Anadolu Agency's Morning Briefing

ANKARA

Anadolu Agency is here with a rundown of the latest developments around the world.

• A court in China sentenced a former justice minister to death with a two-year reprieve for taking over $16 million in bribes.

• The Bank of England on Thursday raised its key interest rate by 50 basis points to 2.25%, its seventh consecutive rate hike, bringing borrowing costs to their highest level since 2008.

• Norway formally suspended a visa agreement with Russia amid Moscow’s war against Ukraine.

• A magnitude 6.9 earthquake rattled Mexico in Michoacan state days after another tremor struck the country.

• Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Japan will further loosen border controls introduced to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

• Authorities in El Salvador said seven deaths were reported after homes were destroyed in a landslide.

• The US announced a $376 million humanitarian aid package to alleviate the stresses prompted by an ongoing surge in the number of migrants fleeing Venezuela.

• Catholics now outnumber Protestants for the first time in Northern Ireland’s history, according to figures published from the 2021 census.

• The US announced additional humanitarian assistance of more than $170 million for Rohingya inside and outside Myanmar as well as for host communities in Bangladesh.

• Workers belonging to Argentina’s largest oil union began an indefinite strike over a lack of safety measures at a refinery in Neuquen province, where a fire and explosion left three people dead.

• American aircraft manufacturer Boeing will pay $200 million to settle charges for misleading investors about its 737 MAX airplane, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said.