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22 Sep 2021; MEMO:Lebanon raised gasoline prices by 16 per cent today, the second hike in a week, cutting a subsidy on imported fuel which the new Prime Minister Najib Mikati has said the nation cannot afford, Reuters reports.

22 Sep 2021; MEMO: The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement has called on governments, companies and artists to boycott Dubai Expo 2020, which it says aims to "whitewash and distract attention from" Israel's "grave human rights violations."

London, Sep 22 (PTI) The UK government on Wednesday added Covishield, the Indian-manufactured Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, to an updated international travel advisory.

The move follows widespread condemnation of the Serum Institute of India manufactured vaccines not being included in a list of eligible COVID-19 vaccines recognised under Britain's reviewed international travel norms, effective from October 4.

New Delhi, Sep 22 (PTI) India's largest publicly-traded television network Zee Entertainment Enterprises will merge with Sony Pictures Network India (SPNI), capping days of high drama during which the firm's shareholders sought removal of key officials.

Sony, which will invest USD 1.575 billion, will hold 52.93 per cent stake in the merged entity and Zee the remaining 47.07, Zee Entertainment Enterprises (ZEEL) said in a statement.

21 Sep 2021; AA: The Biden administration announced on Monday it will lift COVID-19 travel bans starting in November while mandating that all foreign nationals seeking to come to the US show proof of vaccination before they are allowed entry.

Passengers will have to show proof of vaccination prior to boarding a US-bound plane beginning in "early November," said Jeff Zients, the administration's pandemic response coordinator.

Mumbai, Sep 21 (PTI) Retail depositors are earning negative returns on their bank deposits and hence, there is a need for reviewing taxes on interest earned, economists at the country's largest lender SBI have said.

If not for all the depositors, the taxation review should be carried out for at least the deposits made by senior citizens who depend on the interest for their daily needs, the economists led by Soumya Kanti Ghosh said in a note, which pegged the overall retail deposits in the system at Rs 102 lakh crore.

New Delhi, Sep 21 (PTI) Union minister Nitin Gadkari has said that Chinese companies have not made investments in highway projects in India in recent times.

Amid the border standoff with China, Gadkari, in July 2020, had said that India will not allow Chinese companies to participate in highway projects, including those through joint ventures.

To a query by PTI on whether Chinese companies have invested in India's highway projects in the recent times, Gadkari replied in the negative.

However, he did not elaborate on the issue.

20 Sep 2021; MEMO: Iran will provide Lebanon with additional fuel whenever the Lebanese government requests it, Foreign Ministry spokesman, Saeed Khatibzadeh, said yesterday.

"Iran is determined to cooperate with and assist friendly governments. In this case, there was a request from Lebanese businessmen. The buying and selling process took place normally and the shipment had been sent," Khatibzadeh said.

New Delhi, Sep 20 (PTI) Facebook India on Monday said it has appointed ex-IAS officer and former Uber executive Rajiv Aggarwal as the Director of Public Policy.

He succeeds Ankhi Das, who quit in October last year. She was embroiled in a controversy for opposing enforcement of hate-speech rules against right-wing leaders in the country.

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — French and Australian officials said Monday that France’s anger over a canceled submarine contract will not derail negotiations on an Australia-European Union free trade deal.

France withdrew its ambassadors to the United States and Australia after President Joe Biden revealed last week a new alliance including Australia and Britain that would deliver an Australian fleet of at least eight nuclear-powered submarines.