Iran’s Missile Progress Poses Challenges To U.S. Regional Military Plan: Expert

TEHRAN, Jan 3 (NNN-IRNA) – A U.S. political expert said, the progress in Iran’s missile programme has posed challenges to the U.S. regional military plan, Iran’s news network, Press TV, reported yesterday. Iran’s missile programme has changed U.S. strategic military calculations by restoring an actual balance in the Middle East…

Malaysia’s Manufacturing PMI Rises To 52.8 In Dec, 2021

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 3 (NNN-BERNAMA) – The headline IHS Markit Malaysia Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), a composite single-figure indicator of manufacturing performance, rose from 52.3 in Nov, to 52.8 in Dec, 2021, indicating a stronger improvement in the health of the sector, said IHS Markit, today. The average performance…

India Reports 33,750 New COVID-19 Cases

NEW DELHI, Jan 3 (NNN-PTI) – India’s COVID-19 tally rose to 34,922,882 today, as 33,750 new cases were registered during the past 24 hours, across the country, showed the federal health ministry’s latest data. Besides, 123 more deaths were recorded since yesterday morning, taking the death toll to 481,893. Currently…

S.Korea Confirms First Two Deaths Linked To Omicron Variant

SEOUL, Jan 3 (NNN-YONHAP) – South Korea, today confirmed its first two deaths linked to the Omicron COVID-19 variant, amid rising worry about the highly transmissible variant. Two people in their 90s, who had been hospitalised at a nursing hospital in Gwangju, about 330 km south of Seoul, posthumously tested…

Australian PM Rules Out Funding Free Rapid COVID-19 Tests

CANBERRA, Jan 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) – Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, ruled out the government funding free rapid COVID-19 tests. Morrison said today that, the federal government cannot afford to continue spending on preventing the spread of COVID-19 at the same rate it did in 2020 and 2021. “We’ve invested hundreds…

Singapore Reports 429 New COVID-19 Cases

SINGAPORE, Jan 3 (NNN-CNA) – Singapore reported 429 new cases of COVID-19 yesterday, bringing the total tally of the disease in the country to 280,290. Of the new cases, 128 were in the community, four were in migrant workers’ dormitories and 297 were imported cases, according to statistics released by…

Indonesia Closes Coal Cargo Shipment Services Following Coal Export Ban

JAKARTA, Jan 3 (NNN-ANTARA) – Indonesia’s Ministry of Transportation, temporarily closed all cargo services of exported coal, following the government’s decision to ban Jan’s exports of the commodity, due to concerns over low supplies for domestic power plants. “No coal export cargo services are allowed from the period of Jan…

Russian, Turkish Presidents Discuss Boosting Bilateral Ties

ANKARA, Jan 3 (NNN-ANADOLU) – Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Russian President, Vladimir Putin, on Sunday discussed ways to enhance bilateral relations and exchanged views on regional developments, Turkey’s presidency said. They discussed “steps to improve Turkey-Russia relations,” said the statement, noting that, Erdogan reiterated his determination to advance…

Australian Treasurer announces post-lockdown job figures ahead of 2022 election

CANBERRA, Jan 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) – Australia’s labour market, bounced back from COVID-19 lockdowns, that affected more than half the population late in 2021, according to Treasurer, Josh Frydenberg. A total of 485,000 jobs were added to the labour market between Sept – when New South Wales (NSW), Victoria and the…

Malaysia Reports 2,882 New COVID-19 Infections, 19 More Deaths

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 3 (NNN-BERNAMA) – Malaysia reported another 2,882 new COVID-19 infections as of midnight, bringing the national total to 2,764,354, according to the health ministry. Some 333 of the new cases are imported, with 2,549 being local transmissions, data released on the ministry’s website showed. Another 19 more…