GETTY IMAGES - Aircraft near Boryspil International airport near Kiev, Ukraine

Ukraine has closed its airspace to civilian flights after Russia began military action in the country

SitindaonNews.Com |   Ukraine cited a high risk to flight safety due to the use of weapons and military equipment.

Moldova also said it was closing its airspace and Belarus shut part of its airspace.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency warned of safety risks in flying in airspace near to Ukraine's borders, including in Russia.

"There is a risk of both intentional targeting and misidentification of civil aircraft," the regulator said.

"The presence and possible use of a wide range of ground and airborne warfare systems poses a high risk for civil flights operating at all altitudes and flight levels."

Aircraft flying to or from UK airports have been ordered to avoid Ukraine's airspace by the Transport Secretary Grant Shapps.

British citizens were advised to leave the country on Tuesday.

Mr Shapps tweeted: "I've instructed UK—CAA (the Civil Aviation Authority) to ensure airlines avoid Ukraine airspace to keep passengers and crew safe.

"We continue to stand with the people of Ukraine and work with our international partners to respond to this act of aggression."

Wizz Air and Ryanair, who were still flying to the Ukraine from the UK, said they had suspended flights.

In 2014, a missile brought down passenger plane MH17 in Ukraine airspace, killing all 298 people on board. It was en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur.

It came amid heavy fighting between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian separatists in the Donbass region, who had just declared independence.

International investigators tracked the missile that was used to Russia, which has denied any involvement.

Sources: bbc.com

Police said the man had approached seven women in the capital

Police are searching for a bald man who has exposed himself to women while wearing roller skates.

The man has approached seven women, most of whom were walking alone, in London before exposing himself or touching himself inappropriately, the Met Police said.

The most recent incident took place on Regent's Canal, north-west London, at about 22:00 GMT on 26 January.

Police have now released an e-fit of the man, who is described as 6ft tall.

The Met said he had only once approached a woman who was not on her own.

The other six indecent exposures took place at the following times:

19:45 GMT on Friday 14 January in a tunnel in Goods Way, N1

21:30 GMT on Thursday 13 January in Wapping Woods, E1

00:20 GMT on Friday 7 January in Park Lane, W1

05:20 GMT on Tuesday 4 January in Praed Street, W2

02:30 GMT on Thursday 2 December 2021 in Charlton Street, NW1

01:00 GMT on Saturday 4 December 2021 in Grove End Road, NW8

Sources: bbc.com

President Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin (Getty Images)

The summit can only be held if Russia does not invade Ukraine

President Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed to "the principle" to meet for a summit discussing "security and strategic stability in Europe," but will only take place if Russia does not invade Ukraine.

The summit will be discussed by Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during their meeting on Thursday

The potential summit was announced by French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday, and a press release states that the summit "can only be held at the condition that Russia does not invade Ukraine."

The announcement comes just hours after Fox News confirmed that Russian commanders have been given orders to carry out an invasion of Ukraine.

Biden spoke with Macron on Sunday afternoon.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki confirmed that while President Biden and Putin have accepted the meeting "in principle," Russia continues to indicate they are making preparations for "a full-scale assault on Ukraine very soon.

"President Biden accepted in principle a meeting with President Putin following that engagement, again, if an invasion hasn’t happened. We are always ready for diplomacy. We are also ready to impose swift and severe consequences should Russia instead choose war. And currently, Russia appears to be continuing preparations for a full-scale assault on Ukraine very soon," Psaki said.

She added that President Biden is committed to pursuing diplomacy "until the moment an invasion begins."

"As the President has repeatedly made clear, we are committed to pursuing diplomacy until the moment an invasion begins. Secretary Blinken and Foreign Minister Lavrov are scheduled to meet later this week in Europe, provided Russia does not proceed with military action," Psaki said.

Commanders on the ground have made plans for how they would maneuver in their sectors of the battlefield.

According to the Ukrainian military, violence continues to escalate in eastern Ukraine as it reports 53 shellings by Russian-backed forces from occupied Donbas on Ukraine occurred today.

Sources: foxnews.com

Prince Andrew was given the Duke of York title when he married in the 1980s

Councillors in York have said they are taking steps to remove the Duke of York's Freedom of the City honour.

The Lib Dems, the largest group on City of York Council, said a motion to begin the process would be submitted at the next full council meeting in March.

Prince Andrew was given the Honorary Freedom of the City of York in 1987.

The motion will also call for him to relinquish his title as Duke of York in the wake of the settlement of his legal battle with Virginia Giuffre.

On Tuesday, the prince, 61, agreed to pay an undisclosed sum to Ms Giuffre as part of an out-of-court settlement.

In the case against him in the US, Ms Giuffre had been suing the Duke of York, claiming he sexually assaulted her on three occasions when she was 17 - which he repeatedly denied.

A statement from their lawyers on Tuesday said the duke would pay an undisclosed sum to Ms Giuffre and make a "substantial donation" to her charity in support of victims' rights.

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The Lib Dem group on City of York Council said it was "exploring arrangements" to remove the honorary freedom of York bestowed upon him.

A motion to take the honour away would be put forward at the next full council meeting on 24 March, they added.

Liberal Democrat councillor Darryl Smalley, City of York Council's executive member for culture, leisure and communities, said: "We are seeking to end Prince Andrew's links with our great city."

Mr Smalley said York's connection with the crown and monarchy was an "important part" of the city's legacy and history.

"However, as a council and city, we stand with victims of sexual abuse and are doing all we can to end violence against woman and girls locally," he said.

"As such, it is inappropriate that Prince Andrew retains his ambassadorial title that is intrinsically linked to our city."

The Freedom of the City of York was bestowed upon the prince in 1987

Rachael Maskell, Labour MP for York Central, has previously also said the prince should give up his title as Duke of York.

A peerage, like the rank of duke, can only be removed by an act of parliament, which last happened in 1917.

Mr Smalley said: "We will be reaching out to MPs to raise our concerns and discuss any possible ways of ending Prince Andrew's connection to York."

The prince relinquished his honorary military roles and his HRH style in January following the sexual assault claims.

Sources: bbc.com/news