Briefly

IRAN

US claim of vessel encounter rejected

Iran's Revolutionary Guard on Tuesday rejected a US Navy claim that fast-approaching Iranian speedboats in the Strait of Hormuz sparked a tense encounter in the already sensitive region. The Guard's website published a statement on Tuesday saying the US was guilty of using "false narratives and unprofessional behavior" and should more strictly "abide by international regulations". Specifically, the statement said the Guard's navy warned the US vessels to stop their "provocative and aimless shooting".A day earlier, the US said the Revolutionary Guard sent 13 armed speedboats too close to US Navy vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

EUROPEAN UNION

Economic growth forecast upgraded

The European Union's economy is set to bounce back strongly this year after the deep coronavirus recession and member states are forecast to recoup the ground lost by the end of next year. In its latest forecast on Wednesday, the bloc's executive commission significantly upgraded its predictions for economic growth. It said that growth in the 27-nation bloc is predicted to expand by 4.2 percent this year, a significant uptick from a February prediction of 3.7 percent. For next year, member states will also start to see the impact of the first payments of the EU's massive $910 billion recovery fund.

THE PHILIPPINES

State of calamity declared on swine fever

President Rodrigo Duterte has placed the country under a state of calamity for one year to address the impact from the outbreak of African swine fever, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said on Tuesday. African swine fever continues to ravage the hog industry in the Philippines since its outbreak in 2019. The Philippine government said African swine fever has spread to 12 out of the country's 17 regions and "significantly reduced" the country's swine population by around 3 million hogs, resulting in more than $2.1 billion in losses.

Agencies - Xinhua