Business

14 Dec 2020; MEMO: Iraq's foreign exchange reserves decreased 12.5 per cent during the first quarter of 2020 to 68.5 trillion dinars ($57.5 billion) down from 78.25 trillion dinars ($65.75 billion) in the last quarter of 2019, the Iraqi Central Organisation for Statistics (COS) said.

COS added in a statement that the country's internal public debt has increased from 38.33 trillion dinars ($32.21 billion) in Q4 of 2019 to 43.45 trillion dinars ($36.51 billion) in Q1 2020.

14 Dec 2020; MEMO:  Saudi Arabia has invested $3.75 billion in its flagship tourism project, The Red Sea Development Co (TRSDC) which it says will provide 70,000 jobs.

The project's Chief Executive, John Pagano, said discussions are underway with local and regional investors to involve them in building resorts, hotels and entertainment facilities in NEOM.

New Delhi, Dec 13 (PTI) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday asked the BJP-ruled Centre to shun "arrogance" and scrap three farm laws as demanded by agitating farmers, and bring a Bill to guarantee minimum support price (MSP) for agricultural produce.

Kejriwal said he will hold one-day fast on Monday in response to a call given by the agitating farmers and urged his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) volunteers as well as the people of the country to join in.

NEW DELHI (AP) — Tens of thousands of protesting Indian farmers have called for a national strike on Monday, the second in a week, to press for the quashing of three new laws on agricultural reform that they say will drive down crop prices and devastate their earnings.

The farmers are camping along at least five major highways on the outskirts of New Delhi and have said they won’t leave until the government rolls back what they call the “black laws.”

13 Dec 2020; AA:  Bangladesh on Sunday signed a procurement contract with Serum Institute of India, which is producing doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine, an official said.

Bangladesh will get five million shots each month after the vaccine is approved for mass use, Bangladesh Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque said at the official ceremony held in the capital Dhaka.

Doses are expected to first arrive in January, he added.

BEIJING, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- The number of China-Europe freight trains hit 1,238 in November, up 64 percent year on year, data from the China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. showed.

The freight trains have played a crucial role in helping stabilize the international logistics supply chain, transporting 115,000 20-foot equivalent units of cargo last month, up 73 percent from a year earlier, according to the company.

Increasing demand for the freight trains came amid China's economic recovery and limited international air and sea transport during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BRUSSELS, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Sunday that the European Union (EU) and UK negotiating teams have been mandated to continue the post-Brexit trade talks.

After a "constructive and useful phone call" with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, von der Leyen said it remains to be seen if an agreement can be reached even "at this late stage."

On Wednesday, both EU and UK leaders have set the deadline for a trade deal decision by the end of this weekend.

BANGKOK, December 11. /TASS/. AstraZeneca, a British-Swedish pharmaceutical company, will produce 200 million doses of its anti-coronavirus vaccine in Thailand next year with the help of Siam Bioscience, director of Thailand’s National Vaccine Institute Dr. Nakorn Premsri, said in an interview with TASS.

MOSCOW, December 12. /TASS/. Moscow reserves the right to take tit-for-tat measures in response to the UK’s new anti-Russian sanctions, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Saturday.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry was bewildered over the UK government’s decision announced on December 10 on imposing national sanctions against three Russian citizens and a unit of the National Guard for allegedly abusing human rights in the Chechen Republic, the diplomat said.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Bahrain said Sunday it approved the use of a Chinese coronavirus vaccine, following its earlier approval of a vaccine made by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech.

Separately, Kuwait has granted emergency use for the Pfizer vaccine.

Bahrain’s state-run news agency said the Sinopharm vaccine would be available in the island kingdom off the coast of Saudi Arabia in the Persian Gulf.