Author: Solomon Alaka

It’s time to finance our future and ‘change course’, Guterres tells world leaders in Sevilla

Solomon AlakaLeave a Comment on It’s time to finance our future and ‘change course’, Guterres tells world leaders in Sevilla

António Guterres issued his clarion call noting that sustainable development powered by international cooperation, is now facing “massive headwinds.” Addressing the opening session of the 4th Financing for Development Conference (FFD4) in baking hot Sevilla, Spain – basking in record high June temperatures – the Secretary-General noted multilateralism itself is also feeling the heat, while […]

Continue Reading

Guterres welcomes peace deal between DR Congo and Rwanda

Solomon AlakaLeave a Comment on Guterres welcomes peace deal between DR Congo and Rwanda

The accord is “a significant step towards de-escalation, peace and stability in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Great Lakes region,” he said in a statement that evening. A breakthrough amid crisis Since the 1990s, eastern DRC has been plagued by dozens of armed groups who have terrorized the population. The Government […]

Continue Reading

China Rolls Over $3.4 Billion in Loans to Pakistan, Boosting Reserves to IMF Target

Solomon AlakaLeave a Comment on China Rolls Over $3.4 Billion in Loans to Pakistan, Boosting Reserves to IMF Target

In a major financial lifeline, China has rolled over $3.4 billion in commercial loans to Pakistan, helping the country meet a key foreign reserves target set by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), a senior finance ministry source confirmed Sunday. The support includes the rollover of $2.1 billion that has remained with Pakistan’s central bank for […]

Continue Reading

Myanmar human rights crisis deepens as aid collapses, attacks intensify

Solomon AlakaLeave a Comment on Myanmar human rights crisis deepens as aid collapses, attacks intensify

In a stark briefing to the Human Rights Council in Geneva, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk described a country gripped by war, repression and deepening suffering. Since the military coup in February 2021, nearly 6,800 civilians have been killed and over 22,000 remain arbitrarily detained, he said. Humanitarian needs have soared, with […]

Continue Reading

DR Congo: New initiative to eliminate HIV in children ‘a beacon of hope’

Solomon AlakaLeave a Comment on DR Congo: New initiative to eliminate HIV in children ‘a beacon of hope’

“Our country can no longer tolerate children being born and growing up with HIV, when tools exist to prevent, detect and effectively treat this infection,” President Félix Tshisekedi declared at a recent government conference in the south-eastern Lualaba province, as he launched the five-year initiative. Backed by an initial commitment of $18 million in national […]

Continue Reading

Ireland: Minister Niall Collins Visits Groundbreaking Youth Rehabilitation Initiative in Athy, Co Kildare

Solomon AlakaLeave a Comment on Ireland: Minister Niall Collins Visits Groundbreaking Youth Rehabilitation Initiative in Athy, Co Kildare

Minister of State at the Department of Justice with special responsibility for International Law, Law Reform and Youth Justice Niall Collins visited The Alternative Project, a youth intervention project in Athy on the morning of 25th of June, 2025, highlighting the government’s continued focus on youth rehabilitation and community-based crime prevention. During the visit, Minister […]

Continue Reading

Bearing the brunt of war: UNICEF chief meets some of Sudan’s 700,000 child refugees crossing into Chad

Solomon AlakaLeave a Comment on Bearing the brunt of war: UNICEF chief meets some of Sudan’s 700,000 child refugees crossing into Chad

In neighbouring Chad, children make up 61 per cent of the 860,000 Sudanese refugees and a staggering 68 per cent of the 274,000 Chadian returnees – that’s over 700,000 young lives uprooted by violence. Chad, already one of the world’s poorest countries, has the fourth-highest child mortality rate in the world, despite significant progress in […]

Continue Reading

British Boy, 6, Caught in £1.6 Million Drug Smuggling Bust in Mauritius

Solomon AlakaLeave a Comment on British Boy, 6, Caught in £1.6 Million Drug Smuggling Bust in Mauritius

A six-year-old British boy has reportedly been caught up in a major international drug trafficking operation, after being detained alongside six adults at Mauritius’ main airport in connection with a £1.6 million cannabis smuggling plot. The group—comprised of six British nationals, one Romanian man, and the child—was stopped on Sunday at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International […]

Continue Reading

Faith in finance: Indonesia’s innovative path to sustainable development

Solomon AlakaLeave a Comment on Faith in finance: Indonesia’s innovative path to sustainable development

The Southeast Asian country has already raised close to $12 billion in thematic bonds, including blue bonds and Islamic investment instruments over the last seven years. These efforts have been supported by development partners, including the United Nations. Putut Hari Satyaka, is the Deputy Minister for Development Financing and Investment at Indonesia’s Ministry of National Development Planning […]

Continue Reading

Global Development Banks Unite for Bold Action Amid Rising Global Uncertainty

Solomon AlakaLeave a Comment on Global Development Banks Unite for Bold Action Amid Rising Global Uncertainty

Paris, 29 June 2025 – In a landmark meeting hosted by the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB), the Heads of the world’s Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) have pledged intensified joint action to tackle urgent global development challenges, committing to bold reforms and expanded impact. Amid increasing geopolitical and economic volatility, the Heads reaffirmed their […]

Continue Reading