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Russia-Ukraine War: 12 Latest Updates To Know As Russia Gives Condition For Peace

Published

4 years ago

March 7, 2022

Russia has agreed to halt its military operations within the Ukrainian territory if the Ukrainian government agrees to alter its constitution, by ceding its quest to join “any bloc” and recognise the Crimean referendum and the independence of the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics.

The Russian presidential spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said, “They (Ukrainian authorities) should make amendments to their Constitution according to which Ukraine would reject any aims to enter any bloc.

“We have also spoken about how they should recognise that Crimea is a Russian territory and that they need to recognise that Donetsk and Luhansk are independent states.

“And that’s it. Then, Russia’s military operations will stop in a moment.”

Here are the latest developments in Russia-Ukraine war

– Russian evacuation offer rejected –
Ukraine rejects a Kremlin offer to open escape routes for civilians trapped by the fighting in the cities of Kharkiv, Kyiv, Mariupol and Sumy because several of the routes lead to Russia or its ally Belarus.

Moscow says the proposal was based on a request from French President Emmanuel Macron, which Macron denies, and accuses Ukraine of blocking civilians from leaving, which it calls a “war crime”.

– Shelled while fleeing –
Russia steps up its shelling of cities, including the town of Gostomel near Kyiv, Kharkiv in the east, Sumy in the northeast, Chernihiv in the north and Mykolayiv in the southwest.

Ukraine’s President Volodymr Zelensky accuses Russian troops of the “deliberate murder” of civilians after a family with two children was killed by shelling in the street while trying to flee the town of Irpin, on the outskirts of Kyiv.

Tens of thousands are still trapped without water or power in the besieged southern port of Mariupol after two failed evacuation attempts.

“We saw bodies everywhere, Russians and Ukrainians… We saw that people had been buried in their basements,” one family that made it out tells AFP.

– More talks –
A third round of talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegations gets underway on the Belarus-Poland border to discuss humanitarian corridors.

Turkey announces that it will host Russia’s and Ukraine’s foreign ministers for talks on Thursday.

– Oil, gas prices rocket –
Oil prices hit a near 14-year high and European and UK natural gas prices hit record highs after the United States proposes an embargo on Russian oil imports.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz warns against a ban, saying it could put Europe’s energy security at risk.

– Debts paid in rubles –
Russia says it will allow Russian companies and individuals to repay debts to creditors in “hostile” nations, including the US, EU, Britain, Canada and Japan in the battered national currency, the ruble.

– Russia snubs international court –
Russia snubs a hearing at the International Court of Justice in The Hague at which Ukraine seeks an immediate order to halt the conflict.

– Russians need clothes: Uniqlo –
Japanese casualwear giant Uniqlo defends a decision to keep Russian stores open even as rivals Zara and H&M suspend operations in the country over the invasion of Ukraine.

“Clothing is a necessity of life,” Tadashi Yanai, president of Uniqlo operator Fast Retailing says.

– Britain visas row –
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson defends his government from accusations of being unwelcoming to Ukrainian refugees, saying it has granted only about 50 visas so far because of the need to screen all newcomers for security reasons.

– 1.7 million refugees –
The UN says 1.7 million people have fled Ukraine, making it the fastest-growing refugee crisis since World War II.

– Kremlin arrests thousands more – Police detain more than 5,000 people protesting the war in some 60 Russian cities Sunday, bringing the numbers held to well over 11,000 since the invasion began.

– Rock-solid friendship – China’s foreign minister says the friendship between Beijing and Moscow is “rock solid” despite the Russian invasion and offers to help mediate.

– Iodine tablets –France is sending iodine tablets and other medical supplies to Ukraine. They are used to protect against the effects of exposure to radiation.

PUNCH.

Headline

Return Of Chinese Astronauts Delayed After Space Debris Hits Spacecraft

Published

6 hours ago

November 5, 2025

Editor

The return of three Chinese astronauts to Earth has been postponed indefinitely after their spacecraft was reportedly hit by a small piece of debris, according to Chinese state media.

The astronauts, who are part of the Shenzhou-20 mission, travelled to the Tiangong space station in April and were scheduled to return on Wednesday following a six-month stay. Their replacements, the Shenzhou-21 crew, had already arrived over the weekend.

“The Shenzhou-20 crewed spacecraft is suspected to have been struck by a small piece of orbital debris, and assessment of the impact and associated risks is currently under way,” the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) said in a statement.

“To ensure the health and safety of the astronauts and the successful completion of the mission, it has been decided that the originally planned return of Shenzhou-20 on November 5 will be postponed.”

Officials did not specify when the debris incident occurred. Earlier in the week, state media reported that both crews had shared a meal of baked chicken prepared using the station’s first oven, delivered by the Shenzhou-21 team. On Tuesday, videos showed the two teams holding a handover ceremony.

Yu Jun, a science communicator known online as Steed’s Scarf, said that if the spacecraft is deemed unsafe to return, authorities could activate a backup plan.

“Shenzhou-22 and the Long March 2F (launcher) were already on standby. This is our rolling backup mechanism. They are in ‘emergency duty’ mode and ready to bring our astronauts home safely if needed,” Yu told his more than five million followers on Weibo.

China has continued to expand its human spaceflight program, completing 37 flights and six crewed missions so far, with plans to land astronauts on the moon by 2030.

The Shenzhou-20 commander, Chen Dong, holds China’s record for the longest cumulative space time more than 380 days and the highest number of spacewalks, with six.

Chinese astronauts have not joined the International Space Station, a partnership between the US, Russia, Europe, Canada, and Japan, due to a US law preventing NASA from cooperating with China’s space program. Instead, China has said it welcomes international cooperation on its Tiangong space station.

(The Guardian Uk)

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Man Grabs Mexico’s President While Meeting Citizens On The Street

Published

7 hours ago

November 5, 2025

Editor

Mexico’s President, Claudia Sheinbaum, while meeting citizens in Mexico City was grabbed by a man, prompting concern over presidential security and ongoing harassment faced by women in the country.

A video from Tuesday shows a man, appearing intoxicated, attempting to kiss the president on the neck and holding her from behind.

She quickly removed his hands and turned to face him before an official stepped in and blocked the man.

As he was led away, Sheinbaum was seen smiling slightly and saying, “Don’t worry.” State police later confirmed the man’s arrest.

Commentators said the episode shows that no woman, not even Mexico’s President, is immune to harassment.

“Even if you’re the president, any guy believes he has the right to touch you,” said Catalina Ruiz-Navarro, a journalist with feminist outlet Volcánicas. “When they ask what the patriarchy is, this is it.”

The incident also raised questions about Sheinbaum’s security. Her team was not clearly visible in the footage, and it took several seconds for anyone to react.

It comes days after Carlos Alberto Manzo Rodríguez, a popular mayor, was killed during Day of the Dead celebrations in Uruapan, Michoacán.

He was shot seven times at close range before the gunman was killed. Before his death, Manzo Rodríguez had publicly appealed to Mexico’s President for help against local criminal groups.

He is the latest in a series of officials killed in Mexico. During the 2024 election campaign, 37 candidates were murdered, and since Sheinbaum’s government began on 1 October, 10 municipal presidents have also been killed.

While local leaders are often targeted, high-level officials have also faced threats.

In 1994, presidential candidate Luis Donaldo Colosio Murrieta was assassinated at a rally in Tijuana. In 2020, the Jalisco cartel attempted to kill Omar García Harfuch, Sheinbaum’s current security minister, in a daylight attack in Mexico City.

Sheinbaum herself faced a scare last year during her campaign in Chiapas, when masked men stopped her vehicle to demand action against violence before letting her go.

Like her predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Mexico’s President has preferred to keep close contact with the public and maintain lighter security. But the latest incident may prompt her to reconsider.

“Hopefully [the presidency will press charges], and the president will send a clear message: no man has the right to kiss or touch a woman without her consent,” wrote Alejandra Escobar, editorial director of Ectétera, on X. “May this also serve as an example for [her assistants]: it is not acceptable for her to be so exposed.”

(The Guardian UK)

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Sweden To Charge 18-year-old Over IS Terror Plot

Published

1 day ago

November 4, 2025

Editor

The Swedish Prosecution Authority said Tuesday it intended to charge an 18-year-old man for planning a terrorist act in Stockholm on behalf of the Islamic State group.

According to prosecutors, the planning took place between August 2024 and February 2025.

“We believe the purpose of the preparations was to induce serious fear in the population, in the name of the Islamic State. The criminal act could have seriously harmed Sweden,” Deputy Chief Prosecutor Henrik Olin said in a statement.

Prosecutors did not provide details of the plan but said the man was also suspected of “preparation for serious crimes under the act on flammable and explosive goods and training for terrorism”.

Prosecutors said they planned to file the charges on Thursday and that a press conference would be held the same day.

The young man will also be charged alongside a 17-year-old boy with attempted murder in Germany in August 2024.

Both of them are also suspected of “participation in a terrorist organisation,” according to the statement.

The man was arrested in Stockholm on February 11 and has been in custody since then.

AFP