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Scholz 'irritated' by Kyiv's snub to German president

Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Wednesday he was "irritated" by Kyiv's rejection of a proposed visit by Germany's president, a snub that has ruffled diplomatic feathers at a time when the war-hit nation is seeking more weapons from Berlin.

Palestinian rights lawyer killed in Israel West Bank clashes

A Palestinian lawyer was killed Wednesday, the fifth day of Israeli raids in the West Bank following deadly attacks in the Jewish state, amid heightened tensions after a flashpoint religious site was vandalised.

Ukraine conflict death toll: what we know

Russia's invasion of Ukraine is grinding towards the beginning of its third month and with Moscow's military advance and negotiations largely stalled there seems no immediate end to the fighting.

US Treasury Secretary warns China over its stance on Russia

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned China on Wednesday that its lack of participation in the Western sanctions campaign against Russia could affect countries' willingness to work with Beijing.

Diplomatic battle rages at UNESCO over Russia meeting

A dispute has erupted at the UN cultural agency over Russia's hosting of its World Heritage Committee in just two months, which Western nations say they will boycott over the invasion of Ukraine.

Finland to decide on NATO membership 'within weeks'

Rattled by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Finland's prime minister said Wednesday the Nordic nation would decide whether to apply for NATO membership "within weeks", despite the risk of infuriating Moscow.

UK Tory MPs hold Johnson's political fate in their hands

Boris Johnson has survived the initial fallout from becoming the first British prime minister to be fined for breaking the law, but his long-term position remains precarious, analysts said Wednesday.

UN warns of trafficking as 40,000 more flee Ukraine

More than 40,000 more Ukrainian refugees fled in 24 hours, the United Nations said Wednesday, as it warned of traffickers seeking to exploit vulnerable women and children on the move.

Palestinian lawyer killed in Israel West Bank clashes

A Palestinian rights lawyer was killed in clashes Wednesday close to Nablus, the fifth day of Israeli operations in the West Bank following a spate of attacks in the Jewish state, Palestinian officials said.

Kyiv wants Scholz visit and German arms: Zelensky aide

A top aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday said Kyiv wanted German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to visit and pledge more arms deliveries, explaining a snub to Berlin's head of state.

Russian gas stop promises 'sharp recession' for Germany

An immediate end to Russian energy imports would send Germany into "sharp recession" next year, the country's leading economic institutes said in a forecast published Wednesday.

Work scheme gives refugees in Britain a fresh start

Eritrean asylum seeker Hanna Araya sells freshly baked bread during the lunchtime rush at a London market -- as he waits to see if she can remain in the UK.

Dry streets as Myanmar boycotts water festival to protest junta

Myanmar marked its normally boisterous new year water festival with silence and boycotts on Wednesday, as fighting between the military and opponents of the coup raged across the country.

Australia asks Solomon Islands to not sign China security pact

Australia on Wednesday asked Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare to not sign a controversial security pact with China.

Uprooted by war, savvy young Ukrainians conjure up cafe

Steaming milk with a borrowed coffee maker, 19-year-old Ukrainian barista Ivan Denchenko rushed to make enough Americanos and lavender lattes for a growing line of customers.

Hong Kong leadership candidate says one-horse race 'not easy'

Hong Kong's former security chief said it was "not easy" to run as the only candidate to become the city's next leader, as he announced on Wednesday that he had secured enough nominations to enter the poll.

Mariupol's tunnel warriors seek to slow Russian onslaught

As Russian forces close in on the southern Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, a small number of resistance fighters hope to slow them down using a tunnel system below a vast industrial site as their base.

Dynamo Kyiv kick off fund-raising tour for Ukraine war victims

Dynamo Kyiv, Ukraine's most successful football club, began a tour of Europe to help raise funds for the war-torn country with a friendly against Legia Warsaw in Poland on Tuesday.

Brazil's Lula slams Bolsonaro indigenous policies

Brazilian ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva vowed Tuesday to undo current President Jair Bolsonaro's policies on indigenous people if elected, branding his rival a "fascist" aligned with "those who want to kill our forests."

Fears rise in Ukraine of use of chemical weapons

The United States said Tuesday it has "credible information" that Russia may use "chemical agents" in its offensive to take the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol, reigniting concerns about the use of such prohibited weapons.

Civilians escape east Ukraine cities as Russian assault looms

By bus and train, residents keep streaming out of east Ukraine's Kramatorsk and Sloviansk as fears grow the cities will be key targets of a major new Russian offensive.

Johnny Depp became 'monster' on drug and alcohol, court hears

"Pirates of the Caribbean" star Johnny Depp physically and sexually abused his then-wife Amber Heard during drug- and alcohol-fueled binges in which he became a "monster," her lawyers told a court on Tuesday.

Pressure mounts on Berlin as Kyiv snubs German president

Pressure was mounting on Germany to up its game over the war in Ukraine on Tuesday as Kyiv snubbed the country's president and Chancellor Olaf Scholz was accused of a weak response to the crisis.

Russia closes in on Mariupol as Putin strikes defiant tone

Russian troops on Tuesday intensified a campaign to take the port city of Mariupol, part of an anticipated massive onslaught across eastern Ukraine, as President Vladimir Putin made a defiant case for the war on Russia's neighbour.

Domestic abuse charges 'devastating' for Johnny Depp's career: lawyers

Allegations of domestic abuse levelled against Johnny Depp by Amber Heard have had a "devastating" impact on his career, his lawyers said Tuesday at the opening of the actor's defamation case against his former wife.

Bloody, uncertain struggle awaited for supremacy in east Ukraine

While Russia appears to have abandoned for now its aim of pushing deep into the heart Ukraine, its new declared goal of taking control of much the east of the country still risks a protracted and bloody conflict.

Last hostages free after long-running DR Congo mediation drama

The last four members of a team that went to northeast DR Congo to mediate with an armed group who then took them hostage are now free, their spokesman said Tuesday.

Macron defends pensions shift as French campaign brawl heats up

The French presidential fight shifted into higher gear Tuesday as Emmanuel Macron defended his sudden willingness to soften a pensions overhaul he has pushed for years, drawing accusations of a "ploy" to lure left-leaning voters from his far-right rival Marine Le Pen.

UK's Johnson, Sunak fined over illegal lockdown-busting parties

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and finance minister Rishi Sunak are to be fined for breaching Covid-19 lockdown laws in what has become known as the "Partygate" scandal, prompting calls on Tuesday for their resignation.

Stocks mixed as US inflation jumps to four-decade high

Stock markets diverged on Tuesday as investors digested official data showing US inflation hit a four-decade high in March, raising expectations the Federal Reserve will act more aggressively to tame prices.

Ukraine crisis pushes US inflation to new four-decade high

Americans paid more for gasoline, food and other essentials last month amid an ongoing wave of record inflation that Russia's invasion of Ukraine made worse, according to government data released Tuesday.

Ukraine war fuels 'overlapping crises': World Bank's Malpass

The Russian war on Ukraine has set off a chain reaction in the global economy with rising energy and food prices that will worsen poverty and hunger and exacerbate debt concerns, World Bank President David Malpass said Tuesday.

More than 4.6 million flee war in Ukraine: UN

More than 4.6 million Ukrainians have now fled the war, the United Nations said Tuesday, though the smaller numbers of new refugees are arriving in a more vulnerable condition.

Afghans protest against Iranian 'cruelties' in Taliban-approved demo

Dozens of Afghans protested Tuesday against Iranian "cruelties" after videos appearing to show refugees being beaten circulated widely over the weekend.

Stock markets retreat before US inflation data

European stocks sank Tuesday as investors awaited the latest reading on rampant US inflation.

Clashes rock W.Bank as Palestinian attacker killed in Israel

Fresh clashes between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian militants rocked the West Bank city of Jenin on Tuesday as a Palestinian stabbed a police officer in Israel before being shot dead.

Macron's camp defends backtrack on French pension reform

President Emmanuel Macron's allies scrambled on Tuesday to defend his willingness to soften a pensions overhaul in the face of widespread resistance, a move which his far-right rival Marine Le Pen denounced as a "ploy" in the final sprint to the presidential run-off.

Ukraine war set to push record US inflation even higher

US government data will on Tuesday likely confirm what many Americans already suspected: prices continued to rise at record rates last month, continuing a phenomenon that began last year but which has been exacerbated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

As EU eyes stopping Russian gas imports, Israel sees an opening

As Europe aims to wean itself off Russian fossil fuel because of the Ukraine invasion, Israel hopes to help fill the gap with gas from its offshore reserves.

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