Zelenskiy brands Russia ‘terrorist state’
Hello, Warren Murray with Friday’s top stories.
Joe Biden is expected to ratchet up the economic pressure on Vladimir Putin today by moving to end normal trade relations with Russia. Lawmakers in both houses of Congress have reportedly expressed support for removing Russia’s status of “permanent normal trade relations”, also known as “most favoured nation” status, because of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Biden will seek to do it in co-ordination with US allies and the G7 countries, sources have said. It comes on top of widespread sanctions and the banning of oil imports from Russia by the US and UK. A stream of leading international companies such as Apple, Shell, Ikea and McDonald’s have pulled out of Russia; the Kremlin is threatening to retaliate by seizing their corporate assets in Russia.
Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has accused Russia of being a “terrorist state”, saying it prevented a delivery of food, water and medicine to the besieged city of Mariupol by attacking a humanitarian corridor with tanks. Zelenskiy has condemned Moscow’s relentless assault on cities – branding the attack on the corridor “outright terror … from experienced terrorists”. More than 400,000 people remain trapped in Mariupol, which is surrounded by Russian forces, and basic supplies are running out. Zelenskiy denied Russia’s accusation that Ukraine is preparing to use chemical or biological weapons. He echoed western leaders’ prediction that Russia is preparing to attack with such weapons and then blame it on Kyiv. Zelenskiy said: “We’ve been repeatedly convinced: if you want to know Russia’s plans, look at what Russia accuses others of.” The UN security council is expected today to discuss the unsubstantiated Russian claims.
Satellite images released by the US company Maxar appear to show the large Russian military convoy north-west of Kyiv has dispersed and fanned out through towns and forests, with artillery pieces moved into firing positions. The Ukrainian military said in its daily operational report on Friday morning that Russian troops were trying to regroup and replenish supplies. Stay up to speed on Ukraine developments at our live blog.
Calculation triples Covid deaths – The Covid-19 pandemic may have claimed 18.2 million lives around the world, more than three times official figures, a study suggests. A consortium of health researchers writing in the Lancet base their calculation on “excess deaths”: the difference between deaths recorded from all causes, and the number expected in that period based on previous patterns. For the UK, their estimate of Covid deaths (163,000 to 174,000) is close to the reported figure of 173,000. If the researchers’ findings are correct, the global rate of excess deaths due to the pandemic was 120.2 people per 100,000 of the population. In the UK, Boris Johnson has promised bereaved families will have their voices heard as he published wide-ranging terms of reference for the public inquiry into the government’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Frack busters on alert – Anti-fracking campaigners have vowed to give energy firms “no peace” if the government lifts the moratorium on fracking. A month ago fracking was declared effectively dead in Britain after Cuadrilla announced plans to concrete up its Blackpool wells. But after Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, and expected shortages of gas, some Conservative MPs and energy lobbyists are touting it as the solution.
Tina Rothery says her Nana Samba Band – veterans of Cuadrilla’s Preston New Road fracking site – will be making a racket outside the Conservatives’ spring conference in Blackpool on 18 and 19 March. In Ryedale, Yorkshire, the Kirby Misperton site is no longer at risk of fracking after it was taken over by the renewable energy firm Wolfland Group. Steve Mason, an anti-fracking activist and one of Wolfland’s directors, said other energy companies still held licences to frack in Yorkshire and elsewhere, and protesters would be ready should the government lift its moratorium.
Mental illness strains schools – Schools and teachers in England are said to be “buckling under the strain” of supporting pupils with mental health problems such as anxiety and depression. Education and health experts have said it is partly because only one in four of the 500,000 children and young adults are successfully referred every year to NHS mental health services – leaving them to fall back on teachers, only 40% of whom feel equipped to help. Rates of mental illness in under-18s are said to have risen by half in the past three years. The government said its response included offering training to senior mental health leads in every state school and college by 2025, and an additional £79m to expand children’s mental health services and accelerate the rollout of mental health support teams.
Fake attack actor jailed – The US actor Jussie Smollett has been sentenced to 30 months of probation, including 150 days of jail time, after his conviction for lying to police about a racist and homophobic attack that he orchestrated himself.
Smollett had told police two men wearing ski masks beat him and hurled racial and homophobic slurs at him on a dark Chicago street and ran off. The 39-year-old was also ordered to pay $120,000 in restitution to the city of Chicago and fined $25,000.