Latest news

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Political situation in Sri Lanka
Despite the criticism: Sri Lanka's president takes a new loan

Sri Lanka's new president, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, claims to have secured a loan equivalent to $200 million from the World Bank. This is reported by AFP.

Dissanayake is the leader of a Marxist party and was elected as Sri Lanka's new president late last month. He has previously been very critical of his predecessor's agreement with the World Bank.

According to Dissanayake himself, the new loans are to go towards "economic reforms for stability, growth and protection of the most vulnerable".

The new loan will have to be approved by parliament. Dissanayake has announced new parliamentary elections expected to be held in November.

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EU summit: The economy may be weaker than we expected

The ECB will have to push for a faster reduction in inflation and a lower growth rate when the executive board gathers for next week's interest rate announcement. This is what the Italian ECB board member Piero Cipollone told the Austrian radio channel ORF, according to Bloomberg.

- We have seen a decline in the PMI, so the signals from the real economy are a bit weak, says Cipollone.

The ECB is expected to cut interest rates again next Thursday.

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The Russian invasion. The outside world's response
Fico: Will never let Ukraine into NATO

Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico vows never to approve Ukrainian NATO membership as long as he is in power, Politico reports.

- As long as I lead the Slovak government, I will instruct the members I control as party chairman to never let Ukraine into NATO, he says.

Fico also pledged last week to "do everything to restore normal relations with Russia" and expressed a desire to visit Moscow on the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II next year.

Since being elected last year, Fico has throttled Slovakia's military aid to Ukraine and vowed not to send "one more bullet".