Top 10 world news: Ukrainians defending Bakhmut under pressure, World Bank's financial aid to India, and more

In the latest, Ukrainianresupply routes out of the besieged city of Bakhmut are becoming “increasingly limited” and forces are now under “severe pressure”, theBritishMinistry of Defence(MoD) has said. The World Bank has committed a total sum of US$ 1 billion to support India's public healthcare sector.Dozens of schoolgirls across five provinces of Iran — Hamedan, Zanjan, West Azerbaijan, Fars and Alborz — were hospitalised for poisoning.

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British military intelligence said on Saturday (March 4) that Ukrainian forces were under severe increasing pressure defending Bakhkmut against Russian attacks. Intense fighting is taking place in and around the city. Russian army, aided by private military troops from Wagner group have made advances in Bakhmut's northern suburbs. Ukraine is reinforcing the area with elite military troops, said British Defence Ministry in its daily intelligence bulletin.

The World Bank and India signed two complimentary loans on Friday (March 4)totaling US$500 million each, in order to strengthen and improve the nation's healthcare infrastructure, as per PTI reports.

A provincial governor in the central Philippines and five other people were shot dead by unknown gunmen on Saturday (March 3). According to a police statement, Roel Degamo, 56, the governor of the Negros Oriental province and some civilians were hospitalised with unspecified injuries. The shooting took place at Degamo's residence in Pamplona town, the news agency AFP reported on Sunday.

Dozens of schoolgirls across five provinces of Iran — Hamedan, Zanjan, West Azerbaijan, Fars and Alborz — were hospitalised on Saturday (March 4) for poisoning. According to local media, the schoolgirls were transferred to local hospitals for treatment and they are in generally good condition. Iran has been seeing a series of poisoning attacks which come over five months into nationwide protests following the death in custody of 22-year-old Iranian-Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini, who was arrested for incorrectly wearing her hijab.

Megan Cassidy, a resident of Kissimmee, Florida, set the Guinness World Record for the most consecutive days to run an ultra marathon. She finished the race over the course of 23 days and covered 31.1 miles, or about 50 kilometers.

The Russian authorities have opened up a probe after a top scientist who worked on the development of Sputnik V coronavirus vaccines was strangled to death in his Moscow apartment on Friday.

India may issue a notice regarding cough syrup sold by Marion Biotech, whose medicines have been linked to the deaths of several children inUzbekistan, astesting revealed that many of the company's medicine samples contained toxins, an Indian drug inspector stated on Saturday (March 4), as per an exclusive Reuters report.

A blast at an oxygen plant in southeastern Bangladesh's Sitakunda area claimed six lives on Saturday following a huge explosion, officials quoted by Reuters said. Located about 220 km southwest of the capital Dhaka, the impact of the explosion was reportedly felt several kilometres away from the ground zero.

Surprising everyone except those who have closely followed the career of James Cameron,Avatar: The Way of Waterbroke pretty much every box office record. The director once again proved that he is not, not ever, to be underestimated. The film started off just fine, numbers-wise, but its December release meant it was consistent and had long legs. It was more of a tortoise, but once as fast as a hare. At the time of writing this, it has grossed $2.26 billion, and has become the third-highest-grossing movie of all time in terms of worldwide box office figures. A sequel to 2009'sAvatar, The Way of Watercontinued the story of the Sully family and pitted them against an old enemy in new, er, Avatar.

The first match of the inaugural Women's Premier League (WPL) gets underway as Mumbai Indians face Gujarat Titans at DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai. Get all the live updates here.