Monaco Journal - News from Monaco, Monte-Carlo and the world

Two dual UK-Iranian nationals have been released from custody, the authorities in Tehran said on Wednesday, ending a lengthy ordeal after years of diplomatic wrangling between the two countries over a cancelled defence deal.

Manchester United were established members of Europe's elite a decade ago but they have been reduced to the status of also-rans in the Premier League and even in their own city.

A hundred technicians are working under armed guard to maintain the defunct Chernobyl nuclear plant in northern Ukraine, held hostage for three weeks by Russian forces who seized the compound in the first hours of the invasion.

For teenager Gleb Gunko, war-torn Ukraine will be his first time in combat. But the cause is nothing new. As a Belarusian, he knows what it means to fight for freedom.

Stocks rallied Wednesday, helped by Ukraine peace hopes and China's pledge to help stabilise markets after recent routs, ahead of a keenly-awaited US interest rate decision.

From airlines in Nigeria to shoppers in Malawi, Africans are feeling the impact of the Ukraine crisis in wrenching increases in the price of fuel, grain and fertiliser.

Marco Odermatt became the first Swiss man to win the overall World Cup alpine skiing title since 2010 on Wednesday while Mikaela Shiffrin stretched her lead in the women''s standings.

The head of Russia's tech giant Yandex, Tigran Khudaverdyan, has resigned after being placed on a list of European sanctions.

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who has been held in Iran since 2016, was on Wednesday handed over to the UK authorities in Tehran, with her local MP in London saying she was on her way home.

Marco Odermatt became the first Swiss man to win the overall World Cup alpine skiing title since 2010 on Wednesday.

Ukraine on Wednesday dismissed Russian proposals to turn it into a neutral state, as the United States readied a huge package of military aid ahead of a historic address to Congress by Kyiv's defiant leader.

Russia is due to make an interest payment on its foreign debt Wednesday as sanctions over the Ukraine conflict have raised concerns that Moscow could default.

Marco Odermatt became the first Swiss man to win the overall World Cup alpine skiing title since 2010 on Wednesday.

Somalia has again pushed back the deadline for completing lower house elections, delaying until March 31 a process that is already more than a year overdue and has resulted in political sanctions.

Workers in PPE gear in Hong Kong carted the bodies of coronavirus victims into refrigerated shipping containers on Wednesday, as the city's morgues run out of space from a deadly Omicron surge.

Famed Russian pianist Boris Berezovsky has shocked the classical world after calling for pressure to be increased on Ukraine by cutting power to the capital Kyiv.

Skipper Babar Azam survived dropped catches off successive balls from Australian spinner Mitchell Swepson Wednesday to keep Pakistan in with a chance of a fighting draw on the fifth and final day of the second Test in Karachi.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson began lobbying Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to pump more oil to calm markets roiled by Russia's invasion of Ukraine as he met the Gulf states' leadership on Wednesday.

Trading in nickel resumed Wednesday on the London Metal Exchange after a lengthy pause linked to the Ukraine crisis but was quickly suspended again after a sharp fall.

Tokyo prosecutors said Wednesday they will appeal a court ruling in which former Nissan executive Greg Kelly was handed a six-month suspended sentence for helping disgraced auto tycoon Carlos Ghosn.

Asian equities rallied Wednesday after their recent rout, with Hong Kong leading the way after Chinese authorities pledged to provide support and stability to the country's troubled markets.

Captain Pat Cummins dismissed opener Abdullah Shafique four runs short of a century Wednesday to give Australia a long-awaited breakthrough on the fifth and final day of the second Test against Pakistan in Karachi.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was to lobby Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to pump more oil to calm turbulent markets as he meets the Gulf states' leadership on Wednesday.

Japan manager Hajime Moriyasu told his players to finish the job and clinch qualification for the World Cup after naming his squad Wednesday for next week's clash against Australia.

Images of Ukrainian troops carrying Javelin missile launchers on their shoulders have flashed around the world, making the anti-tank weapon -- capable of piercing the most sophisticated armor, and particularly useful in guerrilla warfare -- a symbol of Ukrainian resistance to Russia's invasion.

Hong Kong will close most of the city's beaches, leader Carrie Lam said Wednesday, after photos of maskless residents enjoying sun and surf sparked outrage in mainland China.

The United States homeland security secretary on Tuesday signed a deal to address migration in Central America during a visit to Costa Rica.

England skittled India to keep their faltering Women's Cricket World Cup defence alive on Wednesday, but not before a brittle batting display chasing a small target produced some nervous moments.

Spain's Paula Badosa kept her Indian Wells WTA title defense on track Tuesday, holding off determined Canadian Leylah Fernandez to reach the quarter-finals in the California desert.

The Mediterranean's first offshore wind farm is rising from the shallows off Italy, its turbines a symbol of hope for a Europe suffering an energy crisis exacerbated by war.

The United States is set to unveil a fresh round of security assistance to Ukraine Wednesday, a White House official said, as Western leaders faced mounting pressure to stop Russia's bombardment of civilians and peace talks made halting progress.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has revealed the "shaking foundation" of democracy, Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei said as he unveiled what he said was the biggest retrospective of his work to date.