WORLD

The annual rate of inflation in the United Kingdom shot up 7% in March, the highest level recorded since 1992, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Data released on Wednesday showed that the largest contributors to the trend were increased fuel prices and energy bills. The consumer price …

The world’s biggest independent oil trader, Vitol, expects to stop trading Russian crude by the end of this year, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday. Vitol “intends to cease trading Russian origin crude oil and product, unless directed otherwise,” Bloomberg quotes an email from the company spokesman, which goes on to say that …

Opposition leader Viktor Medvedchuk should be swiftly tried, sentenced and physically assaulted before an attempt is made to swap him for Ukrainian soldiers captured by Russia, an advisor to Ukraine’s interior minister told Ukrainian television on Wednesday. President Volodymyr Zelensky suggested an exchange after announcing the politician’s arrest on Tuesday. “At …

The World Bank’s President David Malpass said on Tuesday the lender is preparing a $1.5 billion support package for war-torn Ukraine. The loan will include a $1-billion payment from the development lender’s fund for the poorest countries. According to Malpass, who was speaking in Warsaw, the package was enabled by …

More than 1,000 service members of Ukraine’s 36th Marines Brigade have surrendered in the port city of Mariupol, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed on Wednesday during a daily briefing. According to a Russian military report, the troops laid down their arms at the Illich Steel and Iron Works, a giant …

Mutual trade between Russia and China amounted to nearly $38.2 billion (243.03 billion yuan) in the first three months of the current year, marking substantial growth of 27.8% in yuan terms compared to the same period a year ago. China’s exports to Russia surged 25.9% to $16.44 billion, while Russia’s …

French presidential candidate, Marine Le Pen, in an interview on Tuesday, raised her voice against imposing sanctions on Russia’s energy exports since, she believes, the French will have to pay dearly for those restrictions. Le Pen noted that she is not against anti-Russian sanctions in other sectors of the economy. …

Twitter investor, Marc Rasella, has accused the SpaceX founder and the world’s richest man, Elon Musk of making him lose money through “misleading statements” about his purchase of a large stake in Twitter on Tuesday. The plaintiff, who seeks class action status for his case on behalf of investors who …

Japan has been getting unofficial offers to become part of the AUKUS military bloc, which was formed last year by Australia, the UK and the US, the Sankei Shimbun newspaper reported on Tuesday. Several unnamed Japanese government officials told the paper that Tokyo has been informally approached on such a …

Ukrainian presidential adviser Mikhail Podolyak on Tuesday accused Russia of putting pressure on the peace talks process through making “certain public statements.” The remarks came after Russian President Vladimir Putin admitted the talks had run into a “deadlock.” “Negotiations are extremely difficult. Online in working subgroups. But they go on. …