Headline

Russia-Ukraine War: 18 Latest Developments After Peace Talks

Published

4 years ago

March 1, 2022

On Monday, Russian and Ukrainian delegations met at the Belarusian-Ukrainian border for the first talks since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered troops to invade Ukraine last Thursday.

After the talks, both countries agreed to consult and meet again on a yet-to-be-announced date.

However, the Ukrainian presidency had demanded an immediate Russian ceasefire and troop withdrawal ahead of the talks.

Here are the 18 latest developments in Russia’s war in Ukraine after Monday’s peace talks:

– Kyiv braces –
Satellite images show a vast military column amassing just north of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, where residents are braced for a Russian assault.

The Russian army tells them they can “freely leave” on one highway going south as it hints of attacks on civilian areas.

– Kharkiv assault –
Russian forces shell Ukraine’s second city Kharkiv, killing at least 11 civilians in residential areas, its mayor says.

AFP reports that a school was destroyed, Russian armoured vehicles burnt and corpses of Russian soldiers after earlier fighting were seen.

– Russians reach Kherson –
Russian forces reach the southern city of Kherson near Moscow-controlled Crimea, setting up checkpoints on its outskirts, its mayor says. Moscow claimed to have besieged the city two days ago.

– ‘352 civilians killed’ –
Kyiv says 352 civilians have been killed, including 14 children, since the invasion began last Thursday.

– Half a million refugees –
Nearly 520,000 people have fled Ukraine in the last five days, the UN’s refugee agency says, with tens of thousands more displaced inside the country.

– War crimes –
International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan says he is investigating the “situation in Ukraine”, saying there is a “reasonable basis” to believe “war crimes and crimes against humanity have been committed” since 2014.

– Turkey blocks warships –
Turkey blocks warships from the Bosphorus and Dardanelles strait, limiting the movement of Russian and other naval assets by invoking a 1936 treaty.

– Talks to continue –
Negotiators from Ukraine and Russia end a first round of talks with no breakthrough. Both sides agree to conduct a second round “soon.

– Putin’s demands –
In a call with French President Emmanuel Macron, Russian leader Vladimir Putin demands the “demilitarisation and denazification” of Ukraine and that the West recognise his annexation of Crimea.

– Nuclear fear –
The head of the UN atomic energy watchdog, the IAEA, expresses “grave concern” that invading Russian troops are operating close to Zaporizhzhia, the largest nuclear power station in Ukraine.

– Social media curb –
Twitter and Facebook move to curb the online presence of Russian state-linked news outlets.

– Russia kicked out of World Cup –
Russia is expelled from the 2022 World Cup and its teams suspended from all international football competitions “until further notice”, FIFA and UEFA say.

– Ban Russia from sport: IOC
The International Olympic Committee urges sports federations to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes in protest at the invasion.

– Russians expelled –
The United States moves to expel 12 members of Russia’s UN mission from America for being “intelligence operatives”.

– More sanctions –
The US and Canada ban all transactions with Russia’s central bank in an unprecedented sanction.

The EU adds more Putin allies to its sanctions blacklist, including Kremlin mouthpiece Dmitry Peskov and oligarchs Igor Sechin, Alisher Usmanov, Petr Aven and Mikhail Fridman.

– Ruble crashes –
Putin orders emergency capital controls and forces exporters to buy rubles to prop up the currency, which plunges by a fifth, reaching record lows.

– Finland to join NATO? –Lawmakers in traditionally non-aligned Finland — which has a long border with Russia — are to debate NATO membership. It comes after Helsinki took a “historic” decision to supply weapons to Ukraine.

– No Hollywood films – Disney and Sony Pictures stop the release of their films in Russian cinemas because of its invasion of Ukraine.

AFP/PUNCH

Headline

Charlie Kirk Shooter Arrested, Named

Published

13 hours ago

September 12, 2025

Editor

United States authorities have arrested a suspect in the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Law enforcement officials identified the suspect as 21-year-old Tyler Robinson from Utah, according to NBC News, citing five senior law enforcement sources.

Kirk was fatally shot in the neck on Tuesday while speaking at a debate at Utah Valley University.

Authorities said the attacker fired a single round from a rooftop in what they described as a targeted assassination.

US President Donald Trump confirmed the arrest, telling Fox News that investigators acted “with a high degree of certainty” in taking Robinson into custody.

Trump praised the joint efforts of local police and state officials in the investigation.

Headline

FBI Releases Video Of Charlie Kirk’s Shooter, Recovers Weapons Near Scene [WATCH]

Published

22 hours ago

September 12, 2025

Editor

The FBI’s Salt Lake City Field Office on Friday released video footage of the man suspected of fatally shooting conservative activist Charlie Kirk fleeing a rooftop after the incident on September 10, 2025.

The bureau, in a statement accompanied by the video link shared on X on Friday, noted that the video shows the shooter climbing onto a rooftop shortly before the attack and then jumping off and fleeing the scene after firing the fatal shots.

Investigators also reportedly found the weapon and ammunition used in the shooting in a wooded area near the university.

The agency wrote, “The FBI has released a video and more photos of the shooter in the Utah Valley shooting. The subject is seen jumping from the rooftop of a building after the shooting.

“Around 12 pm Mountain Time on September 10, 2025, the subject climbed up to a rooftop; after he shot and killed Charlie Kirk, he jumped off and ran away. He left a gun and ammunition in a wooded area near the university.

“Trace evidence collected from the rooftop scene included shoe impressions, a forearm imprint, and a palm print. Anyone with information in this case should call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or visit fbi.gov/utahvalleyshooting.”

The bureau added that it is working closely with law enforcement partners to seek justice in the murder of Charlie Kirk.

The PUNCH reported on Thursday that the FBI released initial images of a person of interest in the fatal shooting of Kirk.

The agency also offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to the identification and arrest of those responsible for his death.

Meanwhile, two people misidentified online as suspects in the fatal shooting of right-wing US activist Charlie Kirk also told AFP Thursday they were terrified by the misinformation targeting them, as the manhunt for the real killer continued.

31-year-old Kirk, a major ally of President Donald Trump and the head of the largest conservative youth movement in the United States, was shot dead while attending an event at Utah Valley University.

Watch the video below:

https://x.com/MobilePunch/status/1966444113794109657?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1966444113794109657%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fd-186661262228333818.ampproject.net%2F2508281901000%2Fframe.html

Headline

Russia Threatens Poland Over Belarus Border Closure

Published

1 day ago

September 12, 2025

Editor

Russia, on Thursday, urged Poland to reopen its border with Belarus, Moscow’s close ally, calling the closure “destructive” and warning of consequences.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced Tuesday the closure of the border with Belarus from 0000 on September 12 (2200 GMT on September 11), in response to the upcoming joint Russian-Belarusian war games.

“We urge Warsaw to consider the consequences of such destructive steps and to review its decision as soon as possible,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement.

The border closure was to “justify a policy of further escalating tensions in the centre of Europe”, she added.

NATO’s eastern flank members Poland, Lithuania and Latvia are on high alert due to the massive drills, which according to Tusk are designed to simulate occupation of the Suwalki corridor, a strategically important area in Poland.

Usually held every four years, the 2025 iteration of Zapad is the first during the conflict in Ukraine, and is due to run until September 16.

Belarus had said in January that 13,000 troops would be involved in the drills, but in May it said the number was to be reduced by around half.

Zakharova said Warsaw had “demonstratively” ignored the “goodwill” gestures by Moscow and Minsk to move the exercise away from the Polish border and to reduce the number of military personnel participating.