Business

New Delhi, Nov 27 (PTI) Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday launched a spirited defence of her handling of the economy, comparing macroeconomic indicators with past Congress rules and said the growth may have slowed down but the economy will never slip into recession.Replying to a short-duration discussion on the state of the economy in the Rajya Sabha, she said steps taken by the government post her maiden budget have started bearing fruits and some sectors such as automobiles have shown signs of recovery.

Guwahati, Nov 27 (PTI) The Assam Government on Wednesday announced to set up 100 organic markets for selling such products, grown in the state.

At a meeting of the state agriculture department, chaired by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, the government also decided to roll out different schemes for promotion of direct selling of the organic products.

Beijing, Nov 27, IRNA – Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said on Tuesday that honoring Iran nuclear deal -- the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action is the only viable way for deescalation between Iran and the western signatories.

"China maintains close communication with signatory parties to the JCPOA on the need to uphold and implement the deal," Shuang said speaking in his regular press conference.

"The Iranian nuclear stand-off has come to a critical stage," he said

27 Nov 2019; MEMO: Approximately 731 banks and 140 government sites were torched in the recent unrest in Iran, Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said in remarks published by the official IRNA news agency on Wednesday, says Reuters.

More than 50 bases used by security forces were attacked and approximately 70 gas stations were also burned, he said, without specifying where the attacks took place.

Patna, Nov 27 (PTI) An MLA of the opposition RJD in Bihar turned up at the Assembly wearing a garland of onions on Wednesday, in an obvious gesture aimed at highlighting the spiralling prices of the vegetable.

Shutterbugs present at the sprawling Vidhan Sabha premises furiously clicked away, as Raja Pakar MLA Shiv Chandra Ram arrived with onion bulbs adorning his neck.

New Delhi, Nov 27 (PTI) Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed a bill which seeks to ban electronic cigarettes, with Health Minister Harsh Vardhan saying such a measure was necessary to protect the youth from a new intoxication being promoted by companies as a new "fashion".

The Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes (Production, Manufacture, Import, Export, Transport, Sale, Distribution, Storage and Advertisement) Bill, 2019, seeks to replace an ordinance issued on September 18

LIMPOPO (South Africa), Nov 27 (NNN-SANEWS) — President Cyril Ramaphosa has reiterated that the South African government’s attempts to reconfigure and split Eskom into three divisions is not aimed at privatising the embattled power utility. 

These measures, he said, are rather aimed at stabilising the utility and getting it back on its feet.

“We are not going to privatise Eskom,” he said, comparing the move to auctioning one’s family for silver. “Eskom is going to continue being owned by our government.”

BUENOS AIRES, Nov 27 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Argentina’s president-elect Alberto Fernandez said he would renounce the remaining $11 billion tranche of the country’s International Monetary Fund loan as soon as he takes office next month.

Outgoing resident Mauricio Macri agreed a massive $57 billion loan loan package last year, but the austerity measures he imposed failed to right the economy.

Tehran, Nov 26, IRNA – Iran's Minister of Industry, Mining and Trade Reza Rahmani said on Tuesday that if his ministry makes sure that a certain item of goods produced in Iran has a reasonable quality, the government is to ban it's import.

Reza Rahmani said in a meeting about domesticization of electrical, electronic, and telecommunication devices that this approach is acceptable and is the main strategy for solving problems like unemployment and inflation.

26 Nov 2019; MEMO: Activists are fundraising for legal action to stop the European Union (EU) from trading with Israel’s illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory.

The organisers of the initiative, who describe themselves as “a coalition of anti-racist associations and committees within the Palestine solidarity movement in Europe”, are hoping to pressure the EU into banning trade with settlements.