In this image from video provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office and posted on Facebook early Tuesday, March 15, 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks in Kyiv, Ukraine. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP

In The News is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to kickstart your day. Here is what's on the radar of our editors for the morning of March 15 ...

What we are watching in Canada ...

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is scheduled to address Parliament this morning, the latest in a series of virtual visits as he pleads for international aid.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has intensified in recent days with more than two million people fleeing the country so far and airstrikes hitting the capital of Kyiv.

Parliament is not scheduled to sit until March 21, but House Speaker Anthony Rota approved a special request to hold the address and allow guests to attend.

While visiting Europe last week, Trudeau announced that Canada will send another $50 million of specialized equipment to help Ukraine and slapped new sanctions on Russian oligarchs, government officials and supporters of the country’s leadership.

Canada has also committed $145 million in humanitarian assistance to Ukraine in 2022 and created new immigration measures to help people fleeing the war.

Zelenskyy addressed the British House of Commons on March 8 and is scheduled to speak to members of the U.S. House and Senate on Wednesday.

The Canadian event starting at 11:15 a.m. EDT will also feature addresses from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Rota and Senate Speaker George Furey, interim Conservative leader Candice Bergen, Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and Green MP Elizabeth May.

Trudeau invited Zelenskyy to speak to Parliament during his trip to Europe.

---

Also this ...

A new poll suggests nearly three-quarters of Canadians believe NATO allies should prepare for military intervention as Russian aggression escalates in Ukraine, even as half hold out hope for a diplomatic resolution.

The online survey of one-thousand-515 Canadians was conducted by Leger between Friday and Sunday.

The results show about half of Canadians still believe a diplomatic end to the war is possible, but 64 per cent say the conflict between Ukraine and Russia will be protracted, and will last many years.

While 65 per cent of Canadians said governments should impose more severe sanctions against Russia, even if it means higher gas prices for western countries, only 35 per cent believe economic sanctions will actually convince Vladimir Putin to back down.

About three-quarters report they believe the situation has the potential to lead to a Third World war, and about half of those polled say they believe Putin will use nuclear weapons if the conflict doesn't go his way.

The survey cannot be assigned a margin of error because internet-based polls are not considered truly random samples.

---

What we are watching in the U.S. ...

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico _ Puerto Rico's government formally exited bankruptcy Tuesday, completing the largest public debt restructuring in U.S. history after announcing nearly seven years ago that it was unable to pay its more than $70 billion debt.

The exit means that the U.S. territory's government will resume payments to bondholders for the first time in several years and will settle some $1 billion worth of claims filed by residents and local businesses.

The bankruptcy led to widely criticized austerity measures on an island that paid some $1 billion in fees to consultants and lawyers and in other expenses during the process.

The exit was a priority for the board and Jaresko, who previously announced she is retiring April 1. A replacement has not been named yet. The board is expected to remain in place until Puerto Rico has four consecutive balanced budgets, a feat that has yet to be achieved.

The debt restructuring plan was approved by a federal judge in January. It reduces claims against Puerto Rico's government from $33 billion to just over $7.4 billion, with 7 cents of every taxpayer dollar going to debt service, compared with 25 cents previously.

The plan also deposits $1.5 billion into public pension systems and creates a pension reserve trust that will be funded with more than $10 billion in upcoming years.

Puerto Rico accumulated more than $70 billion in public debt and more than $50 billion in public pension liabilities through decades of corruption, mismanagement and excessive borrowing. The U.S. Congress created the federal board in 2016, a year after the island's government said it was unable to pay its debt.

In 2017, Puerto Rico's government filed for the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S history. Months later, Hurricane Maria struck, razing the island's power grid and causing billions of dollars in damage.

---

What we are watching in the rest of the world ...

KYIV, Ukraine _ Russia's offensive in Ukraine edged closer to central Kyiv on Tuesday, with a series of strikes hitting a residential neighbourhood as the leaders of three NATO member countries planned a visit to Ukraine's embattled capital.

Shortly before dawn, large explosions thundered across Kyiv from what Ukrainian authorities said was artillery strikes. The shelling ignited a huge fire and a frantic rescue effort in a 15-storey apartment building. At least one person was killed and others remain trapped inside.

Shockwaves from an explosion also damaged the entry to a downtown subway station that has been used as a bomb shelter. City authorities tweeted an image of the blown-out facade, saying trains would no longer stop at the station.

The leaders of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia are travelling to Ukraine's capital Tuesday on a European Union mission to show support for the country as Russia's forces move closer to Kyiv.

Russian and Ukrainian negotiators also planned to hold a second day of talks as Russia's offensive in Ukraine entered its 21st day.

When Russia launched the war nearly three weeks ago, fear of an imminent invasion gripped the Ukrainian capital, as residents slept night after night in subway stations or crammed onto trains to flee. But as the Russian offensive bogged down, Kyiv saw a relative lull. Fighting has intensified on the outskirts in recent days, and sporadic air raid sirens ring out around the capital.

There was a rare glimmer of hope in the encircled port city of Mariupol after a convoy of 160 civilian cars left along a designated humanitarian route, the city council reported. Over the past 10 days or so, the lethal siege has pulverized homes and other buildings and left people desperate for food, water, heat and medicine.

The latest negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, held by video Monday, were the fourth round involving higher-level officials from the two countries and the first in a week. The talks ended without a breakthrough after several hours, with an aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying the negotiators took "a technical pause'' and planned to meet again Tuesday.

The two sides had expressed some optimism in the past few days. Mykhailo Podolyak, the aide to Zelenskyy, tweeted that the negotiators would discuss "peace, ceasefire, immediate withdrawal of troops & security guarantees.''

Previous discussions, held in person in Belarus, produced no lasting humanitarian routes or agreements to end the fighting.

---

On this day in 1990 ...

The federal government decided that Sikh members of the RCMP could wear turbans and other religious garb while on duty. Many, including Western MPs, were opposed, but Solicitor General Pierre Cadieux said it was the right decision in terms of human rights, in terms of multiculturalism policy, and because it's just smart to have visible minorities represented on the force.

---

In entertainment ...

Former Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson has written a musical tribute to his late friend and bandmate Neil Peart.

The Toronto musician says "Western Sunsets" came together after spending time with Peart at the drummer's home in Santa Monica shortly before he died of brain cancer in January 2020.

The instrumental piece drifts along on an acoustic-electric guitar, lasting a brief two-and-a-half minutes.

Lifeson says he began writing the tranquil composition as he sat with Peart on his balcony and watched a golden sunset mark the end of a day.

He hoped the track would be a way to honour his friend "without being too maudlin about it."

"Western Sunsets" closes the self-titled debut of Envy of None, a new band featuring Lifeson. The album is set for release April 8.

---

Did you see this?

Conservative leadership candidate Jean Charest has tested positive for COVID-19.

Charest announced the news late Monday on Twitter, saying his symptoms are mild, and his wife, Michele, has tested negative.

Charest says he will be campaigning from home for the next few days, and notes he will remain in his home as per public health guidelines until he tests negative.

He asks in his post that out of an abundance of caution, anyone who was in close contact with him and isn't feeling well should follow local public health guidelines.

Charest launched his leadership bid in Calgary last Thursday in a room with supporters, met with more on Friday and was then scheduled to travel to Vancouver.

Mask guidelines were lifted in Alberta March 1. Capacity limits on all large venues and entertainment venues in Alberta, as well as limits on the size of indoor and outdoor social gatherings, also ended at the beginning of March.

At least 100 supporters were at the campaign launch in Calgary. Most attendees were not wearing masks.

---

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 15, 2022.

News from © The Canadian Press, 2022