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Statistics agency says economy ‘off to a good start’ despite more ‘complex and severe’ external environment.

China’s economy grew 5.4 percent in the January-March quarter, the country’s statistics agency has said, a stronger-than-expected performance that comes as exporters are bracing for the fallout of United States President Donald Trump’s punishing tariffs.

Industrial output rose 6.5 percent, the biggest gain among individual sectors, while the service sector expanded 5.3…

These are the key events on day 1,147 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Here is where things stand on Wednesday, April 16:

Fighting

• Russia’s Ministry of Defence said its units destroyed 115 Ukrainian drones in an overnight attack.
• The ministry also accused Kyiv of carrying out six attacks on Kremlin energy infrastructure in the past day, despite a mutually agreed 30-day moratorium on energy strikes.
• A Russian military court jailed a Kremlin soldier for 15 years after convicting him of…

Pampore, Indian-administered Kashmir – At 4am, before the first call to prayer echoes through Pampore’s saffron fields in the Pulwama district of Indian-administered Kashmir, 52-year-old Bashir Ahmad Bhat steps out with a flashlight.

The crisp air carries the scent of soil, but his heart sinks – his precious saffron corms, nurtured for months, lie ravaged, devoured overnight.

“It’s like a war,” Bashir says, his voice filled with exasperation. “We fought climate change, fought…