• Professional clubs want to oust RFL chair Simon Johnson
• Governing body says any such move would breach rules

The Rugby Football League has warned clubs that an attempt to sideline the sport’s governing body and replace its chair could have “catastrophic financial consequences” after taking legal advice to stave off a planned revolt.

Rugby league’s professional clubs will assemble in March to consider a proposal put forward by the Super League club Leigh Leopards and Championship side Batley Bulldogs, which calls for the immediate removal of Simon Johnson, after a purported loss of confidence in the direction of the governing body.

Russian bombs hit Ukraine, protests in Greece, prayers for the Pope and Milan fashion week: the past seven days as captured by the world’s leading photojournalists

• Warning: this gallery contains images that some readers may find distressing

Participants commit to not spending money for 24 hours to resist Trump administration and Musk’s cuts

• Don’t let a billionaire’s algorithm control what you read. Download our free app to get trusted reporting.

On Friday, Americans across the country are participating in an economic boycott for 24 hours.

Organized by the People’s Union USA, a nonpartisan, grassroots organization, the boycott quickly picked up steam across social media, with thousands of users sharing posts with related hashtags. Participants are asked not to spend any money, and if they need to, it is recommended that they shop at a local, small business and pay in cash.

A cold reality hit us in Washington. Zelenskyy was being forced to buy hope of survival by people who have no care for our freedom

It’s warming up in Kyiv. The temperature has risen from -5C to 4C. Sometimes, the sun peeps through breaks in the clouds, but Kyivites are not much cheered by the sunshine. They are not watching for signs of spring as they usually do at this time of year. The atmosphere in the city and in the country as a whole has been one of nervous expectation. This was not an expectation of an end to military action or the signing of a peace treaty with Russia – nothing so specific. Indeed, it was not at all clear what we were waiting for, but it was something connected with Donald Trump and the change in US policy towards Ukraine.

Clarity emerged at today’s macabre theatre at the White House: handshakes, a thumbs up and some fist pumps from the US president, before Trump sat side by side with Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss a minerals-for-war-support deal and to humiliate him. At the same time, air raid sirens were sounding in northern and eastern Ukraine. Soon the talks were off and Zelenskyy was gone.

Andrey Kurkov is a Ukrainian novelist and the author of Death and the Penguin

Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.