Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

SINGAPORE, Oct 5 (NNN-XINHUA) – Singapore reported 7,146 new cases of COVID-19 yesterday, bringing the total tally to 1,924,139.

Of the new cases, 444 were detected through PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests, and 6,702 through ART (antigen rapid test) tests, according to statistics released by the Ministry of Health.

Among the PCR cases, 434 were local transmissions and 10 were imported cases. Among the ART cases, with mild symptoms and assessed to be of low risk, there were 6,454 local transmissions and 248 imported cases.

SINGAPORE, Oct 5 (NNN-XINHUA) – Singapore reported 7,146 new cases of COVID-19 yesterday, bringing the total tally to 1,924,139.

Of the new cases, 444 were detected through PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests, and 6,702 through ART (antigen rapid test) tests, according to statistics released by the Ministry of Health.

Among the PCR cases, 434 were local transmissions and 10 were imported cases. Among the ART cases, with mild symptoms and assessed to be of low risk, there were 6,454 local transmissions and 248 imported cases.

TAIPEI, Oct 5 (Reuters) - China has destroyed a tacit agreement on military movements in the Taiwan Strait by crossing an unofficial "median line" running down the waterway, Defence Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said on Wednesday.

While acknowledging the end of the tacit understanding on the median line, Chiu told Taiwan's parliament Taiwan would react if China crossed its "red line".

He did not say what Taiwan's "red line" was but suggested it included Chinese aircraft, including drones, flying into Taiwan's territory. He did not identify the median line as a "red line".

ASTANA, Oct 5 (Reuters) - Kazakh authorities on Wednesday rejected a demand from Russia that they expel Ukraine's ambassador over comments about killing Russians, chiding Moscow for what they called an inappropriate tone between "equal strategic partners".

Russia's ties with Kazakhstan and some others of its ex-Soviet allies have become strained during the war in Ukraine, notably over attempts by President Vladimir Putin to renege on post-USSR border agreements in the country's east.

BISHKEK, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- The parliament of Kyrgyzstan elected a new speaker, Nurlanbek Shakiev, at a meeting on Wednesday.

According to the results of a secret voting, Shakiev, 45, was elected speaker of the parliament with 80 deputies in favor and six against.

Shakiev was elected a deputy of the parliament of the 7th convocation in 2021. He is the leader of the Ata-Zhurt Kyrgyzstan faction.

MALANG, Indonesia (AP) — Delays in unlocking the gates at an Indonesian soccer stadium after violence broke out at the end of a match contributed to a disaster in which at least 131 people died, the national soccer association said Tuesday.

The Football Association of Indonesia said it has permanently banned the chief executive and security coordinator of the team that hosted Saturday’s match, Arema FC, for failing to secure the field and promptly issue a command to unlock the gates.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A malfunctioning South Korean ballistic missile blew up as it plowed into the ground Wednesday during a live-fire drill with the United States that was a reprisal for North Korea’s successful launch a day earlier of a weapon that flew over Japan and has the range to strike the U.S. territory of Guam.

TOKYO, October 4. /TASS: The Japanese government decided to expel an employee of Russia’s Consulate in Sapporo (Hokkaido) in response to Russia detaining Japan’s consul in Vladivostok and subsequently declaring him persona non grata, Kyodo reported on Tuesday citing Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi.

It is noted that the Russian diplomat has to leave the country by October 10.

BANGKOK, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's central bank governor said on Tuesday that the Southeast Asian country's economic recovery would remain intact despite the global economic volatility.

The Thai economy is expected to grow 3.3 percent year on year in 2022 and 3.8 percent in 2023, boosted by improving consumption and the tourism sector, the Bank of Thailand (BOT) Governor Sethaput Suthiwartnarueput told a business seminar.

TOKYO (AP) — A top executive at a major Japanese publisher was charged Tuesday with bribing a former Tokyo Olympics organizing committee member.

The charges against Tsuguhiko Kadokawa, a major figure in Japan’s movie and entertainment industry, are the latest in the unfolding corruption scandal related to last year’s Tokyo Summer Games.

Kadokawa was arrested Sept. 14 on suspicion of bribing Haruyuki Takahashi with 69 million yen ($480,000).