Strong Earthquake Hit Off Western Indonesia, No Tsunami Alert Issued

JAKARTA, Aug 24 (NNN-ANTARA) – A 6.5-magnitude earthquake hit Indonesia’s western province of Bengkulu last night, but did not have the potential to trigger a tsunami, the meteorology, climatology and geophysics agency said. The quake jolted at 21:31 Jakarta time (1431 GMT), with the epicentre at 64 km south-west of…

Feature: Giant Panda Couple, Turning 16, Prosper Under Tender Care Of Malaysian Keepers

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 24 (NNN-XINHUA) – Asper bamboo shoots are carefully measured, weighed and sliced. Apples, pears and carrots are cleaned and put aside while eggs, soybean, corn, rice and calcium powder are mixed together with corn oil to make “cakes.” These are some of the treats prepared every day…

India Successfully Flight Tested Surface-To-Air Missile

NEW DELHI, Aug 24 (NNN-PTI) – India, yesterday, successfully flight tested a vertical launch short-range surface-to-air missile, from the Integrated Test Range, off the coast of the eastern state of Odisha, said a Ministry of Defence statement. The test-flight was jointly carried out by the Defence Research and Development Organisation…

Two Killed In Landslide In Indonesia’s West Papua

JAKARTA, Aug 24 (NNN-ANTARA) – A 1.5-metre flood and severe landslide, struck Sorong city in Indonesia’s West Papua province yesterday, killing two people, the province’s Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency said, in a statement. The victims were a 35-year-old mother and her eight-year-old son. Their house was hit by the landslide,…

Indian Coast Guard Personnel Rescued Bangladeshi Fishermen

NEW DELHI, Aug 24 (NNN-PTI) – Indian Coast Guard (ICG) personnel, rescued 32 Bangladeshi fishermen and handed them over to the Bangladeshi Coast Guard yesterday, an official statement by the Ministry of Defence said. The ICG’s rescue operation was carried out in accordance with the existing Memorandum of Understanding between…

40 Percent Of Iran’s Commercial Air Fleet Grounded Due To U.S. Sanctions: Official

TEHRAN, Aug 24 (NNN-IRNA) – About 40 percent of Iran’s commercial air fleet are inactive, because of the undersupply of parts caused by the U.S. sanctions, Iranian civil aviation chief said yesterday. “Now we have about 330 aircraft in the country … Almost 60 percent of our fleet are active,…

S.Korea’s Currency Hits Over 13-Year Low On Strong U.S. Dollar

SEOUL, Aug 24 (NNN-XINHUA) – South Korea’s currency hit the lowest in over 13 years yesterday, on the strong U.S. dollar, leading the foreign exchange authorities to issue a verbal warning. The won/dollar exchange rate finished at 1,345.5 won per dollar, up 5.7 won from the previous close. It marked…

Police Searched Bus Company, Suspect Negligence After Fatal Crash In Central Japan

TOKYO, Aug 23 (NNN-NHK) – The offices of a bus operator were searched by the police, today, following the fatal crash a day earlier on an expressway in Nagoya, central Japan, that left two people dead and injured seven others. The operator of the bus, Aoi Traffic Corp., located in…

Car Crashes Left Over 1,730 Dead In Myanmar In First Seven Months

YANGON, Aug 23 (NNN-MNA) – Over 3,533 car crashes occurred in Myanmar in the Jan-Jul period, resulting in 1,730 deaths and 4,841 injuries, the state-run, the Global New Light of Myanmar, reported yesterday. The media quoted the Road Transport Administration Department (RTAD) as saying that, the chart of collisions, the…

Bangladesh Goes For Reduced Gov’t Working Hours To Save Electricity, Ease Traffic Gridlock

DHAKA, Aug 23 (NNN-BSS) – Energy-starved Bangladesh, yesterday decided to reschedule office hours of government and autonomous institutions, to save electricity and ease traffic. The decision was made at a cabinet meeting, with Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina in the chair, Cabinet Secretary, Khandker Anwarul Islam, told journalists. He said, government…