Burnham vows to tackle cost of living as he chairs first Cabinet meeting
Britain's new Prime Minister Andy Burnham has chaired his first Cabinet meeting, pledging to make the cost of living his government's central priority...
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has completed its latest review of Ukraine's financing programme, clearing the way for the immediate release of around $690 million in additional support. The latest disbursement brings total funding under the programme to about $2.2 billion.
The decision brings total disbursements under Ukraine's current IMF loan programme to approximately $2.2 billion, the Fund said in a statement on Monday.
Ukraine is operating under an $8.1 billion IMF programme aimed at supporting economic stability, strengthening financial resilience and advancing reforms amid the ongoing war with Russia.
The latest review comes as Ukraine faces growing pressure on its economy due to intensified Russian attacks on critical infrastructure.
The IMF said Ukraine had managed to maintain macroeconomic and financial stability despite the impact of the war. However, it warned that the economic outlook had weakened because of continued strikes on key infrastructure and the wider effects of instability linked to the conflict in the Middle East.
The Fund said Ukraine's programme performance remained "broadly satisfactory", with all end-March quantitative performance criteria and indicative targets achieved.
However, Ukraine missed its end-June target for net international reserves, partly because of the impact of developments in the Middle East.
The IMF noted that the pace of reforms had slowed, with several structural benchmarks either delayed or not completed.
"To keep the programme on track, IMF staff and the Ukrainian authorities agreed on a revised timeline for reforms, corrective measures to address delays and additional policy commitments," the Fund said.
The agreement was reached in June as part of efforts to ensure continued progress under the financing programme.
IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said maintaining macroeconomic stability remained Ukraine's immediate priority.
She called for continued prudent fiscal and monetary policies, along with measures to strengthen the resilience of the country's financial sector.
The IMF has provided financial support to Ukraine throughout Russia's full-scale invasion, with assistance focused on helping Kyiv manage wartime economic pressures while implementing long-term reforms.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 20th July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
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Kylian Mbappé has become the first player to win the FIFA World Cup Golden Boot on more than one occasion. The French forward won the award presented to the top goalscorer of the tournament for the second time, despite France being knocked out in the semi-finals.
Overnight U.S. strikes caused blackouts in southwestern Iran and hit the northwestern city of Tabriz for the first time. Separately, a U.S. soldier died in northern Iraq during a controlled detonation of an unexploded Iranian drone.
Spain are world champions for the second time after Ferran Torres' extra-time winner secured a 1-0 victory over Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final at New York New Jersey Stadium.
Britain's new Prime Minister Andy Burnham has chaired his first Cabinet meeting, pledging to make the cost of living his government's central priority while signalling a broader effort to restore confidence in Britain's government and strengthen its international standing.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier have discussed regional developments, transport connectivity, energy cooperation and the Azerbaijan-Armenia peace process during talks in Berlin.
Russian strikes hit multiple locations across Ukraine, setting a large hardware store ablaze in the northeastern city of Sumy and damaging a residential building in the country's east, as fighting between the two sides continued to intensify.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for setting up a foolproof public examination system in the country on Tuesday, a day after supporters of the youth-led "cockroach" movement and police clashed as they marched on parliament to protest against question paper leaks.
Sri Lanka is battling its worst dengue outbreak in nearly a decade, with authorities deploying the military to help contain the spread of the mosquito-borne disease as infections continue to rise.
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