Lebanese Judge To Start Questioning Top Politicians, Security Chiefs Over Port Blasts

BEIRUT, Jul 3 (NNN-NNA) – The Lebanese judge, leading investigation into Beirut port’s blasts, announced yesterday that, he will start questioning caretaker Prime Minister, Hassan Diab, former ministers and current and former heads of security agencies. Judge Tarek Bitar, set a date for interrogating Diab, without publically disclosing it, while…

Indonesia To Deploy 53,000 Personnel For Emergency Restrictions

JAKARTA, Jul 3 (NNN-ANTARA) – The Indonesian government has decided to deploy 53,000 personnel, for emergency community activity restrictions (locally known as PPKM), to be imposed in Java and Bali, from today, Jul 3 to 20, a senior police officer said, yesterday. Inspector General Imam Sugianto said that, the joint…

6.1-Magnitude Quake Hits Fiji Region: USGS

NEW YORK, Jul 3 (NNN-XINHUA) – An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.1, jolted Fiji region at 20:14:38 GMT on Friday, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), said. The epicentre, with a depth of 605.63 km, was initially determined to be at 21.8295 degrees south latitude, and 179.3622 degrees west longitude.…

Philippines Logs 5,795 New COVID-19 Cases, Daily Infections In Decline

MANILA, Jul 1 (NNN-PNA) – The Philippines’ Department of Health (DOH), reported 5,795 new COVID-19 infections today, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the Southeast Asian country to 1,418,337. The death toll climbed to 24,797, after 135 more patients died from the disease. The Philippines, with a population…

New Zealand Launches New Ministry For Ethnic Communities

WELLINGTON, Jul 1 (NNN-AGENCIES) – New Zealand launched a new Ministry for Ethnic Communities today, elevating the position of the previous Office of Ethnic Communities, in a move to strengthen ethnic affairs, following the Mar 15 terrorist attack on two Christchurch mosques in 2019. “This is the first time in…

Bangladesh Records Highest Single-Day Spike Of 8,822 New COVID-19 Cases

DHAKA, Jul 1 (NNN-BSS) – Bangladesh reported 8,822 new COVID-19 cases yesterday, the highest single-day count so far, bringing the tally to 913,258, said the country’s Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). Meanwhile, 115 more deaths were recorded, raising the death toll to 14,503. A total of 35,105 samples were…

India Reports 48,786 New COVID-19 Cases

NEW DELHI, Jul 1 (NNN-PTI) – India’s COVID-19 tally rose to 30,411,634 today, with 48,786 new cases registered during the past 24 hours. The death toll mounted to 399,459, as 1,005 deaths were recorded since yesterday morning. After recording less than 1,000 deaths for three consecutive days, the death toll…

Iranian President Says U.S. Gov’t Still Follows Trump’s Legacy Against Iran

TEHRAN, Jul 1 (NNN-IRNA) – Iranian President, Hassan Rouhani, said yesterday that, the U.S. government still follows anti-Iran economic pressure policy, adopted by former President, Donald Trump. Iran “has been facing an economic terrorism since three years ago. What Trump did against Iran was more a war than sanctions,” Rouhani…

Heatwave Hits Iraq As Temperature Reaches 50 Degrees Celsius

BAGHDAD, Jul 1 (NNN-NINA) – A new heat-wave engulfed Iraq with temperature jumping to above 50 degrees Celsius, in the central and southern provinces, the Iraqi Meteorological Organisation and Seismology said in a statement, yesterday. The maximum temperature in the southern provinces of Basra, Qadisiyah, and Muthanna climbed to 51…

Iranian Navy Kicks Off Military Drill In Caspian Sea

TEHRAN, Jul 1 (NNN-IRNA) – The Iranian Navy, yesterday kicked off a military exercise in the Caspian Sea, in the north of the country. The drill, called Sustainable Security 1400, covers an area of about 77,000 square km, in Iran’s territorial waters of the Caspian Sea, according to the Tasnim…