Briefly

CAMBODIA

ASEAN-US summit rescheduled for May

A summit between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the United States has been rescheduled for May 12-13 in the US capital Washington, DC, according to a press statement by ASEAN chair Cambodia released late on Saturday. The leaders will reiterate their shared commitment to uphold ASEAN centrality and unity through existing mechanisms, as well as to foster mutual trust and confidence to maintain peace, stability and prosperity in the region. The summit was originally slated for March 28-29, but postponed due to the unavailability of some ASEAN leaders.

SRI LANKA

Delegation goes to IMF for funding discussions

The Sri Lankan government on Sunday sent a delegation to the International Monetary Fund for discussions over ways to get the lender's loans. The delegation, led by Finance Minister Ali Sabry, also includes Central Bank Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe. The delegation is to visit IMF headquarters and hold discussions in the next few days. Sabry told media they expect to receive around $4 billion from the IMF in five tranches if discussions are successful. Sri Lanka's Finance Ministry said on Tuesday that the government had decided to suspend normal debt servicing of all affected debts for an interim period till it puts together an orderly and consensual restructuring program supported by the IMF.

SOUTH AFRICA

10,000 soldiers sent to help in relief effort

The South African army said on Monday it had deployed 10,000 troops to help the nation's east coast recover from storms that have claimed 443 lives and ravaged infrastructure. Some of the troops include plumbers and electricians to help restore power and water, which have been cut off in some areas for a week. The deadliest storm on record dumped apocalyptic levels of rain on the city of Durban and the surrounding area of KwaZulu-Natal Province. Some 40,000 people were left homeless, according to government tallies.

ITALY

Draghi skips Africa trip after positive test

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi has tested positive for COVID-19 and ministers will replace him on a trip to Africa this week for deals to cut his country's reliance on Russian gas, his office said on Monday. Draghi, whose office said he had no symptoms, was due to visit The Republic of the Congo and Angola on April 20-21 to sign new energy supply deals. The delegation will be headed instead by Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio and Ecology Transition Minister Roberto Cingolani, the statement said.

Xinhua - Agencies