MOSCOW, June 28 (Reuters) - As one of the world's most brutal mercenary forces marched on Moscow, some among Russia's elite trembled in fear that the world's biggest nuclear power was teetering on the brink of what President Vladimir Putin said could have been a civil war.

With Putin facing the biggest public challenge of his 23 years as paramount leader, some private jets sped out of Moscow, according to flight tracking data and one source with knowledge of the matter.

MOSCOW, June 28. /TASS/: The West’s plot to weaken Russia by supporting Ukraine in the conflict is doomed to failure, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.

KUALA LUMPUR, June 28 (Xinhua) -- Several Malaysian state assemblies were dissolved on Wednesday ahead of key local elections that will determine six new state governments.

The states of Terengganu, Penang and Kedah dissolved their state assemblies on Wednesday, while Kelantan and Selangor were dissolved on Thursday and Friday, respectively. The remaining state assembly of Negeri Sembilan will be dissolved on Saturday, according to state news agency Bernama.

PRETORIA, June 28 (NNN-ALLAFRICA) — Germany’s top diplomat is in South Africa to discuss strengthening bilateral ties in fighting climate change, but the war in Ukraine remains a sticking point.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on Tuesday that the short-lived uprising in Russia “makes it clear once again that Russia’s illegal war of aggression is not just an attack on Ukraine … but that President Putin is destroying his own country.”

CAIRO (AP) — The United Nations said Tuesday the surging violence in Sudan is likely to drive more than 1 million refugees out of the African country by October, as the 10-week conflict shows few signs of easing.

Sudan descended into chaos after fighting erupted in mid-April between the military, led by Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, commanded by Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo. Since then, over 3,000 people have been killed, the country’s Health Ministry said, while about 2.5 million people have been displaced, according to the U.N.

June 28 (Reuters) - White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan has been in touch with Moscow to discuss the respective Russian and U.S. embassies, and the two sides are in talks on the subject, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday.

The two countries' embassies have been severely and reciprocally scaled down in recent years as relations have worsened, notably since Russia seized Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, and especially after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year, in what it calls a "special military operation".

BEIJING, June 28(APP): China’s Hunan Chemical Vocational Technology College (HCVTC) and Infinity School of Engineering, Pakistan have signed an agreement for co-establishment “Chuyi Workshop” to create a platform for exchange of knowledge and expertise in the field of modern chemical engineering.

President of Hunan Chemical Vocational Technology College, Ms. Long Peng and President of Infinity School of Engineering, Pakistan, Abdul Razzaq Gauhar signed the agreement and also inaugurated the workshop in a ceremony held online.

ISTANBUL, June 28 (Xinhua) -- More than 7,700 smuggled cultural relics have been delivered to Türkiye since 2018, as the country stepped up its efforts to combat illegal trafficking, local media reported on Wednesday.

Thanks to the efforts of the Anti-Smuggling Department of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, 7,701 assets have been returned to Türkiye since 2018, with the number of historical artifacts reaching 3,000 this year alone, the daily Hurriyet reported, citing figures released by the ministry.

MOSCOW, June 28. /TASS/: Russia can’t give up the goals of its special military operation in Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.

TEHRAN, Jun 28 (NNN-IRNA) – Qatar has released seven Iranian nationals, imprisoned in the country, said Iranian Ambassador to Doha, Hamid Dehghani, yesterday.

“Seven Iranian nationals were released today (yesterday) and transferred to their home country onboard a flight,” said Dehghani in a Twitter post.

Six of the seven released nationals had been detained for illegal entry into Qatar’s territorial waters, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.

ISLAMABAD, June 28 (APP): Pakistan and the European Union have agreed to intensify cooperation in the fight against smuggling of migrants and trafficking in human beings.

The two sides emphasised the importance of comprehensive cooperation on migration management, including return and readmission under the framework of Pakistan-EU Joint Readmission Agreement.

The EU expressed sincere condolences on the loss of Pakistani lives in a tragic shipwreck on the Mediterranean Sea.

NANTERRE, France (AP) — France’s government on Wednesday announced heightened police presence around Paris and other big cities and called for calm after scattered violence erupted over the death of a 17-year-old delivery driver who was shot and killed during a police check.

The killing prompted nationwide concern and widespread messages of indignation and condolences, including from soccer star Kylian Mbappe. French President Emmanuel Macron called the young man’s death “inexplicable and inexcusable.”