BEIJING, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Agricultural Bank of China, one of the country's four big state-owned lenders, reported net profit growth of 4.2 percent in 2023.

The bank raked in 269.8 billion yuan (about 38 billion U.S. dollars) in net profit attributable to shareholders in the period, according to its annual financial report.

Its non-performing loan ratio stood at 1.33 percent at the end of 2023, down 0.04 percentage points from the end of 2022.

According to the bank, its risk offset capability remains strong, with a provision coverage rate of 303.87 percent.

Islamabad, Mar 28 (PTI) Pakistan on Thursday clarified that it has no plan to resume trade relations with India which has been "non-existent" since 2019 after the Indian government abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

The clarification from Pakistan's Foreign Office comes days after the new Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said in London that Pakistan will seriously consider restoring trade ties with India that have remained suspended since August 2019.

27 March 2024; MEMO: Hamas vowed, Wednesday, that it will not release any Israeli hostage in its captivity until its demands are fulfilled, Anadolu Agency reports.

Hamas demands an end to Israel’s deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip and the withdrawal of the Israeli forces from the Territory for any hostage-prisoner swap deal with Tel Aviv.

27 March 2024; MEMO: Indonesia’s military has introduced tanks into its military that it jointly developed with Turkiye, in the latest advancement of defence cooperation and production between the two countries.

Colombo, Mar 28 (PTI) A firebrand Sri Lankan Buddhist majority hardliner monk was on Thursday sentenced to four years of rigorous imprisonment for his Islamophobic comments made in 2016.

Galagodatte Gnanasara, 49, was additionally fined Rupees 1,00,000 by the High Court here.

The monk, who was running an anti-Muslim minority campaign since 2012, was charged for comments made at a press conference held in March 2016.

New Delhi, Mar 28 (PTI) A court here on Thursday extended the Enforcement Directorate custody of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal till April 1 in the excise policy case.

The agency had sought seven-day custody of the AAP chief, but the court said he has to be produced before the court on April 1 at 11 am.

The ED had produced him before Rouse Avenue court Special Judge Kaveri Baweja as his current custody was ending on Thursday.

New Delhi, Mar 28 (PTI) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's wife Sunita Kejriwal on Thursday claimed he is not keeping well and is being "harassed a lot".

Kejriwal has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case linked to the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy. Earlier on Thursday, a court here extended the chief minister's ED custody till April 1.

BOAO, Hainan, March 28 (Xinhua) -- As the world economy faces various challenges calling for a new development paradigm, Asia is well positioned to continue driving global growth and development in the years to come, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said here Thursday.

Addressing the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2024, Tokayev said the meeting takes place against a backdrop of unprecedented global uncertainty, fueled by geopolitical turbulence and economic upheavals, and "the outlook is not very promising."

27 March 2024; MEMO: Internal communications at Australia’s national broadcaster reveal staff warnings about the Gaza war coverage, indicating an overreliance on Israeli sources and language “favouring the Israeli narrative over objective reporting.”

New Delhi, Mar 28 (PTI) The Delhi High Court on Thursday dismissed a PIL seeking the removal of AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal from the post of chief minister following his arrest in the excise policy-linked money laundering case.

A bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan refused to comment on the merits of the issue, saying the same fell outside the scope of judicial interference.

"It is for the other wings of the government to examine in accordance with the law," the bench, also comprising Justice Manmeet PS Arora, said.

WASHINGTON, March 28 (Xinhua) -- The Francis Scott Key Bridge in the U.S. city of Baltimore collapsed early Tuesday after a large ship collided with it, leaving six people missing.

The tragic incident occurred at about 1:30 a.m. local time (0530 GMT) on Tuesday. A Dali container vessel experienced a power failure before the collision. The operators of the cargo ship issued a mayday call moments before the vessel crashed.

27 March 2024; MEMO: Turkish aid agency, Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH), presented two new vessels on Wednesday meant to take aid directly to Gaza where Palestinians face famine almost six months into Israel’s devastating military campaign, Reuters reports.