World News Roundup: Day after meeting, Blinken and Lavrov exchange diplomatic swipes; Iran president blames foreign enemies for wave of schoolgirl poisonings and more

The top diplomats from Moscow and Washington had both attended the Group of 20 foreign ministers gathering in the Indian capital earlier this week, and met in person for the first time since Russian forces invaded Ukraine a year ago. Russian mercenary boss says Bakhmut practically surrounded Russian troops and mercenaries were closing off the last access routes to the besieged Ukrainian city of Bakhmut on Friday, on the cusp of Moscow's first major victory in half a year after the bloodiest fighting of the war.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Day after meeting, Blinken and Lavrov exchange diplomatic swipes

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused the United States of hypocrisy after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Russia cannot be allowed to wage war in Ukraine with impunity, during a security forum they attended in New Delhi on Friday. The top diplomats from Moscow and Washington had both attended the Group of 20 foreign ministers gathering in the Indian capital earlier this week, and met in person for the first time since Russian forces invaded Ukraine a year ago.

Iran president blames foreign enemies for wave of schoolgirl poisonings

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Friday blamed a wave of poisonings of hundreds of schoolgirls around the country on Tehran's enemies. The so-far unexplained poison attacks at more than 30 schools in at least four cities started in November in Iran's Shi'ite Muslim holy city of Qom, prompting some parents to take their children out of school.

Russian mercenary boss says Bakhmut practically surrounded

Russian troops and mercenaries were closing off the last access routes to the besieged Ukrainian city of Bakhmut on Friday, on the cusp of Moscow's first major victory in half a year after the bloodiest fighting of the war. The head of Russia's Wagner private army said the city, which has been blasted to ruins, was now almost completely surrounded, with only one route out left open for Ukraine's troops.

Exclusive-France's Macron to host King Charles in first visit abroad as monarch

King Charles will travel to France on March 26-29 for his first state visit as Britain's monarch, the French presidency said on Friday, in a further sign of warming relations between Paris and London after years of bad blood over Brexit. The visit, which will feature a state dinner for Charles and Queen Consort Camilla at the Palace of Versailles, is a diplomatic coup for President Emmanuel Macron, who has sought to reset Franco-British relations after a series of disputes.

Ukrainians say they were pressured to register babies as Russian during occupation

The moment her granddaughter was born, Olha Lukina, 65, rushed to a registry office. It was one of the last still providing Ukrainian citizenship for newborns in the southern city of Kherson which was then under Russian occupation. Baby Kateryna became Ukraine's newest citizen that day in May, born into one of the country's darkest times.

Putin amends law to ensure state defence orders are properly met

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Friday enabling the state to suspend the directors and shareholders of any companies that fail to meet state defence contracts under conditions of martial law. The decree would allow the industry ministry to name a new external administrator to take over the running of such companies.

How China's new No.2 hastened the end of Xi's zero-COVID policy

As unprecedented protests against China's zero-COVID policies escalated in November, Li Qiang, the man recently elevated to No.2 on the ruling Communist Party's Politburo Standing Committee, seized the moment. Top Chinese officials and medical experts had been quietly formulating plans over the preceding weeks to dismantle President Xi Jinping's zero-COVID strategy and gradually reopen the country towards the end of 2022, with the aim of declaring a return to normality in March, four people with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

Philippines scrambles to contain oil spill and locate sunken fuel tanker

Environment and disaster authorities in the Philippines rushed to contain an oil spill on Friday from a sunken fuel tanker that has reached coastal towns on a large central island, warning of dangers to marine ecosystems if more oil leaks. The tanker, MT Princess Empress, was still missing on Friday after sinking en route to Iloilo province carrying about 800,000 litres (211,338 gallons) of industrial fuel oil.

Hungary to move Israel embassy to Jerusalem - Israeli media report

Hungary is to move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem next month in an act of support by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to his counterpart Benjamin Netahyahu, the Times of Israel reported on Friday. The move, if confirmed, would make Hungary the first member state of the European Union to open an embassy in Jerusalem, which Israel claims as its capital but which is not recognized as this by most countries and whose status under international law is disputed.

Tractors descend on Brussels in farmer protest over plans to limit nitrogen emissions

Farmers from Belgium's northern region of Flanders drove thousands of tractors into Brussels on Friday in a protest against a new regional government plan to limit nitrogen emissions. Local police estimated the amount of tractors clogging the streets of Brussels at 2,700. Many were decorated with big plaques reflecting the farmers' anger.

(With inputs from agencies.)