Business

30 Mar 2021; MEMO: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said on Tuesday that traders profiting from the collapse of the Syrian pound, which hit an all-time low this month, would be punished.

The fall of the currency, which has rebounded somewhat since hitting 4,000 to the US dollar, has driven up inflation. Syrians have struggled to afford food and power.

31 Mar 2021; MEMO: Egypt's President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi has warned that it will not allow any other country to undermine its water supply and if it does, there will be severe regional consequences.

"I'm not threatening anyone here, our dialogue is always reasonable and rational," Al-Sisi said on Tuesday at a press conference in Ismailia to mark the freeing of the Ever Given container ship.

LONDON (AP) — Official figures show that the British economy ended 2020 on a stronger footing than previously thought but that it suffered a bigger than anticipated fall in output in the immediate aftermath of the first coronavirus lockdown.

New Delhi, Mar 31 (PTI) The Supreme Court-appointed committee to study the three new controversial agricultural laws has submitted its report to the apex court on March 19 in a sealed cover, one of its members said on Wednesday.

Farmers have been protesting seeking repeal of the three contentious farm laws on the borders of New Delhi for the last five months now. The Supreme Court had, on January 11, stayed the implementation of the three laws till further orders and appointed a four-member panel to resolve the impasse.

Islamabad, Mar 31 (PTI) A Chinese liquor company which was granted a licence in 2018 for making beer has formally started production at its plant in Pakistan's Balochistan province, the first such alcohol firm from China to establish its unit in the Islamic nation, according to media reports on Wednesday.

Bhubaneswar, Mar 30 (PTI) With the edible oil price increasing about 60 per cent in a span of only six months, Odisha government Tuesday accused the Centre of imposing excess taxes leading to the price hike.

The issue was discussed in the assembly when the opposition Congress blamed both the state and the Central government for putting common man in trouble by raising the price of edible oil when people are battling the economic impact of the pandemic.

New Delhi, Mar 30 (PTI) More than three years after the defence ministry cleared a proposal to shut 39 military cattle farms across the country, the Army is finally disbanding them, official sources said on Tuesday.

A flag ceremony is being held at Delhi Cantonment on Wednesday, marking winding down of the farms, they said.

In August 2017, the defence ministry had announced a series of reform measures for the Indian Army which included shutting down the military farms, housing around 25,000 head of cattle.

30 Mar 2021; MEMO: The Russian energy ministry has promoted the use of the Northern Sea route for international shipping as an alternative to Egypt's Suez Canal after a huge shipping container blocked the canal and disrupted international maritime trade for nearly a week, Russia's TASS news agency reported.

29 Mar 2021; MEMO: The US said on Monday it will evaluate a just signed $400 billion investment deal China struck with Iran over the weekend to see whether it will trigger sanctions under American law, Anadolu Agency reported.

"We of course will take a look and ensure that any sanctions that need to be implemented would be as it relates to this package, but we haven't looked at the specific agreement yet at this point in time," White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters.

30 Mar 2021; MEMO: Former Chief of Israeli Army's Military Intelligence, Amos Yadlin, yesterday voiced his concerns about possible intelligence sharing between China and Iran as a result of the latest strategic deal signed between the two countries, Israeli media reported.