Business

MUSCAT, Mar 4 (NNN-ONA) – The Sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tariq, on Tuesday, instructed the government to take measures to set up a “job safety” fund.

He also asked the government to finance the fund with 10 million Omani riyals (26 million U.S. dollars), as a start for the establishment.

According to the royal instructions, a finance system for the fund will be developed through participation of private sector employers and workers.

AMMAN, Mar 4 (NNN-PETRA) – Foreign ministers of Jordan and Norway, today (Wednesday), expressed willingness to boost ties and signed an agreement, outlining bilateral consultation, Jordanian Foreign Ministry said, in a statement.

During a meeting at the Dead Sea, with Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ine Eriksen Soreide, Jordanian Foreign Minister, Ayman Safadi said, Jordan and Norway share common stances and values, stressing the potential for cooperation in the fields of trade, investment, tourism, education and defence.

03 Mar 2020; MEMO: Japan’s Deputy Justice Minister Hiroyuki Yoshiie met yesterday with Lebanese President Michel Aoun and Lebanese Justice Minister Marie-Claude Najem to discuss the return of former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn who fled house arrest in Japan to Lebanon last year.

Aoun’s office said on Twitter after the meeting that the officials discussed mutual relations and means of developing them, in addition to the matters that concern the two countries; without referring to Ghosn’s case.

03 Mar 2020; MEMO: So far, airline companies in the Middle East, which serves as a connection hub for east-west travel, have incurred losses amounting to $100 million following the outbreak of the Coronavirus, International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced yesterday.

Mumbai, Mar 3 (PTI) The Indian rupee fell by 33 paise to 72.43 against the US dollar in early trade on Tuesday tracking positive opening in domestic equities.

At the interbank foreign exchange the rupee opened at 72.50, then gained further ground and touched a high of 72.43 against the US dollar, registering a rise of 33 paise over its previous close.

The domestic currency, however, could not hold on to the gains and was trading at 72.64 against the American unit at 1002 hrs.

BRUSSELS, March 2 (NNN-AGENCIES) — With Brexit “done” as far as London is concerned, UK and EU negotiators on Monday begin talks aimed at forging a future relationship – while brandishing red lines that may yet prove to be irreconcilable.

The discussions covering trade and trading standards, agriculture, security, transport, energy, fisheries and police cooperation kick off in Brussels under teams run by Frenchman Michel Barnier for the EU and governmental advisor David Frost for Britain.

KUALA LUMPUR, Mar 2 (NNN-BERNAMA) – Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund, Khazanah, on Monday (today), reported a turnaround in overall performance for 2019, with record profits of 7.36 billion ringgit (1.75 billion U.S. dollars) from operations, contributed by higher divestment gains and lower impairments, and robust portfolio returns.

The group said, it achieved an operating profit in 2019, against a loss of 6.27 billion ringgit (1.49 billion U.S. dollars) in 2018. It also declared a dividend of one billion ringgit (0.24 billion U.S. dollars) for 2019.

New Delhi, Mar 1 (PTI) India's crude steel production registered a decline of 3.26 per cent to 9.288 million tonnes (MT) in January this year, according to World Steel Association (worldsteel).

The country had produced 9.591 MT of crude steel during the corresponding month last year, the global industry body said in its latest report.

New Delhi, Feb 29 (PTI) The Congress on Saturday accused the government of "ruining" the economy by its "monumental mismanagement" and advised the Centre to immediately give money in the hands of the poor by making rural job scheme MGNREGA "need based".

Congress' senior spokesperson Anand Sharma also demanded that the government "honestly" release the numbers of jobs lost and not "mislead" the people.

ROME, March 1 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The number of cases of the new coronavirus in Italy has exceeded 1,000, the health ministry said, with the death toll rising by eight to 29 in the past 24 hours.

The number of cases has reached 1,128 since the start of the epidemic a week ago, up from 888 on Friday.

Around half those tested show few to no symptoms, the Italian health authorities said.

Official figures said 105 people were receiving intensive care hospital treatment as of Saturday.