EU to send arms to Ukraine, adds more sanctions to Russia

In the latest global COVID-19 developments, some recent hot spots reported new daily record cases, as US officials announced the transfer of some technology to an international effort to speed and share new pandemic tools.

Authorities in Germany this week seized a lavish $600 million yacht belonging to a Russian oligarch, according to reports.The Dilbar, a 512-foot vessel belonging to billionaire Alisher Usmanov, was taken over by authorities while it was being refitted in a German shipyard, Forbes reported.The business magazine learned about the move Wednesday, just two days after Usmanov was sanctioned by the European Union as part of its response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the report said.The EU has accused Usmanov of being a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin and a supporter of Russia’s 2014 invasion of Crimea, the Washington Examiner reported.Usmanov on Tuesday confirmed that financial actions had been taken against him."On 28 February 2022 I became the target of restrictive measures imposed by the European Union I believe that such decision is unfair, and the reasons employed to justify the sanctions are a set of false and defamatory allegations damaging my honor, dignity, and business reputation," he wrote Tuesday.The statement was posted on the website of the International Fencing Federation, where the former professional fencer served as president since 2008 until stepping down Monday, the Examiner reported.The Dilbar had been undergoing work at a shipyard in Hamburg, Germany, since October, according to Forbes. Employees of Blohm+Voss, the shipbuilding firm overseeing the project, were not at work Wednesday, the report said.German shipbuilder Lurssen, which built the Dilbar, claims it’s the world’s largest motor yacht by gross tonnage, weighing nearly 16,000 tons, according to Forbes.When operating, the ship has a crew of 96 people.

Operatic soprano Anna Netrebko performs in a concert at the State Kremlin Palace in Moscow, Russia, on Sept. 18, 2021.

Most of the Thompson family members are shown on the left; on the right is "M," whom they're trying to rescue and adopt from Ukraine. (Colleen Thompson) As Russia continues its attack against Ukraine, Colleen Thompson of Fort Thomas, Kentucky, told Fox News Digital on Wednesday about her family's desperate efforts to help orphans in Ukraine get out of the country safely.One orphan in particular, "M," is a future member of their family — a teenage girl whom the family had begun the process of adopting about three years ago.

Bryson Woolsey is trading in his chef’s apron and the luxury of home for ammunition and danger to help people in Ukraine during their time of crisis.

A new poll suggests almost two-thirds of Canadians believe the Russian invasion of Ukraine has the potential to develop into a world war.

Russia has been accused of using thermobaric vacuum bombs during its invasion of Ukraine, according to Ukrainian officials."They used the vacuum bomb today," Ukraine's ambassador to the United States Oksana Markarova told reporters after meeting with U.S. lawmakers Monday. "...The devastation that Russia is trying to inflict on Ukraine is large."Thermobaric explosives, also called fuel-air explosives (FAE), use oxygen around them to generate a high-temperature blast.

People who have fled from war in Ukraine arrive at a temporary shelter set up in a former shopping center in Przemysl, Poland. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images) WASHINGTON - Airbnb says they are working to offer free temporary housing for up to 100,000 refugees fleeing Ukraine during the Russian invasion.

COVID-19 as hospital numbers dipped on Thursday.Pandemic-related hospitalizations dropped to 1,364, a decrease of 17 in the last day. This comes after 98 patients were admitted and 115 were released.The latest roundup also accounted for 76 intensive care unit cases.

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The devastation mounts in Ukraine as Russian forces tighten their grip and ramp up attacks. Jeff Semple reports on the carnage, where some people have been forced to hide, and how others are standing up to Russian troops.

Canada is imposing a 35-per-cent tariff on goods from Russia and Belarus as Moscow’s war in Ukraine rages on.

Ukrainians are feeling the weight of war, as Russia closes in on some of the country’s most populated areas. But despite bombings from above and attacks on the ground, Ukrainians and those fighting for them are still battling back, trying to block Russian advances.

KYIV, Ukraine - Delegations from Russia and Ukraine are expected to hold talks in Belarus on Thursday, a second round of face-to-face discussions since the Russian invasion eight days ago.In a video address to the nation early Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on Ukrainians to keep up their resistance, but didn’t comment on whether the Russians have seized any cities."They will have no peace here," Zelenskyy said, calling on the Russian soldiers to "go home" and describing them as "confused children who have been used."His comments come as Russia acknowledged for the first time since the start of the invasion that nearly 500 Russian troops have been killed in the fighting and around 1,600 wounded. Ukraine has not released a similar casualty figure for its armed forces.The U.N.

Ukraine to assist in the country's defense against the invading Russian military.Childress, speaking on FOX & Friends, said he was moved by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's spirit to defend his country."I heard Zelenskyy say he didn't want out, he needed ammunition," Childress said.The NASCAR legend said he called Fred Wagenhals, the CEO of AMMO Inc., about how they could make it happen. Childress told co-host Brian Kilmeade that Wagenhals immediately offered to begin production on ammunition for Ukrainian fighters. "To see people in Ukraine fighting, it's terrible to see the lives being lost over there," Childress said.

Seventy-three percent of the United Nations General Assembly has voted to condemn Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. Jackson Proskow reports on which Russian allies withheld support for Moscow, and the sanctions aimed at the richest oligarchs.

As the invasion in Ukraine closes in on one week, people here are trying to figure out how they can help those who have been forced to flee.

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said on Tuesday that it would impose additional economic measures against Russia, saying it would be announced in the coming days, but did not elaborate on what steps would be taken.

Hundreds of Canadian soldiers are Latvia, training to defend against a possible attack in case Russia extends its aggression beyond Ukraine.

The former partner of a Calgary real estate mogul is speaking out regarding an assault charge the man is facing. As Carolyn Kury de Castillo reports, the alleged victim says she is coming forward in hopes of encouraging others to do the same.

MONTERREY, MEXICO - MARCH 01: Elina Svitolina of Ukraine celebrates a point during a match between Anastasia Potapova of Russia and Elina Svitolina of Ukraine as part of Day 4 of the GNP Seguros WTA Monterrey Open 2022 at Estadio GNP Seguros on March MEXICO CITY - Elina Svitolina put on the yellow and blue colors of Ukraine and beat Anastasia Potapova of Russia 6-2, 6-1 on Tuesday in the opening round of the Monterrey Open, deciding she could do more for her country by playing than boycotting the match.Top-seeded Svitolina earlier said she wouldn’t play against Potapova in Mexico or against any Russian or Belarusian opponents until the International Tennis Federation and the men’s and women’s tennis tours barred competitors from those countries using any national symbols, flags or anthems.The tennis governing bodies issued a statement Tuesday confirming that Russian and Belarusian players will still be allowed to compete at the top level, but without national flags.RUSSIAN MILITARY CONTINUES ATTACKS ON CROWDED CITIES IN UKRIANE"Today it was a very special match for me," the 27-year-old Svitolina said. "I’m in a very sad mood, but I’m happy that I´m playing tennis here."I was focused.

The European Union has approved new sanctions against Belarus for its supporting role in Russia‘s invasion of Ukraine, effectively banning about 70 per cent of all imports from that country, the EU said on Wednesday.

Canada is going after Russia‘s energy sector, as it imposed additional economic measures Wednesday against Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.

Ordinary Russians faced the prospect of higher prices and crimped foreign travel as Western sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine sent the ruble plummeting, leading uneasy depositors to line up at banks and ATMs on Monday in a country that has seen more than one currency disaster in the post-Soviet era.

PHILADELPHIA - A Montgomery County couple is returning to their homeland of Ukraine to help defend against Russia's ongoing invasion which has intensified over the last week.The husband and wife, who wished to remain anonymous for safety reasons, have watched in disbelief as Vladimir Putin's army continues to bombard their former home."For myself, I knew from the beginning that I'm going to go. I want to do something.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko hold a press conference following their talks at the Kremlin in Moscow on September 9, 2021. WASHINGTON - The White House released a fresh round of sanctions on Russia Wednesday as well as its ally, Belarus, for supporting Putin's invasion of Ukraine. Export restrictions on technology and software that are currently in place for Russia will be extended to Belarus, in a move that will "significantly degrade both countries’ ability to sustain their military aggression and project power," the White House said. Russian forces started invading Ukraine from the north through Belarus last week.

LOS ANGELES - How long can you go without your phone? According to a recent survey published by data company OnePoll, six out of ten people say they "couldn’t cope" with being separated from their phones for a single day. Additionally, more than half of the survey’s respondents said they get anxiety from their phones being low on battery. 55% of respondents called having their phones die a "nightmare scenario."The survey, conducted by HMD Global, took data from 2,000 smartphone users."Smartphones offer so much, it’s unsurprising that we’re dependent, making the common complaints around battery life a real issue," Petri Hayrynen of HMD Global said in a statement.Ironically, while many people expressed that being without a phone would cause them to be anxious, only three in 10 people said they never leave the house without their phones.Advertisement"There are other ways we can preserve our phone battery and offset that angst," Hayrynen said.

ARLINGTON, Va. - A Northern Virginia substitute teacher was suspended by a public school system for allegedly trying to push Russian propaganda on students.Download the FOX 5 DC News App for Local Breaking News and WeatherFOX 5's Maureen Umeh reports Swanson Middle School officials say the incident happened Friday during a world languages class.The substitute teacher identified as 65-year-old John Stanton allegedly made comments supporting the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Umeh says. After the comments were brought to the attention of Arlington school officials, Stanton was suspended.Umeh reports that in a letter to Stanton, school officials wrote in part, "This request is regarding an allegation of comments made to students during instructional hours regarding sensitive world events with Russia and Ukraine."They continue by saying, "In an effort to provide you the opportunity to discuss the concerns that were presented resulting in your assignment suspension status, please respond within five (5) business days of receipt of this letter that you are requesting a "Petition for Reinstatement".FOX 5 reached out to Stanton who told us via email that in his lesson, he suggested that he understood Putin's logic for invading Ukraine, because it made sense from a Russian national security point of view.Stanton told us that he encouraged the students to seek information sources from both the West and East before forming opinions.Umeh says, in his response to Arlington school officials' letter, Stanton wrote, "It is pointless to petition.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!!

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has paused all adoption process and some families are left trying to find ways to bring children to safety.

“stop this war.”As Russian forces pound Ukraine’s cities, the sentiments might not be surprising. Their source is — they come from rich Russians, including billionaires close to the Kremlin.Russia’s war on Ukraine has sent shockwaves through the global community of wealthy Russians, who face sanctions that threaten their London mansions, Mediterranean yachts and children’s places at elite European private schools.

Authorities say Tom DeLoach robbed five Rite Aid pharmacies and a Dunkin' Donuts at gunpoint over a three month period. PHILADELPHIA - A Philadelphia man is facing charges after investigators said he robbed several Rite Aid pharmacies and a Dunkin' Donuts at gunpoint over a three-month period. Tom DeLoach, 24, was arrested just before noon Tuesday on the unit block of Good Street in West Mount Airy, the Philadelphia Police Department reported.Investigators said DeLoach robbed five Rite Aid Pharmacies and a Dunkin' between November and February.

In overwhelming response, the United Nations General Assembly passed a vote on Wednesday to diplomatically isolate Russia by “deploring its aggression against Ukraine” and demanding Moscow withdraw its troops and stop fighting.

FILE - Sunflowers in the Ukrainian Carpathians on July 28, 2021, in Mukachevo, Ukraine. (Photo by Pierre Crom/Getty Images) Sunflowers, the national flower of Ukraine, have emerged as a worldwide symbol of solidarity for the country and one of resistance for its people since Russia’s military invasion. Twitter users have been adding the sunflower emoji to their names.

COVID-19- related deaths, according to Waterloo Public Health.“Today we are reporting two deaths in our community related to COVID-19,” Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang, medical officer of health, stated.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres told media on Wednesday that Russia must stop its war on Ukraine as the situation could get “much, much worse.” These remarks followed a vote at the United Nations General Assembly to diplomatically isolate Russia, in overwhelming response.

COVID-19 surges continue to intensify in locations such as Hong Kong, where Omicron variant activity got a later foothold, but cases and deaths continue to fall in most regions, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in its latest weekly update yesterday.

United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday overwhelmingly voted to reprimand Russia over its invasion of Ukraine and demanded that Moscow stop fighting and withdraw its military forces, an action that aims to diplomatically isolate Russia at the world body.The resolution, supported by 141 of the assembly’s 193 members, ended a rare emergency session called by the UN Security Council and as Ukrainian forces battled on in the port of Kherson in the face of air strikes and a devastating bombardment that forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee.The text of the resolution “deplores” Russia’s “aggression against Ukraine.” The last time Security Council convened an emergency session of the General Assembly was in 1982, according to UN website.Thirty-five members including China abstained and five countries including Russia, Syria and Belarus voted against the resolution. While General Assembly resolutions are non-binding, they carry political weight.Russia has destroyed critical infrastructure, including drinking water and gas for millions of people and appeared to be preparing to increase the brutality of its campaign against Ukraine, U.S.

PHILADELPHIA - The Philadelphia Police Department announced the arrests of three suspects allegedly connected to the murder of a veteran and multiple carjackings across the city. On February 6, 60-year-old George Briscella was gunned down during a carjacking outside of his mother's house in Rhawnhurst. Weeks later, on February 22, Philadelphia police announced the arrest of 28-year-old Jonathan Akubu on charges of murder, aggravated assault, arson and carjacking connected to Briscella's murder, murder of 28-year-old Aiah Gbessay, and several carjackings. Police believed Akubu was the leader of a carjacking ring linked to dozens of crimes in the city. A police source told FOX 29's Kelly Rule that Akubu could be linked to over 40 carjackings.As the number of carjackings continue to surge in Philadelphia, police have announced the arrest of Jonathan Akubu in connection with at least five incidents.

At least five superyachts owned by Russian billionaires were anchored or cruising on Wednesday in Maldives, an Indian Ocean island nation that does not have an extradition treaty with the United States, ship tracking data showed.

Joe Biden announced Tuesday night in his State of the Union address that the U.S. is banning Russian flights from its airspace in retaliation for the invasion of Ukraine.The move follows similar action by Canada and the European Union this week.

Prince Charles has given an update on the Queen’s health.

Bank of Canada has hiked its key interest rate to 0.5 per cent, the first step of a series of signalled increases amid economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.The overnight rate target will rise 25 basis points, the central bank announced Wednesday, up from the floor of 0.25 per cent it held for much of the pandemic.In a statement accompanying the decision, the Bank of Canada said the war in Ukraine is “a major new source of uncertainty” that is driving prices higher on oil and other commodities.“This will add to inflation around the world, and negative impacts on confidence and new supply disruptions could weigh on global growth. Financial market volatility has increased.

Russia renewed its assault Wednesday on Ukraine’s second-largest city in a pounding that lit up the skyline with balls of fire over populated areas, even as both sides said they were ready to resume talks aimed at stopping the new devastating war in Europe.The escalation of attacks on crowded cities followed an initial round of talks between outgunned Ukraine and nuclear power Russia on Monday that resulted in only a promise to meet again. It was not clear when new talks might take place — or what they would yield.

File photo. (Credit: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images) President Joe Biden says Americans will be able to order more free COVID-19 tests starting next week."If you already ordered free tests, tonight, I am announcing you can order another group of tests," Biden said during his State of the Union address on Tuesday night.

sent into Ukraine to hunt down and assassinate President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was "eliminated" by security forces, a top Kyiv defense official told national media.Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council Oleksiy Danilov reportedly told the Ukraine 24 TV channel that defense forces countered two death squads sent after Zelenskyy on Tuesday, according to a translation of his remarks.He said Ukrainian forces got intelligence about a planned attack on Zelenskyy and destroyed an elite Chechen unit. "The special operation that was to be carried out directly by the Kadyrovites to eliminate our president is fully known to us today, and I can say that we received information from representatives of the FSB, who today have no desire to take part in this bloody war," he said. Ramzan Kadyrov is the leader of the Chechen Republic, which is a semiautonomous part of Russia. He is an ally of Vladimir Putin, and his commandos are considered fierce, highly skilled fighters.

KYIV, Ukraine - As Day 7 of the Russia-Ukraine conflict dawned, Russia continued its attacks on crowded Ukrainian cities and a lengthy convoy of Russian tanks and other vehicles advanced slowly toward the capital of Kyiv.Russia's escalation Wednesday came as President Joe Biden, in his State of the Union speech to Americans on Tuesday night, warned that if the Russian leader didn’t "pay a price" for the invasion, the aggression wouldn’t stop with one country.Here's a look at key things to know about the conflict:A Kremlin spokesman said a Russian delegation will be ready Wednesday evening to resume talks with Ukrainian officials about the war in Ukraine.Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that "in the second half of the day, closer to evening, our delegation will be in place to await Ukrainian negotiators."There was no immediate word from the Ukrainian authorities about their plans.Police officers stand guard at the site of yesterday's airstrike that hit Kyiv's main television tower in Kyiv on March 2, 2022. (Photo by DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP via Getty Images) A 40-mile convoy of hundreds of Russian tanks and other vehicles advanced slowly on Kyiv, a city of nearly 3 million people.