Indian Parliament Speaker Seeks Probe Into Death Of Lawmaker

NEW DELHI, Dec 31 (NNN-PTI) – Speaker of the lower house of Indian parliament, Om Birla, yesterday sought a high-level independent inquiry, into the circumstances surrounding the death of Dharme Gowda, a politician and local lawmaker of Karanataka. Gowda was the deputy chairperson of Karnataka Legislative Council, whose body was…

Pakistan Invites Afghan Businessmen To Join CPEC

ISLAMABAD, Dec 31 (NNN-APP) – Speaker of Pakistan National Assembly, Asad Qaisar, invited Afghan businessmen to take part in economic activities under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Talking to Afghan Minister of Industry and Commerce, Nisar Ahmad Ghoryani, in Islamabad, Qaisar invited Afghan businessmen to invest in the Rashakai Special…

Singapore Reports 27 New COVID-19 Cases Including SIA pilot who initially tested negative

SINGAPORE, Dec 31 (NNN-CNA) – Singapore’s Ministry of Health (MOH) reported 27 new COVID-19 cases yesterday, bringing the total confirmed cases in the country to 58,569. Among the new cases, one was a Singapore Airlines (SIA) pilot, who had tested negative upon returning to Singapore from the United Kingdom, but later developed…

Iran Accepts Partial Payment Of Iraqi Energy Debt Through Barter Mechanism

TEHRAN, Dec 30 (NNN-IRNA) – Iraq paid “part” of its energy debt to Iran through a barter agreement, an Iranian official was quoted as saying. “Iran has bought commodities as part of Iraq’s debt for electricity, and they will enter the country in the next few days,” Secretary-General of the…

Israel’s Tel Aviv Mayor Announces Run For National Elections

JERUSALEM, Dec 30 (NNN-MA’AN) – Israel’s Tel Aviv Mayor, Ron Huldai, announced, he is running in the upcoming elections and has established a new party. In a televised press conference, Huldai said, “We will not get used to a prime minister under indictments. I decide that I can no longer…

ADB Approves 200 Million USD To Improve Access To Electricity In Rural Bangladesh

DHAKA, Dec 30 (NNN-BSS) – Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the government of Bangladesh, yesterday signed agreements for 200 million U.S. dollars in additional loans, including 130 million U.S. dollars concessional loan, to improve access to efficient and reliable electricity supply in rural areas in Bangladesh, by strengthening transmission and…

5.1-Magnitude Quake Strikes Japan’s Ibaraki Prefecture, No Tsunami Warning

TOKYO, Dec 30 (NNN-NHK) – An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.1 struck Japan’s Ibaraki Prefecture today, the weather agency here said, although no tsunami waning was issued. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), the temblor, which occurred at 9:35 a.m. local time (0035 GMT), was centred inland…

DPRK To Hold Party Congress In Early Jan

PYONGYANG, Dec 30 (NNN-KCNA) – The 8th Party Congress of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) will be held in “early Jan” it was reported today. Leaders of the country, including top leader, Kim Jong Un, gathered at the 22nd meeting of the Political Bureau of the 7th Central…

Concern Rises As Sydney COVID-19 Outbreak Spreads Beyond Initial Cluster

SYDNEY, Dec 30 (NNN-AGENCIES) – A jump of 18 locally acquired COVID-19 cases, in New South Wales (NSW) today, prompted increased concern with a fresh cluster in Sydney’s inner suburbs expected to grow. Half of the new cases were located outside the original outbreak area of Sydney’s Northern Beaches, with…

Singapore Starts COVID-19 Vaccination Exercise

SINGAPORE, Dec 30 (NNN-CNA) – Singapore started the COVID-19 vaccination exercise this morning, with the first batch of healthcare workers at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) getting vaccinated, according to the Ministry of Health (MOH). More than 30 staff from across the NCID family, including clinical, nursing, allied…