Drug Smuggling Cat Escapes From Sri Lankan Prison

COLOMBO, Aug 4 (NNN-SLNEWS) – A cat, that was detained for transporting drugs into Sri Lanka’s Welikada Prison, escaped from a heavily guarded prison, days after it was caught by intelligence officers, media reports said here yesterday. The local Aruna newspaper, quoting prison officials, said, the cat was detected by…

Turkey Confirms 995 New COVID-19 Cases, 233,851 In Total

ANKARA, Aug 4 (NNN-ANADOLU) – Turkey reported 995 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, raising the total diagnosed cases to 233,851, Turkish Health Minister, Fahrettin Koca, said. Meanwhile, 19 people died in the past 24 hours, taking the death toll to 5,747, Koca tweeted. Turkish health professionals conducted 41,301 tests in…

Hong Kong Residents Voice Support For Postponement Of Legco Election

HONG KONG, Aug 4 (NNN-XINHUA) – Hong Kong residents voiced support for the postponement of the 2020 Legislative Council (LegCo) election, amid a grave COVID-19 epidemic situation in Hong Kong. Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), Carrie Lam, announced the decision to postpone for a year…

WHO’s Advance Team To China Concludes Their Mission

GENEVA, Aug 4 (NNN-XINHUA) – World Health Organisation’s (WHO’s) chief, said, the WHO advance team to China has concluded their mission, to lay the groundwork for further joint efforts to identify the virus origins. “One of the areas that we’ve been continuing to study is the origins of the virus…

Russia’s COVID-19 Cases Up 5,394 To 856,264

MOSCOW, Aug 4 (NNN-TASS) – Russia registered 5,394 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, taking its total to 856,264, the country’s COVID-19 response centre said in a statement yesterday. Meanwhile, 79 new deaths were reported, taking the nationwide count to 14,207, according to the statement. Moscow, the country’s…

16, Including 13 Civilians Killed, In Prison Attack In E. Afghanistan, Fighting Continues: Official

JALALABAD, Aug 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) – At least 13 civilians and three attackers were killed, and 42 others wounded, in a car bomb attack and gunfight in a prison, in Afghanistan’s eastern Nangarhar provincial capital, Jalalabad, provincial government spokesman, Attaullah Khogiani, confirmed today. “Sporadic fighting between the security forces and gunmen…

Plane Crash Leads To PNG’s Largest Ever Drug Bust

SYDNEY, Aug 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) – Authorities in Papua New Guinea (PNG), continued to track those involved in the country’s largest ever illegal drug haul today, after a plane carrying roughly 500 kg of cocaine crashed into the jungle. The Cessna model light aircraft, flew covertly from Australia into PNG and…

Update: India’s COVID-19 Cases Surpass 1.8 Million

NEW DELHI, Aug 3 (NNN-UNI) – India’s health ministry announced today that the country’s COVID-19 cases have surpassed 1.8 million, reaching 1,803,695. As many as 52,972 fresh cases were added to the tally, in the past 24 hours, according to latest data released by the ministry. Meanwhile, 771 deaths took…

Syrian Gov’t Slams Oil Deal Between Kurdish Militia, U.S. Firm

DAMASCUS, Aug 3 (NNN-SANA) – The Syrian Foreign Ministry, yesterday, condemned a deal signed recently, between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and a U.S. oil company, to modernise the oil industry, in areas controlled by the U.S.-backed SDF, in northeastern Syria. “This agreement is considered an integrated and aggravated…

Iraq Reports 2,447 New COVID-19 Cases, 129,151 In Total

BAGHDAD, Aug 3 (NNN-NINA) – The Iraqi Health Ministry recorded yesterday, 2,447 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total nationwide infections to 129,151. The new cases included 489 in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, 472 in Basra, 294 in Karbala, 211 in Babil, 202 in Erbil, and 175 in Nineveh, the ministry…