Pakistan signals openness to regional bloc with Bangladesh
Pakistan has indicated its openness to forming a regional bloc with Bangladesh without including India. The statement from Islamabad follows comments ...
China’s central bank has announced a new set of measures to strengthen financial support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), aiming to help them navigate external uncertainties and maintain stable operations, according to a senior official at the People’s Bank of China (PBOC).
“The moderately loose monetary policy adopted by the People’s Bank of China helps expand funding available to the real economy, lower financing costs for businesses, especially the SMEs, and enhance their operational stability,” said Ding Zhijie, head of the PBOC’s Research Institute, during the latest episode of China Economic Roundtable, a talk show hosted by Xinhua News Agency.
Ding highlighted that the PBOC has intensified its credit support to smaller firms and taken steps to ease their interest burdens. By the end of April, inclusive loans issued to micro and small enterprises reached 34.3 trillion yuan (approximately 4.77 trillion U.S. dollars), marking an 11.9 percent year-on-year increase—outpacing the overall loan growth.
Financing costs have also declined, with the average interest rate on newly issued corporate loans falling to 3.2 percent in April, 50 basis points lower than the same period last year.
In a further move to boost credit access, the central bank has added 300 billion yuan to its relending quota to support the agricultural sector and small businesses.
Ding also underscored the importance of the entrepreneurship guarantee loan, a policy tool introduced in 2016 to foster job creation and innovation. He noted that the central bank will continue to urge banks across the country to implement the policy more effectively to expand financial support and help stabilize employment.
Scores of demonstrators gathered outside the Norwegian Nobel Institute in Oslo Tuesday (9 December) to protest against the awarding of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado.
The world’s leading minds and voices will be honoured on Wednesday, 10 December, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death, as Nobel Prizes are presented in Stockholm and Oslo.
In a dramatic Champions League clash at Baku’s Tofiq Bahramov Stadium, Qarabağ grabbed an early lead, but Ajax staged a thrilling comeback to win 4-2.
At least 19 people were killed and 16 injured as two buildings collapased in Morocco's Fes city according to the state news agency.
Iran's President Massoud Pezeshkian has begun a two day visit to Kazakhstan, with officials from both sides describing the trip as an opportunity to advance cooperation in trade, transport, industry, mining and cultural exchanges.
The global centre of political gravity is increasingly moving from the Atlantic to the Pacific, a development with significant implications for the South Caucasus and Central Asia.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will visit Turkmenistan on 11–12 December to attend the International Peace and Security Forum in Ashgabat.
The South Caucasus is witnessing a notable recalibration of geopolitical alignments, with Azerbaijan and Armenia both pursuing strategic partnerships with global powers, including the United States and China.
In a significant move towards regional energy collaboration, energy ministers from the Turkic States have agreed to expand cooperation on key oil, gas, and green energy projects.
Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic, Juraj Blanar touched on the outcomes of President Ilham Aliyev’s official visit to Slovakia.
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