The World Bank has slashed China's 2022 economic growth projection to 2.8 per cent, pointing to Beijing's "zero-COVID" policy and real estate crisis. Notably, the World Bank forecasted 5 per cent economic growth in April, The Strait Times reported. In the October update of its report on the economic prospects for East Asia and the Pacific (EAP), the World Bank project 2.8 per cent growth, which is the lowest among international institutions. It is pertinent to mention that 2022 will be the first year China's growth will fall below that of the region since 1990, according to The Strait times

Hurricane Ian's most damaging winds have begun hitting Florida's southwest coast as the storm approaches landfall. The Category Four hurricane is lashing the state with heavy rain and pushing a devastating storm surge. Deanne Criswell with the US Federal Emergency Management Agency says Ian will cause a lot of water issues. Fuelled by warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico, Ian grew to a catastrophic Category 4 hurricane overnight with top winds of 250 kilometres per hour.US President Joe Biden is warning oil and gas companies against price gouging in the middle of the storm preparations.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday congratulated Giorgia Meloni, the leader of a right-wing coalition for winning the Italian general elections. The prime minister said he looks forward to working together to strengthen bilateral relations. "Congratulations @GiorgiaMeloni for leading your party @FratellidItalia to victory in the Italian general elections. We look forward to working together to strengthen our ties," PM Modi tweeted. The right-wing coalition scored an overall victory in the country's general election to form a new parliament. Party leader Giorgia Meloni will most likely

Russian Authorities say that 15 people are dead and many others are wounded in a school shooting. The shooting took place in school No. 88 in Izhevsk, a city 960 kilometres east of Moscow. Russia's Investigative Committee says there isn't a known motive yet, but the gunman, who killed himself, was wearing a black T-shirt with ``Nazi iconography'' on it.

Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama on Thursday said that he would prefer to breathe his last surrounded by the genuine and loving people of India, a free and open democracy, rather than among "artificial" Chinese officials. He made these remarks during a two-day dialogue with youth leaders at his residence in Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh at an interaction organised by the United States Institute of Peace (USIP). "I told former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, I will live another 15-20 years, there is no question. At the time when I die, I prefer dying in India. India is surrounded by

The World Bank's Board of Executive Directors today approved a loan of USD 150 million to the Indian state of Punjab to help the state better manage its financial resources and improve access to public services. The USD 150 million loans have a maturity of 15 years including a grace period of 6 months, the statement added. The project will pilot two initiatives: It will introduce a performance-based grants system to incentivize municipal corporations to improve service delivery. Second, it will demonstrate the delivery of 24x7 water supply in select areas in the cities of Amritsar and Ludhiana

Hurricane Fiona is roaring over the Dominican Republic, a day after knocking out power to all of Puerto Rico and causing damage the governor described as ``catastrophic.'' Many people were also left without water service. The blow from Fiona was made more devastating because Puerto Rico has yet to recover from Hurricane Maria, which killed nearly 3,000 people and destroyed the power grid in 2017. Five years later, more than 3,000 homes on the island still have blue tarps for a roof. The wind and water from Fiona stripped the pavement from roads, tore off roofs and sent torrents pouring into h

King Charles the Third has made his first public address since his mother's death. Speaking at St. Paul's Cathedral in London, Charles says he feels profound sorrow and called Queen Elizabeth ``an inspiration.'' As he takes the throne in an era of uncertainty for both his country and the monarchy itself, the King vowed to carry on his mother's lifelong service to a nation now in mourning. Britain began a 10 day mourning period with people around the globe gathering at British embassies to pay homage to the queen, who died yesterday in Scotland at the age of 96.

Condolences poured in from around the world after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, whose rule saw Britain through decades of change. She had been on the throne since 1952 when the nation was still rebuilding from the destruction of World War II. Elizabeth became a global icon of calmness and fortitude through years of political upheaval and social changes, both at home and abroad. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called her ``a stalwart of our times.'' President Joe Biden and his wife Jill called Elizabeth ``a stateswoman of unmatched dignity and constancy.'' She died Thursday at age 96 at