Japan Passes Record Extra Budget To Support Pandemic-Hit Economy

TOKYO, Dec 21 (NNN-NHK) – Japan’s parliament yesterday approved a record 36.0 trillion yen (about 320 billion U.S. dollars) supplementary budget for fiscal 2021, in part, supporting the latest economic package to set the economy, hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, back on a recovery track. The Japanese government will be…

Malaysia Flood Evacuees Rise To 64,000, Eight Deaths Reported

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 21 (NNN-BERNAMA) – Eight people have been reported dead, due to severe flooding in Malaysia as of yesterday, authorities in Selangor state, said. Selangor police chief, Arjunaidi Mohamed said, floods hit various districts in Selangor and claimed eight lives so far. The number of displaced persons due…

UN Envoy Ready To Convene New Session Of Syrian Constitutional Committee

UNITED NATIONS, Dec 21 (NNN-XINHUA) – UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, said yesterday that, he is ready to convene a new session of the Constitutional Committee, which is tasked to draft a new constitution for the war-torn country. “To be clear: I am ready to convene a seventh…

Iran Denies Direct Nuke Talks With U.S. In Vienna

TEHRAN, Dec 21 (NNN-IRNA) – The Iranian foreign ministry denied yesterday, a claim by U.S. National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, that, there were direct talks between the two countries over the past few months. “Since the beginning of the negotiations on the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal in Vienna,…

Turkish, Qatari Companies Sign MoU To Operate Five Afghan Airports

ANKARA, Dec 21 (NNN-ANADOLU) – Turkish and Qatari companies, inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), to jointly run five airports in Afghanistan, including Kabul airport, Turkish Foreign Minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu said yesterday. A Turkish delegation travelled to Doha late yesterday, to discuss the deal for operating the Afghan capital’s airport,…

Egypt Retrieves 36 Smuggled Artefacts From Spain

CAIRO, Dec 21 (NNN-MENA) – Egypt retrieved from Spain, 36 pieces of antiquities that were smuggled out in 2014, the Egyptian Public Prosecution announced, yesterday. A delegation from the Egyptian Public Prosecution, accompanied by the Egyptian ambassador to Spain, received the artefacts from the National Archaeological Museum in Madrid, capital…

Roundup: Chaos, Poverty And Hunger – The U.S. Legacy In Afghanistan

By Abdul Haleem KABUL, Dec 21 (NNN-XINHUA) – The outgoing year has been a difficult one for Afghans. Almost as hastily as they had arrived, U.S.-led forces ran for home, after 20 years. The military precision with which the evacuation was executed stands in stark contrast to the chaos left…

Singapore Reports 195 New COVID-19 Cases

SINGAPORE, Dec 21 (NNN-CNA) – Singapore reported 195 new cases of COVID-19 yesterday, bringing the total tally in the island country to 276,105. Of the new cases, 141 were in the community, five were in migrant workers’ dormitories and 49 were imported cases, according to statistics released by the Ministry…

Israel’s Daily COVID-19 Caseload Exceeds 1,000 As Fifth Wave Begins

JERUSALEM, Dec 21 (NNN-PNA) – The Israeli Health Ministry, yesterday reported 1,004 new COVID-19 cases, bringing its tally of infections to 1,356,194. This is the first time in two months that the number of new cases in Israel has exceeded 1,000, after 1,035 daily cases reported on Oct 20. Israeli…

Egypt, Libya Launch Electronic System To Organise Egyptian Labourers

CAIRO, Dec 21 (NNN-MENA) – The Egyptian and Libyan Ministries of Manpower, announced yesterday, the launch of an electronic link system, to organise the entry of Egyptian workers to the Libyan labour market. “The new system will coordinate the return of Egyptian labourers to Libya, to participate in the reconstruction…