The United States confirmed on Friday that it has assisted Sudan with more than $1 billion to help clear arrears at the World Bank as it hailed reforms by the civilian-backed government.

An attempt Friday to refloat a giant container ship blocking Egypt's Suez Canal has failed, the vessel's managers said. 

The Suez Canal jam has highlighted the importance of further developing Russia's Arctic shipping route, which is increasingly accessible due to climate change, a senior Russian diplomat said on Friday.

Maritime trade will slow down for days after a giant container ship got stuck sideways in the Suez Canal, causing a bottleneck in one of the world's busiest shipping routes.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Wednesday defended the IMF's move to boost its reserve offerings, calling the increased aid a "joint effort" to help the poorest nations hit by Covid-19.

Stock markets fell further Wednesday, as investors dumped risky shares on concerns that Europe's worsening coronavirus crisis could derail economic recovery, dealers said.

The eurozone economy returned to growth for the first time in six months in March, a closely watched survey said Wednesday, as coronavirus lockdowns had little effect on manufacturing, especially in Germany.

Asian markets fell Tuesday as investors extended recent sell-offs owing to long-running fears that the expected global recovery will force central banks to wind down their easy-money programmes earlier than hoped.

Liberia has approved a scheme to print new banknotes, according to an AFP journalist, in a bid to address long-running cash shortages in the poor West African nation.

The German government will borrow a record 240 billion euros in 2021 and break its taboo on taking on new debt again in 2022, ministry sources said Monday, as Berlin looks to soften the economic blow of the pandemic.