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Johannesburg, Aug 19 : Business leaders from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) are meeting here Monday to identify specific measures to eliminate barriers to growing trade and investment.

Prominent business leaders from 19 other African countries are also taking part in the first BRICS Business Council meeting at the Sandton Convention Centre.

The insurance arm of Anil Ambani-led Reliance Group has announced its entry into India's agriculture insurance business, saying it would offer farmers insurance cover for their crops against adverse weather conditions.

Reliance General Insurance announced various insurance products, some of which weather-based insurance schemes while other are yield-based.

Rakesh Jain, chief executive of Reliance General Insurance, also noted that it was the company's first step into the country's agriculture insurance sector.

Indiabulls Real Estate on Sunday announced that it had purchased back the entire stake of US-based Farallon Capital's reality subsidiary FIM in seven joint ventures for Rs 1,172 crore.

FIM exited the seven the seven Indiabulls JVs with an impressive gain of 42 per cent in six years.

The American reality giant had acquired 49 per cent equity stake in JVs in question in the year 2007 with an investment of Rs 847 crore.

The authorities in Greece have announced its decision to dismiss the chairman of its privatisation agency, Mr. Stelios Stavridis after reportrs showed that he travelled on a plane belonging to a businessman who bought gambling firm Opap from the government.

According to a new survey, the jobs market in Scotland has recorded a growth in the number of people getting permanent jobs during the month of July.

The survey conducted by the Bank of Scotland also said that there was an increase in vacancies for both permanent and temporary jobs during the month of July. The report showed that the growth in permanent job placement was the highest in the month since the survey began a decade earlier. The growth indicates that the jobs market is recording a strong growth in Scotland.

Cincinnati (Ohio), Aug 19 : Second seed Victoria Azarenka defeated World No. 1 Serena Williams to win her first Western and Southern Open tennis title.

Having lost 12 of their 14 previous meetings, Victoria edged out Serena in a third set breaker, 2-6, 6-2, 7-6(6) here Sunday.

"Obviously a big win. It was a great match. I'm really, really pleased with the way I pulled it out. It was a great battle. Nothing was given away. It was pure fight. I'm really happy," Victoria was quoted as saying by the tournament website.