live Iran-U.S.-Israel tensions rise after strikes and threats of retaliation- 31 March
The Iran-U.S.-Israel conflict is intensifying, with fresh strikes near Tehran, European calls for restraint, and Iran threatening to target U.S. fi...
The World Bank has approved $101 million in financing for the First Sustainable and Inclusive Growth Development Policy Operation in the Kyrgyz Republic. It will provide a budgetary support to the government in implementing a broad set of reforms.
As part of its goal to achieve an upper-middle-income status by 2030, the Kyrgyz government is advancing a bold reform agenda to drive socio-economic development. The reforms will be focused on securing a sustainable energy supply, improving the delivery of social services, and strengthening both fiscal sustainability and the overall business climate.
“This Development Policy Operation reflects our strong partnership with the Kyrgyz Republic and our shared goal – to deliver tangible results for people,” said Hugh Riddell, World Bank Group Country Manager for the Kyrgyz Republic.
“As the country advances with the landmark Kambarata-1 Hydropower Project, the reforms supported by this operation will help create jobs, build skills, and establish the right conditions to ensure the project delivers lasting and inclusive benefits for all,” he concluded.
The World Bank financing will support the Kyrgyz government’s reforms across three main areas:
Energy Sector: The reforms seek to modernize the energy sector, expand access, and support broader economic transformation. Key measures include revising electricity and heating rates while safeguarding vulnerable households, increasing transparency, and attracting private investment in renewable energy.
Social Services and Resilience: The reforms aim to ensure that economic growth benefits vulnerable populations. The focus will be on improving education outcomes, scaling up targeted social programs, and modernizing water infrastructure while addressing regional disparities and promoting equitable access to services.
Fiscal Sustainability and Business Environment: The reforms aim to strengthen fiscal stability and create a more favourable environment for private investment. Measures include modernizing key legislation to enhance transparency, competition, and investor confidence.
The First Sustainable and Inclusive Growth Development Policy Operation is financed through the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank Group’s concessional lending arm. The funding package consists of a $68 million zero-interest credit, to be repaid over 50 years, and a $33million zero-interest, shorter-maturity loan with a 12-year repayment term and a 6-year grace period during which no repayments are required.
This combination of highly concessional and low-cost financing aims to provide the Kyrgyz Republic with affordable and sustainable financial support for its development priorities.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said that the U.S is in talks with the new Iranian regime. He said this in a post on his Truth Social account but warned that the U.S. will "Obliterate" Iran's electric and oil facilities if no deal is reached, especially regarding the Strait of Hormuz closure.
NASA is aiming to launch its Artemis 2 mission on Wednesday (1 April), sending astronauts on a 10-day journey around the Moon, officials confirmed. According to the Space Administration, the launch window is due to open at 23:24 GMT, with additional opportunities to 6 April if delays occur.
The Iran-U.S.-Israel conflict is intensifying, with fresh strikes near Tehran, European calls for restraint, and Iran threatening to target U.S. firms in the region, raising fears of a broader escalation across the Middle East.
The war in Iran has rapidly upended regional security, triggering spillover across the Middle East and raising fears of wider economic disruption that could threaten globalisation.
The Israeli military said on Monday that Iran launched multiple waves of missiles at Israel, and an attack had also been launched from Yemen for the second time since the U.S.-Israeli war began on Tehran. It said two drones from Yemen were intercepted early 30 March but gave no further details.
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Mines and Petroleum says around 25 kilometres of the TAPI gas pipeline have been laid in Herat province, as work continues on one of the region’s largest energy projects.
Three Armenian citizens have been charged following an alleged attempt to attack Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at St Anna Cathedral in Yerevan on 29 March. Analysts say the incident reflects rising tensions between the government and the Church ahead of upcoming elections.
A man previously convicted of spying on Türkiye has been arrested by Turkish and Syrian authorities after more than a decade on the run, Turkish security sources said on Monday.
Uzbekistan is hosting the fifth-anniversary Space Technology Conference - Central Eurasia (STC 2026), bringing together more than 400 delegates, 24 sponsors and representatives from 32 countries to discuss the region’s space industry and expand international cooperation.
Kazakhstan remains among the least dependent countries in Central Asia on Chinese capital, maintaining a diversified external debt structure and greater financial flexibility than its regional peers.
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