Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

BEIJING (AP) — China has pledged to donate 600 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccines to Africa as the world grapples with the unequal distribution of the shots between rich and poor countries.

Chinese President Xi Jinping made the promise Monday in a video speech to the opening ceremony of a China-Africa forum on economic cooperation.

He said China will supply 1 billion doses in all. The other 400 million are to come through other routes such as production by Chinese companies in Africa.

BEIJING (AP) — China’s manufacturing activity rebounded in November as orders improved and power shortages eased, a survey showed Tuesday.

An industry group and the national statistics agency said a monthly purchasing managers’ index rose to 50.1 from October’s 49.2 on a 100-point scale. The index spent the previous two months below 50, which shows activity decreasing.

A measure of production rose 3.6 points to 52, indicating activity was recovering from power rationing imposed in major manufacturing areas in September to meet official energy efficiency targets.

BANGKOK (AP) — A court in Myanmar prepared to deliver its verdict Tuesday in the trial of ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi on charges of spreading information that could disturb public order and violating coronavirus restrictions.

It is the first court verdict for the 76-year-old Nobel laureate since the army seized power on Feb. 1, arresting her and blocking her National League for Democracy party from starting a second term in office.

She also faces trials on a series of other charges, including corruption, that could send her to prison for dozens of years if convicted.

BEIJING, Nov 29 (APP): Pakistan and China on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding on expansion of bilateral tourism, exchanges and cooperation.

Pakistan Ambassador to China, Moin ul Haque and Chinese Vice-Minister of Culture and Tourism Zhang Xu signed the MoU from both sides at an august signing ceremony held at the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism in Beijing.

The event was also attended by senior officials from the two countries and media representatives.

HONG KONG, Nov 29 (Reuters) - A closely monitored national security trial involving 47 Hong Kong democracy campaigners charged with conspiracy to commit subversion, most of whom have been in custody since March, has been adjourned till March next year, a judge ruled on Monday.

Magistrate Peter Law adjourned the next hearing till March 4, after making directions for the translation of nearly 10,000 pages of documentary evidence by year end. Hong Kong laws bar media from publishing most details of pre-trial proceedings.

BEIJING, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Security officials in one of China's largest provinces have commissioned a surveillance system they say they want to use to track journalists and international students among other "suspicious people", documents reviewed by Reuters showed.

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- Travel across the bridge connecting Malaysia and Singapore as well as an air corridor opened on Monday after disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The bridge link, or causeway, was one of the busiest crossing points in the world with hundreds of thousands from both countries crossing the link daily before the pandemic.

Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who is on an official visit to Singapore, stopped by the causeway as part of a ceremony to mark its reopening under the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL).

SEOUL, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Monday urged a rapid administration of booster shots against the COVID-19 as the eased anti-virus rules raised the number of severe cases and deaths.

Moon presided over a COVID-19 response meeting, saying the country's pandemic situation got serious amid the higher number of new infections, severe cases and deaths, as well as fewer hospital beds for severe patients.

BEIJING, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- Omicron, a new COVID-19 variant, has been detected in a growing number of countries and regions worldwide, prompting governments to tighten their restrictions and impose new travel bans.

While the variant has sparked concerns among the public, the World Health Organization (WHO) said it is not yet clear whether Omicron is more transmissible, or causes more severe disease compared to other variants.

MORE OMICRON CASES DETECTED

TOKYO (AP) — Nissan said Monday it is investing 2 trillion yen ($17.6 billion) over the next five years and developing a cheaper, more powerful battery to boost its electric vehicle lineup.