21.   It takes effect two days later, the foreign ministry announced Monday.

22.   Its national vice-chairman Dr Tan Seng Giaw said the ministry should also announce the actual amounts in non-performing loans of these institutions.

23.   Last March, the ministry announced that self-sponsored students studying abroad in their first and second year could apply to continue their studies locally.

24.   Last month, the ministry announced that the current account recorded its first annual increase on a fiscal year basis in five years.

25.   Last week, the Norwegian foreign ministry announced that a locally hired employee at its Teheran embassy was fired for issuing false visas to Norway.

26.   Last week, the trade ministry announced that industrial production fell in May for the second straight month.

27.   Later, the Israeli defense ministry announced troops were preparing to pull back from two West Bank cities, Qalqiliya and Tulkarem early Tuesday.

28.   Meanwhile, the Turkish foreign ministry announced that Rauf Denktash, the president of the Turkish Cypriot state, will visit Ankara on Monday.

29.   Meanwhile, the foreign ministry announced that Foreign Minister Tansu Ciller will visit Jordan next week.

30.   Nambu said the ministry will announce once a year the number of convicts executed in the past year.