Syria regains World Bank funding after Saudi Arabia and Qatar pay $15.5 million debt
The unpaid amount, owed to the International Development Association (IDA) — the World Bank’s fund for the poorest nations — was fully settled by May 12, reopening Syria’s eligibility for new projects, the bank said in a statement.
“As of May 12, 2025, there are no outstanding IDA credit balances for the Syrian Arab Republic,” the statement read, adding that any future cooperation will depend on Syria meeting World Bank policies.
This development came shortly after US President Donald Trump announced at the 2025 Saudi-US Investment Forum in Riyadh that he would lift “brutal and crippling” US sanctions on Syria, which had been imposed before the fall of the Assad regime.
The day after Trump’s announcement, he met Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia — marking the first meeting between the two countries’ leaders in 25 years.
Bashar Assad, who ruled Syria for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia on December 8, 2024, ending the Baath Party’s long-standing control since 1963.
Russia launched one of its largest aerial assaults since the war began, striking six regions across Ukraine and killing three emergency workers in Kyiv, as tensions escalated following controversial remarks from U.S. President Donald Trump.
Protey, a Russian telecom equipment developer, installed 4G mobile network systems in Afghanistan last year, a development reported by the Vedomosti business newspaper on Thursday. The systems are designed to provide mobile services for an estimated 10 million people.
Ahead of the IAEA meeting in Vienna, Iran’s foreign minister reaffirmed the country’s refusal to halt uranium enrichment and warned Europe against seeking renewed UN sanctions, calling such efforts a “major strategic mistake.”
The European Union and Ukraine are negotiating a new agreement on agricultural import quotas, aiming to find a balance between pre-war trade limits and the temporary exemptions granted after 2022.
Eid al-Adha, known as the "Festival of Sacrifice," stands as one of Islam's most significant celebrations, commemorating Prophet Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son in obedience to Allah's command.
Russia launched one of its largest aerial assaults since the war began, striking six regions across Ukraine and killing three emergency workers in Kyiv, as tensions escalated following controversial remarks from U.S. President Donald Trump.
Protey, a Russian telecom equipment developer, installed 4G mobile network systems in Afghanistan last year, a development reported by the Vedomosti business newspaper on Thursday. The systems are designed to provide mobile services for an estimated 10 million people.
Ahead of the IAEA meeting in Vienna, Iran’s foreign minister reaffirmed the country’s refusal to halt uranium enrichment and warned Europe against seeking renewed UN sanctions, calling such efforts a “major strategic mistake.”
The European Union and Ukraine are negotiating a new agreement on agricultural import quotas, aiming to find a balance between pre-war trade limits and the temporary exemptions granted after 2022.
Eid al-Adha, known as the "Festival of Sacrifice," stands as one of Islam's most significant celebrations, commemorating Prophet Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son in obedience to Allah's command.
As peace talks progress, voices from Yerevan, Tbilisi, and Baku reveal hopes, concerns, and expectations for a future shaped by trade, trust, and generational change in the South Caucasus.
A bridge collapse in the Vygonichsky district of Russia’s Bryansk region, near the Ukrainian border, caused a train derailment and a traffic accident early Sunday, killing at least seven people and leaving 30 injured, according to emergency services.
Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) has confirmed it carried out a third targeted attack against the Crimean Bridge, also known as the Kerch Bridge, early Tuesday morning, marking a new escalation in the ongoing conflict with Russia.
A strong 6.3 magnitude earthquake shook Japan’s Hokkaido prefecture early Monday, causing no reported injuries or damage, and no tsunami warning was issued, officials confirmed.
Peace talks between Russia and Ukraine ended abruptly in Istanbul on Monday, lasting just over an hour amid mounting tensions following a major Ukrainian drone strike on Russian strategic bombers and renewed pressure from the U.S. for a breakthrough.
Central Asia’s growing relevance in the global critical minerals supply chain took center stage at the U.S.–Central Asia Forum hosted by the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center on June 4.
China is intensifying its strategic use of rare earth exports as leverage in the ongoing trade dispute with the United States, signaling a shift in the battleground of economic confrontation.
Russia launched one of its largest aerial assaults since the war began, striking six regions across Ukraine and killing three emergency workers in Kyiv, as tensions escalated following controversial remarks from U.S. President Donald Trump.
Protey, a Russian telecom equipment developer, installed 4G mobile network systems in Afghanistan last year, a development reported by the Vedomosti business newspaper on Thursday. The systems are designed to provide mobile services for an estimated 10 million people.
The European Union and Ukraine are negotiating a new agreement on agricultural import quotas, aiming to find a balance between pre-war trade limits and the temporary exemptions granted after 2022.
Russia launched one of its largest aerial assaults since the war began, striking six regions across Ukraine and killing three emergency workers in Kyiv, as tensions escalated following controversial remarks from U.S. President Donald Trump.
Protey, a Russian telecom equipment developer, installed 4G mobile network systems in Afghanistan last year, a development reported by the Vedomosti business newspaper on Thursday. The systems are designed to provide mobile services for an estimated 10 million people.
Ahead of the IAEA meeting in Vienna, Iran’s foreign minister reaffirmed the country’s refusal to halt uranium enrichment and warned Europe against seeking renewed UN sanctions, calling such efforts a “major strategic mistake.”
The European Union and Ukraine are negotiating a new agreement on agricultural import quotas, aiming to find a balance between pre-war trade limits and the temporary exemptions granted after 2022.
Eid al-Adha, known as the "Festival of Sacrifice," stands as one of Islam's most significant celebrations, commemorating Prophet Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son in obedience to Allah's command.
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