World

President Biden and Western allies announced new sanctions and humanitarian assistance for Ukraine, offering $1 billion in supplies and promising to welcome up to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees. The leaders discussed potential responses to potential Russian escalation, including chemical or nuclear weapon deployment.

The US Trade Representative's office reinstated 352 product exclusions from Section 301 tariffs on Chinese imports, covering industrial components, car parts, consumer goods, and more, extending through December 2022.

The United States has imposed fresh sanctions on Russia, targeting dozens of defense companies, hundreds of parliament members, and the chief executive of Russia's largest bank. The Treasury Department also warns about potential sanctions on gold-related transactions with Russia, aiming to remove the country's benefits in the international economic order.

Ukrainian officials claim 300 people died in Russian airstrike on Mariupol theater shelter, marking potentially the war's deadliest civilian attack. NATO condemns Putin's actions as "unprovoked and barbaric" amid growing accusations of war crimes.

Singapore's core consumer price index rose 2.2% in February, lower than expected. The Monetary Authority of Singapore anticipates potential inflation risks from geopolitical and pandemic-related disruptions, suggesting possible future monetary policy adjustments to manage economic pressures.

Russia plans to partially reopen its stock market nearly a month after shares plunged on February 24th. Trading will be allowed in 33 of 50 companies in the MOEX Index, including Aeroflot, Gazprom, and Rosneft, with heavy restrictions to prevent another massive selloff.

Poland has ordered the expulsion of 45 Russian diplomats whom the government identifies as intelligence officers operating under diplomatic cover. The Internal Security Agency claims these individuals pose a significant security risk to the country.

Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that Russia will require "unfriendly countries" to pay for natural gas exports exclusively in rubles. This move comes in response to Western countries freezing Russian assets, which Putin claims undermines the reliability of their currencies.

NATO faces a more unpredictable Russia after its full-scale Ukraine invasion, challenging previous assumptions about Putin's military risk calculations. U.S. military leaders warn that studying Russian capabilities is no longer sufficient in understanding the evolving geopolitical landscape.

British inflation surged to 6.2% in February, the highest since 1992, driven by soaring energy bills and fuel prices. The Office for National Statistics reports widespread food price increases, intensifying financial strain on households.