Plus, the neighbourhood leading a green energy revolution
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| Peace talks to resume as Zelensky says negotiations more realistic |
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| | | Peace talks will be resuming between Russia and Ukraine later with hopes negotiators can keep working towards reaching a breakthrough. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky says the talks "sound more realistic, but time is still needed". He’s also appeared to concede Ukraine would not join Nato, which Russia continues to push for as well as seeking formal recognition of the Russian-backed breakaway provinces of Donetsk, Luhansk and Crimea. Ukraine’s negotiator Mykhailo Podolyak claims there is "certainly room for compromise" but there are "fundamental contradictions". Support for Ukraine and the courage it’s shown since the invasion began three weeks ago has been praised by the prime ministers of Poland, Slovenia and the Czech Republic. They travelled by rail to meet Mr Zelensky in person, holding talks in the capital Kyiv amid explosions. On the frontline, Kyiv is under a 35-hour curfew as it remains under constant attack. At least five people were killed in air strikes on Tuesday and residents have explained what it's like living under siege. Two more journalists have died in an attack on the outskirts of the capital as Russian forces target areas outside the city. In the besieged southern city of Mariupol, the bombardment continues. Thousands of people have left but hundreds are crammed into the basement of a public building. In Kherson, also in the south, Russia has falsely claimed the region and hasn’t made advances on other key cities. Their forces also haven’t established troops in the port city of Odesa and further north in Kharkiv they are struggling with an ammunitions shortage. Russia has since announced a raft of sanctions on the US, which include President Joe Biden. This is as it emerges that while many Western businesses have shut down in Russia others are unable to leave due to complex contracts. Follow developments on our live page. Our latest explainers: Analysis For Putin, the search is on for ways of saving face Explainer Could Russia use tactical nuclear weapons? Listen What the Russian president did before he came to power Guide The events of day 20 | |
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| PM to visit Saudi Arabia in bid to replace Russian oil |
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| As the UK vowed to phase out Russian oil in response to the Ukraine war, Prime Minister Boris Johnson will be meeting leaders in Saudi Arabia to discuss securing energy supplies. While he says the world needed to "wean itself off" Russian oil and gas, MPs including from his own party have criticised the visit and some have gone as far as saying Mr Johnson should cancel it. They are concerned over the Saudi government's human rights record and this visit comes after it emerged 81 men were executed in one day over the weekend. Mr Johnson says in order to move away from reliance on Russia other partnerships need to be considered. But given the human rights issues, this exposes "a sign of our vulnerability and energy insecurity as a country", says shadow climate and net zero secretary Ed Miliband. Disentangling Russia's economy from the West's may seem a diplomatic no-brainer, but the cost and complications of doing so simply can't be ignored, says our political editor Laura Kuenssberg. | |
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| New Zealand's border reopens |
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| After more than two years, New Zealand has announced it's bringing forward plans to reopen its borders to international travellers. They were closed to control the spread of coronavirus but soon people will be able to come to the country providing they show a negative Covid test. Australians will be allowed to enter from 13 April and fully vaccinated travellers from elsewhere will have to wait until 2 May to visit. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says New Zealand is "ready to welcome the world back". Read more here. | |
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| | | | | Every few seconds a sick child is brought in to the emergency room of the main hospital in Lashkar Gah in a race against time to save the youngest casualties of Afghanistan's hunger crisis. Amid the heart-rending sound of dozens of hungry babies crying, and desperate pleas for help from their mothers, nurses scramble to prioritise children who need urgent care. There are many such babies. Lashkar Gah is a city in the capital of Helmand, one of Afghanistan's most war-ravaged provinces and lies roughly 400 miles south-west of Kabul. Jalil Ahmed is brought in hardly breathing. His hands and feet have gone cold. He's rushed through to the resuscitation room. His mother Markah says he's two and a half years old, but he looks a lot tinier. He's severely malnourished and has tuberculosis. Doctors work fast to revive him. Markah watches in tears. | |
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| | | | Comments from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that "we can’t join Nato" lead the Times and other front pages this morning. The Daily Express describes his concession as a "glimmer of hope for peace" as airstrikes "batter" Kyiv, says the Guardian. A story about the besieged capital’s "fear and defiance" leads the Daily Mail, which is reported as Russia is expected to change its invasion tactics, according to the i. Meanwhile, the Financial Times says the West is "turning up the heat on Moscow" with more sanctions. Read the newspaper review in full here. | |
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| | | NHS Government overseen years of decline - MPs |
| | | | Alcohol Pregnant women should be asked how much they drink |
| | | | London Met Police apologises after schoolgirl strip-searched |
| | | | Covid Heathrow Airport drops Covid face mask rules |
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| If you watch one thing today |
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| If you listen to one thing today |
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| If you read one thing today |
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| Need something different? |
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| On the east coast of Scotland lies a region with a long and proud history of energy production. It’s going to be experimenting with using hydrogen as a source of power for the National Grid’s ambitious energy revolution. So how will it work and what could it lead to? Find out here. Hydrogen, and oxygen, in the form of water were a key part of this next story. They and some green-fingered know-how were some of the elements that helped one man grow 1,269 tomatoes on a single stem - smashing his own world record. Read more here. And finally, to another wonder of nature. You might think there’s something wrong with your screen if you click through and see orange. There isn't - it’s what the skies looked like after a Saharan dust cloud swept over Spain. Take a look. | E |
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| | | | 1976 Harold Wilson, Labour leader for 13 years and prime minister for almost eight, announces his resignation to a shocked nation. |
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| Let us know what you think of this newsletter by emailing bbcnewsdaily@bbc.co.uk. If you’d like to recommend it to a friend, forward this email. New subscribers can sign up here. | |
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