Ukraine rejects Russian calls to surrender the port city of Mariupol, where residents are besieged with little food, water, and power in a humanitarian crisis that is increasing pressure on European leaders to toughen sanctions on Moscow.
Russian shells hit houses and a shopping district in Kyiv's Podil district killing at least four people, city authorities said. The late Sunday attack followed a relative lull over the weekend.
Russian forces advancing on Kyiv from the northeast have stalled and the bulk of its forces remain more than 25 km (16 miles) from the center of the city, British military intelligence said.
* Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Vereshchuk said more than 7,000 people were evacuated from cities through humanitarian corridors on Sunday, more than half from Mariupol. She said the government planned to send nearly 50 buses there on Monday for more evacuations.
At least 902 civilians have been killed and 1,459 wounded in Ukraine as of midnight on March 19, the U.N. human rights office said. * Ten million people have been displaced, including nearly 3.4 million who have fled the country, the U.N. refugee agency said.
* Ukrainian President Zelenskiy addressed the Israeli parliament by video link and questioned Israel's reluctance to sell its Iron Dome missile defense system to Ukraine. * European Union leaders meet this week to consider imposing tougher sanctions on Russia including an oil embargo. * EU foreign ministers meet on Monday. U.S. President Joe Biden arrives in Brussels Thursday for summits with NATO's 30 members, as well as the EU and in a Group of Seven (G7) format including Japan.
* "The violent aggression against Ukraine is unfortunately not slowing down," Pope Francis said. "It is a senseless massacre where every day slaughters and atrocities are being repeated." * "Kyiv calling to the whole world ... Come out of neutrality, you boys and girls," some of the lyrics from Ukrainian punk band Beton's reworking of the Clash's famous "London Calling".
Sumy regional governor Dmytro Zhyvytsky tells residents in the northern Ukrainian town of Novoselytsya to shelter after an ammonia "leak" at a nearby chemical factory. The area has seen heavy fighting.
Russia gives the besieged city of Mariupol until 5:00 am on March 21 to surrender, warning that more than a "court-martial" awaits those who refuse.
Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk rejects the ultimatum, telling local media "there can be no talk of surrendering weapons".
US President Joe Biden will travel to Poland on Friday to meet President Andrzej Duda, the White House says.
Ukrainian authorities accuse Russia of bombing a Mariupol art school where some 400 people, including women and children, had been sheltering.
Mariupol officials claim Russian forces have forcibly transported around a thousand residents to Russia and stripped them of their Ukrainian passports -- a potential war crime.
The mayor of the encircled northern city of Chernigiv says dozens of civilians have been killed by "indiscriminate artillery shelling", and that a hospital has been hit.
"The city is suffering from an absolute humanitarian catastrophe," he adds.
At least one person is killed when Russian forces shell a shopping center in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, the city's mayor says.
Zelensky calls for urgent talks with Russia, adding Jerusalem is perhaps "the right place for finding peace. If this is possible."
Turkey says Russia, Ukraine is close to agreement' - Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu says Russia and Ukraine have made progress in negotiations and are "close to an agreement".
Turkey says it is also ready to host a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Diplomats to return - Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa announces the country's diplomats will return to Kyiv "soon" and calls on other EU members to do the same. Ukraine "needs direct diplomatic support", he says.
Russia says it has again fired hypersonic missiles in Ukraine, destroying a fuel storage site in the country's south.
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin says if confirmed, the use of the weapons would not be a "game-changer".
China says not arming Russia - China's ambassador to the US says his country is not sending weapons to Russia for use in Ukraine, but he does not definitively rule out the possibility Beijing might do so in the future.
Pope denounces 'senseless massacre' - Pope Francis denounces the "senseless massacre where every day slaughter and atrocities are repeated" in Ukraine, appealing to the international community to stop the war.
"There is no justification for this," he adds.
Azovstal steelworks damaged - Ukrainian officials say one of Europe's biggest iron and steelworks, Azovstal, has been badly damaged by Russian forces.
Australia bans alumina, bauxite exports - Australia bans all exports of alumina and bauxite to Russia while pledging more weapons and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. Russia relies on Australia for 20 percent of its alumina.
Ten million people -- more than a quarter of the population -- have now fled their homes in Ukraine due to Russia's "devastating" war, the United Nations refugees chief says Sunday. More than 3.3 million of them have escaped the country.
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
