Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

Experts say bird flu threat small despite Cambodian fatality

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — A top World Health Organization official, reacting to the death of an 11-year-old girl in Cambodia infected by bird flu, said Friday the recent global spread of the virus and human infections are “worrying.”

Dr. Sylvie Briand, the WHO’s director for epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention, said the U.N. agency is “in close communication with the Cambodian authorities to understand more about the outbreak.”

N. Korea food shortage worsens amid COVID, but no famine yet

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — There’s little doubt that North Korea’s chronic food shortages worsened due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and speculation about the country’s chronic food insecurity has flared as its top leaders prepare to discuss the “very important and urgent task” of formulating a correct agricultural policy.

Cambodian PM Says Malaysian PM To Visit Kingdom Next Month

PHNOM PENH, Feb 24 (NNN-AKP) – Cambodian Prime Minister, Samdech Techo Hun Sen, said here today that, Malaysian Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim, will pay an official visit to the kingdom on Mar 27.

“New Malaysian Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim will make an official visit to Cambodia, and will also attend the Ramadan Iftar (breaking-of-the-fast) dinner,” he said in a speech, during a graduation ceremony at the Royal University of Phnom Penh.

China says U.S. refused to share information on downed Chinese balloon

BEIJING, Feb 24 (Reuters) - China's foreign ministry said on Friday that the United States had refused to reply to a Chinese request for information on the balloon that it had shot downed off the coast of South Carolina earlier this month.

The Chinese balloon, which Beijing denies was a government spy vessel, spent a week flying over the United States and Canada before President Joe Biden ordered it to be shot down. The episode strained further ties between Washington and Beijing, leading America's top diplomat to postpone a trip to China.

Ukraine sees some merit in Chinese peace plan

BEIJING, Feb 24 (Reuters) - China called for a comprehensive ceasefire in Ukraine on Friday and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he was open to considering parts of a 12-point peace plan put forward by Beijing.

On the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Moscow's ally China urged both sides to agree to a gradual de-escalation, warned against the use of nuclear weapons and said conflict benefited no one.

Cambodian FM concludes visit to neighboring Thailand

PHNOM PENH, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn on Friday concluded his two-day official visit to neighboring Thailand.

The Cambodian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Sokhonn and his Thai counterpart Don Pramudwinai "attached great importance to the joint endeavors to realize the bilateral trade target of 15 billion U.S. dollars by 2025."

Japan to propose new Russia sanctions at online G-7 summit

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Friday he plans to present to other Group of Seven countries a set of “new ideas” for sanctions against Russia over its war on Ukraine when he hosts an online G-7 summit later in the day to mark the one-year anniversary of the start of the invasion.

Kishida, as this year’s G-7 president, told a news conference he also planned to call on other countries to stop providing military support to Russia.

China calls for Russia-Ukraine cease-fire, peace talks

BEIJING (AP) — China called for a cease-fire and peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, in a vaguely worded proposal released Friday that analysts said was unlikely to deliver results.

Beijing claims to have a neutral stance in the war that began one year ago, but has also said it has a “no limits friendship” with Russia and has refused to criticize its invasion of Ukraine, or even refer to it as an invasion. It has accused the West of provoking the conflict and “fanning the flames” by providing Ukraine with defensive arms.

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