Russian forces near the Ukrainian capital, while conditions within the besieged southern port city of Mariupol worsen following unsuccessful talks between foreign ministers Dmytro Kuleba and Sergei Lavrov. Asian markets are in the red with Hong Kong’s Hang Seng leading the losses following a poor session by tech stocks on Wall Street. Oil is on course to complete its worst-performing week since November. ECB President Christine Lagarde announces an acceleration in tapering amid price pressures and geopolitical uncertainty. Stateside, inflation hits a new 40-year high with prices up by almost 8 per cent. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, however, is sanguine about the prospects of a recession. And we are live in Versailles where French President Emmanuel Macron hosts EU leaders to discuss energy independence and a unified response to Moscow’s aggression in Ukraine.

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