While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, March 17
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US President Joe Biden speaks to reporters while calling Russian President Vladimir Putin a “war criminal".
PHOTO: REUTERS
Biden brands Putin 'a war criminal'
President Joe Biden labelled Vladimir Putin a "war criminal" on Wednesday after watching harrowing TV footage of the invasion of Ukraine, triggering an immediate angry riposte from Russia.
It was the first time Biden has used the phrase to describe Putin, and the US president then deepened his attack, tweeting that Putin was "inflicting appalling devastation and horror on Ukraine - bombing apartment buildings and maternity wards."
Referring to reports that Russian troops took hostage doctors and patients in a Mariupol hospital, Biden said that "these are atrocities. It is an outrage to the world".
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Biden was "speaking from his heart" after seeing images on television of "barbaric actions by a brutal dictator".
Russian forces have released Melitopol mayor, says Kyiv
The mayor of Ukraine's southern city of Melitopol has been released, the Ukrainian authorities said on Wednesday, days after Kyiv said he was abducted by invading Russian forces.
According to the Ukrainian president and parliament, mayor Ivan Fedorov was abducted on Friday by Russian soldiers occupying Melitopol, a city halfway between Mariupol and Kherson, because he "refused to cooperate with the enemy".
On Wednesday, a video posted on Telegram showed President Volodymyr Zelensky speaking to him on the phone and telling him he was "happy to hear the voice of a man alive".
Japan quake off Fukushima coast leaves two dead
A car dealership's window is broken following a strong earthquake in Koriyama, Fukushima prefecture.
PHOTO: REUTERS/KYODO
A powerful magnitude 7.3 earthquake jolted Japan's north-east coast off Fukushima on Wednesday, leaving two dead and 94 injured and reviving memories of a quake and tsunami that crippled the same region just over a decade earlier.
The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said on Thursday morning that there had been two confirmed deaths and 94 injured, including four seriously.
The quake was felt in Tokyo, some 275km away, where the shaking of buildings was long and pronounced.
WHO warns over soaring Covid-19 cases
Medical workers moving a Covid-19 patient at a medical centre in Seoul, South Korea.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
The World Health Organisation (WHO) voiced alarm on Wednesday that registered Covid-19 cases are once again rising globally, despite testing levels having dropped significantly.
After falling for weeks, reported Covid-19 cases rose globally by 8 per cent last week, with more than 11 million cases and over 43,000 new deaths registered, WHO said.
And in the Western Pacific region, new cases shot up last week by a full 29 per cent.
Liverpool beat Arsenal to cut Man City lead to a point
Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino (centre) and teammate Andrew Robertson celebrate after the match.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
A clinical Liverpool beat Arsenal 2-0 to cut Manchester City's once double-digit lead at the top of the Premier League table to a single point on Wednesday, leaving the title race wide open.
Arsenal, who had won their last five league games, had arguably dominated the first half, but the game tipped decisively early in a frenetic second half as Liverpool extended their own relentless run to nine straight wins.
Their breakthrough came just minutes after a misplaced backpass had almost gifted Arsenal a goal, when Portuguese Diogo Jota got ahead of the London side's defence on 54 minutes to beat goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale at his near post.
