World News Roundup: Russia accuses Ukraine of sabotaging grain deal with bribery scheme; Britain expects up to 56,000 immigrants to arrive in small boats this year and more

The blunt remarks followed Baerbock's visit to Beijing last week where she warned that any attempt by China to control Taiwan would be unacceptable. India's population to overtake China, with 2.9 million more people by mid-2023, UN estimates India is poised to overtake China as the world's most populous nation, with almost 3 million more people than its neighbour by the middle of this year, data released on Wednesday by the United Nations showed.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Russia accuses Ukraine of sabotaging grain deal with bribery scheme

Russia on Wednesday accused Ukraine of sabotaging the Black Sea grain deal by demanding bribes from ship owners to register new vessels and carry out inspections under the cover of a deal the United Nations hopes could ease a global food crisis. There was no immediate comment on the allegation, levelled by Russia's Foreign Ministry, from Ukraine which has blamed Moscow for problems with the agreement. Moscow did not immediately provide documentary evidence to back its assertion.

Britain expects up to 56,000 immigrants to arrive in small boats this year

Britain is anticipating that 56,000 migrants will cross the Channel in small boats to its shores this year, court documents show, meaning it would be need to house as many as 140,000 asylum seekers. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has made stopping boat arrivals one of his five priorities after the number of migrants arriving on the south coast of England soared to a record level in 2022 of more than 45,000, up 500% in the last two years.

South Asia home to world's highest number of child brides - UN

South Asia is home to highest number of child brides in the world as increased financial pressures and school closures due to COVID-19 forced families to marry off their young daughters, according to new estimates released by UNICEF on Wednesday. There were 290 million child brides in the region, accounting for 45% of the global total, the children's agency of the United Nations said, calling for more efforts to end the practice.

Exclusive: South Korea's Yoon opens door for possible military aid to Ukraine

South Korea might extend its support for Ukraine beyond humanitarian and economic aid if it comes under a large-scale civilian attack, President Yoon Suk Yeol said, signalling a shift in his stance against arming Ukraine for the first time. In an interview with Reuters ahead of his state visit to the U.S. next week, Yoon said his government has been exploring how to help defend and rebuild Ukraine, just as South Korea received international assistance during the 1950-53 Korean War.

How this year's military intelligence leaks could damage US security

It was huge, expensive and top secret. In the early 1970s the CIA built a gigantic ship called the Hughes Glomar Explorer to lift a sunken Soviet submarine from the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, according to a declassified history by the U.S. intelligence agency.

Pope presents shards from cross of Christ for King Charles' coronation

Pope Francis has gifted fragments believed to be from the True Cross on which Jesus was crucified to form part of a new processional cross which will be used at the coronation of Britain's King Charles next month. The new cross, made from recycled silver along with Welsh slate and reclaimed wood, was a gift from the king to the Church in Wales to mark its centenary in 2020. It will lead the coronation procession at Westminster Abbey in London on May 6.

Sudan army battles rebel assault on HQ, fighting thwarts evacuations

Sudanese troops battled waves of attacks on Wednesday by a rebel paramilitary force trying to seize the army's headquarters, while the failure of U.S.-brokered ceasefire hampered efforts to evacuate foreigners and residents trapped in the capital. Continuous bombardments and loud blasts could be heard in central Khartoum around the compound housing the army HQ and also at the main airport, which has been fiercely contested and put out of action since fighting erupted at the weekend.

British govt publishes PM Sunak and other ministers' interests

Britain's government on Wednesday published an updated list of ministers' interests, including an outline of the affairs of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who is under investigation over whether he properly declared his wife's shareholdings. Parliament's Commissioner for Standards began an investigation on April 13 into whether Sunak properly declared his wife's holding in a childcare company which stands to benefit from new government policy.

Germany's foreign minister: Parts of China trip 'more than shocking'

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Wednesday described parts of her recent trip to China as "more than shocking" and said Beijing was increasingly becoming a systemic rival more than a trade partner and competitor. The blunt remarks followed Baerbock's visit to Beijing last week where she warned that any attempt by China to control Taiwan would be unacceptable.

India's population to overtake China, with 2.9 million more people by mid-2023, UN estimates

India is poised to overtake China as the world's most populous nation, with almost 3 million more people than its neighbour by the middle of this year, data released on Wednesday by the United Nations showed. India's population by mid-year is estimated at 1.4286 billion, against 1.4257 billion for China - 2.9 million fewer - in the United Nations Population Fund's (UNFPA) "State of World Population Report" for this year.