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On Monday, Ukraine rejected Russian demands that it surrender Mariupol, the besieged port city at the center of a violent stalemate that is fuelling a horrific humanitarian crisis. After Moscow promised to allow civilians trapped amid the bombardment without water, heat, or medicine to flee if the city's defenders laid down their arms, Kyiv rejected the demand to surrender the city by 5 a.m. local time (11 p.m. ET). With their progress seemingly coming to a standstill elsewhere and their campaign moving to escalating aerial bombardment of Ukrainian cities, capturing control of the vital city would be a big and unusual triumph for Russian forces. At least eight people were killed and a retail mall was destroyed in a new attack on Kyiv on Sunday night, according to Ukrainian officials. An official death toll has yet to be established. President Joe Biden will go to Europe this week as the US and its allies seek to strengthen Ukraine while punishing Russia for its incursion. The trip

During Saturday morning prayers, worshippers at a mosque in Canada stopped and held a guy who was allegedly carrying an axe and attacking them with bear spray, according to police. According to local media, one worshipper knocked the axe from the man's hands and held him down until police came. A 24-year-old male was apprehended at the site in the Mississauga area, and he was later charged. The bear spray caused minor injuries to some worshipers, according to the mosque's imam. One of the worshippers described the incident as "terrifying," describing hearing a scream before turning around to see a man wielding an axe and spraying three people with bear spray, which is comparable to pepper spray. "By the time he started spraying, the people in the front row had realized something was wrong, and one of the young men came around and knocked the axe away before he could use it," Noorani Sairally told The Globe and Mail in Canada. According to the witness, the yo

The majority of the remaining legal Covid limitations in Scotland have already been lifted. Customers' contact information is no longer required to be kept on file by businesses. However, the obligation to hide one's face in stores, restaurants, and public transportation remains in effect. Because of the increase in cases, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has indicated the regulation will be extended for "a further short period." The legislation will be re-evaluated before the Scottish Parliament's Easter holiday on April 2nd, and it is likely to become guidance soon after. Vaccine boosters have already been given to the most susceptible, and public health officials anticipate that they will be given to adults in their 50s and 60s in the near future. Asymptomatic people should continue to receive a PCR test until the end of April, and people with symptoms should continue to get a PCR test until the end of that month. The population-wide testing and contact tracing s

On Sunday in Kharkiv, former England captain David Beckham handed over control of his Instagram account to a Ukrainian doctor. Dr. Iryna, the director of a regional perinatal center, spent the day on social media, releasing films on the work that medical personnel are doing in the midst of the violence. Newborns were seen being treated, as well as a basement where patients had to be relocated to avoid shelling. Beckham, 46, has more than 71 million Instagram followers. "Amazing work Iryna and health workers like her are doing to save lives in Ukraine," the former Manchester United and Real Madrid player remarked. Dr. Iryna, who also works as a paediatric anaesthesiologist and runs the center, said her job has been "24/7" since the Russian invasion. "The first several days were the most challenging. We had to learn how to deal with bombs and strikes, among other things "she stated. "We're undoubtedly putting our lives in danger, but we don't re

In England, people aged 75 and more, residents in care homes, and those with compromised immune systems can now get an extra Covid booster shot. It comes as government data shows that infection rates are growing across the board, especially among the elderly. The deployment follows vaccination consultants in the United Kingdom's proposal that more vaccines will help increase protection for the most vulnerable. In Wales and Scotland, spring boosters are already in use. This autumn, a larger booster program involving more people is expected. It comes as Covid instances in the UK are on the rise, with one in every 20 persons infected, according to the latest estimates. People exhibiting symptoms of the virus should "behave appropriately," according to Health Secretary Sajid Javid, but it is up to the person to determine whether or not to take a test. "I believe we need to take a step back and consider how we can learn to live with Covid while focusing on our best line o

Boeing jets employed by Russian flag airline Aeroflot are among the sanctioned aircraft. The US government has effectively grounded nearly 100 planes with ties to Russia, including one owned by billionaire Roman Abramovich. The planes, according to the US Commerce Department, are in violation of US sanctions against Russia. It warns that providing service to these planes anywhere in the globe, including within Russia, might result in severe fines and possible jail time. Russian airlines, notably Aeroflot, are represented on the list. While the majority of the planes are Boeings, there is also a Gulfstream private jet owned by Roman Abramovich, the current owner of Chelsea Football Club. The Russian oligarch was one of seven oligarchs sanctioned by the UK government earlier this month as a result of the Ukraine conflict. Mr. Abramovich, 55, is accused of having close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, but he denies it. The government said in a statement that any refueling, mainte

Boris Johnson has been chastised for equating the struggle of Ukrainians opposing Russia's invasion with those who voted for Brexit in the United Kingdom. He stated in a speech that Britons, like Ukrainians, have the instinct "to choose freedom," citing the 2016 Brexit vote as a "recent example." Politicians in the UK and Europe have been outraged by the remarks. Former European Council President Donald Tusk described the remarks as "offensive." Lord Barwell, a Conservative peer, said voting in a referendum was "in no way similar" to risking one's life in a war, while Sir Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat leader, called it a "insult" to Ukrainians. In an interview with the Sunday Times, the prime minister encouraged China to strongly denounce the Russian invasion. He speculated that Beijing was reconsidering its neutral posture. In a speech to the Conservative Party's spring conference in Blackpool on Saturday, Mr Johnson compa

The Ricketts family, who control the Chicago Cubs in Major League Baseball, a consortium managed by Lord Coe, and another group led by British property investor Nick Candy have all made bids for Chelsea. After Russian owner Roman Abramovich put the Premier League team up for sale, a deadline for bids was established for 21:00 GMT on Friday. Candy, a Chelsea supporter, said that he has received extra funding from South Korea and that his bid is worth "almost £2 billion." A group consisting of Swiss billionaire Hansjorg Wyss, US businessman and Los Angeles Dodgers part-owner Todd Boehly, American PR executive Barbara Charone, and British businessman Jonathan Goldstein is also among the confirmed bidders. The consortium is collaborating with Clearlake Capital, an investment business based in the United States that manages around $60 billion (£45.6 billion) in assets. After being sanctioned by the UK government, Abramovich's attempt to sell Chelsea was delayed, and his assets

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are embarking on a week-long tour of the Caribbean, their first joint excursion outside of the United Kingdom since the outbreak began. However, a scheduled visit at the start of the tour has been canceled after local residents in Belize apparently expressed their displeasure. The feud is tied to a charity that William is a patron of. William and Catherine will also travel to the Bahamas and Jamaica. This year's tour will commemorate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. The couple's planned excursion to the Akte 'il Ha cocoa farm in Indian Creek hamlet, in the Maya Mountains' foothills, has been canceled. According to accounts, a protest against the trip took place on Friday. Residents of Indian Creek hamlet and Fauna and Flora International (FFI), which has William as patron, are allegedly in a disagreement over land owned by the conservation organization, according to Belizean news station Channel 7. Concerns were also expressed regardin

As the toll from Russia's invasion of Ukraine rises, the US says Beijing has a "duty to utilize leverage with Putin." President Joe Biden of the United States and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, have began their first direct conversations since November, amid mounting US concerns over Beijing's connection with Russia and stance on the increasingly violent war in Ukraine. The White House said Biden and Xi began conversing at 13:00 GMT on Friday, amid warnings from Washington that China may consider giving military assistance to Russia. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said earlier in a briefing that Biden would use the call to "make plain that China will bear responsibility for any steps it takes to encourage Russia's aggressiveness," and that such acts would have "costs." "China, in particular, has a responsibility to utilize its clout with President Putin to protect the international standards and principles that it claims to uph