World

Russia and Belarus will have talks with Ukrainian negotiators on ending hostilities.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a recent interview confirmed that the Ukraine government has a contingency plan if Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskyy is assassinated during Russia's invasion of the country.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba waded into the debate to strongly call for a ban on such imports, saying Russian oil 'smells of Ukrainian blood.'

The pope said the need for aid to Ukraine was 'growing dramatically by the hour' as the number of victims and refugees soared.

Mariupol, a southern city of about 450,000 people on the Azov Sea, was scheduled to begin the evacuations at 0900 GMT, after Russian forces agreed a ceasefire to allow civilians to leave the fighting.

Ukraine has accused Russia of "nuclear terror" after forces attacked and seized the nuclear power plant at Zaporizhzhia.

Amendments were also passed to fine or jail anybody calling for sanctions against Russia.

Russia's defence ministry on Friday blamed an attack at the site of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine on Ukrainian saboteurs, calling it a monstrous provocation.

A virtual meeting of the Quad was held at a time of increased concern about Taiwan, wary of Beijing taking advantage of a distracted West to move against it.

Lavrov further said that Russia will not allow Ukraine to obtain nuclear weapons.

Russian airborne troops landed in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on Wednesday, the Ukrainian army said, adding that there were immediate clashes.

Hillary Clinton's comments leaves the door open to speculations that US may fund an insurgency to blunt Russia in Ukraine if it installs a pro-Kremlin govt there

Volodymyr Zelenskiy asked the European Union to allow Ukraine to gain membership as it defends itself from invasion by Russian forces.

Talks began with the aim of an immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of Russian forces, the Ukrainian president's office said.

The Indian government has also set up a dedicated Twitter handle to assist in the evacuation of Indians from Ukraine under Operation Ganga.

Hundreds of thousands of people have fled during the four days of conflict into neighbouring countries, mainly Poland, Hungary and Romania.