Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

BEIJING (AP) — China’s capital and a wide swath of the country’s north were enveloped Monday in the worst sandstorm in a decade, leading to the cancelation of hundreds of flights.

Skyscrapers in the center of Beijing appeared to drop from sight amid the dust and sand. Traffic was snarled and more than 400 flights out of the capital’s two main airports were canceled before noon.

Such storms used to occur regularly in the springtime as sand from western deserts blew eastwards, affecting areas as far as northern Japan.

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — Myanmar’s ruling junta has declared martial law in parts of the country’s largest city as security forces killed more protesters in an increasingly lethal crackdown on resistance to last month’s military coup.

At least 38 people were killed Sunday and dozens were injured in one of the deadliest days of the crackdown, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, an independent group tracking the toll of the violence.

BEIJING, March 14 (APP): A puppet show will be arranged to celebrate 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan here at China Puppet Art Theatre on March 21.

The show, being arranged by embassy of Pakistan, Beijing in collaboration with China Puppet Art Theatre and Rafi Peer Art Theatre, would be held in connection of celebration of Pakistan-China civilizational and cultural heritage through puppets and related art on World Puppetry Day.

NUR-SULTAN, March 14. /TASS/: Kazakhstan’s law enforcement officers are considering three main theories of the An-26 military aircraft’s crash near the Almaty International Airport: weather conditions, a technical failure and human error, the country’s Almaty TV channel announced on Sunday.

"The cause of the tragedy is being investigated by the National Security Committee’s experts. Three main versions of the accident are being probed: weather conditions, a technical failure and human factor," the statement reads.

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is likely to meet U.S. President Joe Biden on April 9, the first foreign leader to meet the president in the White House, Japan’s Yomiuri newspaper reported on Sunday.

The two are expected to agree to strengthen the bilateral alliance and their commitment to the freedom of passage in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, the Yomiuri reported without citing sources.

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in a TV interview he hoped Singapore would start re-opening its borders by the end of the year as more countries ramp up vaccination drives against COVID-19 infections.

The Southeast Asian island nation has largely banned leisure travel, but has put in place some business and official travel programmes. It is also discussing the mutual recognition of vaccine certificates with other nations.

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore and Australia are discussing an air travel bubble that would allow travel between the two countries without the need for quarantine, looking to reopen borders that have been mostly shut for nearly a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Both countries have largely brought the virus under control, helped by international border closures, lockdowns and strict social-distancing rules.

13 Mar 2021; MEMO: After a year of impasse, the UN and Bangladesh finally reached a consensus on a first-hand visit by the UN delegation to the Rohingya relocation site on a remote Bangladeshi island, officials said today, Anadolu Agency reports.

NUR-SULTAN, March 14 (Xinhua) -- The National Security Committee of Kazakhstan on Sunday paid tribute to crew members killed in Saturday's crash of an An-26 military transport aircraft, according to the press service of the committee.

"The crew of the An-26 military transport aircraft was experienced and professionally trained, until the end of their lives they were faithful to the oath and military honor," the committee said in a statement.

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, March 13 (Xinhua) -- Hengyi Industries Sdn Bhd, a petrochemical joint venture between Brunei and China, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Saturday with a local vocational institute here, which is another key step in bilateral education cooperation and human resources development.

Hengyi Industries is a joint venture between China's Zhejiang Hengyi Group and Damai Holdings, a wholly-owned subsidiary under the Brunei government's Strategic Development Capital Fund, owning 70 percent and 30 percent of the shares, respectively.