COVID-19 Leads To A Plummet In New Zealand’s Outbound, Inbound Tourism

WELLINGTON, Dec 2 (NNN-AGENCIES) – New Zealanders’ overseas spending, in the Sept, 2020 quarter, fell almost 1.7 billion NZ dollars (1.2 billion U.S. dollars), or 84 percent, compared with the same time last year, as travel slowed to a trickle because of COVID-19, Stats NZ said today. Spending by New…

Sri Lanka Signs Loan Agreement With ADB To Strengthen Secondary Education

COLOMBO, Dec 2 (NNN-SLNEWS) – The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Sri Lankan government, yesterday signed a 400-million-U.S.-dollar loan agreement, to support Sri Lanka, in transforming its secondary education system, to align with the demand for highly skilled and agile workers, who can compete in the rapidly changing global…

Kuwait To Allow Foreign Domestic Workers’ Entrance From Dec 7

KUWAIT, Dec 2 (NNN-KUNA) – Kuwait green-lights plan to allow foreign domestic workers to enter the country, Directorate-General for Civil Aviation (DGCA), said. The agency said, the first phase of the plan, starting from Dec 7, will include domestic workers from India and the Philippines. All foreign domestic workers will…

Turkey, Russia Agree On Terms Of Joint Centre For Nagorno-Karabakh Cease-Fire

ANKARA, Dec 2 (NNN-ANADOLU) – Turkey and Russia agreed on the technical details of establishing a joint centre for monitoring the cease-fire between Armenia and Azerbaijan, in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, the Turkish defence ministry said, yesterday. “Discussions on technical details, regarding the establishment and duty principles of the Turkish-Russian Joint…

Roscosmos Calls Landing Of China’s Chang’e-5 Historic Event

MOSCOW, Dec 2 (NNN-TASS) – The landing of China’s Chang’e-5 spacecraft on the near side of the moon is a historic event, Russia’s state space corporation, Roscosmos, said yesterday. “For the space programme of China, this event is undoubtedly historic,” Deputy Director General of Roscosmos, Sergei Savelyev, said, after congratulating…

Bill Restricting Int’l Inspections Gets Iranian Parliament’s Preliminary Approval

TEHRAN, Dec 2 (NNN-IRNA) – A parliament bill received preliminary approval in Iran, to restrict international inspections of Iran’s nuclear programme, increase uranium enrichment, and halt the implementation of the Additional Protocol to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), if embargoes on the country are not lifted. “With the general approval of…

Brazil’s Sao Paulo Re-imposes Tougher Lockdown As COVID-19 Resurges

SAO PAULO, Dec 1 (NNN-CMA) – Brazil’s state, hardest hit by COVID-19, Sao Paulo, re-imposed some pandemic lockdown measures yesterday to halt the resurging infection and hospitalisation rates. The move is aimed at improving “control of the pandemic,” Sao Paulo State Governor, Joao Doria, said. Doria ordered shops, including bars…

Six Daesh Militants Killed In Northern Iraq

BAGHDAD, Dec 1 (NNN-NINA) – A commando force of the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS), conducted an operation against militants of the extremist Daesh group, in the southern part of the northern province of Nineveh, leaving six militants killed, the CTS said. The CTS commandos, backed by U.S.-led international coalition aircraft,…

Myanmar Military Extends Non-Operation Period Against Armed Groups For One More Month

YANGON, Dec 1 (NNN-MNA) – Myanmar military announced today, the extension of the suspension period of its operation against armed groups, to the end of Dec. The Office of the Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Services, issued a statement that the suspension of military activities, which expired yesterday, will be further…

Fire Sweeps Across Popular Australian Tourist Island

SYDNEY, Dec 1 (NNN-AGENCIES) – Residents and visitors on Australia’s Fraser Island, have been told to prepare for the worst, as an out of control bushfire swept towards a major tourist resort today. The fire burnt over 72,000 hectares or 42 percent of the island, off Queensland State’s east coast,…