* French President Emmanuel Macron, the first leader of a major Western power to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin since Russia-Ukraine crisis erupted, said on Tuesday he believed steps can be taken to de-escalate the crisis and called on all sides to stay calm.
* Russia said on Wednesday that a reported Ukrainian request for THAAD missile defence systems from the United States was a "provocation" and that seriously considering such supplies would deal a setback for the Ukraine crisis, RIA news agency reported.
* White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said on Tuesday that all options are on the table to respond to high oil prices, including talking to allies, when asked if there could be future cooperative oil releases.
* The Republic of Korea's parliament explored ways on Wednesday to allow people who have caught the novel coronavirus to cast their ballot in next month's presidential election, as the number of new cases spiralled to nearly 50,000 for the first time.
* Peruvian President Pedro Castillo swore in his fourth cabinet in just six months in office on Tuesday, picking a loyalist as prime minister, in a bid to end his administration's recurring crises.
* Asian shares advanced on Wednesday with tech stocks particularly catching a lift following a strong session on Wall Street, while US treasury yields held near multi-year highs ahead of closely watched inflation data this week.
* The rouble firmed on Wednesday to a near four-week high against the dollar and the euro, and stock indexes climbed higher, as traders took heart from diplomatic efforts to calm tensions between Russia and the West over Ukraine.
* Iran unveiled a new missile with a range of 1,450 kilometers on Wednesday, the semi-official news agency Tasnim said, a day after the resumption of indirect talks in Vienna on salvaging Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.
* The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics Organizing Committee said on Wednesday that a total of five new COVID-19 cases were detected among games-related personnel on Feb. 8.
* Russia reported 183,103 COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, a record daily high, as the Omicron variant continued to spread.
* Japan has decided to extend its COVID-19 quasi-state of emergency in Tokyo and 12 prefectures until March 6, public broadcaster NHK said on Wednesday.
* Italy's government lifted an obligation to wear masks outdoors under most circumstances in response to an improving coronavirus situation, and said it aimed to raise attendance limits at stadiums.
* Brazil recorded 177,027 new coronavirus cases and 1,189 COVID-19 deaths in the last 24 hours, the Health Ministry said on Tuesday.
* The Republic of Korea reported a record high 49,567 new daily COVID-19 cases as the Omicron variant drives a wave of infections, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said on Wednesday, but new deaths remain low at 21.
* The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stands by its mask-wearing guidance for public K-12 schools with COVID-19 cases still high nationwide, even as some states plan to relax masking rules, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told Reuters.
* Hundreds of people protesting vaccine mandates and pandemic restrictions blocked streets outside New Zealand's parliament with trucks and campervans, inspired by similar demonstrations in Canada.
* European stocks rose on Wednesday, buoyed by a slew of strong fourth-quarter trading updates and gains in global markets, although worries over a hawkish pivot by major central banks kept gains in check.
* Demand for flights in Britain is edging back towards pre-pandemic levels for the key summer holiday period, according to market data that suggests consumers are keen to get away despite the looming cost of living crunch.
* Poland may lift its COVID-19 restrictions in March if daily infection numbers keep falling at the current rate, the health minister said in an interview published on Wednesday.
* The Tunisian foreign minister received on Tuesday ambassadors to Tunisia from the G7 group and the representative of the Commission on Human Rights and informed them the president's decision to dissolve the Supreme Judicial Council aims to reform the judiciary.
* At least 30 Islamist militants were killed and dozens of vehicles and weapons destroyed during joint operations between the French-led Takuba task force and Malian soldiers last week, the French Army Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.
* Israel extended on Tuesday a deadline that might have halted its airlines' flights to the United Arab Emirates over an aviation security dispute, but warned of a potential crisis with the Gulf state unless the issue is resolved.
* The European Union is pushing for a global deal aimed at preventing new pandemics that could include a ban on wildlife markets and incentives for countries to report new viruses or variants, an EU official told Reuters.
* The Israeli military said it attacked missile batteries in Syria on Wednesday after an anti-aircraft missile was fired towards Israel during what Syrian state television reported was an earlier strike around Damascus.
* The discovery of the Omicron variant in white-tailed deer in New York has raised concerns that the species, numbering 30 million in the United States, could become hosts of a new coronavirus strain, a lead researcher said on Tuesday.
* Uganda is preparing legislation to make COVID-19 jabs mandatory in a country with low levels of vaccination, a senior health official said.
* Pfizer Inc said on Tuesday it expects 2022 sales of its COVID-19 vaccine and antiviral pill to top 54 billion USD, but that fell short of lofty Wall Street estimates and its shares were off about 3%.
