Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

HANOI, June 22 (NNN-VNA) – Vietnam reported no new cases of COVID-19 infection on Sunday, with its total confirmed cases remaining at 349 with zero deaths so far, according to its Ministry of Health.

Meanwhile as many as 327 patients have recovered from the disease, according to the ministry.

Vietnam has recorded no local transmission for 66 straight days, while there are over 5,700 people being quarantined and monitored in the country, said the ministry.

HANOI, June 22 (NNN-VNA) – The 36th ASEAN Summit will be held via video conference on June 26, Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs was quoted as saying, on Sunday.

As ASEAN’s chair in 2020, Vietnamese Prime Minister, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, will chair the opening session, plenary session and special sessions on women’s empowerment in digital era, as well as, dialogue between leaders of ASEAN and ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) and ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC), among others.

BANGKOK (AP) — World shares sagged Monday as reports of new coronavirus infections in the U.S. and worldwide surged, with the global total approaching 9 million.

European markets opened lower after a mixed session in Asia.

BEIJING, June 21 (APP): A prototype high-speed maglev test vehicle with a speed of 600 km/h, developed by CRCC Qingdao Sifang Co, successfully ran on the test line at Tongji University in Shanghai on Sunday morning, marking an important breakthrough in China’s high-speed maglev research and development.

TOKYO (Reuters) - Public support for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s cabinet rose by nine percentage points to 36% despite the recent arrest of his former justice minister on suspicion of vote-buying, a poll by the Mainichi Shimbun daily showed on Sunday.

The approval rating had fallen to 27% in the paper’s previous survey conducted soon after a senior Tokyo prosecutor who was seen close to the premier resigned in late May for gambling during Japan’s coronavirus state of emergency.

A drop in voter support below 30% is often seen as a danger sign.

PUTRAJAYA, June 19 (NNN-BERNAMA) –The number of new COVID-19 cases in Malaysia returned to a single digit figure today, with just six infections reported, bringing the total number of positive cases to 8,535, while a new cluster was detected in Kidurong near Bintulu, Sarawak.

Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said 70 patients have recovered and were allowed to be discharged today, bringing the cumulative figure to 8,070 cases or 94.6 per cent of the total cases.

KUALA LUMPUR, June 21 (NNN-BERNAMA) — Industry trade events organiser, Informa Markets has urged the government to consider reopening the borders for business travellers from countries which have managed to contain the COVID-19 spread.

Its ASEAN Business group managing director M Gandhi said the implementation of “travel bubble” for international business travellers will help to stimulate the Malaysian economy.

SINGAPORE, June 21 (NNN-BERNAMA) — Singapore mosques will resume Friday prayers and daily congregational prayers on June 26, with a maximum of 50 congregants per session at each mosque, said Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS).

In its website, MUIS said it will continue to adopt a cautious and phased approach to ensure the mosques remain safe, and in full compliance with national guidelines.

BEIJING, June 20 (Xinhua) -- Nearly 2.3 million people in Beijing have received nucleic acid tests over the past week as the city strives to contain domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases, local authorities said Saturday.

Beijing authorities have set up a total of 2,083 sampling sites in 474 locations across the city, with 7,472 medical staffers taking shifts to conduct tests.

SINGAPORE, June 20 (Xinhua) -- Singapore will remain committed to the free flow of goods, services, capital, data, ideas and talent, said Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat Saturday evening.

He made the remarks while outlining three ways that the government will help businesses and workers thrive in the post-COVID world.

"In a more fractious post-COVID world, whatever the rest of the world does, we will persist to finding new links to enable these flows, especially in connecting critical supply lines around the world.