Monthly Archives: February 2022

Ukrainian soldiers repulsed a Russian attack in the capital, the military said Saturday after a defiant President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed his pro-Western country would not be bowed by Moscow.

I am here. We will not lay down any weapons. We will defend our state, because our weapons are our truth, Zelensky said, as Russia said it had fired cruise missiles at Ukraines military infrastructure.

Wearing olive green military-style clothing and looking tired but determined, Zelensky said: Our truth is that this is our land, our country, our children and we will protect all of this.

This is what I wanted to tell you. Glory to Ukraine!

It was the third day since Russian leader Vladimir Putin unleashed a full-scale invasion that has killed dozens of people, forced more than 50,000 to flee Ukraine in just 48 hours and sparked fears of a wider conflict in Europe.

French President Emmanuel Macron warned that the world must brace for a long war.

This crisis will last, this war will last and all the crises that come with it will have lasting consequences, Macron said at an agriculture fair in France. We must be prepared.

A high-rise apartment block was hit by shelling overnight in Kyiv as the fighting raged, emergency services said.

The authorities said the number of victims was being specified and that an evacuation was underway.

They posted a picture online of the tower block with a hole covering at least five floors blasted into the side and rubble strewn across the street below.

Kyiv Mayor Vitaly Klitschko said online that the building had been hit by a projectile.

In Kyivs city centre, AFP journalists heard loud explosions early Saturday.

Heavy fighting continues, the State Special Communications Service of Ukraine posted on its telegram account around 0330 GMT.

Earlier Saturday, Ukraines military said Russia had attacked one of the military units on Victory Avenue in Kyiv but that the assault had been repulsed.

It also reportedanother incident northwest of the capital.

AFP saw a dead man in civilian clothes lying sprawled on the pavement as nearby medics rushed to help another man whose car was crushed by an armoured vehicle.

Kyiv said 137 people, including soldiers and civilians, have been killed.

Meanwhile, the Defence Ministry said two enemy targets were shot down identifying them as a Russian SU-25 helicopter and a military bomber near the separatist zone in the east.

A Russian transport plane had also been knocked down near Vasylkiv, a town roughly 30 kilometres (19 miles) southwest of Kyiv, the ministry added on its official Facebook page.

Earlier, small arms fire and explosions were heard in the capitals northern district Obolonsky as what appeared to be an advance party of Russias invasion forceleft a trail of destruction.

Ukrainian forces reported fighting with Russian armoured units in two locations between 40-80 kilometres north of Kyiv.

The Ukrainian defence ministry said 2,800 Russian soldiers had been killed, without providing evidence.

Moscow has yet to report on casualties.

The United States, Canada, Britain and the European Union doled out further sanctions on Russia on Friday, including against Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

The EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called it the harshest package ever drawn up by the bloc.

The UK government ordered all assets of both men frozen while the United States and Canada will also impose sanctions on the pair, with Washington including a travel ban.

Russia said the sanctions against the pair were a demonstration of the complete impotence of the foreign policy of the West.

We have reached the line after which the point of no return begins, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

Moscow also vetoed a UN Security Council resolution that deplored in the strongest terms Russias invasion, while China, India and the United Arab Emirates abstained.

Putin had earlier described the Ukrainian government as terrorists and a gang of drug addicts and neo-Nazis, urging the countrys military to topple Zelensky.

A Kremlin spokesman said Putin was ready to send a delegation to Belarusian capital Minsk for talks with a Ukrainian delegation.

But the US swiftly dismissed the offer.

After invading Ukraine, now we see Moscow suggesting diplomacy take place at the barrel of a gun. This is not real diplomacy, State Department spokesman Ned Price said.

The UN said more than 50,000 Ukrainians had fled the country in the past two days, calling for safe unimpeded access for aid operations.

Streams of people in cars and on foot were seen crossing into Hungary, Poland and Romania while hundreds camped out in a train station in the Polish border city of Przemysl.

About 100,000 people are believed to be internally displaced.

The US-led military alliance NATO said it was deploying its rapid response forces for the first time to bolster defences on the alliances eastern flank.

Despite Zelensky calling on Western allies to expel Moscow from the SWIFT banking transfer system, numerous EU countries, including Germany, Hungary and Italy, have been reluctant over fears Russia could cut off gas supplies.

Facebook also unveiled new restrictions, demonetising Russian state media across its platform.

By Dave Clark and Dmytro Gorshkov

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Ukrainian and Russian fight on streets of capital Kyiv - Macau Business

The United States is in discussions with India over its position on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Friday, as New Delhi has yet to clearly condemn Moscows assault.

We continue to engage with the Indians, Psaki told reporters.

On Thursday, when asked about the issue by a reporter, President Joe Biden admitted: We havent resolved that completely.

In telephone talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for an immediate cessation of violence, his office said but he did not explicitly condemn Moscows military operation.

India has historically had close ties with Russia, and Moscow is a major supplier of arms to the South Asian nation.

On Friday, India abstained during a UN Security Council vote over a resolution stating that the group of countries deplores in the strongest terms Russias aggression against Ukraine and which would have demanded the immediate withdrawal of its troops.

Despite months of effort by Washington to consolidate its alliances in the Asia-Pacific region, Biden has yet to completely win New Delhi over to his promise of making Putin a pariah on the international stage.

The Biden administration is particularly keen to breathe new life into the so-called diplomatic Quad Australia, India, Japan and the United States to blunt Chinas expanding power in the region.

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US says in talks with India on its stance over Ukraine - Macau Business

The world must brace for a long war between Russia and Ukraine after Moscow launched an invasion of its pro-Western neighbour, French President Emmanuel Macron warned on Saturday.

I can tell you one thing this morning it is that this war will last, Macrons told Frances annual agriculture fair.

This crisis will last, this war will last and all the crises that come with it will have lasting consequences, Macron added, warning: We must be prepared.

Macron cut short his visit to the agriculture fair, usually one of the main fixtures on the French political calendar, in order to return to dealing with the crisis triggered by the Russian invasion.

War has returned to Europe, this was chosen unilaterally by President (Vladimir) Putin, with a tragic humanitarian situation, a (Ukrainian) people who are resisting and a Europe that is there and resisting by the side of the Ukrainian people, said Macron.

Macron has again called an emergency defence council of top ministers and military security officials to discuss the situation in Ukraine which will take place at 1600 GMT, the Elysee said.

With the war and sanctions against Russia risking damage for specific sectors in France, notably the wine industry, Macron vowed a plan of resilience to help them cope.

The French leader was a key figure in efforts to avert conflict, repeatedly speaking to Putin and seeking in vain to broker a summit between the Russian leader and US President Joe Biden.

The war has also broken out as the clock ticks down to Frances presidential elections in April.

Macron, who is expected to seek and win a second term, has left the official declaration of his candidacy to the last minute, although he must make a move next week ahead of a March 4 deadline to register.

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'This war will last,' warns France's Macron on Ukraine - Macau Business

KUALA LUMPUR: Two men have lost a total of more than RM18,000 to Macau Scams with a new twist involving a downloaded app.

Kuala Lumpur Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) chief Asst Comm Mahidisham Ishak said it all started when the victims were contacted by an "Inland Revenue Board (LHDN) officer".

He said the victims, aged 29 and 36, received calls from the so-called LHDN officer on Feb 15 and 17 respectively.

Each victim was told of overdue taxes that had not been settled.

"The calls were then transferred to a 'police officer', who told the victims they were involved in drug-related offences.

"They were told to download an application and fill in their banking details in the app," said ACP Mahidisham in a statement on Wednesday (Feb 23).

He said after a few minutes, the victims saw reductions of RM5,400 and RM13,700.50 in their respective bank accounts.

"They lodged police reports and we are investigating the cases under Section 4(1) of the Computer Crime Act 1997," he said.

ACP Mahidisham advised the public not to download any unfamiliar application and not to divulge banking details to any third party.

"We urge those with information on crime or any suspicious activity to contact the KL police hotline at 03-21460584/0585, the CCID Scam Response Centre at 03-26101559/1599, or the nearest police station," he added.

Excerpt from:

Two conned of RM18,000 in Macau Scams with new app download tactic - The Star Online

The Czech Republic and Poland each said Friday they would close their airspace starting from midnight to flights by Russian carriers in response to Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Earlier Friday the Polish airline LOT had already halted flights to Moscow and Saint Petersburg.

As of midnight today, we are halting the traffic of all Russian airline companies in Czech airspace, Czech Transport Minister Martin Kupka tweeted.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Facebook that Poland was also preparing such a resolution.

The ban will apply from midnight, Polish government spokesman Piotr Muller later said on Twitter.

A similar decision was also taken by the UK government, which on Thursday banned Russian flagship carrier Aeroflot from flying over Britain.

Moscow responded on Friday by banning all UK-linked planes, including transiting flights, from Russian airspace.

Meanwhile, Moldova said Thursday it was closing its airspace, with all flights redirected to other airports, while Belarus said it was shutting part of its airspace.

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Czechs, Poland to close airspace to Russian flights - Macau Business

The International Olympic Committee, angry at the Russian invasion of Ukraine breaching the Olympic Truce, on Friday urged all international sports federations to cancel their forthcoming events in Russia.

The IOC EB (executive board) today urges all international sports federations to relocate or cancel their sports events currently planned in Russia or Belarus, read the IOC statement.

They should take the breach of the Olympic Truce by the Russian and Belarussian governments into account and give the safety and security of the athletes absolute priority.

The IOC and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) both condemned the breach on Thursday after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the full scale invasion.

The IOC pointed out that all 193 UN member states had agreed last December to a global truce beginning seven days before the start of the Olympic Games in Beijing on February 4 and ending seven days after the closing of the Paralympic Games on March 13.

The IOC also said on Friday that the respective national flags of Russia and Belarus should not be flown at sports events.

In addition, the IOC EB urges that no Russian or Belarussian national flag be displayed and no Russian or Belarussian anthem be played in international sports events which are not already part of the respective World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) sanctions for Russia.

The IOC also said they were doing all they can to ensure Ukrainian athletes were looked after.

The IOC EB expresses its deep concerns about the safety of the members of the Olympic Community in Ukraine and stands in full solidarity, it said.

It notes that the special IOC task force is in contact with the Olympic Community in the country to coordinate humanitarian assistance where possible.

By Pirate Irwin

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IOC urges all federations to cancel events in Russia and Belarus - Macau Business

*with agencies

Chinas President Xi Jinping said he supported solving the Ukraine crisis through talks in a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, state media said Friday, after Moscow launched an invasion of its neighbour.

In a readout of the call on state broadcaster CCTV, Xi pointed out that the situation in eastern Ukraine has undergone rapid changes (and) China supports Russia and Ukraine to resolve the issue through negotiation.

Russian forces have launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, unleashing air strikes and sending troops deep into the country, after weeks of diplomatic efforts failed to deter Putin from launching the military operation.

Xi said on the call with Putin it was important to abandon the Cold War mentality, attach importance to and respect the reasonable security concerns of all countries, and form a balanced, effective and sustainable European security mechanism through negotiations.

According to the Chinese media readout, Putin outlined the reasons for Russia launching the special military operation, and told Xi that NATO and the United States had long ignored Russias reasonable security concerns.

He also told Xi on the call that Russia was ready to hold high-level talks with Ukraine.

Xi said China was willing to work with all parties in the international community to advocate a common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security concept, and firmly safeguard the international system with the United Nations at the core, according to the CCTV readout.

Xinhua News agency reports that during the phone conversation, Xi thanked Putin again for coming to China to attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics, and congratulated the Russian athletes on finishing second in the Winter Olympics medal table.

Xi pointed out that recent dramatic changes in the situation in eastern Ukraine have drawn great attention from the international community, adding that China decides on its position based on the merits of the Ukrainian issue itself.

He called on dropping the Cold War mentality, attaching importance and respecting the legitimate security concerns of various countries and forming a balanced, effective and sustainable European security mechanism through negotiation.

The Chinese side supports the Russian side in solving the issue through negotiation with the Ukrainian side, Xi said, adding that China has been consistent in its basic position on respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries and abiding by the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter.

China is ready to work with members of the international community to embrace the concept of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and firmly uphold the international system with the United Nations at its core and the international order based on international law, Xi said.

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Xi speaks to Putin, calls for negotiation with Ukraine - Macau Business

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday called on the Ukrainian army to overthrow the government whose leaders he described as terrorists and a gang of drug addicts and neo-Nazis.

Putin also accused Ukrainian nationalists of deploying heavy weapons in residential areas of major cities to provoke the Russian military, a claim that could fuel fears Moscow is creating pretexts for justifying civilian casualties.

In a televised address, he urged the Ukrainian military to take power in your own hands.

It seems like it will be easier for us to agree with you than this gang of drug addicts and neo-Nazis, he said, referring to the leadership in Kyiv under President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is Jewish.

Putin, who on Thursday ordered Russian troops to invade Ukraine, claimed that Ukrainian nationalists were preparing to deploy multiple rocket launchers to residential areas of Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv and the northeastern city of Kharkiv.

Ukraines leadership are acting like terrorists all over the world: they are hiding behind people in the hope of then blaming Russia for civilian casualties.

It is known for a fact that this is happening on the recommendation of foreign consultants, primarily American advisers, Putin said.

Separately, Putins spokesman Dmitry Peskov said of the alleged deployment: We consider the situation to be extremely dangerous.

Putin and top Russian officials have said Moscows troops are only targeting ultra-nationalists in Ukraine.

Putin also praised Russian troops saying they were acting in a courageous and professional manner.

They are successfully solving the most important task of ensuring the security of our people and our Fatherland, Putin said.

On a conference call to reporters, Peskov accused the Ukrainian authorities of refusing to hold talks with Russians in Belarus, as was previously suggested by Moscow.

After a brief pause Ukrainians said they now want to go to Warsaw, Peskov said. And now they have gone incommunicado.

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Putin calls on Ukraine army to remove leadership in Kyiv - Macau Business

A total of 25 financial institutions have received feedback as the result of the eighth-round disciplinary inspection launched by the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

From Feb. 22 to 24, these financial institutions, including financial regulators, banks, stock exchanges and asset-management companies, were given one-on-one feedback by the 15 inspection teams deployed to conduct the mission and were informed of the prominent issues found during the process.

China has launched stringent crackdowns on financial corruption, and effectively forestalled and defused major financial risks. Its financial sector has achieved new progress, noted the feedback.

However, a range of issues, such as a lack of adequate political consciousness, risk awareness and resolve to push financial reform, and activities violating frugality rules, still remained in these institutions, the feedback pointed out.

Efforts are demanded to conduct thorough examinations on relevant risks while remedying the issues found in the inspection, and shielding the stable financial landscape, said the feedback.

Urging efforts to build a long-term mechanism for the implementation of inspection results, the feedback stressed that remediation efforts should also be combined with financial reform, and boost the high-quality development of the sector.

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25 financial institutions receive disciplinary inspection feedback - Macau Business