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☆ Global onion prices could be set to rise with India slapping an export tax on domestic production
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A labourer sorting out onions at a vegetable market in New Delhi on May 30, 2023. The new levy announced Saturday acts to ensure domestic availability and cool inflation, and is effective immediately until December 31, according to the country's Ministry of Finance. Global onion prices are likely to get a positive price cue on account of India's decision. India's government in July also banned the exports of non-basmati white rice in a bid to ensure sufficient domestic supplies. "The government would like to rein [in] prices and ensure sufficient availability in the domestic market.

Persons: Arun SANKAR, ARUN SANKAR, Arun Sankar, Pushan Sharma, Samarendu Mohanty Organizations: Getty, Afp, country's Ministry of Finance, India's Department of Consumer Affairs, CRISIL Market Intelligence, P, Indian Meteorological Department, Pushan Sharma CRISIL, Intelligence, Potato Center, CNBC Locations: New Delhi, AFP, India, Maharashtra, Karnataka, oversupply, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Sri Lanka

☆ Tourists’ drinking misadventures up Eiffel Tower and in Trevi fountain
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( Maureen O'Hare | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Editor’s Note: Sign up for Unlocking the World, CNN Travel’s weekly newsletter. CNN —In travel news this week, misbehaving tourists in Europe, the German couple who moved to Italy to open a restaurant and city vacation ideas from Seoul to Bratislava. In Paris, drunken Americans were trapped overnight up the Eiffel Tower. In a separate incident, a man was arrested after jumping off Gustave Eiffel’s crowning achievement with a parachute. They could have done with the help of our partners at CNN Underscored, a product reviews and recommendations guide owned by CNN.

Persons: Gustave Eiffel’s, isn’t, Frenchman, Sri Lankan Tharshan Selvarajah, it’s, Nicolas Chazee, Mathilde Vougny, they’ve Organizations: CNN, Bratislava . Law, Delta Air Lines, Fruit, Sri Lankan Tharshan, Paris ’, Prague, Rover, YouTube Locations: Europe, Italy, Seoul, Bratislava, Paris, Rome, Hayling, Germany, Munich, Sri Lankan, Here’s, Hiroshima, Slovakia, Vienna, United States, Norway, California, Belgian, Indonesian, American, Colorado

☆ India imposes 40% export duty on onions to calm rising prices
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( Rajendra Jadhav | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Farmers wait for the auction of onions at Lasalgaon market in Nashik district in the western state of Maharashtra, India, December 19, 2018. "The export duty will make Indian onions more expensive than those from Pakistan, China, and Egypt. Onions are used as the base for traditional dishes across Asia such as biryani in Pakistan and India, belacan in Malaysia and fish curry in Bangladesh. "The Indian duty would prompt China and Pakistan to raise prices, as they have a limited surplus for exports," said the second exporter. India surprised buyers last month by imposing a ban on widely consumed non-basmati white rice sales to dampen price rises.

Persons: Rajendra, Ajit Shah, Rajendra Jadhav, Swati Bhat, Nikunj, Toby Chopra, Clelia Organizations: Insight, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Nashik district, Maharashtra, India, Delhi, Pakistan, China, Egypt, Mumbai, El, Bangladesh, Nepal, Malaysia, United Arab Emirates, Sri Lanka, Asia, belacan

☆ Kohli is the solution to India's No 4 concerns, says Shastri
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW DELHI, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Fielding Virat Kohli at number four could address India's long-standing concerns about a settled batter at that crucial position, former coach Ravi Shastri has said. Kohli has amassed the lion's share of his 12,898 runs, which include 39 hundreds, batting at number three in 212 of his 275 innings. In his 42 appearances at number four, Kohli averaged 55.21, slightly below his overall 57.32, and has scored seven hundreds. Shastri, who was coach of the India team when Kohli was captain, and lost to New Zealand in the semi-finals of the 2019 World Cup, said those were impressive numbers for a number four batter. Shastri said during the 2019 World Cup, he considered changing Kohli's place "just to break that top heavy line-up".

Persons: Fielding Virat Kohli, Ravi Shastri, Rohit Sharma, Kohli, Shastri, Shreyas Iyer, Jasprit Bumrah, Amlan Chakraborty Organizations: India, New Zealand, Star Sports, Asia, Thomson Locations: DELHI, India, New, Ireland, Dublin, Multan, Sri Lanka, New Delhi

☆ Sri Lanka lifts import ban on trucks, heavy vehicles
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Uditha Jayasinghe | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte/File PhotoCOLOMBO, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Sri Lanka on Tuesday lifted a ban on imports of trucks and other heavy vehicles for the first time since March 2020, according to a gazette notification. Sri Lanka has been gradually easing import restrictions, which were imposed as the country's economy tottered from a financial crisis caused by a severe shortage of dollars. Heavy vehicles including buses, trucks and tankers can now be imported, according to a government notification issued by President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who is also the finance minister. However, import bans on passenger vehicles including cars will remain in place. Sri Lanka's economy is expected to shrink about 2% this year, according to central bank estimates, after a 7.8% contraction last year.

Persons: Dinuka, Ranil Wickremesinghe, Uditha Jayashinghe, Jacqueline Wong, Ed Osmond Organizations: REUTERS, International Monetary Fund, IMF, Thomson Locations: Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sri

☆ Does Information Affect Our Beliefs?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Amanda Taub | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

‘Filter bubbles’ and democracySometimes the dangerous effects of social media are clear. As a result, they mostly share and see stories from people on their own side of the political spectrum. That “filter bubble” of information supposedly exposes users to increasingly skewed versions of reality, undermining consensus and reducing their understanding of people on the opposing side. “The ‘Filter Bubble’ Explains Why Trump Won and You Didn’t See It Coming,” announced a New York Magazine article a few days after the election. Changing information doesn’t change mindsBut without rigorous testing, it’s been hard to figure out whether the filter bubble effect was real.

Persons: newsfeed, Jair Bolsonaro, Donald Trump, Trump, ”, it’s Organizations: Trump, New York Magazine, Wired Magazine, Meta, Princeton, Dartmouth, University of Pennsylvania Locations: Sri Lanka, Brazil, WhatsApp, Brasília, United States, Stanford

☆ Opinion | Why Is America Such a Deadly Place?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( David Wallace-Wells | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Death is excessive in America, and the more you look the more distressing the picture seems. And while the trend is clear, the change may seem small, because the impact is averaged over the country as a whole. American life expectancy dropped just 0.1 year between 2014 and 2019, before Covid. Before the pandemic, roughly a half million more people in America died each year than would have died, on average, in wealthy peer countries. In each of the first two years of the pandemic, the number surpassed one million.

Persons: You’ve, Jacob Bor Organizations: Boston University Locations: America, United States, Kosovo, Albania, Sri Lanka, Algeria, Panama, Turkey, Lebanon, Europe

☆ Inzamam expects second stint as Pakistan chief selector to be even better
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Pakistan's cricket playerspay respect to Inzamam-ul-Haq (C) on the fifth day of their second test cricket match against South Africa at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore October 12, 2007. REUTERS/Zahid Hussein/File PhotoLAHORE, Pakistan, Aug 8 (Reuters) - Former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq hopes his second stint as chief selector of the men's team will prove more successful than his first when the team won the 2017 Champions Trophy in England. With the Asia Cup and the 50-overs World Cup looming this year, the 53-year-old would play a crucial role as Pakistan eye continental and global titles this year. "But, I know I can deliver in this role and I will try to do better than I did the last time. "I am delighted that Inzamam-ul-Haq has agreed to head our national men’s selection committee at a crucial juncture.

Persons: Ul, Haq, Zahid Hussein, Inzamam, Zaka Ashraf, Amlan Chakraborty, Lincoln Organizations: South, Gaddafi, REUTERS, Former, Asia, Pakistan Cricket Board, Thomson Locations: South Africa, Lahore, LAHORE, Pakistan, Former Pakistan, England, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Australia, New Delhi

☆ Pakistan to send its cricket team to participate in World Cup in India
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-06 | by ( Charlotte Greenfield | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Cricket - Asia Cup - Final - Pakistan v Sri Lanka - Dubai International Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates - September 11, 2022 Pakistan players stand during the national anthems as the Asia Cup trophy is displayed before the match REUTERS/Christopher Pike/File PhotoISLAMABAD, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Pakistan has decided to send its cricket team to India to participate in this year's 50-over World Cup, the foreign office said on Sunday. The neighbouring countries, who share fraught relations, have played each other only in multi-team events at neutral venues over the last decade. India has ruled out travelling to Pakistan for the Asia Cup, which is scheduled to begin on Aug. 31. Pakistan's foreign office said it had concerns about its cricket team's security during the tournament and would convey them to the International Cricket Council and Indian government. Reporting by Charlotte Greenfield; Editing by Alex Richardson and Ed OsmondOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Christopher Pike, Pakistan's Bilawal Bhutto, Zardari, Charlotte Greenfield, Alex Richardson, Ed Osmond Organizations: Asia, United Arab Emirates, REUTERS, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, International Cricket Council, Thomson Locations: Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Dubai, United Arab, ISLAMABAD, India, ., Goa, Kashmir

☆ Man who visited every country without flying has finally returned home
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Kate Springer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

After nearly ten years of travel, Pedersen successfully visited his 203rd and final country, the Maldives, and began his long-awaited voyage back to Denmark. In early 2020, the intrepid traveler suddenly found himself stuck in Hong Kong for two years with just nine countries left. “I look back at Hong Kong, and it’s a bit of a paradox. Next came a 16-day journey back to Hong Kong, where he returned to hotel quarantine for another two weeks. Pedersen in Hong Kong, where he spent an unexpected two years during the pandemic.

Persons: Torbjørn, Thor ” Pedersen, Pedersen, He’d, ” Pedersen, ”, “, Le, I’ve, He’s, ‘, ’ ”, Maxime Champigneulle, Gunnar Garfors, it’s, It’s, you’ve, he’s, “ There’s, Mike Douglas Organizations: CNN, CNN Travel, Maersk, “, Port, Le, UN, Danish, Hong, Denmark, Pacific, Tonga, National Museum, Ross Energy, Aarhus . Port Locations: Denmark, Maldives, Danish, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Aarhus, Kenya, Colombia, Australia, Norway, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Mongolia, Pakistan, Syria, Iran, Nauru, Angola, Ghana, Iceland, Canada, Hong Kong, Everest, Palau, New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu, Pacific, Tuvalu, Fiji, Singapore, Malé, Norwegian, Aarhus ., Aarhus What’s, Suez, Germany

"China is not trying to supplant the IMF," said Matthew Mingey, a senior analyst with Rhodium Group. "When China has allowed these swap lines to be tapped, in many cases it's to unlock an IMF bailout or ensure an IMF programme stays on track." In turn, China is a major customer for Argentina's soy, corn and poultry exports. "China has every incentive to tightly manage Argentine drawings under the swap lines as the risks are very high." The swap line that the People's Bank of China (PBOC) signed in 2009 with Buenos Aires was the first agreed with a Latin American country.

Persons: Matthew Mingey, Buenos, Mark Sobel, Sobel, Sergio Massa, Martin Castellano, Alejandro Werner, Werner, Mingey, Jorgelina, Rosario, Karin Strohecker, Jorge Otaola, Joe Cash, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: International Monetary Fund, IMF, U.S . Treasury, Reuters, World Bank, TAG, People's Bank of China, Buenos Aires, Economy, Institute of International Finance, Relations, Georgetown Americas Institute, Western Hemisphere Department, Thomson Locations: China, Argentina, Beijing, Washington, Latin America, Buenos Aires, U.S, Buenos, American, United States, Zambia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Ukraine

☆ Italy minister says decision to join flagship Chinese scheme ‘wicked’
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-30 | by ( Sophie Tanno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Italy’s defense minister called his country’s decision to join a flagship Chinese infrastructure scheme “wicked,” as the government weighs up whether continue as part of the scheme. It was established to rebuild China’s Silk Road, connecting Asia with Africa and Europe with the aim of increasing trade and economic growth. “We have exported a load of oranges to China, they have tripled their exports to Italy in three years. He described Beijing as “a competitor, but also a partner.”Italy’s membership of the BRI expires in 2024. Earlier this year, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said that it was possible to have “good relations” with China outside the scheme.

Persons: CNN —, Guido Crosetto, –, China’s Xi, Critics, Crosetto, Sera, Giuseppe Conte, ”, Giorgia Meloni Organizations: CNN, della Sera, Initiative Locations: Chinese, –, Italy, Asia, Africa, Europe, Papua New Guinea, Kenya, Sri Lanka, West Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia, China, Paris, Beijing

☆ Crisis-hit Sri Lanka invites Japan to resume investment
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( Uditha Jayasinghe | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

COLOMBO, July 29 (Reuters) - Sri Lanka on Saturday invited Japan to resume investment in projects including power, roads and ports, after the Japanese foreign minister wrapped up the first high-level visit to the crisis-hit country in nearly four years. Sri Lanka Foreign Minister Ali Sabry said his country was seeking Japanese investment in sectors such as power, infrastructure, dedicated investment zones as well as in the green and digital economies. Japan's Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi is in Colombo as part of a multi-country diplomatic tour including India, South Africa, Uganda and Ethiopia. Sri Lanka, which lies along key shipping routes in the Indian Ocean, has become a hot spot for influence between India and Japan on the one side and China on the other. Japan is Sri Lanka's second biggest bilateral lender, after China, with about $2.7 billion in outstanding loans, according to latest finance ministry data.

Persons: Ali Sabry, Sabry, Yoshimasa Hayashi, Uditha Jayasinghe, Lincoln Organizations: Saturday, Sri Lanka Foreign, Japan's, Thomson Locations: COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, Japan, Colombo, India, South Africa, Uganda, Ethiopia, Maldives, China, Sri

☆ US willing to take 'targeted' actions against China for national security, Treasury official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"When necessary, we will use a suite of tools to achieve our national security goals. It is our core mission to protect the American people from national security risks while also clearly communicating our position and intent to China to reduce the risk of misunderstanding," said Shambaugh, who heads Treasury's international affairs. The Biden administration is weighing new restrictions on outbound private investment into China and other countries of concern. "To be clear: neither targeted national security actions nor attempts to build diversified supply chains represent decoupling," Shambaugh said in the prepared remarks. He said the Treasury also has been troubled by China's recent punitive actions against U.S. firms and export controls on critical minerals for semiconductors.

Persons: Jay Shambaugh, Biden, Shambaugh, Janet Yellen, David Lawder, Paul Simao Organizations: . Treasury, U.S . Senate Foreign Relations, U.S, U.S . Treasury, Treasury, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, Thomson Locations: China, U.S, Beijing, Zambia, Ghana, Sri Lanka

☆ CNBC Daily Open: Alphabet rises as Microsoft sinks
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Yeo Boon Ping | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

This report is from today's CNBC Daily Open, our new, international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. Passing grade for AlphabetAlphabet shares rose more than 6% in extended trading after the company reported better-than-expected revenue and profit. Second-quarter revenue rose 7% year over year to $74.6 billion, boosted by a 28% jump in revenue in Google's cloud unit. Revenue rose 8% from a year earlier to hit $56.19 billion, though revenue growth in Azure, Microsoft's cloud computing platform, slowed.

Persons: —, Qin Gang, Wang Yi, Qin, Bob Pisani Organizations: CNBC, Microsoft Investors, Revenue, Dow Jones Industrial, Qin Locations: China, Beijing, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Russia

☆ China's foreign minister has been removed from his post one month after disappearing from the public eye. Experts say we may never know why.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Eurasia Group's Jeremy Chan told Insider that "so much remains unknown about Qin's case." As of press time, references to Qin had been removed from the foreign ministry's website. China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider. Because of the opacity of the Chinese government, few people will ever know what led to Qin's abrupt departure, experts say. Chong Ja Ian, an associate professor at the National University of Singapore, told Insider that the lack of clarity "is part of the opacity and uncertainty" in China.

Persons: Qin Gang, Jeremy Chan, Qin, Wang Yi, Wang, Chong Ja Ian, Chong, Dylan Loh, Loh, Wang Wenbin, Wang's, Fu Xiaotian, Fu Organizations: Eurasia, Service, Qin, Eurasia Group, National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, Twitter Locations: Wall, Silicon, China's, China, Beijing, Russia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Chinese, South China

☆ China's Qin Gang had meteoric rise and swift removal
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Born in the northern city of Tianjin in 1966, Qin studied International Politics at one of China's most prestigious schools for aspiring diplomats, the University of International Relations in Beijing. After graduating, Qin entered the diplomatic service, working in several jobs at the foreign ministry as well as postings at the Chinese Embassy in Britain. Qin was twice foreign ministry spokesman, between 2006 and 2014, and chief protocol officer between 2014 and 2018, overseeing many of Xi's interactions with foreign leaders. After becoming foreign minister, Qin's comments on hot button issues such as Taiwan and China's relations with Russia did not diverge in any significant way from those of his predecessor. In his first comments as foreign minister, Qin said in solving challenges common to all mankind, China's diplomacy would offer "Chinese wisdom, Chinese initiatives and Chinese strength".

Persons: Qin Gang, Xi Jinping, Xi, Wang Yi, Qin, Britain . Qin, Antony Blinken, Wang, Yew Lun Tian, Martin Quin Pollard, Rob Birsel, Nick Macfie Organizations: Foreign, University of International Relations, Embassy, Washington, U.S, Chinese Communist Party, Thomson Locations: Tianjin, Beijing, Britain ., United States, Washington, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, Russia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Africa, Europe, Ukraine, China, American, U.S

LONDON/JOHANNESBURG, July 25 (Reuters) - Gabon launched what is set to be Africa's first debt-for-nature swap on Tuesday, with a plan to buy up at least $450 million of its government debt and switch it to an eco-friendly blue bond. The February 2031 maturity rose 2.203 cents to 83.702 cents and November 2031 maturity jumped 2.129 cents to 83.573 cents, compared to Gabonese government's offer to buy back the bonds for 85 cents per $1 of the bond. ,The 2025 maturity rose 1.194 cents to 95.4 cents, also still below the offer price of 96.75 cents.. Ecuador pulled off a record $1.1 billion debt-for-nature swap in May, freeing up $18 million annually for the next 20 years for conservation of the Galapagos Islands. The African Development Bank and European Investment Bank are interested in providing credit guarantees.

Persons: Marc Jones, Rachel Savage, Gerauds Wilfried Obangome, Karin Strohecker, Ed Osmond, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: London Stock Exchange, Republic, Industry, U.S . International Development Finance Corporation, African Development Bank, European Investment Bank, Bank of America, Thomson Locations: JOHANNESBURG, Gabon, Gabonese, Ecuador, Belize, Galapagos, Sri Lanka, Indian, Libreville

☆ Xi Jinping’s foreign minister ousted after month-long unexplained absence from public view
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Hong Kong CNN —China’s foreign minister Qin Gang was dramatically ousted on Tuesday after a prolonged absence from public view and replaced by his predecessor in a surprising and highly unusual shake-up of the country’s foreign policy leadership. Qin, 57, a career diplomat and trusted aide of Chinese leader Xi Jinping, had only been appointed foreign minister in December after serving as China’s ambassador to Washington. Wang, who was foreign minister from 2013 to 2022, now serves as director of the foreign affairs arm of the ruling Communist Party, a position which makes him China’s top diplomat. The appointment of a foreign minister through a vote during a China’s National People’s Congress Standing Committee meeting is a deviation from past precedents. Qin’s disappearance from China’s foreign affairs schedule has not been fully explained by the ministry, which briefly cited “health reasons” when he missed a diplomatic gathering earlier this month.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Qin Gang, Qin, Xi Jinping, Wang Yi, Wang, Andrey Rudenko, Wagner, Xi, ”, Deng Yuwen, Deng, they’ve Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Communist Party, Russian, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, Xi, CNN, Senior Locations: Hong Kong, Washington, China, Beijing, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Russia, Indonesia, South Africa, Johannesburg

☆ How 30,000 metric tons of coconuts are processed a year in Sri Lanka
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Korey Isbell | Dorian Barranco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Western wellness influencers once dubbed coconuts the new "it" superfood. Even though nutritionists couldn't agree if they deserved the hype, people kept gobbling them up. Well, harvesting coconuts is dangerous work. Farmers risk their lives climbing 80-foot palm trees to get the fruit. We visit Sri Lanka to see how coconut farmers bear the burden of the West's superfood obsessions.

Persons: nutritionists couldn't Organizations: Farmers Locations: Sri Lanka

The planned recipient of the colorful batik top was Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang, who has not been seen in nearly a month and is set to miss at least one other important meeting, in South Africa, next week. It is not clear whether even then Borrell would meet Qin as initially planned, the official said. The former aide to President Xi Jinping was appointed foreign minister in December after serving less than two years as ambassador to the United States. Qin's absence has also been widely discussed in the diplomatic community, with some saying it is another example of China's lack of transparency. Some diplomats have even started to speculate on who may replace Qin, with three telling Reuters the ranking vice foreign minister, Ma Zhaoxu could be a candidate.

Persons: Qin Gang, Qin, Yun Sun, Mao Ning, Wang Yi, Josep Borrell, Wen, Xi Jinping, Antony Blinken, Ma Zhaoxu, Ma, Wang, Xie Feng, Xie, Laurie Chen, Martin Quin Pollard, Yew, Tian, Kate Lamb, Gabriela Baczynska, Andrew MacAskill, John Geddie, Robert Birsel Organizations: China Program, Stimson, Reuters, EU, Australian National University, Qin, Baidu, London School of Economics, United, Aspen Security Conference, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, JAKARTA, China, Indonesia, Jakarta, South Africa, Washington, Johannesburg, Britain, United States, Beijing, Sri Lankan, United Nations, Brussels, London

☆ Sri Lanka parliament passes anti-corruption bill without vote
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Uditha Jayasinghe | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

COLOMBO, July 19 (Reuters) - Sri Lanka's parliament approved an anti-corruption bill on Wednesday, aimed at improving governance in the crisis-hit country and meeting requirements linked to a $2.9 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The legislation was passed without a vote in the 225-member parliament. "The bill is passed with amendments," Sri Lanka parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena told lawmakers after more than two dozen pages of amendments were included into the draft legislation during the morning session. The Anti-Corruption Bill increases the powers and resources allocated to Sri Lanka's Bribery and Corruption Commission, which is mandated with carrying out major investigations. "We welcome the law, but the proof of the pudding will be in the eating," said Sankhitha Gunaratne, Deputy Executive Director, Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL).

Persons: Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, Sankhitha Gunaratne, Uditha Jayasinghe, Himani Sarkar, Christian Schmollinger, Emma Rumney Organizations: International Monetary Fund, IMF, United Nations, Sri, Corruption Commission, Sri Lanka, Thomson Locations: COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, Asia

☆ Xi Jinping's foreign minister vanished from public view. His prolonged absence is driving intense speculation
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Hong Kong CNN —China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang has not been seen in public for three weeks, an unusually long absence during a busy period of diplomatic activity in Beijing, sparking intense speculation in a country known for its political opaqueness. Qin, 57, a career diplomat and trusted aide of Chinese leader Xi Jinping, was promoted to foreign minister in December, after a brief stint as ambassador to the United States. As foreign minister, Qin has delivered searing rebukes of Washington after relations plunged to a new low in the aftermath of a suspected Chinese spy balloon that was shot down over the US. The Chinese Foreign Ministry often leaves out content it deems sensitive from the transcripts of its regular briefings. Senior Chinese officials have disappeared from public view in the past, only to be revealed months later by the ruling Communist Party’s disciplinary watchdog that they’ve been detained for investigations.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Qin Gang, Qin, Xi Jinping, Antony Blinken, Andrey Rudenko, Wagner, “, ”, Deng Yuwen, Janet Yellen, John Kerry . Qin, Josep Borrell, Wang Yi, Deng, they’ve, Xi Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Hong Kong CNN — China’s, Russian, Communist Party, Foreign Ministry, European Union, EU, ” Reuters, Reuters, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, Chinese Foreign Ministry, Senior, Xi Locations: Hong Kong, Beijing, United States, Washington, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Russia, China, Indonesia

After China’s leader, Xi Jinping, catapulted Qin Gang into the post of foreign minister in December, Mr. Qin set a frantic pace, meeting dozens of foreign officials as he pressed Beijing’s agenda in a divided, war-stricken world. Then Mr. Qin went silent. He was recently scheduled to meet the foreign policy chief of the European Union in Beijing, but China canceled that visit. Outside China, Mr. Qin’s lengthy absence has set off speculation on the internet about his health and status. Abrupt disappearances of senior Chinese officials from public life are often seen as potential signs of trouble.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Qin Organizations: European Union Locations: Vietnam, Russia, Sri Lanka, Beijing, China, Jakarta, Indonesia

GANDHINAGAR, India, July 16 (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Sunday she was "eager" to work with China on areas of mutual interest, including debt restructurings for poorer countries, and that multilateral development banks needed reforms before capital increases could be considered. "I am eager to build on the groundwork that we laid in Beijing to mobilise further action." U.S. corporations want to see an environment where they could "invest and thrive in China", Yellen said. She said a debt restructuring "user guide" was needed for borrowing countries and other stakeholders to provide clarity about the process. "We should build better banks, not just bigger banks," Yellen said.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Yellen, David Lawder, Aftab, Sudipto Ganguly, William Mallard Organizations: . Treasury, U.S ., Sri, International Monetary Fund, U.S . Treasury, IMF, World Bank, Bank, U.S, Thomson Locations: GANDHINAGAR, India, China, Beijing, U.S, Washington, Moscow, Ukraine, Russia, Gandhinagar, Indian, Gujarat, Sri Lanka, Ghana, United States, Congress, Aftab Ahmed

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