Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines will prohibit the entry of foreign travellers from the United States from Sunday after the more infectious new variant of the coronavirus was detected in Florida.

The travel ban, lasting until Jan. 15, covers those who have been to the United States within 14 days preceding arrival in the Philippines, President Rodrigo Duterte’s spokesman said in a statement.

BANGKOK (Reuters) - The Thai capital of Bangkok will close all schools for two weeks after the New Year holiday as it tightens measures to control a new wave of the coronavirus pandemic, the city said on Friday.

Thailand confirmed 279 new coronavirus cases on Friday, with the majority of them linked to a cluster among migrant workers in Samut Sakhon province south of Bangkok, and another cluster linked to illegal gambling dens that started in the eastern province of Rayong.

BEIJING (Reuters) - Tencent’s online game offerings have been removed from Huawei’s app store since the two companies failed to reach an agreement on revenue sharing, Tencent and a source said on Friday.

“Due to the failure of Huawei’s mobile game platform to renew its contract with our Mobile Game Promotion Project Agreement as scheduled, relevant products of Tencent Games were suddenly removed from the shelves early this morning,” Tencent said in a statement.

“At present, active communication is being made to try to resume as soon as possible,” it said.

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen on Friday hailed the island’s progress in containing the coronavirus pandemic and growing the economy while facing military threats from China.

In her annual New Year’s Day address, Tsai said Taiwan had effectively conquered the virus through “believing in professionalism, trusting one another and unifying as a society,” without lockdowns or serious disruptions to business and education.

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong’s highest court on Thursday revoked media tycoon Jimmy Lai’s bail after prosecutors succeeded in asking the judges to send him back to detention.

Lai had been granted bail on Dec. 23 after three weeks in custody on charges of fraud and endangering national security. His appeal hearing is slated for Feb. 1.

The court said Thursday that it was “reasonably arguable” that the previous judge’s decision was erroneous and that the order of granting bail was invalid.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un thanked the public for their trust and support “in the difficult times” and wished them happiness and good health in his first New Year’s Day cards sent to his people.

Kim usually gives a televised speech on Jan. 1, but he is widely expected to skip it this year since he will address the country’s first ruling party congress in five years sometime in early January.

BEIJING, Dec 31 (APP): The Chinese and Indian sides are negotiating to hold the ninth round of military commander-level talks, Chinese Defense Ministry’s Spokesperson Colonel Tan Kefei said on Thursday.

“Since the eighth round of the commander-level talks between the Chinese and Indian armed forces, the two sides have focused on the disengagement of front-line troops to maintain consultations, strengthen the management and control of the troops, and the situation in the border areas is generally stable,” he said during his monthly briefing held here.

YANGON, Dec 31 (NNN-MNA) – Myanmar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, decided yesterday, to extend temporary entry restrictions, for all visitors, till the end of Jan.

The ministry issued an announcement of extending the period of precautionary restriction measures, to contain the spread of COVID-19, which will expire on Dec 31 (today).

The extension will also be applied to the temporary suspension of all types of visas and visa exemption services, the ministry said.

MELAKA (a state in southwestern Malaysia), Dec 31 (NNN-Bernama) — A Malta-registered vessel with 26 crew was detained for anchoring without permission at about 4.9 nautical miles southwest of Pulau Upeh here, Wednesday.

Melaka and Negeri Sembilan Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) deputy director (Operations) Maritime Commander Azman Samsudin said the ship, MT TAHITTI IMO No. 9600877, was detained at about 1.15 pm for failing to submit a document from the Director of the Marine Department on it being allowed to anchor at the location.

JAKARTA, Dec 31 (NNN-ANTARA) – Indonesia signed agreements on 100 million vaccine procurements, with U.S. biotechnology company Novavax and British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical company, AstraZeneca, a government minister said.

Health Minister, Budi Gunadi Sadikin, said, the agreements were carried out by Indonesian pharmaceutical company, Indofarma, with Novavax, to procure 50 million doses of vaccine, and domestic vaccine manufacturing corporation, Bio Farma, with AstraZeneca, to provide another 50 million doses.