Qantas Turns 100, With Special Place In Hearts Of Australians

SYDNEY, Nov 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) – It has been 100 years since Australia’s national airline, Qantas, was founded, making it one of the oldest continuously-operating airlines in the world, with a special place in the hearts of Australians. To mark the occasion, one of Qantas’ planes made a 100-minute celebration flight…

S. Korea’s Korean Air To Acquire Asiana Airlines

SEOUL, Nov 17 (NNN-YONHAP) – Korean Air Lines, South Korea’s biggest air carrier, will acquire the country’s debt-ridden second-biggest air carrier, Asiana Airlines, it was reported yesterday, state-owned Korea Development Bank (KDB), as saying. The KDB, one of the major creditors of the debt-laden airline, will invest in 500 billion…

Asia-Pacific Countries Report More COVID-19 Cases, Deaths

HONG KONG, Nov 17 (NNN-XINHUA) – Confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths continued to climb in Asia-Pacific, as India recorded 435 new deaths, taking the death toll in India to 130,070. India’s tally reached 8,845,127, as 30,548 new cases were registered across the country, according to the latest data released by…

South Australia Reinstates COVID-19 Restrictions To Suppress New Outbreak

CANBERRA, Nov 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) – South Australia (SA) reintroduced a range of COVID-19 restrictions, in an attempt to prevent the spread of a new outbreak of the virus. As of yesterday afternoon, there were 27,750 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and most cases in the last 24 hours are reported in…

Iran, Iraq Finalise Bilateral Defence Cooperation

TEHRAN, Nov 16 (NNN-IRNA) – Chief of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces, Mohammad Hossein Baqeri, announced yesterday, the final steps in the drafting of an Iran-Iraq defence cooperation charter, after meeting with Iraqi Minister of Defence, Juma Inad Saadoun. “The two countries prepared a charter that is now in its…

Syrian FM Walid Al-Moallem Passes Away

DAMASCUS, Nov 16 (NNN-SANA) – Syrian Foreign Minister, Walid al-Moallem, died at dawn today, the Syrian Foreign Ministry announced. The official announcement is yet to name the cause of al-Moallem’s death. Born in 1941, al-Moallem studied economics and political science, at the Cairo University in Egypt, and graduated in 1963.…

COVID-19 May Have Appeared In Italy Earlier Than Thought: Study

ROME, Nov 16 (NNN-AGENCIES) – COVID-19 may have been circulating in Italy since Sept, 2019, three months before it first emerged in China, according to a study released by the National Cancer Institute (INT). If true, it would mean that the virus was present in Italy three months before it…

Merino Resigns As President Of Peru Amid Widespread Protests

LIMA, Nov 16 (NNN-ANDINA) – Peruvian President, Manuel Merino, presented his resignation yesterday, amid protests that broke out across the country, after he assumed the presidency last Tuesday, following the removal of former President, Martin Vizcarra. “I want to inform the entire country that I presented my irrevocable resignation to…

Six-Magnitude Quake Rattles Southern Philippines

MANILA, Nov 16 (NNN-PNA) – An earthquake, with a magnitude of 6.0, shook Surigao Del Sur province, in the southern Philippines today (Monday), the Philippine Institute of Seismology and Volcanology (Phivolcs), said. The institute said, the offshore quake, which struck at 6:37 a.m. local time, hit at a depth of…

Health Experts Call On Australian PM To Take Climate Action

CANBERRA, Nov 16 (NNN-AGENCIES) – A coalition of health groups wrote an open letter to Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, calling for urgent action on climate change. The letter from 29 groups, including the Climate and Health Alliance (CHA), the Australian Epidemiological Association (AEA), and the Public Health Association of…