Syrian PM agrees to hand over power to rebels

Syrian Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi Jalali said on Monday that he has agreed to hand over power to the "Syrian Salvation Government" (SSG), while opposition leader Muhammad al-Bashir has been tasked with forming a new Syrian government.

Muhammad al-Bashir, born in 1983, an electrical engineer and head of the SSG in Idlib under the aegis of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), will lead efforts to form a new cabinet following the rapid fall of President Bashar al-Assad's government on Sunday, online media outlet Sawt al-Asima reported.

Formed in 2017 by the HTS and other Syrian opposition groups during the Syrian civil war, the SSG wielded administrative and service-related authority in areas under the HTS control in Syria.

The militant groups led by the HTS waged a major offensive from northern Syria since Nov. 27 and had since swept southwards through government-held areas, capturing the capital Damascus within 12 days.

Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Bassam Sabbagh said Monday night that he has presented an initiative to former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to launch a political process in Syria.

The Syrian Embassy in Russia confirmed on Monday to Russia's official TASS news agency that Assad is currently in Moscow, but denied that the embassy has had any contacts with him.

Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia's permanent representative to the international organizations in Vienna also said on Monday via social media that Assad and his family are in Moscow.

Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that Russia maintains dialogue on the Syria issue with Türkiye and other countries. He said the Astana talks on Syria will continue to play its role as a mechanism for exchange of views.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday after a cabinet meeting that Türkiye is ready to support the Syrian people in the process of rebuilding the country, and Türkiye will open the border gate at Yayladagi to allow Syrians to return home safely.

Syrian PM agrees to hand over power to rebels

Syrian PM agrees to hand over power to rebels

Syrian PM agrees to hand over power to rebels

Syrian PM agrees to hand over power to rebels

Syrian PM agrees to hand over power to rebels

China welcomes more Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries to issue panda bonds in China and share the development opportunities brought by the growth of the Chinese market, said Pan Gongsheng, governor of the People's Bank of China, the central bank, on Wednesday at the China-LAC Panda Bond Seminar in Beijing, one of the sub-forums of the China-CELAC (the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) Forum.

Addressing the seminar, Pan said China and LAC countries, including Brazil, as important members of the Global South, have achieved fruitful outcomes in financial cooperation, contributing to China-LAC economic and trade cooperation, financial stability, and economic growth.

Given the complex and challenging international landscape, China and LAC countries should strengthen financial cooperation across broader and deeper fields to jointly address common challenges, he said.

Panda bonds are RMB-denominated bonds issued by foreign institutions within China. The funds raised through panda bonds are versatile, being used for purposes including financing domestic projects, business development, and overseas operations. These bonds provide a cost-effective source of capital for foreign institutions seeking to expand in international markets.

The issuers of panda bonds now span a diverse array of organizations, including international development institutions, foreign governments, overseas financial entities, and non-financial corporations. These issuers cover all five continents: Asia, Europe, Africa, North America, and South America.

In recent years, the panda bond market has experienced rapid development and emerged as one of the key drivers of RMB internationalization. Over the first four months of this year, the total issuance of panda bonds reached 62.2 billion yuan (8.6 billion U.S. dollars), continuing to demonstrate its strong growth and momentum.

China welcomes more LAC countries to issue panda bonds: central bank governor