Business

New Delhi, Jul 27 (PTI) India and Indonesia on Monday agreed to expand strategic cooperation in a range of areas including defence industries and technology sharing, as the two maritime neighbours looked at injecting a new momentum to their security partnership.

The possible areas of further expansion of defence and military ties were discussed during talks between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Indonesian counterpart General Prabowo Subianto, officials said.

Thiruvananthapuram, July 27 (PTI) The Kerala government on Monday said a complete lockdown was not a solution to halt the spread of coronavirus but containment measures in affected areas will be further strengthened as the state's infection tally touched 19,727 with 702 fresh cases.

A special cabinet meeting held on Monday decided not to go in for a total lockdown in the state, a line suggested at the all-party meeting last week, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said.

Jammu, Jul 27 (PTI) The much-awaited Jammu ropeway project, aimed at boosting tourism in the winter capital of the Union territory, has been launched by Lieutenant Governor G C Murmu on Monday that has brought a smile on the faces of the people of Jammu.

Planned back in 1995, the project faced dozens of delays in its start, execution and date of completion but the people of Jammu feel are now happy that a prestigious project has seen the light of day after 25 years.

27 July 2020; MEMO: Members on both sides of the US Congress are deeply “concerned” that President Donald Trump will bypass the legislature and sell weapons to Saudi Arabia and the UAE, the New York Times has reported. Both countries are deeply involved in the war in Yemen.

According to the NYT, US legislators are saying that several countries in the Middle East are seeking to purchase drones, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

New Delhi, Jul 27 (PTI) The government has banned 47 more Chinese apps, taking the total number of mobile applications banned for being prejudicial to sovereignty, integrity and defence of the country, to 106, according to a source.

The source privy to the development said that the 47 additional Chinese apps that have been banned now were clones and variants of the apps which were blocked earlier.

TEHRAN, July 27 (NNN-IRNA) – Iran’s non-oil exports to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), during the first quarter of the current Iranian calendar year, starting Mar 20, rose by eight percent in value year on year, Eghtesadonline reported Sunday.

From Mar 20 to June 20, Iran exported around 3.8 million tonnes of non-oil commodities worth 967 million U.S. dollars to the UAE, said Farzad Piltan, director general of Trade Promotion Organisation of Iran’s Arab-African Affairs Office.

26 July 2020; MEMO: Israeli protest leaders calling for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s resignation announced their intention to petition the Supreme Court if water cannons are used against protesters, i24 News reported.

Protest movement leader and organiser Gonen Ben Yitzhak slammed the police for using the controversial control method, and said it was “far from harmless”

BEIJING (Reuters) - China’s crude oil imports from Saudi Arabia rose 15% in June from a year ago, as refiners ordered record volumes of the fuel in March and April when oil prices tumbled, cementing the kingdom’s position as the top oil supplier to China.

Imports from Saudi Arabia rose to 8.88 million tonnes in June, or 2.16 million bpd, in June, according to data from the General Administration of Customs on Sunday.

That was in line with May’s volumes, but well above 1.89 million bpd during the same period last year.

CHENGDU, China (Reuters) - Staff of the U.S. consulate in Chengdu made final efforts to clear the premises on Sunday as security remained tight outside, ahead of a Monday closure ordered by Beijing as China-U.S. relations continue to worsen.

A mini tourist atmosphere prevailed outside the facility on a tree-lined street on a hot Sunday, as onlookers shared sidewalk space with dozens of uniformed and plainclothes police opposite the entrance.

25 July 2020; MEMO: Libyan Prime Minister Fayez Al-Sarraj discussed with US Ambassador to Turkey David Satterfield on Friday the lifting of the blockade on Libya’s oil fields.

This came during a meeting held by the two sides, according to a statement issued by the media office of the Libyan government.