Qatar Airways upgrades Airbus A321 order to include longer range jets

DUBAI, Feb 1 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Qatar Airways has upgraded an existing order for 50 Airbus A321neo jets to include 10 long-range models, as a regional diplomatic rift has forced the airline to fly longer routes. The airline said on Thursday that 10 of those 50 aircraft would now be the…

Thai party ousted in 2014 coup picks Thaksin loyalist for PM in elections

BANGKOK, Feb 1 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Thailand’s Pheu Thai Party, which was ousted from power by the military in a 2014 coup, on Thursday picked a close ally of fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra as its main candidate for prime minister in elections set for March 24. Pheu Thai’s Sudarat Keyuraphan could face…

Bangladesh sues Philippine bank over cyberheist at New York Fed

NEW YORK, Feb 1 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Bangladesh’s central bank sued a Philippine bank on Thursday to recoup losses it suffered when unidentified hackers stole US$81 million from its account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York nearly three years ago. In a complaint filed with the U.S. District Court…

India’s buffalo meat exports to plunge amid China clampdown on illegal imports

MUMBAI (India), Feb 1 (NNN-AGENCIES) — India’s buffalo meat exports are set to plunge 15 per cent to their lowest in six years, a leading industry body said, as world No 1 meat consumer China clamps down on food smuggling. China does not allow imports of Indian buffalo beef due…

Thai court to hear Bahraini extradition request for footballer

BANGKOK, Feb 1 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A Thai public prosecutor on Friday submitted to a criminal court Bahrain’s extradition request for jailed footballer Hakeem Al Araibi, who fled his country amid political upheaval and has refugee status in Australia. Araibi will have to appear at Thailand’s Criminal Court in Bangkok on…

US lifts UN freeze on North Korea aid

UNITED NATIONS, Feb 1 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United States is moving quickly to lift a freeze at the United Nations on humanitarian aid to North Korea, just weeks before a planned second US-North Korean summit, according to diplomats. At Washington’s request, several applications from aid groups for exemptions to tough…

US-North Korea summit details to be announced next week: Trump

WASHINGTON, Feb 1 (NNN-AGENCIES) — US President Donald Trump on Thursday said the details of his upcoming summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will be announced next week – and that a date and place had been settled. “We’re going to announce it very soon. We’ll be announcing early…

More than 20 dead in US polar vortex, frostbite amputations feared

NEW YORK, Feb 1 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Tens of millions of Americans on Thursday braved Arctic-like temperatures as low as -49 degrees Celsius that paralysed the US Midwest and were blamed for at least 21 deaths. Warmer-than-normal weather was on the way, but that offered little comfort to vulnerable populations such as…

Malaysian government says it has remitted ‘abortive costs’ for HSR postponement: MOT

SINGAPORE, Feb 1 (NNN-CNA) — The Malaysian government said it has remitted to Singapore the “abortive costs” incurred for the postponement of the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High-Speed Rail (HSR), Singapore’s Ministry of Transport (MOT) said. This comes after a formal agreement between the two countries to postpone the construction of the HSR until…

Brazilians little moved by Vale overtures in wake of disaster

BRUMADINHO (Brazil), Feb 1 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Residents of the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais reacted with indifference and in many cases dismissal at a raft of measures mining giant Vale SA pledged to adopt in recent days in the wake of a dam burst that likely killed over 300 people.…