Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

ALGIERS, June 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — One of the leaders of the protests which have rocked Algeria for the past 16 months has been sentenced to a year in prison.

Amira Bouraoui, 44, was convicted on six counts, including “insulting Islam”, “insulting the president” and “incitement to violate lockdown” during the coronavirus pandemic.

Her lawyer, Mustapha Bouchachi, condemned the verdict. “This conviction is unjust, there is no evidence. We are going to appeal,” he said.

SINGAPORE, June 23 (NNN-BERNAMA) — Singapore today dissolved Parliament for a general election on July 10, with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong saying the country can a hold “a proper and safe election” as the COVID-19 situation was “relatively stable”.

Nomination has been set for June 30, according to the Prime Minister’s Office.

President Halimah Yacob, on the advice of Lee, had dissolved Parliament and issued the writ of election.

Soon after the dissolution of Parliament, the Elections Department announced that polling will be on July 10.

BEIJING (Reuters) - The president of European Union Chamber of Commerce in China said on Tuesday that he doubts the China-EU investment agreement will be finished this year.

Joerg Wuttke told reporters during a briefing that he was disappointed the latest EU-China meetings did not lead to a joint communique, adding that he was concerned China is drifting towards isolation.

SINGAPORE/TOKYO (Reuters) - Oil prices steadied on Tuesday after a volatile session sparked by confusion over the status of the U.S.-China trade deal.

Markets were spooked by surprise comments from White House trade adviser Peter Navarro saying the hard-won deal was “over”, though assurances from President Donald Trump later that the agreement was fully intact soothed jangled nerves.

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - The world’s biggest trade pact RCEP will be signed later this year, participating countries said in a statement on Tuesday, adding that the coronavirus pandemic had increased the deal’s importance.

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) brings together the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. India pulled out of talks last November, but members have said the door remains open to New Delhi.

HONG KONG, June 22 (Xinhua) -- People from various sectors in Hong Kong are looking forward to the early implementation of the law on safeguarding national security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and hope the new law will ensure Hong Kong's long-term peace and order.

The draft law was submitted for deliberation at the 19th session of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress from June 18 to 20.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A South Korean group launched hundreds of thousands of leaflets by balloon across the border with North Korea overnight, an activist said Tuesday, despite Pyongyang repeatedly warning it that it will retaliate against such actions.

Activist Park Sang-hak said his organization floated 20 huge balloons carrying 500,000 leaflets, 2,000 one-dollar bills and small books on North Korea from the border town of Paju on Monday night.

BEIJING (AP) — China on Tuesday launched the final satellite in its Beidou constellation that emulates and may seek to compete with the U.S. Global Positioning System, marking a further step in the country’s advance as a major space power.

The launch of the satellite onboard a Long March-3 rocket was broadcast live from the satellite launch base of Xichang, deep in the mountains of southwestern China, shortly before 10 a.m. About half an hour later, the satellite was deployed in orbit and extended its solar panels to provide its energy.

BEIJING, Jun 22 (APP): China does not want to escalate conflicts with India, but we have sufficient capacity to smash any provocations from the Indian troops. It’s hoped that Indian troops can remain sober and Indian elites keep rational. It’s in the India’s interests to work with China to put the border disputes under control, Hu Xijing, editor-in-chief of Global Times said on Monday.

TOKYO, June 22. /TASS/: Last year, Washington demanded that Japan earmark $8 bln annually for the upkeep of American military bases in the Asian country which is four and a half times more than the current amount, the Kyodo news agency reported on Monday citing the memoir of Trump’s ex-National Security Advisor John Bolton entitled: "The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir". Kyodo claims that it possesses a manuscript of this book.