Belgium, Netherlands Vow To Strengthen Cooperation

BRUSSELS, Apr 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) – Belgium and the Netherlands vowed yesterday, to strengthen their collaboration and cooperation in areas such as security, energy, and climate. In a statement, following a joint government consultation, held in the Belgian city of Ghent, the two countries said, they would step up efforts to…

Bank Indonesia Lowers Projection Of Economic Growth

JAKARTA, Apr 20 (NNN-ANTARA) – Bank Indonesia (BI), has revised the projected figure for the country’s economic growth this year, to the range between 4.5 and 5.3 percent, BI’s Governor, Perry Warjiyo said, yesterday. “This figure is slightly lower than the previous estimate of between 4.7 and 5.5 percent,” Warjiyo…

Nepali Man Aims To Become Shortest Person To Summit Mt. Qomolangma

KATHMANDU, Apr 20 (NNN-XINHUA) – Sagar Sunar, a Nepali man who is 1.13 metres tall, headed towards Mt. Qomolangma yesterday, as he aims to become the shortest climber ever to reach the top of the world’s tallest peak. “The 28-year-old climber departed for the mountain, right after getting a climbing…

Singapore Reports 4,718 New COVID-19 Cases

SINGAPORE, Apr 20 (NNN-CNA) – Singapore reported 4,718 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 yesterday, bringing the total tally to 1,167,498. Among the total cases, 4,544 were local transmissions with 174 being imported cases. Of the new local cases, 459 cases were detected through PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests, and 4,085…

IMF Cuts 2022 Global Growth Forecast To 3.6 Percent Amid Russia-Ukraine Conflict

WASHINGTON, Apr 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) – The International Monetary Fund (IMF), yesterday, slashed global growth forecast for 2022 to 3.6 percent, amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict, down by 0.8 percentage point from Jan projection, according to its newly released World Economic Outlook report.– NNN-AGENCIES  

Local Prosecutors Indict U.S. Marine Over Sexual Assault Of Woman In Okinawa

TOKYO, Apr 20 (NNN-NHK) – Local prosecutors said yesterday that, a 22-year-old U.S. marine was indicted last Dec, over a sexual assault resulting in injury on a woman, in Japan’s southernmost prefecture of Okinawa. The latest indictment brings to light a steady slew of sexual and other crimes committed in…

Timor Leste Holds Final Round Of Presidential Election

JAKARTA, Apr 20 (NNN-ANTARA) – Asia’s youngest nation, Timor Leste, held its second and final round of the presidential election yesterday, contesting Nobel laureate Jose Ramos-Horta and incumbent Fransisco Guterres, according to local media. The country of 1.3 million people, currently has around 860,000 eligible voters, to cast their ballots.…

Palestinian President Discusses Mideast Tension With Jordanian King, Putin

RAMALLAH, Apr 19 (NNN-WAFA) – Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, yesterday discussed the growing tension with Israel in East Jerusalem, during two separate phone conversations with King Abdullah II of Jordan and Russian President, Vladimir Putin. Abbas exchanged views with King Abdullah over the situation in East Jerusalem, accusing the Israeli…

Oil Prices Climb Amid Libya Outages

NEW YORK, Apr 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) – Oil prices rose yesterday, as reports of outages in Libya intensified concerns over supply risks. The West Texas Intermediate for May delivery, added 1.26 U.S. dollars, or 1.2 percent, to settle at 108.21 U.S. dollars a barrel, on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent…

Ukraine A Pawn In U.S. Strategy To Weaken EU, Says Expert

MEXICO CITY, Apr 19 (NNN-CAN) – The conflict in Ukraine is poised to cripple the European Union (EU) and its unified currency, the euro, as policymakers in Washington intended, said a column, published recently by Cuba’s state daily Granma. Faced with its own decline, the U.S. is working to bring…