Australia Announces 5.3-Billion-USD Infrastructure Funding For COVID-19 Recovery

CANBERRA, Oct 5 (NNN-AGENCIES) – The Australian government will fast-track infrastructure projects worth billions of dollars, to stimulate economic growth amid the COVID-19 recession. Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, and Deputy Prime Minister, Michael McCormack, today announced a 7.5-billion-Australian dollar (5.3-billion-U.S. dollar) investment, in “shovel-ready” transport infrastructure projects, to create thousands…

New Zealand Dairy Giant Fonterra Sells Farms In China To Reduce Debt

WELLINGTON, Oct 5 (NNN-XINHUA) – New Zealand dairy co-operative, Fonterra, agreed to sell its farms in China, to local partners, for a total of 555 million NZ dollars to reduce debt, the company said today. The sale is believed to be a part of Fonterra’s review and trimming of its…

Cambodia Confirms Two New Imported COVID-19 Cases, 280 In Total

PHNOM PENH, Oct 5 (NNN-AKP) – Cambodia today reported two new imported COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of infections in the kingdom to 280, said a Health Ministry’s press statement. One case was a 27-year-old French man, who arrived in Phnom Penh, on Sept 20, from France, with a…

Egypt FM, UN Special Envoy Discuss Syria Crisis

CAIRO, Oct 5 (NNN-MENA) – Egyptian Foreign Minister, Sameh Shoukry, received on Sunday, a phone call from UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, during which they discussed the developments of the Syrian crisis, said the Egyptian Foreign Ministry. “The call touched on ways to advance the political settlement of…

Palestinian Farmers Harvest Dates, Hoping For Profits Amid COVID-19

GAZA, Oct 5 (NNN-WAFA) – Palestinian farmers in the Gaza Strip have been harvesting dates, hoping to see profits, despite the COVID-19 crisis. The Hamas-run agriculture ministry said, in a press statement that, the Strip has about 250,000 palm trees. Some 150,000 of them bear fruits. This year, the palm…

Myanmar’s COVID-19 Cases Surpass 17,000, 412 Deaths In Total

YANGON, Oct 5 (NNN-MNA) – The total number of COVID-19 cases in Myanmar has increased to 17,794, as of Sunday, after 1,294 new cases were reported, according to a release from the Ministry of Health and Sports. The death toll reached 412, with 41 newly reported deaths on Sunday, the…

Russian Daily COVID-19 Cases Surpass 10,000 Again

MOSCOW, Oct 5 (NNN-TASS) – Russia reported 10,499 COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, surpassing 10,000 again since mid-May, as the pandemic resurges, the country’s COVID-19 response centre said, yesterday. According to official statistics, Russia’s total number of COVID-19 infections has grown to 1,215,001. The country continues to rank…

Egypt Unveils 59 Newly-Discovered 2,500-Year-Old Wooden Coffins

CAIRO, Oct 5 (NNN-MENA) – Egyptian Tourism and Antiquities Ministry, unveiled 59 newly-discovered well-preserved ancient coffins in Giza Province near the capital, Cairo. “It is a big discovery in the Saqqara necropolis, which is a world heritage site … there are still tens of coffins in the site’s burial shafts,”…

Cambodian Deputy PM Urges Outsiders To Avoid “Provocation” Over South China Sea Issue

PHNOM PENH, Oct 5 (NNN-AKP) – Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister, Hor Namhong, called on outsiders to avoid “provocation” over the South China Sea issue, saying that, any disputes should be peacefully settled by parties directly concerned. Noting that, through many years of serious negotiations, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations…

Indonesian President Calls For Balancing Health, Economy During COVID-19 Pandemic

JAKARTA, Oct 5 (NNN-ANTARA) – Indonesian President, Joko Widodo, emphasised that, public health remains the government’s top priority, amid the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. Along with that priority, the government has also been taking measures to minimise the economic impact, which has been battered by the global pandemic, he…