Briefly

AFGHANISTAN

World Bank may transfer back $280m frozen aid

The World Bank's board has endorsed transferring $280 million from a frozen trust fund to two aid agencies to help Afghanistan cope with a humanitarian crisis, sources said on Wednesday. The 31 donors to the World Bank-administered Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund must approve the transfer before the funds could flow to the World Food Programme and UNICEF, the sources said. Afghanistan's 39 million people are facing a winter of food shortages.

UNITED STATES

Govt shutdown looms as lawmakers squabble

The threat of a federal government shutdown loomed larger on Wednesday as lawmakers failed to reach an agreement with just two days to go before the funding runs out. Congress has until Friday night to come up with a new budget in order to avoid a sudden stoppage of most so-called nonessential operations, putting hundreds of thousands of workers on furlough without pay. During the winter 2018-19 shutdown, which was the longest in US history at about five weeks, security lines at airports were even affected.

CANADA

Boeing excluded from fighter jet procurement

Canada on Wednesday excluded Boeing from bidding on a multibillion-dollar contract to replace an aging fleet of fighter jets. With an Airbus-led consortium and France's Dassault Aviation having already withdrawn their Typhoon and Rafale fighters, respectively, from the procurement process, that leaves only Lockheed Martin's F-35 and Saab's Gripen in the running. A decision is expected next year, with the first of 88 fighters to be delivered as early as 2025.

Agencies - Xinhua