Australian Election Campaign Hits Finish Line As Nation Mourns Former PM

CANBERRA, Australia, May 18 (NNN-AGENCIES) – The Australian election campaign has reached the finish line, with opinion polls suggesting the opposition Australian Labour Party (ALP) maintaining the lead. The latest YouGov/Galaxy poll, released on Friday, revealed that Bill Shorten’s ALP leads Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s Liberal-National Party coalition (LNP) 51-49,…

Cambodia Sends Sixth Batch Of 298 Troops To Mali For UN Peacekeeping Mission

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia, May 18 (NNN-AKP) – Cambodia sent the sixth batch of 298 troops, including 25 women, to join a United Nations (UN) peacekeeping mission, in the war-torn West African nation of Mali on Friday. The troops would substitute the fifth batch, whose one-year term had come to an…

Yemeni Government Forces Recapture Key Southern District Following Large-Scale Military Operation

ADEN, Yemen, May 18 (NNN-SABA) – Yemeni government forces, on Friday, announced recapturing a key southern district from the Houthi rebels, following a large-scale military operation, backed by the Saudi Arabia-led coalition. According to a press statement released by the government forces, different military units of the local security and…

25 Air Strikes Target Rebel Positions In Northern Syria: Monitor

DAMASCUS, Syria, May 18 (NNN-SANA) – As many as 25 air strikes targeted rebel positions in northern Syria Friday, as part of the ongoing military campaign to defeat the ultra-radical militants in their last strongholds, a war monitor reported. The air strikes targeted the positions of the rebels in the…

Turkey Urges U.S. To Lift All Trade Barriers

ANKARA, Turkey, May 18 (NNN-ANADOLU) – Turkey, on Friday, welcomed Washington’s decision to halve tariffs on steel imports, and urged the United States to remove all trade obstacles. “Elimination of the additional 25-percent tariffs on Turkish steel imports is a positive step. However, we expect the eradication of all obstacles…

Lebanese Army Receives Military Support From Italy

BEIRUT, Lebanon, May 18 (NNN-NNA) – The Lebanese army received, on Friday, hydro-graphic equipment and prefabricated rooms from Italian authorities. “Italy is committed to continuing its military support for Lebanon,” Italian Ambassador to Lebanon, Massimo Marotti said, emphasising the importance of cooperation between the Lebanese and Italian armies. Taan Nassar,…

Qatar Promises To Buy 500-Million-USD Lebanese Bond

BEIRUT, Lebanon, May 18 (NNN-QNA) – Qatari Minister of State, Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al-Kawari, reiterated here on Friday, Qatar’s commitment to buying Lebanese government bond worth 500 million U.S. dollars, local media reported. “When Qatar makes a promise, it fulfils it,” Kawari was quoted as saying, by the Lebanese National…

Turkish-Russian Joint Working Group Discusses Issue Of Syria’s Idlib

ANKARA, Turkey, May 18 (NNN-ANADOLU) – The first meeting of the Turkish-Russian joint working group on Syria’s Idlib issue was held in Ankara, Turkey’s Defence Ministry said. During the meeting, which was held on Thursday and Friday, the two countries discussed the latest development in the region, particularly in Idlib,…

Syria’s Air Defences Intercept Israeli Attack Around Syrian Capital

DAMASCUS, Syria, May 18 (NNN-SANA) – The Syrian air defences, on Friday evening, intercepted “luminous objects” coming from Israel, state TV reported. The report is yet to give details on the nature of the “luminous objects.” The Syrian Army said that the air defences were triggered by “enemy targets” coming…

Rallies Held In Japan’s Okinawa Call For Reducing U.S. Base-Hosting Burdens

TOKYO, Japan, May 18 (NNN-NHK) – Protesters calling for their U.S. base-hosting burdens to be reduced, marched in Japan’s southernmost prefecture of Okinawa on Friday, as part of the annual three-day “Peace March.” The rally, which was divided into two routes and comprised more than 1,000 protesters, coincides with Okinawa…