Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

BEIJING (AP) — COVID-19 cases in China’s largest city of Shanghai are still rising as millions remain isolated at home under a sweeping lockdown.

Health officials on Sunday reported 438 confirmed cases detected over the previous 24 hours, along with 7,788 asymptomatic cases. Both figures were up slightly from the day before.

While small by the standards of some countries, the daily case numbers are some of the largest since the virus was first detected in the central city of Wuhan in late 2019.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called the South Korean defense minister a “scum-like guy” for talking about preemptive strikes on the North, warning Sunday that the South may face “a serious threat.”

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean President-elect Yoon Suk Yeol on Sunday announced his intent to name a seasoned former prime minister and economic expert to serve as the country’s No. 2 official under his incoming government.

Yoon’s pick of Han Duck-soo for prime minister is the first major nomination in his government, which is set to be inaugurated on May 10.

BEIJING, April 2 (APP): As close neighbors of Afghanistan and important forces in maintaining world peace and international order, China and Pakistan have always been playing key roles in the Afghan issue and providing substantive assistance to the Afghan people within their capabilities.

These views were expressed by Cheng Xizhong, Visiting Professor of Southwest University of Political Science and Law and Senior Fellow of the Charhar Institute in a statement on Saturday.

PHNOM PENH, Apr 2 (NNN-AKP) – Cambodia received a total of 151,680 foreign visitors in the first quarter of 2022, an increase of 114 percent from 70,901 arrivals, recorded in the same period last year, a senior tourism official said yesterday.

Kong Sopheareak, director of Tourism Statistics Department, at the Ministry of Tourism, said that, of the total, 86,588 of them arrived in the country by air, during the Jan-Mar period, up 158 percent year-on-year.

TOKYO, Apr 2 (NNN-NHK) – Japan plans to raise its daily cap on foreign arrivals to around 10,000, starting from Apr 10, up from the current 7,000, as the country further relaxes border controls, a top government spokesman said yesterday.

“Japan plans to increase international movements of people in stages, by taking into account the infection situation at home and abroad, and border control measures that other major nations have taken,” Chief Cabinet Secretary, Hirokazu Matsuno, said at a press conference.

SEOUL, Apr 2 (NNN-YONHAP) – South Korea reported 264,171 new COVID-19 cases as of midnight, compared to 24 hours ago, raising the total number of infections to 13,639,915, the health authorities said today.

The daily caseload was down from 280,273 the previous day, hovering below 300,000 for two days, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).

The spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant and its subvariant BA.2, drove the recent resurgence, especially in the Seoul metropolitan area.

BEIJING, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Azerbaijani counterpart, Ilham Aliyev, exchanged on Saturday congratulatory messages to celebrate the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

In his message, Xi pointed out that China and Azerbaijan are partners of traditional friendly cooperation.

BEIJING (AP) — Hong Kong authorities on Saturday asked the entire population of more than 7.4 million people to voluntarily test themselves for COVID-19 at home for three days in a row starting next week.

The announcement by Chief Executive Carrie Lam came as the southern Chinese city is struggling to contain its worst outbreak with authorities sending mixed signals about testing and lockdowns.

BEIJING, Apr 01 (APP): Consul General of Pakistan in Shanghai, Hussain Haider has emphasised the significant progress, huge potential and good momentum of China-Pakistan trade exchanges.

I believe enterprises in Karachi will establish more win-win cooperative relations with enterprises in the Chinese city of Yiwu and strengthen economic ties between the two countries, he said while speaking at a webinar on building China-Pakistan Trade Corridor.