Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

BEIJING, July 9 (APP): China and Pakistan are fraternal neighbours and all-weather strategic cooperative partners. The Chinese people refer to Pakistan by the endearing name of “Iron Pak,” meaning the China-Pakistan friendship is as solid as iron. The two countries established diplomatic relations in 1951.

In the ensuing 70 years, thanks to the personal commitment of leaders of several generations and the wholehearted support of the people of both countries, China and Pakistan have forged an ironclad friendship, according to an article published by Global Times.

KUALA LUMPUR, July 9 (Bernama-NNN) — The upcoming Uzbekistan presidential elections is one of the most important socio-political events this year which is of key importance for further sustainable development of the country and the entire Central Asian region as a whole, in the medium and long term.

In recent years, within the framework of building a democratic, open and competitive New Uzbekistan, huge work has been carried out in ensuring the fundamental rights of citizens to vote and to be elected to representative bodies.

BANGKOK, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Tougher restrictions are being imposed in Thailand's capital and surrounding provinces in an effort to curb rapidly increasing COVID-19 infections.

The Center for the COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) announced on Friday a set of new restrictions that will take effect from July 12, and will further limit people's movement in public.

SEOUL, July 9 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) said on Friday that it will tighten quarantine measures for U.S. service members for two weeks amid the surging number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in South Korea in recent days.

The USFK said in a statement that it will implement enhanced COVID-19 mitigation measures for two weeks through July 23 due to the recent rise of COVID-19 cases within the USFK and South Korea.

Regardless of vaccination status, all bars and clubs will be off-limits for all U.S. troops here for the two weeks.

BEIJING (AP) — China’s government on Friday criticized new U.S. moves to reduce access to American financial markets and said it will protect Chinese companies but gave no indication of possible retaliation.

The S&P Dow Jones Indices and FTSE Russell removed more Chinese companies from their indexes after President Joe Biden expanded a blacklist of companies that are off limits to American investors. Such indexes are the basis for billions of dollars of investment in stocks and bonds.

BEIJING (AP) — China sent a flight to bring home 210 of its nationals from Afghanistan, state media reported Friday, as the U.S. military prepares to leave the country and the security situation grows increasingly fraught.

The Global Times newspaper published by the ruling Communist Party said the Xiamen Airlines flight departed July 2 from the capital Kabul and landed in the central province of Hubei. The airline confirmed the report in a post on its Twitter-like Weibo account but offered no additional details.

SEOUL, July 8 (Reuters) - New photos confirm North Korea has demoted a military leader in a reshuffle that left the ruling party's top body dominated by civilians, possibly signalling leader Kim Jong Un's focus on the economy and frustration with bureaucratic failures, analysts said.

Last week, North Korea announced the latest in a series of leadership changes that may be the most significant reshuffle of top officials in years.

JAKARTA, July 8 (Reuters) - A morbid grid of graves widens as excavators dig deep, piling up soil to make space for Indonesia's pandemic dead to be laid to rest.

Ambulances, lights flashing, deliver bodies to the Jakarta burial site as trucks carry away dirt beside rows of rectangles carved out of the brown earth.

Workers in protective suits lower coffins into the ground next to graves where small wooden planks serve as makeshift headstones.

Kuala Lumpur, Jul 7 (AP-PTI) Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin on Wednesday appointed a lawmaker from his allied party as his deputy, in what is seen as a calculated bid to dissuade the largest party in his ruling alliance from withdrawing its support for his leadership.

The announcement came just hours ahead of the meeting of a top decision-making body of the United Malays National Organization, or UMNO, which has long been unhappy at playing second fiddle to Muhyiddin's Bersatu party and is expected to decide whether to quit the government.

SINGAPORE, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Trade could provide an opportunity for China and the United States to rebuild trust and communication, and to collaborate towards a multilateral system that embodies their common interests, a commentary published by Singapore's Asian news network CNA said Tuesday.

"Ending the tariff war is the first step," said the commentary written by Yan Liang, professor and chair of International Studies at Willamette University.