Business

BRASÍLIA, Nov 29 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Brazil released revised statistics showing deforestation in the Amazon rainforest surpassed 10,000 sq km in the year to July 2019, the highest in more than a decade.

The National Institute for Space Research (INPE) said last week that satellite data showed 9,762 sq km were cleared of trees in the 12-month period, an increase of 29.5 per cent.

ULAN BATOR, Mongolia, Nov 30 (NNN-MONGOLIAWEB) – Mongolian Prime Minister, Ukhnaa Khurelsukh, will pay an official visit to Russia from Tuesday to Friday, at the invitation of his Russian counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia, said.

During his visit, Khurelsukh is expected to hold talks with Medvedev and Russian President, Vladimir Putin, on expanding bilateral ties and cooperation in a wide range of areas, the ministry said.

CAIRO, Nov 30 (NNN-XINHUA) – The first non-stop flight from Egypt’s capital Cairo to the city of Hangzhou in eastern China has taken off from the Cairo International Airport at 02:00 local time (00:00 GMT).

With the flight number MS953, the flight, which is launched by Egypt’s flag carrier, EgyptAir, will spend around 11 hours in the air and land on Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport at 19:00 local time (11:00 GMT).

The flight almost carries a full cabin and the environment on the flight is quite cozy, said Fu Hangliang, a passenger on the flight.

RIYADH, Nov 29 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Qatar’s foreign minister has made an unannounced visit to Riyadh, amid signs that a 2-1/2-year rift among US-allied Gulf Arab states could soon subside.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani met with senior Saudi officials last month, said a source familiar with the trip, the highest-level visit since May when Qatar’s prime minister attended an Arab summit in Mecca.

It was unclear if the visit, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, included a face-to-face with de facto Saudi ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Delhi; 30 Nov 2019 (UMM): BJP member Subramanian Swamy, a Harvard-trained economist, said the real growth rate of Indian economy is 1.5%, and the finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman “doesn’t know any economics”.

“If you look at the economy with a discerning eye, you see that growth may have come down,” Sitharaman said in the Rajya Sabha on November 27. “But it is not a recession yet,”.

Seoul, Nov 29 (AFP) South Korea's central bank on Friday cut its growth forecast for this year to two percent, which would be the weakest rate in a decade as the economy is battered by trade disputes.

The world's 11th-largest economy is highly dependent on international commerce but is grappling with the fallout of a prolonged China-US trade dispute and embroiled in a spat of its own with neighbouring Japan.

ISTANBUL, Nov 29 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Turkey and Libya’s internationally recognized government have signed an agreement on maritime boundaries in the Mediterranean Sea as well as a deal on expanded security and military cooperation, the Turkish government said.

There were no immediate details on the maritime accord, which could further complicate disputes over energy exploration in the eastern Mediterranean where Turkish drilling has angered Greek Cypriots, Athens and the European Union.

BEIRUT, Nov 28 (NNN-NNA) – The Lebanese Syndicate of Gas Station Owners, announced Wednesday, that, it will start an open strike on Thursday (today), because of its huge losses caused by the increase in the price of U.S. currency to the Lebanese pounds.

Gas stations in Lebanon are losing money because they are buying fuel from oil importing companies by paying in U.S. dollars, while they are selling it to clients in Lebanese pounds. Meanwhile, gas stations’ owners need the U.S. dollars, because they pay their suppliers with the U.S. currency.

DHAKA, Nov 29 (NNN-BSS) — A home-minister level meeting between Bangladesh and Turkey was held at the conference room of the Turkish Home Ministry in Ankara.

Bangladesh Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal led a 20-member Bangladeshi delegation while Turkish Home Minister Suleyman Soylu led his country’s side, said an official press release here.

Both the ministers discussed the issues of Rohingya crisis, counter-terrorism, irregular migration, security and enhancing efficiency of law enforcement agencies.

SYDNEY, Nov 28 (NNN-AGENCIES) – Tram drivers in the Australian city of Melbourne stopped work today (Thursday), demanding higher pay and more reliable work schedules.

The halt of the world’s largest tram network, forced thousands of passengers onto replacement buses, following an ongoing dispute between the workers’ union and private operator, Yarra Trams.

The action took place between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. local time, with passengers riding on a tram at 10:00 a.m. requested to disembark at the next stop.