World News Roundup: Sri Lanka promises impartial probe after the first death in weeks of protests; The number of refugees fleeing the Ukraine war exceeds 5 million-UN agency and more

Thousands of Russian troops backed by artillery and rocket barrages were attempting to advance elsewhere in what Ukrainian officials call the Battle of the Donbas - a push by Moscow to seize two eastern provinces it claims on behalf of separatists. Marine commander in Mariupol appeals for help, Ukraine tries to evacuate civilians A Ukrainian marine commander in the besieged city of Mariupol said his troops may be able to hold out for only a few hours longer as Ukraine tried to evacuate 6,000 women, children and elderly people on Wednesday.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Sri Lanka promises impartial probe after the first death in weeks of protests

Sri Lankan police will launch an "impartial and transparent" investigation of clashes with protesters after the first death in weeks of unrest over the government's handling of the economy, the president said on Wednesday. Police fired live ammunition to scatter protesters on Tuesday in the town of Rambukkana, northeast of the capital Colombo, killing one person and wounding a dozen.

The number of refugees fleeing the Ukraine war exceeds 5 million-UN agency

The number of people fleeing Ukraine to escape Russia's invasion has passed 5 million in Europe's worst refugee crisis since the end of World War Two, the U.N. refugee agency said on Wednesday. Russia's invasion has triggered a massive displacement of people in the nearly eight weeks since it began, including more than 7 million Ukrainians within the country. U.N. data showed that 5.03 million had fled Ukraine as of Wednesday.

Russia's defense ministry seeks greater secrecy on military deaths in Ukraine

The Russian defense ministry has proposed that relatives of soldiers killed in Ukraine should have to apply to military rather than civilian authorities for compensation payments, imposing an extra level of secrecy around its war losses. Russia already classifies military deaths as state secrets even in times of peace and has not updated its official casualty figures in Ukraine for nearly four weeks.

No surrender in Mariupol as the Russian deadline expires

A Russian ultimatum to Ukrainian troops in Mariupol to surrender or die expired on Wednesday afternoon with no mass capitulation, but the commander of a unit believed to be holding out in the besieged city said his forces could survive just days or hours. Thousands of Russian troops backed by artillery and rocket barrages were attempting to advance elsewhere in what Ukrainian officials call the Battle of the Donbas - a push by Moscow to seize two eastern provinces it claims on behalf of separatists.

Marine commander in Mariupol appeals for help, Ukraine tries to evacuate civilians

A Ukrainian marine commander in the besieged city of Mariupol said his troops may be able to hold out for only a few hours longer as Ukraine tried to evacuate 6,000 women, children, and elderly people on Wednesday. Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boichenko urged civilians to leave, saying 90 buses were waiting to head into what is left of the devastated city under a preliminary agreement with Russia - the first in weeks - on establishing a safe corridor.

Fifty years on, Norway apologizes for law that criminalized gay sex

The Norwegian government formally apologized to gay men on Wednesday for a law that once criminalized sexual intercourse between men. Some 119 individuals were convicted and sent to jail between 1902 and 1950 under a law that was abolished 22 years later, on April 21, 1972.

Macron, Le Pen face off in crucial election debate

French President Emmanuel Macron and far-right challenger Marine Le Pen will face off on Wednesday in a debate which could be decisive in the tight race to decide who will run the country for the next five years. For Le Pen, who is behind Macron in opinion polls ahead of Sunday's vote, it is all about showing that she has the stature to be president and convincing more voters that they should not fear seeing the far-right in power.

IMF open to emergency financing for nations facing food insecurity

The International Monetary Fund is open to providing emergency financing to help vulnerable countries with food security issues, or additional funding under existing lending programs, a senior IMF official said Wednesday. Vitor Gaspar, director of the IMF's Fiscal Affairs Department, told a news conference that food security was a critical issue at this week's meetings of IMF and World Bank members, with additional financing needed by some nations, especially those already facing debt distress.

Shanghai hopes the COVID tide turning, with fewer cases outside quarantine areas

China's commercial capital of Shanghai reported no new COVID-19 infections outside quarantine areas in two districts on Wednesday, fanning hopes that the tide is turning in its pandemic battle, as some factories began to return to work. State media trumpeted the resumption of production by electric car company Tesla Inc at its Shanghai plant on Tuesday, after a halt of more than three weeks.

Moscow has deported 500,000 people to Russia, Ukraine lawmaker says

Moscow has deported 500,000 people from Ukraine to Russia, a leading member of the parliament in Kyiv told European lawmakers on Wednesday, calling on the Red Cross to establish contact with those missing. "Half a million of Ukrainian citizens were deported from Ukraine to the Russian Federation without agreement from their side," said Mykyta Poturayev, the head of the Ukrainian parliament's humanitarian committee.