Business

LONDON, June 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) – Britain and the European Union started a fourth round of talks on a post-Brexit trade deal on Tuesday.

Negotiators from London and Brussels will engage in intensive talks over the coming week via video link.

Previous rounds of talks in Apr and May ended in a stalemate, with London and Brussels blaming each other for the lack of progress.

ROME/BRUSSLES, June 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) – Europe-based airlines are starting to resume services step by step, as countries try to revive tourism, as a way to bring their economies, battered hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, back to life.

Alitalia, Italy’s flagship airline, formally launched long-haul flight from Rome to New York on Tuesday (yesterday), a day before the country opens its borders to other Schengen countries. The eight-hour flight will run twice a week.

02 June 2020; MEMO: The net foreign assets of the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority (SAMA) dropped by nearly $20 billion in April, Reuters reported.

The news site said on Sunday that SAMA’s net foreign assets fell from $464.64 billion in March to $443.75 billion in April.

02 June 2020; MEMO: The Turkish Ambassador to Greece, Burak Ozugergin said his country’s exploration activities in the Mediterranean Sea are within the framework of international law.

The official was summoned by the Greek Foreign Ministry yesterday after the Turkish government’s gazette published applications by Turkish Petroleum (TPAO) for an exploration permit in the Mediterranean Sea.

02 June 2020; MEMO: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced yesterday his intention to make an official visit to Iran soon to sign a number of cooperation agreements, including those related to energy and defence.

“I am obliged to go to personally thank the people,” Maduro said in a state television address, reported Reuters.

KUALA LUMPUR, June 2 (NNN-BERNAMA) — Governments worldwide have been urged to quickly implement the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO’s) global guidelines for restoring air connectivity;

Making this call, International Air Transport Association (IATA) director-general and chief executive officer Alexandre de Juniac said the ICAO Council had on Tuesday approved the Takeoff: Guidance for Air Travel through the COVID-19 Public Health Crisis (Takeoff).

PETALING JAYA, June 2 (NNN-BERNAMA) — Prasarana Malaysia Berhad (Prasarana) is aiming at 1.4 million passengers daily to use its rail transportation service in the Klang Valley over the next five years, said its chairman Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman.

He said the target was based on a projected increase of 10 per cent annually from 700,000 daily commuters for all Light Rail Transit (LRT), Mass Rail Transit (MRT) and monorail prior to the implementation of the Movement Control Order (MCO) on March 18.

KUALA LUMPUR, June 2 (NNN-BERNAMA) — The Short-Term Economic Recovery Plan for June to December 2020 period will be launched by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin this month, said Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz. 

Tengku Zafrul said the plan would still focus on three key objectives, namely to empower people, propel businesses, and stimulate the economy.

TOKYO, June 2 (NNN-NHK) – Japan’s corporate profits in the Jan-Mar quarter booked the largest decline since 2009, as numerous companies were hurt financially, by the global virus pandemic, which saw demand and consumption slump, amid the shuttering of plants and businesses.

According to the Finance Ministry’s quarterly survey, pretax profits of domestic companies tumbled 32.0 percent to 15.14 trillion yen (140.76 billion U.S. dollars) from a year earlier, marking the fourth successive month, quarterly profits have retreated.

COLOMBO, June 2 (NNN-SLNEWS) – Sri Lankan Foreign Minister, Dinesh Gunawardena, on Monday, voiced his country’s continuous support to China’s sovereignty over its Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

“Sri Lanka expressed continuity of its support on sovereignty of China (over) its territory and national security in relation to Hong Kong,” Gunawardena wrote, on his Twitter account.

“All Sri Lankans will continue to enjoy usual work and business in Hong Kong,” Gunawardena added.