WORLD

"Among other things, we called for a de-escalation of fighting and for negotiations to commence with urgency; for the release of prisoners of war and return of children; for greater humanitarian support; and for reconstruction efforts to be prioritized," South African President Cyril Ramaphosa recalled.

The UK will back Ukraine's economy to the tune of $3 billion over the next three years while it fights back against Russian forces, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced on Tuesday.

US President Joe Biden equated his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping with "dictators" on Tuesday as he addressed a Democratic Party donors reception in the presence of journalists.

The United States on Tuesday pressed its call for military communication channels with China despite that request being rebuffed during Secretary of State Antony Blinken's trip to Beijing over the weekend.

Tunisians hoping to buy a sheep to slaughter for Islam's Eid al-Adha festival next week are facing much higher prices because of a drought, adding to public anxiety at an economic crisis that looks set to worsen.

The headquarters of the Paris 2024 Olympics organising committee and those of its infrastructure partner were being searched by police on Tuesday as part of investigations into alleged embezzlement of public funds and favouritism, prosecutors said.

Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin complained on Tuesday that most of his fighters had not yet received medals promised by President Vladimir Putin for their role in the Ukraine war's bloodiest battle, the latest twist in a feud with the top brass.

Chinese imports of Russian oil last month hit their highest level since Moscow's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Beijing's customs data showed Tuesday.

A presidential statement issued late Monday said Tinubu made the appointments after sacking all the incumbent military service chiefs and advisers, as well as the national police chief and head of the customs service, "with immediate effect."

"This kind of cooperation will definitely be of great value and help us as a country to enhance our skills and be able to deal with the cybercrimes in the country," South African minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Ronald Lamola, said.

"While Cyril Ramaphosa is an incompetent and corrupt buffoon of imperialism who is incapable of taking a firm stance on the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the South African state and our sovereignty was undermined through him," EFF party said.

A European Union report will this week say that Ukraine has met two out of seven conditions to start membership negotiations, two EU sources said, with the bloc's executive set to highlight progress made despite the war triggered by Russia's invasion.

The U.N. World Food Programme hopes to resume some food aid distribution in Ethiopia as soon as next month once it has received greater control over how beneficiaries are selected, a senior WFP official said on Monday.

Ukraine has prepared an array of new military units for its long-anticipated counteroffensive this summer, while its established brigades weathered Russia's winter offensive in the east.

The US Coast Guard said late Monday that its search for a missing submersible vessel near the Titanic wreck had been completed for the day, but that a national guard unit and the company operating the five-passenger underwater mission would continue scouring the surface overnight.

Ukraine's Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said the "biggest blow" in Kyiv's military campaign is yet to come, but admitted the operation is difficult as Russia throws all it can to stop the offensive.

The artillerymen of Ukraine's 67th infantry brigade are delighted with the U.S.-supplied M119 howitzer amid an increase in military exchanges south of the Russian-held town of Kreminna.

China's central bank on Tuesday cut two benchmark interest rates, following several similar measures in recent days in a bid to counter the post-Covid growth slowdown in the world's second-largest economy.

International donors made pledges on Monday of close to $1.5 billion in aid for Sudan and the surrounding region, about half of estimated needs for a deepening humanitarian crisis that has driven some 2.2 million people from their homes.

President Joe Biden said on Monday the threat of Russian President Vladimir Putin using tactical nuclear weapons is "real", days after denouncing Russia's deployment of such weapons in Belarus.

Scientists have used stem cells to create structures that resemble human embryos in the lab, in a first that has prompted calls for stricter regulation in the rapidly advancing field.

Police spokesman Fred Enanga said the death toll was now 42, including 37 students.

War-torn Ukraine is seeking up to $40 billion to fund the first part of a "Green Marshall Plan" to rebuild its economy, a senior Ukrainian government official told Reuters ahead of a summit this week.

Ukraine confirmed on Monday it had driven Russian forces from an eighth village in its two-week-old counteroffensive in a heavily fortified part of the front line on the most direct route to the country's Azov Sea coast.

The European Union and Kenya signed a trade deal Monday in a coup for Brussels as it seeks deeper economic ties with Africa in the face of competition from China.

During the meeting, an agreement regarding Cyber Forensic investigations and the Fight Against Corruption between South Africa and France will be signed by the minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Ronald Lamola, and Colonna.

"This will be a right step towards a just, fair, more inclusive and representative global architecture and governance. (The) prime minister is a strong believer in having a greater voice of the Global South countries on international platforms, particularly of African countries," an Indian official said.

Voting concluded in Mali on Sunday on a new constitution in the ruling junta's first electoral test, with insecurity and political disagreement preventing voting in some areas.

Mali's unexpected demand for the departure of U.N.