* The EU should put together for the arrival of tens of millions of refugees as they flee conflict in Ukraine, the bloc’s high residence affairs official stated on Thursday, including that she anticipated governments to agree a brief safety scheme within the coming days.
* Leaders of the Quad group of nations – the USA, Japan, Australia and India – will maintain a beforehand unannounced on-line assembly on Thursday, India and Australia stated.
* The World Well being Group (WHO) warned on Wednesday that the continued Russia-Ukraine battle is prone to drive COVID-19 transmission ever larger and in flip enhance the chance of huge numbers of individuals growing extreme illness.
* Oil costs sped larger because the Ukraine conflict drove a mad sprint for assets in an ominous signal for international inflation, whereas Asian shares eked out positive aspects after reassuring feedback from the Federal Reserve helped Wall Road bounce.
* Finland’s President Sauli Niinisto will meet US President Joe Biden in Washington on Friday, Niinisto’s workplace stated on Thursday.
* The pinnacle of the Worldwide Atomic Power Company will go to Tehran on Saturday, the company confirmed on Thursday, elevating the prospect of progress on one of many final thorny points blocking a revival of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
* The World Well being Group doesn’t anticipate any rapid affect on vaccine provide to Africa from Russia-Ukraine battle, senior officers on the continent stated on Thursday.
* Progress in Eire’s companies sector accelerated sharply final month after the lifting of virtually all restrictions, however value pressures intensified with each enter costs and costs charged rising on the quickest charge in 21 years, a survey confirmed.
* A World Well being Group (WHO) panel on Wednesday backed the usage of Merck & Co Inc’s COVID-19 antiviral capsule for high-risk sufferers.
* Japan is about to loosen border controls to permit extra folks to enter the nation, particularly college students, whereas extending an infection management measures to restrict the unfold of the coronavirus in a number of areas, together with Tokyo.
* The US Protection and Justice departments are not requiring masks be worn indoors at Washington-area services, they stated on Wednesday, following the most recent steerage from the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention.
* Greece will raise its requirement of mask-wearing outside from Saturday, as COVID-19 infections are trending decrease.
* No less than 200 gunmen have been killed up to now three days in Nigeria’s central-northern state of Niger throughout a safety operation to clear armed gangs from the realm, a state commissioner stated on Thursday.
* No less than 18 folks have been killed when an off-the-cuff gold mine collapsed this week in western Guinea, the federal government spokesman stated on Thursday.
