Manila To Remain Under Strict Lock-Down Until Sept 30

MANILA, Sept 1 (NNN-PNA) – Philippine President, Rodrigo Duterte, on Monday approved the extension of strict COVID-19 lock-down in Metro Manila, from today to Sept 30, to control the spread of the COVID-19. Metro Manila, the hotspot of the COVID-19 outbreak in the Philippines, is the biggest contributor to confirmed…

Lebanon Names Diplomat Mustapha Adib As Premier

BEIRUT, Sept 1 (NNN-NNA) – Lebanon named, on Monday, Lebanese Ambassador to Germany, Mustapha Adib, as premier. Adib succeeded in securing 90 out of 128 parliamentary votes, which will allow him to form a government. Adib said that, this is the time for work and for all parties to cooperate…

India To Observe 7-Day Mourning After Ex-President’s Demise

by Pankaj Yadav NEW DELHI, Sept 1 (NNN-XINHUA) – A seven-day state mourning will be observed in India, as a mark of respect to former president, Pranab Mukherjee, who died in New Delhi on Monday, said an official. “During the period of state mourning (Aug 31-Sept 6), the national flag…

Laos To Continue Suspension Of Tourist Visas For People From COVID-19-Hit Countries

VIENTIANE, Sept 1 (NNN-KPL) – The Lao government will continue to suspend the issuing of tourist visas, for anyone travelling from or transiting via countries where a COVID-19 outbreak is taking place, according to the latest notice from Lao Prime Minister’s Office. The Lao government updates the measures every month,…

New Zealand Reports Nine New Cases Of COVID-19 As Auckland Relaxes Restrictions

WELLINGTON, Sept 1 (NNN-XINHUA) – New Zealand reported nine new cases of COVID-19 on Monday as the largest city, Auckland, relaxed restrictions, but required mask-wearing on public transport. Among the nine new cases, four are in managed isolation facilities and five are in the community, according to the Ministry of…

40 Killed Over Past 24 Hours As Afghan Gov’t Pushes For Talks With Taliban

KABUL, Sept 1 (NNN-AGENCIES) – At least 40 fighters, with majority of them militants, were killed across Afghanistan over the past 24 hours, as the Afghan government has been pushing for talks with the Taliban to end the war, officials said Monday. In the latest waves of violent incident, five…

Malaysia Celebrates 63rd Anniversary Of Independence

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 31 (NNN-BERNAMA) – Malaysia marked the 63rd anniversary of its independence today, with a scaled back celebration, due to the restrictive measures to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. Malaysia’s Yang DiPertuan Agong (King) Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, officiated the celebration at the administration centre of Putrajaya, being…

Feature: Palestinian Villagers In West Bank Struggle To Protect Lands From Israeli Seizure

by Sanaa Kamal RAMALLAH, Aug 31 (NNN-XINHUA) – For seven days in a row, dozens of Palestinians from the West Bank village of Dura, near Hebron, have been living in camps outside their homes, to prevent settlers from seizing their lands. The villagers told Xinhua that their lands are a…

362 New COVID-19 Cases Reported In UAE, 69,690 In Total

DUBAI, Aug 31 (NNN-WAM) – The United Arab Emirates (UAE), on Sunday, announced 362 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total confirmed cases in the country to 69,690. At the same time, 398 more patients have recovered from the virus, taking the tally of recoveries in the UAE to 60,600, the…

Israel’s Director Of Budget At Finance Ministry Resigns

JERUSALEM, Aug 31 (NNN-MA’AN) – Israel’s director of budget, at the Finance Ministry, resigned yesterday, claiming intervention by the political echelon, mainly Finance Minister, Israel Katz, in professional decisions. In his resignation letter to the minister, Shaul Meridor wrote that, “the ability to perform my duties has become impossible. Unfortunately,…