Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

BEIJING, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- China on Tuesday rebutted U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's slanderous comments about the Communist Party of China (CPC), saying that blaming and stigmatizing China will never "make America great again."

Spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the remarks at a daily press briefing when asked to comment on Pompeo's recent tweet, in which he claimed that the CPC is the biggest threat to the United Nations (UN).

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed all-out efforts to bolster his country’s nuclear deterrent during a major ruling party meeting where he earlier laid out plans to work toward salvaging the broken economy.

Separately, Kim’s powerful sister criticized South Korea’s military for saying it had seen an apparent military parade taking place in Pyongyang. Kim Yo Jong, who was described last year as being in charge of inter-Korean relations, said in a statement Wednesday that such close tracking proved Seoul’s “hostile approach” toward its rival.

BEIJING, January 12. /TASS/: The Chinese authorities have announced the lockdown of the cities of Shijiazhuang, Xingtai and Langfang with a total population of over 23 mln due to a new coronavirus outbreak, according to the Hebei province’s health committee.

Security measures will be tightened on highways and railroads leading to the three cities, the committee said. People are allowed to leave the cities only when absolutely necessary. At the same time, local watchdogs plan to conduct mass coronavirus testing.

JAKARTA, Jan 12 (NNN-ANTARA) — Indonesian Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi, has asked that the insurance payout for victims of the Sriwijaya Air plane crash be granted quickly.

He said that he had received information on Tuesday morning (Jan 12, 2021) that the insurance payout had been provided for a Sriwijaya Air flight attendant who had been identified.

The Transportation Minister also said he had asked Sriwijaya Air to provide full support to the National Police Hospital in efforts to identify the victims of the Sriwijaya Air SJ-182 crash.

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesian divers on Tuesday retrieved from the sea bed the flight data recorder (FDR) of a Sriwijaya Air plane that crashed into the Java Sea with 62 people on board at the weekend, officials said.

Divers had also found a separate radio beacon, raising hopes that the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) it was connected to could soon be found and reveal what caused the plane to lose control moments after takeoff.

Kuala Lumpur, Jan 12 (AP-PTI) Malaysia's king on Tuesday approved a coronavirus emergency that will suspend parliament at least until August and halt any bids to seek a general election in a political reprieve for embattled Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

Muhyiddin assured citizens in a televised speech that the emergency was not a military coup and curfew will not be enforced. He said his civilian government will remain in charge during the emergency, that will last until August 1 or earlier depending on the situation.

BEIJING, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- China on Monday expressed firm opposition to and deploration about recent U.S. moves and remarks concerning Taiwan, saying any attempt of undermining China's core interests will meet "resolute counterattacks" from the Chinese side and will not succeed.

According to media reports, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has announced a decision to lift restrictions on interactions with Taiwan.

"China firmly opposes and deplores such practices," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said at a press briefing when asked to make comments.

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Rescuers are searching for 26 people still missing after two landslides hit a village in Indonesia’s West Java province over the weekend, officials said Tuesday.

At least 13 people were killed and 29 others injured in the landslides that were triggered by heavy rain on Sunday in Cihanjuang, a village in West Java’s Sumedang district. Some of the victims were rescuers from the first landslide.

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 11 (NNN-Bernama) — The ASEAN India Business Council (AIBC) has called for the immediate review of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement which was signed and came into force in 2010, said AIBC co-chairman Ramesh Kodammal.

He said this matter was raised when the AIBC delegation paid a courtesy call on Senior Minister cum Minister of International Trade and Industry, Mohamed Azmin Ali last Thursday (Jan 7) at his office in Putrajaya, the Malaysia’s federal administrative capital.

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 11 (NNN-Bernama) — Malaysian government has decided to implement the Movement Control Order (MCO) in six states – Penang, Selangor, Federal Territories (Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan), Melaka, Johor and Sabah – for 14 days, from Wednesday until Jan 26.

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said another six states – Pahang, Perak, Negeri Sembilan, Kedah, Terengganu and Kelantan – would be placed under the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) while the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) would be enforced in Perlis and Sarawak for the same period.