Tourism Rebounds With Over Four Million Foreign Arrivals In Philippines So Far This Year

MANILA, Sept 30 (NNN-PNA) – Over four million foreign tourists, including more than 194,000 Chinese nationals, have visited the Philippines since Jan this year, the Philippines’ Department of Tourism (DOT) said, yesterday. Philippine Tourism Secretary, Christina Frasco, said, the country has earned 316 billion pesos (roughly 5.59 billion U.S. dollars)…

Update: Death Toll From Pakistan Blast Rises To 50

ISLAMABAD, Sept 30 (NNN-APP) – The death toll from a blast that hit a religious gathering in Mastung district of Pakistan’s south-west Balochistan province yesterday, rose to 50, police and health officials said. Confirming the casualties, Aetzaz Ahmed Goraya, deputy inspector general of Counter-Terrorism Department Police, in the provincial capital…

Egypt, Iraq, Iran Condemn Deadly Blast In Pakistan

CAIRO, Sept 30 (NNN-MENA) – Egypt, Iraq and Iran, yesterday, condemned a deadly bomb blast at a religious gathering in Pakistan’s southwestern province of Balochistan, that killed at least 50. The Egyptian Foreign Ministry condemned in a statement the attack, and reiterated its firm position rejecting all forms of violence,…

Syrian Army Thwarted Rebel Drone Attacks In N. Syria

DAMASCUS, Sept 30 (NNN-SANA) – The Syrian Armed Forces, yesterday, successfully intercepted and downed three weaponised drones in northern Syria, said the country’s Defence Ministry in a statement. According to the ministry, the “terrorist organisations” have persistently targeted civilians and army posts, posing a significant threat to the peace and…

Israeli Army Kills Another Palestinian In West Bank: Sources

RAMALLAH, Sept 30 (NNN-WAFA) – Israeli army, yesterday, killed another Palestinian man, in the West Bank city of Al-Bireh, Palestinian medical and security sources said. “Mohammed Jibril Ramana died, due to serious injuries sustained by Israeli army’s live bullets,” the Palestinian Ministry of Health said in a statement. The ministry…

Fiji To Increase Tourism Industry Earnings

SUVA, Sept 29 (NNN-PINA) – Fiji will have a three billion-Fijian-dollar (around 1.3 billion-U.S. dollar) tourism economy by Dec, Tourism Fiji CEO, Brent Hill, said, during a seminar at the Reserve Bank of Fiji. Hill said, an average visitor spend around 3,572 Fijian dollars (around 1,556 dollars), so when that…

Five Gov’t Soldiers Killed In Clash With Al-Qaeda Militants In S. Yemen

ADEN, Sept 29 (NNN-SABA) – At least five soldiers of Yemen’s government forces were killed and several others injured, in an intense clash with al-Qaeda militants in the country’s turbulent southern province of Abyan yesterday, a military official said. The soldiers were killed in hours-long battle with the al-Qaeda militants,…

Singapore Authority Arrested Five Young Drug Offenders

SINGAPORE, Sept 29 (NNN-XINHUA) – Singapore’s Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB), arrested five suspected drug offenders aged between 17 and 21, in a recent operation, according to a statement it released today. The CNB officers seized 204 grams of ice, 143 grams of cannabis, 12 grams of ketamine, and 12 ecstasy…

Seven Killed, Over 25 Injured In Blast In Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, Sept 29 (NNN-APP) – At least seven people were killed and more than 25 others injured, when a blast went off in Pakistan’s south-west Mastung district of Balochistan province, today, police said. Details to follow.– NNN-APP

Australian Defence Force Helicopters Retired, Following Fatal Crash

CANBERRA, Sept 29 (NNN-AAP) – The Australian Defence Force’s fleet of MRH-90 Taipan helicopters, have been retired early, following a fatal crash. The Minister for Defence, Richard Marles, and Minister for Defence Industry, Pat Conroy, today announced that, the Taipans will not return to flying operations, before their planned withdrawal…