Ukraine’s Zelensky calls on Germany to tear down Russian wall

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has told German MPs that a new type of Berlin Wall is being built, dividing Europe between freedom and oppression.

He thanked Germany for its support during Russia’s invasion.

But it was uncomfortable listening for many MPs as he criticised German energy policy and business interests for contributing to that wall of division.

Over the past week, Mr Zelensky has given a master class in how to pitch his message to allies.

On Wednesday, he addressed US Congress, referring to Pearl Harbor and the 9/11 terror attacks. On Tuesday he asked Canada’s parliament to envisage bombs and missiles falling on Toronto, Vancouver and Edmonton.

Last week, his address to the House of Commons in London was partly a homage to Winston Churchill’s wartime speeches.

His emotive speech to the German parliament, the Bundestag, was equally tailored to appeal to his audience with well-chosen historical parallels. Some of his audience grew up in communist East Germany behind the Berlin Wall.

During the Cold War, Germany’s dogged negotiation and engagement with Moscow contributed to the fall of the Berlin Wall and German reunification.

Since then Germany has tried to use trade, business and energy links to integrate a peaceful Russia into the West.

But Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine three weeks ago has destroyed many of those aspirations. The general political consensus in Germany now is that this may have been the wrong approach with Mr Putin’s increasingly authoritarian and kleptocratic regime.

President Zelensky expressed outrage that some German businesses were still operating in Russia. The controversial, now cancelled, Russian-German gas pipeline Nord Stream 2 was “cement for that new wall” dividing Europe, he said. Germany’s continued reluctance to allow Ukraine into the European Union was “another brick” in that new wall.

“Dear Mr Scholz, tear down this wall,” he demanded of the German chancellor, repeating US President Ronald Reagan’s historic demand to the Soviets in 1987 as he stood beside the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.

Many German ministers listening will agree with him. The Green Party, which in the new governing coalition is now responsible for energy policy within the powerful Economy Ministry, has for years been campaigning against Nord Stream 2.

Even those who once supported the pipeline have changed their minds. Until recently Mr Scholz still referred to it as an non-political business matter.

But as Russian troops gathered on Ukraine’s borders, shortly before the invasion, he unexpectedly announced the newly finished pipeline would not be opening after all.

Using another German Cold War analogy, in his speech President Zelensky said that Ukraine needed an airlift, and a no-fly zone to protect it, just as Cold War West Berlin had been saved by the Allied airlift in 1948-49.

He also reminded Germany of its responsibility to make up for Nazi crimes in Ukraine, saying Ukrainian towns and cities were being destroyed for the second time in 80 years.

This was a well-judged comment – Germany does guilt well. But for now there is no time for national bouts of repentance and soul searching.

President Zelensky’s speech was greeted by long applause and standing ovations.

The main opposition party, the conservative CDU, expressed outrage that after the address the chamber went on to discuss normal parliamentary business, instead of debating the war in Ukraine. The transition certainly jarred as the parliamentary president announced, amid booing from opposition MPs, a scheduled birthday congratulation message.

Pressure is growing from Ukraine, and from German voters, to end German reliance on Russian energy imports.

The German government is planning to stop imports of Russian oil and coal this year, with an end to Russian gas as soon as other sources are found. Berlin argues that a sudden ban would harm Germany more than Russia, sparking mass unemployment here.

German Economy Minister Robert Habeck is now on a whirlwind global tour to drum up energy from elsewhere. After a visit to Norway yesterday, he announced a deal to boost imports of Norwegian gas and this week he’ll fly to Qatar.

This may not satisfy German voters. In polls a majority say they want an instant embargo on Russian energy. But then it may be impossible to fulfil the electorate’s demands – in other surveys an overwhelming majority of German voters also say that energy costs are already too high.

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Kanye West suspended from Instagram for 24 hours

Kanye West has been suspended from Instagram for 24 hours after using a racial slur in reference to comedian Trevor Noah.

The rapper posted about him after he said Kanye’s actions towards his ex-wife Kim Kardashian were “terrifying”.

Kanye’s been criticised for repeatedly posting remarks about Kim, their children and her partner Pete Davidson.

Meta, which owns Instagram, said the rapper violated the platform’s policies on hate speech and bullying.

The company also said its policies on harassment had been violated.

Although his account remains visible, Kanye is unable to do things like post, comment or send direct messages.

Other recent posts from Kanye have accused Kim of stopping him from seeing their children – something she’s denied.

Trevor Noah said Kanye’s treatment of Kim Kardashian shines a spotlight on ‘what so many women go through’

In a statement, Meta said it would take “additional steps” if it saw further violations of its policies.

“We often take additional steps against accounts that repeatedly break our rules by placing restrictions on their account,” said the statement.

Meta added that it had also “deleted content” from Kanye’s account.

The comments from Trevor Noah were made during an episode of the satirical news show which he hosts, The Daily Show.

“You may not feel sorry for Kim because she’s rich and famous,” he said. “But what she’s going through is terrifying to watch and shines a spotlight on what so many women go through when they choose to leave.”

Kanye – who has legally changed his name to Ye – has been locked in a public feud with both Kim and Pete Davidson, regularly posting screenshots of private conversations between the three.

In response to Trevor Noah’s comments, Kanye posted a screenshot of a Google search for the comedian on his Instagram account, accompanied by the lyrics to ‘Kumbaya, My Lord’, which he changed to include a racial slur.

The post has since been removed.

Followers of Kanye’s account are still able to like and comment on posts while he is suspended.

Newsbeat has contacted representatives of Kanye West for a response.

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Nigeria president apologises for petrol and power woes

Nigeria’s president has apologised for the hardships caused by recent fuel shortages and the power cuts that followed this week’s collapse of the national grid which left the entire country without state-supplied electricity for hours.

The West African nation already generates too little electricity to supply its population of 200 million, generally hovering at around 4,000 megawatts a day.

Nigeria may be Africa’s largest oil producer, yet its oil refineries are not working to capacity, so crude oil is exported and refined products imported.

Imported fuel became scarce last month after measures were taken to quarantine millions of liters of adulterated fuel already in the market because the methanol-blended petrol had begun to damage vehicles.

The shortage is the worst since President Muhammadu Buhari came to power nearly seven years ago, and the government is being severely criticised for not doing enough to address the problem.

Mr Buhari said his government was working around the clock with the sector to increase the supply of fuel – and directed the petroleum ministry, the state-owned oil company NNPC and security agencies to take “strong actions’” against owners of petrol stations and officials at depots who are “not behaving properly” – a reference to those involved in corruption.

Petrol prices have more than tripled on the black market and only a few petrol stations are selling fuel, leading to major disruption to road, air and rail transport.

When it came to the electricity supply, the president said a number of factors were to blame – technical problems at thermal stations, gas pipelines to power stations being vandalized and a dip in hydroelectric generation because of “seasonal pressures” on dams.

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St Patrick’s Day: Micheál Martin tests positive for Covid on US trip

Taoiseach (Irish PM) Micheál Martin has tested positive for Covid-19 on the eve of the St Patrick’s Day celebrations in the White House.

He was informed of the positive test while attending the Ireland Fund dinner in Washington.

At the time he was sitting alongside House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other guests.

The Taoiseach had been due to receive an international leadership award at the event.

However, when the moment arrived Irish Ambassador to the US, Dan Mulhall, took to the stage and confirmed the positive test.

He said Mr Martin had tested negative but then was re-tested after a member of his delegation received a positive result.

He said the Taoiseach had re-tested out of an “abundance of caution” and added that he was in “good form” but very disappointed.

“It is a sad thing which I have to do which is to deliver the taoiseach’s speech on his behalf,” he said.

Mr Martin attended the Ireland Fund dinner with Mrs Pelosi and other guests

The news has cast doubt over the St Patrick’s Day celebrations in the White House later.

The Taoiseach was due to hold talks with President Biden and take part in the traditional shamrock handover ceremony in the Oval Office.

He was also due to attend a breakfast hosted by Vice President Kamala Harris.

The engagement involving President Biden will now be virtual. Broadcaster RTÉ reported that the Taoiseach is self isolating and is described as feeling well.

US President Joe Biden spoke during the gala dinner in Washington on Wednesday night

Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) leader Colum Eastwood, who was at the dinner, said it was a big blow for the Taoiseach.

“It is very sad. This is a major event for any Taoiseach, going into the White House on St Patrick’s Day, and that now won’t happen. I feel very sorry for him,” he said

He said the news had left everyone “deflated” at the dinner and with the Taoiseach’s office due to be rotated later this year, he said Mr Martin would not get another chance to celebrate St Patrick’s Day in the White House.

It’s not often a Taoiseach upstages a US president, but that’s what happened last night.

About 700 people gathered for the Washington dinner, with Micheál Martin sitting front and centre beside Mrs Pelosi.

Then it came to the moment he was due to pick up his international award, and it was announced from the stage that he would not be able to do it.

People were stunned by the news as he had been in the hall all evening – he had to leave quickly once he found out he had tested positive for Covid.

There have been strict precautions in place for anyone who is due to meet the president, so Mr Martin was testing regularly.

This was due to be the big reconnecting after the pandemic, and Mr Martin was going to have his opportunity to go to the White House and take part in the ceremony.

We have been told that the Taoiseach is in good spirits, and the latest indication from his team was that “not in person” options were being explored for the ceremony.

Earlier, President Biden and Mrs Pelosi addressed the gathering.

Mrs Pelosi issued a warning to the UK over the protocol.

The water in the White House north lawn fountain was turned green to mark St Patrick’s Day in 2021

She said that if the “border is hardened there will be no UK-US trade deal”.

She also warned against any move which “imperils” the Good Friday Agreement.

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Russian strikes hit outskirts of Ukrainian capital and Lviv

Russian forces pressed their assault on Ukrainian cities Friday, with new missile strikes and shelling on the edges of the capital Kyiv and the western city of Lviv, as world leaders pushed for an investigation of the Kremlin’s repeated attacks on civilian targets, including schools, hospitals and residential areas.

Outside Lviv, black smoke billowed for hours after the early morning strike by several missiles, which the mayor said hit a facility for repairing military aircraft near the city’s international airport, also damaging a bus repair facility. No casualties were immediately reported. The facility had suspended work ahead of the attack, said the mayor, Andriy Sadovyi, on the Telegram messaging app.

A soldier standing guard near the site said he heard three blasts in quick succession around 6 a.m. A nearby resident described his building vibrating from the explosions and people panicking.

The missiles that hit Lviv were launched from the Black Sea, but two of the six that were launched were shot down, Ukrainian air force’s western command said on Facebook.

Not far from the Polish border and well behind the front lines, Lviv and the surrounding area have not been spared Russia’s attacks. In the worst, nearly three dozen people were killed last weekend in a strike on a training facility near the city. Meanwhile, Lviv’s population has swelled by some 200,000 as people from elsewhere in Ukraine have sought shelter there.

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Covid travel restrictions have ended in the UK

All remaining Covid travel restrictions have now been lifted for passengers entering the UK.

As of 04:00 GMT, unvaccinated arrivals will no longer have to take tests – the rule had already been lifted for the vaccinated – and passenger locator forms have been scrapped.

It comes almost exactly two years after the first Covid lockdown measures were imposed in the UK.

Travel bosses said lifting the rules was the “final game-changer”.

Aviation minister Robert Courts said: “Everything we have worked for – every jab, every test, and the sacrifices made by the whole country means that finally, nearly two years on, we can all travel without bureaucratic restrictions.”

The government said the change had been deliberately timed before the Easter holidays, but added that contingency plans had been drawn up to respond to any future Covid variants.

Derek Jones, chief executive of Kuoni, a tourism company, said bookings had surged in recent months.

“The removal of all travel restrictions is the final game-changer – people can now go on holiday or visit family and friends overseas without all of the stress that comes with testing before they return home,” he said.

“Finally, we’ve seen the back of the unpopular and ineffective passenger locator forms, which were always a hassle to complete. Travel has been in turmoil for two years but now it’s back.”

However, UK travellers are still advised to check the rules for the countries they are visiting – as many still have restrictions and testing requirements in place.

The removal of the rules marks the end of a rapidly-changing – and often complex – set of Covid rules for people arriving in the UK.

People were first advised against all non-essential international travel in March 2020.

Later that year, passenger locator forms for arrivals were introduced, along with “travel corridors” – with people arriving from countries outside the corridors having to self-isolate at home for up to 14 days.

Other rules have included pre-departure and post-arrival tests; hotel quarantine for some arrivals; and a “traffic light” system of red, amber, and green countries.

The traffic light system could often cause short-term changes to people’s plans as countries moved from one colour to another.

In a further complication, all four nations could set their own rules – meaning there were sometimes different restrictions in different parts of the UK. More recently, changes have been agreed by all governments in the UK.

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