Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Six people have died and 350,000 have been treated for a fever that has spread “explosively” across North Korea, state media said Friday, a day after acknowledging a COVID-19 outbreak for the first time in the pandemic.

North Korea likely doesn’t have sufficient COVID-19 tests and other medical equipment and said it didn’t know the case of the mass fevers. But a big COVID-19 outbreak could be devastating in a country with a broken health care system and an unvaccinated, malnourished population.

BEIJING, May 12 (APP): Pakistan and China have agreed to carry forward traditional friendship and both the countries will never allow any force to sabotage their all-weather strategic cooperative partnership, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, Zhao Lijian said on Thursday.

DUSHANBE, May 12. /TASS/: A meeting of the Azerbaijani and Armenian commissions on border delimitation and border security is scheduled to take place in Moscow next week, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said on Thursday.

"I want to inform you that we had contacts with the Azerbaijani colleagues on the issue of setting up commissions on border delimitation and border security," the top diplomat said as he met with Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Dushanbe.

YANGON, May 12 (NNN-MNA) – Myanmar will resume accepting tourist e-visa applications, starting this Sunday, more than two years after the country suspended all new e-visa applications, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our Online e-Visa service will resume with effect from May 15, 2022, for tourist visa applications,” the Immigration and Population Ministry said, today.

The move came after the country’s resumption of international commercial flight operations, on Apr 17, and the reopening of its borders to international travellers.

SEOUL, May 12 (Reuters) - North Korea reported its first COVID-19 outbreak on Thursday, calling it the "gravest national emergency" and ordering a national lockdown, with state media saying an Omicron variant had been detected in the capital, Pyongyang.

North Korea had never confirmed a COVID infection before Thursday although South Korean and U.S. officials have said there could have been earlier cases in the isolated country, given its trade and travel with China before it sealed its border to block the virus in early 2020.

BEIJING, May 12 (Xinhua) -- The United States, as a non-regional country, should play a positive and constructive role in promoting regional peace and development, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Thursday, in response to reports that the upcoming U.S.-ASEAN summit will discuss issues related to China.

"The United States should not use cooperation as a cover to force others to pick sides, or play with fire on issues concerning China's core interests," said Zhao Lijian, the spokesperson.

BEIJING, May 12 (Xinhua) -- In the face of mounting uncertainties due to COVID-19, one thing remains certain -- China will stick to its dynamic zero-COVID policy that has proven pragmatic and effective.

That steadfast commitment, reaffirmed by the Communist Party of China leadership at a high-level meeting last week, came as the COVID-hit city of Shanghai has seen infections fall over the past 10-plus days and many manufacturers, including Tesla, gradually resume operations.

BEIJING (AP) — A Chinese passenger jet left the runway upon takeoff and caught fire in western China on Thursday morning, and several people were injured.

Tibet Airlines said it happened at 8:09 a.m. (0009 GMT) as the flight to the city of Nyingchi in the Tibetan Autonomous Region was preparing to take off from the western city of Chongqing.

The Airbus A319-115 jet had 113 passengers and nine flight crew onboard, all of whom were safely evacuated with some taken to a hospital with minor injuries, the airline said in an statement.

BEIJING (AP) — China’s leaders are struggling to reverse an economic slump without giving up anti-virus tactics that shut down Shanghai and other cities, adding to challenges for President Xi Jinping as he tries to extend his time in power.

The ruling Communist Party has declared its “zero-COVID” goal of preventing all infections takes priority over the economy. It is a decision with global implications and comes despite warnings by experts including the head of the World Health Organization that the goal might be unattainable.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea imposed a nationwide lockdown Thursday to control its first acknowledged COVID-19 outbreak after holding for more than two years to a widely doubted claim of a perfect record keeping out the virus that has spread to nearly every place in the world.