North Korea lifts lockdown in border town after WHO said suspected COVID-19 case ‘inconclusive’

People wearing protective face masks walk amid concerns over the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Pyongyang PYONGYANG, Aug 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un lifted a three week lockdown in the city of Kaesong and nearby areas, after a man who defected to the South returned to…

Covid-19: South Korean doctors strike over plan to train more medical students as cases surge

SEOUL, Aug 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — About a quarter of South Korea’s medical clinics closed on Friday for a one-day strike in protest at government plans to train new doctors, as the country reported the highest number of domestic COVID-19 cases since the end of March. The government plans to increase…

Afghan government releases 80 of final 400 Taliban prisoners

The prisoners after President Ashraf Ghani ordered their release KABUL, Aug 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Afghan government has begun releasing the last Taliban prisoners from a final batch of 400 who the militants want freed before they agree to start peace negotiations, a security agency spokesman said. The government agreed…

Update: New Zealand virus outbreak spreads beyond Auckland

AUCKLAND, Aug 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — New Zealand’s resurgent coronavirus outbreak has spread beyond Auckland, health officials said Friday, in a major blow to efforts to contain the disease. Health Minister Chris Hipkins said there were 12 more cases of communitytransmission, and one probable, following the shock re-emergence of the virus…

New Zealand scrambles to contain coronavirus resurgence as it heads towards election

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern WELLINGTON, Aug 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — New Zealand was scrambling to trace the source of its first coronavirus outbreak in more than three months, reporting 13 new community infections on Thursday, after Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had sought to eradicate the virus with a hard lockdown. The…

Bangladesh to ink agreement with Algeria to increase bilateral trade

DHAKA, Aug 14 (NNN-BSS) –Bangladeshi Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi said Bangladesh and Algeria have agreed to ink an agreement to increase bilateral trade and economic cooperation between the two friendly nations. “Algeria is a friend of Bangladesh. An agreement was inked between the two countries in 1973 to increase trade…

US Pres Trump says Hong Kong can ‘never succeed’ under China control

WASHINGTON, Aug 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — US President Donald Trump saidthat Hong Kong’s global financial center will “go to hell”under tightened Chinese rule. “Hong Kong can never succeed having China as opposed to thethousands of geniuses that ran it, having China run it,” Trump toldFox Business news. “The Hong Kong markets…

Covid-19: Global coronavirus deaths top 750,000

PARIS, Aug 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The coronavirus pandemic has killedmore than 750,000 people worldwide since it first emerged in China inDecember. A total of 750,003 deaths have been recorded, out of 20,667,684cases across the globe. The Americas and the Caribbean were the hardest hit region with228,572 fatalities. Almost half of…

Flight warning as Indonesia’s Mt Sinabung erupts again

JAKARTA, Aug 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Indonesia’s Mount Sinabung erupted again with a string of blasts that sent plumes of ash two kilometres into the sky, triggering a flight warning and fears of lava flows. The activity marked at least the eighth time that the rumbling volcano on Sumatra island has…

Bangladesh proposes to host D-8 summit virtually in December or January

DHAKA, Aug 14 (NNN-BSS) — Dhaka has conveyed that Bangladesh would like to host the 10th D-8 Summit and its ancillary events ‘virtually’ in December 2020 or January 2021 in the context of COVID-19 pandemic scenario. The proposal was placed at the Special Session of the D-8 Commissioners’ Meeting preparatory…
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