Khabarhub brings to you glimpses of major international developments of the day that you need to know from the world of politics, business/economy, sports, entertainment and more.
Strict lockdown policy cut down China’s GDP by half
In the last few weeks, China has seen its worst COVID outbreak since the initial height of the pandemic in early 2020 when the economy slumped.
The latest surge in cases could hit first-quarter gross domestic product by at least half of a percentage point.
The strict lockdowns are likely to cost the country at least USD 46 billion a month or 3.1 percent of GDP and the impact could be double if more cities tighten restrictions according to an economist at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
The Lockdown of Shanghai’s 26 million people is testing the limits of China’s hardline “zero-COVID” strategy, which is shaking markets far beyond the country’s borders. China’s largest city alone could reduce China’s real GDP by 4 percent.
12 killed, 33 injured in Russia’s airstrike on Ukraine’s regional administration building
At least 12 people were killed and 33 others injured in an airstrike carried out by Russia’s forces on a regional administration building in Ukraine’s southeastern city of Mykolayiv, the press service of the Ukrainian Interior Ministry said on Tuesday.
The airstrike, which occurred at about 8:45 a.m. local time (0545 GMT), destroyed the central section of the nine-story building, the ministry said.
According to the ministry, 18 people were rescued from the debris following the attack.
5 killed in shooting spree outside Israel’s Tel Aviv, police alert raised to ‘highest’
A Palestinian gunman opened fire at passersby and vehicles outside the Israeli city Tel Aviv late Tuesday, killing five people in the third shooting or knife attack in a week, prompting the police to raise its alert level nationwide to “the highest possible.”
The shooter was shot dead by police during the incident that took place in the city of Bnei Brak, a crowded suburb of Tel Aviv, said the police and the Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel’s national emergency medical service.
“The terrorist is confirmed dead,” Police Spokesman Eli Levi told the state-owned Kan TV news. The perpetrator was armed with an M-16 rifle, said another police statement.
Trudeau warns of ‘difficult time,’ food shortages due to COVID-19
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is warning of impeding tough times, including food shortages, placing blame on the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine.
“We’ve seen… disruptions of supply chains around the world, which is resulting in higher prices for consumers and democracies, like ours, and resulting in significant shortages and projected shortages of food, of energy in places around the world. This is going to be a difficult time because of the war, because of the recovery from the pandemic,” Trudeau told reporters in Vancouver on Thursday.
Nearly 80 disabled children arrive in Poland from war-torn Ukraine by train
Nearly 80 disabled children accompanied by their guardians have been transferred to Poland from Central Dnipropetrovsk Oblast in Ukraine as Russia continues to gain a stronghold in the war-torn country.
In total 100 people arrived in the border town of Przemysl, Poland on Tuesday evening on the train, a spokesperson for the local Podkarpackie Voivode region, Michal Mielniczuk, told CNN on Wednesday.
The spokesperson said that the children will be taken to Germany but they will stay for about three days in Stalowa Wola, Poland, where they will receive aid and support, as per the news channel.
UN helicopter crashes in eastern Congo, 8 peacekeepers killed
A United Nations (UN) helicopter carrying UN peacekeepers crashed in the Democratic People’s Republic of Congo on Tuesday, killing eight people on board.
“I’m deeply saddened by the death of 8 UN peacekeepers who were on board a helicopter that crashed yesterday in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. An investigation into the crash is now underway. I wish to express my sincere condolences to their families & loved ones,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a tweet.
Earlier, the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) had said on Tuesday that it had lost contact with one of its helicopters in the east of the country.
Sri Lanka to experience 10-hour daily power cuts
Amid the financial crisis, Sri Lanka will be experiencing 10-hour daily power cuts from Wednesday, announced the Public Utilities Commission of the island nation.
The Ceylon Electricity Board said in a statement that they were “compelled to take demand management measures due to inadequate power generation, as a result of fuel shortage and unavailability of generators,” reported Xinhua.
Sri Lanka has been facing power cuts since February due to dwindling electricity production in hydropower plants as well as diesel shortages that have crippled the operations of thermal power plants, the Commission said.
Meanwhile, Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) on Tuesday announced that there will be a diesel shortage in the country on Wednesday and Thursday.
China, EU to hold leaders’ meet on Friday
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang will hold the 23rd China-EU leaders’ meeting with European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, through a video link on Friday.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin made this announcement during a daily press briefing on Wednesday.
Wenbin said the China-EU leaders’ meeting has taken place successfully 22 times. These meetings play a vital strategic guiding role in the development of China-EU relations and dialogue and cooperation, he said.
Pakistan: Attack on FC fort in Tank district kills 3 security personnel, 18 injured
In an overnight attack on Frontier Corps (Pakistan’s paramilitary forces) fort in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Tank district, three security personnel were killed and 18 injured in the exchange of fire that began late on Tuesday and continued till Wednesday morning leaving three terrorists killed.
The information on this attack on FC fort in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was given by Waqar Ahmad, District Police Officer (DPO) said on Wednesday, reported Dawn.
In another incident, four Pakistani soldiers were killed as they foiled plans of a group of terrorists who “attempted to infiltrate” Pakistan from Afghanistan, said Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan Armed Forces.
Russian Foreign Minister to visit India from March 31 to April 1
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will pay an official visit to New Delhi from March 31 to April 1, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Wednesday.
This visit comes amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. This will be Lavrov’s first visit to India since Moscow began its “special military operation” in Ukraine last month.
US Deputy NSA Daleep Singh to visit India ahead of 2+2 dialogue
Ahead of the 2+2 dialogue between India and United States, US Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economics Daleep Singh will pay an official visit to India from March 30-31.
“On March 30th and 31st, Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economics Daleep Singh will be in New Delhi to continue our ongoing consultations with the Government of India, and advance a range of issues in the U.S.-India economic relationship and strategic partnership,” said US National Security Council spokesperson Emily Horne in a statement.
India to provide USD 1 million to BIMSTEC to increase its operational budget
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday announced that India will provide USD 1 million to the ‘Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) secretariat to increase its operational budget.
Addressing the fifth BIMSTEC Summit virtually, PM Modi said, “India will provide the (BIMSTEC) secretariat 1 million US dollars to increase its operational budget. It is important to strengthen the capacity of (the BIMSTEC) secretariat. I suggest the Secretary-General create a roadmap for the same.”
He made the announcement in the backdrop of making early progress on the proposal of the BIMSTEC free trade agreement (FTA) to enhance mutual business.
S&P 500 falls slightly on Wednesday
U.S. stocks moved slightly lower on Wednesday after the Dow and S&P 500 extended their rally in the previous session as investors monitored developments in Ukraine and the bond market.
The S&P 500 fell 0.5%, and Nasdaq Composite lost 0.7%. The Dow Jones Industrial Averaged dipped 63 points, or 0.2%, according to CNBC.
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