Section front
Latest reporting, briefings and public-interest updates from the business desk.
Andrei Klepach, chief economist at Russia’s state-controlled VEB development bank since 2014, was dismissed after publicly warning about the country’s economic position during the war.
Women accounted for 28.5% of traditional bank loans by number in 2025 but only 17.3% by value, according to the National Bank of Ethiopia’s second Women’s Financial Inclusion Scorecard.
A proposed World Bank partnership framework sets an indicative $13.4 billion in IDA financing for Ethiopia from 2027 to 2036, with annual access dependent on reform performance, implementation capacity and available resources.
An EU economic update says Ethiopia’s nominal GDP measured in US dollars fell from nearly $160 billion in 2023 to $109.1 billion in 2025, largely reflecting the birr’s depreciation rather than a contraction in real output.
BP will develop the second phase of the offshore Loran gasfield with Qatari and Emirati partners, marking a major new foreign energy investment in Venezuela.
Ethiopia urged greater representation for emerging and developing economies in the global financial system during a BRICS finance ministers and central bank governors meeting in Jaipur, India.
Sports Direct owner Frasers Group has acquired luxury department-store chain Harvey Nichols for an undisclosed sum after the retailer entered administration.
Water companies in England and Wales have been allowed to spend £3.4 billion beyond their existing plans, a decision expected to increase household bills as firms fund infrastructure for new homes and data centres.
