England

LONDON, March 31 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin on Thursday signed a decree ordering 134,500 new conscripts into the army as part of Russia's annual spring draft, but the defence ministry said the call-up had nothing to do with the war in Ukraine.

The order came five weeks into Russia's invasion, which has run into fierce Ukrainian resistance. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Tuesday that none of those called up would be sent to any "hot spots".

LONDON/ZURICH/NEW YORK, March 30 (Reuters) - Yevgeny Chichvarkin, a telecoms tycoon who fled Russia in 2008 and became a high-profile London restaurateur, has long been a vocal supporter of Ukraine.

Together with wife Tatiana Fokina, the multimillionaire says he has sent four truckloads of medical and protective equipment to Poland to help Ukrainians since the Russian invasion on Feb. 24.

Chichvarkin, a burly man with a waxed moustache, said he drove the first load himself.

LONDON, March 29 (NNN-AGENCIES) — US crude futures fell on Tuesday, extending losses from the previous day as Ukraine and Russia headed for peace talks and on fears of a drop in fuel demand in China after the financial hub of Shanghai shut down to curb a surge in COVID-19 cases.

Brent crude futures were trading down $1.07, or 1.0per cent, at $111.41 a barrel at 0107 GMT, having dipped as low as $109.97.

LONDON, March 29 (Reuters) - The Russian-backed self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic in eastern Ukraine may consider joining Russia once it controls all of Ukraine's Donetsk region, its news outlet cited separatist leader Denis Pushilin as saying on Tuesday.

"As for joining the Russian Federation, as for the wish and aspiration, they have been clearly traced since 2014 - the desire to be in Russia," Pushilin was quoted by the Donetsk News Agency as saying.

LONDON (AP) — Queen Elizabeth II shrugged off recent health issues to attend a service of thanksgiving for her beloved husband, Prince Philip, at Westminster Abbey on Tuesday, entering the cavernous church through a side door to shorten the distance to her seat.

March 28 (Reuters) - London's Metropolitan Police is expected to issue the first fines for breaching a COVID-19 lockdown at No. 10 Downing Street, The Guardian reported (https://bit.ly/3iHeuUb) on Monday citing government insiders.

The Metropolitan Police had made referrals for the first tranche of fixed penalty notices related to parties and gatherings at No. 10, the prime minister's residence, and the Cabinet office, the report said citing multiple sources. Reports about the parties sparked a national uproar.

LONDON, March 28 (Reuters) - One of the architects of the Moscow-backed separatist rebellion in eastern Ukraine eight years ago said Russia's invasion of Ukraine is a mistake, in comments that show the Kremlin cannot count on support from all pro-Russian opponents of Kyiv.

Alexei Alexandrov was one of the leaders of a movement in 2014 to reject Kyiv's rule and create an autonomous pro-Moscow territory in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region, triggering a war against Ukrainian government forces.

LONDON (AP) — As Caribbean nations debate their relationship with the British crown, Prince William says he will support and respect whatever decision the people make.

William, second in line to the throne, made the comments after an eight-day tour of Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas during which he and wife Kate were celebrated but also criticized as being “tone deaf” for perpetuating images of Britain’s colonial rule. Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness told the royals his country intended to become a republic, removing the British monarch as its head of state.

LONDON, March 24. /TASS/: The UK authorities have added a number of Russian banks, companies and defense sector enterprises to the black list. According to the list updated on Thursday, 59 individuals and legal entities from Russia come under restrictive measures.

In particular, the list includes Sberbank CEO Herman Gref, the first deputy of the board of the bank Alexander Vedyakhin and the ex-deputy Chairman Lev Khasis, businessmen Oleg Tinkov and Evgeny Shvidler.

LONDON, March 24 (Reuters) - Dubai's ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, inflicted "exorbitant" domestic abuse against his ex-wife, a senior British judge has concluded as he awarded her sole responsibility for looking after their children.

The ruling caps the end of an extraordinary, bitter and hugely expensive three-year custody battle at the High Court in London between Mohammed and his former wife, Princess Haya bint al-Hussein, half-sister of Jordan's King Abdullah.