Author: Sashreek Garg

World Bank analysts slashed their global growth forecast by 1.2 percentage points to 2.9% for 2022, warning that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has compounded the damage of the COVID-19 pandemic.   The Russian invasion of Ukraine had exacerbated the slowdown in the global economy, which may now enter a prolonged period of weak growth and high inflation, the World Bank said in its Global Economic Prospects report.  World Bank President David Malpass said the war was hammering global growth, causing fresh COVID-19 lockdowns in China, disruptions to supply chains and the risk of stagflation, a period of weak growth and high…

The British prime minister Johnson faced a confidence vote on Monday after a growing number of members of his own Conservative Party questioned his authority in light of the “partygate” scandal.  Johnson, who won the 2019 election with a landslide, has been under increasing pressure after his staff held alcohol-fuelled parties during COVID-19 in his Downing Street office and residence. He was met with jeers and boos at events to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee in recent days.  “You have presided over a culture of casual law-breaking at 10 Downing Street in relation to COVID,” he said, adding the government had “a…

South Korean military says the action is a demonstration of the allies readiness to respond to North Korean ‘provocations’.   The United States and South Korea fired eight surface-to-surface missiles early on Monday off the east coast of South Korea after North Korea launched a barrage of short-range ballistic missiles on Sunday, a South Korean defence ministry official said.  The Yonhap news agency reported that South Korea’s military has demonstrated “the capability and readiness to carry out precision strikes” against the North Korean missile launch facility and the command and support station.  South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol, who took office last…

According to Funmilayo Ibukun Odunlami, the state’s police spokesperson, gunmen opened fire outside and inside the church, killing or injuring worshippers. At least 50 people, including women and children, were killed by shooters who attacked a Catholic church in southwest Nigeria during mass on June 5. The gunmen opened fire on people outside and inside the church building, killing and injuring worshippers, according to Funmilayo Ibukun Odunlami, the state’s police spokesperson. Police are investigating the cause of the attack on St Francis Catholic Church in Owo, but she didn’t say how many people were killed or injured. Ondo state Governor…

US Department of State slams China for committing ‘genocide’ against Uighurs in an annual report on global religious freedom. According to a US official, China is an example of how governments persecute religious minorities. The statement came as the State Department released its annual report on religious freedom. Rashad Hussain, the United States’ general ambassador for international religious freedom, said at a news conference on Thursday that “too many governments remain undaunted about persecuting their citizens.” “It’s not surprising that the People’s Republic of China is a prime example here,” he told reporters. “Government of the People’s Republic of China…

A sweeping gang crackdown has led to the deaths of at least 18 people in state custody, Amnesty International reports. Amnesty International says El Salvador authorities have committed “massive human rights violations” in a sweeping gang crackdown, including arbitrary arrests, due process violations, torture, and ill-treatment. On Thursday, a UK-based rights group said that at least 18 people have died in state custody since President Nayib Bukele’s administration declared a state of emergency in March to stem gang violence.   According to Cristosal, a non-profit organization based in Salvador, all those who died were male. In addition, many died from failure…

Amber Heard has lost her defamation suit against Johnny Depp after a jury found that she defamed Depp by claiming that he abused her during their relationship. Due to a previously scheduled engagement, Depp did not appear in court Wednesday. However, he was seeking $50 million in damages over a 2018 opinion editorial written by Heard for The Washington Post, in which she said she had become a “public figure representing domestic abuse.” Although the article did not directly mention Depp, his attorneys said it implied she had made allegations against him during their 2016 divorce. The jury unanimously found…

Canada’s government introduced legislation Monday to implement a “national freeze” on selling and purchasing handguns and limited magazine capacities as part of a gun-control package.

Alex says he will never know who killed his brother, but the Ecuadorian government is ultimately responsible.

Coronavirus curbs in major Chinese cities like Shanghai contrast with the trend seen in the rest of the world, which has tended to return to everyday life even as infections spread. On Sunday, the Shanghai administration said it would remove “unreasonable” restrictions on businesses as it works to lift its COVID-19 lockdown. As infections stabilised, Beijing reopened parts of its public transport system, some malls, and other venues. The Chinese hub of 25 million people hopes to end its two-month lockdown on Wednesday, which has severely damaged the economy, caused residents to lose income, and caused many to struggle…