Good morning and happy Saturday. Our news comes from BBC News via Just Five News.
The onset of spring in Ukraine has brought some relief to the country after a winter of Russian missile strikes that cut power, heating and water supplies. For over three weeks, Ukraine went without any blackouts, and it looked like Russia’s battle to bring down Ukraine’s power supply was over. However, on Thursday, Russia fired 81 missiles, causing emergency power cuts in four regions, and leaving half a million people without power in Kharkiv. Despite the damage, Ukrainians are confident for the future, thanks to the fleet of energy workers and international aid. Every one of Ukraine’s thermal and hydroelectric power plants has been damaged since Russia launched its assault on the energy infrastructure, but engineers and technicians are working to repair the damage. Ukraine’s armed forces have also become more adept at shooting down Russia’s missiles and drones – Has Putin’s assault on Ukraine’s power grid failed? (BBC News ~ World – Europe)
Li Qiang has been formally elected as China’s next premier by the country’s National People’s Congress, receiving almost every vote from over 2,900 delegates. A close ally of President Xi Jinping, Li is a pragmatist who is expected to focus on reviving China’s struggling economy. He replaces retiring Li Keqiang and is now the second-highest ranking official in China’s political system. Li previously served as the Communist Party leader of Shanghai, where he oversaw the strict lockdown during the pandemic. His appointment comes after President Xi secured a historic third term as president, and as the country faces a falling birth rate that threatens its economic growth engine. The National People’s Congress and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) this week are being closely watched as they provide a glimpse into China’s direction in the coming years – Li Qiang: China elects Xi Jinping ally as premier (BBC News ~ World – China)
Tiger Woods’ lawyers have denied allegations by his ex-girlfriend, Erica Herman, that he had an oral agreement with her that allowed her to live with him in exchange for personal services. Ms Herman has filed two lawsuits in Florida, claiming that the non-disclosure agreement she signed with Mr Woods in 2017 is invalid and asking to have it cancelled. She is also suing the trust controlled by Mr Woods, claiming that he violated the oral agreement. His lawyers have argued that Ms Herman was a “guest” who had been “invited” to stay with him and that there was no tenancy agreement between them. The court documents have been released a month before Mr Woods is due to play in the Masters – Tiger Woods denies he had a tenancy deal with ex-girlfriend (BBC News ~ World – US & Canada)
Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), a major tech lender, has been shut down by regulators and its customer deposits taken over, becoming the largest US bank failure since 2008. The move comes as the firm attempts to raise $2.25bn to plug losses from the sale of assets impacted by higher interest rates. The collapse prompted a rush of customer withdrawals, which then sparked concerns about the state of the US banking sector. SVB, which employs more than 8,500 people globally and is a banking partner for nearly half of US venture-backed technology and healthcare companies that listed on stock markets last year, had been under pressure as higher rates made it harder for start-ups to raise money through fundraising or share sales – Silicon Valley Bank: Regulators take over as failure raises fears (BBC News ~ Business)
A shooting in Germany has left seven people dead, including an unborn baby, at a Jehovah’s Witness meeting hall in the city of Hamburg. The suspect, named as Philipp F, had been visited by police last month after an anonymous tip-off raised concerns about his mental health, but they found no grounds to take away his gun at the time. The 35-year-old had a licence to own the weapon for sporting purposes. German authorities are now preparing a new law involving tighter curbs on gun ownership. Jehovah’s Witnesses are members of a Christian-based religious movement with an estimated 8.7 million followers worldwide, including about 170,000 in Germany – Hamburg shooting: Police spoke to gunman weeks before attack (BBC News ~ World – Europe)
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