International news brief: Catch top developments from across the globe here

Moscow, Jun 21: Russia's military offensive in Ukraine looks to be a long haul despite strong resistance, while French President Emmanuel Macron is set to hold talks this week with the heads of France's major opposition parties after parliamentary elections resulted in a political deadlock. OneIndia news brings you the top headlines to kick start your day from around the World.

Russia ramps up Luhansk attacks
Russian troops have entered the industrial part of Sievierodonetsk, according to Luhansk regional governor Serhiy Haidai. The Azot chemical plant is the only part of the besieged city that remains under Ukrainian controlUkrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said that there are around 300 civilians sheltering in the Azot plant. Yesterday, Kyiv conceded that it had lost control of Sievierodonetsk suburb Metiolkine.

Colombian voters elect country's first Black vice president

As Colombia's voters put aside a longtime antipathy to leftists and chose one as their new president, they also carved out another milestone - electing the country's first Black vice president. When former leftist rebel Gustavo Petro takes office as president on August 7, a key player in his administration will be Francia Marquez, his running mate in Sunday's runoff election. Marquez is an environmental activist from La Toma, a remote village surrounded by mountains where she first organized campaigns against a hydroelectric project and then challenged wildcat gold miners who were invading collectively owned Afro-Colombian lands.

Australia provides emergency food assistance to Sri Lanka
Australia will provide a 22 million Australian dollar for emergency food assistance to economic crisis hit Sri Lanka, a release said. This was revealed during the visit of the Australian Minister of Home Affairs Clare O'Neil on Monday. She met President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. "We will contribute an immediate $22 million to the World Food Programme for emergency food assistance to help three million people in Sri Lanka meet their daily nutritional needs. Australia will also provide $23 million in development assistance to Sri Lanka in 2022-23," a release said.

Macron offers talks with parties over parliament deadlock
French President Emmanuel Macron will hold talks this week with the heads of France's major opposition parties after parliamentary elections resulted in a political deadlock, French media and several news agencies reported on Monday. Macron's Ensemble lost its absolute majority in parliament following elections on Sunday, leading to a hung parliament.

EU: Blame Russia, not sanctions, for global food crisis
The European Union's top diplomat has written to all African foreign ministers to explain that the bloc's sanctions on Russia are not responsible for the looming global food crisis, and pledged to work out ways for exports of food and fertilisers to reach their continent. The EU has not banned exports of Russian food or fertilizers to non-EU nations as part of its sanctions package.

Indian in UAE survives rare blood disorder after 18 days in ICU
A 52-year-old Indian in the UAE has survived a rare blood disorder and recovered after 18 days in the ICU. LalTelu Ram Harkesh was diagnosed with Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia Purpura (TTP), which usually affects 4-6 persons per million population. According to Lifecare Hospital in the UAE's Mussafah area, TTP is a life-threatening disorder in which the blood clots that form in the small blood vessels throughout the body can limit or block blood flow to the major organs. This, in turn, can damage the organs like the brain, kidneys, and heart and prevent them from functioning correctly.

Saudi crown prince visits Egypt ahead of Biden Mideast trip
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrived in Cairo on Monday on the first leg of a Middle East tour that comes ahead of US President Joe Biden's trip to the region next month. President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi of Egypt received bin Salman at the airport, a courtesy to the de-facto leader who is a steady financial backer of the Egyptian government, according to the Egyptian presidency. Both leaders are scheduled to hold talks in the country's presidential palace in Cairo on Tuesday.

(with PTI, DW news inputs)