Morning brief: Zelensky blames West for slow counteroffensive, toxic gas leak kills 16 in S Africa, and more

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a recent interview blamed the West for his country's slow counteroffensive against the invading Russian forces, saying that the delay in weapon delivery led to more casualties on the Ukrainian side. In West Asia, Iranian forces on Wednesday tried to seize two oil tankers near the strait of Hormuz; however, the attempt was foiled as the US Navy dispatched a guided missile destroyer to the scene. In a major development from South Africa, at least 16 people lost their lives due to a toxic gas leak near Johannesburg. The incident is reportedly linked to illegal gold mining in the area.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, while speaking to CNN in an exclusive interview on Wednesday, said that the counteroffensive of Ukraine has been “slowed down” because of entrenched Russian defences.

In the early hours of Wednesday, Iran made an attempt to seize two oil tankers near the strategically significant Strait of Hormuz.

In the latest development in the probe launched into the discovery of cocaine at the White House, officials have found out that the stash of the drug was discovered near the place where "visitors taking tours of the West Wing are instructed to leave their cellphones," as per The Washington Post.

Tragedy struck the Angelo informal settlement in Boksburg, a city on the outskirts of Johannesburg, as at least 16 individuals, including three children, lost their lives in a toxic gas leak, the Guardian reported.

Russian investigators on Wednesday said that a criminal probe has been launched following an assault on journalist Yelena Milashina in Chechnya

Philadelphia city officials have announced the filing of a lawsuit against two manufacturers of ghost guns, namely JSD Supply and Polymer 80, as per a local TV channel.

Russia and Ukraine on Wednesday accused each other of planning to attack the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in the southern Ukraine as concerns were raised over the plant being the target of fresh artillery and rocket attacks.

The Threads is now live and users across the world have started downloading another social media offering of Mark Zuckerberg's Metaverse.

India have announced their T20I squad for the upcoming tour of the West Indies, with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Tilak Varma getting their maiden call-ups.

The new trailer for Martin Scorsese's highly anticipated film Killers of the Flower Moon has been released, showcasing an epic western crime drama based on the true events described in David Grann's book.