G7

Day 450 of the invasion of Ukraine. Summary of key events in the last 24 hours:

Under a gunmetal sky and driving rain, leaders of some of the world's most powerful nations gathered in Hiroshima on Friday to confront the horrors of nuclear weapons.

G7 leaders, including the heads of nuclear-armed Britain, France and the United States, arrived at the city's Peace Park to a sodden red carpet welcome from Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who is from Hiroshima.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak Thursday announced Japanese investment of more than $22 billion into the UK, but accepted carmakers' concern about Brexit trade rules as he confirmed talks with the European Union.    

Chinese President Xi Jinping will host a Central Asian summit on Thursday, seeking to build regional influence as G7 leaders hold a rival gathering in Japan.

Held in the ancient Chinese city of Xi'an, the historic eastern end of the Silk Road that linked China to Europe through Central Asia, this week's summit is of "milestone significance", Beijing has said.

President Joe Biden's departure Wednesday to the G7 in Japan was meant to launch a geostrategic masterclass on rallying the world's democracies against China. Instead, he will limp into an abruptly truncated journey facing concerns that the US debt ceiling row is about to tear up the global economy.

Ukraine hailed on Monday its advances around frontline Bakhmut and President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in London to seek fresh aid as expectations built over a spring offensive.

Ahead of Zelensky's talks with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Britain pledged "hundreds" of both air-defence missiles and long-range attack drones to fend off Russia's invasion.

The G7 plans to launch a partnership scheme to diversify supply chains this year, ministers from the group said Saturday following finance talks in Japan ahead of a major summit next week.    

The ministers did not directly mention efforts to reduce reliance on trade with China or Russia as motivation for the new framework, which focuses on clean energy technology.   

Day 419 of the invasion of Ukraine. Summary of key events in the last 24 hours:

A US diplomatic convoy was fired upon in Sudan, but those inside were unharmed, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday.

"I can confirm that yesterday we had an American diplomatic convoy that was fired on. All of our people are safe and unharmed. But this action was reckless, it was irresponsible and of course unsafe," he told reporters in Japan after G7 talks.

It was not peaceful in Ukraine even for Easter.
Russian forces continue their attacks in the direction of Liman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Maryinka.