Reuters World News Summary

When asked about the risk of a new Russian assault on the city, which Ukraine's defence ministry recently warned of, Terekhov said that Ukrainian forces were focused and ready to defend the city. Ukraine rights group tells top U.N. body that rape used as weapon of war The United Nations is increasingly hearing accounts of rape and sexual violence in Ukraine, a senior U.N. official told the Security Council on Monday, as a Ukrainian human rights group accused Russian troops of using rape as a weapon of war.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Russia says West helping Ukraine prepare fake allegations of war crimes

Moscow said on Monday that the United States and Britain were helping Ukraine prepare fake claims about the alleged persecution of civilians in Ukraine to feed to international media in an attempt to smear Russia. Since Russian troops withdrew from towns and villages around the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, Ukrainian troops have been showing journalists corpses of what they say are civilians killed by Russian forces, destroyed houses and burnt-out cars.

Australian prime minister vows to create million new jobs in election pitch

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Tuesday put jobs at the forefront of his election campaign, promising to create 1.3 million more over the next five years after his main rival fumbled questions about the unemployment rate. Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese on Monday - on day one of the campaign - failed to answer to questions from reporters about Australia's interest rates and jobless numbers in an election set to focus on wage growth and cost-of-living pressures.

Macron, Le Pen battle out on cost of living in heated runoff campaign

Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen traded blows at a distance on Monday over who would best protect French voters' purchasing power, kicking off a tense fight to win the presidential election runoff on April 24. Macron, a pro-European centrist who became president in 2017 after easily beating Le Pen when voters rallied behind him to keep the far-right out of power, is facing a much tougher challenge this time.

Chile announces unprecedented water rationing plan as drought enters 13th year

As a punishing, record-breaking drought enters its 13th year, Chile on Monday announced an unprecedented plan to ration water for the capital of Santiago, a city of nearly 6 million. "A city can't live without water," Claudio Orrego, the governor of the Santiago metropolitan region, said in a press conference. "And we're in an unprecedented situation in Santiago's 491-year history where we have to prepare for there to not be enough water for everyone who lives here."

Ukraine girds for Russian offensive in the east

Ukraine said on Monday it expects Russia to begin an offensive soon in the eastern Donbas region as Moscow shifts its focus to seizing territory there after its invasion force was driven from the gates of Kyiv this month. Russia's main target in Donbas is the port of Mariupol, where thousands are believed to have died under a near-seven week siege. Russia is amassing thousands of troops in the area for a new assault, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said.

Biden to Modi: Buying more Russian oil is not in India's interest

President Joe Biden told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that buying more oil from Russia was not in India's interest and could hamper the U.S. response to the war in Ukraine, U.S. officials said. Starting an hour-long video call U.S. officials described as "warm" and "candid," Biden and Modi both publicly expressed growing alarm at the destruction inside Ukraine, especially in Bucha, where many civilians have been killed.

Exclusive-Brazil invites EU for the first time to observe its national election

Brazil's top election authority, the Supreme Electoral Court (TSE), told Reuters on Monday it has invited the European Union for the first time to observe its general elections this year, when President Jair Bolsonaro will seek re-election. Bolsonaro has questioned the validity https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/brazils-bolsonaro-escalates-rhetoric-over-electoral-fraud-2021-07-29 of Brazil's electronic voting system and made baseless allegations https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/bolsonaro-directly-spread-disinformation-brazils-voting-system-police-report-2021-12-17 of fraud in the 2018 race, stirring https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/attacked-by-bolsonaro-brazils-top-judges-say-electronic-voting-is-free-fraud-2021-08-02 concerns https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/biden-envoy-told-brazils-bolsonaro-important-not-undermine-elections-source-2021-08-08 that he may not accept the results https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/brazils-bolsonaro-says-may-not-accept-2022-election-under-current-voting-system-2021-07-07 of the October election.

Ukraine says tens of thousands killed in Mariupol, accuses Russia of abuses

Ukraine on Monday said tens of thousands of people have likely been killed in Russia's assault on the southeastern city of Mariupol while the country's rights ombudswoman accused Russian forces in the region of torture and executions. Reuters has confirmed widespread destruction in Mariupol but could not verify the alleged crimes or the estimate of those killed in the strategic city, which lies between Russian-annexed Crimea and eastern areas of Ukraine held by Russian-backed separatists.

Multiple casualties after shelling of Ukraine's Kharkiv, mayor tells TV

Ukraine's eastern city of Kharkiv came under heavy shelling on Monday, causing multiple casualties including one dead child, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said in a televised interview. When asked about the risk of a new Russian assault on the city, which Ukraine's defence ministry recently warned of, Terekhov said that Ukrainian forces were focused and ready to defend the city.

Ukraine rights group tells top U.N. body that rape used as weapon of war

The United Nations is increasingly hearing accounts of rape and sexual violence in Ukraine, a senior U.N. official told the Security Council on Monday, as a Ukrainian human rights group accused Russian troops of using rape as a weapon of war. Kateryna Cherepakha, president of La Strada-Ukraine, said her organization's emergency hotlines had received calls accusing Russian soldiers of nine cases of rape, involving 12 women and girls.