Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

Thailand's daily COVID-19 cases drop below 15,000 for 4th day

BANGKOK, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) -- Thailand logged 14,653 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, the fourth consecutive day of infections below 15,000, data from the country's Center for COVID-19 Administration (CCSA) showed.

With the new infections, the number of cumulative cases in Thailand rose to 1,249,140, of which over 97 percent recorded since April 1, when the third wave quickly spread across the country.

China's top political advisory body rejects European Parliament's Taiwan report

BEIJING, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- China's top political advisory body has voiced strong dissatisfaction with and resolute opposition to a report recently adopted by the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Despite China's solemn representations, the report on so-called "EU-Taiwan political relations and cooperation" advocated the elevation of EU-Taiwan relations, said a statement issued on Thursday by the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee.

Kim orders tougher virus steps after N. Korea shuns vaccines

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered officials to wage a tougher epidemic prevention campaign in “our style” after he turned down some foreign COVID-19 vaccines offered via the U.N.-backed immunization program.

During a Politburo meeting Thursday, Kim said officials must “bear in mind that tightening epidemic prevention is the task of paramount importance which must not be loosened even a moment,” the official Korean Central News Agency reported Friday.

China’s Alibaba promises $15.5B for development initiatives

BEIJING (AP) — E-commerce giant Alibaba Group said Friday it will spend $15.5 billion to support President Xi Jinping’s campaign to spread China’s prosperity more evenly, adding to pledges by tech companies that are under pressure to pay for the ruling Communist Party’s political initiatives.

Global stock markets mixed after Wall St hits another record

BEIJING (AP) — Global stock markets were mixed Friday as investors waited to see whether U.S. hiring in August was weak enough to persuade the Federal Reserve to postpone the winding down of economic stimulus.

Tokyo advanced after Wall Street hit its second record this week. Shanghai and Hong Kong declined.

Moderna To Recall COVID-19 Doses In Japan Over Stainless Steel Contaminants

TOKYO, Sept 2 (NNN-NHK) – Moderna Inc. and Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd said, they are working with the Japanese government to recall three batches of COVID-19 vaccine, after an investigation confirmed stainless steel contaminants in some vials, local media reported today.

The health ministry said yesterday, foreign substances found in some vials of Moderna Inc.’s vaccine, distributed in Japan were confirmed to be stainless steel, which seemed probably mixed during the manufacturing process.

Japanese PM's rival Kishida urges coronavirus stimulus package

TOKYO, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Japan's former foreign minister Fumio Kishida, who is challenging Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga as ruling party chief, said on Thursday an economic stimulus package worth "tens of trillions of yen" was needed to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

Kishida also said Japan must maintain ultra-low interest rates to support the pandemic-hit economy, offering the clearest sign to date that expansionary fiscal and monetary policies would remain in place if he replaced Suga.

Tajikistan can't afford to take in Afghan refugees without help -police chief

DUSHANBE, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Tajikistan cannot afford to take in large numbers of refugees and asylum seekers from neighbouring Afghanistan as it promised to do in the summer, the police chief of Central Asia's poorest country said on Thursday.

The government of Tajikistan, an ex-Soviet state allied to Moscow and part of the Russian-led CSTO military alliance, said in July that it could take in 100,000 refugees from Afghanistan but that it needed to create infrastructure for them.

US envoy Kerry says China crucial to handling climate crisis

BEIJING (AP) — China needs to expand its efforts to reduce carbon emissions to help hold back the rise in global temperatures, U.S. envoy John Kerry said Thursday.

The State Department said Kerry told Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng in a virtual meeting that there is “no way” for the world to solve the climate crisis without China’s “full engagement and commitment.”

China is the world’s largest carbon emitter, producing an estimated 27% of global greenhouse gases, followed by the United States.

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