Pakistan-China Forum Held To Improve Business Environment: Pakistani PM

ISLAMABAD, Jan 4 (NNN-APP) – Pakistani Prime Minister, Imran Khan, said yesterday that, a Pakistan-China business and investment forum, will help improve the business environment in the country. Addressing the inaugural ceremony of the forum, the prime minister said, the commencement of the forum will enhance the country’s exports, through…

OPEC Picks New Secretary General

VIENNA, Jan 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) – In a special video conference, held yesterday, the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), decided to appoint Haitham Al-Ghais of Kuwait, as its next secretary general. The appointment takes effect on Aug 1, and will last for three years, according to an OPEC press…

Palestinian President Says New Political Path Must Be Opened To End Israeli Occupation

RAMALLAH, Jan 4 (NNN-WAFA) – Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, said yesterday that, a new political path must be opened to end the Israeli occupation. The Palestinians “will not agree to remain forever under the occupation, and the occupation must end in accordance with international resolutions and under the umbrella of…

Feature: Years-Long Military Conflict Badly Impacts Tourism Sector In Yemen

ADEN, Jan 4 (NNN-YPA) – Many sites and old cities in Yemen have long been internationally renowned tourism attractions. However, during the more than seven-year-long military conflict, between the government and Houthi militia, intense battles engulfed the impoverished Arab country and shut its doors to foreign tourists since 2015. The…

India Starts Vaccinating 15 To 18-Year-Olds Amid Omicron Fears

NEW DELHI, Jan 4 (NNN-PTI) – India yesterday started vaccinating children aged 15 to 18, against COVID-19, amid fears of a surge in infections of the Omicron variant. India’s federal health minister, Mansukh Mandaviya, shared photographs of children getting vaccinated, to mark the beginning of the inoculation campaign, and urged…

China-Laos Railway In Smooth Operation A Month After Launch

BEIJING, Jan 4 (NNN-XINHUA) – China-Laos Railway, which opened to traffic a month ago, handled about 670,000 passengers and 170,000 tonnes of cargo, the Chinese railway operator said yesterday. For the section in China, the railway handled up to 31.5 pairs of trains each day, and the number of daily…

Maldives’ Tourist Arrivals Increased 138 Percent In 2021

MALE, Jan 4 (NNN-PSM) – Tourist arrivals in the Maldives increased 138 percent in 2021, compared with 2020, state media, citing data from the Ministry of Tourism, reported here, yesterday. State-owned news reported that, the Maldives recorded 1.3 million tourist arrivals in 2021, compared to 55,494 tourist arrivals in 2020.…

6.9-Magnitude Quake Strikes Off Japan’s Ogasawara Islands, No Tsunami Warning Issued

TOKYO, Jan 4 (NNN-NHK) – An earthquake, with a magnitude of 6.9, early today, struck, off Japan’s Ogasawara Islands of Tokyo Prefecture, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA). The temblor occurred at around 6:09 a.m. local time, with its epicentre at a latitude of 27.1 degrees north and a…

Two Drones Shot Down At Baghdad Airport: Source

BAGHDAD, Jan 4 (NNN-NINA) – Two drones yesterday attacked a military base, near Baghdad International Airport and were shot down, a security source said. The attack took place at dawn, when the drones attacked an Iraqi base, known as Camp Victory, housing some U.S. experts and agencies, but were shot…

Yemen’s Houthi Militia Seized UAE “Military” Ship In Red Sea

SANAA, Jan 4 (NNN-YPA) – Yemen’s Houthi militia said, they seized a “military” ship of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the Red Sea, off the Yemeni port. “The UAE ship carries military equipment and entered Yemeni regional waters without permission,” Houthi military Spokesman, Yehya Sarea said, in a brief…