly three years' detention in Canada. Shopee, the e-commerce arm of Southeast Asia's Sea, said it is closing down its India operations "in view of global market uncertainties". The Singapore-headquartered technology group launched in India in October 2021 as part of an international push that saw it expand into Europe. Two measures of the U.S. Treasury yield curve that are widely watched for recession warnings have veered in opposite directions, raising questions as to what degree central bank bond buying and other technical factors may be distorting the signals on the economy's path. British pension fund managers are writing off billions of pounds of frozen Russian assets held for their members as they run out of options to sell them safely, adding to the risks to their funding positions from Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Quote of the day "Some sort of hellish ideological mobilization is underway from all sides" Russian billionaire Deripaska warns of long war in Ukraine Video of the day Will Smith apologizes in tearful Oscars speech And finally… Volcanologists seek answers as island in Portugal's Azores keeps shaking Fatima Viveiros was a little girl when she decided to become a volcanologist. It was a dream come true and now, at age 44, she is putting her skills to use to protect her home. 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