Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

TOKYO (AP) — Japan says it has retracted a ban on new incoming international flight bookings to defend against the new variant of the coronavirus only a day after the policy was announced, following criticisms that it was an overreaction.

The transport ministry on Wednesday issued a request to international airlines to stop taking new reservations for flights coming into Japan until the end of December as an emergency precaution to defend against the new omicron variant.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Thursday that China’s pursuit of hypersonic weapons “increases tensions in the region” and vowed the U.S. would maintain its capability to deter potential threats posed by China.

Austin made the remarks in Seoul following annual security talks with his South Korean counterpart that focused on challenges from China and North Korea and other issues facing the allies.

MANILA, Dec 1 (NNN-PNA) – The Philippines’ total debt increased by 0.46 percent to 11.97 trillion pesos (roughly 237.72 billion U.S. dollars) at the end of Oct, according to the latest data released by the Philippine Bureau of Treasury today.

The bureau said, the country’s total debt rose by 54.48 billion pesos (roughly one billion U.S. dollars) “due to net issuance of domestic securities.”

Of the total debt, the bureau said, 29.3 percent was sourced externally, while the rest was domestic borrowings.

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 1 (NNN-Bernama) — The Balkan countries will be using Turkey as the gateway to import Malaysian palm oil, leveraging on Malaysia-Turkey free trade agreement (MTFTA) and close the gap through import duty advantage rendered by Turkey to the country’s palm oil, the Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC) said.

Its Istanbul-based marketing executive Hakan Alkan said, during the pandemic period, freight cost had increased drastically by some 300 per cent, causing industrial players to purchase the vegetable oil from Europe rather than buying directly from Malaysia.

MANILA, Dec. 1 (Xinhua) -- At least eight rebels were killed when government forces clashed with the leftist New People's Army (NPA) members in the central Philippines on Wednesday morning, the military said.

Major General Benedict Arevalo, commander of the army's 3rd Infantry Division, said fighting broke out around 6:00 a.m. local time between soldiers and up to 70 NPA rebels near Miagao town in Iloilo province.

The gun battle continued until around noontime, Arevalo said, adding that a clearing operation is ongoing in the clash site.

BEIJING, Dec. 1 (Xinhua) -- China on Wednesday expressed strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's recent remarks on Taiwan.

"Abe, in disregard of the basic norms governing international relations and the principles set out in the four political documents between China and Japan, flagrantly made irresponsible remarks on Taiwan and stirred in China's internal affairs," spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a daily press briefing.

BEIJING, Dec. 1 (Xinhua) -- A health official has emphasized the importance of committing to the current strategy in China to clear COVID-19 infections in a timely manner as highly contagious variants of the virus continue to rage around the world.

Since mid-October, the latest COVID-19 resurgence in China has spread to more than 20 provincial-level regions. Most regions managed to contain the outbreak within an incubation period of about 14 days, said Ma Xiaowei, head of the National Health Commission, in a recent interview with Xinhua.

PHNOM PENH, Nov 30 (NNN-AKP) – Cambodia today, allowed all karaoke parlours, nightclubs, and bars in the capital Phnom Penh to reopen after a long halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Karaoke parlours, nightclubs and discotheques in Phnom Penh are allowed to reopen from today, with the adaptation to the new normal,” Phnom Penh governor, Khuong Sreng, said.

Business owners must strictly comply with the standard operating procedure, assigning staff members to inspect the COVID-19 vaccination cards of customers, and screen their temperature at the entrance, he said.

TOKYO, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Japan has confirmed the first case infected with the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 in the country, the Japanese government said Tuesday.

The infected person is a man in his 30s arriving from Namibia who tested positive for COVID-19 upon his arrival at the Narita international airport near Tokyo on Sunday.

The health ministry said the man had no symptoms when being at the airport but developed a fever on Monday, while two family members traveling with him have tested negative and are quarantined at a government-designated facility.

BEIJING, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has urged unremitting efforts to improve prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS ahead of the 34th World AIDS Day, which falls on Wednesday.

Noting the progress achieved in the country's work to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS, Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, stressed putting life first and improving the systematic planning of relevant work.