RUSSIA
* Russia's ambassador to the United States said Washington
had threatened retaliation after Wall Street Journal reporter
Evan Gershkovich was detained on espionage charges, and
suggested it might be time to cut the number of U.S. journalists
in Russia.
* China's Defence Minister Li Shangfu will visit Russia from
April 16-19, and meet Russian military officials, the Chinese
defence ministry said. U.S. officials have expressed concern
China might supply arms to Russia, something Beijing has denied.
* Ukrainian forces are finding a more components from China
in Russian weapons used in Ukraine, a senior adviser in
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's office told Reuters, as Western
supplies are squeezed by sanctions.
* China only wants to promote talks in Ukraine and will not
do anything to add fuel to the fire, China's foreign minister,
Qin Gang, said earlier.
* European Union foreign policy chief Joseph Borrell said it
would be hard for Europe to trust China if it did not try to
find a political solution to the Ukraine crisis based on
Russia's withdrawal from Ukrainian territory.
* Fifteen Russian diplomats expelled by Norway this week had
sought to recruit sources, intercept communications and buy
advanced technology, the Norwegian PST security police said on
Friday.
ECONOMY
* The operation of the Russian-controlled International
Investment Bank has "become impossible" after U.S. sanctions on
its officials and so Hungary has quit the bank, Prime Minister
Viktor Orban said. On Wednesday, Washington imposed sanctions on
three officials of IIB in Budapest, including a Hungarian.
* Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said it was
critically important for Ukraine to begin reconstruction this
year, and said Kyiv had identified a priority funding gap of $14
billion.
SPORT
* Ukraine barred its national sports teams from competing in
Olympic, non-Olympic and Paralympic events which include
competitors from Russia and Belarus, the sports ministry said in
a decree on Friday.
IN-DEPTH STORIES
* ANALYSIS-Russia's military production, state splurge ease
sanctions pain
* INSIGHT- Ukraine's tech entrepreneurs fight war on
different front
* Ukraine says it is finding more Chinese components in
Russian weapons
(Compiled by Reuters editors)
