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A view shows buildings, which city officials and locals said were damaged by recent shelling, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues, in Kharkiv, Ukraine Mar 4, 2022. (Photo: REUTERS/Oleksandr Lapshyn) - 

US lawmakers pledged in a video call Saturday (Mar 5) with Ukraine's president to provide a further US$10 billion in assistance as the besieged country faces a Russian onslaught.

In the call with American legislators of both parties, President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated a plea for Russian-made planes.

The US Senate majority leader, Chuck Schumer, cited by a source briefed on the call, said Democrats and Republicans were "working very hard" toward passing the relief package.

"We will get that assistance of over US$10 billion in economic, humanitarian and security assistance to the Ukrainian people quickly," he said.

The bipartisan effort was underlined by Republican Senator Steve Daines, who told Fox News after the call that lawmakers were "unified in our support for Ukraine."

"We need to pass this US$10 billion relief package," he said, adding that half would go toward humanitarian aid and half would be in military assistance.

"They need more force on the ground," he said, as Russian units pressed their offensive in Ukraine for a tenth day.

Zelensky, wearing a military-green T-shirt and seated beside a Ukrainian flag, also urged Congress to bolster already broad sanctions on Russia, including on its oil and gas sector - a move some US lawmakers have also called for as the war in Ukraine intensifies.

But the White House has ruled this out so far, fearing it might cause rising oil prices to go up even more and hurt US consumers stung by record inflation.

Zelensky also "made a desperate plea for Eastern European countries to provide Russian-made planes" that Ukrainians are trained to fly, Schumer said in a statement after the call, adding he would work to "help the administration to facilitate their transfer."

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham underscored that NATO countries had such warplanes.

"They are waiting to be delivered and apparently the United States is part of the problem not the solution," Graham said in a video posted on Twitter.

"With planes and drones, President Zelensky indicated that Ukraine would be a more effective fighting force. So let's get them the planes and drones they need."

Last week, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said EU countries were willing to send fighter jets to Ukraine.

But no planes have yet been delivered, with the countries concerned - Poland, Bulgaria and Slovakia - expressing hesitancy over the move//CNA

Major floods are still underway in some areas west of Sydney along the Hawkesbury River (Photo: AFP/Nikki Short) - 

Sydney, Australia's most populous city, braced for more rain on Sunday (Mar 6) after being drenched by heavy downpours over the past week, as the death toll from flooding across the eastern part of the country reached 17.

A wild weather system that dumped more than a year's worth of rainfall over a week in southern Queensland and northern New South Wales (NSW) brought widespread destruction, leaving thousands of people in the states displaced and sweeping away property, livestock and roads.

Seventeen people have been killed since the deluge began, including a Queensland woman, whose body was found on Saturday, according to police.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) of NSW said a new weather system could bring another round of heavy rains, raising the risks of flooding.

"The focus of the heaviest rainfall, and rivers at greatest risk, are those extending from greater Sydney to the Hunter and Manning Rivers, where moderate to major flooding is possible,” the BoM's flood watch said in a statement.

In Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, and surrounding areas the clean-up continued over the weekend after days of torrential rains that flooded several thousand properties//CNA

A bus carrying passengers crosses the Causeway linking Singapore and Malaysia on Nov 29, 2021. (Photo: AFP/Vincent Thian) - 

Malaysia's Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob has confirmed on Saturday (Mar 5) that the country's borders will be reopened soon. 

This will allow more Malaysians to spend time with their family members during Hari Raya Aidilfitri in May, he added.

The Malaysian government is in the process of implementing a Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) by land with Brunei and Thailand, to allow for travel to and from Malaysia with these two countries, said Mr Ismail Sabri. 

This will add to the existing VTL arrangement with Singapore. Another with Indonesia is still under planning. 

“To rejuvenate economic activities and tourism, especially in Johor, the federal government implemented the air and land VTL with Singapore on Jan 21 this year to facilitate the reunion of families separated by the COVID-19 pandemic," said Mr Ismail Sabri. 

“I was told that 200,000 Malaysians commute between Singapore and Johor.

"They no longer have to undergo compulsory quarantine at home after taking two health screening tests, once when leaving Singapore and again on arrival in Malaysia.”

Meanwhile, Malaysia's Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin reportedly said on Saturday that Mr Ismail Sabri is expected to announce the date of the reopening of borders next week. 

Mr Khairy said the Cabinet reached an agreement on the reopening at its meeting on Friday//CNA

Finland's Prime Minister Sanna Marin and her Swedish counterpart Magdalena Andersson speak to the media outside the Prime Minister's official residence, Kesaranta in Helsinki, Finland March 5, 2022. Roni Rekomaa/Lehtikuva/via REUTERS - 

Sweden and Finland will further strengthen their security cooperation in light of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the prime ministers of both countries said on Saturday, but they were non-committal on joining NATO.

"Russia's war against a sovereign European nation puts the European security order at risk. In this changing security environment, Finland and Sweden will further strengthen our cooperation," Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin told reporters in Helsinki at a joint news conference with Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson.

Sweden and Finland have strong historic ties and a close military cooperation, including joint drills and information sharing.

The invasion, called a "special military operation" by Russia, has also forced a quick change in attitude towards NATO in both countries, which are currently outside the NATO-alliance.

Polls in recent days showed a majority for joining NATO in both countries for the first time ever. Marin said it was "understandable" that more people in both Sweden and Finland now want to join NATO. [L2N2V712H]

"We are now having this discussion in Finland," Marin said. "We will have these discussions within parliament, with the president, within the government and between the parties."

In Sweden, the governing Social Democrats have long resisted calls from the centre-right opposition to join NATO. Andersson said it was natural that the discussion should come up again, but avoided questions on Sweden joining the military alliance.

"The security situation has been altered in a dramatic way," Andersson said. "I have met the party leaders from the other Swedish parties several times in the last week and we are discussing a number of issues," she said.

The two countries already have a close cooperation with NATO and are invited to all consultations on the Ukraine crisis. Secretary General Stoltenberg said in January they could join the alliance "very quickly" if they decided to apply for membership.

Finland's President Sauli Niinisto said on Friday the United States and Nordic countries would "initiate a clear process to step up defense and security cooperation" after a meeting with US President Biden that included a call to Magdalena Andersson//CNA