World News Roundup: Ukraine's Zelenskiy goes to Washington seeking 'weapons, weapons and more weapons'; Female students turned away from Afghan universities after Taliban ban and more

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Ukraine's Zelenskiy goes to Washington seeking 'weapons, weapons and more weapons'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was en route to Washington on Wednesday to meet President Joe Biden, address Congress and seek "weapons, weapons and more weapons" in his first overseas trip since Russia invaded Ukraine 300 days ago. Zelenskiy said the visit was aimed at strengthening Ukraine's "resilience and defence capabilities" amid repeated Russian attacks on energy and water supplies in the dead of winter.

Female students turned away from Afghan universities after Taliban ban

Female university students in Afghanistan were turned away from campuses on Wednesday after the Taliban-run administration said women would be suspended from tertiary education. The decision to bar women was announced on Tuesday evening in a letter to universities from the higher education ministry, drawing condemnation from foreign governments and the United Nations.

Relatives despair as search continues for Thai marines missing at sea

Hopes faded on Wednesday among relatives of Thai marines still missing after their warship sank off the country's central coast, even as military-led rescue teams expanded their search area. Just one of a group of 30 missing seamen has been found alive after the HTMS Sukhothai went down late on Sunday when it was knocked over by four-metre (13 ft) waves and strong winds, and six other bodies have been retrieved.

Remember Ukraine's smileless children this Christmas, pope says

Pope Francis on Wednesday called on people to remember Ukrainian children suffering in the cold this Christmas. "Let us think of the many children in Ukraine who suffer, suffer so much, because of this war," he said in unprepared remarks at the end of his weekly general audience in the Vatican.

Peru orders Mexico's ambassador out as diplomatic spat deepens

Peru declared Mexico's ambassador to Lima "persona non grata" and ordered him to leave the country on Tuesday, Peru's foreign minister announced, in the latest escalation of tensions between the two nations after Peru ousted Pedro Castillo as president. The abrupt order, a severe measure in the world of diplomacy, gives Mexico's envoy to the South American country just 72 hours to exit.

Hearses queue at Beijing crematorium, even as China reports no new COVID deaths

Dozens of hearses queued outside a Beijing crematorium on Wednesday, even as China reported no new COVID-19 deaths in its growing outbreak, sparking criticism of its virus accounting as the capital braces for a surge of cases. Following widespread protests, the country of 1.4 billion people this month began dismantling its unpopular "zero-COVID" regime of lockdowns and testing that had largely kept the virus under control for three years though at great economic and psychological cost.

Reaction to Taliban-led Afghanistan suspending university access for women

Afghanistan's Taliban-run government on Tuesday suspended university access for female students, drawing condemnation from foreign governments and complicating efforts by the Taliban administration to gain international recognition.

Following are reactions from the United Nations, foreign governments and rights groups.

Eastern Europe holds the key to keeping Ukraine's power on

In Lithuania, a giant, disused electrical transformer built in 1980 in present-day Ukraine has been dusted off and prepared for shipment. It will travel by sea to Romania and then back to Ukraine, possibly in the coming weeks. Rokas Masiulis, head of Lithuania's power grid, said his company was searching warehouses for anything else Ukraine might need to repair the damage done to its electricity system by repeated Russian missile attacks.

Frustration among migrants at U.S.-Mexico border as COVID restrictions remain

When Vladimir Castellanos learned that COVID-19 restrictions blocking him and other migrants from claiming asylum at the U.S. border with Mexico may not be terminated this week, he said he felt deceived. Castellanos and his brother are Venezuelans, and they were among dozens of migrants gathered on both sides of the Rio Grande on Monday night in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, and El Paso, Texas, with some lighting small fires to keep warm as temperatures dropped toward freezing.

UK's post-Brexit settlement scheme for EU citizens unlawful, London court rules

The British government's post-Brexit settlement scheme for EU citizens is unlawful, London's High Court ruled on Wednesday. The Independent Monitoring Authority, a body funded by the government to oversee citizens' rights, took the action against the Home Office, arguing Britain is breaching its withdrawal agreement with the European Union by requiring EU citizens to reapply for the right to live and work in the United Kingdom.