Colombo / AFP The IMF on Saturday released the first tranche of a $1.5 billion bailout for Sri Lanka, which is reeling after a government spending spree and facing a balance of payments crisis. The International Monetary Fund said the formal approval of a 36-month loan under its Extended Fund Facility (EFF) will also help Sri Lanka secure another …

  Hong Kong / Hong Kong Hong Kong railway operator MTR Corp. increased the size of a two-part loan to about HK$25 billion ($3.2 billion), after the city gave the green light for it to resume construction on a high-speed rail link to China earlier this year, people familiar with the matter said. MTR, three-quarters owned by the government, lifted …

Beijing / Hong Kong China is approaching global economic organizations including the International Monetary Fund and World Bank to establish an annual meeting that would offer the nation a stronger policy voice on the world economic stage, according to a person familiar with the talks. The Ministry of Commerce and other agencies are leading discussions under the guidance of the …