Would Beijing back away from its strategic partnership with Moscow if the war in Ukraine goes nuclear?

Beijing has no reason to sanction Australia, said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. The call comes after ministers from two countries met for the first time in years.

In a letter to major oil companies, US President Joe Biden warned he was ready to take steps to provide Americans with "affordable" energy supply.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, along with Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, French President Emmanuel Macron and Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, decried Russia's attacks during their joint trip to Ukraine.

We take a look at how the papers are reacting to Thursday's visit by Emmanuel Macron, Olaf Scholz and Mario Draghi to Kyiv. We also discuss the second round of the French legislative elections this coming Sunday, which could see Macron's bloc lose its absolute majority in parliament.

The executive body of the European Union has recommended that Ukraine be granted EU candidate status. Kyiv has sought candidate status since 2014.

A violent attack on several women in northern China earlier this month has raised questions over gender-based violence in the country. CCTV footage from a restaurant in the city of Tangshan showed a man getting rebuffed after he put his hand on the back of a woman. He then slapped her, then with other men beat the group of women before punching, kicking and dragging them outdoors. For more on women's safety and their rights in China, we talk to Professor Maria Jaschok from the University of Oxford.

The European Commission has recommended EU member candidate status for Ukraine and Moldova, but said Georgia still falls short. In Tbilisi, tens of thousands came out to defend their dream of a future in Europe.

The European Union should change the way it does business with Africa to redress imbalances left over in part from the colonial era, EU lawmakers have said.

Spiking food prices caused by the war in Ukraine are threatening to push more people to the brink of starvation. If G7 countries don't deliver on aid, poorer nations might turn elsewhere.

The alliance is expected to announce increased troop numbers in at its eastern borders, as well as more aid for Ukraine. Leaders from Asia and Oceania were also invited to address concerns about rising Chinese influence.

The war in Ukraine has triggered a struggle for power and influence. Russia and China are challenging the existing world order. Western democracies are seeking to counter this and are looking for allies.