World News Roundup: EU plans for life without Russian gas amid inflation spike; Ukraine's Zelenskiy appeals to the Glastonbury crowd for support and more

The loss of Hirske and several other settlements around it leaves Lysychansk, the last major Ukrainian-controlled city in Luhansk, in danger of being enveloped from three sides by advancing Russian forces. World faces unprecedented global hunger crisis, U.N. chief says There is a "real risk" of multiple famines this year, U.N. chief Antonio Guterres said on Friday and urged ministers meeting on food security to take practical steps to stabilize food markets and reduce commodity price volatility.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

EU plans for life without Russian gas amid inflation spike

EU leaders met on Friday to prepare for further cuts in Russian gas, limit the impact on inflation and seek alternative supplies, accusing Moscow of "weaponizing" energy via a supply squeeze that Germany warned could partly shut its industry. A day after celebrations over setting Kyiv on the road to membership of the bloc, Friday's summit in Brussels was a sober reflection on the economic impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Ukraine's Zelenskiy appeals to the Glastonbury crowd for support

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appealed via videolink on Friday to crowds at Britain's Glastonbury Festival for support, urging them to spread the truth about Russia's invasion and to pressure politicians to help restore peace. Zelensky, wearing his trademark military fatigues, drew cheers after delivering his pre-recorded message from two large screens at the music festival's Other stage before rock band the Libertines played.

Ukrainians set to quit embattled Sievierodonetsk as Russian's inch forward

Ukraine signaled on Friday its troops were withdrawing from the city of Sievierodonetsk, the scene of weeks of heavy fighting, a move that would be a significant setback in its struggle to defeat Russian forces. Provincial governor Serhiy Gaidai said troops in the city had already received the order to move to new positions, but he did not indicate whether they had already done so or where exactly they were going.

Latin America's kids slid into an education black hole during a pandemic

In Bolivia's highland city La Paz, Maribel Sanchez's children spent much of the last two years huddling over a small smartphone screen to attend online classes amid a lengthy lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. The two boys, aged 11 and eight, frequently missed lessons when their timetables collided as the family had no computer. Bolivian school children only finally returned to in-person classes in March this year, and many still not full-time.

Ukraine loses key town as Russia claims it surrounds troops

Ukraine said Russian forces had "fully occupied" a town south of the strategically important city of Lysychansk in the eastern Luhansk region as of Friday, and Moscow claimed it had encircled about 2,000 Ukrainian troops in the area. The loss of Hirske and several other settlements around it leaves Lysychansk, the last major Ukrainian-controlled city in Luhansk, in danger of being enveloped from three sides by advancing Russian forces.

World faces unprecedented global hunger crisis, U.N. chief says

There is a "real risk" of multiple famines this year, U.N. chief Antonio Guterres said on Friday and urged ministers meeting on food security to take practical steps to stabilize food markets and reduce commodity price volatility. "We face an unprecedented global hunger crisis," Guterres told the meeting in Berlin via video. "The war in Ukraine has compounded problems that have been brewing for years: climate disruption; the COVID-19 pandemic; the deeply unequal recovery."

Prince Charles expresses sorrow over slavery in Commonwealth speech

Britain's Prince Charles expressed deep sorrow over slavery in a speech to Commonwealth leaders in Rwanda on Friday and acknowledged that the roots of the organization lay in a painful period of history. The Commonwealth, a club of 54 countries that evolved from the British Empire, encompasses about a third of humanity and presents itself as a network of equal partners, but some member states have been calling for a reckoning with the colonial past.

Afghanistan seeks help for earthquake survivors as aftershock kills five

Afghanistan lacks the medical supplies to treat those injured in an earthquake that killed 1,000 people this week, a senior official said, as an aftershock on Friday killed five more. Authorities earlier ended a search in remote southeastern mountains for survivors of the 6.1 magnitude earthquake that struck early on Wednesday near the Pakistani border, about 160 km (100 miles) southeast of Kabul, the capital.

Pressure mounts on UK's Boris Johnson after crushing election defeats

Boris Johnson's Conservatives lost two parliamentary seats on Friday, a crushing blow to the governing party that prompted the resignation of its chairman and intensified doubts about the future of Britain's prime minister. In Rwanda for a meeting of Commonwealth nations, Johnson was defiant, pledging to listen to voters' concerns and do more to tackle a cost-of-living crisis after what he described as "tough" results in the two so-called by-elections.

Exclusive-Brazil courts step-up meetings with military to ease election concerns -sources

Brazil's top courts are stepping up meetings with military commanders to ease tensions and reaffirm trust in the democratic process, four senior judiciary sources said, as President Jair Bolsonaro stirs doubt about the integrity of this year's elections. Bolsonaro, a far-right former army captain trailing in opinion polls in the presidential race, has previously made baseless allegations of electoral fraud, attacked the federal electoral court, and floated the idea of not accepting the result of the October vote.

(With inputs from agencies.)