Rebels from Ethiopia's Oromia region on Wednesday accused the government of launching a large-scale military offensive against them after peace talks between the two sides ended without agreement.. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government and the OLA -- which was designated a "terrorist group by Addis Ababa in 2021 -- launched peace talks in Tanzania's semi-autonomous region of Zanzibar in late April.
President Volodymyr Zelensky was expected on Wednesday to receive a special envoy from China who arrived in Kyiv to promote Beijing-led negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.. China's special envoy, Li Hui, arrived in the Ukrainian capital on Tuesday for two days of talks with authorities, part of a European tour to promote Beijing's plan to settle the conflict with Russia.
Johnny Depp hit back on Wednesday against years of negative press, telling the Cannes Film Festival that most of the stories about him were "fantastically, horrifically written fiction".. Depp lost his part in the Harry Potter spin-off "Fantastic Beasts" films after his ex-wife Amber Heard accused him of domestic abuse.
Turkey's opposition tried on Wednesday to recover from a crushingly disappointing election performance and launch a new attack aimed at beating President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a May 28 runoff.. Analysts believe Erdogan tried to prop up the lira ahead of elections through indirect market interventions that drained Turkey's hard currency reserves.
Heavy rains caused devastation across Italy's northern Emilia Romagna region, killing at least two people, as officials warned Wednesday more floods could follow.. It was fresh misery for an area hit by heavy rain just a fortnight ago, causing floods which left two dead.
European leaders on Wednesday hailed a new "register of damage" for Ukraine they signed on to as "historic" and a first step to making Russia pay for its war.. The register of damage, also to be lodged in The Hague, with a satellite office in Ukraine, will detail war-time claims of harm and destruction wrought by Russia.
French forces tried to use a journalist's visit to northern Mali to track a jihadist leader but failed to prevent the reporter from being kidnapped by the militants, French media reported Wednesday.. Based on French and Malian judicial documents from the probe, the report said a fixer working with Dubois had informed France's anti-jihadist Barkhane force of his plans to interview a jihadist leader.
The United Nations on Wednesday said $3.03 billion would be needed to provide urgent aid in conflict-ravaged Sudan and for over one million expected to flee into neighbouring countries this year.. - 'Regional crisis' - The UN said $2.56 billion is now expected to be needed to provide assistance inside Sudan -- up from $1.75 billion estimated at the end of last year.
Floods caused by heavy rains in Italy's northern Emilia Romagna region have killed two people, authorities said on Wednesday, as local mayors warned residents they were still in danger.. It urged "maximum caution" on Twitter, as mayors warned people to stay on high ground.
An arsonist may have ignited the hostel blaze that killed at least six people in New Zealand's capital, police said on Wednesday, as they opened a homicide investigation.. "It is being treated as a homicide investigation."
