World News Roundup: Putin warns the West: Russia is ready for nuclear war; Biden, Trump clinch nominations, kicking off bruising presidential rematch and more

Russia and Ukraine have both used drones to strike critical infrastructure, military installations and troop concentrations in their more than two-year war, with Kyiv stepping up attacks on Russian refineries and energy facilities in recent months. Britain to offer failed asylum seekers 3,000 pounds to move to Rwanda The British government is planning to pay asylum seekers up to 3,000 pounds ($3,836) each to move to Rwanda under a voluntary plan to help clear the backlog of refugees who have had their applications to remain in the country rejected.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Ukrainian drones damage Russian oil refineries in second day of attacks

Ukraine struck Russian oil refineries in a second day of heavy drone attacks on Wednesday, causing a fire at Rosneft's biggest refinery in what President Vladimir Putin said was an attempt to disrupt his country's presidential election this week. Russia and Ukraine have both used drones to strike critical infrastructure, military installations and troop concentrations in their more than two-year war, with Kyiv stepping up attacks on Russian refineries and energy facilities in recent months.

Britain to offer failed asylum seekers 3,000 pounds to move to Rwanda

The British government is planning to pay asylum seekers up to 3,000 pounds ($3,836) each to move to Rwanda under a voluntary plan to help clear the backlog of refugees who have had their applications to remain in the country rejected. The new agreement with Rwanda is separate from the government's stalled plan to forcibly deport most asylum seekers to the East African country, which was last year ruled unlawful by the UK's Supreme Court.

Tides hamper search for Taiwanese citizen after boat capsize off Jakarta

High tides hampered Indonesian rescue teams searching for a Taiwanese passport holder still missing after a passenger boat capsized in waters off the capital Jakarta on Monday, state media reported on Wednesday. The boat, carrying 35 people, capsized near the Kepulauan Seribu area of Jakarta after the vessel was hit by a wave, Indonesia's search and rescue authority said. All on board were rescued except the 46-year-old.

Putin warns the West: Russia is ready for nuclear war

President Vladimir Putin warned the West on Wednesday Russia was technically ready for nuclear war and that if the U.S. sent troops to Ukraine, it would be considered a significant escalation of the conflict. Putin, speaking just days before a March 15-17 election which is certain to give him another six years in power, said the nuclear war scenario was not "rushing" up and he saw no need for the use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine.

Biden, Trump clinch nominations, kicking off bruising presidential rematch

President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump both clinched their parties' nomination on Tuesday, kicking off the first U.S. presidential election rematch in nearly 70 years.

Biden needed 1,968 delegates to win the nomination, and he passed that number on Tuesday night as results began to come in from the primary contest in Georgia, Edison Research said. Results were also coming in from Mississippi, Washington state, the Northern Mariana Islands and Democrats living abroad.

Turkey, Iraq to hold high-level talks on security, energy in Baghdad, Ankara says

Senior officials from Turkey and Iraq will meet in Baghdad on Thursday to discuss energy cooperation, as well as security and defence matters, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday. Ties between the neighbours have been rocky in recent years as Ankara has ramped up cross-border operations against Kurdish PKK militants based in northern Iraq's mountainous regions. Iraq has said the operations violate its sovereignty, but Ankara says it must protect itself and has warned of a new incursion.

Israeli strike on car in south Lebanon kills Hamas member, Hamas source says

An Israeli drone strike on a car outside the southern Lebanese city of Tyre on Wednesday killed a member of Hamas from the nearby Palestinian camp of Rashidieh, Israeli and Hamas officials said. A Hamas source, speaking to Reuters, identified the member as Hadi Mustafa but said he was not a senior figure. Hamas's Al Aqsa television said Mustafa was a leader of the group's armed wing.

Israeli forces kill two Palestinians in West Bank raid after deadly night

Israeli forces killed two Palestinians during a raid in the occupied West Bank early on Wednesday, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported, bringing to five the number of Palestinians killed in different incidents within several hours. Yousef Nimer, a witness, said Israeli forces began firing at people he was sitting with outside a hospital in the city of Jenin as they were finishing Suhur, the final meal before sunrise during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

Exiled Navalny aide warned of danger hours before hammer attack

Hours before an assailant attacked him with a hammer and tear gas outside his home in Lithuania, the top aide to late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny told Reuters he and other exiles feared for their lives. Leaders of Navalny's organization knew they were facing "high individual risks", Leonid Volkov said in an interview filmed on Tuesday hours before an unidentified attacker assaulted him outside his home.

Japanese firm Space One's Kairos rocket explodes on inaugural flight

Kairos, a small, solid-fuel rocket made by Japan's Space One, exploded just seconds into its inaugural launch on Wednesday as the firm tried to become the first Japanese company to put a satellite in orbit. The setback for Space One and the rocket industry in Japan comes as the government and investors ramp up support for the sector amid a national security buildup and skyrocketing demand for commercial satellites.