Vladimir Putin has recognised the independence of Donetsk and Luhansk, two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine. In a televised address, the Russian president said Donetsk and Luhansk were ancient Russian territories, and described Ukraine’s government as a puppet regime controlled by foreign powers. We hear the thoughts of Washington Post correspondent Mary Ilyushina in the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, and Chris Weafer from analytics firm Macro-Advisory Ltd gives us his take on the potential economic fallout if tensions in the region increase further. Plus, UK prime minister Boris Johnson says England's remaining Covid laws will be abandoned, telling parliament it’s time to rely on vaccinations and treatments, rather than government intervention. We speak to Kate Nicholls of UKHospitality, on how a sector which has suffered during almost two years of restrictions is hoping for a rebound. The BBC's Sarah Hawkins reports on plans afoot in Sacramento, California to give everybody the legal right to housing, and how such an idea might work in practice.Throughout the programme we are joined by Emily Feng, Beijing Correspondent for NPR radio and by Professor Peter Morici from the University of Maryland.

(Photo: Residents of Donetsk celebrate after Russia recognised the territory’s independence; Credit: Getty Images)