Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

TOKYO (AP) — Japan was set to expand its coronavirus state of emergency for a second week in a row Wednesday, adding several more prefectures as a surge in infections fueled by the delta variant strains the country’s health care system.

The government last week extended the state of emergency until Sept. 12 and expanded the areas covered to 13 prefectures from six including Tokyo. Sixteen other prefectures are currently under quasi-emergency status.

BANGKOK, Aug 24 (NNN-Bernama) – The highly contagious Delta variant accounts for 93 per cent of COVID-19 cases in Thailand.

Director-General of Medical Sciences Department Dr Supakit Sirilak said latest survey from Aug 14 to Aug 20 showed 2,132 of 2,295 samples, or 92.9 per cent, were infected with the Delta variant which was first discovered in India.

“In Bangkok, the Delta variant accounts for 96.7 per cent of COVID-19 cases reported,” he said.

He added that the Alpha variant, first detected in the United Kingdom, accounted for 5.8 per cent of cases sampled.

PUTRAJAYA, Aug 24 (NNN-Bernama) — The Malaysia’s Human Resource Ministry (KSM) through the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) has been appointed as the ASEAN Occupational Safety and Health Network (ASEAN-OSHNET) chairman for the year 2021-2022.

KSM said in a statement, in conjunction with the appointment, a 22nd ASEAN-OSHNET Coordinating Board Meeting (22nd CBM) took place Tuesday in the new norm, whereas the 8th ASEAN-OSHNET Conference (8th AOC) will be held Wednesday.

PUTRAJAYA, Aug 24 (NNN-Bernama) — Ismail Sabri Yaakob has continued to receive messages of congratulations from world leaders on his appointment as the ninth prime minister of Malaysia.

On Tuesday, he received a telephone call from Australian Prime Minister Scott John Morrison and a letter from Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.

According to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), in their conversation, Ismail Sabri and Morrison both expressed their commitment to further strengthen the close and long-established ties between Malaysia and Australia.

TOKYO, Aug 24 (Reuters) - Japan will expand its coronavirus state of emergency to the northern island of Hokkaido and seven other prefectures, public broadcaster NHK reported on Tuesday.

They will join 13 other prefectures, including Tokyo, currently which are under the measures until Sept. 12, NHK said.

BEIJING, Aug 24 (Reuters) - The benefits of China's zero-tolerance approach to COVID-19 continue to outweigh the costs but it should cut back on excessive measures that risk exhausting people, a former Chinese disease control official said on Tuesday.

Zeng Guang, former chief epidemiologist at Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said "flood-like" measures and policies that prove inefficient should be avoided even though China has the financial resources to keep pursuing the goal of zero local infections.

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong authorities on Tuesday said they plan to amend a film censorship law to forbid screenings of movies deemed contrary to national security.

The proposed changes to Hong Kong’s Film Censorship Ordinance would step up censorship of movies in the semi-autonomous city, expanding an ongoing crackdown on political dissent that has led to the closure of various pro-democracy organizations and the arrests of dozens of activists.

Bangkok (AP) — The former longtime military ruler of Myanmar, Than Shwe, and his wife have been released from a capital city hospital after both being successfully treated for COVID-19, a hospital official said.

The 88-year-old and wife, Daw Kyaing Kyaing, were discharged from the Thaik Chaung military hospital in Naypyitaw on Friday, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak with the press.

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s government adopted an interim plan Tuesday that it hopes will win support from fishermen and other concerned groups for a planned release into the sea of treated but still radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant.

The government decided in April to start discharging the water into the Pacific Ocean in the spring of 2023 after building a facility and compiling release plans under safety requirements set by regulators. The idea has been fiercely opposed by fishermen, residents and Japan’s neighbors including China and South Korea.

TOKYO (AP) — Global shares mostly gained Tuesday, boosted by a near-record rise on Wall Street, although the momentum began to fizzle over worries about the economic fallout from surging coronavirus infections in Asia.

France’s CAC 40 was little changed, inching down less than 0.1% to 6,682.28 in early trading, while Germany’s DAX added 0.2% to 15,884.33. Britain’s FTSE 100 slid 0.1% to 7,103.75. U.S. shares were set to drift higher with Dow futures gaining nearly 0.2% to 35,334.00. S&P 500 futures were up 0.2% at 4,485.75.