IBT Staff Reporter

Pope Francis went to the Russian embassy to the Vatican on Friday to relay his concern over Russia's invasion of Ukraine to Moscow's ambassador, in an unprecedented departure from diplomatic protocol.

Russian tech giant Yandex has started warning Russian users looking for news about Ukraine on its search engine of unreliable information on the internet, after Moscow threatened Russian media over what they publish.

India plans to pay in rupees for its first long-term urea import deal with Iran to hedge itself from global supply disruptions, higher prices and forex volatilities, sources familiar with the matter said, complicated now by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Fierce street battle as first Russian troops hit Kyiv

U.S. wheat futures tumbled on Friday in a profit-taking setback after peaking earlier at the highest level since mid-2008 as investors turned back to equities and traders assessed potential disruption to supplies from Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The United States, Britain and European Union leaders are targeting Russian banks as part of a new package of sanctions following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

The European Central Bank's chief economist Philip Lane has told fellow policymakers that the Ukraine conflict may reduce the euro zone's economic output by 0.3%-0.4% this year, four people close to the matter told Reuters.

Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) and National Bank of Canada both comfortably beat analysts' estimates for quarterly earnings on Friday, driven by loan and fee growth, as well as strength in their capital markets businesses.

Ukrainians in the United States are making donations, sending money to relatives and mulling how they could get family out of a war zone, as they call on President Joe Biden and the wider world to do more to thwart Russia's invasion.

Dave Petratis boosted wages for his U.S. factory workforce in December - six months ahead of schedule for normal annual increases.

The European Union is ready to bear the economic pain of imposing sanctions on Russia, which is likely to come mainly from higher energy prices, top EU finance officials said on Friday.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine will slow European economic growth this year through higher energy prices and lower business confidence and to some extent trade, but the European Union is ready for it, top EU finance officials said on Friday.

India is exploring ways to set up a rupee payment mechanism for trade with Russia to soften the blow on New Delhi of Western sanctions imposed on Russia after its invasion of Ukraine, government and banking sources said.

Paris to host UEFA Champions League final stripped from Saint Petersburg

People fleeing war in Ukraine poured into Poland, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia on Friday as Russian missiles pounded the capital Kyiv, with many waiting for hours at congested border crossings.

Tens of thousands of Ukrainians, mostly women and children, crossed into Poland, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia on Friday as Russian missiles pounded the capital Kyiv and men of fighting age were told to remain.

Tens of thousands of Ukrainians, mostly women and children, crossed into Poland, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia on Friday as Russian missiles pounded the capital Kyiv and men of fighting age were told to remain.

Ukraine wants peace and is ready for talks with Russia, including on neutral status regarding NATO, Ukrainian presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak told Reuters on Friday.

As Ukrainian refugees throng border crossings to flee the Russian invasion, war veteran Dmytro Dovzhenko is headed in the opposite direction from Poland to rejoin his military unit.

Israel seeks 'delicate balance' in Ukraine crisis

British department store retailer John Lewis will this summer abandon the "Never Knowingly Undersold" price pledge it has maintained since 1925, it said on Friday.

Hong Kong's Omicron-fuelled outbreak spreads within prisons

Ukraine's nuclear agency and interior ministry said on Friday they were recording increased radiation levels from the site of the defunct Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

Ukraine said on Friday it had recorded increased radiation levels from the defunct Chernobyl nuclear power plant, a day after the site was captured by Russian forces, due to military activity causing radioactive dust to rise into the air.

Europe's main stocks index bounced off 9-month lows on Friday following a late rally on Wall Street as investors hunted for bargains after a bruising sell-off this week as Russia invaded Ukraine.

Europe's main stocks index roared back on Friday, lifting off nine-month lows with banks leading a broad-based rally as investors hunted for bargains following a bruising sell-off after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

European bank shares rebounded early Friday from steep falls a day earlier, even as bankers wrestle with the impact of a slew of sanctions following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

European bank shares remained unsteady on Friday after steep falls a day earlier, as bankers grapple with the potential impact of a slew of sanctions following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

European bank shares started to rebound on Friday after steep falls a day earlier, as bankers grapple with the potential impact of a slew of sanctions following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.