DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

Jade Gao | Afp | Getty ImagesBEIJING — China is not planning additional stimulus for the second half of the year, according to officials from the economic planning agency and finance ministry. Those official figures have raised concerns about whether China can achieve its full-year target of around 5% growth. China will put "promoting consumption in a more prominent role," Yuan Da, deputy secretary-general of the National Development and Reform Commission, told reporters Thursday in Mandarin, translated by CNBC. He reiterated that authorities would work for the "healthy" development of real estate and ensuring the delivery of pre-sold apartments. For example, Lu'an City in Anhui province announced Thursday it was issuing 1.5 million yuan in coupons for discounts on eating out at restaurants, 3 million yuan for buying home goods and 3 million yuan for car purchases.

Persons: Jade Gao, Zhao Chenxin, Lin Zechang, Zhao, Yuan Da, Yuan Organizations: Central Business District, Afp, Getty, National Development, Reform Commission, CNBC, Ministry of Finance Locations: Beijing, BEIJING, China, Lu'an City, Anhui

Concerns have mounted in recent months about a spate of disinformation related to parliamentary elections in Slovakia on Sept. 30 and Poland next month as well as European Parliament elections next year. The companies and other online platforms have submitted data on their activity in the last six months to fight fake news as part of the EU code of practice on disinformation. "Today, this is a multi-million euro weapon of mass manipulation ..."The 'very large platforms' must address this risk. Especially as we have to expect that the Kremlin and others will be active before elections." After the last European Parliament elections in 2019, Russia's Security Council described accusations that Moscow had spread disinformation to sway voters as absurd.

Persons: Vera Jourova, John Thys, Alphabet's, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Russia's Wagner, Jourova, Elon, Musk, Meta, Foo Yun Chee, Kevin Liffey Organizations: European Commission, General Affairs Council, Rights, Google, Microsoft, Kremlin, Russia's Security, Internet Research Agency, Digital Services, Twitter, Facebook, Thomson Locations: Luxembourg, Rights BRUSSELS, Europe, Slovakia, Poland, Moscow, Washington, Russia, Ukraine

☆ Brazil's Lula discusses peace, poverty and inequality with pope
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Vatican Media/Handout via REUTERSVATICAN CITY, June 21 (Reuters) - Pope Francis met Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Wednesday and discussed a range of common concerns including peace, poverty, inequality and the environment, the Vatican said. Underscoring this sentiment, the pope gave Lula a bronze sculpture with the inscription: "Peace is a fragile flower." Pope Francis and Lula have both repeatedly called for a halt to the fighting and pitched their respective offices as potential peace brokers. I think too few people are talking of peace," Lula told Corriere della Sera newspaper in an interview published on Wednesday. Lula met a number of Italian leaders during his brief visit to Rome, including Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and President Sergio Mattarella.

Persons: Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Edgar Pena Parra, Pope Francis, Lula, Corriere, Jair Bolsonaro, Giorgia Meloni, Sergio Mattarella, Crispian Balmer, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: General Affairs, State, Vatican, Handout, REUTERS VATICAN CITY, Corriere della Sera, Thomson Locations: Vatican's, Ukraine, Russia, Rome, Paris

☆ Hungary foreign minister says Druzhba pipeline can be restarted soon
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Hungary's Minister for External Economy and Foreign Affairs Peter Szijjarto gestures during a General Affairs meeting in Luxembourg June 22, 2021. John Thys/Pool via REUTERSBUDAPEST, Nov 16 (Reuters) - The Druzhba oil pipeline can likely be restarted within a short time as the pipeline itself had not been damaged, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said in a video on his Facebook page on Wednesday. Szijjarto also said, after talking with the Polish foreign minister, that Hungary was waiting further information from Poland on the results of their investigation into the blast that occurred in Poland near the Ukrainian border. Oil supply to parts of Eastern and Central Europe via a section of the Druzhba pipeline had been temporarily suspended on Tuesday, according to oil pipeline operators in Hungary and Slovakia. "Its somewhat reassuring news that according to current information, the Druzhba pipeline itself was not damaged, only one element of the infrastructure that operates the pipeline, a power station," Szijjarto said.

☆ Hungary submits new anti-graft bills to avoid loss of EU funds
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( Krisztina Than | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Hungary's Justice Minister Judit Varga speaks in a press conference during a General Affairs Council in Luxembourg, June 22, 2021. The EU's executive on Sunday recommended suspending funds worth 7.5 billion euros over what it sees as Hungary's failure to combat corruption and uphold the rule of law. Hungary's forint currency and Hungarian bonds have sold off in recent weeks over fears that Budapest would lose billions of euros in EU money. Hungary's case is the first in the EU under a new financial sanction meant to better protect the rule of law and combat corruption in the 27-nation bloc. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Krisztina Than; Editing by Paul SimaoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Hungary says EU should not consider new sanctions against Russia
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterHungary's Minister for External Economy and Foreign Affairs Peter Szijjarto gestures during a General Affairs meeting in Luxembourg June 22, 2021. John Thys/Pool via REUTERS/File PhotoBUDAPEST, Sept 20 (Reuters) - Hungary's foreign minister said on Tuesday the European Union should not consider new sanctions against Russia as that would only deepen the energy supply crisis and hurt Europe. "The EU should ... stop mentioning an 8th package of sanctions, should stop flagging measures that would only further deepen the energy supply crisis," Peter Szijjarto said in his statement. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Krisztina Than; Editing by Andrew HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Search resuls for: "General Affairs"

6 mentions found