Business

MANILA, Dec 28 (NNN-PNA) – Tourism is booming in the Philippines, with more than eight million visitors coming in 2019, the government said today, Saturday.

“Breaking the eight-million mark is another milestone to celebrate, as it marks the unprecedented growth of the country’s tourism industry,” Tourism Secretary, Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, said, in a statement.

The country’s Department of Tourism (DOT), celebrated on Friday, the benchmark number of eight million guests, four days before 2019 ends.

LUSAKA, Dec 28 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Zambia’s state power firm Zesco said it will increase the price of electricity by an average 113 percent for all customers beginning next month as the African nation seeks to attract investment into power generation, according to the country’s energy regulator.

Zambia’s Energy Regulation Board said it had allowed Zesco to increase electricity tariffs by more than 200 percent for residential customers consuming the least amount of power.

New Delhi, Dec 27 (PTI) Onion literally brought tears to the eyes of consumers as retail prices touched Rs 200 per kilogram and tomato too turned pricier in the last quarter of 2019, leaving many scurrying for changes in dietary ways as costly food items pushed retail inflation to a more than three-year high.

Though well below the price jump seen for the humble 'daily consumable bulb' and tomato, potato also become costlier as crop damages and disruptions stoked supply crunch.

Bhaderwah/Jammu, Dec 26 (PTI) A total of 18 shops were gutted in a mysterious fire in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda district, officials said on Thursday.

A fire broke out in a shop and spread to other shops in Gandoh belt of district last night, they said.

The fire was brought under control, but 18 shops were gutted in the fire, they said.

People of the area demanded a probe into incident.

PHNOM PENH, Dec 27 (NNN-AKP) – Cambodian Prime Minister, Samdech Techo Hun Sen, said, the recent meeting of leaders of China, Japan and South Korea, boded well for Asia’s economy and stability.

The 8th China-Japan-S.Korea leaders’ meeting was held in China’s southwestern city of Chengdu on Tuesday, and the leaders agreed to further promote cooperation, uphold free trade and multi-lateralism and realise the complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.

TEHRAN, Iran, Dec 27 (NNN-TASNIM) – Iran begins extraction of natural gas from an offshore rig, at South Pars gas field in the Gulf, on Thursday, Press TV reported.

The extraction of gas will add some 14.2 million cubic metres a day, to its current output of more than 800 million cubic metres a day, according to the report.

The gas produced in the field will be transferred through a five-kilometre pipeline, to a refinery in the Phase 12 of the South Pars.

The South Pars/North Dome field is a natural gas condensate field, located in the Gulf.

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 27 (NNN-BERNAMA) — Visit Malaysia 2020 which will be launched in a few days, continues to be actively promoted, with the aim of receiving 30 million foreign tourists and contributing to the tourism industry with earnings of RM100 billion.

Tourists from Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Brunei and China are expected, along with visitors from Europe and the Middle East, said Tourism Malaysia director-general Datuk Musa Yusof, in an interview with Bernama recently.

26 Dec 2019; MEMO: Crude oil prices were up early Thursday on a higher note as the global oil market awaits additional production cuts by OPEC and allies to take effect beginning on new year, Anadolu reports.

International benchmark Brent crude was trading at $67.44 per barrel at 0630 GMT for a 0.36% gain on Thursday after closing Tuesday at $67.20 a barrel.

Beijing, Dec 26 (AFP/PTI) Beijing on Thursday said it "firmly opposes" trade restrictions included in a new US defence act, having already admonished the bill for interfering in China's internal affairs.

The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) -- signed into law last week -- bars the use of federal funds to buy railcars and buses from China, and slows the lifting of sanctions on tech giant Huawei.

New Delhi, Dec 26 (PTI) Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday flagged off 100 standard-floor buses buses in Delhi.

The buses are equipped with state-of-the-art features like hydraulic lifts for the differently-abled persons, GPS trackers, panic buttons and CCTV cameras to ensure safety of women.