Aussie Scientist Adds To Knowledge Of World’s Tree Species

SYDNEY, Feb 2 (NNN-AGENCIES) – An international team of conservation scientists, including researchers from Australia, believe, they have finally unearthed the answer as to, how many tree species are there in the world. Details of their tally of about 73,000 species, published in the U.S. science journal PNAS, and released…

UN Aid Programme Funds For Yemen Running Low

UNITED NATIONS, Feb 2 (NNN-AGENCIES) – UN aid programmes in embattled Yemen are running out of funds, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said, yesterday. “As of Jan, almost two-thirds of major UN aid programmes had already been reduced or closed, due to funding gaps,” the…

Jordan Reports 17,781 New COVID-19 Cases

AMMAN, Feb 2 (NNN-PETRA) – Jordan yesterday, registered 17,781 new COVID-19 infections, increasing the caseload to 1,243,090, the Jordanian Ministry of Health said in a statement. The ministry also reported 18 deaths from the coronavirus, bringing the kingdom’s COVID-19 death toll to 13,235. The share of tests returning a positive…

Turkish President, Lebanese PM Vow To Enhance Cooperation

ISTANBUL, Feb 2 (NNN-ANADOLU) – Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said yesterday, his country intends to strengthen cooperation and solidarity with Lebanon, in a wide range of fields. Erdogan’s remarks came, at a joint press conference with visiting Lebanese Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, in the Turkish capital, Ankara. The Turkish…

Pakistani Security Forces Arrest Terrorist Commander In Balochistan

ISLAMABAD, Feb 2 (NNN-APP) – The Pakistani security forces arrested a commander of a banned organisation, in south-western Balochistan province, officials and local media said yesterday. The security forces and the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of the police, conducted a joint operation, on a tip-off about the presence of the…

India Raises Defence Budget By 9.8 Percent

NEW DELHI, Feb 2 (NNN-PTI) – India’s defence budget was increased to 5.25 trillion Indian Rupees (about 70 billion U.S. dollars) yesterday, 9.8 percent higher than that of last year. Delivering the Union Budget speech in parliament, Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, said that, defence’s research and development (R&D) would be…

6.2-Magnitude Quake Strikes Off Eastern Indonesia, No Tsunami Alert Issued

JAKARTA, Feb 2 (NNN-ANTARA) – A 6.2-magnitude earthquake hit Indonesia’s eastern province of Maluku early today, but it was not potential for a tsunami, the meteorology, climatology and geophysics agency said. The quake struck at 4:25 a.m. early this morning local time (1925 GMT Tuesday), with the epicentre at 86…

Sri Lanka Rules Out Lockdown Amid Omicron Spread, Urges People To Get Boosters

COLOMBO, Feb 2 (NNN-SLN) – Sri Lanka’s Health authorities, ruled out a nationwide lockdown, as the Omicron variant of COVID-19 caused a rapid rise in infections recently, local media reported. The authorities also urged people to get booster doses to limit hospitalisations. There had been an internal discussion whether some…

Afghanistan Seeks Foreign Investment In Agriculture Sector

KABUL, Feb 2 (NNN-ANA) – The Afghan caretaker government’s acting Deputy Prime Minister, Abdul Salam Hanafi, chaired a cabinet meeting, reviewing the agriculture situation and discussing agriculture land survey for foreign investors, according to the country’s General Directorate of Administrative Affairs yesterday. During the meeting, the Afghan Ministry of Agriculture…

Laos Builds 58 Solar Power Plants To Develop Sustainable Energy

VIENTIANE, Feb 1 (NNN-KPL) – A total of 58 solar power plants have been completed or under construction across Laos, with a total installed capacity of 7,656 MW, local daily, Vientiane Times, reported today. Eight of these plants have been completed and 50 are under construction, said the report. The…