-Indian PM Modi holds 8th meeting on Russia-Ukraine crisis, reviews evacuation progress
-Suicide bombing at Shi'ite mosque in Pakistan's Peshawar kills at least 30
-Sri Lanka hikes interest rates as inflation worries mount
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday held another high-level meeting on the Russia-Ukraine war that entered the ninth day and reviewed the progress of evacuation mission 'Operation Ganga' to bring back stranded citizens. The meeting came amid reports of an Indian student being shot at in Kyiv and hospitalised. A suicide bombing at a mosque during Friday prayers in Pakistan's northwestern Peshawar city killed at least 30 people and wounded over 50. The death toll was likely to rise substantially as many of the injured were in critical condition, officials said. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. A senior police official said that two armed men arrived near the mosque on a motorcycle and were stopped for a search by police on duty outside. Scores of political activists held protests in Pakistan-administered Kashmir this week over a cut in subsidies, frequent load-shedding and shortage of clean drinking water in the region. The protesters highlighted that their rich natural resources are being exploited, but the region continues to lack basic facilities. They claimed their leaders are also banned from protesting for public rights. There has been an uptick in violence in Balochistan province with several attacks and explosions reported since the start of the year, leaving the Pakistan government in a fix. In a recent attack, at least three people were killed in a blast in Quetta city this week. The Taliban took control over Afghanistan last August, following which donors cut financial aid constituting more than 70% of government expenditures and about $9 billion in Afghan central bank assets were frozen. The move accelerated an economic collapse, fueling a cash shortage, joblessness and hunger. Sri Lanka's central bank raised rates as expected to curb growing inflationary pressures and urged the government to consider measures including curbing non-essential imports and raising fuel prices to overcome economic challenges being faced. With the rise in global warming, protecting biodiversity and wildlife is now a serious concern for people around the world. Joining hands with the rest of the world to promote awareness, ‘World Wildlife Day’ was observed in India’s northeastern Assam state and Jammu and Kashmir territory on Thursday.
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