Business

21 June 2020; MEMO: Iran is drawing up plans to offer discounts to some foreign airlines using its airspace, state news agency IRNA quoted a senior aviation official as saying on Saturday, after a slump in flights due to the coronavirus pandemic and regional tensions, Reuters reports.

Nasser Aghaei, director of the state-run Iran Airports and Air Navigation Company, said the discounts would go to the top eight airlines providing transit income as well as airlines boosting their flights by 20%.

New Delhi, Jun 21 (PTI) State-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) has warned that the COVID-19 pandemic will impact the speed of execution of its projects and the company is identifying opportunities for optimisation of capital and operating expenditure.

While about 9 per cent of the company's natural gas output was impacted by inability of customers to take supplies due to the coronavirus lockdown, lower oil and gas prices had impacted its revenues, the company said.

Kolkata, June 21 (PTI) Tea exports have dipped marginally in the last fiscal to 240 million kg from 254.50 million kg the year before -- a fall of 5.6 per cent -- according to data.

Exports to CIS countries -- the biggest importer of India tea -- also declined marginally to 59.40m kg in the last fiscal from 60.72 mkg in 2018-19, the Tea Board data said.

Sources in the Tea Board attributed the dip to economic slowdown across the globe.

KUALA LUMPUR, June 21 (NNN-BERNAMA) — Industry trade events organiser, Informa Markets has urged the government to consider reopening the borders for business travellers from countries which have managed to contain the COVID-19 spread.

Its ASEAN Business group managing director M Gandhi said the implementation of “travel bubble” for international business travellers will help to stimulate the Malaysian economy.

CAIRO, June 21 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Egypt’s president warned that advances by Turkey-backed Libyan forces on the Libyan city of Sirte could prompt an Egyptian military intervention in the neighbouring country in support of Cairo’s ally Khalifa Haftar.

Meanwhile, Ankara has urged forces led by the eastern-based Haftar to withdraw from the strategic city for a ceasefire agreement to be reached.

KATHMANDU, June 21 (NNN-NEPALNEWS) – The Rasuwagadhi-Kerung (Geelong) border point, between Nepal and China, is likely to reopen within a week after the closure for about five months, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Nepali officials said.

It is one of the two main border points for international trade between the two countries. The Rasuwagadhi-Kerung border point remained closed since Jan. The Tatopani-Zhangmu border point was reopened in late Mar.

20 June 2020; MEMO: Egypt on Friday called on the United Nations Security Council to intervene to restart talks on the $4 billion hydroelectric dam being built by Ethiopia on the Blue Nile near the border with Sudan.

New Delhi, Jun 20 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched an employment scheme for migrant workers, saying that during the coronavirus-induced lockdown the talent from cities returned to villages and it will now give a boost to development in rural areas.

ROME, June 20 (NNN-XINHUA) – A deal for Italy to export two kinds of special rice to China is seen as a sign of continued strengthening of ties between the two countries, as it does about the popularity of Italian rice-based cuisine.

Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, announced recently that, the two countries finalised a deal that will allow Italy to export Arborio and Carnaroli rice to China. The agreement is one of the latest commercial deals between the two countries.

LONDON, June 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) – The virus alert level across Britain has been lowered from four to three, after a steady decrease in COVID-19 cases in the country, the Department of Health and Social Care said.

Britain’s Chief Medical Officers, reviewed the evidence and agreed that COVID-19 alert level should move from level four to level three, according to a statement released Friday by the department.