WORLD
Antonio Guterres warns 'sword of Damocles hangs over global economy'
Calling the war "an assault on the world's most vulnerable people and countries", Guterres on Monday drew a dismal picture of the global situation. "Food, fuel and fertilizer prices are skyrocketing. Supply chains are being disrupted. And the costs and delays of transportation of imported goods when available are at record levels. "The FAO's global food prices index is at its highest level ever," the UN chief said, adding that and all these could portend political instability and unrest around the world.
Pak rakes up Indian missile firing with UN chief
Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi spoke to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and exchanged views with him on current regional and global issues, particularly the "blatant violation of Pakistans airspace by the 'accidental' firing of a missile by India on March 9", Dawn news reported.
Maldives President thanks India for support during pandemic
In a statement issued by the President's Office on Sunday, he said: "I also wish to thank, on behalf of all Maldivians, our friendly bilateral partners who assisted our Covid-19 response efforts. I take this opportunity to highlight India, Japan, USA, UAE, China, Bangladesh, WHO and some of the UN agencies for their support."
China urges Ukraine-Russia to exercise 'maximum restraint'
The remarks were made by Yang Jiechi, who heads China's Central Foreign Affairs Commission, during the seven-hour meeting with US National Security Adviser (NSA) Jake Sullivan in the Italian capital on Monday. "All parties should exercise maximum restraint, protect civilians and prevent a large-scale humanitarian crisis," the BBC quoted Jiechi as saying.
US Fed expected to raise rates this week amid skyrocketing inflation
The consumer price index (CPI) last month surged 7.9 per cent from a year earlier, the largest 12-month growth since the period ending January 1982, Xinhua news agency quoted the Labour Department as saying. At a congressional hearing earlier this month, Fed Chair Jerome Powell said that he was inclined to support a 25-basis-point rate hike at the March policy meeting, the first move since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Zelensky writes letter to family of American journo killed in Ukraine
Renaud, the 51-year-old journalist who had been working in the region, was killed by Russian forces on Sunday during a firing, in which two more correspondents were also injured. He is the first casualty among foreign journalists in the ongoing war. Zelensky in his letter on Monday said that the "talented and brave journalist lost his life while documenting human tragedy, devastation and suffering of the millions of Ukrainians".
Zelensky submits bill to extend martial law in Ukraine
According to the Verkhovna Rada, or Parliament, the bill presented on Monday suggests the extension of the law from 5.30 a.m. on March 26, Ukrayinska Pravda reported. Zelensky first declared the martial law February after Russia launched its military invasion of Ukraine. In a televised address to the nation, the President announced that all able-bodied men from 18-60 years old were not allowed to leave Ukraine as the country began a general mobilisation of all reserve forces.
Threats of terrorists acquiring WMDS 'no longer theoretical', India warns
"Preventing terrorist groups from acquiring and using weapons of mass destruction must be a central priority and responsibility of this Council and the international community," A. Amarnath, a counsellor in India's Permanent Mission to the UN, said on Monday. Various UN reports have shown that the "threat of terrorists acquiring WMDs is no longer in the theoretical realm", he said at a Security Council briefing by a panel set up to monitor the problem.
Abducted Mayor taken to Luhansk: Ukraine military
According to the latest update by the military administration of Zaporizhzhya region, where Melitopol is located, said Fedorov is in currently in Luhansk, "where he is incriminated with terrorism", the Ukrayinska Pravda newspaper reported. "Armed Russian troops surrounded the square and pushed people away. The occupying forces accompanied their actions with warnings from loudspeakers to ban rallies," it added.
Blue Origin to fly SNL's Pete Davidson to space on March 23
Blue Origin on Monday announced that its fourth human flight for the New Shepard programme will include Saturday Night Live fame Pete Davidson. This NS-20 flight, which is the 20th in the Jeff Bezos-owned company's history, is tentatively slated for liftoff at 8.30 a.m. CDT (7 p.m. IST) on March 23, from Launch Site One in west Texas.
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