Business

New Delhi, Mar 19 (PTI) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday alleged that lakhs of families have suffered pain due to the government's "incompetence and myopia" as the unplanned lockdown continues to haunt the country.

The government had imposed a nationwide lockdown on March 24 last year to curb the spread of coronavirus.

Gandhi has been attacking the government for the lockdown, saying the poor and migrants have suffered due to it.

"The unplanned lockdown disaster continues to haunt the country," he said on Twitter.

New Delhi, Mar 18 (PTI) Rajya Sabha on Thursday approved a bill to raise the foreign investment limit in the insurance sector to 74 per cent with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman saying while control will go to foreign companies, the majority of directors and key management persons will be resident Indians who will be covered by law of the land.

"The laws of the land are fairly mature. They can control every operation which happens in this country. (No one can) take it (money) away and make us sit and watch," she said replying to a debate on the bill.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Top U.S. and Chinese officials offered sharply different views of each other and the world as the two sides met face-to-face for the first time since President Joe Biden took office.

18 Mar 2021; MEMO: The Saudi Arabian cabinet has approved a privatisation plan as part of the Kingdom's attempt to divide economic sectors between the government and the private sector. The news was issued in a formal cabinet statement.

The scheme includes privatising 100 potential initiatives in various sectors, including ports, education, health, energy, industry, mineral resources, the environment, agriculture, communication, information technology, social development and sports.

18 Mar 2021; MEMO: Israel's government announced on Wednesday a long-awaited bailout of its airlines to help them weather the coronavirus crisis and maintain operations in the midst of a year-long halt to international travel, reported Reuters.

As part of a financial assistance program overseen by the finance ministry, the government will buy $210 million-worth of flight tickets in advance from flag carrier El Al Israel Airlines and its low fare subsidiary Sun Dor.

18 Mar 2021; MEMO: Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said Iran, as a rich source of energy, has the capacity to meet Pakistan's energy needs.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran is our neighbour and a rich source of energy through which Pakistan's energy needs can be met," Khan said at the inaugural session of the two-day Islamabad Security Dialogue yesterday.

18 Mar 2021; MEMO: The UK Ambassador to Ankara Dominick Chilcott has announced that his country looks forward to signing a comprehensive agreement with Turkey to ensure a bright future for bilateral trade relations and joint investments between the two countries.

17 Mar 2021; MEMO: Saudi Arabia is seeking to buy armed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from Turkey, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told a press briefing yesterday. Erdogan made the remarks after voicing his displeasure at Riyadh's decision to carry out joint military exercises with Greece, Turkey's long-standing rival.

New Delhi, Mar 18 (PTI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday held wide-ranging talks with his Kuwaiti counterpart Sheikh Ahmed Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah to elevate bilateral relations.

The Kuwaiti foreign minister arrived here on Wednesday evening on a nearly 18-hour visit.

"Glad to welcome this morning, along with @MOS_MEA, FM @anmas71 of Kuwait. Productive discussions on our bilateral agenda & regional developments," Jaishankar said on Twitter.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Responding to concerns from state officials, the U.S. Treasury Department said Wednesday that states can cut taxes without penalty under a new federal pandemic relief law — so long as they use their own funds to offset those cuts.