Journalist, sometimes anthropologist. AFP's US Macroeconomics Correspondent. Ex-AJE, Reuters, Dawn, others. AFP Kate Webb Prize '18. Views/opinions my own.
Washington DC
Joined June 2010
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In 2001, Wajeeh-ul-Hassan was arrested for committing "blasphemy", allegedly writing a series of letters insulting to Islam and its Prophet. He spent almost half his life on death row, before the Supreme Court acquitted him in October. This is his story: aljazeera.com/indepth/featur…
[For @AFP] As the Annual Meetings wind down, the IMF chief on Saturday flagged "optimism and worry" among members on the global economic outlook, and said her org had a "responsibility" to aid low-income countries struggling with war-fueled inflation. sg.news.yahoo.com/imf-chief-…
[For @afp] Pakistan's finance minister told AFP the country had so far withstood the shock from skyrocketing energy prices due to the Iran war, but that attacks on infrastructure in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries were "worrying" for the longer-term.
sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/at…
In an interview on the sidelines of the IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings in Bangkok, Muhammad Aurangzeb said the South Asian country had procured enough energy supplies to last through November, and was now planning for the winter months, when household needs typically spike.
Rising energy and fertiliser costs are hitting smallholder farmers and driving up prices of agricultural commodities, fueling fears of a global food crisis, the head of the UN agriculture development fund told @AFP's @Julien_Girault. yahoo.com/news/world/article…
[For @AFP] This week in Bangkok, the IMF's message has been clear: after years of shocks and high debt levels, countries need to cut spending. But for vulnerable low-income countries hit hard by the war-fueled prices, many say that is just not possible. finance.yahoo.com/economy/po…
"Governments across the Global South are being forced to squeeze vital spending on public health, education, and social protection just to service illegitimate debts to wealthy nations and private creditors," Lidy Nacpil, a rights campaigner, said. finance.yahoo.com/economy/po…
The IMF has said governments in countries hard hit by the energy price shock need to make their subsidies more targeted. "How poor do you have to be for them to think that you will need some support?" asked Nacpil. finance.yahoo.com/economy/po…
[For @AFP] World Bank chief Ajay Banga laid out a vision on Friday for how his multilateral development giant should operate, focusing on creating jobs, expanding economic opp and connecting private capital to developing nations that need investment. sg.news.yahoo.com/let-us-bui…
G7 countries pledged to allocate USD2.5 billion to address food insecurity in vulnerable nations, French economy minister Roland Lescure said in Bangkok on the sidelines of the IMF-WB Annual meetings on Thursday. brecorder.com/news/40444479/…
Millions could be thrown into poverty by surging energy costs, the impact of an intense El Nino phenomenon and higher interest rates, w/ vulnerable countries being pushed to the brink by repeated crises, @UNDP chief told AFP. Full story w/ @Julien_Girault: yahoo.com/news/world/article…
US Treasury Secy Scott Bessent -- who has skipped the IMF-WB Annual Meetings in Bangkok -- delivered a rebuke of the multilateral lenders policies and a veiled barb at China's trade practices. france24.com/en/live-news/20…
As we head into Day 4 of the IMF-World Bank's Annual Meetings in Bangkok -- with several regional economic outlook releases, including that of the Middle East region where yet more violence is unfolding in real time -- here's a recap of day 3:
[w/ @Julien_Girault] The International Monetary Fund on Wednesday called for advanced economies to "act now" to address ballooning debt, with spiking bond yields at multi-decade highs and pressure growing on central banks to hike interest rates. finance.yahoo.com/economy/po…
International Monetary Fund head Kristalina Georgieva said Wednesday that recent attacks on Saudi Arabia could impact people "everywhere", as conflict in the energy-rich region adds to wide-ranging economic concerns. uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/im…
EU economy chief Valdis Dombrovskis told @AFP on Tuesday that Russian diesel sales recently authorised by the United States were unlikely to move the price of the commodity, which has spiked since the start of the Iran war. sg.news.yahoo.com/eu-economy…
Asad Hashim retweeted
The IMF warns that while low-income countries are dealing with the disproportionate impacts of the Iran war-fuelled energy shock, many have "no choice" but to cut spending or potentially face debt restructuring. By @AsadHashim and @Julien_Girault. u.afp.com/SCMX
The IMF today upgraded its 2026 global economic outlook, but warned that growth was "split", with high-income advanced economies exposed to the AI boom weathering the storm while low-income oil-importers possibly sinking in it. Full story here: finance.yahoo.com/economy/ar…
The IMF-World Bank's Annual Meetings kick off in Bangkok today. @AFP is here on the ground, meeting with top policymakers as well as critics of the multilateral lenders to bring you all the news throughout the week. Here's what's going to be on the agenda: sg.news.yahoo.com/policymake…
