The International Olympic Committee (IOC) sanctioned Russia and Belarus after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 but is now reluctant to exclude their athletes from the Olympics entirely for fear of a return to the boycotts of the Cold War era.

March 23 (Reuters) - The United States and Canada have reached a deal that would allow for the closure of an unofficial border crossing between New York state and the province of Quebec, but the final details still need to be worked out, a Canadian government source familiar with the talks told Reuters.

WASHINGTON, March 23 (Reuters) - Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Thursday the United States was looking at ways to strengthen its sanctions against Iran, but acknowledged the sanctions had not resulted in the behavioral or policy changes Washington desires from Tehran.

Novak Djokovic said he had no regrets about missing tournaments at Indian Wells and Miami due to his Covid-19 vaccination status but hoped that he would be allowed into the United States later this year for the US Open.

BRUSSELS, March 20 (Reuters) - European Union member states have reached an agreement on the joint procurement of ammunition for Ukraine, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said on the sidelines of a meeting with his EU counterparts in Brussels on Monday.

"Today, we will sign the respective documents," he told reporters, adding Germany would also open its national framework contracts with the defense industry to other partners as speed was of the essence in supplying Kyiv.

"While the IOC has made no final decisions yet, we strongly urge it to reconsider its plans and return to the original well-proven stance supported by the international community," the Polish statement said.

"We strongly believe that now is not the time to consider the opening up of a pathway for Russian and Belarusian athletes to return to the Olympic Games in any status," the Polish foreign ministry said in a statement issued jointly with Britain, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.

BRUSSELS, March 20 (Reuters) - European Union member states have agreed to supply one million rounds of artillery ammunition to Ukraine, Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur said on the sidelines of a meeting with his EU counterparts in Brussels on Monday.

WARSAW, March 27 (Reuters) - Russian and Belarusian athletes should be banned from the 2024 Olympics in Paris unless Moscow pulls its forces out of Ukraine, according to Poland, Britain and the Baltic states, despite the IOC saying it plans to let them compete as neutrals.