While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, April 28

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss on Wednesday warned China that failure to play by global rules would cut short its rise as a superpower, and said the West should ensure that Taiwan can defend itself.

Renewing her call to boost Nato, Truss said moves to isolate Russia from the world economy in response to its invasion of Ukraine proved that market access to democratic countries was no longer a given.

"Countries must play by the rules. And that includes China," Truss said in a speech at Mansion House in London.

Britain, the world's sixth-largest economy, is dwarfed economically and militarily by China, but believes that via soft power and strategic alliances it can help persuade Beijing to play by the rules of a new, more dynamic international system.

The European Union warned Russia on Wednesday it would not bend to "blackmail" over its support for Kyiv, after the Kremlin cut off gas supplies to Bulgaria and Poland.

The warning came as UN chief Antonio Guterres arrived in Kyiv to meet Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky following talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow to expand humanitarian support and secure civilian evacuations.

Putin issued his own warning on Wednesday, saying that if Western forces intervene in Ukraine, they will face a "lightning-fast" military response, after telling Guterres on Tuesday that he still hoped negotiations with Kyiv would bear fruit.

Human rights lawyer Amal Clooney urged countries at the United Nations on Wednesday to focus on international justice for war crimes in Ukraine so evidence does not sit in storage - as it has done for victims of Islamic State (ISIS) in Iraq and Syria.

"Ukraine is, today, a slaughterhouse. Right in the heart of Europe," Clooney told an informal UN Security Council meeting on accountability in Ukraine, organised by France and Albania.

Clooney is part of an international legal task force advising Ukraine on securing accountability for Ukrainian victims in national jurisdictions and working with the Hague-based International Criminal Court.

An own goal and a Sadio Mane strike earned Liverpool a 2-0 victory in their Champions League semi-final first-leg against Villarreal on Wednesday, putting Juergen Klopp's side on course for their third European Cup final in five seasons.

After the drama of Tuesday's other semi-final, which saw Manchester City beat Real Madrid 4-3 at the Etihad, it was never going to be easy for this game to compete in the entertainment stakes.

But Liverpool did enough to build themselves a solid lead for Tuesday's return game in Spain where they will be confident of finishing off the job.

Disney on Wednesday unveiled the first trailer from Avatar: The Way Of Water, a long-delayed sequel to the highest-earning movie of all time, which James Cameron said aims to "push the limits of what cinema can do."

CinemaCon attendees in Las Vegas were invited to don 3D glasses and return to Pandora, with brief footage showing Na'vi characters swimming beneath the planet's oceans and soaring through its skies.

"I can assure you it's been well worth the wait," said Disney distribution chief Tony Chambers, confirming the film's name.