Pause In Israeli Settlement Activity In Occupied Palestinian Territory Must Become Permanent — UN Envoy

UNITED NATIONS, Sept 30 (NNN-XINHUA) – UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland, said yesterday that, the current pause in Israel’s settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, must become permanent. There were no new settlement housing plans advanced, approved or tendered between…

Iran’s COVID-19 Death Toll Over 120,000

TEHRAN, Sept 30 (NNN-IRNA) – Iran’s overall COVID-19 death toll reached 120,160 yesterday, after 272 new deaths were registered in the past 24 hours, according to Iran’s Ministry of Health and Medical Education. It also reported 13,271 new COVID-19 cases, taking the country’s total infections to 5,572,962. A total of…

Bahrain Launches Fast Sea-To-Air Logistics Hub

MANAMA, Sept 30 (NNN-BNA) – Bahrain, yesterday launched a fast sea-to-air logistic hub, which has a two-hour turnaround time for all containers, the kingdom’s transportation ministry said. The “Bahrain Global Sea-Air Hub” can move goods at twice the speed and only 40 percent of the cost, comparing to the regular…

Iraq’s Total COVID-19 Cases Surpass Two Million

BAGHDAD, Sept 30 (NNN-NINA) – The Iraqi Ministry of Health reported yesterday, 2,254 new COVID-19 cases, raising the nationwide caseload to 2,000,869. A statement by the ministry also reported 34 new deaths, bringing the death toll from the virus to 22,221, while total recoveries in Iraq climbed by 3,389 to…

Putin, Erdogan Discuss Int’l Cooperation, Bilateral Ties In Sochi

MOSCOW, Sept 30 (NNN-TASS) – Russian President, Vladimir Putin, discussed cooperation on international issues and bilateral ties with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in Sochi yesterday. Putin noted that Russian-Turkish cooperation on international arena has been a success, further pointing to efforts aimed at coordinating positions on Syria and…

Nam Ou Hydropower Project Developed By Chinese Firm In Laos Starts Full Operation

VIENTIANE, Sept 30 (NNN-KPL) – A ceremony was held here on Tuesday, to start the full power generation of all seven plants of the Nam Ou River Cascade Hydropower Project, developed by Power Construction Corporation of China (PowerChina). Lao Minister of Energy and Mines, Daovong Phonekeo said, at the ceremony…

Canadian Climber Dies On Mt. Manaslu In Nepal

KATHMANDU, Sept 30 (NNN-AGENCIES) – Canadian climber, Brent Seal, died yesterday morning, in his attempt on Mt. Manaslu, the world’s eighth highest peak, located in western Nepal, the organiser of the expedition said. “Seal, 37, died due to a sudden heart attack, when he was at the height of around…

Indonesia Seizes Malaysian-Flagged Vessel In Malacca Strait

JAKARTA, Sept 30 (NNN-ANTARA) – Indonesia’s Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, said yesterday that, it has seized an illegal Malaysian-flagged fishing vessel, in Indonesian waters in the Straits of Malacca. The captain and all the four crew members on board are Indonesians, it said. The ministry’s Director-General of Marine…

China Ready To Deepen Cooperation With Japan’s New Ruling Team: Spokesperson

BEIJING, Sept 30 (NNN-XINHUA) – China is willing to work with Japan’s new ruling team, to observe the principles set out in the four political documents between China and Japan, deepen mutually beneficial and practical cooperation, and promote healthy and stable development of bilateral relations along the right track, a…

Fumio Kishida Is New President Of Japan’s Ruling LDP

TOKYO, Sept 29 (NNN-NHK) – Fumio Kishida today won the presidential election of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to succeed Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga. Kishida, a moderate, who served as the country’s foreign minister from 2012 to 2017, has also worked as the policy chief of the ruling LDP.…