Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

SHANGHAI, Sept 29 (Reuters) - China's vast Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is in danger of losing momentum as opposition in targeted countries rises and debts mount, paving the way for rival schemes to squeeze Beijing out, a new study showed on Wednesday.

President Xi Jinping launched BRI in 2013, aiming to harness China's strengths in financing and infrastructure construction to "build a broad community of shared interests" throughout Asia, Africa and Latin America.

HONG KONG, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Hong Kong's legislature on Wednesday passed a privacy law tackling "doxxing" - the public release of information identifying an individual or organisation - that critics say could be used to protect those in power and target civil society.

Supporters say the legislation was long overdue to counter a problem festering since the city's 2019 mass pro-democracy protests. Some officers' home addresses and children's schools were exposed by anti-government protesters, leading to threats.

Sept 29 (Reuters) - Myanmar's currency has lost more than 60% of its value since the beginning of September, driving up food and fuel prices in an economy that has tanked since a military coup eight months ago.

Many gold shops and money exchanges closed on Wednesday due to the turmoil, while the kyat’s dive trended on social media with comments ranging from stark warnings to efforts to find some humour as yet another crisis hits the strife-torn nation.

BEIJING, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- China is willing to work with Japan's new ruling team to observe the principles set out in the four political documents between China and Japan, deepen mutually beneficial and practical cooperation, and promote the healthy and stable development of bilateral relations along the right track, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Wednesday.

Hua Chunying made the remarks at a daily news briefing in response to a query on Fumio Kishida's victory in the election to become president of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) on Wednesday.

BANGKOK, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's central bank on Wednesday maintained its key interest rate at a low level again amid efforts to promote economic recovery.

The Bank of Thailand Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) held the policy rate unchanged at 0.5 percent, for the 11th straight meeting and since May 2020, citing high uncertainties of the economic outlook.

The MPC maintained its growth forecast for the economy at 0.7 percent this year, but raised that for 2022 to 3.9 percent from the projection of 3.7 percent it made in August.

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida won the governing party leadership election on Wednesday and is set to become the next prime minister, facing the imminent task of addressing a pandemic-hit economy and ensuring a strong alliance with Washington to counter growing regional security risks.

Kishida replaces outgoing party leader Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who is stepping down after serving only one year since taking office last September.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea said Wednesday it successfully tested a new hypersonic missile it implied was being developed as nuclear capable, as it continues to expand its military capabilities and pressure Washington and Seoul over long-stalled negotiations over its nuclear weapons.

BEIJING, Sep 28 (APP): ”Pakistan government is focusing on the development of e-commerce. China is leading the world in the field of e-commerce. Last year, its e-commerce transaction was $2 trillion, which is more than the added-up figure of e-commerce trades done in the US and Europe,” said Pakistan Ambassador to China, Moin ul Haque.

NUR-SULTAN, September 28. / TASS /: The US military does not yet have any specific plans for using Russian military bases in Central Asia in order to counter terrorism, US Ambassador to Kazakhstan William Moser said at a briefing on Tuesday.

"We do not have specific plans in this field so far," the US envoy noted.

TASHKENT, Sept 28 (NNN-XINHUA) – The heads of border authorities of Uzbekistan and Afghanistan, held a meeting to discuss issues related to the transit of goods being exported to Afghanistan, the Uzbek Foreign Ministry said, yesterday.

Transit of essential goods such as food, medicine, clothing, fuel and lubricants was discussed during the meeting, held at Uzbekistan’s border town of Termez, at the request of the Afghan side, it said.