Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

TOKYO, June 28 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) continues to have the highest support rate in the run-up to the July 10 upper house election, a local news survey showed Tuesday.

Of those polled, 28.3 percent said they will vote for the LDP, a 1 point increase from the previous poll conducted between June 18 and June 19, Kyodo News said of its nationwide telephone poll conducted from Sunday through Tuesday.

HONG KONG (AP) — Every few generations, Hong Kong transforms itself, evolving from a swampy fishing village to 19th century colonial port, to capitalist outpost and factory after China’s 1949 revolution, to 21st century financial center.

BEIJING (AP) — China on Tuesday announced an easing of its quarantine requirement for people arriving from abroad but stopped short of lifting what remains a stringent COVID-19 policy compared to most other countries.

Anyone coming from outside the country will be required to stay in a quarantine hotel for seven days, followed by three days of home quarantine, the National Health Commission said in its latest pandemic response plan.

KUALA LUMPUR, Jun 27 (NNN-BERNAMA) – Malaysia reported 2,003 new COVID-19 infections as of midnight, bringing the national total to 4,556,664, according to the health ministry.

There are three new imported cases, with 2,000 cases being local transmissions, data released by the ministry showed.

One more death has been reported, taking the death toll to 35,746.

The ministry reported 1,861 new recoveries, lifting the total number of cured and discharged to 4,492,767.

SEOUL, June 27 (Xinhua) -- A South Korean minister in charge of inter-Korean affairs said Monday that the country was still committed to dialogue with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

"We remain firmly committed to addressing all inter-Korean issues through dialogue," South Korean Unification Minister Kwon Young-se told a press conference with foreign correspondents in Seoul.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A top South Korean official said Monday that North Korea is increasingly targeting the South with its nuclear arms program, and urged China and Russia to persuade the North not to conduct a widely expected nuclear test.

Unification Minster Kwon Youngse’s comments came after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un re-emphasized his nuclear ambitions in a key military meeting last week and approved unspecified new operational duties for front-line army units.

TOKYO (AP) — People in Tokyo are sweating it out as the government warns of possible power shortages and urges greater efforts to conserve energy while Japan endures unseasonably hot temperatures.

Weather officials announced the earliest end to the annual summer rainy season since the Japan Meteorological Agency began keeping records in 1951. The rains usually temper the summer heat, often well into July.

KUALA LUMPUR, June 26 (NNN-Bernama) — Six young scientists have been selected to represent Malaysia at the 71st Nobel Laureate Meeting in Lindau, Germany, being held from Sunday until July 1. 

Academy of Sciences Malaysia (ASM) president Professor Emerita Dr Asma Ismail said they included Dr Enis Nadia Md. Yusof of Universiti Sains Malaysia, Dr Goh Choon Fu (Universiti Sains Malaysia) and Dr Nur Azzalia Kamaruzaman (Universiti Sains Malaysia).

YANGON, June 26 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar ceremonially burnt seized narcotic drugs in the cities of Yangon, Mandalay and Taunggyi on Sunday, marking the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

In Yangon, 33 kinds of narcotic drugs and precursor chemicals worth over 356.68 billion kyats (192.6 million U.S. dollars), which were seized in the lower part of Myanmar, were destroyed on Sunday morning.

The destroyed drugs included heroin, cannabis, stimulant, methamphetamine and ecstasy among others in connection with 5,914 drug cases.

BEIJING, June 25 (APP): Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin confirmed on Saturday that the Beijing would provide 50 million yuan ($ 7.5 million) in emergency humanitarian aid including tents, sheets, convertible beds to quake-hit Afghanistan.

The first shipment of aid to be transported to the country on Monday by charter flight.

China will also work closely with the Afghan interim government to ensure that aid reaches those affected in time and helps local people to overcome their current difficulties, Wang said.