Ukraine’s unrelenting agony and Patrick Brown joins the race: In The News for Mar. 14

The general staff of Ukraine’s armed forces said Monday morning that Russian troops have not made major advances over the past 24 hours despite expanding strikes to the west.

Ukrainian forces are targeting Russian bases, targeting their logistical abilities, the general staff said in a statement on Facebook marking the 19th day of the war.

The general staff accused Russian forces of setting up firing positions and military equipment in churches and other civilian infrastructure so that Ukrainian forces can’t fire back.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he will continue negotiating with Russia and is waiting for a meeting with Vladimir Putin.

Zelenskyy has repeatedly called for a meeting with Putin. But so far, his requests have gone unanswered by the Kremlin.

The Ukrainian leader said Sunday during his nightly address to the nation that it was a “black day” after Russia shelled a military base in the western part of his country.

He Russia fired 30 rockets at the Yavoriv military base, killing 35 people and injuring 134 others.

The base is less than 25 kilometers from the Polish border. Zelenskyy said he had given Western leaders “clear warning” of the danger to the base. He asked NATO leaders again to establish a no-fly zone over Ukraine, warning “it is only a matter of time” before Russian missiles fall on NATO territory.

Military analysts say the U.S., Britain and their European allies are unlikely to impose a no-fly zone because they believe it could escalate the war in Ukraine into a nuclear confrontation between NATO and Russia.

The Red Cross, meantime, is warning of a “worst-case scenario” for hundreds of thousands of civilians in the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol unless the parties agree to ensure their safety and access to humanitarian aid.

The Geneva-based humanitarian agency said hundreds of thousands of people in the city are “facing extreme or total shortages of basic necessities like food, water and medicine.”

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What we are watching in Canada …

OTTAWA — Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson says it will be another week or two before Canada will know with certainty how much extra oil it can produce and ship to help offset bans on the use of fossil fuels from Russia.

But he says longer-term conversations about Canada partnering with Europe on renewable energy are likely more realistic and more lucrative.

Wilkinson is spending most of his time on the phone with G7 partners and energy industry executives hammering out how best to help Europe cut its reliance on Russia as a source of energy.

He spent most of last week at an energy conference in Houston, had multiple calls with U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and on Thursday, a two-hour call with G7 energy ministers. The Ukraine energy minister also joined part of that latter discussion.

“In the context of the discussions, not just with the Americans, but the Europeans as well, we have essentially asked each other, those of us that are oil and gas producers, to look at whatever we can do,” he said in an interview.

All of these talks are leading toward March 23, when the International Energy Agency is hosting a meeting of energy ministers in Paris.

“My expectation is, by the time I go to Paris, we will have a pretty good view about what we may be able to do,” he said. “I mean, we have constraints around pipeline capacity, obviously, but the ability to fully utilize that, at this point in time to help to stabilize global energy markets, and to assist our friends and allies in Europe is definitely something that we are looking at.”

But even as the world’s fourth largest oil producer, Canada’s role in solving Europe’s immediate fossil fuel needs is going to be limited. Canada exports about 3.6 million barrels of oil a day, but 97 per cent of it goes to the United States.

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Also this …

BRAMPTON — Patrick Brown has officially joined the race to lead the federal Conservatives, with a promise to heal the fractures that have erupted in the party over recent years.

Brown, 43, launched his campaign in Brampton, Ont., where he has served as mayor since 2018.

He walked on stage at the Queen’s Manor Event Centre with his wife, Genevieve, and their two children Sunday as the crowd chanted his name.

Brown’s speech pitched a campaign that offers a greater voice for caucus members and a bigger Conservative tent.

“I want people who have never voted Conservative, and voted for other parties to feel welcome in our family,” Brown told the crowd Sunday.

Brown, known within the party as a hardworking organizer, is the fifth candidate to enter the Conservative leadership race, already populated by former federal Progressive Conservative leader Jean Charest and Ottawa-area MP Pierre Poilievre.

Rookie Ontario MP Leslyn Lewis and Independent Ontario MPP Roman Baber are also running.

Brown’s political roots run deep in Brampton, and it’s a part of the country where Conservatives know they need to grow their support if they hope to form government.

He promised to do that without sacrificing seats in western or rural Canada, and suggested the party needs to stop treating Conservative members in the west “like an ATM and start delivering election victories.”

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What we are watching in the U.S. …

WASHINGTON — A U.S. official said Russia asked China for military equipment to use in its invasion of Ukraine, a request that heightened tensions about the ongoing war ahead of a Monday meeting in Rome between top aides for the U.S. and Chinese governments.

In advance of the talks, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan bluntly warned China to avoid helping Russia evade punishment from global sanctions that have hammered the Russian economy. “We will not allow that to go forward,” he said.

The prospect of China offering Russia financial help is one of several concerns for President Joe Biden.

A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, said that in recent days, Russia had requested support from China, including military equipment, to press forward in its ongoing war with Ukraine. The official did not provide details on the scope of the request. The request was first reported by the Financial Times and The Washington Post.

The Biden administration is also accusing China of spreading Russian disinformation that could be a pretext for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s forces to attack Ukraine with chemical or biological weapons.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has put China in a delicate spot with two of its biggest trading partners: the U.S. and European Union. China needs access to those markets, yet it also has shown support for Moscow, joining with Russia in declaring a friendship with “no limits.”

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In entertainment …

NEW YORK — William Hurt, the Oscar-winning actor of “Broadcast News,” “Body Heat” and “The Big Chill,” has died. He was 71.

Hurt’s son said in a statement that Hurt died Sunday of natural causes.

In a long-running career, Hurt was four times nominated for an Academy Award, winning for 1985′s “Kiss of the Spider Woman.”

Hurt’s laconic charisma and self-assured subtlety as an actor made him one of the 1980s foremost leading men.

Later, he would transition into a character actor in movies such as “A History of Violence,” while also appearing in several Marvel films.

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Also this …

LONDON — Sci-fi epic “Dune” has won five prizes and dark Western “The Power of the Dog” has been named best film at the British Academy Film Awards.

Jane Campion was named best director for “The Power of the Dog,” only the third woman to win the prize in the awards’ seven-decade history.

Lead acting trophies went to Hollywood star Will Smith and British performer Joanna Scanlan.

The awards returned Sunday with a live, black-tie ceremony after a pandemic-curtailed event in 2021.

The prizes recognized a wide range of talents — including the first deaf acting winner in Troy Kotsur for “CODA.”

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Did you see this?

TAMPA, Fla. — Tom Brady’s retirement lasted just 40 days.

Brady said Sunday he’s returning to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for his 23rd NFL season.

The seven-time Super Bowl champion announced his decision on Twitter and Instagram, saying he has “unfinished business.”

“These past two months I’ve realized my place is still on the field and not in the stands,” Brady wrote. “That time will come. But it’s not now. I love my teammates, and I love my supportive family. They make it all possible. I’m coming back for my 23rd season in Tampa.”

Brady led the Buccaneers to a Super Bowl title following the 2020 season and NFC South championship last season. He teamed with coach Bill Belichick to win six Super Bowls during 20 seasons with the New England Patriots.

The 44-year-old Brady led the NFL in yards passing (5,316), touchdowns (43), completions (485) and attempts (719) in 2021, but the Buccaneers lost at home to the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Mar. 14, 2022

The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

Ukraine’s unrelenting agony and Patrick Brown joins the race: In The News for Mar. 14

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