• The subsidy would be given to the people consuming 300 units for domestic purpose, he stated in an interview with a private television channel.

• Britain reported a record daily number of deaths with 1,820 people dying within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test.

• “I congratulate President @JoeBiden on his inauguration. Look forward to working with @POTUS in building a stronger Pak-US partnership through trade & economic engagement, countering climate change, improving public health, combating corruption & promoting peace in beyond.”

• "This is America's day, this is democracy's day. A day of history and hope," he said on the steps of the US Capitol after his swearing-in.

• The United States faces "a rise of political extremism, white supremacy, domestic terrorism, that we must confront, and we will defeat,".

• "Congratulations to Joe Biden on being sworn in as President of the United States and to Kamala Harris on her historic inauguration," Johnson tweeted.

• "It is a day of history and hope and I look forward to forging ever closer ties between our two great nations."

• "This is our historic moment of crisis and challenge and unity is the path forward. And we must meet this moment as the United States of America."

• "We need all our strength to persevere through this dark winter. We're entering what may be the toughest and deadliest period of the virus,"

• I look forward to working with you to further strengthen the US-Israel alliance, to continue expanding peace between Israel and the Arab world and to confront common challenges.

• The Central Bank of Libya (CBL), based in the capital Tripoli, said revenue in 2020 was 2.9 billion dinars ($652 million), down from 31.4 billion dinars in 2019.
• Oil output and exports fall under the National Oil Corporation (NOC), which is also based in Tripoli, but which disputes CBL revenue figures.

• The National Administration of Medicines, Food and Medical Technology, or ANMAT, Argentina's regulatory body.
• the vaccine "is within an acceptable margin of safety and efficacy for the age group over 60 years."

• The central bank, outlining its quarterly economic forecasts, said that despite the stronger outlook it does not expect inflation to return sustainably to target until 2023.
• The medium-term outlook is stronger than in the October Report because of the positive effects from vaccines, greater fiscal stimulus, stronger foreign demand and higher commodity prices.

• Euro 0.2% lower to dollar.
• Commodity currencies rise.
• Sterling stronger on the day.

• The energy sector climbed 1.1% as US crude prices were up 1.3% a barrel, while Brent crude added 1.1%.
• Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index was up 43.62 points, or 0.24%, at 18,000.99.

• Netflix projects an end to borrowing binge, shares surge.
• Morgan Stanley gains as quarterly profit races past estimates.
• Joe Biden to be sworn in as US President later in the day.
• Indexes up: Dow 0.53%, S&P 0.97%, Nasdaq 1.68%.

• Prices rose 1.3% in Victoria, 1.2% in Halifax and 1.2% in the national capital region of Ottawa-Gatineau. The index was down 1.1% in Quebec City.
• On an annual basis, the index was up 9.4% in December, the fifth consecutive acceleration and the strongest 12-month gain since November 2017.

• ENBD sees increased remittances via DirectRemit platform.
• Aldar Properties posts biggest rise in nearly three months.
• Abu Dhabi gains for a fourth straight session.

• Negotiations are underway with an Indian manufacturer, Serum Institute, which can produce the American Novovax vaccine and has the ability to produce the AstraZeneca vaccine at the moment.
• India will initially only ship the AstraZeneca vaccine, made by The Serum Institute,

• Tense ties see China smelters shun Australian supplies.
• Monthly imports at zero for first time since 2004.

• Flights between the UAE and Qatar, both major air transport hubs, had been suspended since mid-2017 when the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt.
• Etihad, owned by the government of Abu Dhabi, said daily flights to the Qatari capital would resume from Feb. 15.

• Gasoline prices were up from the previous month for the first time since July 2020.

• The bank announced on Tuesday it was axing 82 branches across the country and would cut services in others, including stripping out some counter services.

• Wall Street stocks pushed higher at the opening bell, with the Dow gaining 0.3 percent.

• High trading volumes during the quarter, stemming from the US elections and the release of coronavirus vaccines.
• Morgan Stanley's equity underwriting revenue soared 81% from a year earlier, driven by high profile IPOs and follow-on offerings as clients continued to access capital markets.

• The tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index stood above its record close at 13,374.52, up 1.3 percent.

• Netflix projects an end to borrowing binge, shares surge.
• Morgan Stanley gains as quarterly profit races past estimates.
• Joe Biden to be sworn in as US President later in the day.
• Futures up: Dow 0.19%, S&P 0.43%, Nasdaq 0.92%.

• Trump, who refused to accept his defeat for more than two months, never congratulated Biden on his victory.

• Djokovic reportedly asked for reduced isolation periods and having players in hard quarantine moved to "private houses with tennis courts", drawing a backlash from Australians.
• My good intentions for my fellow competitors in Melbourne have been misconstrued as being selfish, difficult and ungrateful.

• TIM is expected to pick a headhunter to help with the board's selection process and advisory firm Egon Zehnder is in pole position for the role.
• The idea is that the board could put forward its own list and Gubitosi's name would be on it.

• First shipment goes to neighbouring Bhutan.
• Other recipients to include Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar.
• Sri Lanka, Afghanistan await regulatory clearance to get shots.
• Bangladesh says it will get 2 million doses as gift on Thursday.
• India to export AstraZeneca shots first, homegrown one to follow.

• Copom to keep Selic rate at record low of 2.0%.
• Brazil's real leads gains among Latam peers.
• Chilean peso rises amid higher copper prices.

• The tender which closes on Friday, Jan. 22, had previously sought red milling wheat only.
• The change could allow wheat from more origins to be offered in the tender at a time when wheat from Turkey's big supplier Russia is more expensive and faces an upcoming export tax.

• Wheat retreats on fund selling and profit taking after multi-year highs last week.
• Actively traded March corn fell and filled a technical chart gap left after last week's steep price rally.

• The Abidjan-based exchange trades shares of 46 companies, including Senegalese telecoms company Sonatel, Burkina Faso's main telecoms operator Onatel.
• Investors were quite active on our market despite the COVID-19 crisis.

• Videos and images of the blast went viral on social media, show smoke coming out from a building and rubble scattered in a central street of Madrid.
• Several floors of the building in the capital's Toledo Street have been affected by the blast.

• Headline inflation was below analyst expectations for inflation to remain at November's 1.0% rate. Consumer prices fell 0.2% on the month.
• The Canadian dollar was trading 0.3% higher at 1.2692 to the greenback, or 78.79 US cents as investors bet on hefty US fiscal stimulus.

• The orders will mark the start of a major policy reversal in the world's second-largest greenhouse gas emitter behind China.
• We got off track very severely for the last four years with a climate denier in the Oval Office," said John Podesta.

• Canadian dollar strengthens 0.3% against the greenback.
• Canada's annual inflation rate slows to 0.7% in December.
• Price of US oil rises 1.3%.
• Canadian bond yields rise across the curve.

• He assured the Overseas Pakistanis for provision of best facilities to them at airport.

• Sarwar said the PDM leadership should respect the people’s mandate instead of indulging in politics of protest and long march.

• The court reserved its judgment and remarked that it would pass a detailed order in this case.

• La Sexta TV quoted government sources saying it may have been a gas leak.
• Smoke plume was observed in the neighborhood after the blast, the witnesses reported.

• The Chairman said that it was first time in the history that the NAB had distributed a huge amount of Rs 2.5 billion recovered from the accused through plea bargain within two years, among the affectees.

• The paper summarizes China's recent engagement in providing development assistance and lays out China's strategy and areas of future development assistance.

• The court served notices to NAB and sought comments till February 17.

• The debt sale comes amid uncertainty over future fiscal help for the small oil-producing state.
• That pushed its deficit to 14% of gross domestic product, compared with a budgeted 7% and a deficit that was 5% of GDP in 2019.

• The East African nation won a debt repayments relief agreement with the Paris Club of international lenders last week, and is looking for deals with non-Paris Club bilateral creditors like China.
• We are now not going to pay immediately, but we are going to pay in the future.

• NCB is seeking to raise $1 billion through the perpetual Islamic bonds, two financial sources said.
• It has received over $4.8 billion in orders for the sukuk.

• JPMorgan Chase & Co, Bank of America Corp and Citigroup took in more than $1 trillion in deposits last year, compared with a $92 billion increase in 2019.
• Big banks will not shun deposits due to the dynamic, executives said, because doing so could hurt their franchises.

• The opposition at first should itself be united under one umbrella then should challenge the government, he said.

• Razak Dawood said I have always believed in the entrepreneurship of our youth and this speaks volumes about their abilities.

• The personal travel services decreased by 21.97 percent, from US $215.534 million last year to US $168.180 million during July-November (2020-21).

• He said Maulana Fazl-ur Rehman should have submitted details about party funds to ECP to clear his position.

• As many as 6,957 LCVs were manufactured during July-November (2020-21), showing decline of 4.28 percent.

Trump, 74, will bid farewell to the White House hours before President-elect Joe Biden is inaugurated. Trump and his wife, Melania departed the South Lawn on the Marine One helicopter for Joint Base Andrews in suburban Maryland, where he presided over a military-style sendoff before boarding Air Force One one last time to fly to Florida.

• Shibli remarked that if in the past, these corrupt elements were not given NRO, the country would not have suffered so much.

• The Punjab health department conducted 2,740,874 tests for the COVID-19 so far while 135,425 confirmed cases had been recovered in the province.

• The bank also allowed restructuring or rescheduling of around Rs225.5 billion so far.

• LEAP will also play a significant role in improving Ease of Doing Business ranking for Pakistan.

• Dar said that tribal youth were showing overwhelming interest in Kamayab Jawan Programme, which was very positive sign.

• The EQA, the first of several electric models Mercedes-Benz plans to launch this year.
• The SUV will go on sale in Europe on Feb 4 at what board of management Britta Seeger described as "very attractive price points".

• The minimum temperature is expected to remain from 11 to 13 degree centigrade.

• We are confident that, together with the suppliers, we will get this issue in hand.
• She said car deliveries in January were secured but that the company was, with suppliers.

• The Chairman FPCCI invited Swedish investors to join the grand mega project of CPEC and CPEC related SEZs in different regions of the country.

• The yield to investor on the 5-year tranche was 4.90%, while that on the 10-year tranche was 5.95%, the Treasury said.
• The issues received demand from more than 300 investors, it said, adding that 35% was sold to investors from Britain.

• Buying and selling rates of dollar were recorded at Rs160.4 and Rs161 respectively.

• The gold imports during July-December (2020-21) were recorded at $4.385 million.

• "They wouldn't roll out something that could backfire on them," he said. "I feel like there's too many eyeballs on this for the Chinese to not be relatively sure."
• China is stepping up its vaccinations as several countries including Brazil, Indonesia and Turkey begin mass vaccination programmes using its vaccines.

• Qureshi said warm sentiments between the two leaderships and strong people-to-people linkages were rooted in shared faith, values and culture.

• Mitsotakis was speaking ahead of a parliamentary vote on a bill extending Greece's western territorial waters to 12 nautical miles from six currently.
• "We will attend with optimism, self-confidence," Mitsotakis said, but there would be "zero naivety" from Athens about the talks.

• Sania said over 25 percent population of South Waziristan was going to benefit from Ehsaas in 2021.

• Haleem Adil said that since 2007 the nation is seeing that one man is involved in all corruption in Sindh, who own the portfolio of finance.

• In his confirmation meeting with the Senate Armed Services Committee, Lloyd J. Austin, President Biden's nominee for Secretary of Defense, laid out the new administration's international cooperative strategy across the global sphere, including Pakistan.
• Austin mentioned that "Pakistan will play an important role in the political settlement in Afghanistan", adding that he would "focus on our shared interests which include training future Pakistani military leaders".

• We will be able to continue paying off debts to renewable energy producers with the help of this tool.
• Ukraine is currently in a talk with the IMF mission to unlock loans under a $5 billion programme.

• The road will ensure better transportation facilities to the adjoining population.

• Banuri said that it had been upgraded in line with the international best practices and was applicable from 1st January, 2021.

• Italian government secures narrow win on confidence vote.
• Borrowing costs fall to lowest in over a week, then rise.
• Focus on how stable government will remain.

• During the last 24 hours most of the deaths had occurred in Sindh followed by the Punjab.

• Trading volume on the CSE All Share Index fell to 287.96 million from 690.06 million in the previous session.
• Holding company Hayleys Plc and investment company Vallibel One Plc were the top boosts to the index, gaining 14.5% and 10.1%, respectively.

• Bilour urged Pakistan and Kabul to review policies to ensure smooth trade between the two neighbouring countries as well as regional trade.

• He said the arrangements were reviewed in meetings to make the entire drive a success in peaceful manner.

• The rouble had pared early gains and was 0.2% stronger against the dollar at 73.57. It had gained 0.2% to trade at 89.12 versus the euro.
• Yellen, at her confirmation hearing on Tuesday, said the benefits of a big stimulus package were greater than the expense of a higher debt burden.

• Prime Minister Imran Khan has already been consulted in this regard, says Dr Babar Awan.
• The PM advisor said that instructions were also sought from the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) before convening the sessions.

• Both discussed the measures to improve border management and steps for capacity building of law enforcement agencies.

• So far China has 233 licensed players, with the market dominated by Alipay and WeChat Pay in terms of online transactions.
• The finance industry is becoming more and more dependent on information technology, leading to a growing urgency in ramping up antitrust efforts in this sector.

• He said that through art and culture, Kashmir Committee was trying to project the true image of Kashmir.

• UnitedHealth reported a medical loss ratio - the percentage of premiums paid out for medical services - of 79.1% in the fourth quarter.
• UnitedHealth maintained its 2021 profit forecast from December and said it expected adjusted net earnings of $17.75 to $18.25 per share.

• The PTI leader had earlier announced to step down as the leader of the Opposition in the provincial assembly.
• Haleem Adil Sheikh will succeed him as the new opposition leader.

• The right-hander didn’t feature in the recently concluded two-match Test series against New Zealand, due to fractured thumb.
• He will have a chance to improve his rankings during the upcoming home Test series against South Africa.

• The meeting was also attended by General Secretary Raja Fahim Altaf and members of the LHCBA.

• During the course of proceedings, advocate Mahmood A Sheik counsel for the accused completed arguments in the case.

• The figures come from Britain's CHAPS high-value payments data and cover the proceeds of recent credit and debit card payments made by payments processors to around 100 major retailers.

• Ilir Gugolli said that Kosovo was interested in developing sector-specific relations with Pakistan.

• Last week, Pfizer said a similar laboratory study showed the vaccine was effective against one key mutation, called N501Y.
• Among the 11 authors of the study are Ugur Sahin and Oezlem Tuereci, co-founders of BioNTech. Sahin is chief executive and his wife Tuereci is chief medical officer.

• The progress report of the sub-committee, he said would be presented in the NEC meeting chaired by the PM himself.

• Rosen, 62, a former deputy transportation secretary under President Donald Trump who was sworn in as deputy attorney general in May 2019.
• Rosen told Reuters at the time he would continue "to do things on the merits and to do things on the basis of the law and the facts."

• He said the Hindu community needed to rest assured that the government would pursue the genuine demand of the community.

• The price of per tola and ten gram silver also witnessed no change.

• As many as 413 companies transacted shares in the stock market, 150 of them recorded gain and 246 sustained losses.

• Euro STOXX 600 up 0.5%.
• MSCI ex-Japan Asia hits record.
• Wall Street futures up.
• Investors bullish after Yellen supports big spending.
• Oil up, dollar on the back foot.

• These reforms had been introduced to improve performance of bureaucracy and state institutions, he added.

• Ring-fenced units excluded from 2021 test.
• Virgin Money UK to participate in test.
• Aggregate results published in the summer.
• Bank-by-bank results due in fourth quarter.

• General public is advised in their own interest to be careful, not to deal and invest in illegal schemes offered by such companies.

• “We should not rely on Babar Azam alone. We need to have proper replacements,” said Khan.
• Leading runs getter for Pakistan in Test cricket stressed that Pakistan need to take advantage of the home condition against South Africa.

• The administration of Khazan sugar mill was issued several notices and warnings but it failed to submit the payable tax.

• "There should not be any tariffs on internal UK trade," Northern Ireland Minister Brandon Lewis told parliament. "I will be very happy to engage with the sector directly."

• Number of COVID-19 positive cases have reached 9864, of them 90 percent were recovered from the contagion.

• Arab Republic of Egypt and the State of Qatar exchanged, today, January 20, 2021.
• Egypt reopened its airspace to Qatari flights on Jan. 12 and flights between the two countries were resumed.

• Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange (LME) was up 0.9% at $8,026 a tonne.
• Yellen did not state anything new, however it (stimulus) was priced in to the market for a second time.

• The dollar weakened against major currencies for the third straight session.
• Versus the euro, the pound hit a five-month high of 88.38 pence per euro, before easing to 88.51.

• As I said when I spoke with him on his election as President, I look forward to working with him.

• It is not easy for us... We can only vaccinate with that which has been delivered.
• The spread of the virus has slowed in Germany in recent weeks, with rise in new cases up by 15,974 to 2,068,002.

• The company's shares rose 2% before the opening bell.
• P&G said it expects full-year sales to rise 5% to 6%, compared with a prior forecast of a 3% to 4% increase.

• President Xi Jinping presides benevolently over the hall from life-sized photos, unmistakably the marshall of the virus response.

• Monthly export figures are provided by Riyadh and other members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to the Joint Organizations Data Initiative (JODI).

• Operators say the embittered leader could use his accounts to foment more unrest aimed at Biden's inauguration on Wednesday.

• The unnamed man, who had lived with his wife and their four children near the Syrian city of Idlib.
• We managed to find him and bring him back to Italy ... we were also able to get his wife and children out of a crisis area.

• A total of 22 workers were trapped underground in the Hushan gold mine on the outskirts of Yantai.
• China has deployed 16 professional rescue teams and dozens of medical personnel to try to save the miners.

• In its weekly update, the WHO announced the strain first found in the UK was now in 10 more countries than seven days ago.

• The missile is capable of carrying nuclear and conventional warheads to a range of 2,750 kilometers.
• The test flight was aimed at revalidating various design and technical parameters of the weapon system, said military’s media win.

• Jordan bought about 60,000 tonnes of barley in a previous tender for 120,000 tonnes which closed on Tuesday.
• A separate tender from Jordan to buy 120,000 tonnes of wheat also closes on Wednesday.

• Blinken said the United States remained "clear-eyed about the Huthis".

• Russia's sovereign wealth fund RDIF has filed for registration of the Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine in the European Union and expects it to be reviewed in February.
• The Sputnik V vaccine has been approved in Argentina, Belarus, Serbia and several other countries.

• Kabul is pushing for a permanent ceasefire and to protect governance arrangements in place.

• We will shortly submit our formal request to join this free trade area.
• The CPTPP is a trade agreement that removes most tariffs between Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.

• He said that government has introduced reforms in promotion, premature retirement, efficiency and discipline, appointment in MP scale, rotation; and strength of Pakistan Administrative Service.
• The promotion of an official facing a reference will be deferred, said the minister.

• On Sunday, UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab led criticism of Perry's involvement as "pretty mercenary".

• CMC expects NOI to be at the top end of mkt view.
• Company says Q3 client activity eased from early 2020 levels.
• Shares up marginally in morning trade.

• Shares in Alibaba soared 8.5 percent to HK$265.00 in Hong Kong.

• The sanctions targeted Iran's vital oil sales and international banking ties, plunging its economy into a deep recession.

• Net income applicable to common shareholders rose to $3.27 billion, or $1.81 per share, in the quarter ended Dec. 31.
• Analysts had expected a profit of $1.27 per share, according to Refinitiv IBES data.

• French Finance Minister hailed Yellen's comments as marking "a real change in position on the taxation of digital giants."

• To coincide with Saturday's launch of the vaccination campaign, Vardhan changed his Twitter banner to "vaccines work: stay informed, stay safe".

• The NHS is under unprecedented pressure (and) the entire British state is trying to fight COVID to roll out the biggest vaccination programme in the history of our country.
• The idea that we should now concentrate ... vast state resources to an inquiry now.

• After days without any sign of life, a handwritten note was sent up on a metal wire that rescuers had dropped into the mine on Sunday.

• Not all our clients invest in China's bond market, but they are all looking into it.
• Dutch 10-year bond yields are languishing at around -0.4% , spelling losses for any investor who holds them to maturity, a picture reflected across Europe.

• Stuart Broad, Sam Curran and Mark Wood led the pace component of an attack that twice bowled out Sri Lanka.

• Gorbachev said that after the New START accord is extended, "a more ambitious treaty" can be negotiated within several years as new types of weapons are developed.

• Neither Trump nor his relatives were listed, amid speculation he could use the legally dubious tactic of a preemptive pardon to fend off future charges.

• Playing his first international since a one-year suspension, Shakib's left-arm spin immediately put pressure on West Indies.

• Biden is expected to be more measured in tone and knit back together tattered alliances on the global stage.

• Bali authorities made wearing a face mask in public mandatory last year as Indonesia battled a raging Covid-19 outbreak.

• Charles Michel said the moment should be seized to form a new "founding pact" between democratic powers.

• The EU's independent corruption watchdog confirmed this month that it was investigating Frontex over the allegations.

• BASF said in July it would shed 2,000 jobs by the end of 2022 that would save it 200 million euros annually by 2023.

• Biden's staff said he wanted to hit the ground running given the deep health and economic challenges facing the country.

• Pfizer said last Friday it would delay shipments of vaccinations over the next three to four weeks due to works at its key processing plan in Belgium.

• Foreign Minister said that the "Pharmacy of the World will deliver to overcome the COVID challenge".

• Navalny was detained in a Moscow airport after returning for the first time since he was flown to Berlin in August following a poisoning attack.

• A disappointed Christie acknowledged he wasted several chances of victory in the 75-minute showdown.

• Steinmeier said America's institutions had proven their strength in the face of "great tests" and "hostility" during Trump's term.

• Now students with 16 years of education can apply for admissions in a PhD degree.

• While a transition of power will occur much as it has for more than two centuries, this inauguration is unlike any other.

• China reported 103 new cases on Wednesday, including seven more in Beijing.

• Macron has gone further than any of his predecessors in recognising French crimes in Algeria.

• The two flight attendants are accused of failing to report a crime and face one-year sentences.

• Biden has indicated that his administration will restore Washington's pre-Trump policy of opposing settlement expansion.

• Democrat Joe Biden will be sworn in as the 46th president of the United States on Wednesday, assuming the helm of a country beset by deep political divides and battered by a raging coronavirus pandemic.
• Biden, 78, will become the oldest U.S. president in history at a scaled-back ceremony in Washington that has been largely stripped of its usual pomp and circumstance.

• Unlike in previous years, no forward sales for next season have yet been agreed due to the backlog, the two CCC sources said.

• Brent crude oil, a global benchmark for Russia's main export, was up 0.6% at $56.26 a barrel, pushing Russian stock indexes higher.

• "Today is more than a transition. Today is an opportunity to rejuvenate our transatlantic relationship, which has greatly suffered in the last four years. In these years, the world has grown more complex, less stable and less predictable".

• Analysts suggested that may have also played a role in pulling down Italian borrowing costs from last week's highs.

• Burberry jumped 3.5% as underlying sales fell 9% in the three months ended December, but the company said it remained confident in the future, buoyed by sales growth of 11% in Asia-Pacific stores.

• The authority allowed Energas for the regulated activity of sale of natural gas and LNG for an initial period of 10 years, subject to fulfillment of execution of Gas Transportation Agreements with Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) and Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL).

• The new SUV will be priced at Rs 4.1 million, which will make it the cheapest SUV to be launched in Pakistan.

• The bench dismissed the petition after the NAB statement in the court.
• PML-Q leaders Chaudhry Shujaat and Chaudhry Pervaiz had challenged the assets inquiry initiated by the bureau against them in the court.

• The framework includes Aldar taking on the management of 30 billion dirhams ($8.17 billion) worth of major projects.

• eBay Inc. announced that it will be exploring strategic options for its unit in South Korea.

• Financial market participants over the views on the upcoming monetary policy statement on January 22nd 2021 found that 75 percent expect no change in the policy rate in the upcoming MPS.

• Asian currencies and bonds have lagged as the prospect of more government spending under a Joe Biden administration pushed up US treasury yields earlier this month, reducing the appeal of some of the region's high-yielding government debt.

• Given current cash pressures due to a lack of travel, IAG said that net cash outflow from the deal would be minimal in 2021.

• Prime Minister Imran Khan will meet executives at Tesla to explore investment opportunities in the electric vehicle (EV) industry in Pakistan.

• Iranian President Hassan Rouhani urged the incoming U.S. administration on Wednesday to return to a 2015 nuclear agreement and lift sanctions on Tehran, while welcoming the end of “tyrant” President Donald Trump’s era.
• U.S. President-elect Joe Biden, who takes office on Wednesday, has said the United States will rejoin the pact, which includes restrictions on Iran’s nuclear work, if Tehran resumes strict compliance.

• "The reference rate is currently 0.1%. The space for its reduction, so that is not a negative... is small, but it exists," he said.

• Security issues were a major obstacle in the delay in providing 3G/4G internet services, the PM said.
• PM announced that every family in the region will be provided health insurance cards.

• Since Turkey made big changes at its central bank and finance ministry and shifted towards conventional policies, the lira has soared.

• According to Pakistan Metrological Department, the maximum temperature in the port city is expected to reach 28 ºCelsius.
• A new weather system is expected to enter in Karachi from Balochistan on Saturday night, said the Met Office.

• The tender sought shipment between March 24 and April 12 if the corn is sourced from the US Gulf, Brazil or Argentina.

• During a federal cabinet held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Imran Khan it was decided to waive a number of taxes on these bonds under the Income Tax Ordinance 2001 Schedule.

• The dollar stood at 103.73 yen, slightly off from 103.90 yen in New York late Tuesday.

• China reported 103 new cases on Wednesday, including the seven in Beijing.

• Analysts' consensus forecasts had been for a rise to 0.5 percent.

• "This will take a while to sink in," said former India captain Bishan Singh Bedi, who hailed the win as "by far the greatest comeback in the history of Indian cricket."

• Biden's pick for secretary of state, Anthony Blinken, said at a Senate confirmation hearing that Trump's policies had made Iran "more dangerous."

• Anthony J. Blinken, President-elect Biden's chosen candidate for Secretary of State was asked about the incoming administration's approach to key foreign policy issues.

• People briefed on the matter said Tuesday it was unlikely any deal would be reached before Trump leaves office on Wednesday. The Treasury Department did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

• The Chinese yuan clung to modest gains in offshore trade at 6.4757 to the dollar ahead of a monthly interest rate fixing where traders expect no change in either one-year or five-year loan prime rates.

• Most analysts still assume it will extend the programme, if only to lessen upward pressure on the Aussie.

• While India cut back imports from Middle Eastern, African and US oil in December from the previous month, it marginally lifted its intake of Latin American and Caspian Sea oil.

• Audi, which is making cars in the world's biggest auto market with FAW Group.

• A break above $56.65 could signal the resumption of the uptrend, while a failure could be followed by a drop towards the Jan. 18 low of $54.49.

• Germany on Tuesday extended a lockdown for most shops and schools for another two weeks, to Feb. 14.

• He will inaugurate the Kamyab Jawab Programme.
• The PM will be briefed about development projects in Waziristan.

• She also received the endorsement of all former Treasury secretaries, from George Schultz to Jack Lew, who urged senators in a letter to swiftly confirm Yellen's nomination.

• A week ago, it was reported in 50 countries.
• The South African variant has been reported in 23 countries and territories, WHO said.

• On the daily chart, a spinning top formed around a support at 3,274 ringgit on Monday. Even though it proved to be a failed reversal signal, it does suggest the fall is ending.

• Volkswagen is the biggest foreign automaker in China, the world's biggest car market.

• The won was quoted at 1,101.6 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform, 0.12% higher than its previous close at 1,102.9.

• The tender closes on Thursday, a second source said.

• ANA Holdings fell 2.42% after Jiji press reported the airline would post its worst current profit for nine months through December. Japan Airlines fell 1.77%.

• FM says Pakistan and the incoming US administration have a lot of “commonalties”
• The people being nominated by President-elect Joe Biden know Pakistan well: Qureshi

• The Surgut cargoes were offered to load over Mar. 17-24, Mar. 20-27, Mar. 24-29 and Mar. 28-31.

• The volume-weighted average of the seven-day repo, considered the best indicator of general liquidity in China, jumped to 2.5007%, the highest since Nov. 13, 2020.

• Wheat, too, benefited from China's increased imports, with a record 8.38 million tonnes of wheat imported in 2020.

• Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato made the comment at a news conference in response to a question about media reports that the government was considering doing so as early as in May.

• On the daily chart, the uptrend remains intact. Market seems to have shrugged off the big shadow cast by a black candle on Jan. 15.

• Bullion is considered a hedge against inflation and currency debasement that can result from widespread stimulus.

• Palm declined 2.5% in the previous session to hit its lowest close in nearly two months.

• Kia last week changed its corporate brand to simply 'Kia' from 'Kia Motors' in what it said was part of a new strategy aimed at taking the company "beyond vehicle manufacturing to create sustainable mobility solutions", without providing specific details of new projects.

• The yen was little moved at 103.81 to the dollar while the Chinese yuan ticked up about 0.1% to 6.4741 per dollar.

• But sales slumped 21.4% in the whole of 2020, it said.

• Jack Ma decided to say goodbye to Alibaba in 2018 and was last seen at a conference in October last year criticizing Chinese government regulators, after which he disappeared raising global concerns.

• The government had sufficient funds with about 500 billion baht available under the borrowing plan, said Deputy Prime Minister Supattanapong Punmeechaow.

• IMF Deputy Managing Director Mitsuhiro Furusawa, in the statement, praised the government's pandemic containment efforts to date as well as its approval of deficit spending to ensure more funds reach healthcare services.

• The blue-chip NSE Nifty 50 index rose 0.4% to 14,540 and the benchmark S&P BSE Sensex was up 0.2% at 49,507.12 by 0350 GMT. The Nifty and Sensex rose 1.7% on Tuesday.

• The health ministry also confirmed 18,894 new coronavirus infections on Tuesday, bringing the total number of cases to 1,668,396.

• "We could only get the deal done with that agreement," he told BT Sport before the match at London Stadium.

• Ligado did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

• The global dollar index fell to 90.371 from the previous close of 90.421.

• Tianmu News, a news portal under Zhejiang Online.

• The advisor informed that these funds are now with the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and will soon be disbursed to the relevant exporters.

• As part of the guidelines, financial authorities will introduce three indicators to help monitor the dollar funding and operation of non-banking companies, the finance ministry said.

• Around the region, MSCI's Asia ex-Japan stock index was firmer by 2.03% while Japan's Nikkei index was down 0.74%.

• Eight of the new infections were imported from abroad, the country's COVID-19 taskforce added at a briefing.

• "After the current low consumption season, the outlook for copper prices may still be relatively promising."

SYDNEY/WELLINGTON: The Australian and New Zealand dollars were firmer on Tuesday, as investor sentiment turned...

NEW YORK: General Motors announced Tuesday it is joining forces with Microsoft on its Cruise autonomous driving...

• Germany on Tuesday extended a lockdown for most shops and schools for another two weeks, to Feb. 14.

• For 2020, Brazilian shipments were 64.28 million tonnes, up 11.46% from 2019's 57.67 million tonnes, and almost two-thirds of total annual imports.

• Saudi Arabia has played catch up as a supplier since November with steep cuts in prices to woo customers, overtaking Russia, which had led for most of 2020 with more flexible logistics and geographical proximity to Chinese refiners.

• Singapore's economy is on the path to a slow and patchy recovery after marking its deepest contraction in 2020.

• Dubai has become a favored holiday destination for Israeli tourists but poor behavior has blackened Israel's international image
• Most Israeli nationals have been found involved in stealing light fittings, cooking in hotel rooms and damaging luxury vehicles

• Kodak Black, 23, who was born Bill Kahan Kapri, is in federal prison for making a false statement in order to buy a firearm.

• Separately, other tenors also surged to reflect tensions in the interbank money market. The volume-weighted average of the overnight repo rose to 2.4502% as of 0254 GMT, the highest since November.

• Chung has said Bolton's accounts were "inaccurate" and "distorted," without elaborating.

• “I wish them success and urge our young entrepreneurs to emulate this," he said.

• The reported death toll rose by 1,148 to 48,770, the tally showed.

• The index has gained about 55% in 2020 and is so far up 10%.

• Copper concentrate imports from all countries were 1.89 million tonnes in December and 21.77 million tonnes in 2020 overall, data released on Jan. 14 showed.

• The Philippines, which has been battling one of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in Southeast Asia, is set to buy 20 million doses of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine.

• Almost two-thirds of India's iron ore exports to China had less than 58% iron content, according to Indian mining industry estimates.

• A soybean crush plant in Lafayette, Indiana, raised its spot basis bid by 7 cents a bushel, while bids remained flat at other processors.

• Conte overcame a similar confidence motion in the lower house on Monday. Had he lost either vote, he would have had to resign.

• NHTSA said in November that GM must recall the 2007-2014 model year trucks and SUVs because the inflators "are at risk of the same type of explosion after long-term exposure to high heat and humidity as other recalled Takata inflators."

• The number of coronavirus cases has risen across all US regions and on Tuesday crossed 24 million since the pandemic started.

• Over the first three months of the year, more than 21 million total doses are expected from US drugmaker Pfizer Inc , China's CanSino Biologics Inc, Britain's AstraZeneca, and Sputnik V.

• Foreign investors held $7.053 trillion in Treasuries in November, down from $7.068 trillion the previous month.

• "We came here to follow up on picking up points at Wolves," he told BT Sport.

• Tesla Inc shares rose after Jefferies raised its earnings estimates ahead of the electric-car maker's fourth-quarter results next week.