Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

BEIJING, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- A total of 11 provincial-level regions have been affected within a week as a fresh outbreak of COVID-19 emerged in China, a spokesperson with the National Health Commission (NHC) said Sunday.

Sporadic cases reported in various regions have been increasing ever since Oct. 17, Mi Feng, spokesperson for the NHC, told a press conference.

Most of the cases have inter-region travel histories, increasing the risk of virus transmission to other regions, Mi said.

TASHKENT, Uzbekistan (AP) — Uzbeks voted Sunday in a presidential election that the incumbent is expected to win in a landslide against weak competition.

Although Shavkat Mirziyoyev has relaxed many of the policies of his dictatorial predecessor, he has made little effort at political reform.

Mirziyoyev, who took office in 2016 upon the death of Islam Karimov, faces four relatively low-visibility candidates who didn’t even show up for televised debates, instead sending proxies who failed to engage in substantial discussions. Independent candidates weren’t allowed.

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Oct 23 (NNN-ANN) – Brunei is set to host the 38th and 39th ASEAN Summits and Related Summits in virtual meetings, via a series of video conferences, amid concerns over the unsettled COVID-19 pandemic situation across the region.

Brunei’s Sultan, Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, as Chair of ASEAN for 2021, will chair all 11 ASEAN summits from Oct 26-28, according to a press statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.

SEOUL, Oct 23 (Reuters) - The U.S. envoy for North Korea arrived in South Korea on Saturday amid stalled denuclearisation talks and tension over Pyongyang's recent missile tests.

Special Representative Sung Kim's visit came days after North Korea fired a new submarine-launched ballistic missile(SLBM), which prompted criticism from Washington and calls for a return to talks aimed at denuclearising the North in return for U.S. sanctions relief.

HARB-MAIDON TRAINING GROUND, Tajikistan, Oct 23 (Reuters) - A Russia-led military exercise held over six days near the Tajik-Afghan border, designed to demonstrate Moscow stands ready to protect Dushanbe in the event of an incursion from the south, reached its conclusion on Saturday.

Tajikistan's relations with the Taliban leadership in Kabul have been strained from the start and reports of troop build-up on both sides of the border have alarmed Moscow, which operates a military base in the former Soviet republic.

22 Oct 2021; MEMO: Azerbaijan has destroyed more than 48,000 mines and unexploded ordnances laid by the Armenian army in the regions liberated from occupation, Anadolu News Agency reports.

Azerbaijan Mine Action Agency (ANAMA) and the engineering unit of Azerbaijani Armed Forces, with support from Emergency Situations Ministry, Border Services Command and Special Mine Clearance teams of Turkish Armed Forces, continue to clear the mines in the Karabakh region and surrounding provinces.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea on Saturday accused the Biden administration of raising military tensions with China through its “reckless” backing of Taiwan, and said that the growing U.S. military presence in the region constitutes a potential threat to the North.

In comments carried by state media, North Korea Vice Foreign Minister Pak Myong Ho criticized the United States for sending warships through the Taiwan Strait and providing Taiwan with upgraded weapons systems and military training.

BEIJING, Oct 22 (APP): Expressing pleasure over progress of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, Wang Wenbin Friday said that this flagship project has achieved new outcomes and entered a stage of high quality development.

We are glad to see that CPEC has achieved new outcomes and entered a stage of high quality development, he said while responding to a question asked by APP during his regular press conference held here at the International Press Center (IPC).

Oct 22 (Reuters) - Myanmar's military government said on Friday it rejected a decision by its Southeast Asian neighbours to invite only a non-political figure to an upcoming regional summit in a snub to the leader of the Feb. 1 coup.

The junta's foreign ministry said in a press release that the heads of state or government of Myanmar enjoyed equal and full rights to participate in summits of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The next summit is due on Oct. 26-28. It is not clear who, if anybody, will now represent Myanmar at the meeting.

HONG KONG, Oct 22 (Reuters) - The Hong Kong government on Friday criticised Washington for its "safe haven" scheme for Hong Kongers to stay and work in the United States amid Beijing's crackdown on the pro-democracy movement in the Chinese territory.

In August, U.S. President Joe Biden announced a temporary safe haven scheme for Hong Kong residents, allowing what could be thousands of people to extend their stay in response to the crackdown.

Biden cited "compelling foreign policy reasons" for the plan given China's continued "assault on Hong Kong's autonomy".