News in Brief(2024-03-23)

FE Team | Published: March 22, 2024 23:44:50

Indian PM Modi in Bhutan to shore up ties with eye on China
NEW DELHI, Mar 22: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in Bhutan on Friday for a two-day state visit to the tiny but strategic Himalayan nation also being courted by China. Landlocked Bhutan, known for its policy of prioritising "Gross National Happiness" over growth, has long been regarded by New Delhi as a buffer state firmly within its orbit. India is determined not to let China gain further toeholds across what it sees as its natural sphere of influence, following trade and infrastructure deals Beijing sealed over the years with other neighbours. "The visit is in keeping with the tradition of regular high-level exchanges between India and Bhutan and the Government's emphasis on its Neighbourhood First Policy," said a statement from Modi's office announcing his arrival. — AFP
'Sorry, Donald': Biden trolls Trump over campaign cash lead
WASHINGTON, Mar 22: Joe Biden may be struggling against Donald Trump in the polls ahead of November's US presidential election but his numbers are looking good in one department: campaign cash. The Democrat holds a widening lead over his Republican rival in the fundraising stakes, while Trump is burning through legal fees as he battles multiple criminal and civil cases. The cash crunch has also given 81-year-old Biden a new line of attack on the campaign trail, as he mocks the self-proclaimed billionaire tycoon for his mounting financial woes. "Just the other day, a defeated-looking guy came up to me and said, 'Mr President, I need your help, I'm being crushed with debt, I'm completely wiped out,'" he told a fundraising event in Dallas, Texas on Wednesday. "Donald, I'm sorry, I can't help you," Biden said he responded, in a punchline that drew laughs and applause from an audience of supporters. — AFP
Magnitude-6.4 quake hits off Indonesia's Java island
JAKARTA, Mar 22: A magnitude-6.4 offshore earthquake hit near Indonesia's Java island on Friday, the United States Geological Survey said, with the tremor felt in the capital Jakarta. The quake had a depth of approximately eight kilometres (five miles), and struck off Java island's northern coast near Bawean island at about 3:52 pm local time (0852 GMT), the USGS said. — AFP
Record number of UK children in poverty
LONDON, Mar 22: More children are living in poverty across the United Kingdom than ever before, according to official government figures released Thursday. Previous studies have shown that growing social inequalities in the G7 nation have hit children's health and rising numbers are forced to use food banks. An estimated 4.33 million children were living in low-income households for the year to March 2023, the figures compiled by the Work and Pensions department showed. — AFP