Important News to be read from “The Hindu 27-02-2020”

Virus cases emerging faster globally: WHO

• The number of new cases reported outside China exceeded the number of new cases in China for the first time,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told diplomats in Geneva, according to a written version of his speech.
• Iran reported 19 deaths and 139 cases. Italy saw a fresh jump with another death, bringing the toll to 12 and 374 infections. South Korea reported 284 new cases, including a U.S. soldier, as health authorities prepared to test more than 200,000 members of a church hit hardest by the outbreak. The new cases pushed the total tally to 1,261.
• Mr. Tedros said that as of Wednesday morning, 78,190 cases of COVID­19 had been registered in China, including 2,718 deaths.

Q3 GDP to grow at4.5%: SBI

•  The GDP growth for the October­December quarter is estimated  to be  4.5%,  according to a State bank of india report.
• “Our composite leading indicator (index of 33 major leading indicators) suggests that GDP growth will remain flat at 4.5% in Q3 of FY20,” the report, authored by Soumya Kanti Ghosh, group chief economic adviser, SBI, said. The government is scheduled to release Q3 GDP data by the end of this week.