LISBON, March 16 (Reuters) - Portugal will implement all sanctions decided at EU level against Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich but is not able to ban him from entering the country because he is a citizen, Foreign Minister Augusto Santos Silva said on Wednesday.

MOSCOW, March 15 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin and European Council President Charles Michel discussed the Ukrainian situation during a phone conversation on Tuesday, the Kremlin said in a statement.

The leaders exchanged views on Russia's special military operation in Ukraine and measures to evacuate civilians, said the statement.

Putin outlined his assessments of the ongoing negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian delegations on a possible settlement of the crisis, it said.

PUTNA, Romania, March 16 (Reuters) - When 75-year-old Svetlana and her family from the city of Krivoy Rog in central Ukraine reached the snow-covered Putna Monastery in the rolling hills of northeastern Romania, they had been on the road for four days.

The monks living at the remote 15th century Romanian Orthodox monastery, a pilgrimage site that sits in a valley covered in dense forest, have opened its doors to people like Svetlana who have fled Ukraine to neighbouring countries in their millions since Russia began its invasion on Feb. 24.

16 March 2022; MEMO: The United Kingdom is investing $19 million in the multi-year United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) programme on family planning in Iraq, the UN agency announced yesterday.

The statement said the new partnership will improve national policies and regulations on access to family planning with a focus on young people and vulnerable groups.

Puri, Mar 16 (PTI) A servitor of the Jagannath temple in Puri was shot dead on Wednesday morning, leading to tension in the temple town, police said.

Krushna Chandra Pratihari, a former member of the temple Managing Committee, was shot dead near his house at Barabati Jagaghar in Town police station area, they said.

Two persons came on a bike and opened fire at Pratihari before fleeing from the spot, police said.

He was taken to the district hospital where the doctors declared him brought dead, they said.

New Delhi, Mar 15 (PTI) Congress general secretary in-charge of Uttar Pradesh Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday took 'full responsibility" for the party's defeat in UP at a review meeting to identify shortcomings and chalk out future plans for the politically-crucial state.

"'Priyanka Gandhi without wasting any time has started preparations for Lok Sabha elections," Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate told reporters.

SBS Nagar (Pb), Mar 16 (PTI) AAP leader Bhagwant Mann was sworn in as the Punjab chief minister on Wednesday.

Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit administered the oath of office and secrecy to Mann in the swearing-in ceremony that took place at Khatkar Kalan, the ancestral village of legendary freedom fighter Bhagat Singh in Punjab's Shaheed Bhagat Singh (SBS) Nagar district.

Only Mann took the oath during the ceremony.

The event was supposed to start at 12.30 pm but got delayed and was held at around 1.25 pm.

Kanpur: The district administration began the process of returning fines collected from the accused persons booked for their alleged involvement in the protests against the 2019 Citizenship (Amendment Act).

The fine was collected for damages caused to public and private property during the protests.

It has been reported that the district administration handed over cheques to six persons on Tuesday.

Chandigarh, Mar 16 (PTI) Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu on Wednesday said he has resigned as the party's Punjab chief.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi had on Tuesday asked its state unit chiefs in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Punjab and Manipur to put in their papers after the party's drubbing in the recently held Assembly polls in these states.

The cricketer-turned-politician shared information about his resignation on his twitter handle.

As desired by the Congress President I have sent my resignation , his tweet read.

Kanpur: Fight continues in Ukraine. But its impact on the rate of soda ash is even felt here. An increase in the cost of soda ash has been affecting the business for the past three weeks.

According to the organisation's office bearers, 40% of soda ash is imported from Russia while nearly 30% comes from China.

As the fight has entered 21 days, the cost of soda ash is soaring continuously. Its rate on February 15 stayed at Rs 33 per kg has now soared to Rs 45 per kg. This comes to a 40% increase in the rate.

Lucknow, Mar 15 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Kumar Lallu on Tuesday resigned from his post after taking moral responsibility for the party's humiliating defeat in the state assembly polls.

The move comes after Congress president Sonia Gandhi asked the chiefs of its Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur units to resign amid continued rumblings in the party following its abject loss in the assembly elections in these states.

Kanpur: Police invoked the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act against BSP leader Mohammad Safi, who unsuccessfully contested the Kanpur cantonment seat, and seven others for allegedly running a gang and being involved in illegal activities.

Police also said that Safi, (43 yrs), and others were booked at Chakeri police station here. 

Safi gained as many as 3,331 votes and stood third at the Kanpur cantonment seat.