July 18, Tuesday, 2023

1. Finance ministers and central bank chiefs from the Group of 20 major economies have begun their second day of talks in India. Japanese Finance Minister Suzuki Shunichi and Bank of Japan Governor Ueda Kazuo are taking part in the meeting in Gandhinagar, in the state of Gujarat. Tuesday’s discussions are expected to focus on developing countries’ debts. 2. Iran’s grain imports from Russia, which has friendly ties with Tehran, have been increasing sharply this year as Western sanctions against both countries continue. Iran’s customs authorities say the country imported about 740,000 tons of grain from Russia in the three-month period through June. That’s about 1.5 times more than in the same period last year, and 2.5 times that of 2021. 3. Japanese government officials are expressing deep concerns over Russia’s decision to halt a deal that allows Ukraine’s grain exports to continue from Black Sea ports.