Najaf Ali

The US State Department on Sunday announced visa restrictions on more than 2,000 Russian and Belarusian military officials for violations related to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and a new visa restriction policy targeting Russian officials for human rights abuses, violations of international humanitarian law and corruption in Ukraine. The department also announced … Read more

UK has announced fresh sanctions targeting £1.7bn worth of trade with Russia in a bid to “further weaken Putin’s war machine”. They include sharply higher tariffs on £1.4bn worth of imports from Russia and bans on exports to the country that are worth £250m a year. The measures, announced by Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Trade … Read more

Russian military leaders are as much to blame for the Ukraine invasion as President Vladimir Putin – and both should face consequences, the UK defence secretary has said. In a major speech today, Ben Wallace is expected to not mince his words, and tell the world bluntly, that Mr Putin and his inner circle should share the … Read more

The British government on Sunday announced new sanctions on Russia and Belarus, targeting trade worth £1.7 billion ($2.1 billion). The sanctions include import tariffs and export bans, and come in a bid “to further weaken Putin’s war machine,” according to a statement jointly issued by the Treasury and Department for International Trade. The new import … Read more

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has honored the country’s most famous dog, Patron, for his dedication. Patron, a Jack Russell terrier mix, has become a national figure since the Russian invasion for his work with bomb disposal teams in the northern city of Chernihiv. He is credited with uncovering some 150 munitions as one of a … Read more

UN Crisis Coordinator for Ukraine and UN Assistant Secretary-General Amin Awad issued a statement in response to the bombing of a school serving as a shelter in Luhansk, saying the incident is “yet another stark reminder of the cruelty of this war.” “Civilians and civilian infrastructure must be spared in times of war; these obligations … Read more

“We are relieved that we could help evacuate more civilians from Azovstal and the Mariupol area and bring them to a safer place,” said Pascal Hundt, the head of delegation for the ICRC in Ukraine. “The humanitarian convoy is a life-changing moment and major relief for these people who have suffered the horrors of close … Read more

Around 60 people were killed after a bomb hit a school in east Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said. Earlier, the governor of Luhansk region, Serhiy Haidai, said 90 people had been sheltering in the building in Bilohorivka, and 30 were rescued. Mr Haidai said a Russian plane had dropped the bomb on Saturday – … Read more

Before Saturday night, the Golden State Warriors’ usual offensive fluidity had looked slightly out of sorts. But that all changed at Chase Center against the Memphis Grizzlies as they put in a near-historic postseason offensive performance in a convincing 142-112 win in Game 3 of their Western Conference semifinal series. Golden State’s three dynamic guards — Steph Curry, Jordan … Read more

A fleece jacket worn and signed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sold for £90,000, or around $111,000, at a fundraiser for Ukraine in London on Thursday. “Today, the whole word looks up to a man wearing a simple fleece jacket,” the Ukrainian Embassy to the United Kingdom said in a video posted on Twitter that included footage of Zelensky … Read more

President Vladimir Putin takes Russian anniversaries seriously. It was no coincidence that his invasion of Ukraine came a day after Defender of the Fatherland Day, a celebration of Russia’s military achievements. It was on that same occasion in 2014 that Putin took the first step in annexing Crimea from Ukraine, through orchestrated pro-Russian protests on the peninsula. … Read more

Survivors of a Russian strike on Saturday that killed at least 60 people sheltering in an eastern Ukrainian school have described their harrowing experience in interviews. “I got slammed down by a slab — bent into a ball,” said a man with a bandage across his nose and forehead, who preferred not to give his … Read more

US President Joe Biden met virtually with G7 leaders on Sunday and tweeted a photo of the call. With a close examination of the tweeted G7 photo, you can also make out Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the frame with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. In a joint statement earlier Sunday, members of the G7 … Read more

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin visited Mariupol Sunday, the most senior government official yet to set foot in the Ukrainian city after weeks of Russian bombardment. On his Telegram channel, Khusnullin said “I visited the liberated territories of the DNR [Donetsk People’s Republic] and LNR [Luhansk People’s Republic]. I visited Mariupol, Volnovakha, Luhansk and … Read more

In a joint news conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Sunday, Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the reopening of the Canadian embassy in Kyiv.  Trudeau also announced more military assistance for Ukraine would be given including drone cameras, satellite imagery, small arms, ammunition and funding for de-mining operations. The Canadian prime … Read more

In a joint news conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Sunday, Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the reopening of the Canadian embassy in Kyiv.  Trudeau also announced more military assistance for Ukraine would be given including drone cameras, satellite imagery, small arms, ammunition and funding for de-mining operations. The Canadian prime … Read more