An extended lending scheme for Ukraine has been approved by the International Monetary Fund. It will cost $15.6 billion. The fund plans to make an announcement about the initiative soon. The Financial Times (FT), citing sources, claimed that talks between IMF officials and the Ukrainian government took place in Warsaw from March 8 to 15. The parties made "significant progress," according to a...

President of China and General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Xi Jinping declared on Wednesday that his country is ready to increase and facilitate foreign nations' entry to its market. "The Chinese Communist Party is dedicated to promoting high-quality growth as well as prosperity worldwide. We will accelerate building of a new development model, continue to expand openness to the...

The number of civilian deaths in Ukraine has been updated according to statistics from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. The statistics shows that between February 24, 2022, and March 12, 2023, there were 8,231 fatalities and 13,734 injuries. 3,664 men, 2,173 women, 260 boys, 203 girls, as well as 31 children, and 1,900 adults—the gender of whom could not yet be determined—died after...

The U.K. Department of Foreign, Commonwealth, and International Development revealed a one-time donation of £20 million (or roughly $24.13 million) to the BBC World Service. The money is designated "to safeguard all 42 language services of the World Service for the next two years and to fight misinformation," according to a statement from the ministry. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly...

The European Union (EU) authorized a €2 billion increase in the European Peace Facility's budget. The money will be used to pay for EU military aid to Ukraine. "The European Peace Fund will receive an extra €2 billion, as approved by the EU ambassadors today. The EU's ongoing commitment to providing military support for Ukraine and other allies is made clear by this decision," the EU Council's...

There were 112.4% more inbound and outbound border entries into China compared to January and February 2022, totaling 39.7 million. The National Immigration Administration of China published the statistics on March 8. The agency also noted a 33.1% rise in the number of visas and residence permits granted to foreign nationals. The numbers show a sharp rise in cross-border travel and tourist...

According to Louisa Vinton, an official of the UN Development Programme, the cost of earthquake damage in Turkey may exceed $100 billion. The most recent statistics show that 46,104 people perished as a result of earthquakes. Speaking from Gaziantep, Turkey, Ms. Vinton stated that it was evident from calculations thus far that the damage estimates presented by the government and supported by...

A historic treaty to safeguard the oceans has been approved by more than a hundred nations, and 30 percent of the ocean will be protected by 2030. According to the BBC, it took more than a decade of discussions to finally come to an accord. The treaty resulted from negotiations at the UN headquarters in New York, which took place on March 3 and spanned 38 hours. There will be limitations on...

Ruslan Strelets, Ukraine's Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources, claimed that the country's ecosystem had suffered losses of 3 trillion hryvnias (roughly $76 billion) as a result of hostilities on its soil. He claims that some of Ukraine's natural resources are irretrievably gone. "We have already calculated the losses: UAH 3 trillion of environmental damage - pollution of...