Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — Associated Press journalist Thein Zaw and several other members of the media who have been charged under a public order law while covering anti-coup protests in Myanmar are returning to court Wednesday.

It is the second round of hearings for the journalists, who were arrested on Feb. 27 and face up to three years behind bars. Thein Zaw’s lawyer, Tin Zar Oo, said after the first hearing on March 12 that she might be able to submit an application for bail on Wednesday.

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong suspended use of the Pfizer vaccine Wednesday after its Chinese distributor informed the city that one batch had defective bottle lids.

The city’s government said the suspension was immediate while the matter is investigated by distributor Fosun Pharma and BioNTech, the German company which created the vaccine with American pharmaceutical firm Pfizer.

BioNTech and Fosun Pharma have not found any reason to believe the product is unsafe, according to the statement. However, vaccinations will be halted as a preventive and safety measure.

BEIJING, March 23. /TASS/: Beijing is ready to protect the world order based on international law together with Moscow, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said following talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday.

"We should act as guarantors of justice in international affairs," he pointed out. "China is ready to promote the international system established by the United Nations, protect the world order based on international law, and abide by universal values such as peace, development, justice, democracy, equality and freedom," the Chinese top diplomat added.

PUTRAJAYA, March 23 (NNN-Bernama) — Malaysia and Singapore have reaffirmed their commitment to work together towards recognising each other’s COVID-19 vaccine certificates, with a view towards facilitating cross-border travel in the future.

Malaysian Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein and his visiting Singaporean counterpart Dr Vivian Balakrishnan said this in a joint statement Tuesday.

TOKYO (Reuters) - Myanmar activists in Japan called for the Japanese government and international community to take stronger steps “to stop the killing” in their homeland, urging the imposition of an arms embargo to put pressure on the military junta.

Though Western nations have imposed more sanctions on groups and individuals linked to last month’s coup, activists said more pressure was needed, particularly from Japan.

BEIJING, March 23 (Xinhua) -- The few Western forces smearing and slandering China should know that the era of wantonly interfering in China's internal affairs with made-up stories or fabricated lies has ended, never to return, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday.

Wang made the remarks during talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in the city of Guilin, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

BEIJING (AP) — The foreign ministers of China and Russia affirmed their countries’ close ties at a meeting Tuesday, amid intense criticism and new Western sanctions against them over human rights.

Wang Yi and Sergei Lavrov rejected outside sniping at their authoritarian political systems and said they were working to further global progress on issues from climate change to the coronavirus pandemic.

BEIJING (AP) — Asian stock markets declined Tuesday after Wall Street rose on gains for tech stocks and reassurance by the U.S. Federal Reserve of support for an economic recovery.

Shanghai, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Sydney retreated.

Overnight, Wall Street’s benchmark S&P 500 index rose 0.7% as big technology companies led stocks broadly higher. Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft advanced.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The leaders of China and North Korea are reaffirming their traditional alliance following contentious talks between top diplomats from Washington and Beijing and diplomatic isolation and economic problems in the North that have left it ever-more dependent on the Chinese.

The North’s official Korean Central News Agency said Tuesday leader Kim Jong Un called for stronger “unity and cooperation” with China in the face of challenges posed by “hostile forces” while exchanging messages with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

(Reuters) - Protesters honked car horns in Myanmar on Monday and planted posters in an empty square to avoid arrest, injury or death as the European Union prepared to impose sanctions on 11 people linked to last month’s coup and subsequent crackdown.

At least 250 people have been killed so far in anti-junta protests which the security forces are trying to stamp out, according to figures from the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners activist group.