Bahrain’s UN bid to secure Strait of Hormuz stalls amid global divisions
Bahrain’s bid to secure a UN resolution to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz has stalled, highlighting deep divisions among global pow...
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has reached a staff-level agreement with Pakistan that would unlock $1.2 billion in funding once approved by the Fund’s Executive Board.
According to the IMF, the agreement covers two financial arrangements — $1 billion under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and $200 million under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF). This brings Pakistan’s total disbursements under both programmes to around $3.3 billion.
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb confirmed earlier that the government was close to finalising the deal, which marks a key step towards securing additional support from the global lender.
An IMF mission visited Islamabad last week but left without finalising the staff-level review of Pakistan’s two main financing programmes, valued at a combined $8.4 billion.
The IMF said the agreement remains subject to approval by its Executive Board, which is expected to assess the country’s fiscal performance and reform commitments before releasing the next tranche.
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.
There are fears of an oil spill after a drone strike hit a Kuwaiti oil tanker near Dubai on Tuesday, while U.S.-Israeli strikes in Iran reportedly killed at least two people. A loud explosion was heard in Beirut in southern Lebanon early Wednesday, as oil prices climbed above $100 a barrel.
Fears of wider escalation grow despite President Donald Trump saying U.S. strikes on Iran could end within weeks. Meanwhile missile attacks, tanker incidents and rising casualties across Israel, Lebanon and the Gulf heighten risks to regional stability and energy routes.
Russian-flagged tanker carrying approximately 700,000 barrels of crude oil docked at Cuba's Matanzas oil terminal on Tuesday, shipping data confirmed, marking a vital and controversial delivery to an island paralysed by severe energy shortages and a suffocating U.S. blockade.
A Russian military An-26 aircraft has crashed in Crimea, killing all 30 people on board, Russia’s Defence Ministry has confirmed.
In a major policy reversal, the U.S. Treasury has removed Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, from its sanctions list, signalling a sharp shift in Washington’s approach to Caracas.
A technical team from the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has touched down in Cuba this week to launch an "independent investigation" into a deadly maritime shootout that happened on 25 February.
“He is not… the owner!” U.S. District Judge Richard J. Leon wrote, temporarily halting construction of President Donald Trump’s $400 million White House ballroom, underscoring a cascade of legal, regulatory and public opposition that has engulfed the controversial expansion.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 2 April, covering the latest developments you need to know
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticised Russia for answering his offer of an Easter ceasefire with airstrikes on Wednesday but he praised as "positive" fresh talks with U.S. mediators aimed at resolving the four-year conflict.
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