Business

New Delhi, Apr 23 (PTI) The Indian Army on Friday began the process to procure around 350 light tanks in a phased manner as part of its efforts to strengthen combat capability in mountainous regions.

The Army issued a Request for Information (RFI) for procurement of the tanks which are planned to be procured under the 'Make-in-India' initiative.

Bhubaneswar, Apr 24 (PTI) The Odisha government sealed its border with West Bengal where a triple mutant variant of COVID-19 has reportedly surfaced, and intensified vigil along the inter-state boundary, officials said.

The state government on Friday sealed the routes to the neighbouring state which pass through Balasore and Mayurbhanj districts, a senior official said.

23 Apr 2021; MEMO: Qatar's Chief of Staff Ghanem Bin Shaheen Al Ghanem yesterday met with the president of Defense Industries of the Turkish Republic in the Qatari capital of Doha to discuss mutual cooperation.

The Qatari Defence Ministry said that the meeting discussed issues of common interest between the two countries, as well as prospects for cooperation between the armed forces and the institution, and ways to enhance them.

(Reuters) --- China is set to resume cargo train service with North Korea, people familiar with the matter said, following a 15-month border closure due to COVID-19, as trade with the impoverished and isolated country begins to rebound.

The bridge linking the city of Dandong with Sinuiju, across the Yalu River in North Korea, will partially reopen to allow cargo train service "sometime before or after May 1", the head of a transportation company handling cross-border trade told Reuters on Wednesday.

23 Apr 2021; MEMO: Egypt and Sudan have signed a memorandum of understanding to set up a joint company for agricultural and livestock production, the Ministry of Supply in Cairo announced yesterday, Reuters has reported.

The ministry said that the company would have a "large" capital base and would "increase economic cooperation and trade between the two countries."

New Delhi, Apr 23 (PTI) Billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries Ltd has bought Britain's iconic country club and luxury golf resort, Stoke Park, for 57 million pounds (about Rs 592 crore).

The acquisition adds to Reliance's current stake in Oberoi hotels and hotel/managed residences in Mumbai that it's developing.

Mumbai, Apr 23 (PTI) The Indian rupee slumped 12 paise to 75.06 against the US dollar in opening trade on Friday as muted domestic equities and concerns over rising COVID-19 cases kept investors on edge.

Besides, foreign fund outflows also weighed on investors' sentiment, forex traders said.

Washington, Apr 23 (PTI) The US has advised its citizens to avoid travelling to India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and the Maldives due to the sudden surge in COVID-19 cases in the region.

In a series of travel advisories on Thursday, the authorities also urged Americans to reconsider travel to China and Nepal; exercise increased caution while travelling to Sri Lanka and exercise normal travel precaution to Bhutan, which has been given Level 1, the safest level for travelling overseas.

Toronto, Apr 23 (PTI) The Canadian government has banned all passenger flights from India and Pakistan for 30 days due to the unprecedented spike in COVID-19 cases in the region, the longest country-specific travel ban imposed by Canada.

The flight ban took effect from midnight Thursday, Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said on Thursday.

A number of countries like the UK, Australia and Singapore have banned travel to and from India due to surge in coronavirus infections.

 22 Apr 2021; MEMO: Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced that his country has begun talks to purchase a new batch of Russian-made S-400 missile defence systems.

Cavusoglu added that the Turkish administrations, including the Ministry of Defence, are currently discussing the purchase, while criticising the US' position on the deal, pointing out that Ankara needs the missile system.