Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

BEIJING, Jun 25 (APP): China reached an important new level of vaccine development with the start of the phase three clinical trial of an inactivated vaccine candidate against COVID-19 in the United Arab Emirates.

It is the first vaccine of its kind to reach a late-stage, mass-scale human trial, according to China National Biotec Group, China Daily reported on Thursday.

BEIJING, June 25. /TASS/: Authorities in Beijing are expected to curb the outbreak caused by the coronavirus infection by the middle or the end of July, President of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Honorary President of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences Zhang Boli said on Thursday.

LANGKAWI, June 25 (NNN-BERNAMA) — The percentage of illegal immigrants, especially Rohingyas, who encroach into Malaysian waters is very high due to the proximity of the islands in Thailand’s waters where they come from, at only 2.5 nautical miles.

Royal Malaysian Navy Region Three Commander, First Admiral Abd Hamid Ali, said these islands include Pulau Tarutao, Pulau Koh Lipe and Pulau Koh Adang in Thailand.

“These islands are very close to Langkawi and it is believed to be where they wait out before encroaching into national waters.

SINGAPORE, June 25 (NNN-BERNAMA) — Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong has decided to retire from politics, according to Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Lee noted that “with sadness” he has accepted Goh’s letter informing him of his retirement, which also means the former prime minister will not be running for the upcoming General Election after 44 years of being a member of parliament. 

“We have worked alongside each other for nearly 40 years,” wrote Lee on his latest Facebook update which was appended with a photo of him and Goh, Thursday.

BEIJING, June 24 (Xinhua) -- China hopes India can strictly observe and implement the consensus reached with China, work with China and take real actions to restore peace and stability in the border areas, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said Wednesday.

Speaking at a regular press conference, Zhao said that recently the incident in the Galwan Valley in the western section of the China-India boundary has received much attention.

BANGKOK, June 25 (NNN-TNA) – Thai National police chief, Pol. Gen. Chakthip Chaijinda, confirmed that, a large pile of military weapons had been seized from a house, in Thailand’s western province of Tak, bordering Myanmar.

The military weapons included 33 M16 and AK47 assault rifles, M79 grenade launchers, PK general-purpose machine guns, and a large amount of ammunition of different calibres, among others.

Chakthip said that two suspects had been apprehended, but declined to give further detail as an investigation is underway.

ULAN BATOR, June 25 (NNN-MONGOLIAWEB) – The ruling Mongolian People’s Party (MPP), won a landslide victory in the regular parliamentary elections on Wednesday, according to preliminary results from Mongolia’s General Election Commission (GEC).

Preliminary voting results showed the MPP took 62 seats out of 76 in parliament.

Two coalitions, Right Person Electorate Coalition and Your and Our Coalition, won one seat each. Former Mongolian Prime Minister, Norov Altankhuyag, who ran for the parliamentary elections as an independent candidate, got one seat.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea and the United States urged North Korea to implement the disarmament pledges it made in past talks, saying Thursday the allies will keep pushing for diplomacy aimed at achieving the North’s complete denuclearization.

A joint statement, issued by South Korean Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo and U.S. Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper, comes a day after North Korea abruptly announced it would suspend steps that would have nullified 2018 tension-reduction deals and further raised animosities on the Korean Peninsula.

BANGKOK (AP) — Governments and businesses are ramping up precautions as coronavirus case numbers rise to dire new levels in parts of the U.S. and around the world, potentially wiping out two months of progress.

Indonesia was expected to pass the 50,000 mark for confirmed infections on Thursday. In Melbourne, health workers planned to go door-to-door to test more than 100,000 residents in a coronavirus hot spot that threatens to undo the nation’s success in battling the virus.

BEIJING, June 24 (APP): Some Chinese living in India say its unsafe for them to go out in public and have closed their shops amid a boycott that has included anti-China graffiti and the burning of Chinese flags.

The wave of anti-China sentiment in India erupted after a border clash in Galwan Valley between China and India, Global Times reported on Wednesday.

Since then some Indians have launched campaigns calling for a boycott of Chinese products and businesses. Anti-China protests are being held in many cities.