Lebanon’s president expresses hope for Israel border talks

BEIRUT, Dec 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Lebanon’s president said he wants maritime border talks with Israel to succeed and that disagreements during the last round of negotiations can be resolved based on international law. President Michel Aoun spoke during a meeting with John Desrocher, the US mediator for the negotiations, who was…

Singapore ‘disappointed’ with UN move to loosen controls on cannabis: MHA

A Ministry of Home Affairs spokesperson stressed that Singapore’s drug-control policies are underpinned by evidence and research SINGAPORE, Dec 3 (NNN-CNA) — Singapore said that it was disappointed with the United Nations’ decision to remove cannabis from the most tightly controlled category of narcotic drugs. During the annual UN Commission on…

COVID-19: New Zealand reports 9 new cases in managed isolation

WELLINGTON, Dec 3 (NNN-XINHUA) — New Zealand reported nine new cases of COVID-19 in managed isolation on Thursday. There are no new community cases. Of the nine new cases, four are active cases while five are termed as “historical cases.” People with a historical COVID-19 infection are not infectious, according…

Ex-French president Giscard d’Estaing dies of Covid at 94

PARIS, Dec 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Former French president Valery Giscard d’Estaing, a leading advocate of European integration who led his country into a new modern era, has died of Covid-19, his family said. He was 94. Giscard, who had been in hospital several times in recent months for heart problems,…

OPEC and allies to meet to thrash out cuts deal

LONDON, Dec 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The members of the OPEC group of oil producers will meet with their allies Thursday to see if they can reach an accord on extending production cuts over the coming months. The video-conference meeting, scheduled to start at 1300 GMT was delayed from Tuesday and…

US House of Representatives pass bill that block Chinese firms from accessing US stock markets

NEW YORK, Dec 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The US House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a bill that could close US stock and money markets to Chinese firms. The “Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act” could be quickly placed on the desk of US President Donald Trump for final approval, since it…

Covid-19: Hospitalised patients top 100,000 for first time in US; death toll surpasses 2,700 since April

WASHINGTON, Dec 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The number of people being treated in US hospitals for Covid-19 topped 100,000 for the first time on Wednesday, a monitor said. “There are 100,226 people currently hospitalised with COVID-19 in the US — the first time hospitalisations have exceeded 100k,” the COVID Tracking Project…

Canada announces plan to tax foreign digital giants from 2022

Justin Trudeau, Canada Prime Minister OTTAWA, Dec 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Canada plans to add further tax requirements for companies providing online products and services under a new “fair tax system for the digital economy,” Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said.The changes will include charging large foreign-based companies Goods and Services Tax/Harmonized…

Deforestation in the Amazon at highest level since 2008 in Brazil: space agency INPE

The amazon forest BRASILIA, Dec 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Deforestation of rainforests in Brazil’s Amazon region has reached a 12-year high, space agency Inpe, which is responsible for monitoring the rainforest, said.Between August 2019 and July 2020, 11,088 square kilometres of the jungle were cut down in the region, according to…

UN: 2020 likely world’s second hottest year

The WMO will confirm the data in March 2021 GENEVA, Dec 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) — This year is on track to be the second hottest on record, behind 2016, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said.Five data sets currently place 2020, a year characterised by heatwaves, droughts, wildfires and raging hurricanes, as…