The UK government has pledged to invest £1.98 billion ($2.5 billion) over the next three years into the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA) fund, aimed at supporting the world’s lowest-income countries. This contribution will help fund projects that promote economic growth, combat poverty, and address the ongoing challenges of climate change, according to a government statement.
The IDA fund, which provides grants and low-interest loans to the most impoverished nations, is replenished every three years, with a pledging conference scheduled for December 5-6 in Seoul. World Bank President Ajay Banga is seeking a record-breaking amount for this replenishment, aiming to exceed the $93 billion raised in December 2021, in response to growing demands from poor countries facing mounting debts, climate-related disasters, conflict, and other crises.
This pledge comes shortly after U.S. President Joe Biden announced a $4 billion contribution to the IDA fund last week.
While the UK previously committed 0.7% of its gross national income to overseas development aid, the Conservative government reduced this figure to 0.5% in 2021 due to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since taking office in July, Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour government has vowed to restore the aid budget to 0.7%, though no timeline has been set for this increase.
Ukrainian emergency services extinguished a fire on a Turkish-owned civilian vessel after a Russian attack that damaged three Turkish-owned ships in s...
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Russian forces struck Ukraine’s southern port city of Odesa for a second consecutive day on Saturday (13 December), deploying Kinzhal hypersonic mis...
Football superstar Lionel Messi has arrived in India to kick off his highly anticipated GOAT India Tour 2025, a three-day, four-city visit running fro...
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer reaffirmed on Thursday (December 4) that responsibility for the 2018 Novichok attack in Salisbury lies with Russian President Vladimir Putin, following the conclusion of a public inquiry into the poisoning.
Storm Claudia, which brought violent weather to Portugal, has resulted in the deaths of three people and left dozens injured, authorities reported on Saturday. Meanwhile, in Britain, rescue teams were organising evacuations due to heavy flooding in Wales and England.
The Kremlin confirmed on Wednesday that there had been contact between Britain’s national security adviser, Jonathan Powell, and Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov, but the dialogue ultimately did not continue.
The United Kingdom has completely lifted its arms embargo on Azerbaijan and Armenia, according to a written statement by Minister for Europe, North America and the Overseas Territories Stephen Doughty, published on the UK Parliament’s website.
Japan has lifted a tsunami advisory issued after an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.9 hit the country's northeastern region on Friday (12 December), the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said. The JMA had earlier put the earthquake's preliminary magnitude at 6.7.
The United States issued new sanctions targeting Venezuela on Thursday, imposing curbs on three nephews of President Nicolas Maduro's wife, as well as six crude oil tankers and shipping companies linked to them, as Washington ramps up pressure on Caracas.
The resignation of Bulgaria's government on Thursday (11 December) puts an end to an increasingly unpopular coalition but is likely to usher in a period of prolonged political instability on the eve of the Black Sea nation's entry into the euro zone.
An extratropical cyclone has caused widespread disruption across Brazil’s São Paulo state, with powerful winds toppling trees and power lines, blocking streets and leaving large parts of the region without electricity.
Pakistan has indicated its openness to forming a regional bloc with Bangladesh without including India. The statement from Islamabad follows comments by Bangladesh’s top foreign affairs adviser, Md Touhid Hossain, that such an arrangement is strategically possible without India.
Ukrainian emergency services extinguished a fire on a Turkish-owned civilian vessel after a Russian attack that damaged three Turkish-owned ships in southern Ukrainian ports
Russia and Ukraine issued conflicting battlefield reports on Friday, with Moscow claiming control of eight towns and cities, while Kyiv said it had stabilised the front near Kupyansk.
The Oligarch’s Design is an investigative documentary exploring how financial power, political influence and carefully constructed narratives can shape conflict and public perception.
Russian forces struck Ukraine’s southern port city of Odesa for a second consecutive day on Saturday (13 December), deploying Kinzhal hypersonic missiles for the first time in the conflict, Ukrainian authorities said.
Football superstar Lionel Messi has arrived in India to kick off his highly anticipated GOAT India Tour 2025, a three-day, four-city visit running from 13 to 15 December.
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