Business

MUMBAI, Oct 23 (NNN-PTI) – Banking operations in India were partially affected, following the one-day strike called by two employee unions, to protest the merger of the government-owned lenders.

Around 300,000 bank employees across the country participated in the protest, that affected cheque clearances among other banking operations, said an official from the All India Bank Employees Association, which, along with Bank Employees Federation of India, had called the strike.

SOCHI, Russia, Oct 23 (NNN-TASS) – Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad, supported a memorandum reached by Russian President, Vladimir Putin and Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, following their talks.

Putin informed al-Assad about the provisions of the Russia-Turkey memorandum, on actions in Syria, following talks with Erdogan.

The main task is to restore the territorial integrity of Syria and to continue joint efforts for a political settlement of the situation, including work within the framework of the Constitutional Committee, said Putin.

WINDHOEK, Oct 23 (NNN-ALLAFRICA) — Swapo presidential candidate for the upcoming presidential election President Hage Geingob asked for a fixed term of five more years.

This he said is for the party to complete the programmes already started.

Geingob made the request at a fully packed Kuisebmond Soccer Stadium at Walvis Bay, where the Swapo Party kicked off their star rally campaign in view of the upcoming elections, slate for November this year.

BERLIN, Oct 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Thousands of farmers drove their tractors into German cities on Tuesday, in protest at the government’s new agricultural policies which they say will hurt their livelihoods and make them scapegoats for climate change.

Long convoys of tractors held up traffic at the main protest sites in Berlin and Bonn, both home to federal government offices, while thousands more honked their horns and blocked roads in cities including Munich, Hanover and Stuttgart.

Agartala, Oct 23 (PTI) Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb on Wednesday said the Centre has approved setting up of two new border 'haats' (markets) along the India-Bangladesh border in the state.

Deb, while speaking at an event, said the border markets will come up at Ragna village in North Tripura district's Dharmanagar and Dhalai district's Kamalpur.

Two border markets are operational at Kamalasagar in Sepahijala district and Srinagar in South Tripura district.

London, Oct 22 (PTI) British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday "paused" his Brexit Bill for leaving the European Union (EU) by the October 31 deadline after MPs vote for it 329 to 299 but then voted against a crucial attached motion that would have seen it through by the end of the week.

Beijing, Oct 23 (AFP) Beijing is drawing up a plan to remove Hong Kong's beleaguered chief executive Carrie Lam, the Financial Times reported Wednesday, after nearly five months of pro-democracy unrest.

The pro-Beijing leader has faced sustained criticism from protesters in the semi-autonomous city.

So far the central government in Beijing has given its support to her and the Hong Kong police, calling the demonstrators "rioters" and condemning the violence.

Agartala, Oct 22 (PTI) Issues related to border fencing and trans-border crime will feature in a strategic meeting here on Wednesday between officials of Tripura and its neighbouring districts of Bangladesh.

The district magistrates of West, Sepahijala and Khowai would be present in the meeting from the Indian side, while Bangladesh would be represented by DMs/Deputy Commissioners of Brahmanbaria, Comilla and Maulavi Bazar, an official said.

Guwahati, Oct 22 (PTI) Bangladesh on Tuesday urged India to lift ban on onion export to the neighbouring country at the earliest as prices of the commodity have skyrocketed there due to drop in supply.

Addressing the India-Bangladesh Stakeholders' Meet here, Bangladesh Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi requested the Indian government to take a humanitarian look into the issue as people are impacted due to high prices of the produce.

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Huawei Technologies Co Ltd launched its foldable 5G Mate X smartphone on Wednesday, starting pre-sales for the device in China on the same day.

Huawei announced the smartphone’s launch on its official Weibo account.

The much-touted foldable 5G Mate X was originally set for a June launch but Huawei later delayed the launch, saying that it was running certification tests with various carriers.

Huawei has sold more than 200 million phones in 2019, 64 days earlier than in 2018, it said, citing He Gang, head of Huawei’s mobile phone division.