Smoke billows from the hotel during the siege. Photo: WAKIL KOHSAR/AFP/Getty Images
At least 18 people, including at least one foreigner, died during a 12-hour siege after a team of gunmen attacked the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul, per Afghanistan's TOLO News.
There was an hours-long gunfight between the attackers and members of the Afghan special forces. The same luxury hotel was attacked by the Taliban in 2011, leaving 12 dead.
The scene near the Royal Exchange and the Bank of England in the City of London, England. Photo: Tolga Akmen/AFP via Getty Images
The United Kingdom slumped into recession as its gross domestic product GDP shrank 20.4% compared with the first three months of the year, the Office of National Statistics (ONS) confirmed Wednesday.
Why it matters: Per an ONS statement, "It is clear that the U.K. is in the largest recession on record." The U.K. has faired worse than any other major European economy from coronavirus lockdowns, Bloomberg notes. And finance minister Rishi Sunak warns the situation is likely to worsen.
The United Kingdom slumped into recession on Wednesday, as its gross domestic product GDP shrank 20.4% compared with the first three months of the year.
By the numbers: Over 741,400 people have died of the novel coronavirus globally and more than 20.2 million have tested positive, per Johns Hopkins. Almost 12.6 million have recovered from the virus.
Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios