Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

HANOI (AP) — U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris turned her attention to issues surrounding worker rights and civil liberties Thursday as she closed out her visit to Southeast Asia, elevating activists in a region of the world known for its challenges and restrictions to human rights.

In Vietnam, Harris participated in what her team billed as a “changemakers” event with activists working on LGBTQ rights and climate change.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea will convene its rubber-stamp parliament next month to discuss efforts to salvage an economy strained by pandemic border closures after decades of mismanagement and U.S.-led sanctions.

The North’s official Korean Central News Agency said Thursday the Supreme People’s Assembly will meet on Sept. 28 in Pyongyang to discuss economic development, youth education, government organizational matters and other issues. The report didn’t mention any plans for discussions on foreign policy.

TOKYO (AP) — Japan suspended use of about 1.63 million doses of Moderna vaccine Thursday after contamination was found in unused vials, raising concern of a supply shortage as the country tries to accelerate vaccinations amid a COVID-19 surge.

The health ministry said contamination was reported from multiple vaccination sites. Some doses might have been administered, but no adverse health effects have been reported so far, officials said.

TASHKENT, Aug 25 (APP): Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Wednesday emphasizing Pakistan’s support for an inclusive political setup in Afghanistan said that peace in the country would bring stability in the region, promote trade and facilitate people to people linkages.

It was therefore important that neighbours of Afghanistan coordinate closely on the situation in Afghanistan, he added.

The Foreign Minister expressed these views during the meeting with his Uzbek counterpart Abdulaziz Kamilov here in the capital of Uzbekistan.

DUSHANBE (Tajikistan), Aug 25 (APP): Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rahmon on Wednesday agreed to the proposal of Pakistan to adopt a cohesive approach in achieving the common goals of peace and prosperity in Afghanistan.

The development came as Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi held a meeting with the Tajik president on the current situation in Afghanistan.

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 25 (NNN-Bernama) — Malaysia’s National Heart Institute (IJN) became the first hospital in Asia to succeed in performing a new innovative heart valve treatment for patients suffering from tricuspid regurgitation or leaky heart valves.

IJN in a statement said the procedure was carried out on May 6 by its Heart Failure and Heart Transplant team and Cardiology Department.

BANGKOK, Aug 25 (NNN-Bernama) — Thailand’s home-grown messenger RNA (mRNA) COVID-19 vaccine called ChulaCov19 is expected to be available by the end of this year or early next year.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ deputy spokesman Natapanu Nopakun said the vaccine candidate, developed by Chulalongkorn University, is at the third phase of clinical trials and has made significant progress.

“If proven successful, Thailand could possibly be first in ASEAN to produce COVID-19 vaccine.

MANILA, Aug 25 (Reuters) - Philippine activists and the families of victims in a drug war that has killed thousands view with dread the possibility of President Rodrigo Duterte staying on as vice-president for six more years after his time in the top job ends next year.

The constitution bars a re-election bid by Duterte, 76, but he said on Tuesday he would run for vice president in 2022 in order to keep up his crusade on insurgency, criminal activities and drug dealers.

HANOI, Aug 25 (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday again charged China with bullying its Southeast Asian neighbours, the second time in two days she has attacked Beijing during a regional visit, as Washington tries to rally regional partners to take on China's growing economic and military influence.

BEIJING, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- China on Wednesday urged the United States to stop political manipulation on the issue of coronavirus origins tracing.

If the U.S. insists on the "lab leak" theory, it should invite the World Health Organization to investigate the labs of Fort Detrick and the University of North Carolina in the first place, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a daily press briefing.