Germany’s FDP, Green Party Start Coalition Talks With SPD

BERLIN, Oct 9 (NNN-XINHUA) – More than a week after the election, the Free Democratic Party (FDP) and the Green Party start negotiations with the Social Democratic Party (SPD), to build a coalition, the parties announced. “We have accepted the proposal of a discussion with the SPD to examine common…

Syria Warns U.S.-Backed Militias To Stop Being Agents For U.S. Forces

DAMASCUS, Oct 8 (NNN-SANA) – Syrian Foreign Minister, Faisal Mekdad, yesterday warned the U.S.-backed Kurdish militias, to stop being agents for the U.S. forces, in north-eastern Syria. Speaking during an interview with Syrian national TV, Mekdad said, the U.S. forces must leave these areas, adding that, the Syrian army will…

S.Korea’s Rice Production Estimated To Rise 9.1 Percent In 2021

SEOUL, Oct 8 (NNN-YONHAP) – South Korea’s rice production was estimated to rise 9.1 percent this year, thanks to favourable weather conditions, statistical office data showed, today. A combined 3,827,000 tonnes of rice, a key staple food for the South Koreans, was expected to be produced in the country in…

Update: Japan’s Powerful Quake Injures 32, Disrupts Train Services In Tokyo Area

TOKYO, Oct 8 (NNN-NHK) – A powerful earthquake that struck the Tokyo area last night, left 32 people injured and continued to disrupt train services this morning, affecting around 368,000 passengers in total. According to East Japan Railway Co. (JR East), the strongest earthquake for the Japanese capital in a…

Japan’s Current Account Surplus Shrinks 20.1 Percent In Aug, Year-On-Year

TOKYO, Oct 8 (NNN-NHK) – Japan’s current account surplus shrank 20.1 percent to 1.67 trillion yen (15 billion U.S. dollars) in Aug, year-on-year, as higher energy import costs led to a deficit in trade, the Finance Ministry said today. The surplus logged the first year-on-year decrease in six months. In…

Pakistan’s Daily COVID-19 Cases Drop Below 1,000 After Three Months

ISLAMABAD, Oct 8 (NNN-APP) – Pakistan’s daily COVID-19 cases dropped below the 1,000-mark yesterday, after a period of more than three months, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) said today. The NCOC, a department leading Pakistan’s campaign against the pandemic, said that, 912 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed yesterday.…

ADB Approves 100-Million-USD Loan To Spur Uzbekistan’s Financial Markets

TASHKENT, Oct 8 (NNN-XINHUA) – The Asian Development Bank (ADB), approved a 100-million-U.S. dollar policy-based loan, to support development of competitive financial markets in Uzbekistan, the ADB said yesterday. “As Uzbekistan accelerates its transition towards a market economy, robust and competitive domestic financial markets are essential for mobilising private investment,”…

Australian State Breaks National Daily Record For COVID-19

SYDNEY, Oct 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) – The Australian state of Victoria’s COVID-19 outbreak continues to accelerate alarmingly, breaking a national daily record of 1,838 new cases and five related deaths, according to figures released today. As of this morning, there were 16,823 active cases in the state, mostly concentrated in the…

Australia’s Right-Wing Extremism Fastest-Growing Threat: Federal Police

CANBERRA, Oct 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) – Australia’s national police agency, revealed that the number of investigations it is conducting into far-right extremism has increased 750 percent, in the past 18 months. Australian Federal Police (AFP) Assistant Commissioner, Scott Lee, today warned that, far-right extremism is the country’s fastest-growing threat. He told…

COVID-19 Death Toll Surpasses 18,000 In Myanmar

YANGON, Oct 8 (NNN-MNA) – The death toll of COVID-19 reached 18,034 in Myanmar yesterday, after 36 more deaths were reported, according to a release from the Ministry of Health. A total of 1,394 new COVID-19 cases were reported in the past 24 hours, bringing the tally to 474,419 cases…