Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

TOKYO (Reuters) - Americans Michael Taylor and his son Peter could face jail terms of up to three years after Tokyo prosecutors charged them on Monday with illegally helping former Nissan Motor Co Ltd Chairman Carlos Ghosn flee Japan more than a year ago.

Extradited by U.S. authorities this month, the U.S. Army Special Forces veteran and his son have been detained in the same prison in the Japanese capital where Ghosn was held.

BEIJING, March 22 (Xinhua) -- The development of China-Russia ties does not target any particular country, and the bilateral relationship is open and aboveboard, unlike the cliques with hidden conspiracies seen in a few other countries, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday.

Spokesperson Hua Chunying made the remarks at a daily press briefing in response to a question on whether Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's visit to China is an intentional arrangement made after the China-U.S. high-level strategic dialogue.

SEOUL, March 22 (Xinhua) -- Four more U.S. soldiers in South Korea tested positive for COVID-19, the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) said on Monday.

The USFK said in a statement that the four USFK service members were confirmed with COVID-19 after arriving in South Korea between March 8 and 15.

Three of the service members arrived at Osan Air Base on U.S. government-chartered flights from the United States on March 8 and March 15. The Osan Air Base is located in Pyeongtaek, 70 km south of Seoul.

VIENTIANE, March 22 (Xinhua) -- The ongoing inaugural session of the ninth legislature of the Lao National Assembly (NA) on Monday morning elected Thongloun Sisoulith, general secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP) Central Committee, as the country's new president, replacing Bounnhang Vorachit.

After assuming the presidency, Thongloun vowed to actively work with the LPRP, the state leaders and the Lao people to create favorable conditions for stability, national economic growth and poverty reduction in the country.

BEIJING, March 22 (Xinhua) -- A mainland spokesperson on Monday lashed out at Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authority for its attempt and provocation to seek "Taiwan independence," saying such acts are "very dangerous" and the DPP will suffer the consequences if it does not mend its ways.

Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, made the comment in response to the remarks of Taiwan's mainland affairs council regarding cross-Strait relations.

BEIJING (AP) — A second Canadian citizen held for more than two years on spying charges in apparent retaliation for Canada’s arrest of a senior executive of the telecoms giant Huawei went on trial in Beijing on Monday.

The trial Monday of analyst and former diplomat Michael Kovrig in Beijing follows an initial hearing in the case of entrepreneur Michael Spavor in the northeastern city of Dandong on Friday.

TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares were mixed Monday as sentiment was shaken by the U.S. Federal Reserve’s announcement that it would end some emergency measures put in place last year to help the financial industry deal with the pandemic.

Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 dropped 1.8% in morning trading to 29,248.90. South Korea’s Kospi edged nearly 0.1% lower to 3,036.61. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.7% to 6,754.80. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng slipped 0.2% to 28,921.82, while the Shanghai Composite added 0.7% to 3,429.37.

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Health care workers received the first shots in Taiwan’s COVID-19 vaccination drive Monday, beginning a campaign that won’t use supplies from China amid uneven distribution of the vaccines globally.

Taiwan has on hand 117,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which it is distributing to healthcare workers across 57 hospitals.

Taiwanese premier Su Tseng-chang launched the drive by receiving the first shot at National Taiwan University Hospital in the capital Taipei. “After 30 minutes of rest, there’s no signs of any discomfort,” he said.

Kuala Lumpur, Mar 21 (AP-PTI) North Korean diplomats vacated their embassy in Malaysia and prepared to leave the country Sunday, after the two nations cut diplomatic relations in a spat over the extradition of a North Korean criminal suspect to the United States.

The North Korean flag and embassy signage have been removed from the premise in a Kuala Lumpur suburb. Two buses ferried the diplomats and their families to the airport, where they were seen checking in for a flight to Shanghai.

BEIJING (Reuters) - China’s economy is continuing a steady recovery this year, vice premier Han Zheng said on Sunday.

Han made the remarks to the China Development Forum, a high-level business gathering hosted by the Development Research Centre of the State Council.

Han also said China, the world’s No.2 economy, will strengthen macro policy coordination with other countries.