Saudi Arabia Denies Role In Assassination Of Iranian Nuke Scientist

RIYADH, Dec 2 (NNN-SPA) – Saudi’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Adel al-Jubeir, denied any role of his country, in the assassination of Iranian nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh. He responded to allegation by Iranian Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, claiming the murder of the scientist was a Saudi Arabia-U.S.-Israel…

NZ Registers Largest Trade Drop In A Decade, As Export Prices Sour

WELLINGTON, Dec 2 (NNN-AGENCIES) – Lower export prices for New Zealand dairy, meat, and logs, in the Sept, 2020 quarter, led to the biggest drop in terms of trade, since June, 2009, the statistics department, Stats NZ, said today. Export prices fell in the Sept, 2020 quarter, down 8.3 percent…

Lebanon’s Central Bank Governor Denies Corruption Accusations

BEIRUT, Dec 2 (NNN-NNA) – Lebanese Central Bank Governor, Riad Salameh, denied accusations of corruption, while assuring that he is assuming his full duties and responsibilities to the Lebanese people. “There exist institutions that can hold the corrupt people and politicians accountable for their wrongdoings. The easiest thing to do…

Israel’s Alternate PM Gantz Votes To Dissolve Parliament

JERUSALEM, Dec 2 (NNN-MA’AN) – Benny Gantz, Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu’s main coalition partner, said, his party will support a bill to dissolve parliament, opening a possibility of holding a fourth election in two years. “I joined this government with a heavy but whole heart,” Gantz said, referring to…

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…