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14 June 2022; MEMO: Qatar plans to pitch 1,000 "Bedouin style" tents in the desert for World Cup soccer fans, organisers said on Tuesday, as the State hopes to attract 1.2 million visitors, nearly half of its population, for the 28-day tournament in November and December, Reuters reports.

Tents will spring up on the stark desert landscapes surrounding Doha, to offer visitors an authentic taste of Qatari camping, said Omar Al-Jaber, head of accommodation at tournament organiser, The Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy.

14 June 2022; MEMO: Libya's oil output is 100,000-150,000 barrels per day (bpd), a spokesman for the Oil Ministry said on Tuesday, and a fraction of normal levels due to the shutdown of production and export facilities as a tactic in the country's political stalemate, Reuters reports.

Libyan oil output last year was more than 1.2 million bpd and the reduced production adds to the pressure on markets already squeezed by tight supply elsewhere.

15 June 2022; MEMO: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi yesterday praised Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for supporting Egypt as it struggles to contain the economic crisis resulting from the Russia-Ukraine war.

"Saudi Arabia and the UAE have moved together to support Egypt without a request from Cairo," Al-Sisi said. "This is an opportunity to thank them."

He called on Arab countries with deposits in Egypt "to convert them into investments."

Colombo, May 24 (PTI) The Sri Lankan Cabinet has approved seeking a 500 million dollar loan from the Exim Bank of India for the purchase of petroleum products amid a severe foreign exchange crisis in the island nation.

Sri Lanka has been mulling different options to facilitate measures to prevent fuel pumps from going dry, as the country faces a severe foreign exchange crisis to pay for its imports.

23 May 2022; MEMO: The 2022 World Cup hosted by Qatar is expected to be watched by five billion people around the world, FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, said on Monday, Reuters reports.

The TV audience for the 2018 World Cup in Russia was a record-breaking 3.5 billion people.

Qatar, a small but wealthy Gulf Arab State, will host the first World Cup in the Middle East, starting late November.

23 May 2022; MEMO: Iran and Oman have agreed to form a committee to jointly develop the Hengam oilfield which straddles both countries' sea border, according to a report today by Iran's semi-official Fars news agency.

The report cited Oil Minister Javad Owji who explained that the "Joint exploitation, in contrast to competitive exploitation, will be mutually beneficial to both countries as this method leads to less damage to the reservoir and allows for more extraction."

New Delhi, May 21 (PTI) The price of CNG in the national capital on Saturday was hiked by Rs 2 per kg, the 13th increase in rates in just over two months.

CNG in the national capital territory of Delhi now costs Rs 75.61 per kg, up from Rs 73.61 per kg, according to the information posted on the website of Indraprastha Gas Ltd (IGL) -- the firm which retails CNG and piped cooking gas in the national capital and adjoining cities.

Beijing, May 22 (PTI) Pakistan's new Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi will hold talks on Sunday in the Chinese city of Guangzhou to firm-up the all-weather ties between the two countries.

This is Bilawal's maiden visit to China after he took over as Foreign Minister following the fall of Imran Khan government.

Their meeting was being held in Guangzhou as Beijing is currently under semi-lockdown to contain the fast-spreading Omicron variant of the COVID-19.

New Delhi, May 22 (PTI) Petrol price on Sunday was slashed by Rs 8.69 a litre and that of diesel by Rs 7.05 per litre following the government's decision to cut excise duty on auto fuels, giving relief to consumers battered by high fuel prices that had pushed inflation to a record high.

The government had on Saturday announced a record Rs 8 per litre cut in excise duty on petrol and Rs 6 reduction on diesel.

New Delhi, May 22 (PTI) Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Sunday wondered whether the states can afford to give up revenue from VAT on petrol and diesel unless the Centre devolves more funds or gives them more grants, likening their situation to being between the devil and the deep sea .

The former finance minister's remarks come a day after the government announced Rs 8 per litre cut in excise duty on petrol and Rs 6 reduction on diesel.