IBT Staff Reporter

All through the night, as Russian forces drove deeper into Ukraine, a small group of Indian medical students in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv cowered in a dark basement under their apartment building, hearing a barrage of explosions.

Exxon Mobil Corp and the United Steelworkers union (USW) reached a tentative agreement on the terms for workers locked out of a Beaumont, Texas, refinery for 10 months to begin returning to work in March, an Exxon spokesperson said.

Ukrainian cybersecurity officials say hackers from neighbouring Belarus are targeting the private email addresses of Ukrainian military personnel "and related individuals".

Insurers have raised the cost of providing cover for merchant ships through the Black Sea, adding to soaring rates to transport goods through the region for vessels still willing to sail after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Many Ukrainian roads were choked with cars on Friday as people fleeing Russia's invaders tried to reach relative safety in western Ukraine or leave the country.

China has ramped up purchases into its oil reserves this year even as oil prices soared, despite calls from Washington for a global coordinated stocks release to help cool the market, industry data showed and traders said.

China has ramped up purchases into its oil reserves this year even as oil prices soared, despite calls from Washington for a global coordinated stocks release to help cool the market, industry data showed and traders said.

As Russian forces moved deeper into Ukraine on Friday, sports bodies moved quickly to strip Russia of events, with St Petersburg losing the Champions League final while the Formula One Grand Prix will not be held in Sochi.

President Joe Biden plans to announce his nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday at the White House, according to two people familiar with the process.

President Joe Biden plans on Friday to nominate Ketanji Brown Jackson, a federal appellate judge, to become the first Black woman to serve on the U.S.

President Joe Biden on Friday nominated federal appellate judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to become the first Black woman to serve on the U.S.

A deal among OPEC+ oil producers including Russia is showing no cracks so far after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, OPEC+ sources said, and the group is likely to stick to a planned output rise at a meeting next week despite crude topping $100 a barrel.

Brazil will support a resolution condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine at a United Nations Security Council meeting on Friday, two sources close to the talks told Reuters.

Brazil voted on Friday for a draft U.N. Security Council resolution that would have deplored the Russian invasion of Ukraine, despite some reluctance by Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro to condemn Russia.

The European Parliament's lead negotiator has proposed tougher EU targets to reduce energy use this decade, which he said would help cut Europe's dependence on imported fossil fuels and rein in energy bills.

A Ukrainian volunteer group that provides equipment to the country's army has received over $4 million in bitcoin donations since Russia launched its invasion on Thursday, according to blockchain analysis firm Elliptic.

A Hindu nationalist group close to India's ruling party is calling on the government to block the appointment of Ilker Ayci as chief executive of Air India, citing his previous political links in Turkey, with which New Delhi has strained relations.

Not so SWIFT: EU energy concerns spark Russia sanctions rift

BA re-routes jets after Russia flights ban

When Percy Ohene-Yeboah peered down from his high-rise apartment in the city of Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine on Thursday morning, the street below was clogged with traffic.

Italy is looking at overhauling listing, voting and other rules to address the "chronic delays" holding back the country's capital markets and boost Milan's ability to compete with European peers, a Treasury document seen by Reuters showed.

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Russia's invasion of Ukraine marked a "deep rupture in Europe's history following the end of the Cold War" even as her own legacy comes under fresh scrutiny in light of the assault.

The sweeping restrictions imposed on Russia to block its access to global exports of goods from chips to computers and electronics are likely to accelerate China's own push for self-reliance in the semiconductor industry, analysts said.

U.S. stock indexes were set for a weaker open on Friday, a day after staging a dramatic late rally, as developments around a raging war in Ukraine kept investors on edge.

U.S. stock indexes were set for a higher open on Friday, building on a late rally in the previous session, as investors scrambled for bargains while closely monitoring the raging battle in Ukraine.

The Dow and the S&P 500 index rose on Friday, building on a rally in the previous session after the Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to send a delegation to Minsk for negotiations with Ukraine.

Wall Street's main indexes rallied for a second straight session on Friday as investors hunted for bargains at the end of a volatile week sparked by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, with sentiment also lifted by Moscow's willingness for talks.

Canada's main stock index rose on Friday, tracking global markets, and boosted by encouraging corporate earnings from Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce and National Bank of Canada.

Canada's main stock index on Friday notched its biggest gain in nearly four weeks as investors looked past Russia-Ukraine uncertainty amid optimism that an energy crisis could be averted.