EU, UK agree to alter Brexit political declaration, no legally-binding change

London, Feb 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) – The British prime minister was adamant she would secure legally-binding changes to the Irish backstop clause in the United Kingdom’s withdrawal agreement with the European Union following a day of meetings in Brussels where the bloc’s leaders unanimously said the deal would remain firmly closed…

Long-distance laundry: Japanese startup unveils remote-controlled robot that deals with your dirties

TOKYO, Feb 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) – In a few years, perhaps for some the most dreaded household chore may be taken over by robots. Robot startup Mira Robotics unveiled Thursday a machine that performs a range of laundry duties while controlled remotely. The new service, called ugo, hopes to resolve two…

South Africans will go to the polls on 8 May

JOHANNESBURG, Feb 8 (NNN-SANEWS) – South Africans will go to the polls for the sixth general elections on May 8. President Cyril Ramaphosa announced this in his second State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Thursday night. “Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even…

China investigates HIV contamination of 12,000 blood plasma treatments

HIV virus being released from the surface of an infected cell. (Photo courtesy Illustration free images SHANGHAI, Feb 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A batch of more than 12,000 blood plasma treatments produced by a state-owned pharmaceutical company in China was found to have been contaminated with HIV. On Wednesday (Feb 6),…

Marine police in Malaysia’s northern state foil attempt to smuggle in 8.5 tonnes of nipah leaves from Indonesia

The Penang Marine Police with their “catch”of 8.5 tonnes of Nipah leaves worth RM60,000. GEORGE TOWN, Feb 7 (NNN-BERNAMA) — Marine police in the northern state of Penang on Monday foiled an attempt to smuggle in 8.5 tonnes of processed nipah leaves worth RM60,000 to Weld Quay here from Indonesia.…

Indian Cabinet approves pact between company secretary bodies of Malaysia and India

NEW DELHI, Feb 7 (NNN-BERNAMA) — The Indian cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved a pact between the company secretary bodies of India and Malaysia to raise professional standards, and facilitate the movement of company secretaries in the Asia-Pacific region, a government statement said on Wednesday. The…

S. Korea, U.S. nearing deal on defense cost sharing, says lawmaker

File photo/US soldiers take part in the annual Best Warrior competition at the Camp Casey US military base in Dongducheon, South Korea, in April 2018. Photo courtesy of Ryu Seung-Il/ZUMA Wire/dpa SEOUL, Feb 7 (NNN-YONHAP) — South Korea and the United States may conclude their drawn-out negotiations on defense cost…

U.N. grants sanctions exemptions for humanitarian aid to N. Korea

SEOUL, Feb 7 (NNN- Yonhap) — The U.N. Security Council has granted sanctions exemptions allowing the Swiss government and a global relief organization to provide North Korea with a series of goods related to drinking water supplies and flood prevention. A U.N. committee handling sanctions on North Korea granted the…

Trump: End of Daesh territory to be announced next week

WASHINGTON, Feb 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The formal end to Daesh’s territorial holdings in Iraq and Syria is likely to be announced as soon as next week, President Donald Trump said Wednesday as U.S. partners fight to rid the terror group from its final bastions in Syria. The president made the…

Last 4 years hottest on record, UN confirms

The sun sets behind a series of overhead power lines. Photo courtesy UN PARIS, Feb 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The last four years were the hottest since global temperature records began, the UN confirmed on Wednesday (Feb 6) in an analysis that it said was a “clear sign of continuing long-term…