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.
300 killed in bombing of theater used as shelter in Ukraine
Officials in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol said Friday 300 people were killed in a Russian air strike March 16 on a theater being used as a bomb shelter.
A post on the Mariupol City Council Telegram online social media channel Friday stated, “From eyewitnesses, information is emerging that about 300 people died in the Drama Theatre of Mariupol following strikes by a Russian aircraft.”
It is unclear if the count of victims is final ongoing attacks on the city have made rescue and recovery efforts difficult.
Japan to ban luxury goods exports to Russia next week
Japan will ban the export of luxury goods to Russia early next week, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said on Friday.
“Early next week we will introduce the export ban measure of luxury goods,” Hayashi said, adding that the bill on legislation in the field of crypto-assets in order to prevent Russia from avoiding sanctions, is in preparation for submission to the parliament. Hayashi said that he considers it necessary to impose sanctions against Russia, like the other members of the G7.
N Korea claims successful launch of ‘monster missile’ Hwasong-17
SEOUL: North Korea has announced that it successfully launched its largest intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in a test, BBC reported.
The Hwasong-17 was first unveiled in 2020 at a parade where its colossal size surprised even seasoned analysts.
Thursday’s launch marked the first time the country tested an ICBM since 2017.
ICBMs are long-range missiles, capable of reaching the US. N Korea is banned from testing them and has been heavily sanctioned for doing so before.
State media said leader Kim Jong-un directly guided Thursday’s test and the weapon was key to deterring nuclear war.
Finland suspends its rail link between Russia and the EU
Finland’s national railway operator said on Friday it would suspend services between Helsinki and Saint Petersburg in Russia on Monday, closing the rail link between Russia and the European Union, Reuters reported.
VR, the operator, said it had been told by the Finnish state it was no longer appropriate to run the service, known as the Allegro, in light of sanctions imposed on Russia after its invasion of Ukraine.
UN rights office says evidence growing of Mariupol mass graves
The head of the U.N. human rights team in Ukraine said on Friday that monitors had received more information about mass graves in the besieged port city of Mariupol, including one that appeared to hold 200 bodies.
S&P 500, Dow rise as rate hike bets boost financials
Financials led the S&P 500 and the Dow higher on Friday as traders raised their bets on bigger interest rate hikes, while losses in Tesla and Nvidia weighed on the Nasdaq as a rally in technology stocks lost steam.
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