MUST-READS

• World Bank sounds alarm on ‘historical reversal’ of development for poorest nations
   Half of the world's 75 poorest countries are experiencing a widening income gap with the wealthiest economies for the first time this century in a historical reversal of development, the World Bank said in a report on Monday.
  The differential between per capita income growth in the poorest countries and the richest has widened over the past five years, according to the report.
  "For the first time, we see there is no convergence. They're getting poorer," Ayhan Kose, deputy chief economist for the World Bank and one of the report's authors, told Reuters.

• Record debt costs mean climate spending could push nations to brink of insolvency
  Emerging countries will pay a record $400 billion to service external debt this year, and nearly four dozen cannot spend the money they need for climate adaptation and sustainable development without risking default in the next five years, according to a report led by Boston University released on the eve of the IMF/World Bank spring meetings.
  The report, opens new tab from the Debt Relief for Green and Inclusive Recovery Project (DRGR) found that 47 developing countries would hit external debt insolvency thresholds, as defined by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), in the next five years if they invested the necessary amounts to hit 2030 Agenda and Paris Agreement goals.

• Why is Sudan still at war a year on?
  The army and RSF had been in a fragile partnership after toppling a civilian government in an October 2021 coup, a move that derailed a transition from the rule of Islamist autocrat Omar al-Bashir, who was ousted amid a popular uprising in 2019.
  The rivalry between the two sides burst into the open over an internationally backed plan that would have launched a new transition with civilian parties and was due to be sealed just before the war broke out.

• United Airlines and other carriers canceled flights after Iran’s drone attack on Israel

  United Airlines canceled its flights from Newark to Tel Aviv on Saturday and Sunday after Iran launched a drone attack on Israel that forced surrounding countries in the Middle East to close their airspaces.

  Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, and Iraq all reopened their airspaces on Sunday after closing them, according to Al Jazeera. The closures came after Iran launched an air attack on Israel with more than 300 drones and missiles. The attack was in retaliation for a suspected Israeli airstrike on Damascus that killed 13 people.

• US forces down missiles as Iran attacks Israel

  U.S. fighter jets and warships downed dozens of drones and ballistic missiles launched at Israel by Iran and its proxy groups around midnight Sunday morning local time. The U.S. forces were part of a multinational force that turned back a barrage of more than 300 armed drones and missiles, officials said. U.S. forces in the Middle East "intercepted dozens of missiles and [unmanned aerial vehicles] en route to Israel, launched from Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen," Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement, adding that the U.S. military remains "postured to protect U.S. troops and partners in the region, provide further support for Israel’s defense, and enhance regional stability."

• 182 Male, Female Athletes Represent Saudi Arabia in Gulf Youth Games

  The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is taking part in the inaugural Gulf Youth Games, hosted by the UAE from April 23 to May 2, 2024. Saudi Arabia will be represented by 149 male and female athletes competing in 21 different sports. The Saudi teams began arriving in the UAE today, Sunday, with the taekwondo team already in Dubai, consisting of 23 male and female players. They are set to kick off their participation in the tournament on Tuesday at the Zayed Sports Complex in Fujairah. The event will see over 3,500 male and female athletes, as well as administrative, technical, medical, and media delegations, players, and referees from the Gulf Cooperation Council countries participating in its first edition.

• Tiger Woods calls PGA Tour meeting with Saudi fund boss ‘positive’
  The day after The Players Championship, the player directors and commissioner Jay Monahan met with Al-Rumayyan in the Bahamas, a gathering seen in many circles as a crucial step toward a possible deal between the Tour and PIF. “I don’t know if we’re closer [to a deal with PIF] but certainly we’re headed in the right direction,” Woods said Sunday at the Masters. “That was a very positive meeting and I think both sides came away from the meeting feeling positive.”

• Al-Shehri targeting continued Saudi success

  Becoming an established, top-flight, coach is tough anywhere in the world, but especially so in Saudi Arabia. The country’s Pro League has very high standards, with a slew of ambitious teams tending to employ elite foreign coaches, obliging their local counterparts to raise their game in order to match them.

  Saudi native Saad Al-Shehri is one example of someone determined to do just that. Despite the significant challenges of gaining experience, realising his ambitions and keeping his sides competitive, the coach has made a lot of astute choices and has had consistent success along the way.

• Saudi Arabia claims commanding victory over Hong Kong, shakes up standings

  The verdict was in, and the verdict was clear – Saudi Arabia outlasted Hong Kong by 55 runs to slingshot themselves to No. 2 in ACC Premier Cup’s Group A, and demote Hong Kong to No. 4 before its third bout against Nepal at 10 a.m. GST Monday.

• Saudi Arabia warns against misuse of Umrah visas for employment purposes
  The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah warned against the misuse of Umrah visas for purposes other than pilgrimage.
  Emphasizing the importance of adhering to the regulations, the ministry clarified that Umrah visas should not be utilised for work-related activities.

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