It’s high time to rethink how the World Bank operates Many believe there is little future in trying to tackle problems of the 2020s with institutions created in the 1940s The Guardian - UK · Feb 19, 2023
Year of war in Ukraine left developing nations picking up pieces Some of the harshest economic effects of the war are being felt much farther afield than Russia’s theatre of battle. Al Jazeera · Feb 19, 2023
IMF, Ukraine reach staff-level deal, paving way for full loan talks The International Monetary Fund on Friday said it reached a staff-level agreement with Ukraine, setting the stage for talks on a full loan program that would support Kyiv's economy and its bid to join the European Union. Reuters · Feb 17, 2023
Tunisia crackdown on opposition and media alarms rights groups Ten public figures arrested since Saturday as President Kais Saied pursues what Amnesty calls a repression of dissent The Guardian - UK · Feb 17, 2023
Poor Pakistanis worry IMF bailout measures risk stark future Economists say cash-strapped Pakistan’s latest plan for economic recovery is likely to take a painful toll on its poor The Independent UK · Feb 17, 2023
Lebanon’s Finance Minister Says Difficult to Replace C. Bank Head Salameh Lebanese Finance Minister Youssef Khalil said replacing central bank governor Riad Salameh, who has held the job for three decades, would be difficult and that his term may be extended though no consensus has yet been reached. Salameh, who is being investigated by European and Lebanese prosecutors for alleged embezzlement… Asharq Al-Awsat · Feb 17, 2023
External backers pour billions into Ukraine to counter war damage Pictures of devastation in Ukraine following Russia's invasion have sparked urgent questions over how its reconstruction can be paid for. But before they can even begin to be answered, Kyiv is seeking billions just to ride out this year. Reuters · Feb 17, 2023
Taking over the Sri Lankan presidential palace was a high point for Wasantha. Then came six months of horror This 29-year-old spearheaded a protest movement that toppled Sri Lanka's government. But after his triumphant moment, Wasantha was taken into a feared detention system where prisoners have been tortured and killed. ABC News · Feb 16, 2023
Climate advocates urge World Bank overhaul as leader exits Leading climate figures are urging the Biden administration to use the early departure of the Trump-appointed head of the World Bank as an opening to overhaul the powerful financial institution The Independent UK · Feb 16, 2023
As cash runs out, Pakistan introduces bill to unlock IMF funds Measures proposed to secure the crucial loan include raising the general sales tax by a percentage point to 18 percent. Al Jazeera · Feb 16, 2023
Five factors to explain FTSE 100’s record high despite recession Economy and business backdrop is grim, but the energy boom and shareholder payouts have helped The Guardian - UK · Feb 16, 2023
Rockefeller Foundation boss favourite to succeed David Malpass at World Bank Calls for White House to lose stranglehold on choosing bank’s leadership The Guardian - UK · Feb 16, 2023
How Pakistan is taking desperate economic measures for IMF bailout NEW DELHI: The Pakistan government is trying its best to secure a deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the release of a critical bailout package, failing which it can slump into default. The Times of India · Feb 15, 2023
China expresses support for Sri Lanka ahead of debt meeting China has expressed support for Sri Lanka ahead of a meeting of lenders to poor economies but gave no indication if it might help to cut debts that have plunged the Indian Ocean island nation into financial and political turmoil The Independent UK · Feb 15, 2023
The Independent UK · Feb 14, 2023 Pakistan in bailout bid sharply raises natural gas taxes Cash-strapped Pakistan sharply increased taxes on natural gas to comply with a long-stalled financial bailout, and both industrial and everyday consumers were expected to feel the pain
The Times of India · Feb 14, 2023 India: China should take losses in poor-nation debt rework NEW DELHI: China must stop taking positions that block debt relief to some of the world’s poorest nations and be willing to take losses on its loans to them, India said in its capacity as the current Group of 20 leader.
Fortune · Feb 13, 2023 America is probably going to avoid a recession and that's giving markets a 'good reason to be more upbeat,' according to the head of the IMF Kristalina Georgieva struck a positive tone in a Monday interview, arguing the resilient labor market and China's reopening will boost the U.S. economy.
Reuters · Feb 13, 2023 IMF, Pakistan to resume talks on unlocking bailout funds, official says Talks between the International Monetary Fund and Pakistan will resume virtually on Monday, a Pakistani official said, as the two sides look to reach a deal to unlock funding critical to keep the cash-strapped south Asian country afloat.
Reuters · Feb 10, 2023 IMF to meet Ukraine officials in Warsaw next week -source International Monetary Fund staff will meet with Ukrainian officials in Warsaw next week, a source familiar with the plans said on Friday, as Ukraine presses for a multi-billion dollar borrowing program to cover its funding needs given Russia's war.
The Times of India · Feb 10, 2023 Pakistan fails to reach deal with IMF: What it means for economy NEW DELHI: Cash-strapped Pakistan's woes deepened further after it failed to reach a consensus with International Monetary Fund (IMF) for $1.1 billion funding.
The Times of India · Feb 10, 2023 Top international stories of the day Rescuers pulled several people alive from the shattered remnants of buildings on Friday, some who survived more than 100 hours trapped under crushed concrete in the bitter cold after a catastrophic earthquake slammed Turkey and Syria, killing more than 22,000.
The Independent UK · Feb 10, 2023 Martin Lewis gives verdict on interest rate rise and what it means for mortgage holders Money Saving Expert founder has shared his advice after Bank of England hiked rates to 4%
Al Jazeera · Feb 10, 2023 Pakistan says it agrees to IMF terms on release of $1.1bn payout As IMF team leaves after 10 days of talks, finance minister Ishaq Dar says ‘routine procedures’ have delayed payment.
Reuters · Feb 10, 2023 Crucial $1.1 billion IMF deal eludes Pakistan for now; talks continue Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund are to resume talks online next week they said on Friday, after ten days of face-to-face discussions in Islamabad on how to keep the country afloat ended without a deal.
Foreign Policy · Feb 9, 2023 Have China and Pakistan Hit a Roadblock? Beijing-funded infrastructure projects have slowed, but their longtime partnership remains inevitable.