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A demonstrator on Thursday in Berlin: "Make Peace Not War"
Photo: Christian Ditsch / imago images/epd
This article is continuously updated.
Russia restricts access to Facebook and independent media sites in the country
1:13 a.m .:
The Russian authorities have massively tightened their actions against critical voices in the media since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine.
The websites of Facebook and several independent media outlets are partially unavailable in Russia.
The non-governmental organization GlobalCheck and journalists from the AFP news agency found access problems on the Facebook websites and the media Deutsche Welle, Medusa, RFE-RL and the Russian-language service of the BBC on Friday night.
The independent radio station Echo Moskvy (Moscow Echo), for example, announced its dissolution on Thursday after being banned from broadcasting for its coverage of the invasion of Ukraine.
The independent television channel Dozhd was also banned.
After the invasion of Ukraine, Russian media were instructed to only use official information from the Russian authorities for their reporting.
Terms such as "attack" or "invasion" in connection with the invasion of Ukraine are prohibited.
The authorities simply portray the war of aggression against Ukraine as a "special operation" by the military and a peacekeeping mission to protect Russian-speaking Ukrainians.
Ukrainians in the US receive provisional protection status
12:16 a.m .:
Tens of thousands of Ukrainians in the United States are allowed to stay in the United States for another 18 months.
The US Department of Homeland Security grants them temporary protective status.
"During these extraordinary times, we will continue to offer our support and protection to Ukrainian nationals in the United States," Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas said.
The background is a protection program with the abbreviation TPS, which grants a temporary residence permit in the USA.
It is intended for people from countries that have been hit by natural disasters or war.
The regulation applies to Ukrainians who have been in the USA without interruption since March 1, 2022.
You must pass a security check.
People attempting to travel to the United States after March 1, 2022 are not eligible for TPS.
British Foreign Secretary stresses the need for cooperation with the EU
12:10 a.m .:
Before attending the meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss stressed the need for her country to work closely with the EU.
"It is critical that Britain and our allies maintain a strong and united front against Russian aggression and speak with one voice," Truss said, according to a statement distributed ahead of her trip.
Since Brexit, members of the British government have often distanced themselves from the EU in their public statements and emphasized the status of Great Britain as a separate, independent country.
There is also a dispute between London and Brussels over Brexit rules for Northern Ireland.
Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, however, the tone in London has changed and there is a greater emphasis on solidarity with Western allies.
Truss is the first British minister to be invited to a foreign ministers' meeting since Britain left the EU, the statement said.
Around 150 European radio stations play Lennon's song »Give Peace a Chance«
00:01:
Out of solidarity with Ukraine, around 150 public radio stations in Europe want to play the John Lennon song "Give Peace a Chance" on Friday morning.
In more than 25 countries, including Ukraine, which was attacked by Russia, the song is to be played at 8.45 a.m.CET, as the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) announced on .
The campaign, in which private broadcasters also want to take part, takes place on the initiative of the RBB under director Patricia Schlesinger.
The song "Give Peace a Chance," released by the Plastic Ono Band in 1969, was recorded in a hotel room in Canada during the legendary "Bed-in" for Peace by John Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono.
It first became the song of opponents of the Vietnam War.
The Czech Republic is sending additional military aid to Ukraine
11:49 p.m .:
The Czech Republic is sending additional military aid to Ukraine.
According to the Czech Ministry of Defense, the package is worth the equivalent of 660 million euros.
Included in the delivery are light weapons and ammunition, among other things.
France moves aircraft carriers for reconnaissance and deterrence
11:13 p.m .:
France has relocated its aircraft carrier “Charles de Gaulle” in the Mediterranean for reconnaissance flights over the Baltic States and Poland.
The aircraft carrier, which is currently being used for a counter-terrorism mission in the Middle East, left Cyprus with its escort on Wednesday, French Defense Minister Florence Parly told BFMTV.
In the Mediterranean, the ship should reach a position that would allow the aircraft to carry out reconnaissance missions.
"Our mission is strictly deterrent, we have no warlike intentions," said the minister.
Rafale fighter jets and reconnaissance aircraft were to be deployed from the aircraft carrier as the "sky police".
The goal is education and deterrence.
As the French Navy announced, the mission was intended to strengthen NATO's eastern flank and secure France and the European continent.
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