Business

21 Dec 2020; MEMO: The Istanbul-Tehran-Islamabad (ITI) train is expected to resume operations next year after the key requirements for the revival of the service have been completed, according to Adil Karaismailoglu, Turkey's minister of transport and infrastructure, local media reported.

Chandigarh, Dec 25 (PTI) Farmers owning allegiance to the Bharti Kisan union (Rajewal) on Friday attempted to gherao the house of a Punjab BJP leader in Jalandhar where a function was being held on the birth anniversary of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Farmers tried to break barricades and police prevented them from doing so, following which a commotion took place in which headgears of some farmers were tossed up, police said.

Mumbai, Dec 25 (PTI) Workers allegedly belonging to the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) vandalised warehouses of e-commerce behemoth Amazon at Marol in Mumbai's Andheri suburb and in Pune city on Friday, police said.

In Pune, a local MNS leader took responsibility for the incident. A similar incident was also reported from Vasai area near Mumbai.

25 Dec 2020; MEMO: Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita revealed information about the peace agreement between his country and Israel during an interview with Israeli channel i24 News.

Bourita stated that the normalisation talks with Israel started in 2018, and that the key player in supporting this process was King Mohammed VI.

Athens, Dec 25 (AP-PTI) It's been a while since visitors to Greece sought out souvenirs in Athens' oldest neighbourhood.

The winding streets of Plaka, laid out long before the city imported a grid system, are lined with closed stores behind aluminum shutters.

London, Dec 25 (AP-PTI) The last-minute trade deal between the UK and the European Union means businesses will be spared new tariffs and border disruption at the start of the new year - an economic shock that would have compounded the employment and financial troubles inflicted by the pandemic.

News of the agreement Thursday brought sighs of relief from the offices of corporate bosses and politicians, as well as from consumers anticipating produce shortages and transport workers facing the potential of long backups at border crossings.

Chandigarh, Dec 25 (PTI) Responding to a call given by the Bharatiya Kisan Union, farmers protesting the Centre's new farm laws halted toll collection on most highways in Haryana on Friday.

According to officials, toll collection was halted either past midnight or from early Friday morning at several toll points in the state.

Jaipur, Dec 24 (PTI) The Centre should repeal the new agri laws as they are making farmers feel insecure about their future, Congress leader Sachin Pilot said on Thursday.

The former deputy chief minister of Rajasthan said the Congress is working hard to ensure that the organisation and the state government fulfil the promises made to the people of the state.

"The centre should stop being stubborn and withdraw the farm laws with immediate effect. The farmers are feeling insecure about their future. They are very concerned, Pilot told reporters in Pali.

Kolkata, Dec 24 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Thursday said an agro industrial park will be set up at Singur in Hooghly district to create employment opportunities in the agrarian area.

Banerjee announced that the expression of interest will be issued for the upcoming deep sea port at Tajpur Purbo Medinipur district which will attract total investment of Rs 15,000 crore and generate 25,000 employment opportunities in the state.

New Delhi, Dec 25 (PTI) Appealing to protesting farmers to come forward for discussions on farm laws, senior BJP leader and Union Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said the government will amend the legislations if they are not found beneficial.

Describing the protesting farmers as his own people, Singh said, "Those who are sitting on dharna are farmers and are born to farmers' families. We have lot of respect for them."