Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

BANGKOK (AP) — The army takeover in Myanmar a year ago that ousted Aung San Suu Kyi not only unexpectedly aborted the country’s fledgling return to democracy: It also brought a surprising level of popular resistance, which has blossomed into a low-level, but persistent, insurgency.

Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, the commander of Myanmar’s military — known as the Tatmadaw — seized power on the morning of Feb. 1, 2021, arresting Suu Kyi and top members of her government and ruling National League for Democracy party, which had won a landslide election victory in November 2020.

Bangkok, Jan 29 (AP) The army takeover in Myanmar a year ago that ousted Aung San Suu Kyi not only unexpectedly aborted the country's fledgling return to democracy: It also brought a surprising level of popular resistance, which has blossomed into a low-level, but persistent, insurgency.

Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, the commander of Myanmar's military known as the Tatmadaw seized power on the morning of February 1, 2021, arresting Suu Kyi and top members of her government and ruling National League for Democracy party, which had won a landslide election victory in November 2020.

BEIJING, Jan 28 (APP): Prime Minister Imran Khan Friday said the Pakistan-China partnership was unparalleled among inter-state relations. “The history of our friendship is a unique account of unwavering mutual support, mutual trust and mutual respect.

Nurtured by successive generations of our leadership and peoples across seven decades, this iron-brotherhood has blossomed into a strong and vibrant All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership,” he said in an article published by Global Times.

MANILA, Jan 28 (NNN-PNA) – The Philippines will allow entry of fully vaccinated foreigners from countries and regions with visa-free entry to the Philippines, starting Feb 10, authorities said today.

Cabinet Secretary, Karlo Nograles, said, foreigners travelling for business and tourism purposes must present vaccination certificates and passports valid for at least six months, at the time of arrival. People aged under 18 are exempted from this measure, he added.

PHNOM PENH, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen on Friday met with visiting Timor-Leste's Foreign Minister Adaljiza Albertina Xavier Reis Magno, discussing ways to broaden cooperation for mutual benefits, Cambodia's foreign ministry said in a press statement.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — After spending two years in a strict lockdown because of the COVID-19 pandemic, North Korea may finally be opening up — slowly. The reason could reflect a growing sense of recognition by the leadership that the nation badly needs to win outside economic relief.

Seoul, Jan 28 (AP) North Korea said Friday its two latest rounds of weapons tests this week were successful while vowing to bolster its nuclear war deterrent and speed up the development of more powerful warheads.

It appeared North Korean leader Kim Jong Un did not attend the tests on Tuesday and Thursday, which were detected by the militaries of neighbours South Korea and Japan.

NUR-SULTAN, January 27. /TASS/: The situation in Kazakhstan has fully stabilized while law and order have been restored after the unrest of early January, the country’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said in a statement on Thursday.

Tokayev held a Security Council meeting where he said "the situation in the country has been fully stabilized and law and order have been restored," according to the presidential press service. "All measures are being taken to increase the protection of individuals, society, and the state," he was quoted as saying.

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 27 (NNN-Bernama) — The Omicron wave has begun in Malaysia and the number of COVID-19 cases in the country is expected to rise, said Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

He said the situation, however, will be under control as the country has a high vaccination rate.

“The healthcare system is prepared. Serious cases are declining. Let us overcome this wave together,” he tweeted.

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 25 (NNN-Bernama) — Malaysia’s position to only invite non-political representatives from Myanmar to ASEAN’s high-level meetings remain unchanged – unless there was real progress in the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus (5PCs).

According to the Malaysian Foreign Ministry (Wisma Putra), this view was expressed by Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob during a video conference with his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen Tuesday, at the latter’s request.