Former Japanese Justice Minister, His Lawmaker Wife Deny Vote Buying In Trial

TOKYO, Aug 26 (NNN-NHK) – Japan’s former Justice Minister, Katsuyuki Kawai and his lawmaker wife, Anri Kawai, denied charges of vote buying, during the first trial held on the matter, at the Tokyo District Court. Lower house member, Katsuyuki Kawai, is alleged by prosecutors, to have violated election law by…

PNG’s Gold Mine Records 18 New COVID-19 Infections

SYDNEY, Aug 26 (NNN-AGENCIES) – An outbreak of COVID-19 in Papua New Guinea (PNG) continued to spread, with the country’s Western Province recording 18 new cases yesterday, all of which were associated with the Ok Tedi gold mine. The country’s total number of infections stood at 419, with four deaths…

Nepali Gov’t Makes Public Int’l Flights Schedule, After Near Six-Month Suspension Due To COVID-19

KATHMANDU, Aug 26 (NNN-NEPALNEWS) – Nepal’s Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, made public a one-month schedule for regular and chartered international flights, starting from Sept 2, nearly six months after international flights were suspended to prevent the spread of COVID-19 pandemic. However, according to the ministry, only Nepalis…

Four Dead As Torrential Rains Break 36-Year Downpour Record In Pakistan’s Karachi

ISLAMABAD, Aug 26 (NNN-APP) – Heavy monsoon rains have broken a 36-year-old downpour record in the month of Aug, in the capital, Karachi, of Pakistan’s south Sindh province, Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), said. The weather office said, the PAF Faisal Base area of the city, received 345 millimetres of rain…

Number Of Active COVID-19 Cases Drops Below 10,000 Mark In Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, Aug 26 (NNN-APP) – The number of active COVID-19 cases in Pakistan dropped from 10,188 to 9,031, the country’s health ministry said. According to official statistics, 293,711 people were tested positive of the disease in Pakistan, out of which 278,425 recovered, whereas 6,255 died, since Feb, when the first…

Thai Court Issues New Arrest Warrant For Red Bull Heir

BANGKOK, Aug 26 (NNN-TNA) – Bangkok South Criminal Court, late yesterday issued a new arrest warrant, for an heir to the Red Bull energy drinking fortune, Vorayuth Yoovidhya, based on three additional charges. The heir was involved in a fatal hit-and-run case in 2012, which left a police officer dead.…

Thai Police Seize 200 Kg Of Marijuana, Two Nabbed

BANGKOK, Aug 26 (NNN-TNA) – Thailand’s Narcotics Suppression Bureau, said in a press briefing yesterday, that, border patrol police had intercepted two pickup trucks in Thailand’s North-Eastern Province of Nakhon Phanom and seized 200 kilograms of dried marijuana. The two drivers were arrested. The arrest came after a tip-off that,…

Afghan Taliban Delegation, Pakistani FM Discuss Afghan Peace Process: Foreign Ministry

ISLAMABAD, Aug 26 (NNN-PPI) – A delegation of political representatives of the Afghan Taliban, met Pakistani Foreign Minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, in Islamabad yesterday to discuss progress in the Afghan peace process and the early start of intra-Afghan negotiations, the Foreign Ministry of Pakistan said. Welcoming the delegation, headed by…

Powerful 6.0-Magnitude Quake Hits 135 Km SSW Of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea

KOKOPO, Papua New Guinea, Aug 26 (NNN-SPN) – An earthquake, with a magnitude of 6.0, jolted 135 km SSW of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea, at 19:08:53 GMT on Tuesday (last night), the U.S. Geological Survey said. The epicentre, with a depth of 24.81 km, was initially determined to be at…

ASEAN Economic Ministers Discuss Recovery From COVID-19 Pandemic

HANOI, Aug 26 (NNN-XINHUA) – Economic ministers of the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), yesterday discussed the response to and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts. At the 52nd ASEAN Economic Ministers’ Meeting held online, they exchanged views on economic impacts of COVID-19,…