Asia (except ME & Indian SC)

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan approved the parliament’s decision to join the International Criminal Court in a move that has further strained the country’s ties with its old ally Russia.

Last week, Armenia’s parliament voted to join the ICC by ratifying the Rome Statute that created the tribunal.

Countries that have signed and ratified the Rome Statute are bound to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin, who was indicted for war crimes connected to the deportation of children from Ukraine, if he sets foot on their soil.

BISHKEK, October 13. /TASS/: Russia will do everything possible to foster interaction between the CIS and friendly countries, as well as with the CSTO, SCO, EAEU, and BRICS, according to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"Russia, of course, will continue to make every effort to develop the Commonwealth's contacts with friendly states and international organizations," he said.

SINGAPORE, Oct 13 (NNN-XINHUA) – A Scoot flight, scheduled for Perth, Australia, returned to Singapore Changi Airport yesterday evening, due to a bomb threat after takeoff, local media reported.

A spokesperson for the airline told local media that, the plane departed at 4:11 p.m. and turned back about one hour into the flight, due to a bomb threat.

The aircraft landed in Singapore at 6:27 p.m., and security checks were carried out, the spokesperson added.

Singaporean Air Force sent fighter jets to escort the Scoot flight back to Changi.

ULAN BATOR, Oct 13 (NNN-XINHUA) – Mongolian Prime Minister, Luvsannamsrai Oyun-Erdene, has confirmed the appointment of Khishgee Nyambaatar, as the new mayor of Ulan Bator, the country’s capital, said the government’s press office, today.

Prior to his appointment, Nyambaatar served as minister of justice and internal affairs of Mongolia.

Nyambaatar replaced Dolgorsuren Sumiyabazar, who has recently presented his resignation, due to a scandal involving the reform of the public transport fleet in Ulan Bator, that has embezzled public funds.

SEOUL, Oct 13 (NNN-YONHAP) – The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), slammed the United States for its persistent deployment of nuclear strategic assets into the Korean Peninsula, denouncing the move as “an undisguised military provocation,” driving the situation to an irrevocable catastrophe.

KCNA published the commentary, a day after the nuclear-powered USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier, arrived at South Korea’s south-eastern port of Busan, following trilateral naval drills involving the United States, South Korea and Japan.

BISHKEK, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin cautioned Israel on Friday against laying siege to Gaza in the same way that Nazi Germany besieged Leningrad, saying a ground offensive there would lead to an "absolutely unacceptable" number of civilian casualties.

Putin said Israel had been subjected to "an attack unprecedented in its cruelty" by Hamas militants, but was responding with cruel methods of its own.

BEIJING (AP) — The European Union’s top foreign policy official warned Friday that public sentiment in Europe could turn more protectionist if the region’s trade deficit with China is not reduced.

Josep Borrell, the EU high representative for foreign affairs, called for improved access for European companies that want to export to or invest in China. He said that political leaders in Europe could face pressure from voters to disengage from the world’s second-largest economy.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea lashed out Friday at the arrival of a U.S. aircraft carrier battle group in South Korea, calling it a provocation and again raising the specter of using nuclear weapons to defend itself.

Emboldened by its advancing nuclear arsenal, North Korea has increasingly issued threats to use such weapons preemptively. But the North is still outgunned by U.S. and South Korean forces, and experts say it is unlikely to use its nukes first, though it will continue to upgrade those arms without returning to diplomacy for the time being.

BEIJING, Oct 12 (APP): A Pakistani delegation led by Shahid Firoz, representative of Pakistan Arfeen Group and vice chairman of Belt and Road Development Company, recently paid a visit to the Hydro-Blok Company in Guangzhou, China, and had an in-depth discussion on deepening China-Pakistan cooperation in building material industry.

Chen Yuwei, chairman of Hydro-Blok Company, accompanied the delegation to visit the workshops and display areas of the company, showing the key technologies.

BISHKEK, October 12. /TASS/: Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov has signed a law that ratifies the agreement with Russia to establish a joint air defense system, the presidential office said in a statement.

According to the statement, the ratification of the agreement reaffirms the commitment of Kyrgyzstan "to strengthen strategic relations with Russia and contributes to the development of continued cooperation in the field of defense and security between the two countries."