LONDON, Mar 30: Ailing Queen Elizabeth II on Tuesday made her first major public appearance in months, at a thanksgiving service for her late husband, Prince Philip, who died last year aged 99. The monarch, who turns 96 next month, has not attended a high-profile event outside her homes since she spent a night in hospital last October. — Arab News
Global Covid cases top 485m
WASHINGTON, Mar 30: The overall number of Covid cases has surged past 485 million as the pandemic enters into its third year. According to Johns Hopkins University (JHU), the total case count mounted to 485,153,138 while the death toll from the virus reached 6,132,345 Wednesday morning. — AP
WB freezes Afghan projects after Taliban bans girls from high school
WASHINGTON, Mar 30: The World Bank (WB) has put four projects in Afghanistan worth $600 million on hold amid concerns over a decision by the country's ruling Islamist leaders to ban girls from returning to public high schools, the bank said. The projects, to be funded under the revamped Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund, were being readied for implementation by United Nations agencies to support projects in agriculture, education, health, and livelihoods. — Arab News