Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday that China “needs to better use defence science, technology and industry” in order to “strengthen its army and win wars.” He also called on national laboratories to accelerate their research in defence technology, so that Beijing can cut back its dependence on foreign countries.
In a bid to counter China’s aggression in the South China Sea and surrounding regions, the US will deploy some submarines in Western Australia by 2027, and Australia will buy up to five US Virginia class nuclear-powered submarines in the 2030s as part of the AUKUS deal with the US and the UK.
For International Women’s Day on Wednesday, women in Pakistan held protests across several cities, including Lahore and Islamabad, which activists termed the “Aurat March.” They presented a list of 60 demands, including equal rights, the inclusion of women in decision-making processes, and an end to patriarchal violence.
On Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that his government plans to present a law to include abortion rights in the French Constitution. In light of the US Supreme Court’s decision to abrogate the right to abortion in June, Macron said that being enshrined in the constitution will make the right “irreversible.”
During the Senate Intelligence Committee’s annual hearing on global threats to US’ security on Wednesday, Director of Intelligence Avril Haines affirmed that China remains an “unparalleled priority” for the US on all fronts, including economically, militarily, technologically, and politically. Additionally, in response to a question on the nature of the Russia-China relationship, Haines said that although there is increasing cooperation across all sectors and both countries’ ties are deepening, there are still certain “limitations” to how far that partnership could go.
At the 8th Our Ocean Conference in Panama on Wednesday, the US announced an international commitment of $800 million to protect the oceans. Areas of Action for restoring and maintaining a clean ocean included promoting maritime protected areas, facilitating sustainable blue economies, and taking up global efforts to tackle climate change. Further, sustainable fisheries and marine pollution were the primary focus areas for preserving ocean health as well as promoting sustainable development goals.
US President Joe Biden’s administration is planning to levy a 25% minimum tax on billionaires as part of the proposed tax hikes in the budget. White House Economic Advisor Jared Bernstein said that Biden’s tax proposal would target large and wealthy American entities while protecting those who earn less than $400,000 a year. The new budget focuses on closing the tax loophole that billionaires use by making investments via “passthrough businesses.” Meanwhile, the corporate tax is set to be at 28% — lower than the target of 35%, which was applicable prior to the 2017 tax law.
A group of bipartisan US senators reintroduced the ‘No Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels’ (NOPEC) bill on Wednesday to pressure the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to stop making oil cuts. If passed, NOPEC would remove US protection for OPEC members regarding determining the supply and demand of oil by introducing antitrust measures. Despite American opposition, the US has tried to pass NOPEC several times after the Saudi-led OPEC+ decided to cut oil production by two million barrels per day last year.
Russia launched a series of missile strikes across Ukraine on Thursday, the first such attack in over three weeks. Sirens were reportedly heard across Ukraine, including in Kyiv. Local officials in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, reported at least 15 strikes. Attacks were also reported in Odesa, Chernihiv, Lviv, Dnieper, Lutsk, and Rivne. Officials confirmed that energy facilities and residential buildings were hit. It is not clear how many people died or sustained injuries.