Fighting rages continue in Ukraine

They were covering up Putin’s escalation amid widespread resistance and Hong Kong hospitals trying to keep up.

Kharkiv is bombed as Ukraine and Russia meet

Delegations from Ukraine and Russia met in Belarus for hours of talks Monday as Ukrainian officials accused the Russians of bombing a residential area in Kharkiv and killing dozens. Follow our live updates, war maps and crisis timeline.

Initial talks between Russia and Ukraine ended without result on Monday evening. Kiev is seeking a ceasefire in Ukraine and an end to hostilities; The Kremlin’s demands include recognizing Russian sovereignty over Crimea and for Ukraine to demilitarize and relinquish its right to join NATO.

Russian forces were gathering outside Kiev, British intelligence showed, but they were slowed down by fierce resistance from Ukrainian soldiers and civilian volunteers. Moscow’s actions have sparked nationwide resistance, forced half a million refugees to flee Ukraine and left Russia facing growing sanctions and isolation.

The economy: The ruble crashed as Western sanctions shook the Russian economy. The public rushed to get money and the Russian stock exchange closed.

Hong Kong hospitals can not continue

The dead bodies have been left in the gurney in the corridors of the hospital and patients are waiting on the street outside, while the biggest Covid wave in Hong Kong overloads the health system.

Officials said they were trying to transfer the deceased to public morgues fairly quickly. The city hospital authority blamed transportation delays. Three public mortuaries in Hong Kong, which can hold up to 3,000 bodies, are almost full. More than 400 people died from Covid-19 last week, according to the latest official statistics.

The news comes as the city is trying to curb an Omicron-driven blast, with more than 26,000 cases and 83 deaths reported Sunday.

Public hospitals are overcrowded as many of the sick have rushed to seek medical help. Over the past two weeks, Hong Kong has recorded an 821 percent increase in new cases, according to a New York Times database. Hospitals have been left without beds in isolation wards.

Details: Covid has spread to nursing homes, but elderly residents are still among the least vaccinated and most skeptical cities.

Strategy: Growth is testing Hong Kong’s strict zero-Covid strategy. Chinese officials and pro-Beijing local politicians have called for tighter controls, including a city-wide blockade. But Hong Kong lacks the resources that continental officials have used for such measures.

An in-depth UN study on climate risks

The risks of climate change are growing so fast that they could soon defeat nature and humanity’s ability to adapt if greenhouse gas emissions are not reduced quickly, according to a new scientific report released Monday.

The report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a body of experts assembled by the UN, is the most detailed overview to date of the threats posed by global warming.

Written by 270 researchers from 67 countries, the report is an atlas of human suffering and a damning indictment of failed climate management, said Antnio Guterres, the UN secretary-general.

If the average temperature exceeds 1.5 degrees Celsius, even humanity’s best efforts to adapt could be thwarted, the report warns. But achieving that goal would require nations to eliminate their fossil fuel emissions by 2050, and most are off the road.

Impact: The risks are obvious, the report said. In 2019, extreme weather displaced more than 13 million people across Asia and Africa. Mankind’s ability to feed itself is being strained. Approximately half of the world’s population faces severe water shortages for at least part of the year.

Connected: The U.S. Supreme Court could deal a severe blow to the Biden administration’s efforts to address climate change.

LATEST NEWS

Asia Pacific

When he left Kabul, Aria Rahmati brought a ring given to him by the man he wanted, a soldier of the Afghan special forces. Yalda Royan, a single mother and women’s rights activist, brought her the Koran. We talked to Afghan refugees about some of the memories they picked up in those few hours they had to pack their things and set off for a new life.

ARTS AND IDEAS

Back to office outfits

When both Gucci Alessandro Michele and Donatella Versace (not to mention Dolce & Gabbana and Ambush) open their shows in a dark, tailored, slightly oversized suit, it is clear that something is happening. And the waist, leggings and flats is not elastic.

But then, the world is not such a comforting place at the moment.

The last few weeks I have felt myself becoming very serious, said Walter Chiapponi of Tods, who also began his pointless plush tailoring show with a dark trouser suit with a dark chest under a dark overcoat.

She started her reappearance on her runway in New York last week and now seems to be reaching the critical mass: A costume that makes you feel instantly connected for the day may be the best, time-appropriate outfit.

Also in vogue: In Manhattan, a showroom showcases six stylists with roots and families in Ukraine.

PLAY, LOOK, EAT

What to cook

This is for today’s conference. See you next time. Melina

PS Jamie Lauren Keiles, a contributing writer to The New York Times Magazine, was a recipient of Price ASME NEXT 2022 for journalists under 30 years old.

The latest episode of The Daily is about the battle for Kiev.

Whet Moser wrote the Arts and Ideas section. You can reach Melina and the team at [email protected].