Business

AMMAN, Sept 10 (NNN-PETRA) – The European Commission proposed a new Macro-Financial Assistance (MFA) programme for Jordan worth up to 500 million euros (552.67 million U.S. dollars), a delegation to Jordan said, Monday.

The proposed financial assistance aims to provide support to the ambitious Jordanian reform agenda, promoting jobs, growth and investment for the benefit of the people of Jordan, the EU delegation in Jordan said.

NEW DELHI, Sept 10 (NNN-PTI) – The Sixth China-India Strategic Economic Dialogue, and the China-India Economic Cooperation Forum, were held here on Monday, with both sides exchanging views on macroeconomic policies and reaching consensus in pragmatic cooperation.

During the dialogue, China and India reviewed progress of the working groups and exchanged views on the macroeconomic situation and bilateral pragmatic cooperation between the two countries.

TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, Sept 10 (NNN-AGENCIES) – Uzbekistan plans to bring the volume of textile exports to two billion U.S. dollars this year, a Uzbek official said.

“Uzbekistan has turned from an exporter of raw materials into a real supplier of high value-added textile products,” Ilhom Haydarov, chairman of Uzbek Textile Industry Association, told reporters.

The industry is now completely focused on export, he said, adding that, last year Uzbekistan exported textile products worth 1.6 billion U.S. dollars.

TEHRAN, Sept 9 (NNN- AGENCIES) – Iran has hinted that the release of a British-flagged oil tanker could be completed “within days” despite ongoing rows over the possible violation of sanctions against the Syrian regime.

Foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi, in an appearance on state-run TV channel IRNA, said the “necessary steps” to release the Swedish-owned ship were “underway”.

“The final steps of the legal procedure are underway and, God willing, the boat will be released in the coming days,” he said, without giving further details.

9 Sep 2019; MEMO: After the removal of what was called a “major obstacle”, a deal was reached last week to export gas from Israel to Egypt, Arabi21.com has reported.

Islamabad, Sept 8 (PTI) A-20 member team from Pakistan is set to hold a face-to-face meeting with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in Bangkok over the country's efforts to curb money laundering and terror-financing, a media report said on Sunday.

The Pakistani team that left on Sunday is led by Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Hammad Azhar and includes representatives of the Federal Investigation Agency, State Bank, Federal Board of Revenue, Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, Anti Narcotics Force and intelligence agencies, the Express Tribune reported.

London, Sept 9 (AFP) British Airways said Monday it has been forced to cancel almost all its UK flights on the first day of a two-day strike by pilots.

"After many months of trying to resolve the pay dispute, we are extremely sorry that it has come to this," BA said in a statement.

The airline said it remains willing to return to talks with the British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA).

Jammu, Sep 8 (PTI) To foster the spirit of entrepreneurship in the youth of Jammu and Kashmir, the Army is conducting a three-day "startup weekend" at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University in Reasi district from September 20, an official said on Sunday.

The workshop to come up with ideas for the next generation is being conducted by Army's Counter Insurgency Force (Uniform) under the aegis of White Knight Corps in association with Techstars, a Banglore-based startup seed accelerator, PRO (Defence) Udhampur Lt Col Abhinav Navneet said.

HONG KONG (AP) — Thousands of students formed human chains outside schools across Hong Kong on Monday to show solidarity to push for democratic reforms after violent weekend clashes in the semiautonomous Chinese territory.

The silent protest comes as the Hong Kong government condemned the “illegal behavior of radical protesters” and warned the U.S. to stay out of its affairs.

New Delhi, Sept 9 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday announced that India would raise its target for restoring degraded land from 21 million hectares to 26 million hectares by 2030.

Speaking at the 14th session of the Conference of Parties (COP) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), Modi said between 2015 and 2017, India's tree and forest cover increased by 0.8 million hectares.