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.
Serbian police used teargas and crowd control vehicles in Belgrade on Friday evening to disperse anti-government protesters who threw firecrackers and...
Kyrgyzstan’s economy expanded by 11.5 percent in the first seven months of 2025, reaching 9.9 billion U.S. dollars, official data shows....
U.S. President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart have arrived in Alaska for his high-stakes summit with Russia's Vladimir Putin after saying he...
Gold prices were steady on Friday but remained on track for a weekly decline, as stronger-than-expected U.S. inflation data dampened expectations for ...
The California Coastal Commission on Thursday voted against a proposal by Elon Musk’s SpaceX to almost double its permitted annual Falcon 9 rocket l...
Serbian police used teargas and crowd control vehicles in Belgrade on Friday evening to disperse anti-government protesters who threw firecrackers and flares at officers, marking a sharp escalation in the nine-month-long demonstrations.
Kyrgyzstan’s economy expanded by 11.5 percent in the first seven months of 2025, reaching 9.9 billion U.S. dollars, official data shows.
Gold prices were steady on Friday but remained on track for a weekly decline, as stronger-than-expected U.S. inflation data dampened expectations for interest rate cuts and shifted market attention to the meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The California Coastal Commission on Thursday voted against a proposal by Elon Musk’s SpaceX to almost double its permitted annual Falcon 9 rocket launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base, raising the limit from 50 to 95.
The world’s biggest dance music festival faces an unexpected setback as a fire destroys its main stage, prompting a last-minute response from organisers determined to keep the party alive in Boom, Belgium.
A powerful eruption at Japan’s Shinmoedake volcano sent an ash plume more than 3,000 metres high on Sunday morning, prompting safety warnings from authorities.
According to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), a magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck the Oaxaca region of Mexico on Saturday.
A resumption of Iraq’s Kurdish oil exports is not expected in the near term, sources familiar with the matter said on Friday, despite an announcement by Iraq’s federal government a day earlier stating that shipments would resume immediately.
A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck 56 kilometres east of Gorgan in northern Iran early Sunday morning, according to preliminary seismic data.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that Chinese President Xi Jinping assured him China would not invade Taiwan during Trump’s presidency, adding that Xi described himself and China as “very patient.”
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Friday that foreign companies are welcome to do business in Brazil, speaking at the opening of a Chinese automaker’s factory in Sao Paulo state.
Serbian police used teargas and crowd control vehicles in Belgrade on Friday evening to disperse anti-government protesters who threw firecrackers and flares at officers, marking a sharp escalation in the nine-month-long demonstrations.
U.S. President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart have arrived in Alaska for his high-stakes summit with Russia's Vladimir Putin after saying he wants to see a ceasefire in the war in Ukraine "today."
Gold prices were steady on Friday but remained on track for a weekly decline, as stronger-than-expected U.S. inflation data dampened expectations for interest rate cuts and shifted market attention to the meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment