5.5-Magnitude Quake Strikes Off Japan’s Tokyo Prefecture, No Tsunami Warning Issued

TOKYO, Jul 16 (NNN-NHK) – An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.5, today struck off Hachijojima Islands, in Japan’s Tokyo Prefecture, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA). The temblor occurred at around 1:20 p.m. local time, with its epicentre at a latitude of 33.2 degrees north, and a longitude…

S.Korea Reports 1,536 More COVID-19 Cases, 175,046 In Total

SEOUL, Jul 16 (NNN-YONHAP) – South Korea reported 1,536 more cases of COVID-19 as of midnight last night, compared to 24 hours ago, raising the total number of infections to 175,046. The daily caseload was down from 1,599 in the previous day, but it marked the third-highest reading since the…

India’s COVID-19 Tally Crosses 31 Million

NEW DELHI, Jul 16 (NNN-PTI) – India’s COVID-19 tally rose to 31,026,829 today, as 38,949 new cases were registered during the past 24 hours, showed the federal health ministry’s latest data. Another 542 deaths were recorded since yesterday morning, taking the total death toll to 412,531. There are still 430,422…

Researcher Warns Worsening Relations With China Could Hurt Australia’s Tourism Recovery

BEIJING, Jul 16 (NNN-XINHUA) – Worsening relations with China could hurt the recovery of Australia’s tourism industry, a researcher of Edith Cowan University in Perth, warned. Chinese travellers are unlikely to return to Australia in the same numbers as before the COVID-19 pandemic, unless diplomatic relations between the two countries…

Sri Lanka Administers Highest Number Of COVID-19 Vaccines In Single Day

COLOMBO, Jul 16 (NNN-XINHUA) – Sri Lanka’s health authorities, on Wednesday, administered the highest number of COVID-19 vaccines in a single day, with nearly 400,000 people jabbed, statistics from the Health Ministry showed here yesterday. According to official figures, 384,763 people had been vaccinated against COVID-19 on Wednesday, out of…

New Zealand Farmers Hold Protests Against Heavier Farming Cost

AUCKLAND, Jul 16 (NNN-AGENCIES) – Tractors and farmers descended on the streets of Auckland city centre, as they took part in a protest throughout the country today. The ‘Howl of a Protest’ event, witnessed thousands of farm vehicles, including trucks, tractors, utes, and even dogs, rumbling through cities, in protest…

Arab League Chief “Disappointed” Over Lebanese PM-Designate Hariri’s Resignation

CAIRO, Jul 16 (NNN-MENA) – Arab League (AL) Secretary-General, Ahmed Aboul-Gheit, expressed “great disappointment” over the decision by Lebanese Prime Minister-designate, Saad Hariri, to step down. “The consequences of Hariri’s stepping down may be dangerous for the future of the situation in Lebanon,” the AL chief was quoted as saying,…

Indonesia Sentences Ex-Minister To Five Years In Prison For Graft In Lobster Seed Export

JAKARTA, Jul 16 (NNN-ANTARA) – An Indonesian court, yesterday, sentenced the country’s former Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Minister, Edhy Prabowo, to five years in jail for bribery on lobster larvae export permits. Prabowo, a politician of the Gerindra Party, was found guilty of violating the 2001 Corruption Law, prohibiting civil…

Chinese Ambassador To Pakistan Visits Injured Chinese Nationals From Blast

ISLAMABAD, Jul 16 (NNN-APP) – Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan, Nong Rong, accompanied by Pakistani Foreign Secretary, Sohail Mahmood, visited the injured Chinese nationals from a blast at the Combined Military Hospital in Rawalpindi. At around 7:00 a.m. local time Wednesday, the shuttle vehicles of the Dasu Hydropower Project, for which…

UN Chief Calls On Parties To Conflict, To Observe Truce During Tokyo Olympics

UNITED NATIONS, Jul 16 (NNN-NHK) – United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, yesterday, called on all parties to conflict, to observe the Olympic Truce, during the Tokyo Olympic Games, which are to open on Jul 23. “I call on all parties to conflict, to observe the Olympic Truce during the Tokyo…