Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

BEIJING (AP) — Some Chinese universities say they will allow students to finish the semester from home in hopes of reducing the potential of a bigger COVID-19 outbreak during the January Lunar New Year travel rush.

It wasn’t clear how many schools were taking part, but universities in Shanghai and nearby cities said students would be given the option of either returning home early or staying on campus and undergoing testing every 48 hours. The Lunar New Year, which falls on Jan. 22 this year, is traditionally China’s busiest travel season.

YEONCHEON, South Korea (AP) — Jin, the oldest member of K-pop supergroup BTS, began his 18 months of mandatory military service at a front-line South Korean boot camp Tuesday as fans gathered near the base to say goodbye to their star.

Dec 12 (Reuters) - Japan and the Netherlands have agreed in principle to join the United States in tightening controls over the export of advanced chip-making machinery to China, Bloomberg News reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the matter.

In October, the Biden administration published a series of curbs aimed at stopping the export of chip-making technology and certain chips made through U.S. equipment anywhere in the world to China.

BEIJING, Dec 12 (Reuters) - U.S. sanctions on two senior Chinese officials over alleged human rights abuses in Tibet were illegal and seriously harmed Sino-U.S. ties, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Monday.

China rejects accusations that it has used harsh policies to quell ethnic dissent and control religious activities in the rugged Himalayan region of Tibet.

BEIJING (AP) — China planned to stop tracking some travel on Monday, potentially reducing the likelihood people will be forced into quarantine for visiting COVID-19 hot spots, as part of an uncertain exit from the strict pandemic policies that helped fuel widespread protests.

BEIJING, Dec 11 (APP): Pakistan participated in the International Forum for Energy Transition 2022 which was held in the Chinese capital, with wide participation from across the world.

Federal Minister for Energy, Khurram Dastgir Khan represented Pakistan at the forum while the Chinese government was represented by Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng who delivered remarks at the event, according to a press release issued here.

BEIJING, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Beijing's COVID-19 gloom deepened on Sunday with many shops and other businesses closed, and an expert warned of many thousands of new coronavirus cases as anger over China's previous COVID policies gave way to worry about coping with infection.

China dropped most of its strict COVID curbs on Wednesday after unprecedented protests against them last month, but cities that were already battling with their most severe outbreaks, like Beijing, saw a sharp decrease in economic activity after rules such as regular testing were scrapped.

JAKARTA, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Two people died and one was seriously injured after being hit by a train in Cirebon Regency in West Java province on Sunday.

A spokesperson for PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) Regional Operations III Cirebon, Ayep Hanapi, said that the three of them, including a 7-year-old child, on a motorbike traveled the level crossing when the train from Jakarta's Gambir to Cirebon passed at 11:23 a.m. local time.

"They crossed when the warning siren was still sounding," said Hanapi, citing witnesses.

BEIJING (AP) — Facing a surge in COVID-19 cases, China is setting up more intensive care facilities and trying to strengthen hospitals as it rolls back anti-virus controls that confined millions of people to their homes, crushed economic growth and set off protests.

President Xi Jinping’s government is officially committed to stopping virus transmission, the last major country to try. But the latest moves suggest the ruling Communist Party will tolerate more cases without quarantines or shutting down travel or businesses as it winds down its “zero-COVID” strategy.

JAKARTA, Dec 10 (NNN-ANTARA) – A coal mine exploded in Indonesia’s western province of West Sumatra yesterday, leaving nine workers dead, two others injured and one missing, an official said.

The explosion in the mine, located in Sawahlunto town, occurred at about 8: 30 a.m. local time, press officer of the provincial search and rescue office, Arief Pratama said, via the phone.

“Nine people were killed by the blast. Two others sustained serious wounds,” Pratama said.

The wounded persons have been sent to a nearby hospital for treatment, according to him.