WB pledges $2b to Myanmar

The World Bank (WB) on Sunday pledged $2 billion in loans, grants and investments to help improve Myanmar's ailing energy sector and deliver universal healthcare. The announcement was made by Jim Yong Kim, the bank's president, during his first visit to the former military-ruled nation. He said the goal was to help lift people out of poverty. "Expanding access to electricity in a country like Myanmar can help transform a society - children will be able to study at night, shops will stay open, and health clinics will have lights and energy to power life-saving technology," he said, according to a news agency.