Bangladesh is seeking $2 billion from the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) amid efforts to bolster its foreign exchange reserves, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday.

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says that China will not isolate Taiwan by preventing U.S. officials from traveling there.

French lawmakers have approved a 20 billion-euro ($20.3-billion) package of measures to help struggling households cope with rising energy and food prices.

The European Union in July banned imports from Russia of newly minted and refined gold, following similar announcements by the United States, Britain and other Group of 7 countries in June.

ROME – Italy’s parliament on Wednesday gave its final approval to a bill ratifying the accession of Finland and Sweden to the NATO alliance.

The United Nations said Yemen’s warring parties agreed Tuesday to renew an existing truce for two more months after concerted international efforts.

The move in response to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s high-profile visit to the island nation shows Beijing’s burgeoning standoff with the U.S. is only now beginning.

The U.S. ambassador in Tokyo says his government is working with Japan and other likeminded countries to counter Chinese attempts to use its economic might to force political change around the world.

Beijing blasted the ‘provocative’ and ‘wrongful’ visit by the House speaker to the island nation while also announcing new military action.