Philippines To Dispatch Military Ships, Unarmed Troops To Middle East

MANILA, Jan 13 (NNN-PNA) – The Philippines will send two military ships, with “a small contingent of unarmed servicemen,” to help repatriate Filipino workers in the Middle East, Philippine Defence Secretary, Delfin Lorenzana said, on Sunday night. Lorenzana told reporters that, Philippine President, Rodrigo Duterte, ordered the deployment of two…

Lebanon’s Central Bank Governor Denies Intention To Convert USD Deposits Into Lebanese Pounds

BEIRUT, Jan 13 (NNN-NNA) – Lebanon’s Central Bank Governor, Riad Salameh, denied his reported intention to convert U.S. dollar deposits in Lebanese banks into Lebanese pounds, Banque Du Liban said, in a statement. The statement comes after Salameh said that banks in Lebanon, legally have the right to pay people’s…

Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Meets Visiting Indonesian President

DUBAI, Jan 13 (NNN-WAM) – Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, on Sunday, welcomed visiting Indonesian President, Joko Widodo in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). “Today, I received my friend, Joko Widodo, president of Indonesia, and discussed bilateral ties with him,…

Ex-Nissan Chief Reaffirms No Ambition For Political Role In Lebanon

BEIRUT, Jan 13 (NNN-NNA) – Former Nissan chief, Carlos Ghosn, said, he has no plan to play a political role in Lebanon but is ready to help the country with his expertise. “I am not a politician and I do not like politics; but if my experience and skills can…

Syrian Helicopters Drop Leaflets To Urge Civilians To Leave Rebel-Held Areas In Aleppo, Idlib

DAMASCUS, Jan 13 (NNN-SANA) – Syrian choppers dropped leaflets on rebel-held areas, in the northern province of Aleppo, urging civilians to leave rebel-held areas, through humanitarian corridors which opened on Sunday, a war monitor reported. The military helicopters dropped the leaflets on areas in the western countryside of Aleppo and…

Yemen’s Gov’t, Southern Council Swap 53 Prisoners Under Saudi-Brokered Deal

ADEN, Jan 13 (NNN-SABA) – Yemen’s government and the opposition Southern Transitional Council (STC), on Sunday, started exchanging about 53 prisoners, under a Saudi Arabia-brokered deal, in the south of the country. The prisoner swap deal was signed between the two Yemeni warring rivals, in the Saudi capital, Riyadh last…

Rwanda To Distribute Locally-Produced Mosquito Nets In Fight Against Malaria

KIGALI, Jan 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) – The Rwandan Health Ministry will distribute mosquito nets produced in the country, for the first time, in its fight against malaria. Of some seven million mosquito nets to be distributed in Jan, 3.5 million were locally produced, Aimable Mbituyumuremyi, head of malaria and other parasitic…

Iran Welcomes Int’l Cooperation Over Ukrainian Plane Crash: President

TEHRAN, Jan 12 (NNN-IRNA) – Iranian President, Hassan Rouhani, said that, the country welcomes any international cooperation concerning the Ukrainian plane crash. “Iran welcomes any international cooperation within the framework of international regulations, which is aimed at clarifying dimensions of the incident,” Rouhani made the remarks, in a telephone conversation…

Celebration For Upcoming Chinese Spring Festival Kicks Off In Japan’s Nagoya

NAGOYA, Jan 12 (NNN-NHK) – A three-day celebration for the upcoming Chinese Spring Festival kicked off in the central Japanese city of Nagoya. The celebration is held on Hisaya Square in downtown Nagoya, where red lanterns and flags were hung high and people cheered in a festival atmosphere. Some booths…

Fire-Damaged Trees Can Be Valuable Habitats For Recovering Wildlife: Aussie Researcher

SYDNEY, Jan 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) – Damaged trees and half-burnt logs, left by bushfires, can be valuable habitats for recovering wildlife, according to latest Australian environmental research. “Fires burn patchily, and small unburnt patches, half burnt logs and dead or fire-damaged trees are commonly left behind,” Professor David Lindenmayer from the…