Russians bomb a school building in Kharkov City

 

The Russian Military dropped a bomb on a school in the middle of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city which is also closest in proximity to the Russian border.

 

DNT News, Ukraine

 

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Ukraine: Putin has already carried out war crimes – Boris Johnson

 Boris Johnson has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of committing war crimes in Ukraine.

At Prime Minister’s Questions, he said bombing innocent civilians “already fully qualifies as a war crime”.

He was responding to the Scottish National Party’s Sir Ian Blackford, who called for Mr Putin to be prosecuted.

Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky has already accused Russia of war crimes after air strikes on the country’s second city, Kharkiv.

On Tuesday, the prime minister described the tactics used by the Russian military under orders from Mr Putin as ”barbaric and indiscriminate”.

“With every passing hour the world is witnessing the horrors of Putin’s war in Ukraine,” the SNP’s Westminster leader Mr Blackford. He called for Mr Putin to be prosecuted for the “full range” of war crime charges available.

Mr Johnson replied: “What we have seen already from Vladimir Putin’s regime in the use of the munitions that they have already been dropping on innocent civilians, in my view, already fully qualifies as a war crime and I know that the ICC prosecutor is already investigating, and I am sure the whole House will support that.”

On Monday, the office of the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court said it would seek court approval to open an investigation into alleged war crimes in Ukraine.

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Corruption probes against Zuma should continue – report

 The third and final part of South Africa’s Commission chair, Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo’s investigation into wide-scale corruption recommended that former president Jacob Zuma should be investigated further.

Zuma and other senior officials should be investigated for corruption relating to their dealings with Bosasa, a firm that was repeatedly awarded government contracts according to the Zoned commission report.

It found that Zuma likely breached his obligations as president under the constitution when he accepted gifts from the company, in the form of lavish parties.

“Corruption was central to Bosasa’s business model” Judge Zond states, adding “everything for the company came down to corruption”.

The company was found to have regularly bribed government officials and some members of the governing African National Congress in exchange for business contracts within a number of state entities.

Further recommendations included that current Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe and senior African National Party politicians Nomvula Mokonyane and Thabang Makwetla be investigated for unduly benefitting from Bosasa.

The report comes after a four year investigation into allegations of grand corruption between the government and private sector during president Jacob Zuma’s term in office.

Zuma refused to give further evidence at the commission, leading Judge Zond to find that he willingly turned down the opportunity to present a defence for the allegations made against him at the commission.

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Bishop Auckland man taking donated goods to Ukrainian refugees

An engineer is setting off on a 1,400 mile (2,250km) drive to take donated supplies to Ukrainian refugees.

Jack Vincent from Bishop Auckland will take items including clothing and medicines to camps in Poland.

Mr Vincent said he had received enough items to fill a shipping container since launching an appeal for donations on Sunday.

He has been supported by charities including the County Durham-based Chernobyl Children’s Project.

According to the UN, more than 600,000 civilians have fled Ukraine to take refuge in neighbouring countries such as Poland, Romania and Hungary.

Mr Vincent is loading a van, trailer and roof-box and will be accompanied by a second driver on his trip close to the Poland-Ukraine border.

“The response from people has been unbelievable,” he said. “I’ve got enough stuff to make four trips already.

“I want to acknowledge and thank the hundreds, if not thousands, of people who have made donations and supported the appeal.”

More than 600,000 civilians have fled Ukraine, according to the UN

Mr Vincent has been liaising with local groups in Poland who said they had already been “inundated” with clothing and bottled water.

“What they really need is things like Calpol, child ibuprofen, bandages and plasters for the children who have had to walk miles as well things like antiseptics and face masks,” Mr Vincent said.

He will also be taking donated nappies, wheelchairs, walking sticks and milk powder.

Mr Vincent said he had two motivations, to help the Ukrainian people fight Russian president Vladimir Putin’s invasion and offer humanitarian aid.

He told the BBC: “My opinion is if Putin takes Ukraine he will not stop there.

“All we can do is show our love and compassion for our friends and neighbours in Ukraine and say to them we stand with you and will do what we can to help them in their fights against a deranged dictator.”

Charity organizer Gerald Hirst said people’s desire to help Ukraine shone like a beacon in dark times

Gerald Hirst runs the Crook branch of the Chernobyl Children’s Project which supports families affected by the 1987 nuclear disaster in Ukraine (then part of the Soviet Union).

He said people had rallied to Mr Vincent’s appeal: “The kindness and bravery of people like Jack shines through like beacons in these dark times in the Ukraine and the rest of Europe.

“They are giving their all to help people who desperately need our help.”

Meanwhile, Durham County Council said it was “shocked and saddened” by events in Ukraine and the ”most effective way” people could help was by making “cash donations” to the British Red Cross’s Ukraine Crisis Appeal.

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Apple to halt sales and limit services in Russia

 Apple has become the latest major firm to halt all product sales in Russia, in a widening corporate backlash to the country’s invasion of Ukraine.

The iPhone giant said it was “deeply concerned” about the Russian invasion and stands with those “suffering as a result of the violence”.

Apple Pay and other services such as Apple Maps have also been limited.

Google has also removed Russian state-funded publishers such as RT from its features.

Mobile banking apps in Russian, such as Russia’s VTB Bank’s app, may soon not function fully on devices using Apple’s iOS operating system, according to news agency RIA.

Apple said in a statement that the firm had disabled both traffic and live incidents in Apple Maps in Ukraine as a “safety and precautionary measure for Ukrainian citizens”.

Last week, Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov published an open letter to Apple on Twitter, in which he asked Apple to cut Russia off from its products, services, and App Store.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.View original tweet on Twitter

Earlier, Google restricted news firms funded by the Russian government from advertising tools and some features on YouTube.

“We are committed to complying with all sanctions requirements and we continue to monitor the latest guidance,” the company wrote in a blog post.

The company also told the BBC that Google Pay had been limited in the country – for those using sanctioned banks. Google has not, however, blocked Google Pay in Russia.

Google also said “most of our services (like Search, Maps and YouTube) currently remain available in Russia, continuing to provide access to global information and perspectives.

Apple is generally fairly good at keeping its head down when it comes to global affairs.For example, it has faced criticism for not standing up to China over its treatment of Uyghurs.

This move then is significant, and unusual, by the iPhone maker.

One by one global brands have been moving to distance themselves from Russia – making the country look more and more isolated.

But it was by no means certain that Apple would make this move. The company had started to receive criticism for its relative silence on Ukraine.

The BBC had reached out to Apple for comment, but had not received a reply until this announcement.

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Ukraine introduces temporary visa-free for foreigners who wants to help fight Russia

 Ukraine has introduced a temporary visa-free policy for foreigners wishing to join their forces fighting Russian military intervention.

The policy, made official today, doesn’t apply to Russian nationals, who are referred to as “citizens of the aggressor state” in a directive signed by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky.

 

Earlier in the week, President Zelensky announced the formation of a new division, the international legion of Ukrainian territorial defense, which will be staffed by foreigners who, alongside Ukrainians, will be fighting to repel Russian invaders.

According to the government, thousands of applications have already been received.

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Abramovich to sell Chelsea – with all ‘net proceeds’ to benefit Ukraine war victims

 Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich said he will sell the club – with the “net proceeds” going to benefit victims of the war in Ukraine.

The Russian billionaire, who took over in 2003, said money generated from his sale of the club will go to a foundation benefiting “all victims of the war in Ukraine”.

It is not clear if his reference to “all victims” means just Ukrainians, or Russians as well.

But, he said it “includes providing critical funds towards the urgent and immediate needs of victims, as well as supporting the long-term work of recovery”.

‘In the best interests of the club’

In a statement, published by the reigning European and world soccer champions on their website, he said: “I have always taken decisions with the club’s best interest at heart.

“In the current situation, I have therefore taken the decision to sell the club, as I believe this is in the best interest of the club, the fans, the employees, as well as the club’s sponsors and partners.”

Mr Abramovich said he would not ask for loans he has made to the club – reported to total £1.5bn – to be repaid to him, and said the sale would not be fast-tracked but would “follow due process”.

He said he had told his aides to set up a charitable foundation that would receive all net proceeds from the sale.

Mr Abramovich did not speak publicly about the invasion when it first began last Thursday. Over the weekend he said he wanted to entrust the “care and stewardship” of the club to the trustees of its charitable foundation.

He has put a £3bn price tag on Chelsea as he prepares to end his near-two decade ownership of the club.

Questions remain about sanctions

It comes as Mr Abramovich – who has long-denied links to the Putin regime – is also reportedly putting his London property portfolio up for sale.

However, questions remain, about the viability of a transaction against the current geopolitical backdrop and Mr Abramovich faces the possibility of being sanctioned by the UK government after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Mr Abramovich’s bankers are keen to complete a deal quickly and potentially as soon as May, according to one insider.

The issue of Mr Abramovich’s links to the Russian state was raised by Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, during prime minister’s questions on Wednesday, amid pressure for tougher sanctions against Russian oligarchs.

He has ploughed unprecedented amounts of money into the Stamford Bridge side and under his ownership, it has won the Champions League twice, the Premier League and FA Cup five times and a significant number of other trophies.

His statement concluded: “I hope that I will be able to visit Stamford Bridge one last time to say goodbye to all of you in person.

“It has been a privilege of a lifetime to be part of Chelsea FC and I am proud of all our joint achievements. Chelsea Football Club and its supporters will always be in my heart.”

Ukrainian footballer trying to persuade family to leave Kyiv

It comes as Ukrainian football legend Andriy Shevchenko, who is currently in London, has been trying to persuade his mother and sister to leave the Ukrainian capital.

Shevchenko: I’ve tried to get family to flee Kyiv

He told Sky Sports News: “I try to talk (to them) every hour, every 20 minutes because there’s a lot of action going on now.

“Cities under attack, missile attacks, Kyiv is under attack, a lot of cities it is very similar… My mum and my sister, like most of the Ukrainian people refuse to leave, are staying there to fight for our nation, to fight for our freedom, to fight for our soul.

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“I tried many times (to get them to leave), but the answer is no, (they say) ‘we want to stay here’.”

“This is the Ukrainian spirit.”

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EU denies reports of discrimination at Ukraine border

 The delegation of the European Union (EU) to Kenya has denied reports of discrimination against Africans levelled at member states bordering Ukraine.

More than 200 Kenyans were stranded in Ukraine because of Russia’s invasion, a press release from the bloc stated.

“The EU regrets the incorrect and skewed media reporting on this issue that has repeatedly appeared in various Kenyan outlets and social media, and calls for careful verification of the facts,” the press release said.

“Given that in some cases deliberate disinformation is being spread, the EU Embassies present in Kenya are ready to provide accurate data,” it continued.

Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania have granted unrestricted access to those fleeing the conflict in neighbouring Ukraine, including Kenyans, the delegation said.

“Contrary to some media reports, those Kenyans who have arrived at the borders have been assisted and allowed to enter safely into EU Member States,” the statement continued.

Numerous African students in Ukraine have shared stories of being blocked by Ukrainian security agents from leaving the country. Ukraine is not a member of the EU.

The African Union has condemned the reports of discrimination.

The EU mission to Kenya said that out of 350,000 refugees who crossed into Poland between 24 and 28 February, there were “7,721 Africans, including 88 Kenyans”.

It added that an extra 4,150 people from 40 African countries have crossed into Slovakia in the last four days.

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