Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

SHANGHAI/BEIJING (Reuters) - China threatened on Thursday to withdraw its recognition of British National Overseas passports held by residents of Hong Kong, in retaliation for the former colonial ruler’s policy of easing their path to citizenship.

Starting from January 2021, those in Hong Kong with such status would be able to apply for special visas to live in Britain that could eventually confer citizenship, interior minister Priti Patel said this week.

MITO, Japan (AP) — Shares were mixed in Asia on Thursday, as flaring tensions between the U.S. and China added to uncertainties overhanging regional markets.

Benchmarks rose in Hong Kong and Sydney but fell in Shanghai, Seoul and Taiwan. Asia’s biggest market, Tokyo, was closed for a four-day weekend.

The Kospi in Seoul lost 0.9% to 2,209.02 after South Korea reported that its economy contracted 3.3% in April-June after shrinking 1.3% in the first quarter. In annual terms, the economy contracted at a 2.9% pace.

TOKYO (AP) — The Tokyo Olympics have hit the one-year-to-go mark — again. But few are in a mood to celebrate.

Tokyo observed the original date a year ago. That was before the COVID-19 pandemic postponed the Olympics and pushed back the opening to July 23, 2021. Fireworks cascaded over Tokyo Bay back then, and local celebrities unveiled the medals in a highly choreographed show.

There’s none of that this time.

BEIJING (AP) — China launched its most ambitious Mars mission yet on Thursday in a bold attempt to join the United States in successfully landing a spacecraft on the red planet.

Engines blazing orange, a Long March-5 carrier rocket took off under clear skies around 12:40 p.m. from Hainan Island, south of China’s mainland. Hundreds of space enthusiasts cried out excitedly on a beach across the bay from the launch site.

BEIJING, Jul 22 (APP): Secretary General, Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Vladimir Norov has emphasized that the SCO’s international credibility has improved significantly in recent years, cementing its status as a leading multilateral structure in the region and the world.

He made these remarks in an interview with Center for Global and Strategic Studies (CGSS), Islamabad. The interview was focused to discuss SCO as a viable forum for enhanced mutual development and trans regional integration.

TOKYO, July 22. /TASS/: The development of coronavirus vaccines and treatments will become a key factor in deciding whether to hold the Olympics and Paralympics next year, President of the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee Yoshiro Mori said in an interview with NHK.

"Whether the coronavirus can be brought under control is the most important factor. This applies to progress in the development of vaccines or treatments," he said, adding that the final decision is to be made by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

BEIJING (Reuters) - The United States has told the Chinese consulate in Houston to shut down in three days, citing a need to protect American intellectual property and information, amid a sharp deterioration in relations between the two countries.

Beijing condemned the order and threatened retaliation. A source said China was considering closing the U.S. consulate in the city of Wuhan.

Ties between the United States and China have become increasingly tense since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in Wuhan at the beginning of the year.

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - An Ethiopian Airlines’ Boeing 777 cargo plane caught fire while loading cargo at Shanghai Pudong International Airport on Wednesday, the airline said, adding that fire has been contained and none of the crew or ground staff were harmed.

The cause of the incident was under investigation, Ethiopian Airlines said in a Facebook post. The aircraft was on a regular scheduled cargo service from Shanghai to Sao Paulo-Santiago, it added.

BEIJING, July 21 (Xinhua) -- China on Tuesday urged the United Kingdom to give up the illusion of retaining colonial influence over Hong Kong and correct its mistake immediately. This was after the UK decided to suspend its extradition treaty with Hong Kong and introduce a ban on arms sales.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the remarks at a daily press briefing when asked to make comments on the above-mentioned moves by the UK.

BEIJING (AP) — Breached levees have trapped more than 10,000 people in an eastern Chinese town as flooding worsens across much of the country, local authorities said Tuesday.

High waters overcame flood defenses protecting Guzhen, a town in Anhui province, on Sunday, the provincial government said on its official microblog.

Flood waters rose as high as 3 meters (10 feet), the official Xinhua News Agency quoted Wang Qingjun, Guzhen’s Communist Party secretary, as saying.