Sri Lanka To Host BIMSTEC Summit In 2021

COLOMBO, Dec 17 (NNN-SLNEWS) – Sri Lanka’s cabinet approved to host the summit of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) next year, the local Daily News reported here yesterday. The BIMSTEC groups seven nations of South Asia and Southeast Asia, including Bangladesh, Bhutan, India,…

Myanmar Resumes Operation Of Domestic Flights

YANGON, Dec 17 (NNN-XINHUA) – Domestic flights, stopped due to COVID-19 pandemic, resumed its operation yesterday, deputy minister for the Ministry of Transport and Communication, Kyaw Myo, said. The Ministry of Health and Sports, said, all airlines must abide by the SOP (standard operating procedures), as well as, passengers must…

Over 1,500 People Flee Floods In Central Java

JAKARTA, Dec 17 (NNN-ANTARA) – A total of 1,567 people have fled home, as their houses were flooded since Monday, in Cilacap district, Central Java province, the local disaster management agency reported, yesterday. The Cilacap District Disaster Management Agency said, the flooding was caused by heavy rains between Sunday afternoon…

Six People Killed In Car Crash In Eastern Uzbekistan

TASHKENT, Dec 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) – A traffic accident killed six people, including three children, in eastern Namangan region of Uzbekistan, Namangan region’s police office said yesterday. A heavy truck and a sedan collided, in one of the central intersections of Namangan city. Victims of the crash were passengers of the…

Boko Haram Claims School Kidnapping In Northern Nigeria

ABUJA, Dec 16 (NNN-IRIN) – Terror group, Boko Haram, yesterday claimed responsibility for abducting over 300 students, in Nigeria’s north-western state of Katsina. A total of 333 students from the Government Science Secondary School remain missing, after the Friday night attack by gunmen on the boys’ school. In an audio…

UK, Mexico Sign Trade Deal As Brexit Transition Period Draws To A Close

LONDON, Dec 16 (NNN-AGENCIES) – Britain and Mexico signed an agreement, aimed to secure the existing bilateral trade, following the end of the Brexit transition period on Dec 31, the British Department for International Trade (DIT) said yesterday. The UK-Mexico Trade Continuity Agreement will provide certainty for British and Mexican…

Brazil’s COVID-19 Death Toll Tops 182,000

SAO PAULO, Dec 16 (NNN-CMA) – Brazil, yesterday reported 964 deaths from COVID-19, over the past 24 hours, raising the nationwide death toll to 182,799, according to the country’s health ministry. Meanwhile, 42,889 new infections were reported, bringing the total caseload to 6,970,034, the ministry said. Also yesterday, the ministry…

India’s COVID-19 Tally Reaches 9,932,547, With 26,382 New Cases

NEW DELHI, Dec 16 (NNN-PTI) – India’s COVID-19 tally reached 9,932,547 today, as 26,382 new cases were registered during the past 24 hours, the latest data from the health ministry showed. According to the data, the death toll mounted to 144,096 as 387 COVID-19 patients died since Monday morning. Delhi…

5.0-Magnitude Quake Strikes Hokkaido, No Tsunami Warning Issued

TOKYO, Dec 16 (NNN-NHK) – An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.0, struck the Hokkaido region in Japan’s northernmost prefecture, the Japanese weather agency said today, but no tsunami warning was issued. According to Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), the temblor, which occurred at 10:28 a.m. local time (0128 GMT),…

Kuwait’s PM Optimistic Over End Of Gulf Crisis

KUWAIT, Dec 16 (NNN-KUNA) – Kuwait’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, expressed optimism, over the end of the Gulf crisis and restoring relations back to normal. At the inauguration of the 16th Legislative Term of the National Assembly (parliament), the Prime Minister said, Kuwait will use all its…