Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

TOKYO (AP) — Japan expanded a coronavirus state of emergency to four more areas in addition to Tokyo on Friday following record spikes in infections as the capital hosts the Olympics.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga declared an emergency in Saitama, Kanagawa and Chiba, near Tokyo, as well as in the western city of Osaka, effective Monday until Aug. 31. Emergency measures already in place in Tokyo will be extended until the end of August, after the Olympics and well into the Paralympics which start Aug. 24.

BANGKOK (AP) — With coronavirus deaths rising in Myanmar, allegations are growing from residents and human rights activists that the military government, which seized control in February, is using the pandemic to consolidate power and crush opposition.

In the last week, the per capita death rate in Myanmar surpassed those of Indonesia and Malaysia to become the worst in Southeast Asia. The country’s crippled health care system has rapidly become overwhelmed with new patients sick with COVID-19.

BEIJING, July 29 (APP): Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe held a meeting with Pakistan’s Defence Minister Pervez Khattak to exchange views on bilateral and military to military relations.

During the meeting held on the sidelines of the 18th meeting of the Council of Ministers of Defense of Shanghai Cooperation (SCO) Member States held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, the two sides also discussed international and regional situation as well as counter-terrorism cooperation, according to China Military Online here on Thursday.

KUALA LUMPUR, July 29 (NNN-Bernama) — Malaysian Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has proposed a motion stating that the Dewan Rakyat (lower house of Parliament) has lost confidence in Muhyiddin Yassin and that he should resign as the Prime Minister immediately.

Anwar, who is Port Dickson member of parliament, said the motion was submitted to Dewan Rakyat Speaker Azhar Azizan Harun under Regulations 14(1)(h), 26(1)(d) dan 36(12) of the Standing Orders and the Federal Constitution.

“I, Anwar Ibrahim, on behalf of Dewan Rakyat members hereby submit the motion as follows:

PHNOM PENH, July 29 (NNN-XINHUA) — Cambodia has decided to impose a night curfew in capital Phnom Penh, provincial towns and populated areas for two weeks, starting from Friday to Aug. 12, in order to curb the spread of Delta COVID-19 variant, Prime Minister Hun Sen said.

“Impose curfew from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. in parts or throughout territories under your jurisdiction, especially in Phnom Penh capital city, provincial towns and populated areas,” he said in an instruction to the municipal and provincial governors.

KUALA LUMPUR, July 29 (Reuters) - Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin faced calls to resign on Thursday from the opposition and the biggest bloc in the ruling coalition, after a rare rebuke by the king over the government's handling of emergency ordinances.

Muhyiddin's government said earlier this week that on July 21 it had revoked all ordinances that had come into effect since a national state of emergency was imposed in January.

JIUQUAN, July 29 (Xinhua) -- China successfully launched the Tianhui I-04 satellite from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China at noon on Thursday.

The satellite was launched by a Long March-2D rocket at 12:01 p.m. (Beijing Time), and then successfully entered the planned orbit.

This was the 381st flight mission of the Long March rocket series. 

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met his Vietnamese counterpart on Thursday to deepen cooperation in security and pandemic recovery, after Washington vowed support for Southeast Asian nations embroiled in territorial rifts with China.

Vietnam and the Philippines, Austin’s next stop, are among China’s fiercest opponents in the territorial disputes in the South China Sea, where Beijing has ignored neighbors’ protests and has constructed several islands equipped with airstrips and military installations.

HONG KONG (AP) — A lawyer for the first person convicted under Hong Kong’s national security law asked Thursday for no more than 10 years in prison instead of the possible life sentence faced by the former restaurant waiter in a closely watched case as China’s ruling Communist Party tries to crush a pro-democracy movement.

BEIJING (AP) — China’s new ambassador to the United States outlined the challenges the two countries face in what has become an increasingly competitive and contentious relationship, while refraining from any criticism in short remarks after arriving to take up his new post.

“China and the United States are entering a new round of mutual exploration, understanding and adaptation, trying to find a way to get along with each other in the new era,” Qin Gang said in remarks posted by the Chinese Embassy in Washington after his arrival Wednesday.