2022年3月2日星期三

Wednesday Briefing: Ukrainians say they are fighting on in biggest city yet claimed by Russia

Wednesday, March 2, 2022

by Linda Noakes

Hello

Here's what you need to know.

Biden says Putin has 'no idea what's coming', Russia's top bank quits Europe, and what happened to Russia's Air Force?

Today's biggest stories

A civilian trains to throw Molotov cocktails to defend the city in Zhytomyr, Ukraine, March 1, 2022

RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR

Ukrainians said they were fighting on in the southern city of Kherson, the first sizeable city Russia claimed to have seized, while Moscow stepped up its lethal bombardment of major population centers that its invasion force has so far failed to tame.

With Moscow having failed in its aim to swiftly overthrow Ukraine's government after nearly a week, Western countries are worried that it is switching to new, far more violent tactics to blast its way into cities it had expected to easily take. Here's what you need to know right now about the conflict.

U.S. President Joe Biden assailed Putin, barred Russian flights from American airspace and led Democratic and Republican lawmakers in a rare display of unity in his State of the Union speech. In a deviation from his prepared remarks, Biden said of Putin: "He has no idea what's coming."

The United Nations General Assembly is set to reprimand Russia and demand that Moscow stop fighting and withdraw its military forces, a move that aims to diplomatically isolate the country.

Before Russia's invasion, U.S. intelligence had predicted a blistering assault by Moscow that would quickly mobilize the vast Russian air power that its military assembled in order to dominate Ukraine's skies. But the first six days confounded those expectations.

Ukrainians working at Western tech companies are banding together to help their besieged homeland, aiming to knock down disinformation websites, encourage Russians to turn against their government and speed delivery of medical supplies.

In pictures: Inside the battle for Ukraine

Passenger planes owned by Russia's airlines, including Aeroflot and Rossiya, are parked at Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow, March 1, 2022

BUSINESS & MARKETS

Boeing suspended maintenance and technical support for Russian airlines and U.S. energy firm Exxon Mobil said it would exit Russia, joining a growing list of Western companies spurning Moscow.

U.S. tech giant Apple said it had stopped sales of iPhones and other products in Russia, while Ford joined other automakers by suspending operations in the country.

The rouble plunged to a record low in Moscow of 110 to the dollar and the stock market remained closed as Russia's financial system staggered under the weight of Western sanctions.

Foreign investors are effectively stuck with their holdings of Russian stocks and rouble-denominated bonds after the central bank put a temporary halt on payments and major overseas settlement systems stopped accepting Russian assets.

European bank shares hit their lowest in nearly 11 months after the European arm of Russia's Sberbank was forced to close. Global banks are taking a dim view of business with all Russian entities and dropping clients if there is even a slight doubt about their ties to the country.

Flooding is seen after heavy rains in Chinderah, New South Wales, Australia, March 1, 2022

IN OTHER NEWS

Tens of thousands of Australians fled from their homes and authorities evacuated a hospital as more torrential rains battered the east coast. Thirteen people have been killed, the latest four deaths recorded in the worst-hit town of Lismore in New South Wales state, since the extreme weather arrived late last week, submerging town centers, washing away homes and cutting power lines.

New Zealand police ended an anti-vaccine mandate protest that had disrupted the capital for the past three weeks, dismantling an encampment outside parliament, towing away vehicles and arresting dozens.

The United States stands firmly behind its commitments to Taiwan, a visiting U.S. delegation said, as Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen vowed to work more closely with allies in response to what she called China's growing military threat.

Almost two years after India went into the world's biggest lockdown to slow the spread of COVID-19, students headed back to school in Maharashtra state, a sign of normal life resuming as infection rates fall.

U.S. federal prosecutors will make opening statements in the first of what could be hundreds of criminal trials of people accused of joining the January 6, 2021 assault on the Capitol by Donald Trump's supporters.

Quote of the day

"It's not that I want to go to a war, it's more that I would rather go than see children forced to carry guns"

Volunteers flock to fight for Ukraine in pacifist Japan

Video of the day

Zelenskiy says no talks with Russia until bombing stops

Russia must stop bombing Ukrainian cities before meaningful talks on a ceasefire can start, as a first round of negotiations this week yielded scant progress, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told Reuters and CNN in a joint interview.

And finally…

Athlete breaks Thai 100m record - for centenarians

It takes Sawang Janpram 27.08 seconds to run 100 meters. That's not bad, given he is 102 years old.

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