Singapore Airlines raises S$2 billion from airplane sale-and-leaseback deals

Airlines like Singapore Air have had to ground thousands of planes SINGAPORE, May 3 (NNN-CNA) — Singapore Airlines Ltd said on Monday it had raised about S$2 billion through sale-and-leaseback deals for 11 of its planes to help bolster liquidity as it grapples with the pandemic-related plunge in travel. The…

Controlled bushfire cloaks Sydney in hazardous smoke

SYDNEY, May 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Sydney was enveloped in a thick bank of hazardous bushfire smoke Monday, forcing authorities in Australia’s largest city to scale back controlled forest burning nearby. Ferries were cancelled and the city’s five million residents were told to stay indoors if necessary, as air pollution levels…

Covid-19: Israeli army clear of cases for 1st time since pandemic outbreak

JERUSALEM, May 3 (NNN-Xinhua) — The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that the number of active COVID-19 cases among soldiers has dropped to zero. This is the first time that there have been no active coronavirus cases in the Israeli army since the first case was detected in the country.…

UN Alliance of Civilizations chief condemns killing of religious figure in eastern DRC

UNITED NATIONS, May 3 (NNN-Xinhua) — The high representative for the UN Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), Miguel Moratinos, on Sunday strongly condemned the brutal killing of a religious figure in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Sheikh Ali Amin Uthman, the representative of the Islamic community of Beni, was…

16 soldiers killed in attack in west Niger: official

NIAMEY, May 3 (NNN-Xinhua) — Sixteen soldiers of the National Guard of Niger were killed and six others wounded in an attack in Tilia, west Niger, an official said on Sunday evening. “We have just gone through a painful time. Captain Maman Nameywa of the National Guard of Niger, with…

17 killed in traffic accident in Ivory Coast

ABIDJAN, May 3 (NNN-Xinhua) — Seventeen people were killed and 14 others injured after a truck hit a minibus in central Ivory Coast on Sunday afternoon, a security source said. Emergency services had to remove the bodies from the wrecks and evacuate the wounded to medical centers, Ivory Coast’s military…

Covid-19: Nepali gov’t decides to suspend flights with India, South Africa, Brazil

KATHMANDU, May 3 (NNN-Xinhua) — The Nepali government decided to suspend domestic flights fully and international flights with India, South Africa and Brazil after the country reported record high COVID-19 cases, two Nepali cabinet ministers said. “The cabinet decided to suspend all domestic flights starting from Monday midnight,” said Gauri…

Covid-19: Tunisian gov’t vows all means to avoid oxygen shortage in hospitals

TUNIS, May 3 (NNN-Xinhua) — Tunisian Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi said that all means will be provided for the health ministry to avoid oxygen shortage in the country’s hospitals. During his visit to the ministry, Mechichi chaired a meeting dedicated to examining practical solutions for overcoming the lack of medical…

Three dead after suspected people-smuggling boat capsizes off San Diego

SAN DIEGO, May 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Three people have died and more than two dozen taken to hospital after a wooden boat capsized on Sunday during a possible human smuggling operation just off the San Diego coast, authorities said. Local lifeguards, the US coast guard and other agencies responded around 10.30am PT…

US forces in Afghanistan hand over base to Afghan national army: local media

A Black Hawk helicopter during a handover ceremony between the US forces and the Afghan air force in Kandahar province, south Afghanistan KABUL, May 3 (NNN-Xinhua) — The US forces in Afghanistan on Sunday handed over a key operating base to Afghan National Army in restive southern Helmand province, reported…