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🙌 WBG Pioneers is the World Bank Group’s premier 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦, offering undergraduate and postgraduate students structured learning and practical experience. As a participant, you will engage in impactful projects, contribute to meaningful work, and gain direct exposure to the mission and operations of the World Bank Group. See what former interns told us and apply before February 17th: http://wrld.bg/FMY650Y401u

✔ "The opportunity to support and learn from diverse and talented colleagues was deeply inspiring." Blessing Omiwale
✔ "I really liked working in an organization where I was given confidence and my work was recognized and valued." Heikki-Joseph M'Bahia
✔ "Being exposed to this stream of work has been fascinating." Edgar Aguilar
✔ "Being surrounded by such knowledgeable and inspiring people was incredible. It's not something you find everywhere, and it pushes you to become your best self." Ines Dezecallar Miranda

A Chinese drug could help manage outbreaks of Nipah and prevent its spread, a deadly virus with no vaccine or cure, researchers said.

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President has described the ice and snow industry as a "mountain of gold and silver," emphasizing the need to leverage natural winter resources. His vision includes a comprehensive winter sports economy encompassing equipment manufacturing, tourism, and cultural industries.

's ice and snow economy scale exceeded 1 trillion yuan (about $143 billion) in 2025. The figure represents an industry nearly four times its 270-billion-yuan scale in 2015.

In 2023, Xi visited a village in Mohe, China's northernmost city, and emphasized the importance of utilizing snow and ice resources for economic growth. Today, the village has become a top destination for southern tourists, reflecting a broader trend across the country.

Chongli, Hebei Province, is a prime example of this transformation. Once a poverty-stricken area, it has become a world-renowned ski resort, with one in four locals now employed in winter sports-related jobs.

"The ultimate goal of building a sporting powerhouse and a healthy China is to strengthen people's fitness," Xi said. "This is also an essential part of China's effort to build a modern socialist country in all respects."

According to initial media reports, a private aircraft carrying senior NCP leader and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar reportedly crashed near Baramati in Pune district. Early visuals from the site show emergency services rushing in as rescue and relief operations were launched. Authorities are yet to issue a detailed official statement, and the exact cause of the crash and casualty details are awaited. This is a developing story and updates are expected as investigations progress. #AjitPawar #PlaneCrash #BreakingNews #Maharashtra #Baramati #AviationNews #IndianPolitics #EmergencyResponse #NewsUpdate #DevelopingStory #Pune #NCP #IndiaNews 📲 Follow Orissa POST – Odisha's No. 1 English Daily 📰✨

✅ Countries and Co-Financiers Working Together to Power Regional Energy Integration in Western Africa

Access to reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy is key to unlocking Africa's socio-economic transformation. This is the focus of 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝟑𝟎𝟎, an ambitious effort between the World Bank and the African Development Bank, amongst other partners, to connect 300 million people to electricity in sub-Saharan Africa by 2030. With electricity comes new opportunities for jobs, trade, and investment, as well as better schools, hospitals, and other essential services. Lives change. In 2020, only 52 percent of the population in Western and Central Africa had access to electricity services. Reaching those without access, including over 220 million people in Western Africa, requires overcoming challenges related to geography, high electricity costs, weak institutional capacity, and political instability.

Since it was approved in 2015, the 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐢𝐚 𝐑𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐎𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 (𝐎𝐌𝐕𝐆) 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 has worked to enable electricity trade among four countries: The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, and Senegal. Project goals include enhancing regional integration and energy security, improving cost efficiencies and the use of renewable energy, and expanding economic development and rural electrification. With $200 million in financing from the World Bank and over $500 million from co-financiers, the OMVG Interconnection Project brings together the four participating countries, five multilateral development banks—the African Development Bank (AfDB), the European Investment Bank (EIB), the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), the West African Development Bank (WADB), and the World Bank—and three bilateral agencies—Agence Française de Développement (AFD), Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW), and the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED).

OMVG is an example of what can be achieved through focus on energy access, such as through the Mission 300. During the last decade, the project has achieved development impact at scale in the energy sector. It has helped establish a comprehensive regional transmission network and facilitated the development of large hydropower generation projects, as well as utility-scale solar power plants to support the deployment and trade of affordable, clean energy.
The project has laid the foundation for a regional electricity industry and a dynamic regional electricity market through the progressive integration of isolated national power grids into a unified system. This includes erecting a 1,600-kilometer transmission line ingeniously designed in a loop that interconnects The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, and Senegal. The loop also features 15 substations to distribute electricity and fiber optic cables to improve operations and public communication.

This network not only enhances regional energy integration and cooperation, but it also completes the regional West African Power Pool grid with interconnections across 14 member countries. All four OMVG countries now have access to additional supply options, including lower cost energy from Guinea and Senegal. The OMVG interconnection has improved service reliability for more than 2.5 million households and businesses in the region, and enabled Guinea Bissau to transition overnight from power generation based solely on expensive and polluting heavy fuel oil to 100 percent hydropower.

Set to close in June 2025, the OMVG Interconnection Project has also focused on compensation for affected communities, revenue-generating activities, and the implementation of a Biodiversity Management Plan, which ensured the transmission line was rerouted in vulnerable areas to safeguard heritage sites and preserve biodiversity. These efforts have helped to further enhance project contributions to the socio-economic development and environmental sustainability of the region.

A project of this magnitude, with far-reaching regional implications, has demanded 𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠. Eight co-financiers have come together to pool resources exceeding $700 million, thus enabling the construction of the transmission line and 15 substations; as well as the provision of technical assistance for project management, project supervision, and future operations related to the fiber optic cables, the line and associated facilities.

Each co-financier comes to the OMVG Interconnection Project with rich regional experiences, specific and complementary financial instruments, and diversified advisory services that have encompassed all stages of the project cycle. Co-financing has enhanced the project’s viability, fostered shared responsibility, spread the financial risks, and brought together diverse expertise from partner organizations. It shows that strong coordination around a shared vision can achieve development objectives and maximize impact on communities.