Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A U.N. spokesman said the world body in North Korea has been left with no international staff, who are now working remotely.

Despite claiming to be coronavirus free, North Korea has sealed off its borders as part of stringent anti-pandemic measures that also involved the departure of diplomats and foreign nationals.

Earlier this week, the last remaining two international U.N. staffers, both with the World Food Program, reportedly left Pyongyang.

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — Two more journalists were detained in Myanmar on Friday, part of the junta’s intensifying efforts to choke off information about resistance to last month’s coup.

Mizzima News reported that one of its former reporters, Than Htike Aung, and Aung Thura, a journalist from the BBC’s Burmese-language service, were detained by men who appeared to be plainclothes security agents outside a court in the capital of Naypyitaw.

(Reuters) - Myanmar security forces shot dead nine opponents of a Feb. 1 coup on Friday, a funeral services provider and media said, as Indonesia urged an end to the violence and the restoration of democracy, in an unusually blunt call from a neighbour.

Military and police have used increasingly violent tactics to suppress demonstrations by supporters of detained elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, but that has not put off the protesters, with crowds turning out again in several towns.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea on Friday announced the termination of diplomatic ties with Malaysia over its decision to allow the extradition of a North Korean criminal suspect to the United States. It’s the latest development in growing animosity between Washington and Pyongyang as the North ramps up pressure on the Biden administration over a nuclear standoff.

BEIJING (AP) — Asian stock markets followed Wall Street lower on Friday after rising U.S. bond yields dampened buying enthusiasm driven by the Federal Reserve’s promise of low interest rates.

Shanghai, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Sydney retreated.

Overnight, Wall Street’s benchmark S&P 500 index closed down 1.5%, putting it on track for its first weekly loss in three weeks. Stocks slipped after bond yields rose, which can prompt investors to shift money out of stocks.

DANDONG, China (AP) — China on Friday put on trial one of two Canadians held for more than two years in apparent retaliation for Canada’s arrest of a senior Chinese telecom executive.

Canada said its consular officials were refused permission to attend the proceedings against Michael Spavor, who is accused by China of stealing state secrets.

BEIJING, March 18 (APP): Pakistan attach great importance to deepening and expanding cooperation in the agriculture sector under the framework of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Therefore, the technical cooperation in olive cultivation and olive oil production should be the focus of agricultural cooperation between China and Pakistan.

These views were expressed by Cheng Xizhong, Visiting Professor at Southwest University of Political Science and Law and Senior Fellow of the Charhar Institute here on Thursday.

SEOUL (Reuters) - Both pressure and diplomatic options are on the table for dealing with North Korea, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday, hours after a senior North Korean diplomat rejected any talks until Washington changed its policies.

Blinken told a joint briefing with South Korean officials in Seoul that the administration of President Joe Biden would complete its review of North Korea policy in the next few weeks in close consultation with its allies.

TOKYO, March 18 (Xinhua) -- Seiko Hashimoto, president of the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee, said here on Thursday that she was "shocked" to learn of the derogatory remarks made by chief creative director Hiroshi Sasaki and pledged to appoint his successor as soon as possible.

Sasaki resigned after making the insulting remarks about popular female Japanese entertainer Naomi Watanabe, dealing another blow to the postponed Olympic Games with four months to go until the opening ceremony.

HONG KONG, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Over the past three days, more than 1,000 representatives from various sectors of Hong Kong have expressed their opinions about improving the electoral system of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) through symposiums, visits and interviews arranged by the central authorities.

Officials of central authorities' departments have heard the voice of Hong Kong people carefully and sincerely.