Business

New Delhi, Jan 15 (PTI) A trip to much of Europe will be more expensive from next month with Schengen visa fees set to increase to Euro 80 from the current Euro 60, officials said.

A Schengen visa is needed for 26 European countries, including Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Switzerland and Spain.

The new fees will come into effect from February 2.

LONDON, Jan 15 (NNN-Xinhua) — Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon hit back at British Prime Minister Boris Johnson after he rejected paving the way for a new independence referendum for Scotland.

Prime Minister Johnson has written to the Scottish National Party l(SNP) leader saying that she and her predecessor Alex Salmond had made a personal promise that the first referendum in 2014 would be a once-in-a-generation vote.

Scottish voters backed remaining as part of the UK by 55 to 45 in the 2014 referendum.

HANOI, Jan 15 (NNN-XINHUA) – Song Tao, head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, stressed to promote the development of China-Vietnam relations in the new era.

Song made the remarks during his visit to Vietnam, ahead of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Vietnam.

China-Vietnam ties are essentially the relations between two socialist countries under the leadership of communist parties, Song said.

14 Jan 2019; MEMO: Three of the most prominent international human rights organisations decided on Monday to boycott a series of meetings for civil society organisations, scheduled to take place in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, as part of the G20 summit.

New Delhi, Jan 14 (PTI) Forced to import onions to check spike in prices, the Union Government now fears that the key kitchen staple may rot in godowns as states have shown little interest in buying them despite its offer to bear transportation cost.

Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said the Centre is offering onions to states at Rs 55 per kg landed cost and is ready to bear the cost of transporting the commodity.

While the Centre alone can import onions, it depends on states for retailing them to consumers.

Beijing, Jan 14 (AFP/PTI) China's trade surplus with the United States narrowed last year as the world's two biggest economies exchanged punitive tariffs in a bruising trade war, official data showed Tuesday.

The figures were released just a day before the US and China are expected to sign a "phase one" agreement that marks a de-escalation in their two-year conflict.

Haldibari (WB), Jan 14 (PTI) More than 95 per cent work of laying tracks on the Indian side of the Haldibari- Chilahati India-Bangladesh railway link project has been completed, a top Northeast Frontier Railway official said.

The distance between Haldibari railway station in West Bengal's Coochbehar district till the international border is 4.5 kilometres while that from Chilahati in northern Bangladesh till the zero point is around 7.5 kilometres.

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 14 (NNN-BERNAMA) — Malaysia is ranked the 16th most peaceful country in the world, according to the Global Peace Index (GPI) 2019.

Defence Minister Mohamad Sabu said Malaysia was also deemed the third most peaceful country in Southeast Asia behind Japan and Singapore.

“This GPI report is important and should be highlighted as it will attract foreign investors and tourists to the country.

BEIRUT, Jan 14 (NNN-NNA) – Five people were injured on Monday, in clashes between protesters and the Lebanese army, during demonstrations in the southern city of Sidon.

Thousands of protesters took to the streets in different areas of the country, including the capital Beirut and Tripoli, to insist on their demands “which were totally neglected by the political ruling class.”

People blocked roads while chanting slogans against politicians and the central bank, holding them responsible for the financial and economic deterioration in the country.

LONDON, Jan 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) – British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, said during a visit to Belfast, Northern Ireland, that, he hopes and is “confident” to secure a zero-tariff, zero-quota agreement with the European Union (EU).

Addressing concerns over possible checks on goods crossing the Irish Sea after Brexit, Johnson told reporters that, “I cannot see any circumstances whatever, in which there would be any need for checks on goods going from Northern Ireland to GB (Great Britain).”